Ezekiel 11:1-21

Vision of Israel's Corrupt Leaders

1 The Spirit then lifted me up and brought me to the eastern gate of the Lord's house, which faces east, and at the gate's entrance were 25 men. Among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.

2 The Lord said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who plan evil and give wicked advice in this city.

3 They are saying: Isn't the time near to build houses?^[a] The city is the pot, and we are the meat.

4 Therefore, prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man!"

5 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and He told me, "You are to say: This is what the Lord says: That is what you are thinking, house of Israel; and I know the thoughts that arise in your mind.

6 You have multiplied your slain in this city, filling its streets with the dead.

7 "Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: The slain you have put within it are the meat, and the city is the pot, but I^[b] will remove you from it.

8 You fear the sword, so I will bring the sword against you." [This is] the declaration of the Lord God .

9 "I will bring you out of the city and hand you over to foreigners; I will execute judgments against you.

10 You will fall by the sword, and I will judge you at the border of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

11 The city will not be a pot for you, and you will not be the meat within it. I will judge you at the border of Israel,

12 so you will know that I am the Lord, whose statutes you have not followed and whose ordinances you have not practiced. Instead, you have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you."

13 Now while I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out with a loud voice: "Ah, Lord God ! Will You bring to an end the remnant of Israel?"

Promise of Israel's Restoration

14 The word of the Lord came to me again:

15 "Son of man, your own relatives, those who have the right to redeem you,^[c][d]and the entire house of Israel, all of them, are those the residents of Jerusalem have said this to: Stay away from the Lord; this land has been given to us as a possession.

16 "Therefore say: This is what the Lord God says: Though I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.

17 "Therefore say: This is what the Lord God says: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

18 "When they arrive there, they will remove all its detestable things and all its abominations from it.

19 And I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone from their bodies^[e] and give them a heart of flesh,

20 so they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.^[f]

21 But as for those whose hearts pursue their desire for detestable things and abominations, I will bring their actions down on their own heads." [This is] the declaration of the Lord God .

Ezekiel 11:1-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 11

This chapter contains an account of the sins of the princes of Judah; a prophecy of their destruction; some comfortable, promises respecting those of the captivity; and the chapter is closed with the finishing of the vision of the Lord's removing from Jerusalem; and the whole being ended, the prophet related it to the men of the captivity. In Eze 11:1; the prophet, is shown five and twenty men, among whom were two he knew, and are mentioned by name, and were princes of the people; and he is told that these men devised mischief, and gave bad advice to the people, Eze 11:2,3; wherefore he is bid to prophesy against them, Eze 11:4; which he accordingly did, the Spirit of the Lord falling upon him, Eze 11:5; declaring that their secret evils were known, as well as their public ones; and that, seeing they had multiplied their slain, and had feared the sword, the sword should come upon them; some should fall by it, and others should be carried captive; the consequence of which would be, that God would be known, and his justice acknowledged, it being what their sins deserved, Eze 11:6-12; upon this prophecy being delivered out, one of the princes before named died immediately; which filled the prophet with great concern, and put him upon expostulating with God, Eze 11:13; wherefore, for his comfort, he is told, that though the inhabitants of Jerusalem had insulted their brethren that were carried captive, and looked upon the land of Israel as their own possession, that God would be a little sanctuary to them; that he would gather them out of all lands, and give them the land of Israel; that they should come thither, and remove all idolatry from it, and should have regenerating and renewing grace given them, to walk in the statutes and ordinances of the Lord, by which they should appear to be his people, and he to be their God, Eze 11:14-20; but as for such that continued in their abominable idolatries, these should receive a just recompence of reward, Eze 11:21; after which follows an account of the entire removal of the glory of the Lord from the city of Jerusalem, Eze 11:22,23; and the prophet being, in vision, brought again to Chaldea, reports the whole he had seen to them of the captivity, Eze 11:24,25.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or The time is not near to build houses.
• [b]. Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg; other Hb mss read He
• [c]. LXX, Syr read your relatives, your fellow exiles
• [d]. Or own brothers, your relatives
• [e]. Lit flesh
• [f]. Ezk 36:26; Jr 32:38-39