Ezekiel 11:1-7

1 And the spirit raised me [up], and led me within to the east gate of the house of the Lord, that beholdeth the rising of the sun. And lo! in the entering of the gate were five and twenty men; and I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah, the son of Azur, and Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. (And the spirit raised me up, and led me within to the east gate of the House of the Lord, that faceth the rising of the sun. And lo! at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men; and I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah, the son of Azur, and Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, the leaders of the people.)

2 And he said to me, Thou, son of man, these be the men that think wickedness, and treat the worst counsel in this city, (And he said to me, Thou, son of man, these be the men who think wickedly, and indulge in the worst counsel, or give the worst advice, in this city,)

3 and say, Whether houses were not builded a while ago? this is the cauldron, forsooth we be fleshes. (and say, Were all the houses built a while ago? this city is the cauldron, and we be the meat in it.)

4 Therefore prophesy thou of them, prophesy thou, son of man. (And so prophesy thou against them, prophesy thou, son of man.)

5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell into me (And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me), and said to me, Speak thou, The Lord saith these things, Ye house of Israel spake thus, and I knew the thoughts of your heart;

6 ye killed full many men in this city, and ye filled the ways thereof with slain men. (ye killed a great many people in this city, and ye filled its ways with the slain.)

7 Therefore the Lord saith these things, Your slain men, which ye putted in the midst thereof, these be the fleshes, and this is the cauldron; and I shall lead you out of the midst thereof. (And so the Lord saith these things, Your slain, whom ye put in its midst, they be the meat, and this is the cauldron; but I shall lead you out of its midst.)

Ezekiel 11:1-7 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.