Ezekiel 33:21-33

The News of Jerusalem's Fall

21 In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth [month], on the fifth [day] of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and reported, "The city has been taken!"

22 Now the hand of the Lord had been on me the evening before the fugitive arrived, and He opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer mute.^[a]

Israel's Continued Rebellion

23 Then the word of the Lord came to me:

24 "Son of man, those who live in the^[b] ruins in the land of Israel are saying: Abraham was only one person,^[c] yet he received possession of the land.^[d] But we are many; the land has been given to us as a possession.^[e]

25 Therefore say to them: This is what the Lord God says: You eat [meat] with blood [in it],^[f] raise your eyes to your idols, and shed blood. Should you then receive possession of the land?^[g]

26 You have relied on your swords, you have committed abominations, and each of you has defiled his neighbor's wife. Should you then receive possession of the land?^[h]

27 "Tell them this: This is what the Lord God says: As surely as I live, those who are in the ruins will fall by the sword, those in the open field I have given to wild animals to be devoured,^[i] and those in the strongholds and caves will die by plague.^[j]

28 I will make the land a desolate waste,^[k] and its proud strength will come to an end.^[l] The mountains of Israel^[m] will become desolate, with no one passing through.

29 They will know that I am the Lord when I make the land a desolate waste because of all the abominations they have committed.

30 "Now, son of man, your people are talking about you near the [city] walls and in the doorways of their houses. One person speaks to another, each saying to his brother: Come and hear what the message is that comes from the Lord!

31 So My people come to you in crowds,^[n] sit in front of you, and hear your words, but they don't obey them. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue unjust gain.

32 Yes, to them you are like a singer of love songs who has a beautiful voice and plays skillfully on an instrument. They hear your words, but they don't obey them.

33 Yet when it comes^[o] -and it will definitely come-then they will know that a prophet has been among them."

Ezekiel 33:21-33 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 33

This chapter treats of the prophet's duty, and the people's sins; contains a vindication of the justice of God; a threatening of destruction to those who remained in the land after the taking of the city; and a detection of the hypocrisy of the prophet's hearers. The duty of a watchman in general is declared, Eze 33:1-6, an application of this to the prophet, Eze 33:7: the sum of whose business is to warn the wicked man of his wickedness; and the consequence of doing, or not doing it, is expressed, Eze 33:8,9, an objection of the people, and the prophet's answer to it, Eze 33:10,11, who is bid to acquaint them, that a righteous man trusting to his righteousness, and sinning, should not live; and that a sinner repenting of his sins should not die, Eze 33:12-16, the people's charge of inequality in the ways of God is retorted upon them, and removed from the Lord, and proved against them, Eze 33:17-20, then follows a prophecy, delivered out after the news was brought of the taking of the city, threatening with ruin those that remained in the land, confident of safety, and that for their sins, which are particularly enumerated, Eze 33:21-29, and the chapter is closed with a discovery of the hypocrisy of those that attended the prophet's ministry, Eze 33:30-33.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ezk 3:26-27; 24:26-27
• [b]. Lit these
• [c]. Isa 51:2
• [d]. Gn 15:7; 28:4
• [e]. Ezk 36:2
• [f]. Lv 19:26
• [g]. Ezk 11:15
• [h]. Ezk 18:6,10-11,15
• [i]. Ezk 34:5
• [j]. Ezk 5:12; 6:12
• [k]. Ezk 35:3
• [l]. Ezk 7:24
• [m]. Ezk 6:2
• [n]. Lit you like the coming of a people
• [o]. Ezk 7:6