Ezekiel 24:9-19

9 Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great.
10 Heap on the wood, kindle the fire, boil thoroughly the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.
11 Then set it empty upon its coals, that it may be hot, and the brass of it may burn, and that its filthiness may be molten in it, [and] that its rust may be consumed.
12 She hath exhausted [her] labours, yet her great rust goeth not forth out of her: let her rust be in the fire.
13 In thy filthiness is lewdness, for I have purged thee, and thou art not pure. Thou shalt no more be purged from thy filthiness, till I have satisfied my fury upon thee.
14 I Jehovah have spoken [it]: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, nor will I repent. According to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord Jehovah.
15 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
16 Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke; yet thou shalt not mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.
17 Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead; bind thy turban upon thee, and put thy sandals upon thy feet, and cover not the beard, and eat not the bread of men.
18 -- And I spoke unto the people in the morning; and at even my wife died. And I did in the morning as I was commanded.
19 And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, which thou doest?

Ezekiel 24:9-19 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 24

Is this chapter the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem is prophesied of; the former under the parable of a boiling pot; the latter is represented by the sudden death of Ezekiel's wife. The time of this prophecy was that very day the king of Babylon began the siege of Jerusalem, Eze 24:1,2, the parable of the boiling pot, Eze 24:3-5, the explanation and application of it to the city of Jerusalem, Eze 24:6-14, the prophet is told of the death of his wife, and bid not to mourn on that account, which accordingly came to pass, Eze 24:15-18, upon the people's inquiring what these things meant, he informs them that hereby was signified the profanation of the temple; and that their distress should be so great, that they should not use any set forms of mourning, but pine away and die, Eze 24:19-24, and the chapter is closed with assuring the prophet, that the day these things should come to pass, a messenger should be sent him, to whom he should open his mouth, and be no more dumb, Eze 24:25-27.

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. Or 'and make thick the broth.'
  • [b]. Or 'copper.'
  • [c]. Or 'scum.'
  • [d]. Or 'her rust [doth not vanish] in the fire.'
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.