Ezekiel 12:6

6 In their sight you shall lift the baggage upon your shoulder and carry it out at dusk. You shall cover your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you 1a sign for the house of Israel."

Ezekiel 12:6 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 12:6

In their sight shall thou bear [it] upon [thy] shoulders
The bundle, packed up for his use and service, carried out through the wall dug by him. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it, as if he himself was to be carried out upon the shoulders of another, thus: "in their sight, upon the shoulders, thou shall be carried"; but the former sense is best: [and] carry [it] forth in the twilight;
signifying the same as before: thou shall cover thy face, that thou see not the ground;
or "land"; not the land of Israel, but the land of Chaldea, where the prophet was: this shows that great shame and confusion which should attend the king of Judah when he fled, and great fear and terror also; and likewise his regard to his eyes being put out by the king of Babylon; so that he saw not the land into which he was carried captive, ( Jeremiah 52:11 ) ; for I have set thee [for] a sign unto the house of Israel;
to show unto them by deeds, as well as by words, what should befall them; see ( Isaiah 8:18 ) ( 20:2-4 ) .

Ezekiel 12:6 In-Context

4 You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile, and you shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as those do who must go into exile.
5 In their sight dig through the wall, and bring your baggage out through it.
6 In their sight you shall lift the baggage upon your shoulder and carry it out at dusk. You shall cover your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel."
7 And I did as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands. I brought out my baggage at dusk, carrying it on my shoulder in their sight.
8 In the morning the word of the LORD came to me:

Cross References 1

  • 1. See Ezekiel 4:3
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.