Ezekiel 24:15-24

Ezekiel's Wife Dies

15 The word of the LORD came to me:
16 1"Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down.
17 Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. 2Bind on your turban, and 3put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, 4nor eat the bread of men."
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and 5at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did 6as I was commanded.
19 And 7the people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?"
20 Then I said to them, "The word of the LORD came to me:
21 'Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: 8Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and 9your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.
22 And 10you shall do as I have done; 11you shall not cover your lips, 12nor eat the bread of men.
23 13Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but 14you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another.
24 Thus shall Ezekiel be to you 15a sign; 16according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then 17you will know that I am the Lord GOD.'

Ezekiel 24:15-24 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.

Cross References 17

  • 1. See Ezekiel 2:1
  • 2. See Leviticus 10:6
  • 3. [2 Samuel 15:30; Isaiah 20:2]
  • 4. Hosea 9:4; See Jeremiah 16:5-7
  • 5. [ver. 16]
  • 6. Ezekiel 12:7; Ezekiel 37:7
  • 7. See Ezekiel 12:9
  • 8. [Jeremiah 7:14]; See Ezekiel 7:21
  • 9. Ezekiel 23:47; See 2 Chronicles 36:17
  • 10. [ver. 17; Ezekiel 12:11]
  • 11. [ver. 17; Ezekiel 12:11]
  • 12. [See ver. 17 above]
  • 13. [See ver. 22 above]
  • 14. See Ezekiel 4:17
  • 15. ver. 27; See Ezekiel 4:3
  • 16. [See ver. 22 above]
  • 17. See Ezekiel 6:7
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.