Ezekiel 11

Judgment On Evil Rulers

1 And [the] Spirit lifted me up, and it brought me to the eastern gate, the one facing east, of the temple of Yahweh. And look, there were twenty-five men in the doorway of the gate, and I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur in the midst of them, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, the commanders of the people.

2 And he said to me, "Son of man, these [are] the men {who devise mischief}, and [who are] offering bad counsel in this city,

3 who [are] saying, "The building of houses [is] not near; [the city] is the pot, and we [are] the flesh.

4 Therefore prophesy against them! Prophesy, son of man!"

5 And the Spirit of Yahweh fell on me, and he said to me, "Say, 'thus says Yahweh: "This is what you think, house of Israel, and I myself know them, the thoughts of your spirit.

6 You made your slain ones numerous in this city, and you have filled its streets [with] slain ones." '

7 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Your slain ones whom you put in its midst, they [are] the flesh, and it is [the] pot, and I will bring you out from its midst.

8 [The] sword you have feared, and [the] sword I will bring against you!" {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

9 "And I will bring you out from its midst, and I will give you into [the] hand of strangers, and I will execute judgments against you.

10 By the sword you will fall at the border of Israel; I will judge you, and you will know that I [am] Yahweh.

11 It will not be as a pot to you, and [so] you would be in the midst of it as flesh, [for] at the border of Israel I will judge you.

12 And you will know that I [am] Yahweh, whose rules you did not follow, and whose regulations you did not do, but according to the regulations of the nations that [are] around you, you acted." '

13 And it happened [that] {as I was prophesying}, Pelatiahu the son of Benaiahu died! And I fell on my face, and I cried [with] a loud voice, and I said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh, you [are] making [a] complete destruction [of] the remnant of Israel!"

14 And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying},

15 "Son of man, your brothers, your brothers, the men of your redemption, and all of the house of Israel, all of it, {who said concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem}, 'They are far from Yahweh, [therefore] to us this land was given as a possession.'

16 Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Though I have removed them [far away] among the nations and though I have scattered them among the countries, yet I was a sanctuary to them [for a] little while in the countries {to which they have gone}.'"

17 Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "And I will assemble you from the peoples, and I will gather you from the countries [to] which you were scattered among them, and I will give the land of Israel to you.

18 And [when] they come there, then they will remove all of its vile idols and all of its detestable things from it.

19 And I will give to them one heart, and a new spirit I will give in their inner parts. And I will remove their heart of stone from their body, and I will give to them a heart of flesh,

20 so that they may walk in my statutes, and they will keep my regulations, and they will do them, and they will be to me a people, and I myself will be to them as God.

21 But to the heart of their abominations and the detestable things their heart is going. I will bring their way on their head," {declares} the Lord Yahweh.'"

22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, and their wheels [were] beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel {was over them}.

23 And the glory of Yahweh went up from the midst of the city, and it stood [still] on the mountain that [is] to the east of the city.

24 And [the] Spirit lifted me up, and it brought me to Chaldea, to the exiles, in the vision by the spirit of God; and the vision that I had seen {left me}.

25 And I spoke to the exiles all of the words of Yahweh that he had shown me.

Ezekiel 11 Commentary

Chapter 11

Divine judgments against the wicked at Jerusalem. (1-13) Divine favour towards those in captivity. (14-21) The Divine presence forsakes the city. (22-25)

Verses 1-13 Where Satan cannot persuade men to look upon the judgment to come as uncertain, he gains his point by persuading them to look upon it as at a distance. These wretched rulers dare to say, We are as safe in this city as flesh in a boiling pot; the walls of the city shall be to us as walls of brass, we shall receive no more damage from the besiegers than the caldron does from the fire. When sinners flatter themselves to their own ruin, it is time to tell them they shall have no peace if they go on. None shall remain in possession of the city but those who are buried in it. Those are least safe who are most secure. God is often pleased to single out some sinners for warning to others. Whether Pelatiah died at that time in Jerusalem, or when the fulfilment of the prophecy drew near, is uncertain. Like Ezekiel, we ought to be much affected with the sudden death of others, and we should still plead with the Lord to have mercy on those who remain.

Verses 14-21 The pious captives in Babylon were insulted by the Jews who continued in Jerusalem; but God made gracious promises to them. It is promised, that God will give them one heart; a heart firmly fixed for God, and not wavering. All who are made holy have a new spirit, a new temper and dispositions; they act from new principles, walk by new rules, and aim at new ends. A new name, or a new face, will not serve without a new spirit. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. The carnal heart, like a stone, cannot be made to feel. Men live among the dead and dying, and are neither concerned nor humbled. He will make their hearts tender and fit to receive impressions: this is God's work, it is his gift by promise; and a wonderful and happy change is wrought by it, from death to life. Their practices shall be agreeable to those principles. These two must and will go together. When the sinner feels his need of these blessings, let him present the promises as prayers in the name of Christ, they will be performed.

Verses 22-25 Here is the departure of God's presence from the city and temple. It was from the Mount of Olives that the vision went up, typifying the ascension of Christ to heaven from that very mountain. Though the Lord will not forsake his people, yet he may be driven away from any part of his visible church by their sins, and woe will be upon them when He withdraws his presence, glory, and protection.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "house"
• [b]. Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
• [c]. Literally "the ones devising mischief"
• [d]. Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
• [e]. Hebrew "it"
• [f]. Hebrew "slain one"
• [g]. Hebrew "he"
• [h]. Literally "declaration of"
• [i]. Or "will be"
• [j]. Hebrew "which"
• [k]. Hebrew "my"
• [l]. Or "did"
• [m]. Literally "at my prophesying"
• [n]. Literally "was"
• [o]. Or "to say"
• [p]. Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
• [q]. Literally "which they said concerning them the inhabitants of Jerusalem"
• [r]. Literally "which they came there"
• [s]. Or "put"
• [t]. Hebrew "the"
• [u]. Or "and to"
• [v]. Literally "declaration of"
• [w]. Or "And"
• [x]. Or "the"
• [y]. Literally "from to above"
• [z]. Hebrew "exile"
• [aa]. Literally "went up from [being] upon me"
• [ab]. Hebrew "exile"

Chapter Summary

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.