Ezekiel 24:1-14

The Boiling Pot and the Death of Ezekiel’s Wife

1 And the word of Yahweh {came} to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth [day] of the month, {saying},

2 "Son of man, write for yourself the name of the day, {this very day}. The king of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem on exactly this day!

3 And {deliver a proverb} to {the rebellious house}, and you must say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Place the pot! Place [it] and also pour water into it.

4 Gather its pieces to it, every good piece, thigh and shoulder, fill it [with] choice bones;

5 take the choicest of the flock, and also pile the bones under it; {boil it vigorously}; indeed, its bones boiled in the midst of it." '"

6 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Woe [to] the city of bloodguilt! A pot that [has] its rust in it; {its rust did not go out from it}. Bring it out {piece by piece}; {one is as good as another}.

7 For her blood was in the midst of her; {she put it on a bare rock}; she [did] not pour it on the ground to cover it [with] dust.

8 To stir up rage, to avenge myself [through] vengeance, I placed its blood on [the] barrenness of a rock, {so that it may not be covered}."

9 Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Woe [to] the city of bloodguilt! I, even I, will make the pile of wood great!

10 Pile up the logs; kindle the fire; finish [cooking] the meat, and mix [in] the spices, and let the bones be burned.

11 And {make it stand} empty upon its burning coals so that it may become hot, and its copper may become molten and be melted in the midst of it, [so that] its uncleanness and its rust be consumed.

12 [Through] effort she has caused weariness; {its thick rust} went not [out of] it. Its rust! Into [the] fire [with] its rust!

13 In your uncleanness [is] obscene conduct, because I cleansed you, but you were not clean from your uncleanness; you will not be clean again until {I fully vent my rage} on you.

14 I, Yahweh, I have spoken. [It is] coming, and I did [it]; I will not disregard, and I will not take pity, and I will not reconsider. According to your ways and according to your deeds they will judge you!" {declares} the Lord Yahweh.

Ezekiel 24:1-14 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

• [a]. Literally "was"
• [b]. Literally "to say"
• [c]. Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
• [d]. Literally "exactly the day the this"
• [e]. Literally "quote a proverb"; "proverb a proverb"
• [f]. Literally "the house of rebellion"
• [g]. Or possibly "logs"; the difference is one letter in Hebrew
• [h]. Literally "boil its boiling"
• [i]. Or "also"
• [j]. Literally "rust her not went forth from her"
• [k]. Literally "according to its pieces"
• [l]. Literally "no lot has fallen on it"
• [m]. Literally "on barrenness of [a] rock she put it"
• [n]. Or "earth" or "dirt"
• [o]. Literally "so [as] not to be covered"
• [p]. Or "charred"
• [q]. Literally "cause it to stand"
• [r]. Literally "her"
• [s]. Literally "the abundance of its rust"
• [t]. Literally "until causing rest I to my rage"
• [u]. Or "I will judge"
• [v]. Literally "declaration of"