Yechezkel 33:21-33

21 And it came to pass in the twelfth shanah of our Golus, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Yerushalayim came unto me, saying, The Ir (City, Jerusalem) has fallen [see Ezek. 24:26].

22 Now the Yad Hashem was upon me in the erev before he that was escaped arrived; and He had opened my mouth before he came to me in the boker; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.

23 Then the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

24 Ben Adam, they that inhabit those ruins of Admat Yisroel speak, saying, Avraham was one, and he inherited HaAretz; but we are rabbim; HaAretz is given to us for an inherited possession.

25 Therefore say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem; Ye eat al hadahm [Leviticus 19:26] and lift up your eyes toward your gillulim, and do shefach dahm—even so shall you inherit the possession of HaAretz?

26 Ye rely upon your cherev, ye work toevah, and ye defile every one his neighbor’s isha; and shall ye inherit as a possession HaAretz?

27 Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: As I live, surely they that are in the ruins shall fall by the cherev, and him that is in the open sadeh will I give to the wild animals to be devoured, and they that be in the metzudot (strongholds) and in the me’arot (caves) shall die of dever (plague).

28 For I will make HaAretz most desolate, and the ga’on (pride, pomp) of her oz (strength) shall cease; and the harim of Yisroel shall be desolate, that none pass through.

29 Then shall they know that I am Hashem, when I have made HaAretz a desolation and a waste because of all their to’avot which they have committed.

30 Also, thou Ben Adam, the Bnei Amecha still are talking against thee by the kirot (walls) and in the doorways of the batim (houses), and speak one to another, every one to achiv (his brother), saying, Come, now, and hear what is the Davar that cometh forth from Hashem.

31 And they come unto thee as Am cometh, and they sit before thee as Ami, and they hear thy devarim, but they will not practice them; for with their mouth there is agavim (lusts), but their lev pursueth after their betza (unjust gain).

32 And, hinei, thou art unto them nothing more than one with a kol yafeh (beautiful voice) who sings shir agavim (sensual love songs) and can play well on a musical instrument; for they hear thy devarim, but they do them not.

33 And when this cometh to pass?hinei, it will come?then shall they know that a navi hath been among them.

Yechezkel 33:21-33 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 33

This chapter treats of the prophet's duty, and the people's sins; contains a vindication of the justice of God; a threatening of destruction to those who remained in the land after the taking of the city; and a detection of the hypocrisy of the prophet's hearers. The duty of a watchman in general is declared, Eze 33:1-6, an application of this to the prophet, Eze 33:7: the sum of whose business is to warn the wicked man of his wickedness; and the consequence of doing, or not doing it, is expressed, Eze 33:8,9, an objection of the people, and the prophet's answer to it, Eze 33:10,11, who is bid to acquaint them, that a righteous man trusting to his righteousness, and sinning, should not live; and that a sinner repenting of his sins should not die, Eze 33:12-16, the people's charge of inequality in the ways of God is retorted upon them, and removed from the Lord, and proved against them, Eze 33:17-20, then follows a prophecy, delivered out after the news was brought of the taking of the city, threatening with ruin those that remained in the land, confident of safety, and that for their sins, which are particularly enumerated, Eze 33:21-29, and the chapter is closed with a discovery of the hypocrisy of those that attended the prophet's ministry, Eze 33:30-33.