Ezekiel 12

1 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,
2 Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of an house stirring to wrath, which have eyes to see, and see not, and ears to hear, and hear not; for it an house stirring to wrath. (Son of man, thou livest in the midst of a house stirring me to anger, those who have eyes to see, and see not, and ears to hear, and hear not; for it a house stirring me to anger.)
3 Therefore thou, son of man, make to thee vessels of passing over, and thou shalt pass over by day before them; forsooth thou shalt pass over from thy place to another place, in the sight of them; if peradventure they behold, for it is an house stirring to wrath. (And so thou, son of man, prepare for thyself the necessary things for going into exile, or into captivity, and thou shalt go out by day before them as if going into exile, or into captivity; and thou shalt go out from thy place to another place before them; if perhaps they shall see, for it is a house stirring me to anger.)
4 And thou shalt bear withoutforth thy vessels, as the vessels of a man passing over by day, in the sight of them; soothly thou shalt go out in the eventide before them, as a man passing forth goeth out. (And by day, in their sight, or before them, thou shalt carry thy things outside, like the necessary things of a man going into exile, or into captivity; and in the evening thou shalt go out before them, like a man going into exile, or into captivity, goeth out.)
5 Before the eyes of them dig (in) the wall to thee, and thou shalt go out through it, (Before their eyes, dig thou through the wall, and then thou shalt go out through it.)
6 in the sight of them. Thou shalt be borne on shoulders, thou shalt be borne out in darkness; thou shalt cover thy face, and thou shalt not see the earth, for I have given thee to be a sign of thing to coming to the house of Israel. (In their sight, or before them, thou shalt carry those things out upon thy shoulders, yea, thou shalt carry them out in the darkness; thou shalt cover thy face, and thou shalt not see the ground, for I have given thee to be a sign of what is to come for the house of Israel.)
7 Therefore I did as the Lord commanded to me; I brought forth my vessels, as the vessels of a man passing over by day, and in the eventide I digged (through) a wall to me with (mine) hand; I went out in darkness, and I was borne on shoulders, in the sight of them. (And so I did as the Lord commanded me; by day I brought forth my things, like the necessary things of a man going into exile, or into captivity, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands; then I went out in the darkness, in the sight of them, and I carried those things upon my shoulders.)
8 And the word of the Lord was made early to me, and he said, (And early in the morning the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,)
9 Son of man, whether the house of Israel, the house stirring (me) to wrath, said not to thee, What doest thou?
10 Say thou to them, The Lord God saith these things, This burden is on the duke, which is in Jerusalem (This burden is on the prince, who is in Jerusalem), and on all the house of Israel, which is in the midst of them.
11 Say thou, I am your sign of thing to coming; as I did, so it shall be done to them; they shall go into passing over, and into captivity. (Say thou, I am your sign of what is to come; as I did, so it shall be done to them; they shall go into exile, and into captivity.)
12 And the duke which is in the midst of them, shall be borne out on shoulders, and he shall go out in darkness; they shall dig (through) the wall, and lead him out; his face shall be covered, that he see not with eye the earth. (And the prince who is in their midst, shall carry his necessary things upon his shoulder, and he shall go out in darkness; they shall dig through the wall to let him out; his face shall be covered, so that he shall not see the ground with his eyes.)
13 And I shall stretch forth my net on him, and he shall be taken in my net; and I shall lead him into Babylon, into the land of Chaldees, and he shall not see that land, and he shall die there. (And I shall stretch forth my net upon him, and he shall be caught in my net; and I shall lead him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans, but he shall not see that land, even though he shall die there.)
14 And I shall scatter into each wind all men that be about him, his help, and his companies; and I shall draw out the sword after them. (And I shall scatter into the winds all those who be about him, yea, his help, and his companies; and I shall draw out the sword after them.)
15 And they shall know, that I am the Lord, when I shall scatter them among heathen men (when I shall scatter them among the heathen), and shall sow them abroad in (the) lands.
16 And I shall leave of them a few men from sword, and hunger, and pestilence, that they tell out all the great trespasses of them among heathen men, to whom they shall enter; and they shall know, that I am the Lord. (And I shall leave alive a few of them from the sword, and famine, and pestilence, so that they can tell out all their great trespasses to the heathen, among whom they shall enter; and then they shall know, that I am the Lord.)
17 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,
18 Thou, son of man, eat thy bread in disturbing, but also drink thy water in haste and mourning. (Thou, son of man, eat thy bread with trembling, or in distress, and drink thy water in haste and with mourning.)
19 And thou shalt say to the people of the land, The Lord God saith these things to them that dwell in Jerusalem, (and elsewhere) in the land of Israel, They shall eat their bread in anguish, and they shall drink their water in desolation; that the land be desolate of his multitude, for the wickedness of all men that dwell therein (yea, the land shall be made desolate of its multitude, for the wickedness of all those who live there).
20 And [the] cities that be now inhabited, shall be desolate, and the land shall be forsaken (and the land shall be deserted/and the land shall become a desert); and ye shall know, that I am the Lord.
21 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,
22 Son of man, what is this proverb to you, of men saying in the land of Israel, (The) Days shall be deferred into (a) long time, and each vision shall perish?
23 Therefore say thou to them, The Lord God saith these things, I shall make this proverb to cease, and it shall no more be said commonly in Israel; and speak thou to them, that the days have nighed, and each word of vision, either of prophesy. (And so say thou to them, The Lord God saith these things, I shall make this proverb to cease, and it shall no more be commonly said in Israel; and then say thou to them, The days have arrived, and all the words of the vision, or of the prophesy, shall be fulfilled.)
24 For why each vision shall no more be void, neither before-telling of thing to coming shall be doubtful in the midst of the sons of Israel;
25 for I the Lord shall speak whatever word I shall speak, and it shall be done; it shall no more be delayed, but in your days, ye house stirring to wrath (ye house stirring me to anger), I shall speak a word, and I shall do that word, saith the Lord God.
26 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,
27 Thou, son of man, lo! the house of Israel, of them that say, The vision which this man seeth, is into many days (yet to come), and this man prophesieth into long times. (Thou, son of man, lo! they of the house of Israel say, The vision which this man seeth is not to be until many days yet to come, and this man prophesieth into times afar off.)
28 Therefore say thou to them, The Lord God saith these things, Each word of me shall no more be deferred (No word of mine shall any more be delayed); the word which I shall speak, shall be [ful]filled, saith the Lord God.

Ezekiel 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

The approaching captivity. (1-16) An emblem of the consternation of the Jews. (17-20) Answers to the objections of scoffers. (21-28)

Verses 1-16 By the preparation for removal, and his breaking through the wall of his house at evening, as one desirous to escape from the enemy, the prophet signified the conduct and fate of Zedekiah. When God has delivered us, we must glorify him and edify others, by acknowledging our sins. Those who by afflictions are brought to this, are made to know that God is the Lord, and may help to bring others to know him.

Verses 17-20 The prophet must eat and drink in care and fear, with trembling, that he might express the condition of those in Jerusalem during the siege. When ministers speak of the ruin coming upon sinners, they must speak as those that know the terrors of the Lord. Afflictions are happy ones, however grievous to flesh and blood, that improve us in the knowledge of God.

Verses 21-28 From that forbearance of God, which should have led them to repent, the Jews hardened themselves in sin. It will not serve for an excuse in speaking evil, to plead that it is a common saying. There is but a step between us and an awful eternity; therefore it concerns us to get ready for a future state. No one will be able to put from himself the evil day, unless by seeking peace with the Lord.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 12

In this chapter, under the sign of the prophet's removing household goods, is represented the removal of the king of Judah and his people from their own land into captivity; and under another sign, of the prophet's eating and drinking with quaking, and trembling, and carefulness, is set forth, either the famine that should be during the siege of Jerusalem, or the desolations following the taking of it; and the chapter is concluded with a reproof of the Jews flattering themselves that these prophecies respected times a great way off, and therefore hoped they would never be accomplished. The preface to the first sign is in Eze 12:1,2; which describes the people of the Jews as rebellious, and given up to judicial blindness and hardness; and suggests the cause of all their calamities: the order to prepare goods for removing, to show to the people; for digging a wall; carrying the stuff out in their sight, on his shoulders, at twilight; and covering his face when he did it, is in Eze 12:3-6; the execution of this order, which is declared in part for the whole, is in Eze 12:7; then follows the explication of this sign, Eze 12:8-11; and the application of it, first to King Zedekiah, in whom should be fulfilled several of the particulars mentioned, Eze 12:12,13; and to the people about him, and his army that should be scattered and fall by the sword, Eze 12:14; the end of which should be, that the Lord should be known, his power, truth, and righteousness, by a few that should escape the famine, pestilence, and sword, Eze 12:15,16. The second sign, with the explication and application of it, is in Eze 12:17-20; and the chapter is closed with a reproof of the Jews; the proverbial expression they used, and which the Lord resented, is cited Eze 12:21,22; and the prophet is bid to assure them that it should cease, or there should be no room for it; and also every vain vision and flattering divination, Eze 12:23,24; and that the word of the Lord should not be prolonged, but should quickly and certainly be accomplished; and that their hopes of the contrary were in vain, Eze 12:25-28.

Ezekiel 12 Commentaries

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.