August 22, 2025
How does God deal with Israel's disobedience?
Ezekiel 16-18
Erin Cyrier
Big Book Idea
While destruction would come and had come, eventually there will be restoration.
Key Verse | Ezekiel 16:59-60
"For thus says the Lord GOD: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant."
Ezekiel 16-18
Chapter 16
The LORD's Faithless Bride
1 Again the word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, 3 and say, Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. 4 And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. 5 No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born.
6 And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ 7 I made you flourish like a plant of the field. And you grew up and became tall and arrived at full adornment. Your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare.
8 When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine. 9 Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you and anointed you with oil. 10 I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. 1 16:10 Or with rich fabric 11 And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck. 12 And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. 14 And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord God.
15 But you trusted in your beauty and played the whore 2 16:15 Or were unfaithful; also verses 16, 17, 26, 28 because of your renown and lavished your whorings 3 16:15 Or unfaithfulness; also verses 20, 22, 25, 26, 29, 33, 34, 36 on any passerby; your beauty 4 16:15 Hebrew it became his. 16 You took some of your garments and made for yourself colorful shrines, and on them played the whore. The like has never been, nor ever shall be. 5 16:16 The meaning of this Hebrew sentence is uncertain 17 You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself images of men, and with them played the whore. 18 And you took your embroidered garments to cover them, and set my oil and my incense before them. 19 Also my bread that I gave you—I fed you with fine flour and oil and honey—you set before them for a pleasing aroma; and so it was, declares the Lord God. 20 And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter 21 that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them? 22 And in all your abominations and your whorings you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, wallowing in your blood.
23 And after all your wickedness (woe, woe to you! declares the Lord God), 24 you built yourself a vaulted chamber and made yourself a lofty place in every square. 25 At the head of every street you built your lofty place and made your beauty an abomination, offering yourself 6 16:25 Hebrew spreading your legs to any passerby and multiplying your whoring. 26 You also played the whore with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, multiplying your whoring, to provoke me to anger. 27 Behold, therefore, I stretched out my hand against you and diminished your allotted portion and delivered you to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. 28 You played the whore also with the Assyrians, because you were not satisfied; yes, you played the whore with them, and still you were not satisfied. 29 You multiplied your whoring also with the trading land of Chaldea, and even with this you were not satisfied.
30 How sick is your heart, 7 16:30 Revocalization yields How I am filled with anger against you declares the Lord God, because you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen prostitute, 31 building your vaulted chamber at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square. Yet you were not like a prostitute, because you scorned payment. 32 Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband! 33 Men give gifts to all prostitutes, but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from every side with your whorings. 34 So you were different from other women in your whorings. No one solicited you to play the whore, and you gave payment, while no payment was given to you; therefore you were different.
35 Therefore, O prostitute, hear the word of the LORD: 36 Thus says the Lord God, Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your whorings with your lovers, and with all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children that you gave to them, 37 therefore, behold, I will gather all your lovers with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved and all those you hated. I will gather them against you from every side and will uncover your nakedness to them, that they may see all your nakedness. 38 And I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring upon you the blood of wrath and jealousy. 39 And I will give you into their hands, and they shall throw down your vaulted chamber and break down your lofty places. They shall strip you of your clothes and take your beautiful jewels and leave you naked and bare. 40 They shall bring up a crowd against you, and they shall stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. 41 And they shall burn your houses and execute judgments upon you in the sight of many women. I will make you stop playing the whore, and you shall also give payment no more. 42 So will I satisfy my wrath on you, and my jealousy shall depart from you. I will be calm and will no more be angry. 43 Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have enraged me with all these things, therefore, behold, I have returned your deeds upon your head, declares the Lord God. Have you not committed lewdness in addition to all your abominations?
44 Behold, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’ 45 You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. 46 And your elder sister is Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. 47 Not only did you walk in their ways and do according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways. 48 As I live, declares the Lord God, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it. 51 Samaria has not committed half your sins. You have committed more abominations than they, and have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations that you have committed. 52 Bear your disgrace, you also, for you have intervened on behalf of your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.
53 I will restore their fortunes, both the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters, and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes in their midst, 54 that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all that you have done, becoming a consolation to them. 55 As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former state, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former state, and you and your daughters shall return to your former state. 56 Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered? Now you have become an object of reproach for the daughters of Syria 8 16:57 Some manuscripts (compare Syriac) of Edom and all those around her, and for the daughters of the Philistines, those all around who despise you. 58 You bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, declares the LORD.
The LORD's Everlasting Covenant
59 For thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath in breaking the covenant, 60 yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish for you an everlasting covenant. 61 Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of 9 16:61 Or not apart from the covenant with you. 62 I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, 63 that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God.”
Chapter 17
Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, propound a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel; 3 say, Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar. 4 He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and carried it to a land of trade and set it in a city of merchants. 5 Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. 10 17:5 Hebrew in a field of seed He placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig, 6 and it sprouted and became a low spreading vine, and its branches turned toward him, and its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out boughs.
7 And there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage, and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and shot forth its branches toward him from the bed where it was planted, that he might water it. 8 It had been planted on good soil by abundant waters, that it might produce branches and bear fruit and become a noble vine.
9 Say, Thus says the Lord God: Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers, so that all its fresh sprouting leaves wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it from its roots. 10 Behold, it is planted; will it thrive? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind strikes it—wither away on the bed where it sprouted?”
11 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 12 “Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them, behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes and brought them to him to Babylon. 13 And he took one of the royal offspring 11 17:13 Hebrew seed and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath (the chief men of the land he had taken away), 14 that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and keep his covenant that it might stand. 15 But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape?
16 As I live, declares the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke, in Babylon he shall die. 17 Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in war, when mounds are cast up and siege walls built to cut off many lives. 18 He despised the oath in breaking the covenant, and behold, he gave his hand and did all these things; he shall not escape. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely it is my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. I will return it upon his head. 20 I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treachery he has committed against me. 21 And all the pick 12 17:21 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts all the fugitives of his troops shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind, and you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken.”
22 Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. 24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it.”
Chapter 18
The Soul Who Sins Shall Die
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “What do you 13 18:2 The Hebrew for you is plural mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge’? 3 As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.
5 If a man is righteous and does what is just and right— 6 if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman in her time of menstrual impurity, 7 does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 8 does not lend at interest or take any profit, 14 18:8 That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor; also verses 13, 17 (compare Leviticus 25:36) withholds his hand from injustice, executes true justice between man and man, 9 walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully—he is righteous; he shall surely live, declares the Lord God.
10 If he fathers a son who is violent, a shedder of blood, who does any of these things 11 (though he himself did none of these things), who even eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife, 12 oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, 13 lends at interest, and takes profit; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.
14 Now suppose this man fathers a son who sees all the sins that his father has done; he sees, and does not do likewise: 15 he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife, 16 does not oppress anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 17 withholds his hand from iniquity, 15 18:17 Septuagint; Hebrew from the poor takes no interest or profit, obeys my rules, and walks in my statutes; he shall not die for his father's iniquity; he shall surely live. 18 As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, behold, he shall die for his iniquity.
19 Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. 20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
21 But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? 24 But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.
25 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26 When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. 27 Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. 28 Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?
30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. 16 18:30 Or lest iniquity be your stumbling block 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
Footnotes
[1] 16:10 Or with rich fabric[2] 16:15 Or were unfaithful; also verses 16, 17, 26, 28
[3] 16:15 Or unfaithfulness; also verses 20, 22, 25, 26, 29, 33, 34, 36
[4] 16:15 Hebrew it
[5] 16:16 The meaning of this Hebrew sentence is uncertain
[6] 16:25 Hebrew spreading your legs
[7] 16:30 Revocalization yields How I am filled with anger against you
[8] 16:57 Some manuscripts (compare Syriac) of Edom
[9] 16:61 Or not apart from
[10] 17:5 Hebrew in a field of seed
[11] 17:13 Hebrew seed
[12] 17:21 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts all the fugitives
[13] 18:2 The Hebrew for you is plural
[14] 18:8 That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor; also verses 13, 17 (compare Leviticus 25:36)
[15] 18:17 Septuagint; Hebrew from the poor
[16] 18:30 Or lest iniquity be your stumbling block
Table of Contents
Introduction to Ezekiel
Timeline
Author and Date
The first dated message in Ezekiel is from the summer of 593 B.C., four years after Nebuchadnezzar deported the first group of exiles to Babylon. The latest dated oracle is 22 years later, in April 571 B.C. If Ezekiel was 30 years old when his ministry began (1:1), the final vision of the book came when he was about 50.
Theme and Purpose
Ezekiel spoke to a people forced from their home because they had broken faith with their God. As the spokesman for the Lord, Ezekiel spoke oracles that defended his reputation as a holy God (see especially 36:22–23). The primary purpose of Ezekiel’s message was to restore God’s glory before Israel, who had rejected him in front of the watching nations.
Background
Ezekiel prophesied during a time of great confusion following Israel’s exile to Babylon in 597 B.C. A former Judean king was among the exiles (the 18-year-old Jehoiachin), and the Babylonians had appointed a puppet king to the throne in Jerusalem (Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah).
In times of crisis, God sent prophets to bring his message to his people. Judah’s exile was therefore a period of intense prophetic activity. (Jeremiah also served during this time.)
Ezekiel’s fellow exiles were his main audience, but his oracles also communicated to people who remained in Judah.
Key Themes
- As a priest, Ezekiel was deeply concerned with restoring God’s people to holiness. His understanding of the depth of Israel’s sin is clear in his version of Israel’s history (ch. 20). Even the oracles about a restored Israel (chs. 40–48) include a way to deal with the people’s sin so they can survive in the presence of a holy God. Ezekiel’s concern with sin also accounts for the many places where the book echoes the laws given in the Pentateuch, as well as the similarities between Ezekiel’s new temple (chs. 40–42) and the Exodus tabernacle.
- Israel was subject to its national God. However, this God is no tribal deity. He is supreme over all nations. Therefore Nebuchadnezzar, king of mighty Babylon, was simply a tool in God’s hand to accomplish God’s purpose (e.g., 21:19–23; 30:25). God’s absolute supremacy is most clearly demonstrated in the battle against Gog, the final enemy (chs. 38–39), where God alone crushes Gog’s vast hostile forces.
- Ezekiel declares judgment on those clinging to false hope, but offers true hope to those who accept God’s judgment (37:11). He linked God’s judgment with the hope of a new heart and spirit (36:22–32).
- The condemnation of Israel’s “princes” (e.g., ch. 19) finds its hopeful counterpart in the promise of a future “prince” who would rule with justice (34:23–24) and connect the people to God (46:1–18).
Outline
- Inaugural Vision (1:1–3:27)
- Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah (4:1–24:27)
- Oracles against Foreign Nations (25:1–32:32)
- After the Fall of Jerusalem (33:1–39:29)
- Vision of Restoration (40:1–48:35)
The Near East at the Time of Ezekiel
c. 593 B.C.
Ezekiel recorded his visions and prophecies while living near Babylon, where he had been exiled years earlier. By Ezekiel’s time, the Babylonian Empire had conquered almost all of the area along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It would eventually conquer even the land of Egypt, where many other Judeans had fled.
Fact: A “fable” with an important message
A “fable” with an important message. Ezekiel’s story about the two eagles, the cedar tree, and the vine could be considered a type of “fable.” A fable is a story in which animals or plants are the main characters. Though they are sometimes entertaining to read, biblical fables teach important lessons.
Fact: Are God’s judgments fair?
Are God’s judgments fair? Some of the exiles complained that God was punishing them for their parents’ sins (ch. 18). Ezekiel replies that God will not judge on the basis of a parent’s sins; neither will he forgive because of a parent’s righteousness. God’s judgement is fair.
Ezek. 16:2 The instruction to deliver the oracle comes in semi-legal language: make known (compare 20:4; Job 13:23) expresses the idea of an arraignment in court.
Ezek. 16:4–5 cast out. Leaving a newborn child outside implies an unwanted birth and certain death. The other actions that Ezekiel describes are the usual practice for welcoming a newborn.
Ezek. 16:6 Blood is an important theme throughout Ezekiel. Usually it refers to violence, but here it involves life (compare Gen. 9:4).
Ezek. 16:7 The story quickly moves from infancy to puberty. Still naked, the girl is vulnerable and in need of resources of all kinds.
Ezek. 16:8 Now at a marriageable age, the girl is taken as a wife. Spread . . . my garment signals intent to marry (compare Ruth 3:9), and the covenant signifies formal commitment (Mal. 2:14).
Ezek. 16:9 The cleansing actions here mirror those of v. 4. Blood in this case indicates her menstrual cycle has begun.
Ezek. 16:10–13 Only after the covenant has been entered are the gifts of clothing and jewelry given. This signifies her status as royalty (v. 13).
Ezek. 16:14 God asserts that Jerusalem’s renown and beauty were entirely of his making (that I had bestowed).
Ezek. 16:15 Played the whore in the OT usually refers to unrestrained sexual immorality. When used metaphorically of one’s relationship with God, it usually includes idol worship.
Ezek. 16:23–29 Jerusalem’s “whorings” included multiple partners.
Ezek. 16:30–34 This summary of vv. 15–34 accuses Jerusalem of being uniquely promiscuous. It draws together the two preceding metaphors. The marriage metaphor relates to infidelity and adultery, which betray the exclusive loyalty of the covenant relationship. The prostitution metaphor relates to the number of partners, which breaks God’s standard of commitment only to him.
Ezek. 16:1–43 The oracle has three phases. Verses 1–14 tell the story of an abandoned girl (v. 6) who becomes a queen (v. 13). God is the king who found her. Verses 15–34 describe the sexual sins the “queen” commits despite her husband’s generosity. Verses 35–43 announce the coming judgment of the faithless bride.
Ezek. 16:35–43 Because . . . therefore (vv. 36–37 and v. 43) presents the sins and punishments in two parts (vv. 36–42, 43). Adultery, along with other illicit sexual relationships, was one of a number of capital crimes in Israel’s law, so the announcement of execution here is not surprising. Other aspects of the punishments described here do not fit Israelite law so simply. It is unclear how stripping the culprit (v. 37) relates to the law about adultery. Perhaps it is a case of “poetic justice” in which Jerusalem returns to the nakedness in which she was found (v. 4).
Ezek. 16:49–52 Jerusalem’s crimes include social justice issues (v. 49), not just idolatry. She mistreats other people and God.
Ezek. 16:53–58 Here judgment is assumed and a future restoration is envisioned. Both here and in the conclusion (vv. 59–63), the people feel shame at their previous acts. Restoring each to their former state (v. 55) puts Jerusalem on the same level as her “sisters,” who have been similarly forgiven.
Ezek. 16:60 The term everlasting covenant also occurs in 37:26 and elsewhere in the OT (see Isa. 61:8). In Jer. 32:40 it appears in the context of bringing together the old northern and southern kingdoms.
Ezek. 16:1–63 Chapter 16 includes brutal violence and shocking sexual language. It shows that the infidelity of Jerusalem has brought upon it the just punishment of God. In no way does it justify any human punishment of adultery. Verses 1–43 follow the story of the abandoned child who became a bride; vv. 44–58 broaden the “family” to include two “sisters,” Samaria and Sodom; and vv. 59–63 conclude both parts.
Fact: A “fable” with an important message
A “fable” with an important message. Ezekiel’s story about the two eagles, the cedar tree, and the vine could be considered a type of “fable.” A fable is a story in which animals or plants are the main characters. Though they are sometimes entertaining to read, biblical fables teach important lessons.
Ezek. 17:2 This oracle (vv. 1–10) appears as a riddle, designed to provoke thought, and a parable (also translated “proverb”; see 12:22), which relies on comparison.
Ezek. 17:3–5 The terms of the description are significant, for they indicate the status of the various characters. This is the greater eagle, taking a topmost twig as well as a seed.
Ezek. 17:7 The second eagle lacks the magnificence of the first, while still remaining “great.”
Ezek. 17:8 The new orientation of the vine to the second eagle threatens its choice location and flourishing state.
Ezek. 17:11–18 The first part identifies the characters of the fable (vv. 11–15) before spelling out the moral of the story (vv. 16–18). The first eagle is the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, who takes her king, that is, Judah’s king Jehoiachin (the “twig”), to Babylon (v. 12). The royal offspring (the “seed”) is Zedekiah (v. 13). Zedekiah’s failure was to break his covenant with Nebuchadnezzar (vv. 13–14) by turning to Egypt (v. 15), whose king was Hophra, the lesser eagle. Ultimately, hope in Egyptian aid will prove useless (v. 17; see Jer. 37:6–10). Breaking this political covenant will bring disaster on Zedekiah and his people (Ezek. 17:18).
Ezek. 17:19–21 God takes full responsibility for the disaster to come (return . . . spread . . . bring . . . enter, all first-person verbs). This is not just a military defeat, but divine judgment.
Ezek. 17:1–24 If ch. 16 can be said to express a theological point of view, ch. 17 seems to be more political in nature. It is a sort of “fable,” a story form in which plants and animals are used to teach a lesson (e.g., Judg. 9:8–15). Here two eagles, a cedar tree, and a vine are the main actors, and the story centers on the fortunes of the vine (compare Isa. 5:1–7; Ezek. 19:10–14). The story illustrates Judah’s political fortunes, and ultimately its future under God. The fable is told in 17:1–12 and then is explained, first on the natural plane (vv. 11–18) and then in theological terms (vv. 19–21). Finally the fable resumes, describing an ideal future (vv. 22–24).
Ezek. 17:22–24 God’s action continues. The terms of the parable are used to sketch an ideal messianic future. God chooses a new sprig from the topmost part of the cedar (v. 22) and plants it himself (v. 23).
Ezek. 18:1–4 The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and children’s teeth are set on edge. Despite the popularity of this proverb, says Ezekiel, the soul who sins shall die, not others. Compare Jer. 31:29–30.
Ezek. 18:5–18 Ezekiel describes three generations: a righteous father (vv. 5–9) and his wicked son (vv. 10–13), who in turns fathers a righteous son (vv. 14–18).
Ezek. 18:19–24 Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father? Ezekiel anticipates his audience clinging to their traditional understanding, which is summarized in the now irrelevant proverb (vv. 1–2).
Ezek. 18:20–24 The soul who sins shall die. Verses 21–24 explain this teaching in what might seem a surprising way. Verses 21–22 consider the wicked person who then repents and lives rightly before God. Verse 24 considers the opposite scenario. Sandwiched between these is the central declaration of God’s “pleasure” (v. 23) in repentance, and a denial that he has any pleasure in the death of the wicked (see note on 33:11).
Ezek. 18:25–29 The way of the Lord is not just. “Just” has the sense of “weighed” or “measured,” that is, in conformity to a standard (compare 1 Sam. 2:3). This objection is amusing, coming from people who do not live justly.
Ezek. 18:1–32 God holds each generation accountable for its own sins.
Ezek. 18:30–32 Repentance is not being urged on Jerusalem, for the preceding chapters affirm that its destruction is assured. Rather, the exiles are pressed to repent and take responsibility for their moral lives. Thus the appeal is to make yourselves a new heart and spirit, in contrast to 11:19 and 36:26, where these are the gift of God. The fact that God is not pleased when anyone dies (18:32; compare v. 23 and note on 33:11) is the basis for the final command to turn, and live.
Fact: Are God’s judgments fair?
Are God’s judgments fair? Some of the exiles complained that God was punishing them for their parents’ sins (ch. 18). Ezekiel replies that God will not judge on the basis of a parent’s sins; neither will he forgive because of a parent’s righteousness. God’s judgement is fair.
S4:201 Ezekiel 16-18
Listen NowDive Deeper | Ezekiel 16-18
In Ezekiel 16, God uses an extensive analogy describing his relationship with Jerusalem to Ezekiel. In this analogy, Jerusalem is described as a faithless bride who was originally abandoned, but God restored her and gave her more than she could ever need. In the end, the bride fell more in love with all the things she had been given and forgets who she was when God found her.
Next, in Ezekiel 17, a parable describes two eagles that symbolize Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar and Egypt's pharaoh. The actions of the two birds in this parable portray the disobedience of the rulers to God's plan of judging and restoring his people. Zedekiah is the vine that the second eagle reaches toward symbolizing his rebellion toward Babylon. The key point in this chapter is that anything rooted in disobedience cannot thrive.
Finally, in Ezekiel 18, we are given a comparison that continues throughout Scripture: those who pursue righteousness will live, and those who pursue anything else will die. God continues to plead with his people to know him, follow him, and love him only.
God shows us through his analogies of the faithless bride and the eagles that when we sway from what God has given us and what he has called us to do, we will be unable to thrive and bear fruit. He also shows us that the result of these things is judgment. But while we are promised judgment for our sins, we see it immediately followed by restoration. We have a way to be right with God. He foreshadows in chapter 18 that when we walk on his path, we will find a life of righteousness.
Looking ahead, we know we have a King who is coming to bear ALL of God's judgment on our behalf. He deals with us as the righteous judge hating sin, but he does not leave us in a state of exile. Instead, he sends his only Son to restore us to himself.
This month's memory verse
"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
– Lamentations 3:21-23
Discussion Questions
1. When do you find yourself being like the faithless bride or the first great eagle? Do you find yourself relying on the things God has given you to feel secure (your finances, your physical appearance, your relationships, etc.)? Where are you taking shortcuts to avoid walking in obedience? (Romans 12:1)
2. We see God as a provider (Ezekiel 16), the one who wants us to thrive in obedience (Ezekiel 17), and the compass that leads us to the path of life (Ezekiel 18). Thinking of God as a judge can be difficult. Which of these characteristics helps you see God as a righteous judge instead of a harsh judge? (Ezekiel 16:49-50)
3. Obedience can be uncomfortable. Because we are sinners, our natural instinct is not to follow after righteousness. We have to rely on God to walk in his ways. What are some of your hesitations about taking those steps of obedience? (1 John 5:3)
4. It can be hard to follow God when it feels like the path you're on is not where you want to be or how you envisioned it. We know that he continues to promise restoration in the midst of difficult seasons. Pray and ask that he would restore you! (Psalm 51:12)