August 25, 2025
God could not find any leaders who were marked by righteousness.
Ezekiel 22-24
Sarah Ewing
Big Book Idea
While destruction came and will come again, there will eventually be restoration.
Key Verse | Ezekiel 22:30
"And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none."
Ezekiel 22-24
Chapter 22
Israel's Shedding of Blood
1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the bloody city? Then declare to her all her abominations. 3 You shall say, Thus says the Lord God: A city that sheds blood in her midst, so that her time may come, and that makes idols to defile herself! 4 You have become guilty by the blood that you have shed, and defiled by the idols that you have made, and you have brought your days near, the appointed time of 1 22:4 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts until your years has come. Therefore I have made you a reproach to the nations, and a mockery to all the countries. 5 Those who are near and those who are far from you will mock you; your name is defiled; you are full of tumult.
6 Behold, the princes of Israel in you, every one according to his power, have been bent on shedding blood. 7 Father and mother are treated with contempt in you; the sojourner suffers extortion in your midst; the fatherless and the widow are wronged in you. 8 You have despised my holy things and profaned my Sabbaths. 9 There are men in you who slander to shed blood, and people in you who eat on the mountains; they commit lewdness in your midst. 10 In you men uncover their fathers' nakedness; in you they violate women who are unclean in their menstrual impurity. 11 One commits abomination with his neighbor's wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; another in you violates his sister, his father's daughter. 12 In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit 2 22:12 That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor (compare Leviticus 25:36) and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord God.
13 Behold, I strike my hand at the dishonest gain that you have made, and at the blood that has been in your midst. 14 Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations and disperse you through the countries, and I will consume your uncleanness out of you. 16 And you shall be profaned by your own doing in the sight of the nations, and you shall know that I am the LORD.”
17 And the word of the LORD came to me: 18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to me; all of them are bronze and tin and iron and lead in the furnace; they are dross of silver. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have all become dross, therefore, behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As one gathers silver and bronze and iron and lead and tin into a furnace, to blow the fire on it in order to melt it, so I will gather you in my anger and in my wrath, and I will put you in and melt you. 21 I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of my wrath, and you shall be melted in the midst of it. 22 As silver is melted in a furnace, so you shall be melted in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the LORD; I have poured out my wrath upon you.”
23 And the word of the LORD came to me: 24 “Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed or rained upon in the day of indignation. 25 The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured human lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. 26 Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they taught the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have disregarded my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27 Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain. 28 And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when the LORD has not spoken. 29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy, and have extorted from the sojourner without justice. 30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. 31 Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. I have returned their way upon their heads, declares the Lord God.”
Chapter 23
Oholah and Oholibah
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother. 3 They played the whore in Egypt; they played the whore in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and their virgin bosoms 3 23:3 Hebrew nipples; also verses 8, 21 handled. 4 Oholah was the name of the elder and Oholibah the name of her sister. They became mine, and they bore sons and daughters. As for their names, Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.
5 Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors 6 clothed in purple, governors and commanders, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses. 7 She bestowed her whoring upon them, the choicest men of Assyria all of them, and she defiled herself with all the idols of everyone after whom she lusted. 8 She did not give up her whoring that she had begun in Egypt; for in her youth men had lain with her and handled her virgin bosom and poured out their whoring lust upon her. 9 Therefore I delivered her into the hands of her lovers, into the hands of the Assyrians, after whom she lusted. 10 These uncovered her nakedness; they seized her sons and her daughters; and as for her, they killed her with the sword; and she became a byword among women, when judgment had been executed on her.
11 Her sister Oholibah saw this, and she became more corrupt than her sister 4 23:11 Hebrew than she in her lust and in her whoring, which was worse than that of her sister. 12 She lusted after the Assyrians, governors and commanders, warriors clothed in full armor, horsemen riding on horses, all of them desirable young men. 13 And I saw that she was defiled; they both took the same way. 14 But she carried her whoring further. She saw men portrayed on the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion, 15 wearing belts on their waists, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them having the appearance of officers, a likeness of Babylonians whose native land was Chaldea. 16 When she saw them, she lusted after them and sent messengers to them in Chaldea. 17 And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoring lust. And after she was defiled by them, she turned from them in disgust. 18 When she carried on her whoring so openly and flaunted her nakedness, I turned in disgust from her, as I had turned in disgust from her sister. 19 Yet she increased her whoring, remembering the days of her youth, when she played the whore in the land of Egypt 20 and lusted after her lovers there, whose members were like those of donkeys, and whose issue was like that of horses. 21 Thus you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when the Egyptians handled your bosom and pressed 5 23:21 Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew bosom for the sake of your young breasts.”
22 Therefore, O Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will stir up against you your lovers from whom you turned in disgust, and I will bring them against you from every side: 23 the Babylonians and all the Chaldeans, Pekod and Shoa and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, desirable young men, governors and commanders all of them, officers and men of renown, all of them riding on horses. 24 And they shall come against you from the north 6 23:24 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown with chariots and wagons and a host of peoples. They shall set themselves against you on every side with buckler, shield, and helmet; and I will commit the judgment to them, and they shall judge you according to their judgments. 25 And I will direct my jealousy against you, that they may deal with you in fury. They shall cut off your nose and your ears, and your survivors shall fall by the sword. They shall seize your sons and your daughters, and your survivors shall be devoured by fire. 26 They shall also strip you of your clothes and take away your beautiful jewels. 27 Thus I will put an end to your lewdness and your whoring begun in the land of Egypt, so that you shall not lift up your eyes to them or remember Egypt anymore.
28 For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will deliver you into the hands of those whom you hate, into the hands of those from whom you turned in disgust, 29 and they shall deal with you in hatred and take away all the fruit of your labor and leave you naked and bare, and the nakedness of your whoring shall be uncovered. Your lewdness and your whoring 30 have brought this upon you, because you played the whore with the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. 31 You have gone the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand. 32 Thus says the Lord God:
You shall drink your sister's cup
that is deep and large;
you shall be laughed at and held in derision,
for it contains much;
33
you will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow.
A cup of horror and desolation,
the cup of your sister Samaria;
34
you shall drink it and drain it out,
and gnaw its shards,
and tear your breasts;
for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. 35 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have forgotten me and cast me behind your back, you yourself must bear the consequences of your lewdness and whoring.”
36 The LORD said to me: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Declare to them their abominations. 37 For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. With their idols they have committed adultery, and they have even offered up 7 23:37 Or have even made pass through the fire to them for food the children whom they had borne to me. 38 Moreover, this they have done to me: they have defiled my sanctuary on the same day and profaned my Sabbaths. 39 For when they had slaughtered their children in sacrifice to their idols, on the same day they came into my sanctuary to profane it. And behold, this is what they did in my house. 40 They even sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and behold, they came. For them you bathed yourself, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. 41 You sat on a stately couch, with a table spread before it on which you had placed my incense and my oil. 42 The sound of a carefree multitude was with her; and with men of the common sort, drunkards 8 23:42 Or Sabeans were brought from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on the hands of the women, and beautiful crowns on their heads.
43 Then I said of her who was worn out by adultery, ‘Now they will continue to use her for a whore, even her!’ 9 23:43 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain 44 For they have gone in to her, as men go in to a prostitute. Thus they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, lewd women! 45 But righteous men shall pass judgment on them with the sentence of adulteresses, and with the sentence of women who shed blood, because they are adulteresses, and blood is on their hands.”
46 For thus says the Lord God: “Bring up a vast host against them, and make them an object of terror and a plunder. 47 And the host shall stone them and cut them down with their swords. They shall kill their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses. 48 Thus will I put an end to lewdness in the land, that all women may take warning and not commit lewdness as you have done. 49 And they shall return your lewdness upon you, and you shall bear the penalty for your sinful idolatry, and you shall know that I am the Lord God.”
Chapter 24
The Siege of Jerusalem
1 In the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. 3 And utter a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, Thus says the Lord God:
Set on the pot, set it on;
pour in water also;
4
put in it the pieces of meat,
all the good pieces, the thigh and the shoulder;
fill it with choice bones.
5
Take the choicest one of the flock;
pile the logs
10
24:5
Compare verse 10; Hebrew the bones
under it;
boil it well;
seethe also its bones in it.
6 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it! Take out of it piece after piece, without making any choice. 11 24:6 Hebrew no lot has fallen upon it 7 For the blood she has shed is in her midst; she put it on the bare rock; she did not pour it out on the ground to cover it with dust. 8 To rouse my wrath, to take vengeance, I have set on the bare rock the blood she has shed, that it may not be covered. 9 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city! I also will make the pile great. 10 Heap on the logs, kindle the fire, boil the meat well, mix in the spices, 12 24:10 Or empty out the broth and let the bones be burned up. 11 Then set it empty upon the coals, that it may become hot, and its copper may burn, that its uncleanness may be melted in it, its corrosion consumed. 12 She has wearied herself with toil; 13 24:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain its abundant corrosion does not go out of it. Into the fire with its corrosion! 13 On account of your unclean lewdness, because I would have cleansed you and you were not cleansed from your uncleanness, you shall not be cleansed anymore till I have satisfied my fury upon you. 14 I am the LORD. I have spoken; it shall come to pass; I will do it. I will not go back; I will not spare; I will not relent; according to your ways and your deeds you will be judged, declares the Lord God.”
Ezekiel's Wife Dies
15 The word of the LORD came to me: 16 “Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down. 17 Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.” 18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died. And on the next morning I did as I was commanded.
19 And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting thus?” 20 Then I said to them, “The word of the LORD came to me: 21 ‘Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the delight of your eyes, and the yearning of your soul, and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword. 22 And you shall do as I have done; you shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. 23 Your turbans shall be on your heads and your shoes on your feet; you shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away in your iniquities and groan to one another. 24 Thus shall Ezekiel be to you a sign; according to all that he has done you shall do. When this comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God.’
25 As for you, son of man, surely on the day when I take from them their stronghold, their joy and glory, the delight of their eyes and their soul's desire, and also their sons and daughters, 26 on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news. 27 On that day your mouth will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.”
Footnotes
[1] 22:4 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts until[2] 22:12 That is, profit that comes from charging interest to the poor (compare Leviticus 25:36)
[3] 23:3 Hebrew nipples; also verses 8, 21
[4] 23:11 Hebrew than she
[5] 23:21 Vulgate, Syriac; Hebrew bosom for the sake of
[6] 23:24 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew word is unknown
[7] 23:37 Or have even made pass through the fire
[8] 23:42 Or Sabeans
[9] 23:43 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
[10] 24:5 Compare verse 10; Hebrew the bones
[11] 24:6 Hebrew no lot has fallen upon it
[12] 24:10 Or empty out the broth
[13] 24:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
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: Samaria
Samaria was defeated by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., bringing the northern kingdom of Israel to an end. Judah’s final defeat came in 587 B.C. Ezekiel portrays the two kingdoms as two sisters (ch. 23). Their unfaithfulness to God caused their defeat.
Fact: Mourn
When Ezekiel’s wife suddenly dies, God tells him not to mourn. This was to be a sign to the people that they should not mourn when their beloved temple is destroyed. God asked Ezekiel to do difficult things in order to warn his people.
The Hebrew Calendar
The Hebrew calendar was composed of 12 lunar months, each of which began when the thin crescent moon was first visible at sunset. They were composed of approximately 29/30 days and were built around the agricultural seasons. Apparently some of the names of the months were changed after the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon (e.g., the first month of Abib changed to Nisan; for dates of the exile, see p. 31). The months of the Hebrew calendar (left column) are compared to the corresponding months of the modern (Gregorian) calendar shown in the center column. Biblical references (in the third column) indicate references to the Hebrew calendar cited in the Bible.
*Periodically, a 13th month was added so that the lunar calendar would account for the entire solar year.
Ezekiel
Ezekiel ministered during the same troubled times as the prophet Jeremiah. He was among the thousands of Judeans exiled to Babylon, where he probably spent the remainder of his life. About five years into the exile, at the age of 30, Ezekiel was called as a prophet. God commanded him to speak the word of God fearlessly to the people, regardless of whether or not they listened. He was appointed as a “watchman” for Israel (3:17; 33:1–9), whose task it was to warn the people that God would punish them unless they repented. Courageous sermons, dramatic visions, and symbolic actions characterized Ezekiel’s ministry. God asked Ezekiel to enact difficult messages, often at a great personal cost. When his wife died, Ezekiel was commanded not to mourn for her, as a sign to Israel (24:15–27). Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel remained a faithful, humble servant despite his difficult life as a prophet. (Ezekiel 33:1–9)
Ezek. 22:9 To eat on the mountains (see 18:6, 15) is to participate in forbidden sacrificial rites.
Ezek. 22:6–12 In you, that is, in Jerusalem, all the sins on this long list occur. Every area of life is affected, for these sins violate God’s laws for the protection of worship, parental authority, human life, marriage, property, and truth. In short, they include all the matters addressed in the Ten Commandments; see Ex. 20:1–17.
Ezek. 22:12 This verse explains why these sins have occurred: but me you have forgotten.
Ezek. 22:1–16 Issues of purity are key here. Although guilt is included, the issue is not primarily legal. The repetition of defiled in vv. 3–5 (also v. 11) points to ethical or ritual impurity. So does the distinctive joining of blood and idols in vv. 3–4 (compare 16:36; 36:18).
Ezek. 22:17–22 The metaphor of melting is found elsewhere in the OT (see Isa. 48:10 and Jer. 6:29). Here, however, the point is not to get purified silver but to be rid of the impure metal, that is, Jerusalem’s inhabitants (compare Isa. 1:22, 25). Jerusalem is portrayed as a heap of useless material.
Ezek. 22:30 There is no one to stand in the breach (compare 13:5; Ps. 106:23) who might prevent the destruction.
Ezek. 22:1–31 This chapter includes three distinct but thematically related oracles. Each convicts Jerusalem of practicing vile impurities that God refuses to tolerate. The first describes this behavior in detail (vv. 1–16); the second uses the metaphor of melting for ridding Jerusalem of its impurities (vv. 17–22); the third surveys the city’s inhabitants. None of the oracles provides any reason for preventing the city’s destruction (vv. 23–31).
Ezek. 22:23–31 Here, rather than surveying types of behavior (as in vv. 6–12), Ezekiel surveys the people involved. The issue is still impurity (a land . . . not cleansed, v. 24). This oracle could be seen as a commentary on 7:23–27, where prophet, priest, elders, and king mislead the city (compare Zeph. 3:3–4).
Ezek. 23:4 The names Oholah and Oholibah are identified as Samaria and Jerusalem. The significance of the symbolism of these names is not known.
Ezek. 23:11 The notice that Oholibah saw this is the only hint Ezekiel gives that she ought to have learned the lessons of her older sister.
Ezek. 23:12 The Assyrians dominated Manasseh’s era (see 2 Chron. 33:11).
Ezek. 23:14–17 The empire of the Babylonians followed that of the Assyrians (v. 12).
Ezek. 23:19 Usually, remembering the days of one’s youth means that a person has come to his or her senses (e.g., 16:22). Here, such memories cause Oholibah to become more wicked.
Ezek. 23:22–31 As in ch. 16, the lovers become the punishers. Twice here the phrase thus says the Lord God (23:22, 28) introduces announcements of judgment (vv. 22–27; 28–31). The longer first section describes the political agents of destruction, while the second is a summary.
Ezek. 23:1–35 In the first part of this oracle (vv. 1–21), the behavior of the unfaithful sisters is individually described. The younger sister (Jerusalem) not only exceeds her older sister’s (Samaria’s) unfaithfulness by involving more partners, but she “saw” (v. 11) what happened to Samaria yet increased her own sinfulness. Judgment follows (vv. 22–31).
Ezek. 23:32–35 Two further thus says introductions frame the final outcomes. The cup (see v. 31) is a common image of punishment (see Jer. 25:15–29; compare Isa. 51:17–23).
Ezek. 23:1–49 The allegory of the unfaithful sisters parallels ch. 16. Jerusalem’s destruction is depicted as yet more just and certain in light of the judgment that befell her sister Samaria. The oracle falls into two main parts: 23:1–35 tell the story and its outcome, with a condensed version following in vv. 36–49.
Ezek. 23:36–49 Having reached a stopping point, the oracle restarts, once again naming Oholah and Oholibah (v. 36; see note on v. 4). The familiar pattern of accusation and analysis (vv. 36–45) leading to judgment (vv. 46–49) is again followed. The growing interest in the worship life of the cities matches the political unfaithfulness identified in vv. 5–21.
Fact: Samaria
Samaria was defeated by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., bringing the northern kingdom of Israel to an end. Judah’s final defeat came in 587 B.C. Ezekiel portrays the two kingdoms as two sisters (ch. 23). Their unfaithfulness to God caused their defeat.
The Hebrew Calendar
The Hebrew calendar was composed of 12 lunar months, each of which began when the thin crescent moon was first visible at sunset. They were composed of approximately 29/30 days and were built around the agricultural seasons. Apparently some of the names of the months were changed after the time of Israel’s exile in Babylon (e.g., the first month of Abib changed to Nisan; for dates of the exile, see p. 31). The months of the Hebrew calendar (left column) are compared to the corresponding months of the modern (Gregorian) calendar shown in the center column. Biblical references (in the third column) indicate references to the Hebrew calendar cited in the Bible.
*Periodically, a 13th month was added so that the lunar calendar would account for the entire solar year.
Ezek. 24:2 The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. Jerusalem was 880 miles (1,416 km) from Babylon, a journey of several weeks. God revealed the invasion to Ezekiel while it was happening.
Ezek. 24:1–5 The oracle is precisely dated in v. 1. It corresponds exactly to the date given in 2 Kings 25:1 (see also Jer. 39:1; 52:4) and is equivalent to January 587 B.C. (or 588 if counted by years of exile).
Ezek. 24:1–14 This is the last of Ezekiel’s “parables” (see 12:22). It uses imagery already found in the temple vision (see 11:2–3) but further develops and clarifies it here. As the Babylonians lay siege to Jerusalem, it is likened to a boiling pot. A brief “song” in 24:3b–5 receives two explanations in vv. 6–14.
Ezek. 24:10–14 The extent of the corruption and rot demands that both the pot and its contents be completely consumed (v. 11; see 22:15). The repetition of first-person pronouns in 24:14 emphasize that this is God’s work, and it is certain to happen.
Ezek. 24:15–24 No further reference is made to a date, but the placement of this account next to the oracle about the siege of Jerusalem is significant. Ezekiel has performed other symbolic actions (4:1–5:17; 12:1–28; 21:19–20), but this must be the most painful. He is now about 35 years old. He is told that his wife will die, and that he must not mourn. She dies, and he does not mourn. Ezekiel has learned that there is nothing that God cannot ask of him.
Ezek. 24:19–24 The people are disturbed by Ezekiel’s apparent lack of grief, but his action symbolizes what awaits them: the desecration of the temple will be devastating and numbing, breaking the people’s spirit.
Ezek. 4:1–24:27 Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah. The oracles of chs. 4–24 come before Jerusalem’s downfall in 587 B.C. Although the sequence appears to be chronological, there is also some grouping by theme and type of literature: chs. 4–7 include several symbolic actions; chs. 8–11 comprise the second major vision sequence in the book, Ezekiel’s first “temple vision”; chs. 15–23 are dominated by “parables” and extended metaphors. Almost the only hopeful statement comes in 11:14–21, which anticipates the latter half of the book. Yet even that passage includes the familiar warnings against sin.
Ezek. 24:1–27 The two losses recounted here almost certainly belong together, and they come at a turning point in Ezekiel’s prophetic career. The first loss (vv. 1–14) is that of the city of Jerusalem: the beginning of the Babylonian siege marks the beginning of the end for Jerusalem. The second loss, that of Ezekiel’s own wife (vv. 15–24), leads to his most memorable symbolic action. The final three verses, 25–27, are a promise for Ezekiel himself.
Ezek. 24:25–27 As for you, son of man. The final verses of this oracle are for Ezekiel himself. They continue the language of loss found in the preceding verses. The prophecy foretells the destruction of Jerusalem and the arrival of a fugitive bearing the news. Ezekiel’s speech will be regained when this happens. Once again Ezekiel will be a sign to them, as he had been at the death of his wife.
Ezekiel
Ezekiel ministered during the same troubled times as the prophet Jeremiah. He was among the thousands of Judeans exiled to Babylon, where he probably spent the remainder of his life. About five years into the exile, at the age of 30, Ezekiel was called as a prophet. God commanded him to speak the word of God fearlessly to the people, regardless of whether or not they listened. He was appointed as a “watchman” for Israel (3:17; 33:1–9), whose task it was to warn the people that God would punish them unless they repented. Courageous sermons, dramatic visions, and symbolic actions characterized Ezekiel’s ministry. God asked Ezekiel to enact difficult messages, often at a great personal cost. When his wife died, Ezekiel was commanded not to mourn for her, as a sign to Israel (24:15–27). Like Jeremiah, Ezekiel remained a faithful, humble servant despite his difficult life as a prophet. (Ezekiel 33:1–9)
S4:203 Ezekiel 22-24
Listen NowDive Deeper | Ezekiel 22-24
Let's face it: reading through Ezekiel is hard. There are some confusing and bizarre things in the book of Ezekiel. We know that God doesn't make mistakes, which means his Word includes this text for a reason. Let's see if we can uncover something awesome about our God, even if we struggle to see it on the surface.
Ezekiel 22-24 is full of some heavy things. In our key verse, God searched for someone worthy to stand in the breach for sinful people. No one could be found (Ezekiel 22:30). Does this theme sound familiar? While this verse spoke of the Israelites when it was written, it can easily be said of our lives. Because of our sin, we deserve destruction, and no one is worthy to stand in the breach.
We are fortunate because we can look at passages like this with hope! God sent his only Son to build the wall and stand in the breach so we would not be destroyed! It can be easy to jump straight to hope without grasping the full weight of our sin. We may never fully understand what God did by sending Jesus. Because of our fallen world, there is destruction all around us. However, we serve a God who loves his people enough to offer us a way out of that destruction forever!
There is difficult content in Ezekiel in the days ahead, but restoration is coming! What a gracious God we have that we get to know the end of the story as we read through confusing and heavy passages. Whether you are in a challenging season right now or not, we all can reflect on how good God is for not giving us what we deserve and rest in knowing how it all ends!
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. What does it look like to struggle well when reading Scripture that is difficult to understand? Do you pray for understanding, reread the passage several times, use outside resources (e.g., commentaries), or talk with a community of trusted believers?
2. What does it look like to preach the gospel to yourself daily? How do you balance thanking God for his gift of salvation while also feeling the weight of your sin and remembering why you need saving in the first place?
3. Is there a "breach" in your life that you don't think Jesus is enough to fill or a struggle that you are trying to manage with your own strength? What is one thing you can do this week to surrender that area of your life to the Lord?