Ezekiel – Books of the Bible

Search BibleWise

Archived Bible Overview Topics

Books of the Bible

Bible Overview is a wonderful resource for anyone interested in Bible study. Each month we feature a book of the Bible (in order) by Bible scholar and lecturer, Mary Jane Chaignot. This month we have two entries, Lamentations and Ezekiel.

Lamentations, a short book consisting of five laments. The English Bible, which follows the LXX, positions the book between Jeremiah and Ezekiel and refers to them as the laments of Jeremiah. Indeed, its opening lines are: “And it came to pass after Israel had been taken away into captivity and Jerusalem had been laid waste that Jeremiah sat weeping and lamented this lamentation over Jerusalem and said….” The Hebrew Bible does not attribute authorship to anyone and includes the book in the Writings, as one of the five scrolls (Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Esther, and Song of Songs). If you want to read some of the history previous to this selection, you can find the earlier books in our archives.

The Book of Ezekiel, named for its author, which is one of the three major books of prophetic material. Like the works of Isaiah and Jeremiah, which preceded this book, Ezekiel is also found in the second division, known as The Prophets. Like Jeremiah, he, too, addresses the nation of Israel prior to the fall of Jerusalem, but he does it from Babylon. After the fall, his warnings turned to assurances, culminating in a vision of what life would be like after they returned to their homeland. If you want to read some of the history previous to this selection, you can find the earlier books in our archives.

The Bible Time-Line is another quick reference for locating individuals or specific books. We encourage readers to share their Bible Study success stories on this site. Email us at overview@biblewise.com to be included on next month's site.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel was born into a world that was changing. As a priest of the Jerusalem temple, he was included in the deportation of leading citizens (and priests) to Babylon that occurred in 597BCE. After four years in exile, he received a prophetic call to minister to those in Babylon, a ministry that lasted until 571BCE. Ezekiel, then, was a prophet to the exiles, though he often spoke (harshly) about those remaining in Jerusalem, at least until its fall in 587BCE. Scholars do not think that life in exile was all that difficult socially and economically. It appears that many individuals were able to acclimate quickly into a new economy and some were even able to rise to the top in the Babylonian court (see Daniel). Indeed, in 539BCE when Cyrus (the king of Persia) gave them leave to return, many preferred not to go. Theologically speaking, however, things were a different state. In the decades prior to the fall, most of the populace had become spiritually bankrupt. Despite the prophetic warnings about the coming judgment, the people had been confident that Yahweh would rescue them. So even though they were actually in exile, they believed it would only be a short time before things were made right. They believed the covenant with God was irrevocable. The land was to be theirs in perpetuity, and Yahweh would always be with them (in the Temple). As the political situation deteriorated, people clung to those promises, oftentimes without any change in behavior. When the fall finally came, people were in theological shock. Ezekiel’s audience, then, was disillusioned, bitter, and angry. They thought that God had abandoned them, or worse, had been impotent against the might of the Babylonian god, Marduk.

Ezekiel knew differently. He understood that God was still in control; indeed, sending them into exile had been God’s idea, his way of bringing them back to the covenant he had initiated with them. Ezekiel, then, had to draw on every aspect of his life to get his message across. And he did it in a way that was both colorful and confusing. Commentators have variously labeled him as a creative genius or a complete psychotic. There is no other prophet who recounted as many unusual visions or exhibited as many bizarre features in proclaiming God’s message. Rendered mute for seven and a half years, he relied on antics to get people’s attention. Though there are no accounts of his being harmed because of his message, he was regularly mocked and he performed many humiliating acts – for which he was routinely scorned. Unlike Jeremiah, he does not devote much time to musing about the people’s lack of receptivity. He simply continues forward with his next assignment, oracle of judgment, or breathtaking vision. Perhaps it was his training as a priest that kept him so focused.

He was a member of the priesthood, a member of the same group Jeremiah typically addressed and railed against. We have no information about Ezekiel apart from this very book, so some scholars have speculated that perhaps he wasn’t much different from the priests that Jeremiah typically addressed. We already know that their spiritual commitment left much to be desired. No matter what he was like before the deportation, his life radically changed in 593BCE, when he was called to be a prophet. The repetition of his call and Yahweh’s dealings with him throughout his ministry suggest that he might have been quite reluctant to enter the profession. Nonetheless, he did -- and he was well-suited to deal with the obstinacy of the people, the hardness of their hearts, and how they stood in opposition to Yahweh’s agenda for them.

As a prophet, Ezekiel’s commission was to transform the people’s concept of God, to move them from disobedience and disinterest to a vital, ongoing communion with their covenant Lord. His intent was to shake them out of their stupor. In order to accomplish his mission, he spared no imagery or illustration. All was fair game. So it is that some people find his concept of God offensive, even wrathful and his tactics bizarre. His use of sexual imagery in chapters 16 and 23 has been particularly difficult for modern readers. One has to struggle to get past the bloodthirstiness and see the passion behind the metaphor. Ezekiel portrays a God who loves so deeply and is so committed, that he must act vigorously to defend and restore a relationship with his people that was being threatened, even violated, by their own actions as well as others. Despite his rhetoric, his oracles of doom immediately staunched the day Jerusalem fell, only to be replaced by messages of hope. And it is rare to find a more exalted passage about the millennium than can be found in the final chapters of this book.

There are five main divisions: The call of Ezekiel -- chs. 1-3; Oracles of Judgment against Judah and Jerusalem -- chs. 4-24; Oracles Against Foreign Nations – chs. 25-32; Oracles of Hope for Those in Exile – chs. 33-39; A Vision of the Renewed Temple and Distribution of the Tribes Upon Their Return After Exile – chs. 40-48.


I -- The call of Ezekiel 1:1-3:27

1:1-3		Introduction to Ezekiel

1:4-14		A vision of the glory of God Living creatures in a storm

1:15-21		Wheels beside the creatures The spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels

1:22-28		The appearance of God’s glory The expanse above the creatures was awesome Then a voice called to him; he saw a creature on a throne

2:1-5		Ezekiel’s commission was to speak to a rebellious people (Israel)

2:6-7		Ezekiel was encouraged to speak regardless of their response

2:8-3:11		Ezekiel was instructed to eat the scroll Nature of message was on the scroll – woes and laments Scroll tasted as sweet as honey Ezekiel was to understand the word before he could share it with the people

3:12-15		Ezekiel was raised up by the spirit Taken to exiles in Babylon (he was angry and anguished) Mourned for seven days; he was overwhelmed by his task

3:16-21		After seven days, Ezekiel was told to be a watchman for Israel He would be responsible for warning people – but not for the choice they were free to make

3:22-27		Ezekiel was bound in his house and rendered mute (for 7 ½ years until the fall of Jerusalem) He was only allowed to speak when the Lord opened his mouth

II -- Oracles of Judgment against Judah and Jerusalem 4:1-24:27

4:1-7:27		Dramatic prophetic actions re: the siege of Jerusalem

		4:1-17 He drew Jerusalem on brick, simulated a siege against it Lay on his side for 390 days to commemorate the years of Israel’s sins Then lay on his other side for 40 days to commemorate the years of Judah’s sins Ezekiel was mute this whole time 5:1-4 He was told to shave his head and beard -- Sign of humiliation and disgrace Burn 1/3; strike 1/3 with sword; scatter 1/3 to wind Symbolic of fate of inhabitants of Jerusalem 5:5-17 Full explanation of what Ezekiel’s actions meant 6:1-14 A judgment oracle against Judah All the high places, shrines would be destroyed Only way to escape would be to turn to the Lord (a small remnant would) Ezekiel exhibited joy in knowing that the end of wickedness was near 7:1-13 The coming judgment was imminent 7:14-27 Response to judgment People will experience famine, disease, despair People will run to the prophets, priests, but they will have no answers

8:1-11:25		A vision of the exodus of God’s glory

		8:1-18 The idolatry of the House of Israel 8:1-4 The spirit (in a vision) lifted him up and took him to Jerusalem 8:5-18 Abominations in the temple A statue of jealousy stood in the entryway of the temple Saw the 70 elders worshiping various idols in the temple Another 25 men were worshiping the sun

		9:1-8 Guards and the man with the writing kit Man was to place a mark on the forehead of each one who grieved over detestable things done in the temple Guards were to kill all those who did not grieve Ezekiel thought all would be lost 9:9-11 Explanation of God’s judgment 10:1-7 Man was to take fire from coals of cherubim, pour it out over city 10:8-22 Living beings (ch 1) are cherubim here God’s glory departed from the temple and went to the cherubim’s throne-chariot Departure of God’s glory due to corruption in Jerusalem and Judah 11:1-13 Judgment against the leaders of Jerusalem Leaders had given false counsel, rejected the prophets Image of pot and meat: Jerusalem was the pot, they would be outside The death of one of the elders caused Ezekiel to fear the Lord would destroy all 11:14-21 Remnant will be gathered from the nations They will be kept by God through the captivity, then will be brought back 11:22-25 The chariot of the cherubim carried God’s glory out of Jerusalem Ezekiel reported all to the people

12:1-19:14		A word to those in exile

		12:1-16 Ezekiel was to act out deportation scene Pack a few belongings, dig through the wall, go to another place People were supposed to ask what he was doing Then he would explain in detail – their despicable acts would result in deportation More detainees would be brought to Babylon 12:17-20 Ezekiel was to shiver and quiver while he ate and drank Symbolic of the fear and horror that would come upon the people 12:21-28 The days were near when this vision would be fulfilled 13:1-16 Oracle against the prophets who were prophesying falsely Those in exile were being told that judgment was not imminent; hope was on the way 13:17-23 Judgment against the prophetesses Many of them were involved in divination and sorcery Had led many righteous astray 14:1-11 Some came to inquire of Ezekiel, but held idols in their hearts The Lord would not tolerate such hypocrisy, but would give them over to the idols Urged the false prophets to condemn themselves 14:12-23 Can Jerusalem be saved by a few righteous men? NO! Righteous men can only deliver themselves 15:1-8 A parable about a useless vine The vine was useless while alive, how much less value after it has been burned Symbolic of the people of Jerusalem 16:1-63 The history of Jerusalem symbolized by a prostitute 16:1-5 Birth of the city 16:6-14 The Lord woos and marries Jerusalem 16:15-34 She takes his gifts and gives them to others (prostitutes herself), bribing them to come to her 16:35-43 Judgment against Jerusalem; since she had played the harlot, her lovers would now publicly discipline her 16:44-58 Cities of Jerusalem, Sodom, and Samaria likened as sisters Judgment against Jerusalem for following after Canaanite pagans 16:59-63 After judgment will be restoration But only after Jerusalem would remember her evil ways and be ashamed The Lord would establish his covenant and they will know he is Lord 17:1-24 Riddle and parable about eagles First eagle (Babylon) took king and leaders to Babylon Planted them there in good soil Second eagle (Egypt) – Jerusalem turned toward him Rebelled against Babylon, cannot prosper King (Zedekiah) will be brought to Babylon, all will be lost After judgment comes restoration “so that you will know I am the Lord” 18:1-31 Issue of individual responsibility 18:1-4 Proverb of “fathers eat sour grapes…” kids suffer “As surely as I live, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel” 18:5-18 Three generations illustrate proverb Righteous father will live; unrighteous son will not; righteous grandson will live 18:19-32 Explanation of the proverb Each one will be judged according to his ways 19:1-14 A lament for the princes of Israel The leaders are not worthy to lead the people back to the Lord Illustrated with imagery of lioness and her cubs First cub: Jehoahaz – died in Egypt Second cub: Jehoiakim – brought to Babylon Imagery of a vine: Jerusalem – will be plucked up, cast to the ground Taken into captivity

20:1-23:49		Judgment against leadership in Israel

		20:1-9 Remembrance of God’s saving acts in the exodus They grumbled against God 20:10-26 Remembrance of God’s tender care in the wilderness They rebelled against God 20:27-29 Remembrance of God’s giving them the land of Canaan They turned to other gods 20:30-44 Rebellion continues to the present time (of Ezekiel) 21:1-7 Description of the judgment that was about to come Parable of a fire of southern forest (southern kingdom of Judah) 21:8-17 Ezekiel sang a poem about a sharp sword, ready for use The slayer (Babylon) was poised to use it Again Ezekiel clapped his hands in joy; evil will come to an end 21:18-27 Judgment by Babylon Nebuchadnezzar would come to a fork in the road Jerusalem or Ammon? Divination would lead to Jerusalem Nebuchadnezzar would be God’s instrument of wrath 21:28-32 Judgment against the Ammonites would be postponed 22:1-16 Judgment for systematically violated Mosaic covenant Contemporary Jerusalem had become a city of abominations 22:17-22 Like dross they will be gathered for purification through fire 22:23-31 Utter failure of priests and princes to provide good leadership 23:1-49 Allegory of Israel’s political prostitution Two sisters (Oholah and Oholibah) gave birth to sons and daughters (Samaria and Jerusalem, respectively) Oholah (northern kingdom) gave herself to the Assyrians The Lord handed her to her lovers; she was annihilated (722BCE) Oholibah saw this, yet was worse than her sister Went after Babylonians, Assyrians, and Egyptians The Lord was about to hand her over to her enemies Spoke of a “cup of wrath” she must drink Ezekiel was to judge both women, to prosecute them They must bear the consequences of their abominations

24:1-27		The beginning of the siege of Jerusalem

		24:1-14 Parable of the cooking pot Boiling meat in pot represented inhabitants of Jerusalem who would boil in siege Contents would boil away, remaining contents would be removed Pot itself would remain on the fire until it would melt 24:15-24 Death of Ezekiel’s wife The Lord forbad him to mourn – time for mourning had past Unnatural response to death caught eye of contemporaries Just as Ezekiel lost his wife, so the inhabitants would lose the temple 24:25-27 When the siege of Jerusalem was complete, Ezekiel would no longer be mute

III -- Oracles Against Foreign Nations 25:1-32:32

25:1-7		Judgment against Ammon For gloating, Ammon would be given as a plunder to the nations

25:8-11		Judgment against Moab For cursing the people of Israel, Moab would be given to the East

25:12-14		Judgment against Edom Edom would be laid waste for taking revenge against Judah

25:15-17		Judgment against Philistia For ancient hostility, the Lord would take vengeance against them

26:1-21		Judgment against Tyre by Babylon

		26:1-14 Oracle of judgment against Tyre 26:15-18 Those who rely on Tyre will tremble after its fall and lament 26:19-21 Once fallen, Tyre would never regain its prominence

27:1-36		Lament for Tyre

		27:1-11 Uses imagery of the wreck of a magnificent ship (Appropriate since Tyre’s merchant marine activity was legendary) 27:12-24 Success and magnitude of Tyre’s commercial relations 27:25-36 Imagery of a sinking ship – all will weep; Tyre is no more

28:1-10		Judgment against the leader of Tyre His haughty pride will be brought down; he will die a horrible death

28:11-19		A funeral lament for the king of Tyre

28:20-24		Judgment against Sidon

28:25-26		The people of Israel will be restored from the nations Those who have been scattered, will be gathered to live in safety

29:1-32:32		Judgment against Egypt

		29:1-16 Prophecy against Egypt Imagery of crocodile used to represent Pharaoh Crocodile will be pulled from Nile and destroyed As a nation, Egypt was never a true support of Israel 29:17-21 Egypt will be reward for Babylon for looting of Tyre 30:1-19 Babylon’s invasion of Egypt A day of Egypt – would result in destruction of Egypt (Babylon never really invaded Egypt, so this prophecy was not fulfilled) 30:20-26 Egypt tried to interrupt Babylon’s siege of Jerusalem For that, Egypt’s “arm” would be broken (indicates the waning of its strength) 31:1-18 Egypt’s fall likened to the fall of Assyria Assyria had become filled with pride in its greatness – still fell Egypt’s splendor would be brought low as well 32:1-16 Dirge for Egypt Portrayed Egypt as dead; the “daughters of the nations” would sing over it 32:17-32 A summary of the lament over Egypt Ezekiel wailed for Egyptians for they would descend into the pit of Sheol Like all the nations, God would bring his terror on Egypt because Egypt brought terror on many nations (including Israel)

IV -- Oracles of Hope for Those in Exile 33:1-39:29 (After the fall)

33:1-20		A warning for the exiles Echoes Ezekiel’s commission as a watchman and the role of individual responsibility Thus far, the people had not heeded Ezekiel’s warnings This is his final shot – “Why die, Turn to the Lord” People accept that their own sins were causing judgment The Lord delights in those who turn from sin Each will be judged according to his own ways

33:21-33		The fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy – Jerusalem has fallen Ezekiel was no longer mute Now the people were questioning the outcome of the land promised to Abraham Prior to the fall, they had looked upon Ezekiel with mockery Now the people realized that a true prophet was among them

34:1-6		Oracle against the shepherds (leaders) They had not cared for the flock, but only cared for themselves A true leader cares for those he leads Now the sheep had been scattered

34:7-31		Accountability of the shepherds The Lord will rescue his own sheep, and bring them back to their land Renewal of the Davidic covenant Established a new covenant of peace with them God would provide new and perfect leadership for them

35:1-15		Oppressors would be removed As a representative nation, Edom was singled out for retribution Edom would become desolate for her sins against Judah The result would be that Edomites would know the Lord

36:1-15		Encouragement for Israel They had suffered enough; those who inflicted excessive pain would now suffer After judgment comes blessing Israel would return to its land; the land would rejoice The land would never be deprived of Israel again Israel would never again bear such reproach

36:16-37:14		Restoration to the land

		36:16-21 Justification for the scattering of Israel among the nations They defiled the land with their idols; they had to leave 36:22-32 Detailed plan for restoring Israel to the land “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you” 36:33-38 The effective results of that return Towns will be resettled; buildings will be rebuilt Desolate land will become fruitful The people will be numerous as sheep 37:1-14 A vision of bones and restoration Ezekiel prophesied to dry bones in a valley As he prophesied, the Lord caused them to regenerate When they were fully formed, they had no breath He prophesied again, and the breath came from the four winds The army of bones was alive! Symbolizes the restoration of a people who had been dead for a long time

37:15-28		The joining of two sticks to symbolize unity of the two nations Ezekiel wrote Judah on one stick, Ephraim on the other Joined them together to indicate the two nations would be one People would be cleansed from their former sins One king (Davidic) would rule over them The Lord will make an everlasting covenant of peace with them Then the nations will know the Lord

38:1-39:29		Foreign possession and the Promised Land

		38:1-23 Oracle against Gog (Uncertain if this is a person or a place) After the restoration, Israel was peaceful – until invasion by Gog Gog devised an evil plan – to attack unsuspecting Israel Gathered many other nations to join him God was using Gog to show the nations he was the God of Israel He would cause an enormous earthquake, rain, hailstones Gog would be defeated God’s holy name would be vindicated 39:1-8 Summary of Gog’s defeat 39:9-20 After this there will be peace, total disarmament People will burn their weapons for fuel – it would take seven years It would take seven months to bury all the dead from Gog’s army Thereafter, people would walk the land looking for remnant bodies 39:21-29 Six messages of encouragement Israel would know the Lord was her God The nations would know the Lord was Israel’s God He was not weak, but strong in sending Israel into exile The nations would know the Lord brought Israel back to her land The Lord would be holy in the eyes of the nations The Lord would never turn his face from Israel again

V -- A Vision of the Renewed Temple and Distribution of the Tribes Upon Their Return After Exile 40:1-48:35

40:1-4		An apocalyptic vision Fifteen years after the fall, Ezekiel was taken to a high mountain Divine messenger of bronze spoke to him

40:5-42:20		Vision of the temple

		40:5-27 The outer court Description of the gates and measurement of the outer court 40:28-47 The inner court Description of the gates, the rooms for preparation and the priests 40:48-41:26 The House of God Description of the temple structure, outer and inner sanctuaries 42:1-14 The priests’ buildings Two buildings (north and south) provided a place for the administering priests, a place to change garments, eat the holy offerings 42:15-20 The temple area The messenger measured all sides: they were 500 cubits square (A cubit is roughly 18-20 inches) This area provided a space between the holy (the Temple) and unholy space

43:1-12		The return of the glory of God to the temple Then the messenger took Ezekiel to the gate facing east There he saw the glory of God returning, and filling the temple with his glory This would have been very heartening for the Israelites It was a great promise that God would return after they had been cleansed and after the temple had been reconstructed

43:13-46:24		Directives for maintaining holiness at the temple

		43:13-27 Description and dedication of the altar 44:1-3 Directive that the east gate remain shut in honor of God’s glory 44:4-16 Temple regulations involving entrances and exits Priests would function as leaders, teaching holiness by their lives Duties of Levites would be distinct from duties of priests 44:17-31 Regulations and functions of the priests 45:1-8 Designating land to be sacred 45:9-12 Exhortation for leaders to be fair re: weights and measures 45:13-20 Duty of Prince (new leader) would be to make atonement for people 45:21-46:15 Details on how Prince should lead in observance of Passover and Feast of Tabernacles 46:16-18 Inheritance laws re: the Prince 46:19-24 A visit to the priests’ kitchens

47:1-48:35		A description of the land in the Millennium

		47:1-12 A vision of water streaming out of the temple Purpose of divine river was to bring life 47:13-23 Boundaries of the land and rules for distribution 48:1-7 Tribal apportionments 48:8-22 The special portion dedicated to the Lord 48:23-29 Tribal allotments in the south 48:30-35 Designation and description of the gates of the city The name of the city from that time on would be: “The Lord is there”

Ezekiel ends his prophetic work with the solemn promise that never again would God depart from his people. Giving the city a new name was tantamount to giving it a new identity. Forever after, Israel would live as God’s people and He would be their God. The vision of the last few chapters brings together the sacred and the secular, the temple and the city, the people and their God. It is a vision that has remained largely unfulfilled. This has caused no little amount of embarrassment for readers and commentators who require a literal fulfillment. Yet within its original setting these words provided comfort and encouragement to a people who were in a disoriented state. These words became symbols of hope for a people who were struggling with their national identity and who yearned for full fellowship with God. They were reassured to hear that the pre-exilic failures would be corrected, and that through worship and daily life they would, once again, be holy just as “he who calls you is holy.”

Bibliography

Allen, Leslie. “Ezekiel, 1-19, 20-48.” Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas, TX: Word Books.

Blenkinsopp, Joseph. “Ezekiel.” Interpretation. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 1990.

Block, Daniel. “The Book of Ezekiel, Chapters 1-24.” The New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B Eerdmans, 1997.

Carley, Keith W. “The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel.” The Cambridge Bible Commentary. Great Britain: Cambridge University Press, 1974.

Gaebelein, Frank. “Ezekiel.” The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing, 1986.