Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.

Ezekiel 12

• About the title: Zedekiah should have “Believed” Ezekiel and Jeremiah and prepared to “Leave” voluntarily.

Judah’s Captivity Portrayed

Ezekiel 12:¹ Now the word of the Lord (yᵊhōvâ) came to me, saying:

Ezekiel 12:² “Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears to hear but does not hear; for they are a rebellious house.

• King Zedekiah becomes a metaphor for the nation. Taken to Babylon, but lived there in darkness. 

Ezekiel 12:³ “Therefore, son of man, prepare your belongings for captivity, and go into captivity by day in their sight. You shall go from your place into captivity to another place in their sight. It may be that they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.

Ezekiel 12:⁴ By day you shall bring out your belongings in their sight, as though going into captivity; and at evening you shall go in their sight, like those who go into captivity.

Ezekiel 12:⁵ Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your belongings out through it.

Ezekiel 12:⁶ In their sight you shall bear them on your shoulders and carry them out at twilight; you shall cover your face, so that you cannot see the ground, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.”

Ezekiel 12:⁷ So I did as I was commanded. I brought out my belongings by day, as though going into captivity, and at evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought them out at twilight, and I bore them on my shoulder in their sight.

Ezekiel 12:⁸ And in the morning the word of the Lord (yᵊhōvâ) came to me, saying,

Ezekiel 12:⁹ “Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’

Ezekiel 12:¹⁰ Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God (‘ăḏōnāy yᵊhōvâ): “This burden (oracle, prophecy) concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are among them.” ’

Ezekiel 12:¹¹ Say, ‘I am a sign to you. As I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall be carried away into captivity.’

Ezekiel 12:¹² And the prince who is among them shall bear his belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go out. They shall dig through the wall to carry them out through it. He shall cover his face, so that he cannot see the ground with his eyes.

Ezekiel 12:¹³ I will also spread My net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there.

• King Zedekiah tried to escape Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army by digging through the wall. The people believed Ezekiel contradicted Jeremiah. Ezekiel says he will not be taken to Babylon, but Jeremiah says that he will be taken to Babylon.
  
  • Jeremiah 32:⁴ and Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face, and see him eye to eye;
  • Jeremiah 34:³ And you shall not escape from his hand, but shall surely be taken and delivered into his hand; your eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, he shall speak with you face^[a] to face, and you shall go to Babylon.’ ” ’
    
• Do they contradict each other, or are they saying the same thing in different ways? Zedekiah didn’t believe either of them since they appeared to conflict with each other. When Zedekiah was captured, he was taken to Riblah in the land of Hamath as he watched his sons and nobles slain, and afterwards had his eyes blinded before being taken to Babylon. He did not see Babylon, but died there.
  
• The moral to the story is that we must be careful not to dismiss the authority of scripture just because we may not understand it.

Ezekiel 12:¹⁴ I will scatter to every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his troops; and I will draw out the sword after them.

Ezekiel 12:¹⁵ “Then they shall know that I am the Lord (yᵊhōvâ), when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.

Ezekiel 12:¹⁶ But I will spare a few of their men from the sword, from famine, and from pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the Gentiles wherever they go. Then they shall know that I am the Lord (yᵊhōvâ).”

Judgment Not Postponed

Ezekiel 12:¹⁷ Moreover the word of the Lord (yᵊhōvâ) came to me, saying,

Ezekiel 12:¹⁸ “Son of man, eat your bread with quaking (shaking), and drink your water with trembling and anxiety.

Ezekiel 12:¹⁹ And say to the people of the land, ‘Thus says the Lord God (‘ăḏōnāy yᵊhōvâ) to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the land of Israel: “They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water with dread, so that her land may be emptied of all who are in it, because of the violence of all those who dwell in it.

Ezekiel 12:²⁰ Then the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall become desolate; and you shall know that I am the Lord (yᵊhōvâ).” ’ ”

Ezekiel 12:²¹ And the word of the Lord (yᵊhōvâ) came to me, saying,

Ezekiel 12:²² “Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’?

Ezekiel 12:²³ Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord God (‘ăḏōnāy yᵊhōvâ): “I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.” ’ But say to them,‘ “The days are at hand, and the fulfillment (Lit. word) of every vision.

Ezekiel 12:²⁴ For no more shall there be any false (Lit. vain) vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel.

Ezekiel 12:²⁵ For I am the Lord (yᵊhōvâ). I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform it,” says the Lord God (‘ăḏōnāy yᵊhōvâ).’ ”

Ezekiel 12:²⁶ Again the word of the Lord (yᵊhōvâ) came to me, saying,

Ezekiel 12:²⁷ “Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.’

Ezekiel 12:²⁸ Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God (‘ăḏōnāy yᵊhōvâ): “None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak will be done,” says the Lord God (‘ăḏōnāy yᵊhōvâ).’ ”

---