INTRODUCTION
Ezekiel 14:12-23 records a new oracle from YHWH to Ezekiel about impending judgment upon Jerusalem. These verses highlight the severity and certainty of the punishment and show that it is inevitable because of Jerusalem’s sin and unfaithfulness.
The passage addresses a significant theoretical question that that must have been raised at the time: ‘Would YHWH really destroy Jerusalem when there are still some righteous people living in the city?’ In the oracle YHWH rejects the notion that the righteousness of a few can atone for the sins of the many and instead insists on individual personal responsibility. Even if the righteous should intercede the disaster cannot be averted. YHWH’s retributive justice cannot overlook sin just because of a connection with a righteous individual.
FAMINE
(13-14) This new oracle is introduced by the prophetic word formula ‘the word of the Lord came…to me, saying.’ As usual, YHWH addresses Ezekiel as ‘son of Adam’ and refers to a hypothetical country (‘a land’) that sins against him by trespassing grievously. Note the use of the two closely related terms ‘sin’ and ‘trespass.’ Sin is a general term encompassing all forms of disobedience against God’s will, whether intentional or unintentional. Trespass is more specific and involves deliberately violating a known law. All trespasses are sins but not all sins are trespasses. In this connection Greenberg (1983, p. 257) observes : ‘Inasmuch as the hypothetical land of vss.13-20 is not specifically that of Israel, this will be the only passage in Hebrew Scripture in which “trespass (against Yahweh)” is predicated of a non-Israelite subject.’
When a nation sins against YHWH he will ‘stretch out his hand upon it.’ This biblical image signifies divine intervention in judgment. The specific punishment mentioned here is famine. Cutting off the food supply of both human beings and animals would be a reminder of humanity’s dependence upon YHWH. Would he, however, act against a sinful nation if righteous individuals live there and (presumably) intercede on behalf of the sinful population? The remainder of the oracle deals with the limitations of personal righteousness and intercession in a situation where sin is widespread.
Although the background to this oracle is idolatry in Judah YHWH indicates that what he says has a much wider application by referring to a hypothetical country and also by holding up two non-Israelite men along with the Israelite Daniel as iconic examples of righteousness. Even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in such a country they could not avert disaster. They would only be able to save themselves because of their righteous characters, no-one else.
At that time these three men were legendary throughout the Ancient Near East for their righteousness. Through it they had also been able to save the lives of others.
Noah – because of his righteousness (Gen 6:9) the primaeval hero Noah was able to save himself, his family and the animals from the Flood (Gen 6:9-8:22).
Daniel – This likely refers to Ezekiel’s older contemporary the Daniel of the Babylonian exile who, though still a young man (possibly late twenties) at this time, had already gained a reputation for righteousness. Has he saved lives through intercession? Some would point to Daniel 2:17-18.
Modern scholars tend to argue that this is not the Daniel of the book of Daniel but the righteous Ugaritic Daniel (Dn’il) of The Tale of Aqhat. Their arguments centre on the fact that the spelling of ‘Daniel’ in the book of Ezekiel differs from that in the book of Daniel, that Dn’il was a figure of antiquity as were Noah and Job but not the contemporary Daniel and the chronological argument that the Daniel of the book of Daniel was too young to have achieved fame at the time this oracle was given.
Arguments for Dn’il in the article by ‘Day, J. (1980). The Daniel of Ugarit and Ezekiel and the Hero of the Book of Daniel. Vetus Testamentum, 30(2), pp. 174–184′ may be read online free of charge by logging into JSTOR. ‘The Tale of Aqhat’ may be read in J. B. Pritchard’s ‘Ancient Near Eastern Texts’ at archive.org.
Job – Through intercession the righteous sufferer Job was able to save the lives of his three friends who had been wrong about the reasons for his affliction (Job 42:7-10).
That the presence of its most righteous inhabitants could not save a sinful nation underscores the seriousness of sin. Salvation is an individual affair, righteousness is non-transferable. That Noah, Job and Daniel are recognised by the Lord as examples of personal righteousness encourages us to maintain personal righteousness during times of trial and in circumstances where all around is marked by corruption.
(15-16) RAVENING ANIMALS
Here the imagery of wild beasts roaming the land attacking and killing the populace is used to describe another form of punishment. Travel throughout the country would be impossible. Society would break down and the land be uninhabitable. The repetition of the three righteous men again emphasises the fact that righteousness is non-transferable. Even their children would not be spared.
(17-18) WAR
The third scenario of judgment is war and conflict as symbolised by the sword. YHWH would subject a sinful nation to punishment by violence and invasion. Again it is stated that even if these three men were in it they could not save even their closest family members.
(19-20) BLEEDING PESTILENCE
The fourth scenario in this escalating progression of judgment is that of plague which will affect humans and animals (famine – ravening animals – war -bleeding pestilence). YHWH will pour out his fury upon the land ‘in blood.’ Pestilence and bloodshed are not two separate judgments but a hendiadys which specifies the type of plague – bleeding pestilence – i.e. the plague results in an outpouring of blood. (For a short technical discussion of this see: Tooman, W. A. (2010). On the Meaning of דבר ודם in Ezekiel (5:17, 14:19, 28:23, 38:22). Vetus Testamentum, 60(4), pp. 666–668.)
Once again swearing by his own life (‘as I live saith the Lord God’) in v.20 as in vv.16 and 18 YHWH repeats the point about the three righteous men. They could only deliver themselves by their righteousness, not their family members. The repetition reinforces YHWH’s point that no human being, however righteous, can turn back the Lord’s punishment of a sinful and unrepentant people.
(21) In this passage YHWH has so far been speaking in general terms about a hypothetical sinful country. This verse now makes it clear that that he had Judah, represented by Jerusalem, in view. The phrase ”how much more’ suggests that the punishment of Judah will be particularly severe because of its privileges. All four judgments (the sword, famine, wild beasts, plague) will be visited upon the city and the cumulative effect will be total devastation. Although directed at Judah this oracle was given in Babylon and served to remind the exiles there that their notion that things would work out well in the end for Jerusalem was false.
(22-23) These verses introduce a note of hope that despite overwhelming punishment YHWH would preserve a remnant ‘who will come forth unto you’ i.e. to Ezekiel and the exiles in Babylon. It does not seem that these few people will survive because of their personal righteousness but rather that they are examples of sinful people who experience YHWH’s mercy in the midst of judgment. When this group of exiles comes to Babylon the exiles will see how wicked they really are and be consoled that the Lord has been just in executing well-deserved judgment upon Jerusalem and Judah. God’s justice will be vindicated.
An alternative interpretation is that Ezekiel and the exiles will see the changed behaviour of the remnant. The judgment will have had a purifying effect upon them, they will have repented and been transformed, Ezekiel and the exiles will then be comforted that God’s purposes have been accomplished.
SUMMATION
Ezekiel 14:12-23 is a solemn and sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the certainty of God’s judgment. Even the presence of righteous men in a country cannot avert this. Everyone is responsible for his own sin. The passage emphasises the severity of God’s punishment upon Judah which will be fourfold: famine, wild animals, the sword and plague. Despite this some individuals will survive the catastrophe and eventually reach the exiles in Babylon. Their bad (or good???) behaviour will cause the exiles to acknowledge God’s justice. That there will be a remnant is a faint glimmer of hope in an otherwise gloomy forecast for Judah’s future.
Written Exposition 