INTRODUCTION
Ezekiel gives no new date marker at the beginning of chapter 12. The next one is not until 20:1 so in the absence of chronological data for chapters 12-19 one must assume that the messages they contain were delivered soon after the prophecies of chapters 8-11, during 592 BCE (8:1).
Since it would seem that the account of a trance which Ezekiel had communicated to his fellow-exiles (11:25) had had no effect upon them it was therefore essential that the theme of judgment upon Jerusalem and Judah be further developed, this is the main point of chapters 12-19. In chapter 12 Ezekiel emphasises the certainty of that impending judgment.
CHAPTER 12
1-2 A REBELLIOUS PEOPLE
3-7 THE PREDICTION OF EXILE ENACTED
8-16 THE FLIGHT OF THE PRINCE FORETOLD
17-20 THE TREPIDATION OF THE JUDAHITES ENACTED
21-28 THE OBJECTIONS OF SCOFFERS REFUTED
A REBELLIOUS PEOPLE (1-2)
1 The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. Ezekiel 12:1-2
(1) The phrase ‘the word of the Lord came unto me saying’ signifies the commencement of a new message from YHWH.
(2) YHWH again addresses Ezekiel as ‘Son of man (adam)’ thus emphasising Ezekiel’s humanity in contrast to the Lord’s divinity. He says that Ezekiel dwells in the midst of a ‘rebellious house.’ This refers to the exiles who are already in Babylon along with Ezekiel. They are rebellious because they refuse to see or hear the truth (cp. Deut 29:3-4; Isa 6:9; Jer 5:21; Mk 8:18; Acts 28:27). The exiles probably shared the vain sentiments of the people back home in Judah whom Jeremiah (Jer 7:4) warned about misplaced trust in the temple. They thought that because the temple of the Lord was in Jerusalem the city would not fall to invading forces. Ezekiel needed to powerfully drive home the lesson that Jerusalem would indeed fall and that its inhabitants would be taken into exile.
THE PREDICTION OF EXILE ENACTED (3-7)
3 Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.
4 Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.
5 Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.
6 In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.
7 And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bore it upon my shoulder in their sight.
(3-7) YHWH instructs Ezekiel to enact a drama of someone going into exile. Referring back to ‘which have eyes to see, and see not’ in v.2 notice the seven-fold repetition of ‘in their sight’ in vv. 3-7. Also, the words ‘by day’ are mentioned three times in these verses. Ezekiel is to make sure that his actions get the attention of his audience. Notice also ‘remove’ and ‘removing’ – these are from a word meaning captivity or going into exile.
Ezekiel receives specific instructions regarding the drama he is to act out.
a. He is to ‘prepare his stuff’ by day for going into exile (v.4). ‘Stuff’ – According to Strongs H3627 this word can refer both to a vessel or receptacle and also to utensils or items of equipment. Most translations say something akin to ‘pack your baggage’ but here the reference is more likely to the bag or knapsack itself rather than to the few basic items (e.g. clothing, bedding, cooking utensils, food) an exile would put in it. Thus the Christian Standard Bible translates ‘prepare thee stuff for removing’ as: ‘get your bags ready for exile.’ Ezekiel’s fellow exiles in Babylonia would have no problem recognising what he was portraying; they had done this very thing for real a few years earlier, in 597 BCE.
b. He is to go out in the evening as if escaping like an exile (v.4).
c. He is to dig a hole in the wall (of his house, the courtyard or the town?) and take his baggage (stuff) out through it (v.5).
d. He is to carry his bag on his shoulder into the pitch darkness with his face covered so that he cannot see the ground (v.6). Note that the word translated ‘twilight’ in KJV means thick darkness. It occurs in vv. 6, 7, 12 and Gen 15:17.
Perhaps this performance will enable his rebellious fellow-exiles to understand (v.3) that this will soon be the situation in Jerusalem. People there will soon be fleeing as emigrants, never to return. YHWH tells Ezekiel (v. 6b) that by acting out this scenario he will serve as a sign or portent to the house of Israel (see also v.11). Isaiah is another prophet said to have been a sign (Isa 20:3).
‘I did so as I was commanded.’ In v.7 Ezekiel confirms that that he has faithfully complied with YHWH’s instructions. He adds that he excavated the hole in the wall by hand; thus avoiding the noise of a pick or other instrument that in a real life escape might alert the enemy. The main emphasis, however, is on his exile’s pack; its significance is revealed in v.10.
THE FLIGHT OF THE PRINCE FORETOLD (8-16)
8 And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,
9 Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?
10 Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them.
11 Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.
12 And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.
13 My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.
14 And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.
15 And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.
16 But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
(8-9) The following morning Ezekiel receives further communication from YHWH in the form of a negative question: ‘hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?’ Ezekiel’s strange behaviour has caught the attention of his fellow-exiles who have asked about it. This presents an opportunity for him to explain the significance of his symbolic act.
(10-11) YHWH instructs Ezekiel to give the explanation in the form of an authoritative prophetic message. It begins with ‘Thus saith the Lord God,’ followed by a summary statement of the point of the drama. It is a message of impending disaster both for King Zedekiah and for all who remain with him in Jerusalem. Ezekiel uses ‘house of Israel’ in two different senses. Note that v.9 refers to the ‘house of Israel’ in Babylonia (cp. 11:15) and v.10 to the ‘house of Israel’ in Judah.
King Zedekiah of Judah is not mentioned by name but it is obvious that he is the person referred to. He is not called ‘the king’ (meleḵ) but ‘the prince’ (or chief). The Hebrew word for ‘prince’ is nasi.’ Many commentators point out that there is word play here on ‘prince’ (nasi) and ‘burden’ (maśśā). Greenberg (1983, p. 211) comments ‘The chief is this burden. Hebrew hannaśi hammaśśa hazze; this alliterative phrase is patterned after Jer 23:33.’ As well as a play on sound there seems also to be a pun on meaning. Ezekiel’s ‘burden’ was lifted up and borne on his shoulder, the term ‘prince’ refers to someone who is elevated or lifted up.
Some take ‘burden’ here to mean a threatening message, the word is used in that sense by other Old Testament prophets, but it only occurs here in Ezekiel and in the context must refer to the bag containing Ezekiel’s ‘stuff’ (v.4). Greenberg (1983, p. 212) explains: ‘The meaning of the sentence is: this burden – the exile’s pack – represents the chief and the Israelites of Jerusalem; they will be taken out of the city into exile. Two things are unexpected: the reference to two subjects, the chief (king) and the people, and the symbolic character of the exile’s pack (maśśā is linked to naśa ‘al katef “carry [the pack] on the shoulder” in vss.6f….’
Ezekiel’s message is that Zedekiah and his subjects will be carried into exile. Ezekiel himself is a ‘sign’ in that his actions represented the destiny and fate of King Zedekiah of Judah and the people of Judah. Note that the thought of Ezekiel as a sign reappears in 24:18-27 where he is forbidden to formally mourn the death of his wife; symbolising YHWH’s refusal to grieve for Jerusalem at the time of its destruction (24:24).
(12-14) Returning to the subject of the prince Ezekiel expands on his symbolic action. He predicts in detail Zedekiah’s flight from Jerusalem by night with his pack upon his shoulder and his eyes covered; probably to avoid recognition – but perhaps this also symbolises shame (cp. Jer 9:19).
Ezekiel predicts additional details that do not feature in his drama: Zedekiah will be pursued, apprehended, blinded and taken into captivity in Babylon. His supporters and troops will scatter in all directions and be pursued by the Babylonian forces. YHWH claims responsibility for these forthcoming events, saying (v.13) that Zedekiah will be metaphorically caught in his snare and trap.
The literal fulfilment of Ezekiel’s specific and accurate predictions is recorded in 2 Kgs 25:1-7; Jer 39:1-7; 52:1-11. These passages tell us that Zedekiah fled Jerusalem at night through a gap between two walls, was captured by the Babylonians near Jericho and taken to Riblah to meet Nebuchadnezzar. As punishment for his revolt Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah watch the murder of his family before blinding him and transporting him to Babylon.
The abovementioned accounts (e.g. Jer 39:7) explain the riddle or apparent enigma in Ezek 12:13: ‘I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.’ Zedekiah would be blinded before being transported to Babylon.
King Zedekiah himself may have been aware of this prophecy but failed to appreciate its significance. According to the first century CE historian Flavius Josephus, in his work ‘Antiquities of the Jews,’ Ezekiel wrote down this prophecy and sent a copy to King Hezekiah. He compared the prophecies of Jeremiah and Ezekiel and reckoned that these contradicted one another. He therefore decided not to believe either of them.
Josephus, living more than 600 years after this event, is the only source of this interesting but possibly unreliable piece of information:
Now as to Zedekiah himself, while he heard the prophet [Jeremiah] speak, he believed him, and agreed to every thing as true, and supposed it was for his advantage; but then his friends perverted him, and dissuaded him from what the prophet advised, and obliged him to do what they pleased. Ezekiel also foretold in Babylon what calamities were coming upon the people, which when he heard, he sent accounts of them unto Jerusalem. But Zedekiah did not believe their prophecies, for the reason following: It happened that the two prophets agreed with one another in what they said as in all other things, that the city should be taken, and Zedekiah himself should be taken captive; but Ezekiel disagreed with him, and said that Zedekiah should not see Babylon, while Jeremiah said to him, that the king of Babylon should carry him away thither in bonds….
For background it is worth reading all of chapter 7 in Book X of Josephus’ ‘Antiquities of the Jews’ (Ant. X. 7. 2)
(15-16) Now the prophet raises a faint note of hope with the mention of a ‘a few men’ of Judah (the remnant) who will be spared for the purpose of testifying to YHWH’s sovereignty. These people will recognise that it is their own idolatry that has brought the judgment upon them.
THE TREPIDATION OF THE JUDAHITES ENACTED (17-20)
17 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
18 Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;
19 And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.
20 And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
(17-20) Ezekiel receives a further communication directly from YHWH, instructing him to perform another symbolic action. He is to eat his food and drink water in a manner that portrays fear and anxiety. By shaking and trembling as he eats and drinks Ezekiel will visually convey the fear that the people of Judah will experience during the siege of Jerusalem. His actions will symbolise the people’s anxiety and deep distress in the face of that calamity. This prophetic sign suggests that even basic tasks like eating and drinking will be carried out with fear.
Ezekiel is to impart this message to ‘the people of the land,’ here a reference to the exiles who are with Ezekiel in Babylonia. It is about Jerusalem and the land of Israel. It is especially about those who live in Jerusalem and in ‘her land’ i.e. the territory surrounding the city, since they would be the ones enduring the siege and destruction first-hand.
Vv. 19b and 20 further explain Ezekiel’s symbolic act. The word translated ‘carefulness’ used with reference to how they will drink their water (v.19) and how they will eat their food (v.20) means ‘anxiety.’ It also occurs in 4:16 where in the context the anxiety is about running out of food. That fear of scarcity and famine that will be experienced during the siege seems to be in view here too.
The people of Jerusalem and Judah will also feel terror because their towns will be laid waste and the land will be stripped of everything. The Babylonians will pursue a scorched-earth policy; they will leave no people, animals, crops or infrastructure. There will be total devastation. The reason for this is once again said to be the unrestrained violence of the people of Judah (7:11, 23; 8:17).
As has already been said in v.16, the purpose of the desolation is so that the people will recognise the authority and sovereignty of YHWH – ‘ye shall know that I am the Lord.’
THE OBJECTIONS OF SCOFFERS REFUTED (21-28)
21 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
22 Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?
23 Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.
24 For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.
25 For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.
26 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
27 Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.
28 Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.
(21-25) Verses 21-28 address the people’s doubt and scepticism that Ezekiel’s prophecies will be fulfilled.
Ezekiel receives a new message from YHWH which is introduced by the usual formula ‘the word of the LORD came unto me, saying.’ As elsewhere, Ezekiel is addressed as ‘Son of man’ then YHWH highlights a saying that was popular in the land of Israel. This proverb (māšāl) mocks the prophets and reflects a general belief that the judgment they predict will never come to pass: ‘The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth’ (Cp. Ecc 8:11; 2 Pet 3:3-4). Despite the passing of time none of their prophecies of doom have come to fruition.
YHWH instructs Ezekiel to inform the Israelites that he will cause this proverb to cease – because the course of events will prove the proverb wrong. In fact it will be replaced by a new proverb: ‘The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.’ i.e. the time is not far off and every vision will come to pass.
In addition, all false prophecies that flatter the people of Israel will cease. They are described as ‘vain visions and smooth divinations.’ These prophecies obtained through occult practices are by false prophets who flatter the people by predicting peace, security and the return of the Jehoiachin exiles from Babylon (for an example of this read Jer 28:1-17).
The coming judgment will expose their deceptive lies and bring their false assurances to an end. True predictions by genuine prophets of YHWH like Jeremiah and Ezekiel will come to pass but those expressed by the false prophets will fail. (Note that false prophecy is the subject of the next chapter -Ezekiel 13.)
In v.25 YHWH asserts his sovereign right to speak (declare judgment). Unlike the false prophets his words are truth and will be fulfilled soon. Through Ezekiel he declares that the judgment will come upon the current generation – ‘in your days.’ Once again he describes them as a ‘rebellious house’ (12:2, 3, 9, 25).
(26-28) Another communication from YHWH to Ezekiel is introduced by ‘the word of the Lord came to me saying.’ The prophecy that follows is similar but slightly different to that in the previous segment. Verses 20-25 relate to a proverb that denies that the prophecies of judgment would ever be fulfilled. In verses 26-28, however, YHWH quotes another proverb (‘they of the house of Israel say’) which promotes the equally erroneous view that that Ezekiel’s prophecies may well be fulfilled, but not for a very long time (‘the vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.’). YHWH, however, confirms that Ezekiel’s prophecies will be fulfilled soon.
SUMMATION
This chapter underscores the certainty of YHWH’s judgment. In it Ezekiel enacts the flight of a refugee. This sign-act is explained as predicting the attempted escape of King Zedekiah, and others, from Jerusalem. Ezekiel then enacts another drama, demonstrating the terror that the Jerusalemites will experience while the city is under siege. The remainder of the chapter addresses the apparent failure of Ezekiel’s visions of destruction. YHWH says that those prophecies will soon be fulfilled. Ezekiel is not a false prophet, his predictions will certainly come to pass.
Written Exposition 