These were the twenty-five men who had worshipped the sun in the Temple precincts mentioned previously:
<<AND HE BROUGHT ME INTO THE INNER COURT OF THE LORD'S HOUSE, AND, BEHOLD, AT THE DOOR OF THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD, BETWEEN THE PORCH AND THE ALTAR, WERE ABOUT FIVE AND TWENTY MEN, WITH THEIR BACKS TOWARD THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD, AND THEIR FACES TOWARD THE EAST; AND THEY WORSHIPPED THE SUN TOWARD THE EAST>> [Ezekiel 8:16].

They were leaders of the people.

They said just as a pot with water and meat in it protects the meat from being burned up so too would they be protected by virtue of their dwelling in Jerusalem close to the House of God.

It will not be as they thought. The meat in the pot will be the corpses and not you. You will not be protected. You will be taken out of the pot (i.e. of the city) and punished.

You will be punished because you did not keep the Law of God but went in the ways of the pagans around you.

<< SON OF MAN, THY BRETHREN, EVEN THY BRETHREN, THE MEN OF THY KINDRED, AND ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL WHOLLY>>: Eisemann quotes Commentators as saying that the three groups mentioned (THY BRETHREN, EVEN THY BRETHREN, THE MEN OF THY KINDRED) refer to the three previous exiles, i.e. The Tribes east of the Jordan (Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh), the tribes west of the Jordan, and the exiles from Judah who had been taken to Babylon in the time of Jehoiakin before the destruction of the Temple. Ezekiel is speaking as if these exiles were being dispossessed by the people of Jerusalem. Rashi holds this view and so does the Radak. These are foremost Rabbinical Commentators. Other savants understand this passage in other ways but Ezekiel was speaking on several levels and the different interpretations do not necessarily contradict each other.
Ezekiel (37:15-28) saw the return of the Ten Tribes as an indispensable requirement for the deliverance of Israel and Judah.
<<ARE THEY UNTO WHOM THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM HAVE SAID, GET YOU FAR FROM THE LORD: UNTO US IS THIS LAND GIVEN IN POSSESSION>> Malbim understands this to mean, Not that the inhabitants of Jerusalem rejected the other exiles and said that they could not inherit with them but RATHER the people of Jerusalem thought that was the reality. They considered the other exiles to be irretrievably lost and not about to return.

This shows the importance of Brit-Am. We need assistance to get this message both to "Judah" and to "Israel". Those who can assist and do not do so may be guilty of perpetuating a situation that the Bible says is negative and that Scripture attaches guilt to. Everyone should do what they can whether through financial assistance or other help or both together.In the same way that non-assistance is negative then assistance is a thousand times conducive to blessing.

Malbim: "ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL WHOLLY. These were the rest of the tribes who were exiled at first by [the Assyrians represented by] Sancherib for they too will emerge a remnant [to be saved]. Even though these were not redeemed in the redemption of the Second Temple [led by Ezra] they will return in the Last Days." In Rabbinical Literature Sancherib represents all the Kings of Assyria and the Exile of Sancherib means the Exile of the Lost Ten Tribes.

<<ALTHOUGH I HAVE CAST THEM FAR OFF AMONG THE HEATHEN, AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE SCATTERED THEM AMONG THE COUNTRIES>>: This can be understood on two levels, a physical one and a spiritual one. On the non-physical level it strengthens the theme we have been developing in our Commentary up to now.
1. The Exiles were distanced in a spiritual sense. They were far off "amongst the heathen" and would become like them. Even so,
2. In some way God would be with them even though they would not be openly aware of it or they would know Him only through a kind of spiritual screening of mixed truth and falsehood, i.e. "WILL I BE TO THEM AS A LITTLE SANCTUARY".

Eisemann understands this following passage to be referring to all of Israel, including the Lost Ten Tribes.Malbim: "In the future God will ingather the Ten Tribes who were in faraway lands and did not return in the time of the Second Temple". Ramban (Nachmanides) holds the same view we have been quoting that the prophecies are understandable on two levels:
1. The message potentially could have been fulfilled partly in the very time of Ezekiel if the people would have repented; and
2. The complete fulfillment of the Prophecy of reconciliation will only happen in the time of the Messiah.

The exiles (from the Ten Tribes) will remove their idols and cease their paganism in their places of exile. OR ELSE: They shall first come back to the land and then they shall cast aside their idols?

They will be given one heart, a spirit of unity, awareness of the truth, willingness and ability to fulfill God's will, and the awareness that they capable of doing so and want to do so.

The bottom line is that in order to return and dwell in the Land of Israel all the statutes, ordinances, and commandments must be kept.
<<THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE>>: They shall be made aware of their Israelite Identity.
<<AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD>>: They will be reconciled with the Almighty.

Those who do not repent will be punished. Alternately, Ezekiel had began to speak of reconciliation in the distant future. He now returns to the reality of his own time.

The Presence of the Almighty was departing from the city of Jerusalem. Until now the people had felt this presence. They had thought that since the House of God was in Jerusalem and God made His presence felt there then they would be protected from outsiders. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel were telling them that such was not the case.