Ezekiel 11

[Ezekiel 11:1] MOREOVER THE SPIRIT LIFTED ME UP, AND BROUGHT ME UNTO THE EAST GATE OF THE LORD'S HOUSE, WHICH LOOKETH EASTWARD: AND BEHOLD AT THE DOOR OF THE GATE FIVE AND TWENTY MEN; AMONG WHOM I SAW JAAZANIAH THE SON
OF AZUR, AND PELATIAH THE SON OF BENAIAH, PRINCES OF THE PEOPLE.

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].

[Ezekiel 11:2] THEN SAID HE UNTO ME, SON OF MAN, THESE ARE THE MEN THAT DEVISE MISCHIEF, AND GIVE WICKED COUNSEL IN THIS CITY:

They were leaders of the people.

[Ezekiel 11:3] WHICH SAY, IT IS NOT NEAR; LET US BUILD HOUSES: THIS CITY IS THE CALDRON, AND WE BE THE FLESH.

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.

[Ezekiel 11:4] THEREFORE PROPHESY AGAINST THEM, PROPHESY, O SON OF MAN.
[Ezekiel 11:5] AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD FELL UPON ME, AND SAID UNTO ME, SPEAK; THUS SAITH THE LORD; THUS HAVE YE SAID, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL: FOR I KNOW THE THINGS THAT COME INTO YOUR MIND, EVERY ONE OF THEM.

[Ezekiel 11:6] YE HAVE MULTIPLIED YOUR SLAIN IN THIS CITY, AND YE HAVE FILLED THE STREETS THEREOF WITH THE SLAIN.
[Ezekiel 11:7] THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD; YOUR SLAIN WHOM YE HAVE LAID IN THE MIDST OF IT, THEY ARE THE FLESH, AND THIS CITY IS THE CALDRON: BUT I WILL BRING YOU FORTH OUT OF THE MIDST OF IT.

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.

[Ezekiel 11:8] YE HAVE FEARED THE SWORD; AND I WILL BRING A SWORD UPON YOU, SAITH THE LORD GOD.
[Ezekiel 11:9] AND I WILL BRING YOU OUT OF THE MIDST THEREOF, AND DELIVER YOU INTO THE HANDS OF STRANGERS, AND WILL EXECUTE JUDGMENTS AMONG YOU.
[Ezekiel 11:10] YE SHALL FALL BY THE SWORD; I WILL JUDGE YOU IN THE BORDER OF ISRAEL; AND YE SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.
[Ezekiel 11:11] THIS CITY SHALL NOT BE YOUR CALDRON, NEITHER SHALL YE BE THE FLESH IN THE MIDST THEREOF; BUT I WILL JUDGE YOU IN THE BORDER OF ISRAEL:

[Ezekiel 11:12] AND YE SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD: FOR YE HAVE NOT WALKED IN MY STATUTES, NEITHER EXECUTED MY JUDGMENTS, BUT HAVE DONE AFTER THE MANNERS OF THE HEATHEN THAT ARE ROUND ABOUT YOU.
You will be punished because you did not keep the Law of God but went in the ways of the pagans around you.

[Ezekiel 11:13] AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN I PROPHESIED, THAT PELATIAH THE SON OF BENAIAH DIED. THEN FELL I DOWN UPON MY FACE, AND CRIED WITH A LOUD VOICE, AND SAID, AH LORD GOD! WILT THOU MAKE A FULL END OF THE REMNANT OF ISRAEL?
[Ezekiel 11:14] AGAIN THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ME, SAYING,

[Ezekiel 11:15] SON OF MAN, THY BRETHREN, EVEN THY BRETHREN, THE MEN OF THY KINDRED, AND ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL WHOLLY, ARE THEY UNTO WHOM THE INHABITANTS OF JERUSALEM HAVE SAID, GET YOU FAR FROM THE LORD: UNTO US IS THIS LAND GIVEN IN POSSESSION.
<< 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.

[Ezekiel 11:16] THEREFORE SAY, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD; ALTHOUGH I HAVE CAST THEM FAR OFF AMONG THE HEATHEN, AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE SCATTERED THEM AMONG THE COUNTRIES, YET WILL I BE TO THEM AS A LITTLE SANCTUARY IN THE COUNTRIES WHERE THEY SHALL COME.
<<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".

[Ezekiel 11:17] THEREFORE SAY, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD; I WILL EVEN GATHER YOU FROM THE PEOPLE, AND ASSEMBLE YOU OUT OF THE COUNTRIES WHERE YE HAVE BEEN SCATTERED, AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE LAND OF ISRAEL.

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.

[Ezekiel 11:18] AND THEY SHALL COME THITHER, AND THEY SHALL TAKE AWAY ALL THE DETESTABLE THINGS THEREOF AND ALL THE ABOMINATIONS THEREOF FROM THENCE.

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?

[Ezekiel 11:19] AND I WILL GIVE THEM ONE HEART, AND I WILL PUT A NEW SPIRIT WITHIN YOU; AND I WILL TAKE THE STONY HEART OUT OF THEIR FLESH, AND WILL GIVE THEM AN HEART OF FLESH:
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.

[Ezekiel 11:20] THAT THEY MAY WALK IN MY STATUTES, AND KEEP MINE ORDINANCES, AND DO THEM: AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE, AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD.
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.

[Ezekiel 11:21] BUT AS FOR THEM WHOSE HEART WALKETH AFTER THE HEART OF THEIR DETESTABLE THINGS AND THEIR ABOMINATIONS, I WILL RECOMPENSE THEIR WAY UPON THEIR OWN HEADS, SAITH THE LORD GOD.

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.

[Ezekiel 11:22] THEN DID THE CHERUBIMS LIFT UP THEIR WINGS, AND THE WHEELS BESIDE THEM; AND THE GLORY OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL WAS OVER THEM ABOVE.
[Ezekiel 11:23] AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD WENT UP FROM THE MIDST OF THE CITY, AND STOOD UPON THE MOUNTAIN WHICH IS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CITY.

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.

[Ezekiel 11:24] AFTERWARDS THE SPIRIT TOOK ME UP, AND BROUGHT ME IN A VISION BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD INTO CHALDEA, TO THEM OF THE CAPTIVITY. SO THE VISION THAT I HAD SEEN WENT UP FROM ME.
[Ezekiel 11:25] THEN I SPAKE UNTO THEM OF THE CAPTIVITY ALL THE THINGS THAT THE LORD HAD SHEWED ME.


EZEKIEL INDEX
chapter twelve
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