Ezekiel 12
[Ezekiel 12:1] THE WORD OF THE LORD ALSO CAME UNTO ME, SAYING,
[Ezekiel 12:2] 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 12:3] 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.
Ezekiel was to act out a "play: of actions symbolizing Exile. Eisemann and Mablim interpret the whole scene to represent four exiles or aspects of exile:
1. The Lost Ten Tribes by Assyria: AND REMOVE BY DAY IN THEIR SIGHT: They went away to an uncertain area. They were removed elsewhere.
2. The early exile of Judah to Babylon with King Jehoiacin. REMOVE FROM THY PLACE TO ANOTHER PLACE: They moved from Judah to Babylon. These two exiles had already taken place when Ezekiel received this prophecy.
3. The final exile of the remnant of Judah to Babylon.
4. The attempt by King Zedekiah to escape and his capture by the Babylonians.

[Ezekiel 12:4] 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.
Here the last two scenes of exiles were represented.

[Ezekiel 12:5] DIG THOU THROUGH THE WALL IN THEIR SIGHT, AND CARRY OUT THEREBY.
This symbolized the attempt of Zedekiah to flee (cf. 2-Kings ch.25, Jeremiah 39:3-9).
<<AND ALL THE PRINCES OF THE KING OF BABYLON CAME IN, AND SAT IN THE MIDDLE GATE, EVEN NERGALSHAREZER, SAMGARNEBO, SARSECHIM, RABSARIS, NERGALSHAREZER, RABMAG, WITH ALL THE RESIDUE OF THE PRINCES OF THE KING OF
BABYLON.
<<AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN ZEDEKIAH THE KING OF JUDAH SAW THEM, AND ALL THE MEN OF WAR, THEN THEY FLED, AND WENT FORTH OUT OF THE CITY BY NIGHT, BY THE WAY OF THE KING'S GARDEN, BY THE GATE BETWIXT THE TWO WALLS: AND HE WENT OUT THE WAY OF THE PLAIN.
<<BUT THE CHALDEANS' ARMY PURSUED AFTER THEM, AND OVERTOOK ZEDEKIAH IN THE PLAINS OF JERICHO: AND WHEN THEY HAD TAKEN HIM, THEY BROUGHT HIM UP TO NEBUCHADNEZZAR KING OF BABYLON TO RIBLAH IN THE LAND OF HAMATH, WHERE HE
GAVE JUDGMENT UPON HIM.
<<THEN THE KING OF BABYLON SLEW THE SONS OF ZEDEKIAH IN RIBLAH BEFORE HIS EYES: ALSO THE KING OF BABYLON SLEW ALL THE NOBLES OF JUDAH.
<<MOREOVER HE PUT OUT ZEDEKIAH'S EYES, AND BOUND HIM WITH CHAINS, TO CARRY HIM TO BABYLON.
<<AND THE CHALDEANS BURNED THE KING'S HOUSE, AND THE HOUSES OF THE PEOPLE,  WITH FIRE, AND BRAKE DOWN THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM.
<<THEN NEBUZARADAN THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD CARRIED AWAY CAPTIVE INTO BABYLON THE REMNANT OF THE PEOPLE THAT REMAINED IN THE CITY, AND THOSE THAT FELL AWAY, THAT FELL TO HIM, WITH THE REST OF THE PEOPLE THAT REMAINED>>
[Jeremiah 39:3-9]. This attempted flight of Zedekiah is what the actions of Ezekiel signify.

[Ezekiel 12:6] 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.
[Ezekiel 12:7] 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 BARE IT UPON MY SHOULDER IN THEIR SIGHT.
[Ezekiel 12:8] AND IN THE MORNING CAME THE WORD OF THE LORD UNTO ME, SAYING,
[Ezekiel 12:9] SON OF MAN, HATH NOT THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, THE REBELLIOUS HOUSE, SAID UNTO THEE, WHAT DOEST THOU?
"THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL" is addressed. This term is usually applied (by the other Prophets, apart from Ezekeil) to the northern kingdom as distinct from Judah though here according to the simple meaning the message is directed mainly (or solely) to Judah.

[Ezekiel 12:10] 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.
<<THE PRINCE>>: This is referring to King Zedekiah. <<AND ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL THAT ARE AMONG THEM>>: Apart from the tribe of Judah the inhabitants of Jerusalem also included people from the other tribes especially Simeon, Ephraim, Manassah, and Levi.

[Ezekiel 12:11] SAY, I AM YOUR SIGN: LIKE AS I HAVE DONE, SO SHALL IT BE DONE UNTO THEM: THEY SHALL REMOVE AND GO INTO CAPTIVITY.
[Ezekiel 12:12] 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.
[Ezekiel 12:13] 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.
<<YET SHALL HE NOT SEE IT, THOUGH HE SHALL DIE THERE>>: Nebuchadnezzar took out the eyes of Zedekiah.

[Ezekiel 12:14] 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.
[Ezekiel 12:15] AND THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD, WHEN I SHALL SCATTER THEM AMONG THE NATIONS, AND DISPERSE THEM IN THE COUNTRIES.
[Ezekiel 12:16] 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.
[Ezekiel 12:17] MOREOVER THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ME, SAYING,
[Ezekiel 12:18] SON OF MAN, EAT THY BREAD WITH QUAKING, AND DRINK THY WATER WITH TREMBLING AND WITH CAREFULNESS;
[Ezekiel 12:19] 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.
[Ezekiel 12:20] 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.
[Ezekiel 12:21] AND THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ME, SAYING,
[Ezekiel 12:22] SON OF MAN, WHAT IS THAT PROVERB THAT YE HAVE IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL, SAYING, THE DAYS ARE PROLONGED, AND EVERY VISION FAILETH?
People were saying that the prophecies of the Prophets were not coming to pass. This chapter comes to tell us that the Prophecies did come tell and will do so in the future. We do not know the time-table but God does.

[Ezekiel 12:23] 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.
[Ezekiel 12:24] FOR THERE SHALL BE NO MORE ANY VAIN VISION NOR FLATTERING DIVINATION WITHIN THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.
[Ezekiel 12:25] 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.
[Ezekiel 12:26] AGAIN THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME TO ME, SAYING.
[Ezekiel 12:27] 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.
[Ezekiel 12:28] 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.
Ezekiel Index
chapter thirteen
HOME