Book of Ezekiel
- For other uses of the term, see Ezekiel (disambiguation).
| Books of the |
| Tanakh Torah | Nevi'im | Ketuvim Books of Nevi'im |
| First Prophets |
|---|
| 1. Joshua |
| 2. Judges |
| 3. Samuel |
| 4. Kings |
| Later Prophets |
| 5. Isaiah |
| 6. Jeremiah |
| 7. Ezekiel |
| 8. 12 minor prophets |
The Book of Ezekiel is a book of the Hebrew Bible (of the Books of the Bible) named after the prophet Ezekiel.
Historical background
The Book of Ezekiel was written for the Israelites living in exile in Babylon. Up until that exile their custom had been to worship their God in the temple in Jerusalem. Exile raised important theological questions. How, the Israelites asked, could they worship their God when they were now in a distant land? Was their God still available to them? Ezekiel speaks to this problem. He first explains that the Israelite exile is a punishment for disobedience and he then offers hope to the exiles, suggesting that the exile will be reversed once the Israelites return to God.
Unlike their ancestors, who were enslaved and socially marginalized while in exile in Egypt, the Jews of Ezekiel's time were able to become part of the society they found themselves in. The Israelite Exiles were told by Jeremiah not to worship the foreign gods, but Jeremiah did tell them that they could become part of the Babylonian culture. They did this well, often being called upon by the Babylonians to complete projects using their skills as artisans. Unlike other enemies, the Babylonians allowed the Jewish people to settle in small groups. While keeping their religious and national identities, many Jewish people did start to settle into their new environment. From building homes to opening businesses, the Jews seemed to settle into their exile land for the long haul.
This growing comfort in Babylon helps to explain why so many Jewish people decided not to return to their land. Many people would have been born in exile and would know nothing of their old land, so when the opportunity came for them to reclaim the land that was taken from them, many decided not to leave the Babylonian land they knew. This large group of people who decided to stay are known to be the oldest of the Jewish diaspora communities along with the Jews of Persia.
Biography
The Book of Ezekiel gives few details about Ezekiel's life, but it nevertheless reveals much about him. Ezekiel states that he is a priest, the son of Buzi, and his name means "God will strengthen." He was one of the Israelite exiles, who settled at a place called Tel-aviv, on the banks of the River Chebar, "in the land of the Chaldeans." The modern city Tel Aviv is named after this place. He was probably carried away captive with King Jehoiachin (1:2; 2 Kings 24:14-16) about 597 B.C.E..
As a prophet, he gave spiritual encouragement to the exiles by assuring them that the sins of their immediate ancestors would not be held against them (Ezek. 18). He participated viscerally in his prophetic pronouncements through fasts and other mortifications of the flesh. Ezekiel walked a conscious course of personal denial for the sake God and his people. He states that God asked him to "bear the sin of the house of Israel." (Ezek. 4:5) Even his beloved wife—the "delight of my eyes"—was suddenly taken by God. God commanded Ezekiel not to mourn for her, just as the Jews must not mourn destruction of Temple of Jerusalem.
The exiled elders of Judah often consulted Ezekiel for guidance, although it is debatable whether his prophecies had much immediate impact on the exilic community. Nevertheless, his writings certainly became very important in later Jewish life. His marvelous visions of angelic beings (and their vehicles), found in Ezek. 1, 10, later became important elements in the mystical tradition of the Kabbala, as well as both Jewish and Christian apocalypticism. Finally, his famous vision of the Valley of Dry Bones (Ezek. 37), although originally referring to the revival of Israel as a nation, became an important basis for the belief in the resurrection of the dead, both in Jewish and Christian traditions.
Content
Summary
The first chapter of the Book of Ezekiel is a description of Ezekiel's visionary encounter with the Lord who appears to him upon a chariot composed of 4 living creatures each having 4 faces and calf's feet. This agglomeration is carried about by some unusual beryl colored wheels which are also described in considerable detail. Following this introduction, Ezekiel contains three distinct sections.
- Judgment on Israel - Ezekiel makes a series of denunciations against his fellow Judeans (3:22-24), warning them of the certain destruction of Jerusalem, in opposition to the words of the false prophets (4:1-3). The symbolic acts, by which the extremities to which Jerusalem would be reduced are described in Chapters 4 and 5, show his intimate acquaintance with the Levitical legislation. (See, for example, Exodus 22:30; Deuteronomy 14:21; Leviticus 5:2; 7:18,24; 17:15; 19:7; 22:8)
- Prophecies against various neighboring nations: against the Ammonites (Ezek. 25:1-7), the Moabites (25:8-11), the Edomites (25:12-14), the Philistines (25:15-17), Tyre and Sidon (26-28), and against Egypt (29-32).
- Prophecies delivered after the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II: the triumphs of Israel and of the kingdom of God on earth (Ezek. 33-39); Messianic times, and the establishment and prosperity of the kingdom of God (40-48).
Interpretation
According to Walther Zimmerli, the number twenty-five is of cardinal importance in Ezekiel's Temple Vision (in the Bible, Ezekiel chapters 40-48).
In the construction there appears the figure twenty-five and its multiples: the gate (inside measurement) is twenty-five cubits wide; its length (outside measurement) is fifty cubits; a hundred cubits is the distance from gate to gate; the inner court is a hundred cubits square; so that the total measurement of the temple area, as the measurement in 42:15-20 makes quite explicit, is five hundred square cubits. This system of measurement is still effective in the undoubtedly later description of the allocation of land in chapter 48 in the measurement of the terumah [consecrated area] in the narrower sense (48:20) at twenty-five thousand cubits by twenty-five thousand. But that is not all. The measurement of the steps of the ascent at the level of the sanctuary begins with the figure seven, which is again significance here (40:22, 26). The inner court is reached by eight steps (40:31, 34, 37), while the level of the temple building is reached by a further ten steps (40:49, emended text). Thus the measurement of the steps forming the ascent as a whole again comes to the figure twenty-five. From this point of view one cannot suppress the question whether the figure in the date in 40:1, the twenty-fifth year, is not also to be evaluated in this context of numerical stylization. [Source: Ezekiel 2 by Walther Zimmerli (Philadelphia:Fortress Press, 1983 English Translation), p. 344].
Unsourced Commentary that may be Original Research
Ezekiel devotes a significant amount of time foretelling the restoration of Israel as a nation and to their God, Yahweh (Ezekiel 36-39). While Ezekiel wrote, the Jews were in captivity and their nation, Judah, had been destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Thus, Ezekiel's prophecies gave assurance to the Jews that although they were for the time being in exile and under humiliation, they would eventually return to their land permanently.
Chapter 36 talks about the return to the land and the prosperity of the new country. Chapter 37 contains the "Valley of Dry Bones" vision, in which God promises to restore life to Israel. Finally, a promise is given in the chapter that Israel would be united as one nation and be established permanently.
- see Gog and Magog, and War of Ezekiel 38-39
Chapters 38 and 39 predict an invasion that will occur after the Jews return to their land, called the Battle of Gog and Magog, in which God directly intervenes to protect Israel from its enemies.
Connections with other books in the Bible
It is generally agreed that the closing visions of the Book of Ezekiel are referred to in the book of Revelation.
(Ezek. 38 = Rev. 20:8; Ezek. 47:1-8 = Rev. 22:1,2). Other references to this book are also found in the New Testament. (Compare Epistle to the Romans 2:24 with Ezek. 36:22; Rom. 10:5, Galatians 3:12 with Ezek. 20:11; 2 Peter 3:4 with Ezek. 12:22.)
It is also generally agreed that the Book of Ezekiel refers to the Pentateuch (e.g., Ezek. 27; 28:13; 31:8; 36:11, 34; 47:13, etc.) quite often, and shows on a number of occasions that its author is familiar with the writings of Hosea (Ezek. 37:22), Isaiah (Ezek. 8:12; 29:6), and especially with those of Jeremiah, (Jeremiah 24:7, 9; 48:37).
According to traditionalists, Ezekiel 14:14 refers to the Daniel described in the Biblical Book of Daniel, fourteen years after Daniel's deportation from Jerusalem, and Ezekiel 28:3 mentions this Daniel again as being 'pre-eminent in wisdom'. In support of this interpretation, traditionalists note that the name Daniel appears in the Book of Ezekiel immediately after the names of Noah and Job, two other major Biblical characters.
Some non-traditionalist commentators disagree, noting that a "Daniel" also appears in ancient Ugaritic texts, that Daniel isn't specifically described as a contemporary (indeed, the phrase "Noah, Daniel and Job" implies otherwise), and that the Book of Daniel is widely regarded by modern scholars as having been written centuries later.
Important dates
The Book of Ezekiel can be dated based on the links it records between the rule of King Jehoiachin (King of Jerusalem) and the other events that the book describes.
According to this system, Ezekiel was originally written in the 22 year period between 593 to 571 B.C.E. The following table lists events in Ezekiel with their dates.
| Event | Verse Reference | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Chariot Vision (Merkabah) | 1:1-3 | June 6, 593 B.C.E. |
| Call to be a Watchman | 3:16 | June 13, 593 |
| Temple Vision | 8:1 | August 23, 592 |
| Discourse with Elders | 20:1 | July 19, 591 |
| Second Siege of Jerusalem | 24:1 | December 22, 589 |
| Judgment on Tyre | 26:1 | March 30, 587 |
| Judgment on Egypt | 29:1 | December 13, 588 |
| Judgment on Egypt | 29:17 | March 3, 571 |
| Judgment on Egypt | 30:20 | April 5, 587 |
| Judgment on Egypt | 31:1 | May 28, 587 |
| Lament over Pharaoh | 32:1 | February 18, 586 |
| Lament over Egypt | 32:17 | April 2, 586 |
| Fall of Jerusalem | 33:21 | December 13, 586 |
| New Temple Vision | 40:1 | September 26, 573 |
On the fifth day of the fourth month in the fifth year of his exile (5 Tammuz, 593 B.C.E.), he said he beheld on the banks of the Chebar the glory of God, who consecrated him as a prophet. The latest date in his book is the first day of the first month in the twenty-seventh year of his exile (1 Nisan, 571 B.C.E.); consequently, his prophecies extended over twenty-two years.
The elders of the exiles repeatedly visited him to obtain a divine oracle (chapters 8, 14, 20). He exerted no permanent influence upon his contemporaries, however, whom he repeatedly calls the "rebellious house" (2:5, 6, 8; 3:9, 26, 27; and elsewhere), complaining that although they flock in great numbers to hear him they regard his discourse as a sort of aesthetic amusement, and fail to act in accordance with his words (33:30-33). If the enigmatical date, "the thirtieth year" (1:1), be understood to apply to the age of the prophet, Ezekiel was born exactly at the time of the reform in the ritual introduced by Josiah. Concerning his death nothing is known.
He had a house in the place of his exile, Tel-Abib, where he lost his wife, in the ninth year of his exile, by some sudden and unforeseen stroke (Ezek. 8:1; 24:18).
His ministry extended over twenty-six years 597 - 571 B.C.E. (29:17), during part of which he was contemporary with Jeremiah, and probably also with Obadiah. According to tradition, he would also have been contemporary with Daniel (however, Daniel is regarded by some as being written much later, with Ezekiel's references to "Daniel" being seen as references to an ancient Ugaritic hero of that name, not a contemporary). The time and manner of his death are unknown. His reputed tomb is pointed out in the neighbourhood of Hilla or ancient Babylon, at a place called Al Kifl. http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=7827
After being led away by the Babylonians on May 29, 597, Ezekiel, along with the other Israelites, was resettled in Babylon. Ezekiel himself lived in his own home in exile at Tel-abib near Chebar canal, which was near Nippur in Babylonia.
Secular and academic views
Authorship
In 1924, Gustav Hoelscher[1] questioned the authorship of Ezekiel, challenging the conventional wisdom that the book was written by one person and expresses one train of thought and style, and arguing instead that 1,103 of the verses in Ezekiel were added at a later date.
Since then, the academic community has been split into a number of different camps over the authorship of the book. W. Zimmerli proposes that Ezekiel's original message was influenced by a later school that added a deeper understanding to the prophecies. Other groups, like the one led by M. Greenberg, still tend to see the majority of the work of the book done by Ezekiel himself.
Traditionally, the book of Ezekiel is thought to have been written in the 500s B.C.E. during the Babylonian exile of the southern Israelite kingdom, Judah. This date is confirmed to some extent in that the author of the book of Ezekiel appears to use a dating system which was only used in the 500s B.C.E.[2].
Contemporary perspectives
Ezekiel's writing often has a three-part form, consisting of an oracle, a continuation and a closing oracle. The first two are related in their writing style and are both attributed to Ezekiel himself. The third, however, tends to be different from the first two, and as such is attributed to others who were interested in preserving and updating his work. [citation needed]
The book does show many examples of editing done over a period of time, but it is unclear if it's by Ezekiel or others. Most of this work was simply rearranging the order of the oracles to fit the time period to which they applied. [citation needed]
The book of Ezekiel is a record of the prophesying of Ezekiel who delivered these oracles and prophecies orally at first. Most people accept that Ezekiel did play a part in the written record of these visions, possibly with the help of scribes or followers. Ezekiel's writing is one of the most sophisticated of all of the Old Testament Prophets. This stems from his training as a priest for the temple, as well as his experience in ministering to the elite members of the nation of Judah. [citation needed]
Epilepsy
Some scholars have suggested that the person described by the Book of Ezekiel may have suffered from epilepsy. Specifically, it is claimed that Ezekiel himself may have suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy, which has several characteristic symptoms that are apparent from his writing.[3] These symptoms include hypergraphia, hyperreligiosity, fainting spells, mutism and often collectively ascribed to a condition known as Geschwind syndrome. See list of people with epilepsy.
See also
- Gog and Magog in Ezekiel
- Dhul-Kifl, The Islamic name of Ezekiel.
Notes
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Easton's Bible Dictionary, 1897.
- LaSor, William Sanford et al. Old Testament Survey: the Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1996.
- Allen, Leslie C. Word Biblical Commentary Volume 28: Ezekiel 1-20. Word Books Publisher: Dallas TX, 1990.
- Allen, Leslie C. Word Biblical Commentary Volume 29: Ezekiel 20-48. Word Books Publisher: Dallas TX, 1990.
- George R. Berry, "The Authorship of Ezekiel 40-48, Journal of Biblical Literature 341/4 (1915), pp. 17-40.
- Block, Daniel. NICOT Commentary: The Book of Ezekiel: Chapters 1-24. Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, 1997.
- _____________. NICOT Commentary: The Book of Ezekiel: Chapters 25-48. Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, 1998.
- Greenberg, Moshe. Ezekiel 1-20: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible, Vol 22. New York: Doubleday, 1983.
- ________________. Ezekiel 21-37: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible, Vol 22A. New York: Doubleday, 1997.
- Zimmerli, Walther. Ezekiel 1: A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, Chapters 1-24. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1979.
- _________________. Ezekiel 2: A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, Chapters 25-48. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983.
External links
- http://www.apfn.org/THEWINDS/library/khazars.html
- Jewish Encyclopedia: Book of Ezekiel
- Shamati a book by Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag
- Douglas E. Cox "Ezekiel's firmament" 1996
- 'Meditations on Ezekiel': a complete commentary by Stephen Barkley
- Bible.org: Introduction to Ezekiel, based on Hill and Walton
- List of names referring to El.
- The Prophecy That Is Shaping History: New Research on Ezekiel's Vision of the End, 2003 [1] (PDF, 4.5MB, 184 pages)
- Biblaridion magazine: Ezekiel: A diachronic approach to Ezekiel 37
On-line translations
- Jewish translations:
- Yechezkiel - Ezekiel from Chabad.org
- Christian translations:
- Online Bible at GospelHall.org
- Ezekiel at BibleGateway.com (Various translations)
| Preceded by: Jeremiah |
Hebrew Bible | Followed by The Twelve Prophets |
| Preceded by: Lamentations |
Protestant Old Testament | Followed by Daniel |
| Preceded by: Letter of Jeremiah |
Roman Catholic Old Testament | |
| Eastern Old Testament |
| |||||||||||||||||
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