Old Testament Commentary - Ezekiel 24

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 24 The irrevocable judgment of Jerusalem is foretold—As a sign to the Jews, Ezekiel does not weep at his wife's death.
1 AGAIN in the ^aninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the ^aking of ^bBabylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day.
3 And utter a parable unto the ^arebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Set on a ^bpot, set it on, and also pour water into it: 4 Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones. 5 Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well, and let them seethe the bones of it therein.
6 ¶ Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the ^abloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose ^bscum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; ^clet no lot fall upon it. 7 For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to ^acover it with dust; 8 That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.
9 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great. 10 Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned. 11 Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed.
12 She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire. 13 In thy ^afilthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be ^bpurged from thy filthiness any more, till ^cI have caused my fury to rest upon thee. 14 I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will ^ado it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.
15 ¶ Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 16 Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes^a with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.	16^a the desire of thine eyes O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the Holy City, this is the desire of any Jewish heart and that which the eyes long to see. This brings to mind the lament of the Lord Jesus Christ as he sat upon the hill and looked out upon the city of Jerusalem. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"(Luke 13:34, Matthew 23:27)
17 Forbear to cry, make no ^amourning for the dead, bind the ^btire of thine ^chead upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and ^dcover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. 18 So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.
19 ¶ And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us ^awhat these things are to us, that thou doest so? 20 Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 21 Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will profane my ^asanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul ^bpitieth; and your ^csons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.
22 And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. 23 And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and ^amourn one toward another. 24 Thus Ezekiel is unto you a ^asign: according to all that he hath ^bdone shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
25 Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters, 26 That he that ^aescapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears? 27 In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more ^adumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.