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Commentary on Ezekiel 24 verses 15–27
These verses conclude what we have been upon all along from the beginning of this book, to wit, Ezekiel's prophecies of the destruction of Jerusalem; for after this, though he prophesied much concerning other nations, he said no more concerning Jerusalem, till he heard of the destruction of it, almost three years after, Eze 33:21. He had assured them, in the former part of this chapter, that there was no hope at all of the preventing of the trouble; here he assures them that they should not have the ease of weeping for it. Observe here,
I. The sign by which this was represented to them, and it was a sign that cost the prophet very dear; the more shame for them that when he, by a divine appointment, was at such an expense to affect them with what he had to deliver, yet they were not affected by it
1.He must lose a good wife, that should suddenly be taken from him by death. God gave him notice of it before, that it might be the less surprise to him (Eze 24:16): Behold, I take away from thee the desire of thy eyes with a stroke. Note, (1.) A married state may very well agree with the prophetical office; it is honourable in all, and therefore not sinful in ministers. (2.) Much of the comfort of human life lies in agreeable relations. No doubt Ezekiel found a prudent tender yoke-fellow, that shared with him in his griefs and cares, to be a happy companion in his captivity. (3.) Those in the conjugal relation must be to each other not only a covering of the eyes (Gen 20:16), to restrain wandering looks after others; but a desire of the eyes, to engage pleasing looks on one another. A beloved wife is the desire of the eyes, which find not any object more grateful. (4.) That is least safe which is most dear; we know not how soon the desire of our eyes may be removed from us and may become the sorrow of our hearts, which is a good reason why those that have wives should be as though they had none, and those who rejoice in them as though they rejoiced not, Co1 7:29, Co1 7:30. Death is a stroke which the most pious, the most useful, the most amiable, are not exempted from. (5.) When the desire of our eyes is taken away with a stroke we must see and own the hand of God in it: I take away the desire of thy eyes. He takes our creature-comforts from us when and how he pleases; he gave them to us, but reserved to himself a property in them; and may he not do what he will with his own? (6.) Under afflictions of this kind it is good for us to remember that we are sons of men; for so God calls the prophet here. If thou art a son of Adam, thy wife is a daughter of Eve, and therefore a dying creature. It is an affliction which the children of men are liable to; and shall the earth be forsaken for us? According to this prediction, he tells us (Eze 24:18), I spoke unto the people in the morning; for God sent his prophets, rising up early and sending them; then he thought, if ever, they would be disposed to hearken to him. Observe, [1.] Though God had given Ezekiel a certain prospect of this affliction coming upon him, yet it did not take him off from his work, but he resolved to go on in that. [2.] We may the more easily bear an affliction if it find us in the way of our duty; for nothing can hurt us, nothing come amiss to us, while we keep ourselves in the love of God.
2.He must deny himself the satisfaction of mourning for his wife, which would have been both an honour to her and an ease to the oppression of his own spirit. He must not use the natural expressions of sorrow, Eze 24:16. He must not give vent to his passion by weeping, or letting his tears run down, though tears are a tribute due to the dead, and, when the body is sown, it is fit that it should thus be watered. But Ezekiel is not allowed to do this, though he thought he had as much reason to do it as any man and would perhaps be ill thought of by the people if he did it not. Much less might he use the customary formalities of mourners. He must dress himself in his usual attire, must bind his turban on him, here called the tire of his head, must put on his shoes, and not go barefoot, as was usual in such cases; he must not cover his lips, not throw a veil over his face (as mourners were wont to do, Lev 13:45), must not be of a sorrowful countenance, appearing unto men to fast, Mat 6:18. He must not eat the bread of men, nor expect that his neighbours and friends should send him in provisions, as usually they did in such cases, presuming the mourners had no heart to provide meat for themselves; but, if it were sent, he must not eat of it, but go on in his business as at other times. It could not but be greatly against the grain to flesh and blood not to lament the death of one he loved so dearly, but so God commands; and I did in the morning as I was commanded. He appeared in public, in his usual habit, and looked as he used to do, without any signs of mourning. (1.) Here there was something peculiar, and Ezekiel, to make himself a sign to the people, must put a force upon himself and exercise an extraordinary piece of self-denial. Note, Our dispositions must always submit to God's directions, and his command must be obeyed even in that which is most difficult and displeasing to us. (2.) Though mourning for the dead be a duty, yet it must always be kept under the government of religion and right reason, and we must not sorrow as those that have no hope, nor lament the loss of any creature, even the most valuable, and that which we could worst spare, as if we had lost our God, or as if all our happiness were gone with it; and, of this moderation in mourning, ministers, when it is their case, ought to be examples. We must at such a time study to improve the affliction, to accommodate ourselves to it, and to get our acquaintance with the other world increased, by the removal of our dear relations, and learn with holy Job to bless the name of the Lord even when he takes as well as when he gives.
II. The explication and application of this sign. The people enquired the meaning of it (Eze 24:19): Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us that thou doest so? They knew that Ezekiel was an affectionate husband, that the death of his wife was a great affliction to him, and that he would not appear so unconcerned at it but for some good reason and for instruction to them; and perhaps they were in hopes that it had a favourable signification, and gave them an intimation that God would now comfort them again according to the time he had afflicted them, and make them look pleasant again. Note, When we are enquiring concerning the things of God our enquiry must be, "What are those thing to us? What are we concerned in them? What conviction, what counsel, what comfort, do they speak to us? Wherein do they reach our case?" Ezekiel gives them an answer verbatim - word for word as he had received it from the Lord, who had told him what he must speak to the house of Israel.
1.Let them know that as Ezekiel's wife was taken from him by a stroke so would God take from them all that which was dearest to them, v. 21. If this was done to the green tree, what shall be done to the dry? If a faithful servant of God was thus afflicted only for his trial, shall such a generation of rebels against God go unpunished? By this awakening providence God showed that he was in earnest in his threatenings, and inexorable. We may suppose that Ezekiel prayed that, if it were the will of God, his wife might be spared to him, but God would not hear him; and should he be heard then in his intercessions for this provoking people? No, it is determined: God will take away the desire of your eyes. Note, The removal of the comforts of others should awaken us to think of parting with ours too; for are we better than they? We know not how soon the same cup, or a more bitter one, may be put into our hands, and should therefore weep with those that weep, as being ourselves also in the body. God will take away that which their soul pities, that is, of which they say, What a pity is it that it should be cut off and destroyed! That for which your souls are afraid (so some read it); you shall lose that which you most dread the loss of. And what is that? (1.) That which was their public pride, the temple: "I will profane my sanctuary, by giving that into the enemy's hand, to be plundered and burnt." This was signified by the death of a wife, a dear wife, to teach us that God's sanctuary should be dearer to us, and more the desire of our eyes, than any creature-comfort whatsoever. Christ's church, that is his spouse, should be ours too. Though this people were very corrupt, and had themselves profaned the sanctuary, yet it is called the desire of their eyes. Note, Many that are destitute of the power of godliness are yet very fond of the form of it; and it is just with God to punish them for their hypocrisy by depriving them of that too. The sanctuary is here called the excellency of their strength; they had many strong-holds and places of defence, but the temple excelled them all. It was the pride of their strength; they prided in it as their strength that they were the temple of the Lord, Jer 7:4. Note, The church-privileges that men are proud of are profaned by their sins, and it is just with God to profane them by his judgments. And with these God will take away, (2.) That which was their family-pleasure, which they looked upon with delight: "Your sons and your daughters (which are the dearer to you because they are but few left of many, the rest having perished by famine and pestilence) shall fall by the sword of the Chaldeans." What a dreadful spectacle would it be to see their own children, pieces, pictures, of themselves, whom they had taken such care and pains to bring up, and whom they loved as their own souls, sacrificed to the rage of the merciless conquerors! This, this, was the punishment of sin.
2.Let them know that as Ezekiel wept not for his affliction so neither should they weep for theirs. He must say, You shall do as I have done, Eze 24:22. You shall not mourn nor weep, Eze 24:23. Jeremiah had told them the same, that men shall not lament for the dead nor cut themselves (Jer 16:6); not that there shall be any such merciful circumstance without, or any such degrees of wisdom and grace within, as shall mitigate and moderate the sorrow; but they shall not mourn, for, (1.) Their grief shall be so great that they shall be quite overwhelmed with it; their passions shall stifle them, and they shall have no power to ease themselves by giving vent to it. (2.) Their calamities shall come so fast upon them, one upon the neck of another, that by long custom they shall be hardened in their sorrows (Job 6:10) and perfectly stupefied, and moped (as we say), with them. (3.) They shall not dare to express their grief, for fear of being deemed disaffected to the conquerors, who would take their lamentations as an affront and disturbance to their triumphs. (4.) They shall not have hearts, nor time, nor money, wherewith to put themselves in mourning, and accommodate themselves with the ceremonies of grief: "You will be so entirely taken up with solid substantial grief that you will have no room for the shadow of it." (5.) Particular mourners shall not need to distinguish themselves by covering their lips, and laying aside their ornaments, and going barefoot; for it is well known that every body is a mourner. (6.) There shall be none of that sense of their affliction and sorrow for it which would help to bring them to repentance, but that only which shall drive them to despair; so it follows: "You shall pine away for your iniquities, with seared consciences and reprobate minds, and you shall mourn, not to God in prayer and confession of sin, but one towards another," murmuring, and fretting, and complaining of God, thus making their burden heavier and their wound more grievous, as impatient people do under their afflictions by mingling their own passions with them.
III. An appeal to the event, for the confirmation of all this (Eze 24:24): "When this comes, as it is foretold, when Jerusalem, which is this day besieged, is quite destroyed and laid waste, which now you cannot believe will ever be, then you shall know that I am the Lord God, who have given you this fair warning of it. Then you will remember that Ezekiel was to you a sign." Note, Those who regard not the threatenings of the word when they are preached will be made to remember them when they are executed. Observe,
1.The great desolation which the siege of Jerusalem should end in (Eze 24:25): In that day, that terrible day, when the city shall be broken up, I will take from them, (1.) That which they depended on - their strength, their walls, their treasures, their fortifications, their men of war; none shall stand them in stead. (2.) That which they boasted of - the joy of their glory, that which they looked upon as most their glory, and which they most rejoiced in, the temple of their God and the palaces of their princes. (3.) That which they delighted in, which was the desire of their eyes, and on which they set their minds. Note, Carnal people set their minds upon that on which they can set their eyes; they look at, and dote upon, the things that are seen; and it is their folly to set their minds upon that which they have no assurance of and which may be taken from them in a moment, Pro 23:5. Their sons and their daughters were all this - their strength, and joy, and glory; and these shall go into captivity.
2.The notice that should be brought to the prophet, not be revelation, as the notice of the siege was brought to him (Eze 24:2), but in an ordinary way (Eze 24:26): "He that escapes in that day shall, by a special direction of Providence, come to thee, to bring thee intelligence of it," which we find was done, Eze 33:21. The ill-news came slowly, and yet to Ezekiel and his fellow-captives it came too soon.
3.The divine impression which he should be under upon receiving that notice, Eze 24:27. Whereas, from this time to that, Ezekiel was thus far dumb that he prophesied no more against the land of Israel, but against the neighbouring nations, as we shall find in the following chapters, then he shall have orders given him to speak again to the children of his people (Eze 33:2, Eze 33:22); then his mouth shall be opened. He was suspended from prophesying against them in the mean time, because, Jerusalem being besieged, his prophecies could not be sent into the city, - because, when God was speaking so loudly by the rod, there was the less need of speaking by the word, - and because then the accomplishment of his prophecies would be the full confirmation of his mission, and would the more effectually clear the way for him to begin again. It being referred to that issue, that issue must be waited for. Thus Christ forbade his disciples to preach openly that he was Christ till after his resurrection, because that was to be the full proof of it. "But then thou shalt speak with the greater assurance, and the more effectually, either to their conviction or to their confusion." Note, God's prophets are never silenced but for wise and holy ends. And when God gives them the opening of the mouth again (as he will in due time, for even the witnesses that are slain shall arise) it shall appear to have been for his glory that they were for a while silent, that people may the more certainly and fully know that God is the Lord.
(Verse 35, 36, and following) And I will bring you into a desert of peoples, and there I will judge you face to face. Just as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, says the Lord. And I will subject you to my scepter, and I will bring you into the bonds of the covenant, and I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked: from their place of residence I will bring them out, and they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord: I will do for you who are in Babylon, and now serve idols, what I did for your ancestors in Egypt. I will lead you into the desert of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face, just as I contended with them in judgment when they came out of Egypt. And after I have judged you, I will subject you to my scepter and rule, and I will make a covenant with you and bring you into your land with the bonds of love, so that bound by my love, you will never be able to depart from me. But I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked, who persist in the hardness of their hearts in evil deeds, not for possession, but for rejection. And I will indeed bring them out of the land of their dwelling, so that when they are brought out, they will not enter the land of Israel; but they will perish in various regions. And by the distinction between good and evil, you shall know that I am the Lord, who judges all things. The rest of the discourse hastens, and we briefly go through each point, in order to provide only the meaning to the readers.
(Ver. 23, 24 onwards) Again, I raised my hand against them in the wilderness, to scatter them among the nations and disperse them in the lands, because they had not performed my judgments, and had rejected my commandments, and had violated my Sabbaths, and their eyes had been after the idols (or thoughts) of their fathers. Therefore, I also gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments in which they would not live, and I defiled them in their offerings (or transgressions), as they offered (or led astray) everything that opens the womb because of their sins (for which the Septuagint translated, to destroy them and what they had overlooked): and they will know that I am the Lord. Where in the Old Testament, against their children, who fell in the wilderness, the Lord lifted up His hand to scatter them among the nations, Scripture does not say; but it is to be believed that this was done in accordance with what is reported here. Or he signifies by this, that after they entered the promised land, they were given over at various times, for many sins, to different nations and kings, and at that time the commandments of the Lord, which were good according to their nature, and the judgments by which believers could live, were made not good for them, since they were in no way able to keep the precepts of the law in captivity, and to do what the divine word commanded. He did not say, 'I gave them evil commandments,' but, 'not good commandments.' For it does not immediately follow that what is not good is evil, as the Apostle teaches, it is good for a man not to touch a woman; but because of incontinence, let each possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor (I Cor. VII). And if he does not do this, it is neither good nor evil. Therefore, God gave them, dispersed among the nations, not good commandments, that is, he allowed them to follow their own thoughts and desires, to do what is not appropriate. And he defiled them in his gifts: just as a Priest separates lepers from the people, and shows that they are defiled; while they offer to idols what they should offer to God. And they pass everything that opens the womb through the fire of Baal, that is, the firstborn; so that after they have deserted God and been handed over to the worship of idols, then they may understand that He is the Lord whom they have provoked to anger by their own fault. Symmachus interpreted this passage more explicitly, treating the future as past. Therefore, I will also give them bad precepts and judgments for which they will not live, and I will defile them because of their gifts, as they consecrate and offer everything that opens the womb, so that I may destroy them, and they will know that I am the Lord. And the meaning is this: because I have seen the sons of the fathers equaling the wickedness of their ancestors and doing the same things for which they offended God, I wanted to divide them into nations and disperse them throughout the whole world, and give them bad precepts and judgments in which they would not live, so that I may defile them with their gifts, for they consecrated everything that opens the womb to idols, and I may destroy them forever, and they will know that I am the Lord. Through which he showed that he had not given them good commandments who dwelt in the wilderness, but to those whom he wanted to scatter among the nations, and to make foreigners in the whole world, he gave them a desire for things that he did not give: so that there they would do good commandments of God, not good because of their own fault, while they exhibited to idols what God had commanded to be exhibited. This can also be said, that before the offense, they received only the Ten Commandments; but after idolatry and blasphemy, they received multiple ceremonies of the law, so that they would offer victims to God rather than to demons, and by comparison with sacrilege, what was not good in itself became lighter, and by no means evil, because it was offered to God, and yet not good, because they offended the author of good.
(Verse 15 and following) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire of your eyes with a plague, and you shall not mourn or weep, neither shall your tears flow. Sigh in silence, you shall not mourn for the dead. Your turban shall be on your head, and your sandals shall be on your feet; you shall not cover your lips nor eat the bread of mourners. Therefore, I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. And I did in the morning as I was commanded. And the people said to me: Why don't you tell us what these things mean, which you are doing? And I said to them: The word of the Lord came to me, saying: Speak to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will defile my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the longing of your soul, and your sons and daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. And you will do as I have done: you will not cover your heads with a veil, and you will not eat the food of mourners. You will have crowns on your heads and sandals on your feet. You will not weep or cry, but you will waste away in your iniquities, and each one will groan to his brother. And Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, so you will do. And you will know that I am the Lord God. And you, son of man, behold, on the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, and the desire of their eyes, their sons and daughters. In that day, when the one fleeing comes to you to announce it to you, on that day, I say, your mouth will be opened together with the one fleeing, and you will speak and not be silent any longer, and you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord. LXX: And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, behold, I will take away from you the desire of your eyes with a stroke (or in preparation); you shall not mourn or weep, and tears shall not come to you, the groaning of blood, the mourning of the kidneys. Your hair will be bound up on you, and your shoes on your feet; you will not console yourself on their lips, and you will not eat the bread of men. I spoke to the people in the morning, as I was commanded, and in the evening my wife died, and I did in the morning as I was commanded. And the people said to me: do you not tell us what these things are that you are doing? And I said to them, the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will defile my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and the souls of your beings whom you spare. Your sons and daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword, and you will do as I have done. You will not be comforted by their mouth, and you will not eat the bread of men, and your hair will be on your heads, and your shoes on your feet. You will not weep nor mourn, and you will be consumed by your iniquities, and each one will comfort his brother, and Jezechiel will be a sign to you. According to all that he has done, you will do. And when these things come, you will know that I am the Lord Adonai. And you, son of man, on the day when I take away their strength, the pride of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and their soul's delight, their sons and daughters. On that day the one who has been saved will come to you to announce it in your ears. On that day your mouth will be opened to the one who has escaped, and you will speak and not be silent anymore, and you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord. Above the pots and pans, the burning of the olive oil, had shown the siege of the city, now taken and destroyed, and the whole people either killed by the sword, or led into captivity, the prophetic speech testifies. And first, according to our custom, let us lay the foundations of the history. Son, he said, behold, I will take away from the sight of your eyes whatever is desirable to you, and I will take it away in a stroke, or, as the Septuagint renders it, in preparation: so that you may prepare yourself for not doing those things which are accustomed to be done in mourning. Do not cry, nor will you weep, nor will flowing tears reveal the pain of your heart: but if perhaps you are overcome by excessive sorrow, keep your groaning silent, nor let it burst forth into words. You will not make a lamentation for the dead, or, as LXX suggests, groaning is the shedding of blood, lamentation is the affliction of the kidneys. By which he indicates that his wife is about to die. For immediately after he says: And my wife died in the evening (Prov. XIX); which properly pertains to the conjunction of the kidneys. For nothing is more lovable to a man than a good wife, who is provided by God for him and joined to him by the Lord's law, and with her alone his body becomes one. And what follows, 'Let your crown be bound around you, and let your shoes be on your feet,' signifies this: You shall have hair that is cut in mourning, and shoes on your feet, which mourners are accustomed to cast off. Hence, even David, fleeing from Absalom his son and repenting of the death of Uriah, walks with bare feet (1 Samuel 12:15, 18). The Hebrews say that the Babylonian teachers, who observe the precepts of the Law, write the Ten Commandments on small parchments and bind them around their heads, and these are what they are commanded to keep before their eyes and hang on their foreheads, so that they always see the precepts. And because Ezekiel was a priest, he should not at all remove the crown of glory from his head, but have it bound. This is what they said. But we, according to the Septuagint, understand the crown of hair to be the hair: although even their interpretation did not accurately express the meaning of the Hebrew language. And she said, 'You shall neither cover your face with a veil, nor eat the foods of mourners, which are accustomed to be made in mourning, to cover the face, and which the Greeks call περίδειπνα, let them receive from the comforters. I spoke,' she said, 'to the people in the morning, the things which the Lord had commanded me, and in the evening my wife, the desire of my eyes, and the mourning of my loins and blood, died. And immediately on the next day in the morning, I did all the things which had been commanded to me: and the people asked me why I had acted contrary to the custom of all.' To those who were inquiring about the causes of such great patience, I replied: The word of the Lord that was spoken to me, to speak to the people of Israel, commanded me to say these things: Behold, I, that is, will now defile my sanctuary, so that the temple may be burned and made open to all foreigners and profane people, and in which you had pride, that is, confidence and hope and desire for your salvation, and over which your souls were fearing siege; and I will also destroy with the sword the sons and daughters that famine and pestilence have made for you. Whatever I have done, you will do. When custom is observed in mourning, the pain is moderate; but when such a great necessity of evils comes upon us that the mourning is greater than all weeping, each person, troubled by their own need, does not groan over the miseries of others, however close they may be. 'You will do nothing,' he says, 'that used to be done in mourning: but with the city and temple set on fire, you will be astonished at the magnitude of the calamities. You will not be stunned, nor will you walk with bare feet, nor will you lament, nor will you cover your faces with garments, nor will you take food from those who would console you: but you will waste away, and you will be consumed by your injustices, and you will hardly have the freedom to groan, lest you offend the pride of the conquerors, if you are seen to weep in public; so that the prophet Ezekiel may be a portent to you, and that you may not do all the things that he did not do at the death of his wife, in the destruction of the city and temple. And yet more clearly: 'Oh,' he says, 'son of man, at the time when I take away from them their strength, the confidence and joy of the temple, as we have said, and the desire in which their souls find rest, and moreover their sons and daughters, as is implied in the preceding words, when I take away all these things from them, at that time, when someone comes to you fleeing from Jerusalem or who has escaped, saying that the city is laid waste, then you, who were previously silent and had no freedom to sigh, and who showed such great patience that even in the murder of your wife and the pain in your loins, you did not shed a tear, you will open your mouth and speak, not to the one who has come but with him, so that whatever you had foretold about the future, he may now report as fulfilled, and you will no longer keep silent; but you will accuse them and say that all these things have happened justly to them: so that you may be a sign to them, according to what is written in Zechariah: 'They are signs of men who will be prophets' (Zech. 3:8). And the Lord speaks elsewhere: 'I have spoken through the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and by the hands of the prophets I have been likened.' (Hosea 12:10) Let these things be said by way of history. Let us come to the spiritual interpretation (if it has not been thought too violent for the cautious prudence of the reader). That the Son of Man is called the Lord and Savior, there is no doubt, who in the last hour, that is, at the evening of this world, lost his former wife, and did not weep for her, nor did he cover his face with a veil, nor did he receive any consolation from men. And in the morning he foretold these things that would come, which were fulfilled in the evening, and again in the morning, in his second coming, he proved to be true what he had foretold would come: that the sanctuary of the Jews, and what they had desired in their eyes, and on which their souls trembled, had been polluted, and also that their sons and daughters had been slain by the Roman sword. But when it is said, 'You will have a crown on your heads and sandals on your feet,' we will refer that to the fact that they should never mourn or take on signs of mourning, for they have received the truth instead of shadows and have become Nazarenes. And each one will console their brother, just as God the Father strengthened Ezekiel to be a sign for them, foretelling things to come. And after Jerusalem has been destroyed and the temple burned, and the whole world has heard of this and the dispersion of Israel, which inhabits the ends of the earth, then the words of the Lord, when the work is complete, will have freedom. And with his sanctuary defiled, the Law fulfilled or destroyed according to the western interpretation, the glory of the Gospel will be revealed, and Israel will recognize that he is the Lord and God, who foretold these things in the morning and saw them fulfilled in the evening and at the consummation of the world, proving his coming.
(Verse 27, 29 onwards) Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them: Thus says the Lord God: Moreover, your fathers have blasphemed against me and have treated me with contempt, even as they spurned me. And I brought them into the land that I had lifted my hand to give them ((Vulgate adds: that land)): they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices and presented there the irritation of their offerings, and they placed there the fragrance of their sweetness, and they poured out their ((Vulgate is silent on this)) libations there. And I said to them, 'What is the high place to which you are going?' And its name was called the High Place until this day. Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: As for your fathers, they have provoked Me to anger by their iniquities, by the fact that they have fallen away from Me. So I brought them into the land that I had lifted My hand in an oath to give them.' They saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices. They also presented there the provocation of their gifts, and they set there their pleasing aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings. And I said to them: What is abbana, because you enter there? And they called its name abbana until this day. I wanted, he said, to scatter them in the wilderness, and to give them not good precepts, so that they would sacrifice to idols what they should have offered to me, and consecrate all their first-fruits to them by fire, so that I might kill them and destroy them. But when he says, I wanted, he shows that he did not do what he wanted. And that which follows: 'And they shall know that I am the Lord,' is not found in the Septuagint. For it did not seem fitting to them to know after their destruction that he himself is the Lord. But you, son of man, speak again to them, that is, to the elders of the house of Israel, who have come to inquire of you: Your fathers, from whom you have descended, have also blasphemed against me and held me in contempt; after I brought them into the land which I had given them to possess, they turned against me to provoke me. For when they saw every high hill and leafy tree, they would sacrifice on the mountains and in the groves and thickets, and offer victims to the idols, and pour out libations. And when I saw this, I said to them: What is this, Bama? for it is called high: or why do you enter into such a place which you have chosen for yourselves in all the hills, so that even today these places are called Bamoth, and the ancient error retains its original name? Regarding Bama, which we translate as excelsum, there is an error in the Septuagint edition, where it is written as ἀββανὰ, which does not resonate in the Hebrew language. Bama can mean 'in which' if the two syllables are divided into two words, but in the present context, that sense does not fit. However, wherever it is written in the Books of Kings and Chronicles: 'The people still sacrificed and offered incense on the high places,' Bama in the singular and Bamoth in the plural mean 'high places.'
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SUMMARY
Ezekiel 24:18 chronicles a profoundly personal and pivotal moment in the prophet Ezekiel's life, where his immediate and unwavering obedience to a divine command transforms his deepest private sorrow—the sudden death of his beloved wife—into a stark, public prophetic sign for the exiled people of Israel. This verse records Ezekiel's radical compliance, refraining from traditional mourning rites, thereby mirroring the future, overwhelming grief of the Israelites who would be too stunned by the destruction of Jerusalem and its cherished Temple to mourn conventionally. It stands as a powerful testament to divine judgment, the demanding nature of prophetic obedience, and God's use of personal suffering for His sovereign purposes.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Ezekiel 24:18 serves as the immediate fulfillment of a severe divine directive given to Ezekiel in the preceding verses. The Lord explicitly informs Ezekiel in Ezekiel 24:16 that He would "take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke," referring to the sudden death of Ezekiel's wife. Crucially, God commands Ezekiel not to mourn, weep, or shed tears, nor to engage in customary mourning practices like covering his lips or eating the bread of mourners (Ezekiel 24:17). The purpose of this extraordinary prohibition is revealed in the subsequent verses: Ezekiel's actions (or rather, his prescribed inaction) are to serve as a living parable for the people. Just as Ezekiel would be stunned into silent grief by the loss of his "desire of his eyes," so too would the exiles be rendered speechless and unable to mourn conventionally when Jerusalem, their own "desire of their eyes," and the Temple were destroyed (Ezekiel 24:21). Thus, verse 18 records the swift and complete obedience of the prophet, demonstrating the immediate and painful reality of God's word.
Historical & Cultural Context: The events of Ezekiel 24 are set during the Babylonian exile, specifically in the ninth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, coinciding with the final siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. At this time, the exiled Israelites in Babylon clung desperately to false hopes of Jerusalem's imminent deliverance and the Temple's preservation, refusing to believe that God would allow such a catastrophe. Culturally, mourning rituals in the ancient Near East were elaborate, deeply ingrained, and publicly performed, serving as essential expressions of grief, respect for the deceased, and communal solidarity. These practices typically included loud wailing, tearing clothes, shaving heads, covering the face, and abstaining from food. God's command for Ezekiel to forgo these deeply significant customs was not only personally agonizing but also culturally shocking, making his obedience a powerful, undeniable public spectacle. This critical historical moment was chosen by God to shatter the exiles' illusions, preparing them for the devastating reality of Jerusalem's impending fall and the destruction of the Temple, which would signify the end of their national and religious identity as they knew it.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes prominent in Ezekiel and the broader prophetic literature. Firstly, it exemplifies the theme of Prophetic Sign-Act, where the prophet's personal life and actions become a living parable, embodying God's message in a tangible, unforgettable way. Ezekiel's silent grief is a stark visual aid for the impending judgment. Secondly, it underscores Divine Sovereignty and Judgment. God is not merely an observer but the active agent orchestrating both Ezekiel's profound personal tragedy and Jerusalem's ultimate destruction, emphasizing His absolute control and the severity of His impending wrath against Judah's deep-seated idolatry and rebellion. Thirdly, the verse highlights Costly Obedience. Ezekiel's immediate and public compliance with such a painful and counter-cultural command demonstrates the absolute nature of his commitment to God's will, even when it demands immense personal sacrifice. This theme resonates throughout Scripture, from Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac, trusting God's provision even in the face of an impossible command, as seen in Genesis 22:1-14, to Jesus' ultimate submission to the Father's will in Gethsemane, praying, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will" (Matthew 26:39), illustrating that true faithfulness often entails surrendering personal comfort and desire for God's purposes.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 24:18 masterfully employs several literary devices to amplify its profound and challenging message. The most prominent is Symbolism, where Ezekiel's personal tragedy and his prescribed response serve as a potent symbol for the impending national catastrophe. His wife, "the desire of his eyes," symbolizes Jerusalem and the Temple, which were "the desire of their eyes" for the exiles. Ezekiel's silent, unmourned grief directly foreshadows the Israelites' overwhelming, speechless sorrow upon Jerusalem's destruction, a grief so profound it would preclude traditional mourning. There is also a stark Juxtaposition between Ezekiel's public prophetic duty ("I spake unto the people in the morning") and his private, profound loss ("at even my wife died"), emphasizing the demanding and often agonizing nature of his divine calling. The phrase "in the morning" is repeated, creating a subtle Chiasm (morning - evening - morning), which structurally highlights the sudden, impactful event of his wife's death within the span of a single day, framed by his unwavering obedience. Finally, the verse exhibits powerful Foreshadowing, as Ezekiel's personal experience directly prefigures the collective experience of the exiles, preparing them emotionally and spiritually for the devastating news to come.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 24:18 presents a challenging yet vital theological truth: God's sovereignty extends even to the most intimate and painful aspects of human life, using personal suffering as a profound means of communication, judgment, and ultimately, redemption. It underscores that God's purposes are paramount, and His prophets are called to radical, uncompromising obedience, even when it demands unimaginable personal cost. This narrative reveals a God who, in His justice, will bring about His promised judgment, shattering false hopes and forcing His people to confront the reality of their sin and its dire consequences. Yet, within this severity, there is also a glimpse of God's unwavering faithfulness to His word, demonstrating that what He declares, He will certainly bring to pass, even if it requires the most difficult of circumstances.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 24:18 stands as a stark reminder that God's call to obedience can be profoundly costly, demanding the surrender of our deepest affections, personal comfort, and even our most cherished relationships for the sake of His greater purposes. It challenges us to consider our own willingness to obey God, not just in convenient circumstances, but especially when His commands seem counter-intuitive, personally painful, or culturally unconventional. This verse invites us to trust in God's sovereign wisdom, even when His ways are inscrutable and His actions cause us grief. It prompts us to look beyond our immediate suffering for the larger redemptive or communicative purposes God might be working, recognizing that sometimes our trials can become powerful testimonies or lessons for others, revealing God's truth in ways that words alone cannot. Ultimately, it calls us to a deeper level of faith where our faithfulness to God outweighs all personal desires and earthly attachments, embracing the truth that our lives, even in their brokenness, can be used as instruments of His divine message.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did God command Ezekiel not to mourn the death of his wife?
Answer: God commanded Ezekiel not to mourn his wife's death to transform his personal tragedy into a powerful, living prophetic sign-act for the exiled Israelites. His silent, unmourned grief was meant to mirror the future experience of the people. Just as Ezekiel's wife was "the desire of his eyes," so Jerusalem and its Temple were "the desire of their eyes" (Ezekiel 24:21). When Jerusalem fell and the Temple was destroyed, the shock and overwhelming sorrow would be so profound that the exiles would be too stunned to perform traditional mourning rites, just as Ezekiel was commanded to do. This dramatic, living parable was designed to shatter their false hopes, confirm the certainty of God's judgment, and prepare them for the devastating reality of their nation's complete collapse.
What is a "prophetic sign-act" and are there other examples in the Bible?
Answer: A prophetic sign-act is a symbolic action performed by a prophet, often at God's direct command, to visually and experientially communicate a divine message or prophecy. These acts were powerful, memorable, and often shocking, designed to grab the attention of the audience and convey the gravity of God's word in a way that mere words might not. Ezekiel's unmourned wife is a prime example of such a sign-act. Other notable examples include Isaiah walking naked and barefoot for three years to symbolize Egypt's and Cush's coming humiliation and captivity (Isaiah 20:2-4), Jeremiah wearing a wooden yoke to signify Judah's impending submission to Babylonian rule (Jeremiah 27:2), and Hosea marrying a prostitute to illustrate Israel's spiritual adultery and unfaithfulness against God (Hosea 1:2-3). These acts served as undeniable, embodied prophecies.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel's profound obedience in the face of unimaginable personal loss, transforming his private grief into a public prophetic sign, powerfully foreshadows the ultimate sign-act of God's redemptive plan in Jesus Christ. Just as Ezekiel surrendered his "desire of his eyes" for God's purposes, so God the Father, in His boundless love, surrendered His "only begotten Son" (John 3:16), the ultimate "desire of His eyes," for the salvation of humanity. Christ's suffering and death on the cross were not merely a personal tragedy but the definitive divine sign-act, fulfilling all Old Testament prophecies concerning judgment and redemption. He became the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, enduring the ultimate separation and forsakenness, crying out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46), so that we might be reconciled to God. Unlike Ezekiel, who was commanded not to mourn, Christ's suffering was met with the deep lament of His followers, yet His death was followed by glorious resurrection, transforming ultimate loss into ultimate victory and the foundation of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Ezekiel's costly obedience points to Christ's perfect obedience, who "humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8), thereby providing the true and final atonement for the "desire of God's eyes"—His people, whom He purchased with His own blood.