I. Name

Ezekiel, "God is strong," or "God strengthens," the son of Buzi, was a priest whose high position is indicated by the fact that he was among the captives who accompanied King Jehoiachin to Babylon in 597 B. C, eleven years before the destruction of Jerusalem, 2 Kings 24:14, 15. This company was located on the river or canal Chebar, 1:3, supposed to be near Babylon, where they enjoyed much comfort and freedom. Ezekiel had his own house, 3:24, to which the elders frequently came for advice and study of the Scriptures, 8:1. His mission as a prophet was at first misunderstood, 3:24-26; I2:iff.; but after the fall of Jerusalem was more highly appreciated, 33:30-32, although his advice was not always followed. Beyond the fact of his marriage, 24:15-18, we know nothing of his personal history.

II. Date

His prophetic work began, 1:2, in the fifth year of the exile of Jehoiachin, 592 B. C, and continued until 570 B. C, a period of twenty-two years, 29:17. It is worthy of note that between 584 B. C. (32:1) and 572 B. C. (40:1) no prophecies are recorded; but his work as a teacher was unbroken. During the earlier part of his ministry Jeremiah was his co-laborer, as Daniel was during the latter part.

III. Characteristics

1. There is no question as to authorship; the unity and authenticity being unassailed.

2. The style in its literary finish falls below that of Isaiah and Jeremiah, giving plain evidence of his residence in Babylon, and having many irregularities in its grammatical construction. Words and expressions peculiar to himself frequently occur. Symbols, 4:1-17; 21:18-27; allegories, 16:1-63; 24:1-14; visions, 8:1ff; 37:1-14; and parables, 15:1-8; 17:1ff, abound. These figures are presented with much vigor and are often elaborately developed, 23:1-49. Some of them possess great beauty both of conception and expression, as the lamentation over Tyre, 27:iff, and the figure of Jerusalem as a foundling child, i6:iff. His vivid imagination is perhaps his most marked characteristic, although some of his passages reveal a wonderful richness and elegance of expression, 8:11-19.

3. The moral earnestness of Ezekiel is conspicuous. This may be seen especially in his fearless denunciation of idolatry during his early ministry, 6:1-7; 14:1ff. His bold words often endangered his life, 3:25-27. He denounces their Sabbath desecration, 20:13; 23:38. He reproves them for their alliance with Egypt, 20:7; 16:26. He emphasizes the need of studying God's law, 8:1; 14:1, and encourages them by promising great blessings in the future, Chs. 40-48.

4. His apocalyptic teachings are a new feature of prophecy and are the basis of what we find more elaborately developed in Daniel, Zechariah, and in the Revelation of John. Compare 3:12-14 with Rev. 1:10; 4:2. Compare also 11:24 with Dan. 7:2, Zech. 1:8, Rev. 17:3.

5. The evidence of Ezekiel's priestly character is everywhere apparent. He dwells lovingly on everything peculiar to the Jewish ceremonial; deplores the abuses of it by the priests, 22:26; is himself an ardent student of the law and encourages the people to study it, 20:1; 33:30-32. In his picture of restored Israel, the temple is the central feature, 37:26-28; Chs. 40-48. He makes neglect of God's law the foundation of all their troubles, and when they shall return to it a glory will attend Israel more luminous than that of old. This devotion to the law, especially the priestly functions of it, exerted a powerful influence on Israel and was felt with increasing power in their later history.

6. In his doctrinal statements Ezekiel is very clear. His idea of God, as seen in Chs. 1, 8, 10, 43, develops not only His holiness and spirituality, but His relation to men and the world. The relation of the individual to God is strongly emphasized, 18:1ff. The ultimate reason for all God's dealings with Israel is made to reside in God Himself, 36:21; 20:44. The special teachings of Chs. 40 and 48 gave color to their Messianic hopes. The combination of religious and civil elements in that glowing picture gave inspiration to their struggles to throw off their yoke of bondage to a foreign nation and greatly intensified their love for the temple and its services.

7. In Chs. 40 to 48 Ezekiel develops his Messianic conceptions with great force. He looks not so much at the person of the Messiah as at His kingdom. The central figure of the kingdom is the temple, where Jehovah dwells and where all nations gather and become holy unto Jehovah. The words of Ezekiel in regard to this reconstructed kingdom and temple became an inspiration to the people. When they returned and began to rebuild, under Haggai and Zechariah, they saw not the plain structure their hands were erecting, but the magnificent building pictured by Ezekiel, whose glory was ultimately to fill the earth, Hag. 2:6-9. And this thought never left them.

IV. Contents

The book is naturally divided into four sections:

1. Prophecies directed against Judah. Chs. 1-24. These were all uttered previous to the final capture and destruction of Jerusalem. The earlier ones are carefully dated. After the account of his call to the prophetic office, 1:1-3:27, he predicts the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, Chs. 4 and 5, and includes the entire kingdom in the ruin, Chs. 6 and 7. The idolatries and shameful sins of the people are vividly set forth, Chs. 8-11, and the certainty of doom again declared, Chs. 12-24.

2. Prophecies against foreign nations. Chs. 25-32. Most of these were uttered soon after the fall of Jerusalem and are designed not only to declare the utter overthrow of Israel's enemies who now seemed to triumph over them, but to reassure Israel who now needed encouragement. These prophecies relate to Ammon, 25:1-7; Moab, 25:8-11; Edom, 25:12-14; the Philistines, 25:15-17; Tyre, 26:1 to 28:19; Sidon, 28:20-26; a group of six utterances against Egypt, 29:1 to 32:32.

3. Prophecies littered after the fall of Jerusalem. Chs. 33-39. After a long silence anew statement respecting the prophetic office is made, Ch. 33, and he proceeds to speak.

(a) Of the shepherding of his people. Ch. 34. They have had very unfaithful shepherds, 34:1-16; even the flock itself has become demoralized, 17-22; but Jehovah will raise up a good shepherd, 23, 24, even His own servant David, and will make a covenant of peace with His flock, 25-31. (See this thought as developed in Jer. 23.)

(d) Of their own land after the fall of Jerusalem. Chs. 35 and 36. After the fall of Jerusalem Edom had invaded the territory of Judah and needlessly humiliated and caused suffering to the few remaining there. On this account God will make Edom a perpetual desolation, 35:1-15; while the holy land will be rebuilt and inhabited by a happy people restored to joyful relations with their God, 36:1-15. All this is to be done, not for their sake, but for the glory of God's holy name, 36:16-38.

(c) Of the future of his people. Ch. 37. They are now scattered and seemingly lifeless as dead men's bones, 37:1. They thought they were cut off and disowned, 11; but God will put new life into them and place them again in their own land, 14. Under the symbol of two sticks united into one, 17ff, God teaches that this restored glory is not for Judah alone, but Ephraim shall also share in it, 22, and David shall become king over them, 24.

(d) Of the final conflict between Israel and her enemies. Chs. 38, 39. Gog, leader of vast hosts, 38:2, appears to overthrow the people of God. He is told that Jehovah will protect Israel, 17-23; Gog will be utterly destroyed, 39:1-10; wild beasts will devour the carcasses of his mighty army, 17-20; but Israel will be established forever, 25-29.

4. The coming glory of Israel. Chs. 40-48. In this section he minutely describes.

(a) The Temple. Chs. 40 to 43:12. In a vision Ezekiel is transported from Babylon to Jerusalem in the twenty-fifth year of the captivity, 40:1; there he meets a man who proceeds to measure the temple, which has been rebuilt, and to describe minutely all its parts, 40:5 to 42:20. Into this temple "the glory of God" enters and fills it, 43:1-12, as it had departed from the old temple nineteen years before, 10:18.

(b) The Service. Chs. 43:13-46:24. The altar of this new temple is described, 43:13-27; foreigners are excluded, 44:5-14; regulations for priestly services are made, 44:15 to 45:8, and for the prince, 45:9-17; and offerings prescribed, 45:18 to 46:24.

(c) The Holy Land. Chs. 47 and 48. The living waters from the temple flow through it, 47:1-12; its boundaries are designated, 48:13-23; the tribes are located in it, seven on the north and five on the south of the temple, 48:1-29; the twelve gates of the city are named, 48:30-34; and its new name, Jehovah Shammah, "Jehovah is there," is given to it, 48:35.

LITERATURE

Commentaries: Skinner, in Expositors Bible, Keil, Fairbairn, and Lange. Article "Ezekiel" in Bible Dictionaries of Smith and Hastings; Introductions of Driver, Keil, Bleek.