Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:1–3; Ezekiel 1:26–28; Ezekiel 2:8–3:3; Ezekiel 3:14–21; Ezekiel 3:24–27; Ezekiel 4:1–8; Ezekiel 4:14–15; Ezekiel 8:1–4; Ezekiel 9:8; Ezekiel 11:13; Ezekiel 12:6–11; Ezekiel 24:15–27; Ezekiel 33:6–9; Ezekiel 33:21–22; Ezekiel 33:30–33; Ezekiel 37:1–14; Ezekiel 40:1–4; Ezekiel 43:1–7; Ezekiel 48:35)

Son of Buzi, Priest and Watchman in Exile

Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, among the captives by the river Chebar, who saw the glory of the LORD, ate a roll, was made a watchman for the house of Israel, was dumb until the escaped man came, lost his wife and did not mourn, and prophesied over the valley of dry bones.

His name stands in the book only twice: once in the opening narration, “the word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Jehovah was there upon him” (Ezekiel 1:3), and once in God's own words to the people, “Thus shall Ezekiel be unto you a sign” (Ezekiel 24:24). Most of the rest is told in the first person, “as I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God” (Ezekiel 1:1). God addresses him throughout as “Son of man” (Ezekiel 2:1).

At the river Chebar he saw “the likeness of the glory of Jehovah” (Ezekiel 1:28) and fell on his face; the Spirit set him on his feet, and he was sent to “a rebellious house” (Ezekiel 2:5). He ate a roll that was “in my mouth as honey for sweetness” (Ezekiel 3:3), sat “overwhelmed” (Ezekiel 3:15) among the exiles at Tel-abib seven days, and was made a watchman unto the house of Israel (Ezekiel 3:3, 15, 17). He was told to shut himself in his house and that he would be dumb, and he was given signs to set before the people: a siege portrayed on a tile, hair shaven and divided into thirds, and his stuff carried out through a wall in the dark (Ezekiel 3:24-26; 4:1-5:4; 12:1-7). Seated in his house with the elders of Judah before him, he was brought “in the visions of God to Jerusalem” (Ezekiel 8:3), where at last he saw the glory of the LORD go up from the city (Ezekiel 11:23).

When God took “the desire of thine eyes” (Ezekiel 24:16) from him, he did not mourn, and the people asked what it meant (Ezekiel 24:16-19). When one who had escaped out of Jerusalem came saying “The city is smitten” (Ezekiel 33:21), his mouth was opened and he was “no more dumb” (Ezekiel 33:22). He prophesied over a valley full of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-10), and in the visions of God he was brought to a new house filled with the glory of the LORD (Ezekiel 40:2; 43:5). Scripture does not record his death, and the book ends with the name of the city, “Jehovah is there” (Ezekiel 48:35).

Strengths

• Did as he was commanded
• Spake all that the LORD had showed him
• Fell on his face before the glory
• Cried out for the remnant
• Answered, “thou knowest”

Themes

• The glory of the LORD
• The watchman
• Sign-acts
• Silence and the opened mouth
• A rebellious house
• Dry bones live

The vision by the river Chebar (Ezekiel 1:1–3; Ezekiel 1:26–2:2)

Among the captives by the river Chebar the heavens are opened; Ezekiel sees the glory of the LORD, falls on his face, and the Spirit sets him on his feet.

The vision by the river Chebar

“As I was among the captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God” (Ezekiel 1:1). The text dates it to “the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity” (Ezekiel 1:2), and says that “the word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Jehovah was there upon him” (Ezekiel 1:3).

Above the firmament he saw “the likeness of a throne” (Ezekiel 1:26) and upon it “a likeness as the appearance of a man” (Ezekiel 1:26). “This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake” (Ezekiel 1:28).

“And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak with thee. And the Spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet; and I heard him that spake unto me” (Ezekiel 2:1-2).

Eating the roll (Ezekiel 2:3–3:11)

God sends him to a rebellious house; a hand holds out a roll written with lamentations, and mourning, and woe, and he eats it, and the LORD makes his forehead hard against theirs.

Overwhelmed seven days, and made a watchman (Ezekiel 3:12–21)

The Spirit takes him to the exiles at Tel-abib, where he sits overwhelmed seven days; then the word of the LORD makes him a watchman unto the house of Israel.

Overwhelmed seven days, and made a watchman

“So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the hand of Jehovah was strong upon me. Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the river Chebar, and to where they dwelt; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days” (Ezekiel 3:14-15).

“And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of Jehovah came unto me … Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me” (Ezekiel 3:16-17).

If he gave the wicked man no warning, “the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul” (Ezekiel 3:18-19). The same is said of the righteous man who sins and of the righteous man who takes warning (Ezekiel 3:20-21).

Shut in his house, bound and dumb (Ezekiel 3:22–27)

On the plain the glory of the LORD stands again and he falls on his face; he is told to shut himself in his house, that bands will be laid on him, and that his tongue will cleave to the roof of his mouth.

Shut in his house, bound and dumb

“Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee. Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of Jehovah stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face” (Ezekiel 3:22-23).

“Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet; and he spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thy house. But thou, son of man, behold, they shall lay bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them: and I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover” (Ezekiel 3:24-26).

“But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house” (Ezekiel 3:27). Scripture does not say who laid the bands or how long he was dumb before the mouth was opened.

Signs of the siege (Ezekiel 4:1–5:4)

He is told to portray Jerusalem besieged on a tile, to lie on his left side and then his right bearing the iniquity of Israel and of Judah, to eat bread by weight baked with dung (when he pleads that his soul has not been polluted, cow's dung is given for man's), and to divide his shaven hair into thirds.

Brought in the visions of God to Jerusalem (Ezekiel 8:1–6; Ezekiel 9:1–11; Ezekiel 11:1–25)

As he sits in his house with the elders of Judah before him, the Spirit brings him in the visions of God to Jerusalem; he cries out for the residue of Israel, Pelatiah dies as he prophesies, and the glory goes up from the city.

The sign of the baggage (Ezekiel 12:1–12)

He brings out his stuff by day, digs through the wall at even, and bears it on his shoulder in the dark as a sign to the house of Israel.

The death of his wife (Ezekiel 24:15–27)

God takes the desire of his eyes with a stroke and forbids him to mourn; at even his wife dies, and in the morning he does as he was commanded while the people ask what it means.

The death of his wife

“Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet thou shalt neither mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud, make no mourning for the dead” (Ezekiel 24:16-17).

“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. And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?” (Ezekiel 24:18-19).

He told them the word of the LORD: “I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes” (Ezekiel 24:21), and “ye shall do as I have done” (Ezekiel 24:22). “Thus shall Ezekiel be unto you a sign … when this cometh, then shall ye know that I am the Lord Jehovah” (Ezekiel 24:24). The LORD said that on that day the one who escaped would come to him and “thy mouth be opened to him that is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb” (Ezekiel 24:27). Scripture gives no name for his wife and does not say how he grieved.

The city smitten, and his mouth opened (Ezekiel 33:1–9; Ezekiel 33:21–22; Ezekiel 33:30–33)

The watchman's charge is given again; one who had escaped out of Jerusalem comes saying the city is smitten, and his mouth is opened; the people hear his words as a very lovely song, but do them not.

The valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1–14)

The hand of the LORD sets him down in a valley full of very dry bones; at God's word he prophesies, and the bones come together and live, an exceeding great army.

The valley of dry bones

“The hand of Jehovah was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of Jehovah, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones … there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry” (Ezekiel 37:1-2).

“And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord Jehovah, thou knowest” (Ezekiel 37:3). “So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and, behold, an earthquake; and the bones came together, bone to its bone” (Ezekiel 37:7). Sinews and flesh and skin came upon them, “but there was no breath in them” (Ezekiel 37:8).

“So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army” (Ezekiel 37:10).

Then the LORD said, “these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off” (Ezekiel 37:11), and sent him to prophesy, “I will open your graves … and I will put my Spirit in you, and ye shall live” (Ezekiel 37:12-14).

The glory fills the house (Ezekiel 40:1–4; Ezekiel 43:1–7; Ezekiel 44:1–4)

In the visions of God he is brought into the land of Israel and told to declare all he sees; the glory of the LORD comes into the house and fills it, and he falls on his face.

The LORD (Ezekiel 1:3; Ezekiel 2:1–3; Ezekiel 3:17)

The LORD spoke to him, called him “son of man” (Ezekiel 2:1), and made him a watchman unto the house of Israel.

Buzi (Ezekiel 1:3)

Named once as his father: “Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi.” (Ezekiel 1:3)

His wife (Ezekiel 24:16–18)

Unnamed; “at even my wife died” (Ezekiel 24:18), and he did in the morning as he was commanded.

The house of Israel (Ezekiel 2:3–7; Ezekiel 3:17; Ezekiel 33:30–33)

He was set a watchman unto them, though “they are a rebellious house” (Ezekiel 2:5); they heard his words, “but do them not.” (Ezekiel 33:31)

Them of the captivity (Ezekiel 3:11–15; Ezekiel 11:24–25)

The exiles at Tel-abib by the river Chebar, among whom he sat overwhelmed seven days and to whom he spake all that the LORD had showed him.

The elders of Judah and Israel (Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 14:1–3; Ezekiel 20:1–3)

They sat before him in his house; the LORD said of some of them, “should I be inquired of at all by them?” (Ezekiel 14:3)

Jaazaniah and Pelatiah (Ezekiel 11:1–13)

Princes of the people among “the men that devise iniquity” (Ezekiel 11:2), seen in the vision at the east gate; he prophesied against them, and Pelatiah died.

Major sections

• Ezekiel 1–3
• Ezekiel 4–5
• Ezekiel 8–11
• Ezekiel 12
• Ezekiel 24
• Ezekiel 33
• Ezekiel 37
• Ezekiel 40–48

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