Book of Ezekiel
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This article is about the Book of Ezekiel. See also Ezekiel, the prophet . For other meanings, see Ezekiel (disambiguation).
The Book of Ezekiel is a book of the Jewish Hebrew Bible as well as the Christian Old Testament, attributed to the prophet Ezekiel (יְחֶזְקֵאל "God will strengthen", Standard Hebrew Yəḥezqel, Tiberian Hebrew Yəḥezqêl) who is regarded by both Jews and Christians as a prophet.
Contents |
The author Ezekiel
- Main article Ezekiel.
What little personal information is presented in the text about the prophet is discussed at Ezekiel. We do know he was a priest in the temple at Jerusalem, the son of a priest, and that he had a wife prior to being carried off in the Jewish exile of 597 BCE, at age 26.
His mission
With the exile, monarchy and state were annihilated, and a political and national life was no longer possible. In the absence of a worldly foundation it became necessary to build upon a spiritual one. This mission Ezekiel performed by observing the signs of the time and by deducing his doctrines from them. In conformity with the two parts of his book his personality and his preaching are alike twofold. The events of the past must be explained. although God has permitted his city and Temple to be destroyed, and his people to be led into exile.
Nonetheless, Ezekiel holds that God is not betraying his people. He asserts that God was compelled to do this because of the sins of the people. Nevertheless, there is no reason to despair for God does not desire the death of the sinner, but his reformation. The Lord will remain the God of Israel, and Israel will remain his people. As soon as Israel recognizes the sovereignty of the Lord and acts accordingly, God will restore the people, in order that they may fulfill their eternal mission and that He may truly dwell in the midst of them. This, however, can not be accomplished until every individual reforms and makes the will of the Lord his law.
Resurrection of the dead
Ezekiel writes about a resurrection of the dead in chapter 37. As early as the second century, however, some authorities declared this resurrection of the dead was a prophetic vision: an opinion regarded by Maimonides (Guide for the Perplexed, II:46) and his followers as the only rational explanation of the Biblical passage.
Authorship
There have been a number of debates that have surrounded this book over the centuries. For the most part there has been little question of the authenticity of the book, or its authorship, but rather whether it should be included in the biblical Canon. This debate did not stem from any doubt of its inspired message, but rather the fear that the unlearned may misinterpret it. For a time, the first chapter was not to be read in synagogues and the private reading of the prophecy was not allowed until a person's 30th birthday.
Up until 1924, no one had questioned the authorship of the book of Ezekiel. For many, it seems clear that the book was written by one person, expressing one train of thought and style. However, in 1924 a theory was developed 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, who has a rather large following, 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.
The purpose of the book
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. The book, which is split into three sections based on the time they were written, was mostly written by Ezekiel himself. 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.
Ezekiel's writing is made up of three distinct levels: an oracle, a continuation and a closing oracle. The first two layers are related in their writing style and are both attributed to Ezekiel himself. The third level, 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.
The book does show many examples of editing done over a period of time by both Ezekiel and others. Most of this work was simply rearranging the order of the oracles to fit the time period to which they applied.
Date
The Book of Ezekiel can be dated due to Ezekiel's recording of events based on the rule of King Jehoiachin (King of Jerusalem). Ezekiel's records makes it possible to accurately date his life and his time of prophecy due to these references to the reigns of kings.
Ezekiel was originally written in the 25 year period between 593 to 571 B.C. The book seems to be written in two different time periods during Ezekiel's 25 years of prophecy. The first section which is aimed at the upper class of Judah was written between from 593 to 586 B.C. The second section, which runs from 586 to 571, deals with his oracles of salvation for the people.
The text records numerous events that allow us to estimate their time in history. The following table lists events in Ezekiel with their approximate dates.
| Event | Verse Reference | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Chariot Vision | 1:1-3 | June 593 B.C. |
| Call to be a Watchman | 3:16 | June 593 |
| Temple Vision | 8:1 | August/September 592 |
| Discourse with Elders | 20:1 | August 591 |
| Second Siege of Jerusalem | 24:1 | January 588 |
| Judgment on Tyre | 26:1 | March/April 587/586 |
| Judgment on Egypt | 29:1 | January 587 |
| Judgment on Egypt | 29:17 | April 571 |
| Judgment on Egypt | 30:20 | April 587 |
| Judgment on Egypt | 31:1 | June 587 |
| Lament over Pharaoh | 32:1 | March 585 |
| Lament over Egypt | 32:17 | April 586 |
| Fall of Jerusalem | 33:21 | December/January 586/85 |
| New Temple Vision | 40:1 | April 573 |
Ezekiel's hearers
The Book of Ezekiel was written for the Israelites living in exile in Babylon. Up to now their custom was to worship their God, in the temple in Jerusalem. Exile raised important theological questions. How they asked, could they worship Yahweh when they were now in a distant land. Was their God still available to them they asked. Ezekiel speaks to this problem. He first explains that their exile is a punishment for disobedience and he offers hope to the exiles once they return to Yahweh. The Book of Ezekiel is a message of hope to those desperately in need.
The author points to a day when Judah and Israel would once more be restored to their land. Borrowing heavily from earlier prophets and books, Ezekiel sought to comfort the people with the knowledge of a neverending covenant with Yahweh. He preached to them a new understanding in their time of exile. He shows them that God was still in control of the situation. Ezekiel used his own life and his relationship with God as an example.
Content
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).
Ezekiel did much of his prophecizing through his actions. Instead of preaching to the people an oral message God instructed him to live out his message in various ways. His actions were interpreted as having unique and specific meanings. For example, he does various things like sketches Jerusalem on a brick ( Ezek. 4:1-3), Lies on left side for 390 days and right side for 40 ( Ezekiel 4:4-8 ), Shaves his head with a sword, weighs and divides the hair, burning a portion of it, smiting a second portion with a sword and scattering the third portion to the winds ( Ezek. 5:1-12), Digs his way through a wall and takes an exile's baggage with him ( Ezek. 12:1-12), Marks out a route for the Babylonian army with a crossroads that forces the king to cast lots to decide which road to take (Ezek. 21:18-23), and loses his wife in death (Ezek. 25:15-24).
The closing visions of this book 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.)
According to traditionalists, Daniel, fourteen years after his deportation from Jerusalem, is mentioned by Ezekiel (14:14) along with Noah and Job as distinguished for his righteousness, and some five years later he is spoken of as pre-eminent for his wisdom (28:3). However, a "Daniel" also appears in ancient Ugaritic texts, Daniel isn't specifically described as a contemporary (indeed, the phrase "Noah, Daniel and Job" implies otherwise), and the Book of Daniel is widely regarded by modern scholars as having been written centuries later.
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 he is familiar with the writings of Hosea (Ezek. 37:22), Isaiah (Ezek. 8:12; 29:6), and especially with those of Jeremiah, his older contemporary (Jeremiah 24:7, 9; 48:37).
Translations and commentaries on the book of Ezekiel
On-line translations and commentaries
- Jewish translations:
- Yechezkiel - Ezekiel from Chabad.org
- Christian translations:
- Ezekiel at BibleGateway.com (Various translations)
References
- 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
External links
- Jewish Encyclopedia: Book of Ezekiel
- Shamati a book by Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag
- Douglas E. Cox "Ezekiel's firmament" 1996
