Commentary on Ezekiel , livre ebook

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© 2012 by Baker Publishing Group
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Previously published in The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary edited by Gary M. Burge and Andrew E. Hill in 2012
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Abbreviations
Introduction
Commentary

1. Prophecies of Doom and Judgment (1:1–24:27)
A. A Vision of the Glory of God (1:1–28)
B. Ezekiel’s Call (2:1–10)
C. Exhorter, Sentry, and Arbiter (3:1–27)
D. The Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized (4:1–5:17)
E. A Further Description of Judgment (6:1–14)
F. The End of Jerusalem (7:1–27)
G. Idolatry in the Temple (8:1–18)
H. The Execution of the Idolaters (9:1–11)
I. God’s Glory Leaves the Temple (10:1–22)
J. Lost and Saved (11:1–25)
K. The Exile Symbolized (12:1–28)
L. False Prophets (13:1–23)
M. Idolatry (14:1–23)
N. A Useless Vine (15:1–8)
O. A Foundling Turned Harlot (16:1–63)
P. Two Eagles and a Vine (17:1–24)
Q. Individual Responsibility (18:1–32)
R. A Dirge for Israel’s Kings (19:1–14)
S. Rebelliousness (20:1–44)
T. The Sword of Judgment (20:45–21:32)
U. A City of Blood (22:1–31)
V. Oholah and Oholibah (23:1–49)
W. A Steaming Cauldron (24:1–27)
2. Oracles against the Nations (25:1–32:32)
A. Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia (25:1–17)
B. Tyre (26:1–28:26)
C. Egypt (29:1–32:32)
3. Restoration and Renewal (33:1–39:29)
A. Accepting Responsibility (33:1–33)
B. Shepherds and Sheep (34:1–31)
C. Edom (35:1–15)
D. Restoration and Regeneration (36:1–38)
E. Resurrection and Reunification (37:1–28)
F. Gog (38:1–39:29)
4. The New Temple (40:1–48:35)
A. The Temple Area (40:1–49)
B. The Temple Proper (41:1–26)
C. Holy Chambers (42:1–20)
D. God’s Glory Returns (43:1–27)
E. Enterings and Exitings (44:1–31)
F. Division of the Land (45:1–25)
G. Worship Protocol (46:1–24)
H. The River of Life (47:1–23)
I. Division of the Land (48:1–35)
Time Lines
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Abbreviations ANET Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament . Edited by J. B. Pritchard. 3rd ed. Princeton, 1969 BDAG Bauer, W., F. W. Danker, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago, 1999 ca. circa (about, approximately) cf. compare chap(s). chapter(s) COS The Context of Scripture . Edited by W. W. Hallo. 3 vols. Leiden, 1997– e.g. for example ESV English Standard Version HALOT Koehler, L., W. Baumgartner, and J. J. Stamm. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. Translated and edited under the supervision of M. E. J. Richardson. 5 vols. Leiden, 1994–2000 HCSB Holman Christian Standard Bible i.e. that is KJV King James Version NASB New American Standard Bible NEB New English Bible NET New English Translation NIV New International Version (2011 edition) NIV 1984 New International Version (1984 edition) NJB New Jerusalem Bible NJPS The Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures: The New JPS Translation according to the Traditional Hebrew Text NKJV New King James Version NLT New Living Translation NRSV New Revised Standard Version RSV Revised Standard Version TDOT Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament . Edited by G. J. Botterweck and H. Ringgren. Translated by J. T. Willis, G. W. Bromiley, and D. E. Green. 8 vols. Grand Rapids, 1974– TNIV Today’s New International Version
Ezekiel
Victor P. Hamilton
Introduction
Ezekiel the Prophet
There are not many biographical details about Ezekiel in the book that bears his name. We know that the name of his father was Buzi (1:3). This is a strange name; the only Hebrew root we know of with which that name can be connected is “shame.” Buzi means literally “my shame.” But what parent would name a son “my shame”? Perhaps “Buzi” is related to another Semitic root that we cannot identify. Like Jeremiah (see Jer. 1:1), Ezekiel is a son of a priest but is called to be a prophet. Unlike Jeremiah, however, Ezekiel’s priestly heritage is prominent throughout his prophecy.

There are no such problems with Ezekiel’s own name. It means either “El/God shall strengthen” (a statement) or “May El/God strengthen” (a prayer). In the opening chapters God reveals to the prophet why his name is Ezekiel.
We may safely surmise that Ezekiel belonged to the aristocracy. It was the policy of the Babylonians, when they invaded and conquered a country, to exile only the upper levels of leadership. This would deprive subjugated peoples of effective leaders. Hegemony was maintained by silencing (and exiling as necessary) outspoken leaders of the resistance movement.
Ezekiel is unique among the prophets in that his entire ministry was conducted outside of Palestine. Every date in Ezekiel (a total of thirteen), outside of the problematical “thirtieth year” of 1:1, is reckoned from the year in which Judah’s king Jehoiachin was carried into Babylonian captivity. The earliest date we find in Ezekiel is 593 BC (1:2; 3:16). The latest date in the prophecy is 571 BC (29:17). Thus, Ezekiel’s ministry spans approximately twenty-two years.
Ezekiel carries out his ministry while in captivity. He lives and preaches among his fellow exiles by the Kebar River. Ezekiel has his own parsonage (“Go, shut yourself inside your house,” 3:24, emphasis added). On numerous occasions the elders in exile come to talk with him or watch him at his house (8:1; 14:1; 20:1; 33:21), indicating that Ezekiel more than likely was a religious leader in Jerusalem before 597 BC and carried that stature with him into exile.
Ezekiel was married (24:15–18), but we never hear of any children. In 4:14 he offers the protest “from my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead.” That Ezekiel would use such a phrase indicates that he is no youngster. He is definitely older than Jeremiah.

A sculpture of Ezekiel from the facade of the cathedral of Notre Dame in Amiens, France [ Copyright © Eusebius / Wikimedia. CC-by-3.0. ]
Structure
The arrangement of the prophecy of Ezekiel is clear. After a brief section describing Ezekiel’s call (chaps. 1–3), we find prophecies/oracles of doom and destruction against Judah/Jerusalem (chaps. 4–24). These must have been spoken prior to the fall of Jerusalem, for every date provided by these chapters is before 587/6 BC (1:2, 593 BC; 8:1, 592 BC; 20:1, 591 BC; 24:1, 588 BC).
The second section comprises chapters 25–32, Ezekiel’s prophecies/oracles to the nations. In so preaching, Ezekiel falls in line with Amos (1:1–2:5), Isaiah (chaps. 13–23), and Jeremiah (chaps. 46–51). The distinctive thing about Ezekiel’s foreign oracles is his special focus on Tyre and Egypt. Seven of the thirteen dates in Ezekiel are in this section (26:1, 587 BC; 29:1, 587 BC; 29:17, 571 BC; 30:20, 587 BC; 31:1, 587 BC; 32:1, 585 BC; 32:17, 586 BC). Four of these dates refer to a day and month in 587 BC, very close to the time of Jerusalem’s destruction.
The third section is prophecies/oracles of salvation directed to the exiles (chaps. 33–39). It is in this unit that Ezekiel is inspired by God to share with his exiled congregation the revivification, restoration, regeneration, and reunification of God’s scattered people as they return to Israel from exile. It