13.8–16 Punishment of false prophets.
13.9 Council of my people. Cf. Gen 49.6. Council does not necessarily mean a political assembly. The register. Cf. Ezra 2.62. To be excluded from such a written document was tantamount to losing membership among the people of Israel. The register was especially important after the exile; hence its prominence in Ezra and Nehemiah. Nor shall they enter the land presumes that one form of punishment will be exile.
13.10 Peace. Cf. Jer 23; 27–29 for similar conflict over whether or not a message of peace was appropriate before 587 BCE.
13.10–16 The imagery involves a wall of friable construction, the strength of which might be minimally enhanced with a light coating of plaster (whitewash). The people build the wall; the prophets apply the whitewash. God intends to destroy the wall using a storm; since it is inherently weak, the wall will fall. Both the people and their prophets will be punished.
13.17–23 Judgment upon prophetesses.
13.17 The daughters of your people. Both in Israel (the prophetess Huldah, 2 Kings 22.14) and elsewhere (e.g., the ancient city-state of Mari) women functioned as prophets.
13.18 The bands and veils have more to do with magic than intermediation. Unfortunately, practices having to do with these textiles remain obscure. Hunting lives involves the very life and death of a person; see v. 19.
13.19 For handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, probably payment for services rendered; see 1 Sam 9.7.
13.20–23 Punishment of the prophetesses.
13.20–21 With which you hunt lives, or “with which you hunt persons like birds.” God punishes the prophetesses by removing the bands and veils and in so doing liberates those who had been trapped.
13.22 The indictment is further clarified: those trapped were the righteous, an action that encouraged the wicked.
13.23 I will save my people, strikingly positive, when compared to texts such as 9.9–10.
EZEKIEL 14
God’s Judgments Justified
1Certain elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me. 2And the word of the LORD came to me: 3Mortal, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and placed their iniquity as a stumbling block before them; shall I let myself be consulted by them? 4Therefore speak to them, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Any of those of the house of Israel who take their idols into their hearts and place their iniquity as a stumbling block before them, and yet come to the prophet—I the LORD will answer those who come with the multitude of their idols, 5in order that I may take hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, all of whom are estranged from me through their idols.
6Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Repent and turn away from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 7For any of those of the house of Israel, or of the aliens who reside in Israel, who separate themselves from me, taking their idols into their hearts and placing their iniquity as a stumbling block before them, and yet come to a prophet to inquire of me by him, I the LORD will answer them myself. 8I will set my face against them; I will make them a sign and a byword and cut them off from the midst of my people; and you shall know that I am the LORD.
9If a prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 10And they shall bear their punishment—the punishment of the inquirer and the punishment of the prophet shall be the same—11so that the house of Israel may no longer go astray from me, nor defile themselves any more with all their transgressions. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God, says the Lord GOD.
12The word of the LORD came to me: 13Mortal, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it, and break its staff of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it human beings and animals, 14even if Noah, Daniel,a and Job, these three, were in it, they would save only their own lives by their righteousness, says the Lord GOD. 15If I send wild animals through the land to ravage it, so that it is made desolate, and no one may pass through because of the animals; 16even if these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, they would save neither sons nor daughters; they alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate. 17Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, “Let a sword pass through the land,” and I cut off human beings and animals from it; 18though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, they would save neither sons nor daughters, but they alone would be saved. 19Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath upon it with blood, to cut off humans and animals from it; 20even if Noah, Daniel,b and Job were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, they would save neither son nor daughter; they would save only their own lives by their righteousness.
21For thus says the Lord GOD: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four deadly acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild animals, and pestilence, to cut off humans and animals from it! 22Yet, survivors shall be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out; they will come out to you. When you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, for all that I have brought upon it. 23They shall console you, when you see their ways and their deeds; and you shall know that it was not without cause that I did all that I have done in it, says the Lord GOD.
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a Or, as otherwise read, Danel
b Or, as otherwise read, Danel
14.1–11 Prophet and people. Similar to formulations in the sacral laws of the Holiness Code (Lev 17–26), e.g., Lev 17.3–4, 8–9; 20.6.
14.1 The scene is similar to 8.1; Ezekiel is consulted by representatives of the exilic community.
14.3 God provides an assessment of the people before they are able to ask a question. Taken their idols into their hearts, unclear. Ezekiel used the term idols in diverse ways. Typically it refers to representations of non-Yahwistic religious entities. If such objects were destroyed or left in the land, those in exile may not actually possess idols but may still be venerating what the idols represented. On the prophet as consultant, see 20.3.
14.6 Instead of a sentence, the prophet offers an admonition, repent and turn away.
14.7 Aliens who reside in Israel appears unusual when referring to the exilic context. Cf. Isa 56.3, “the foreigner joined to the LORD.” Originally, an alien was a non-Israelite who lived in Israelite territory and who had defined rights (e.g., Deut 1.16; 14.29). Ezek 47.22–23 allows for land inheritance by aliens.
14.7–8 Those who do not repent will be accursed. The actual punishment would constitute a sign, whereas those who observed the situation would summarize and express it using a saying (a byword). Cut them off…people, a sentiment similar to that in 13.9.
14.9–11 If a prophet provides a word to idolaters, contrary to v. 3, that prophet will be destroyed.
14.9 God claims responsibility for the deceit of such a prophet; cf. 1 Kings 13 for an instance in which a prophet is misled through divine instrumentality.
14.12–23 Sin, destruction, and survival.
14.12–20 A formulaic discourse (signaled by the repetition of if, even if, they would save neither sons nor daughters, and they would save only their own lives) concerning the severity of God’s punishment, which is a direct response to radical sin. These verses build on four different modes of punishment: famine (v. 13), wild animals (v. 15), sword (v. 17), and pestilence (v. 19). Ezekiel identifies three individuals and reports that, although they would escape destruction, they would not be able to save others. Noah, Daniel, and Job, figures known widely in the ancient Near East as especially righteous. Their righteousness worked itself out on behalf of others, namely, their children. Noah enabled his family to survive the deluge; Job’s children exist at the end of the book. Danel, the righteous king described in the Ugaritic Aqhat epic, who is related to the biblical Daniel, is apparently able to engender life for his son.
1
4.21–23 The four modes of punishment are repeated (cf. 5.16) and focused on Jerusalem. There will, however, be survivors, sons and daughters, an implicit literary link with the three heroes mentioned in vv. 14–20.
14.22–23 These survivors will provide consolation for the earlier generation.
EZEKIEL 15
The Useless Vine
1The word of the LORD came to me:
2O mortal, how does the wood of the vine surpass all other wood—
the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest?
3Is wood taken from it to make anything?
Does one take a peg from it on which to hang any object?
4It is put in the fire for fuel;
when the fire has consumed both ends of it
and the middle of it is charred,
is it useful for anything?
5When it was whole it was used for nothing;
how much less—when the fire has consumed it,
and it is charred—
can it ever be used for anything!
6Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give up the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 7I will set my face against them; although they escape from the fire, the fire shall still consume them; and you shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them. 8And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted faithlessly, says the Lord GOD.
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15.1–8 The useless vine.
15.1 To me signals a “private” oracle.
15.2 The first in a series of rhetorical questions. Despite the prominence of vine imagery in OT literature (e.g., Judg 9.8–15; Isa 5.1–5; Hos 10.1), questions about the quality of the wood from a vine are innovative. The initial question elicits an understood response—wood from a vine does not surpass any wood of the forest.
15.3 The second and third questions concerning the utility of vine wood that has been worked imply brief negative answers.
15.4 The poet adduces an obvious case, a fragment of partially burned vine. The ensuing question implies another negative answer.
15.5 An indicative judgment summarizing the cases presented in vv. 3–4.
15.6–8 The foregoing poem is viewed as a simile, the wood of the vine being likened to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They are destined for destruction, whether by fire or not.
EZEKIEL 16
God’s Faithless Bride
1The word of the LORD came to me: 2Mortal, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, 3and say, Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite. 4As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in cloths. 5No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you out of compassion for you; but you were thrown out in the open field, for you were abhorred on the day you were born.
6I passed by you, and saw you flailing about in your blood. As you lay in your blood, I said to you, “Live! 7and grow upa like a plant of the field.” You grew up and became tall and arrived at full womanhood;b your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare.
8I passed by you again and looked on you; you were at the age for love. I spread the edge of my cloak over you, and covered your nakedness: I pledged myself to you and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord GOD, and you became mine. 9Then I bathed you with water and washed off the blood from you, and anointed you with oil. 10I clothed you with embroidered cloth and with sandals of fine leather; I bound you in fine linen and covered you with rich fabric.c 11I adorned you with ornaments: I put bracelets on your arms, a chain on your neck, 12a ring on your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head. 13You were adorned with gold and silver, while your clothing was of fine linen, rich fabric,d and embroidered cloth. You had choice flour and honey and oil for food. You grew exceedingly beautiful, fit to be a queen. 14Your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of my splendor that I had bestowed on you, says the Lord GOD.
15But you trusted in your beauty, and played the whore because of your fame, and lavished your whorings on any passer-by.e 16You took some of your garments, and made for yourself colorful shrines, and on them played the whore; nothing like this has ever been or ever shall be.f 17You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and my silver that I had given you, and made for yourself male images, and with them played the whore; 18and you took your embroidered garments to cover them, and set my oil and my incense before them. 19Also my bread that I gave you—I fed you with choice flour and oil and honey—you set it before them as a pleasing odor; and so it was, says the Lord GOD. 20You took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. As if your whorings were not enough! 21You slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering to them. 22And in all your abominations and your whorings you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, flailing about in your blood.
23After all your wickedness (woe, woe to you! says the Lord GOD), 24you built yourself a platform and made yourself a lofty place in every square; 25at the head of every street you built your lofty place and prostituted your beauty, offering yourself to every passer-by, and multiplying your whoring. 26You played the whore with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, multiplying your whoring, to provoke me to anger. 27Therefore I stretched out my hand against you, reduced your rations, and gave you up to the will of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. 28You played the whore with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; you played the whore with them, and still you were not satisfied. 29You multiplied your whoring with Chaldea, the land of merchants; and even with this you were not satisfied.
30How sick is your heart, says the Lord GOD, that you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen whore; 31building your platform at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square! Yet you were not like a whore, because you scorned payment. 32Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband! 33Gifts are given to all whores; but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from all around for your whorings. 34So you were different from other women in your whorings: no one solicited you to play the whore; and you gave payment, while no payment was given to you; you were different.
35Therefore, O whore, hear the word of the LORD: 36Thus says the Lord GOD, Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your whoring with your lovers, and because of all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children that you gave to them, 37therefore, I will gather all your lovers, with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved and all those you hated; I will gather them against you from all around, and will uncover your nakedness to them, so that they may see all your nakedness. 38I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring blood upon you in wrath and jealousy. 39I will deliver you into their hands, and they shall throw down your platform and break down your lofty places; they shall strip you of your clothes and take your beautiful objects and leave you naked and bare. 40They shall bring up a mob against you, and they shall stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. 41They shall burn your houses and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women; I will stop you from playing the whore, and you shall also make no more payments. 42So I will satisfy my fury on you, and my jealousy shall turn away from you; I will be calm, and will be angry no longer. 43Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have enraged me with all these things; therefore, I have returned your deeds upon your head, says the Lord GOD.
Have you not committed lewdness beyond all your abominations? 44See, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you, “Like mother, l
ike daughter.” 45You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. 46Your elder sister is Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. 47You not only followed their ways, and acted according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways. 48As I live, says the Lord GOD, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. 50They were haughty, and did abominable things before me; therefore I removed them when I saw it. 51Samaria has not committed half your sins; you have committed more abominations than they, and have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations that you have committed. 52Bear your disgrace, you also, for you have brought about for your sisters a more favorable judgment; because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.
53I will restore their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes along with theirs, 54in order that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all that you have done, becoming a consolation to them. 55As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former state, Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former state, and you and your daughters shall return to your former state. 56Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride, 57before your wickedness was uncovered? Now you are a mockery to the daughters of Aramg and all her neighbors, and to the daughters of the Philistines, those all around who despise you. 58You must bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, says the LORD.
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