Ezekiel 24

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
Parable of the Boiling Pot	Symbol of the Cooking Pot	The Allegory of the Pot	The Corroded Cooking Pot	Announcement of the Siege of Jerusalem
24:1-5	24:1-14	24:1-14	24:1-5	24:1-11
(3b-5)	(3b-5)	(3b-5)	(3b-5)	(3b-5)
24:6-14		(6-13)	24:6-8
(6b-13)	(6b-8)			(6b-8)
	(9b-10)		24:9-14	(9b-11)
	(11-14)
				24:12-14
(14)		(14)
Death of Ezekiel's Wife is a Sign	The Prophet's Wife Dies	Oracles at the Death of Ezekiel's Wife	The Death of the Prophet's Wife	Ordeals for the Prophet
24:15-24	24:15-18	24:15-18	24:15-17	24:15-24
			24:18-19
	24:19-24	24:19-24
			24:20-24
24:25-27	24:25-27	24:25-27	24:25-27	24:25-27

READING CYCLE THREE

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the four modern translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:24:1-5
¹And the word of the Lord came to me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying, ²"Son of man, write the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. ³Speak a parable to the rebellious house and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God,
"Put on the pot, put it on and also pour water in it;
⁴ Put in it the pieces,
Every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder;
Fill it with choice bones.
⁵Take the choicest of the flock,
And also pile wood under the pot.
Make it boil vigorously.
Also seethe its bones in it."

24:1 This is the fourth date (cf. 1:2; 8:1; 20:1) listed in Ezekiel. Surprisingly one would expect another date at chapter 25, which starts the judgment context on the nations. This may mean chapters 24 and 25 are a literary unit.

This dates the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem (cf. II Kgs. 25:1; Jer. 39:1; 52:4). It was begun on January 15, 588 b.c. It took until 586 b.c. for the city to fall.

In a book of prophecy the question of final revision always comes into play. Did Ezekiel know the exact date of the siege and later fall of Jerusalem? Of course he could; he was a prophet of YHWH. YHWH often used this predictive quality to encourage His people that He was in control of history. However, it is also surely possible, without distracting from the power of YHWH or the foresight of His prophets, to see these dates as literary. These books were, at some point, the collected and arranged prophecies of Ezekiel. Literary design does not diminish prophetic predictions!

24:2 "Son of man" See note at 2:1.

▣ "write" The MT has "write" (BDB 507, KB 503) as a Qal infinitive absolute, but the Masoretic scholars suggested it be read (Qere) as a Qal imperative (same kind of problem as in v. 10).

There are many imperatives in this chapter (cf. vv. 2,3[three],4,5[two],6,10[two],11,17[two],21. Most of them occur in the poetic section (i.e., vv. 3b-5, 6-13) and are directed to the rebellious house (i.e., Judah).

▣ "the name of the day, this very day" Judgment on Jerusalem was not a future prediction, but a terrible reality!

▣ "has laid siege" The verb (BDB 701, KB 759, Qal perfect) is literally "lean on," but is used here as an idiom of besiege (Jerusalem's siege is begun, cf. II Kgs. 25:1; Jer. 39:1; 52:4).

24:3-5 This first poetic stanza has several commands from YHWH which set the stage for the parable/proverb.

1. put on the pot, BDB 1046, KB 1636, Qal imperative, v. 3

2. put it on, BDB 1046, KB 1636, Qal imperative, v. 3

3. pour, BDB 427, KB 428, Qal imperative, v. 3

4. put (lit. gather), BDB 62, KB 74, Qal imperative, v. 4

5. fill, BDB 569, KB 583, Piel imperative, v. 4

6. pile, BDB 189, KB 217, Qal imperative, v. 5

7. boil, BDB 958, KB 1299, Piel imperative, v. 5

24:3 "speak a parable" This (BDB 605, KB 647) is a Qal imperative. See note at 12:22,23; 17:2; 18:2, 3; 20:49. Ezekiel used several poems to communicate YHWH's messages.

1. poem of the sharp, bright, swift sword of judgment, 12:8-17

2. poem of the large cup of drunkenness, 23:32-34

3. poem of the corrupted, large, bronze (cf. v. 11) cooking pot, 24:3-13

▣ "to the rebellious house" This (BDB 598, cf. 2:5,6,8; 3:9,26,27; 12:2[twice],3,9,25; 17:12; Isa. 30:9) is a derogatory way of referring to Judah (cf. 2:6,8).

The idiom is repeated with the participle of the verb (BDB 597, KB 632) in 2:3 (also note the use of the parallel terms (1) BDB 833, KB 981 in Isa. 1:2 and (2) BDB 710 in Isa. 30:1.

Judah's stubborn rebellion (cf. Deut. 9:5-6,13; 10:16; 31:27) has been continual and purposeful! I think YHWH chose Israel with all her weaknesses to clearly reveal His faithfulness in the stark light of their unfaithfulness! If YHWH can continue to love, forgive, and use Israel, then there is a great hope for all of Adam's children, based solely on the unchanging, merciful, gracious character of YHWH!

▣ This chapter is based on Jeremiah's parable about a boiling pot (cf. Jer. 1:13, 14).

24:4-5 The very best pieces of the very best of the flock were put in the pot. Who does this refer to?

1. the royal, priestly, and civic leaders who remained in Jerusalem, cf. Jer. 39:6; 52:10,24-27

2. Israel herself when YHWH found her in the wilderness, 16:4-14

In this context of the citizens of Jerusalem seeing themselves as the "lucky ones," "spared ones," "better ones" than those taken into exile, this phrase may well refer to all of them! However, they will be destroyed and YHWH will choose to work with and restore the early exiles! This was shocking to the arrogant, sinful Judeans still in Jerusalem and Judah.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:24:6-14
⁶Therefore, thus says the Lord God,
"Woe to the bloody city,
To the pot in which there is rust
And whose rust has not gone out of it!
Take out of it piece after piece,
Without making a choice.
⁷For her blood is in her midst;
She placed it on the bare rock;
She did not pour it on the ground
To cover it with dust.
⁸That it may cause wrath to come up to take vengeance,
I have put her blood on the bare rock,
That it may not be covered."
⁹Therefore, thus says the Lord God,
"Woe to the bloody city!
I also will make the pile great.
¹⁰Heap on the wood, kindle the fire,
Boil the flesh well
And mix in the spices,
And let the bones be burned.
¹¹Then set it empty on its coals
So that it may be hot
And its bronze may glow
And its filthiness may be melted in it,
Its rust consumed.
¹²She has wearied Me with toil,
Yet her great rust has not gone from her;
Let her rust be in the fire!
¹³In your filthiness is lewdness.
Because I would have cleansed you,
Yet you are not clean,
You will not be cleansed from your filthiness again
Until I have spent My wrath on you.
¹⁴I, the Lord, have spoken; it is coming and I will act. I will not relent, and I will not pity and I will not be sorry; according to your ways and according to your deeds I will judge you," declares the Lord God.'"

24:6 "Woe" This interjection (BDB 17, cf. v. 9) expresses deep emotion often connected to judgment (cf. 16:23; Jer. 4:13; 6:4; 10:19; 13:27; 15:10; Hosea 7:13).

▣ "the bloody city" See note at 22:2.

▣ "rust" This Hebrew word is uncertain ((BDB 316, KB 315). It is found only in this chapter in the OT. The same trilateral root means "rust" in Arabic. God had tried to cleanse His people over and over again, but their sin was too deep (i.e., Genesis 3).

▣ "Without making a choice" This verb (lit. "fall," BDB 656, KB 709, Qal perfect) was used of casting lots to know YHWH's will.

1. dividing the Promised Land among the tribes, Num. 34:2; Josh. 13:6; 23:4; Ezek. 45:1

2. dividing the duties in the temple, I Chr. 24:31; 26:13,14

3. determining who would supply wood for the new sacrificial system, Neh. 10:34

4. determining who would live in the rebuilt Jerusalem, Neh. 11:1

5. determining the guilty party, Jonah 1:7

This phrase seems to imply that death would come indiscriminately to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

24:7 This seems to refer to the openness and flagrant nature (i.e., "places it on a bare rock," i.e., in the sight of all) of Israel's sin. This refers to (1) an allusion to a priestly act of draining the blood from sacrificial animals and putting it on the appropriate places (Leviticus 1-7). The remainder was poured out at the base of the altar of sacrifice or (2) the proper slaughter of wild animals to be consumed (cf. Lev. 17:13; Deut. 12:16).

▣ "To cover it with dust" This seems to refer to the blood of their victims (cf. Lev. 17:13).

24:8 As Judah flagrantly sinned for all to see, now YHWH will judge them for all to see (cf. Deut. 29:24-28; Jer. 16:10; 22:8,9).

24:9-10 This is a reflection of vv. 3b-5. The pot of judgment is boiling and Judah is in it!

Verses 10-11 have a series of commands related to the boiling pot.

1. heap, BDB 915, KB 1176, Hiphil imperative, cf. v. 5b, 9c

2. kindle, BDB 196, KB 223, Hiphil imperative, cf. v. 5c

3. boil, BDB 1070, KB 1752, Hiphil (John J. Owens, Analytical Keys to the Old Testament, vol. 4, p. 572, calls it a Hiphil imperative, but Beall, Banks, Smith, Old Testament Parsing Guide, p. 619, calls it a Hiphil infinitive absolute. Benjamin Davidson, Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon of the Old Testament, p. 231, gives both options).

4. mix, BDB 955, KB 1289, Hiphil imperative (Owens) or infinitive absolute (Beall, Banks, Smith) or either (Davidson)

5. set, BDB 763, KB 840, Hiphil imperative, v. 11

24:10 The fully cooked meat will be poured into the fire and completely destroyed.

There is some question about the phrase.

NASB, NKJV,
NRSV"and mix in the spices"
TEV"boil away the broth"
LXX"and the liquor boiled away"
REB"pour out all the broth"
JPSOA"and stew it completely"

The MT is reflected in JPSOA (UBS Hebrew OT Text Project gives it a "B" rating), the emendation in TEV, REB, LXX.

24:11 The empty pot (cf. v. 11) is set on the hot coals and the remaining scum (or "rust") will be completely burned up and removed (i.e., ritual cleansing). Verse 12 either (1) describes YHWH's continual attempts to cleanse His people or (2) even with all of this burning (i.e., vv. 10-11), Judah is not yet clean (cf. vv. 12-13).

24:12 "She has wearied Me with toil" This refers to YHWH's attempt to bring Judah to repentance. He made a great and continuous effort to bring her back to Himself. This phrase is difficult to understand because (1) the word "toil" is unusual and found only here in the OT; (2) the verb has no object; and (3) the LXX omits it; therefore, some scholars see it as an addition.

24:13 "lewdness" This term (BDB 273) describes Judah's idolatry. It is often associated with inappropriate sexual activity (cf. 16:27,43,58; 22:9,11; 23:21,27,29,35,44,48[twice],49; 24:13).

▣ "Until I have spent My wrath on you" The verb (lit. "cease activity," BDB 628, KB 679, Hiphil infinitive construct) denotes that at some point YHWH's wrath will be appeased and brought to an end (cf. 5:13; 16:42; 21:17).

24:14 YHWH's word (prophetic predictions of judgment) is sure! He has tried again and again to get His people to repent (cf. vv. 12-13). Notice the number of "I's" in the English translation (6). Therefore, He will not (i.e., Jer. 13:14)

1. relent, BDB 828, KB 970, Qal imperfect

2. pity, BDB 299, KB 298, Qal imperfect

3. be sorry, BDB 636, KB 688, Niphal imperfect

He will judge Judah according to her ways and deeds (cf. 7:3,8,27; 18:30; 36:19). This is metaphorical language for YHWH's refusal to forgive (cf. 8:18)! Only judgment remains! The terms themselves may allude to YHWH's initial love and care in Ezek. 16:5.

24:15 The NASB 1995 Update starts a new paragraph at v. 15.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:24:15-24
¹⁵And the word of the Lord came to me saying, ¹⁶"Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. ¹⁷Groan silently; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your shoes on your feet, and do not cover your mustache and do not eat the bread of men." ¹⁸So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. ¹⁹The people said to me, "Will you not tell us what these things that you are doing mean for us?" ²⁰Then I said to them, "The word of the Lord came to me saying, ²¹'Speak to the house of Israel, "Thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I am about to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes and the delight of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. ²²You will do as I have done; you will not cover your mustache and you will not eat the bread of men. ²³Your turbans will be on your heads and your shoes on your feet. You will not mourn and you will not weep, but you will rot away in your iniquities and you will groan to one another. ²⁴Thus Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done you will do; when it comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God.'"

24:16-17 "the desire of your eyes" This shows the tenderness of Ezekiel toward his wife. This also is the metaphor used in verses 16-24 to describe the unbelievable pain of the people of Judah when Jerusalem fell.

In Ezekiel's pain he is told to

1. not mourn, BDB 704, KB 763, Qal imperfect, negated

2. not weep, BDB 113, KB 129, Qal imperfect, negated

3. no tears shall run down, BDB 97, KB 112, Qal imperfect, negated (because this phrase [1] is left out of the LXX; [2] does not fit the parallelism; and [3] is redundant with #2, many scholars think it is an addition)

This is similar to YHWH's message about grieving to Jeremiah (cf. 16:5).

Just a personal note, it is always hard for me, being a modern western person, to not be affected as an interpreter by my culture's overemphasis on the rights and value of the individual. Most societies in the world are tribal or clan-focused. It bothers me when (1) Job's children die or (2) David's child dies or (3) Jeremiah is told not to marry or (4) YHWH takes Ezekiel's wife. My mind screams to me "are not these affected individuals as important to God as the biblical characters? Does not God love and care for them? Do not His promises cover them? Do you hear the twenty-first century American in me?

God has a universal redemptive plan. This world is affected by sin. This life is only the beginning of an eternal relationship! Yes, God loves and cares for individuals, but He has bigger and better plans for all humanity. This is not the world God intended it to be!

Theologically I know that the OT attributes all causality to God as a way of affirming monotheism! He, and only He, is in control. Individuals get hurt, die, both by natural causes and by the hand of evil, manipulative people. Yet God's promises are still sure! He does care for each, but also for all (cf. II Cor. 5:21)! The book by Hannah Whithall Smith, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, has really helped me in this area.

24:17 This is a series of Hebrew cultural metaphors describing mourning rites (cf. Jer. 16:5-13). Ezekiel was not allowed to mourn ("be silent," BDB 198, KB 266, Qal imperative) for the death of his own wife. The things he was expected to do, he was told to do the opposite.

1. put on your hat

2. put on your shoes

3. do not cover your mouth

4. do not eat mourner's bread

Ezekiel's grief (i.e., v. 22) over the loss of his wife parallels YHWH's grief over the loss of His wife (i.e., Judah). However, Judah's judgment was appropriate! Grieving over them would imply that the judgment was not deserved, appropriate, and necessary (cf. Lev. 10:1-7 in Nadab and Abihu's death).

24:21 Notice the parallel phrases YHWH uses to describe Judah's feelings toward the temple.

1. the pride of your power

2. the desire of your eyes

3. the delight of your soul

Judah had substituted devotion to a building for their devotion to YHWH (cf. Jeremiah 7). This is always a problem for religiously oriented people! The goal is fellowship with God (cf. Ps. 42:1-2; 63:1; 143:6). It is an orientation of the heart, not a physical place to worship, or human performance.

24:23 "you will rot away in your iniquities" This verb (BDB 596, KB 628, Niphal perfect) is used several times by Ezekiel (cf. 4:17; 33:10) and may reflect Lev. 26:39. Jeremiah's and Ezekiel's condemnations of both Israel and Judah reflect the terminology of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 27-29.

24:24 Notice the direct speech of YHWH where Ezekiel is mentioned by name. The prophet himself is a sign (cf. v. 27; 12:11).

YHWH addresses Ezekiel directly in vv. 25-27. We, as later readers of the OT, know more about the man Ezekiel from this chapter than from any other prophet. We sense his love for his wife and his people. We feel his pain over Judean sin and incalcitrance!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:24:25-27
²⁵"'As for you, son of man, will it not be on the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their pride, the desire of their eyes and their heart's delight, their sons and their daughters, ²⁶that on that day he who escapes will come to you with information for your ears? ²⁷On that day your mouth will be opened to him who escaped, and you will speak and be mute no longer. Thus you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.'"

24:27 "On that day your mouth will be opened" Originally, after the vision of Ezekiel in chapter 1, God told the prophet that he would be unable to speak at times (cf. 3:26). Therefore, these opening chapters of Ezekiel deal quite often with symbolic action. However, after the Fall of Jerusalem, the prophet's mouth was opened (cf. 3:27; 33:22) and his message changed from doom/judgment to forgiveness/restoration! Now he could preach hope, restoration, and the renewal of covenant promises.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. What is the unifying theme of chapters 20 through 24?

2. Describe the worship of the god Molech.

3. Define divination and list its numerous forms found in the OT (cf. Deuteronomy 18).

4. Why is the marriage relationship such a good analogy to the covenant relationship?

Ezekiel 26

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Oracles Against the Nations (25:1-32:32)
		Oracles Against Tyre (26:1-28:19)
Judgment On Tyre	Proclamation Against Tyre	Tyre To Be Destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar	Prophecy Against Tyre	Against Tyre
26:1-6	26:1-14	26:1-6	26:1-2	26:1
		(2b-6)		26:2-6
			26:3-6
26:7-14		26:7-14	26:7-14	26:7
		(8-14)		26:8-14
				(8-14)
				Lament Over Tyre
26:15-18	26:15-18	26:15-18	26:15-18	26:15-16
				26:17-18
(17b-18)		(17b-18)	(17b-18)	(17b-18)
26:19-21	26:19-21	26:19-21	26:19-21	26:19-21

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:26:1-6
¹Now in the eleventh year, on the first of the month, the word of the Lord came to me saying, ²"Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem, 'Aha, the gateway of the peoples is broken; it has opened to me. I shall be filled, now that she is laid waste,' ³therefore thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. ⁴They will destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; and I will scrape her debris from her and make her a bare rock. ⁵She will be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken,' declares the Lord God, 'and she will become spoil for the nations. ⁶Also her daughters who are on the mainland will be slain by the sword, and they will know that I am the Lord.'"

26:1 Ezekiel dates his prophecies (cf. 1:1; 8:1; 20:1; 26:1; 29:1,17; 30:20; 31:1; 32:1,17; 33:21). Surprisingly, the month is not named here. His book is not in chronological sequence, which implies an editor. It must be admitted that moderns do not know how or when the OT was written and edited in its current form.

Ezekiel 26:1 through 28:19 forms a literary unit denoting Phoenicia's judgment and total destruction. See note at v. 11! The subdivisions are identified by the literary marker "the word of the Lord came to me saying" (cf. 26:1; 27:1; 28:1,11).

26:2 "I shall be filled" This verb (BDB 569, KB 583, Niphal cohortative) expresses the joy of the Phoenicians at the demise of Judah ("she is laid waste," BDB 351, KB 349, Hophal perfect, implying it was permanent).

▣ "because Tyre has said" Chapters 26-28 form a literary unit of judgment (a funeral dirge, cf. 19:1-14; 26:17-18; 27:2-9,25-36; 28:12-19; 32:2-8) against the Phoenician maritime nations of Tyre and Sidon (cf. Isa. 24; Jer. 47:4).

▣ "Aha, the gateway to the peoples is broken" Jerusalem is located on a major international highway between the powerful nation of Egypt and the powerful nations of Syria, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia. Because of her strategic location, Judah charged a tax on all of the caravans who passed this way. Tyre, also a commercial center, was glad that one more middleman was eliminated.

26:3 These nations who gloated over Judah's fall were judged by YHWH (e.g., Micah 4:11).

▣ "as the sea brings up its waves" This is a play on the fact that Tyre was an island fortress. Most of the city was located on the mainland, but the citadel was located on a rocky island about one-quarter mile off shore. During ancient times it proved to be one of the most impregnable fortresses in the Near East.

26:4 This is another reference to the island fortress (cf. v. 17). The city was finally captured by Alexander the Great in 332 b.c.

26:5 This curse is repeated in v. 14. There were two types of fishing nets used.

1. casting nets, 12:13; 32:3

2. dragnets, 26:5,14; 47:10

26:6 "her daughters who are on the mainland" This refers to the part of the city which surrounded the harbor. Only the walled citadel was on the island. It was the walls of the houses and buildings that Alexander used to build a causeway to the islands (cf. v. 12).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:26:7-14
⁷For thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry and a great army. ⁸He will slay your daughters on the mainland with the sword; and he will make siege walls against you, cast up a ramp against you and raise up a large shield against you. ⁹The blow of his battering rams he will direct against your walls, and with his axes he will break down your towers. ¹⁰Because of the multitude of his horses, the dust raised by them will cover you; your walls will shake at the noise of cavalry and wagons and chariots when he enters your gates as men enter a city that is breached. ¹¹With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets. He will slay your people with the sword; and your strong pillars will come down to the ground. ¹²Also they will make a spoil of your riches and a prey of your merchandise, break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses, and throw your stones and your timbers and your debris into the water. ¹³So I will silence the sound of your songs, and the sound of your harps will be heard no more. ¹⁴I will make you a bare rock; you will be a place for the spreading of nets. You will be built no more, for I the Lord have spoken," declares the Lord God.

26:7 "from the north" This compass direction became a proverb (e.g., Jer. 4:6; 6:1,22; 10:22; 13:20; 15:12; 46:20, 24) for evil because this was the only land route for invasion from the Fertile Crescent (i.e., Assyria in Isa. 14:31; Babylon in Jer. 1:13-15).

▣ "Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon" The name is spelled differently (BDB 613) here than in most places in the OT (Nebuchadrezzar). There is an "r" instead of an "n" in the closing part of the name. This seems to relate to the Babylonian's spelling of this king's name "Nabu-kudurri-usur," which means "Nabu, protect my boundaries" or "Nabo, protect my lands."

▣ "kings of kings" This title reflects the conquests of the Neo-Babylon Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II (cf. Jer. 27:6-7; Dan. 2:37). It was also later used of Artaxerxes, the Persian king in Ezra 7:12. It came to be a title for the Messiah (cf. I Tim. 6:15; Rev. 19:16). A similar title was used of YHWH in Deut. 10:17 and I Enoch 9:4. It is a phrase that emphasizes sovereignty!

▣ "a great army" The Babylonian army grew by including the defeated armies into their ranks as mercenaries.

26:8 "siege walls against you, cast up a mound" This may refer to two separate siege tactics or just to one (cf. II Sam. 20:15; II Kgs. 19:32; Isa. 37:33; Jer. 6:6; Ezek. 4:2; 17:17; 21:22; 26:8). These ramps allowed soldiers and siege machines (i.e., battering ram, BDB 867) to approach the stone walls of a city in order to loosen the stones and cause the wall to fall.

▣ "raise up a large shield against you" This is a technical term (BDB 857, cf. I Kgs. 10:16) for what was known as "the roof," which was raised as a shield to protect the attacking soldiers from being pelted by stones from the walls of citadels. We know that Nebuchadnezzar began this siege in 587 b.c., and it lasted until 574 b.c. Nebuchadnezzar never defeated the main citadel (cf. Ezek. 29:18), but it apparently surrendered. There is no record of the city's capture in the Babylonian chronicles.

26:9 Nebuchadnezzar's siege machines never reached the island citadel of Tyre, but Alexander's did in 332 b.c.

▣ "blow of his battering rams" This is a rare term (BDB 562 II). In Num. 34:11 it is translated "border" (KB 568 or "to run along beside"), but that meaning does not fit this text in Ezekiel.

26:11-12 There is a switch from the pronoun "he" (v. 11) to "they" (v. 12) in these verses. Some have assumed a theological significance that this refers to subsequent besiegers of Tyre, like Alexander the Great, to whom the city fell in 332 b.c. See Gleason L. Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, pp. 276-278.

26:11 Some would read these words and assert that the Bible is in error at this point. We must remember that prophecy is hyperbolic literary genre. One book that has really helped me in my understanding of both prophecy and apocalyptic literature is D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic.

▣ "your strong pillars" From the historian, Heroditus (II. 44), we understand there were two famous obelisks in the city of Tyre. One was gold and the other was emerald and they were dedicated to the god Melqart ("King of the City"), probably the Ba'al brought into Israel by Jezebel (cf. I Kgs. 16:21-32).

26:13 This is an idiomatic way of asserting their society will cease (i.e., Isa. 23:16; 24:8,9). Tyre may have been renowned for her musicians (cf. Isa. 23:16).

26:14 "a place for the spreading of nets" The citadel will be so completely destroyed that all it will be good for is drying fishermen's nets (cf. v. 5). This was historically fulfilled in Alexander's conquest.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:26:15-18
¹⁵Thus says the Lord God to Tyre, "Shall not the coastlands shake at the sound of your fall when the wounded groan, when the slaughter occurs in your midst? ¹⁶Then all the princes of the sea will go down from their thrones, remove their robes and strip off their embroidered garments. They will clothe themselves with trembling; they will sit on the ground, tremble every moment and be appalled at you. ¹⁷They will take up a lamentation over you and say to you,
'How you have perished, O inhabited one,
From the seas, O renowned city,
Which was mighty on the sea,
She and her inhabitants,
Who imposed her terror
On all her inhabitants!
¹⁸Now the coastlands will tremble
On the day of your fall;
Yes, the coastlands which are by the sea
Will be terrified at your passing.'"

26:15 "groan" This verb (BDB 60, KB 72) occurs three times in Ezekiel.

1. 9:4, those who sigh and groan over Judah's sins

2. 24:17, Ezekiel groans quietly over the death of his wife

3. 26:15, the dying of Tyre groan loudly at their approaching death (cf. Job 24:12; Jer. 51:52; Ezek. 30:24). It occurs only one other time in the OT, Jer. 51:52. The noun (BDB 60) occurs in Ps. 12:5; 79:11; 102:20; Mal. 2:13.

26:16 "they will sit on the ground" This is a sign of mourning (e.g., Lam. 2:10, esp. for a king, cf. Isa. 47:1).

▣ "trembling. . .tremble" This term (BDB 353, KB 350) denotes great fear. It is used twice (verb and noun) in this verse. The ones trembling are the colonies which the Phoenicians had started all around the Mediterranean. These outposts of Phoenician culture were dependant on Tyre.

▣ "be appalled at you" This verb (BDB 1030, KB 1563, Qal perfect) denotes astonishment at YHWH's judgment (cf. Lev. 26:32; Job 17:8; Isa. 52:14; Jer. 50:13; Ezek. 26:16; 27:35; 28:19; 32:10; Dan. 8:27). This fear at the fall of a powerful commercial nation is used in Revelation 18.

26:17-18 This is a lamentation (BDB 884, cf. 2:10; 19:1,14; 27:2,32; 32:2,16) in poetic form.

26:17

NASB, NKJV,
PESHITTA"O inhabited one"
LXX, NRSV,
NJB"vanished"

The MT reflects option 1 (נושבת). The second option is from the Septuagint and involves an emendation (נשבת). The UBS Hebrew OT Text Project gives option 1 a "B" rating.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:26:19-21
¹⁹For thus says the Lord God, "When I make you a desolate city, like the cities which are not inhabited, when I bring up the deep over you and the great waters cover you, ²⁰then I will bring you down with those who go down to the pit, to the people of old, and I will make you dwell in the lower parts of the earth, like the ancient waste places, with those who go down to the pit, so that you will not be inhabited; but I will set glory in the land of the living. ²¹I will bring terrors on you and you will be no more; though you will be sought, you will never be found again," declares the Lord God.

26:19 "the deep over you and the great waters" This refers to the chaotic waters of creation (cf. Gen. 1:2,6-7,9-10), which became known as Sheol or the holding place of the dead (i.e., "the pit," v. 20; 31:16; Ps. 28:1; 30:3; 40:2; 88:4; 143:7; Pro. 1:12; Isa. 14:15; 38:18). See Special Topic at 3:18.

"The deep" is the Hebrew term tehom (BDB 1062 #3, KB 1690-91). A similar, but different, Hebrew root is personified as Tiamat in the Sumerian and Babylonian creation myths as the monster of chaos and the mother of the gods, wife of Apsu. She tried to kill all lesser gods that came forth from her. Marduk killed her. Out of her body Marduk fashioned heaven and earth in the Babylonian Genesis account called Enuma Elish. The Hebrews believed that water was the beginning element of creation (cf. Ps. 24:1; 104:6; II Pet. 3:5). It is never said to have been created. However, the Hebrew term is masculine, not feminine and it is unrelated etymologically to Tiamat.

There are passages in the OT which describe YHWH in conflict with personified watery chaos (cf. Ps. 74:13-14; 89:9-10; 104:6-7; Isa. 51:9-10). However, these are always in poetical, metaphorical passages. Water is a crucial aspect of creation (cf. 1:2b,6-7), but its creation is never mentioned.

26:20 "I shall bring you down with those who go down to the pit" This refers to Sheol, the holding place of the dead until judgment day. The rabbis speculated that it was divided into two sections—the righteous dead and the wicked dead. See Special Topic: Where Are the Dead at 3:18.

This three-level worldview (earth for the living, below the earth for the dead, and heaven above, e.g., Ps. 139:8; Amos 9:2) was based on the burial practice of the Jews. The dead were buried, so they were in the ground (cf. 31:14,16,18; 32:18,24). Smoke from the sacrifices and incense altars rose to God so heaven was up. This is metaphorical, not literal (e.g., Isa. 14:9-10). In reality Scripture reveals very little about the afterlife (heaven or hell), but focuses on choices, actions, and consequences of current reality!

NASB, NKJV"I shall set glory in the land of the living"
NRSV"or have a place in the land of the living"
TEV"and take your place in the land of the living"
NJB"or be restored to the land of the land of the living"
LXX"nor rise (or stand) upon a land of life"
Peshitta"and I will not cause your resurrection in the land of the living"
REB"or take your place in the land of the living"

The MT has "and I will give beauty (BDB 840) in the land of the living," which does not make sense in this context, unless it is a statement of pride, like 28:2,12. So, most modern English translations follow the Septuagint. The Syrian (Aramaic) text relates the phrase to Judah's restoration.

Ezekiel 27

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Oracle Against the Nations (25:1-32:32)
Lament Over Tyre	Lamentation For Tyre	Lamentation Over Tyre	A Funeral Song for Tyre	Second Lament Over the Fall of Tyre
27:1-9	27:1-9	27:1-11	27:1-9	27:1-9a
(3c-9)	(3c-9)	(3c-11)	(3c-9)	(3c-9a)
				27:9b-36
27:10-11	27:10-11		27:10-11
	(10-11)
27:12-25	27:12-26	27:12-36	27:12-34
(25b)	(25-26)	(25b-36)	(25b-34)	(25-27)
27:26-36
(26-36)
	27:27-36
	(27-28)
				(28-32a)
	(29-36)
				(32b-36)
			27:35-36

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:27:1-9
¹Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me saying, ²"And you, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre; ³and say to Tyre, who dwells at the entrance to the sea, merchant of the peoples to many coastlands, 'Thus says the Lord God,
"O Tyre, you have said, 'I am perfect in beauty.'
⁴Your borders are in the heart of the seas;
Your builders have perfected your beauty.
⁵They have made all your planks of fir trees from Senir;
They have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.
⁶Of oaks from Bashan they have made your oars;
With ivory they have inlaid your deck of boxwood from the coastlands of Cyprus.
⁷Your sail was of fine embroidered linen from Egypt
So that it became your distinguishing mark;
Your awning was blue and purple from the coastlands of Elishah.
⁸The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers;
Your wise men, O Tyre, were aboard; they were your pilots.
⁹The elders of Gebal and her wise men were with you repairing your seams;
All the ships of the sea and their sailors were with you in order to deal in your merchandise.

27:1 This is a literary marker for a new subject or development of a larger unit (i.e., 26:1-28:26). Notice that it occurs in 26:1; 27:1; 28:1,11,20.

27:2 "take up" This is a Qal imperative (BDB 669, KB 724, cf. v. 12; 19:1; 26:17).

▣ "lamentations" See note at 26:17.

27:3 This chapter is an allegorical personification of Tyre as the beautiful and well-equipped merchant ship. A good title would be "The Flagship Tyre of the Materialistic Fleet."

▣ "I am perfect in beauty" This was the problem, the arrogance of the king of Tyre (cf. vv. 4,11; 28:2-5,15,17 and possibly 26:20).

27:5 Notice the poetic parallelism.

1. fir (juniper) from Senir, v. 5

2. cedar from Lebanon, v. 5

3. oaks from Bashan, v. 6

4. boxwood from Cyprus, v. 6

5. sails from Egypt, v. 7

6. awnings from Elishah (BDB 47), v. 7

7. rowers from Sidon and Arvad (BDB 71), v. 8

8. wise men from Tyre as pilots, v. 8

9. maintenance workers from Gebal (BDB 148), v. 9

This ship was made of the best and most beautiful material and manned by the best possible crew.

▣ "Senir" This (BDB 972) is the Amorite term for Mount Hermon (cf. Deut. 3:9; I Chr. 5:23; Song of Songs 4:8).

27:6 "of boxwood" The MT reads "daughters of Ashurim," but by making the construct (BDB 123 and 81) into one word, "made with boxwood" (see UBS, Fauna and Flora of the Bible, p. 99). This tree is mentioned in Isa. 41:19; 60:13. A type of tree fits the context better than a place name.

27:7

NASB"distinguishing mark"
NRSV"ensign"
TEV"easily recognized from afar"
NJB"your flag"

This term (BDB 651) normally stands for a military banner or sign. Here it refers to a characteristic type of sail that denotes "the flagship of Tyre"!

▣ "purple" It was a very expensive dye made from the mollusk shell of Murex, which are found in abundance along this portion of the Mediterranean coast.

▣ "Elishnah" From Gen. 10:4 we learn this was a tribe of Javan (Greece, cf. I Chr. 1:7). It seems to refer to inhabitants of the Aegean Islands, possibly Cyprus. The NIV Study Bible (p. 1263) identifies it as a city on the east side of Cyprus, but this is speculation.

27:8 "Arvad" This (BDB 71) is another off-shore island about 100 miles north of Tyre. It was a Phoenician settlement.

27:9 "Gebal" This (BDB 148) is the modern city Byblos, which is located on the coast between Sidon and Arvad.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:27:10-11
¹⁰"Persia and Lud and Put were in your army, your men of war. They hung shield and helmet in you; they set forth your splendor. ¹¹The sons of Arvad and your army were on your walls, all around, and the Gammadim were in your towers. They hung their shields on your walls all around; they perfected your beauty."

27:10-25 This section lists many nations. It is similar to Genesis 10. Some nations are listed as part of Tyre's military and some as her trading partners. It is somewhat hyperbolic to demonstrate Tyre's influence, power, and commercial reach.

A. military

1. Persia

2. Lud

3. Put

4. Arvad

5. Gammad

B. trading partners

1. Tarshish

a. silver

b. iron

c. tin

d. lead

2. Javan, Tubal, and Meshech

a. slaves

b. bronze vessels

3. Beth-togarmah

a. horses

b. mules

4. Dedan and coastlands

a. ivory

b. ebony

5. Syria (Aram)

a. emeralds

b. purple dye

c. embroidered cloth

d. fine linen

e. coral

f. rubies

6. Judah and Israel

a. wheat

b. pannag (BDB 815, only here, some kind of food)

c. honey

d. olive oil

e. balm/balsam resin

7. Damascus

a. wine

b. white or reddish gray (BDB 856 construct 850) wool

8. Vedan and Javan (spelled different from v. 13)

a. iron

b. cassia spice

c. calamus, aromatic reed ("sweet cane")

9. Arabia and Kedar

a. lambs

b. rams

c. goats

10. Sheba and Raamah

a. spices

b. jewels

c. gold

11. Haran, Canneh, Eden, Sheba, Asshur, Chilmad

a. blue cloths

b. embroidered cloth

c. carpets in many colors

d. ropes

27:10 "Persia and Lud and Put" These same countries had mercenaries in many armies (cf. 30:5; 38:5; Jer. 46:9). Lud, in some translations, refers to North Africa and in others, to Asia Minor. Put, in the Septuagint, refers to the Libyans (i.e., North Africa), but from Gen. 10:6 it seems to be on the coast of Africa by the Red Sea. Some of these geographical sites can be identified with people from Genesis 10 who later become tribes, localities, and countries.

▣ "They hung shield and helmet in you" This was a type of standard decoration for military installations. Tyre used mercenaries who displayed their national military insignias (e.g., I Kgs. 10:16-17).

27:11 "Arvad" The place name "Arvad" (BDB 71) is mentioned in Gen. 10:18 (from Canaanite line, cf. I Chr. 1:16). It is a city located (as Tyre is) just off the coast on a small island in the northern area of Phoenician territory.

NASB"Gammadim"
NKJV, JPSOA"Gammad"
NRSV, TEV"Gamad"
NJB"Gammadians"
Peshitta"your army"
Targum of
Jonathan"Cappodocia"

This term (BDB 167, KB 196) is found only here. BDB assumes it means "valorous men," but the LXX and Peshitta assume "guardians" or "wall soldiers." It may be a place name referring to another coastal city near Arvad (NIV Study Bible, p. 1263). The thrust of the phrase is that although Tyre had numerous mercenaries, she trusted the defense of her protective walls to her own soldiers.

▣ "they perfected your beauty" This is a repeated phrase. See note at v. 4. It is significant because of its use in chapter 28.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:27:12-25
¹²"Tarshish was your customer because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth; with silver, iron, tin and lead they paid for your wares. ¹³Javan, Tubal and Meshech, they were your traders; with the lives of men and vessels of bronze they paid for your merchandise. ¹⁴Those from Beth-togarmah gave horses and war horses and mules for your wares. ¹⁵The sons of Dedan were your traders. Many coastlands were your market; ivory tusks and ebony they brought as your payment. ¹⁶Aram was your customer because of the abundance of your goods; they paid for your wares with emeralds, purple, embroidered work, fine linen, coral and rubies. ¹⁷Judah and the land of Israel, they were your traders; with the wheat of Minnith, cakes, honey, oil and balm they paid for your merchandise. ¹⁸Damascus was your customer because of the abundance of your goods, because of the abundance of all kinds of wealth, because of the wine of Helbon and white wool. ¹⁹Vedan and Javan paid for your wares from Uzal; wrought iron, cassia and sweet cane were among your merchandise. ²⁰Dedan traded with you in saddlecloths for riding. ²¹Arabia and all the princes of Kedar, they were your customers for lambs, rams and goats; for these they were your customers. ²²The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they traded with you; they paid for your wares with the best of all kinds of spices, and with all kinds of precious stones and gold. ²³Haran, Canneh, Eden, the traders of Sheba, Asshur and Chilmad traded with you. ²⁴They traded with you in choice garments, in clothes of blue and embroidered work, and in carpets of many colors and tightly wound cords, which were among your merchandise. ²⁵The ships of Tarshish were the carriers for your merchandise.
And you were filled and were very glorious
In the heart of the seas.

27:12 "Tarshish" It is surprising that this term (BDB 1077) appears to be a place name because it is also a person in Gen. 10:4. Several other persons from Genesis 10 are mentioned in this context (i.e., Elishah, Arvad). The term is used in several senses in Scripture.

A. Persons

1. grandson of Javan (Greece) and brother to Elishah in Gen. 10:4; I Chr. 1:7

2. grandson of Benjamin in I Chr. 7:20

3. one of the powerful seven princes of Persia in Esther 1:14

B. Places

1. Phoenician mining city in southern Spain on the Guadalquiver River

2. Phoenician colony in north Africa, Carthage (LXX translation of 27:12)

3. Phoenician colony in Indian Ceylon

4. Phoenician colony on Sardina (city of Nora)

5. an idiom for the end of the earth

C. Things

1. precious stones (cf. Exod. 28:20; 39:13; Ezek. 10:9; 28:13; Dan. 10:6; Rev. 21:20)

2. special ships (cf. I Kgs. 10:22; 22:48; II Chr. 9:21; Ps. 48:7; Isa. 2:16; 23:1; 60:9)

27:13 "Javan" Because of the spelling "ionia" (BDB 402), most commentators refer this to Greece. It is spelled differently from the same word used in v. 19 (BDB 402).

▣ "Tubal and Meshech" In Gen. 10:2 and I Chr. 1:5 these are listed as sons or descendants of Japheth, one of Noah's three sons.

1. Gomer (his son Togarmah, cf. v. 14; Gen. 10:3)

2. Magog

3. Madai

4. Javan

5. Tubal

6. Meshech

7. Tiras

The significance is that several of these are mentioned as tribes or peoples in Ezekiel 38-39 (i.e., #1,2,5,6). They were inhabitants of eastern Turkey (Anatolia). They are mentioned by

1. Herodotus (3:94; 7:28)

2. Josephus (Antiq. 1.124)

▣ "the lives of men" This refers to the slave trade (cf. Joel 3:4-8; Amos 1:9, 10; Rev. 18:12).

27:14 "Beth-togarmah" This is identified with Armenia (cf. Gen. 10:3).

27:15 "Dedan" This is a descendant of Ham (cf. Gen. 10:7; I Chr. 1:9) and a brother of Sheba (cf. Ezek. 38:13,14). The same group is mentioned in v. 20 as an Arabian tribe (possibly related to a specific desert oasis close to Tema). The LXX changed it to Rhodes. Because it is identified in context with "coast lands" (BDB 912). It is possible that it relates to a region north of Tyre known as "Danuna" in the Amarna letters (IVP Bible Background Commentary, p. 713).

27:16 "Syria" Some Hebrew manuscripts and the Peshita relate this to Edom, which involves an emendation of the Hebrew text (see NAB, NEB, REB).

"Edom" is spelled אדמ, while "Aram" is spelled ארל. As you can see the letters d and r are formed in similar ways and easily confused in copying. The MT has "Aram" (BDB 74). Why Damascus is listed separately in v. 18 is uncertain. Aram was a coalition of independent tribes/clans north of Palestine and west of Assyria. Damascus may have had special autonomy.

NASB, NKJV,
TEV"emeralds"
NRSV, JPSOA,
NIV"turquoise"
NJB, REB"garnets"
JB, Josephus"carbuncle"

This term (BDB 656) refers to some kind of precious stone (cf. 28:13). It was one of the jewels in the High Priest's breastplate (cf. Exod. 28:13; 39:11).

▣ "rubies" This rare term (BDB 461) occurs only here and in Isa. 54:12. It may be related to the Aramaic root "to sparkle" or "a red-hot rod." Rubies were not common in this area of the world until a later date.

27:17 Notice it says "Judah and the land of Israel." Judah was still (or until very recently) an existing nation, but Israel had been exiled by Assyria in 722 b.c. and was no longer a nation.

▣ "Minnith" This is a location in Ammon (cf. Jdgs. 11:33) which produced especially fine wheat.

NASB"cakes"
NKJV, NRSV"millet"
NJB, JPSOA"pannag"
JB"wax"
REB"meal"

This term (BDB 815) appears only here in the OT. In context it refers to some type of merchandise, probably food. In Akkadian the root means "pastry."

27:18 "Helbon" This (KB 316 II, i.e., "forest place") refers to a grape-growing area several miles north of Damascus.

NASB, NKJV,
NRSV, JPSOA"white wool"
TEV"Sahar"
NJB"Zahar"
REB"Suhar"
BDB"reddish-grey"

The KB 1019 denotes the BDB meaning comes from Arabic. It also notes that it can refer to a territory northwest of Damascus, called "es-Sahra."

27:19

NASB, NRSV,
JPSOA"Vedan"
NKJV, NJB,
Peshitta"Dan"
NIV"Danites"

Both lexicons, BDB (255) and KB (259), assert the meaning as "uncertain." Some scholars think it is a place name near Medina, Arabia. Most assert a textual corruption. However, since it is linked to Javan (Greece) it may be another name for them (i.e., Homer and the History Channel video, "Decoding the Exodus"). The Septuagint has "and wine from" instead of a name.

▣ "Uzal" This may be (1) the capital of Yemen (BDB 23); (2) a word for "yarn" (BDB 23); or (3) a city (Izalla) in Cilicia (IVP Bible Background Commentary, p. 713).

27:20-22 "Dedan, Arabia, Kedar, and Raamah" These all refer to Arabian tribes.

27:23 All of these locations are in Mesopotamia and most are associated with Assyria. The Jewish Study Bible asserts that the first three of these are all Syrian cities (p. 1094, cf. Gen. 12:4; 10:10; II Kgs. 19:12; Isa. 10:9; 37:12; Amos 1:5).

▣ "Asshur" Asshur (BDB 78) is a son of Shem (cf. Gen. 10:22; I Chr. 1:17). It becomes a region synonymous with Assyria. One of the national gods of Assyria is named Asshur. Asshur became the name of one of the capitals of Assyria.

▣ "Chilmad" This place (BDB 484) is unknown. The Targums revocalize the consonants and come up with "all Media" (cf. Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 1, p. 908).

27:24 "clothes" Another rare term is "clothes" (BDB 166). The noun is found only here and the verb (i.e., "to wrap") only in II Kgs. 2:8. It refers to a large garment wrapped around the body (i.e., same meaning in Aramaic, Syrian, Arabic, and Persian, NIDOTTE, vol. 1., p. 865).

▣ "carpets of many colors" This phrase has two rare words.

1. "Carpets" (BDB 170) possibly means chests (cf. NKJV). It is found only here and in Esther 3:9 and 4:7, where it is translated "treasury."

2. The phrase "many colors" (BDB 140) occurs only here. In Arabic it denotes a rope made of two colors. The trilateral root means "to twist."

27:25

NASB, NKJV,
TEV, NIV"the carriers for your merchandise"
NRSV,
NASB (margin)"travelers for your trade"
NJB"soiled in your business"
JPSOA"in the service of your trade"
REB"caravans of your imports"

The root (BDB 1003-1004, KB 1449-1452) has several meanings.

1. to travel, to journey

2. to behold, to regard

3. (unknown, Ps. 92:12)

4. head of cattle, bullock

5. wall

Context determines meaning. In this context #1 fits best. There are no guarantees on exact meaning for roots that

1. are rare

2. are used in poetic texts

3. are uncertain as to which root it derives

Even ancient cognate languages are unable to precisely define all Hebrew terms.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:27:26-36
²⁶"Your rowers have brought you
Into great waters;
The east wind has broken you
In the heart of the seas.
₂₇Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise,
Your sailors and your pilots,
Your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandise
And all your men of war who are in you,
With all your company that is in your midst,
Will fall into the heart of the seas
On the day of your overthrow.
²⁸At the sound of the cry of your pilots
The pasture lands will shake.
²⁹All who handle the oar,
The sailors and all the pilots of the sea
Will come down from their ships;
They will stand on the land,
³⁰And they will make their voice heard over you
And will cry bitterly.
They will cast dust on their heads,
They will wallow in ashes.
³¹Also they will make themselves bald for you
And gird themselves with sackcloth;
And they will weep for you in bitterness of soul
With bitter mourning.
³²Moreover, in their wailing they will take up a lamentation for you
And lament over you:
'Who is like Tyre,
Like her who is silent in the midst of the sea?
³³When your wares went out from the seas,
You satisfied many peoples;
With the abundance of your wealth and your merchandise
You enriched the kings of earth.
³⁴Now that you are broken by the seas
In the depths of the waters,
Your merchandise and all your company
Have fallen in the midst of you.
³⁵All the inhabitants of the coastlands
Are appalled at you,
And their kings are horribly afraid;
They are troubled in countenance.
³⁶The merchants among the peoples hiss at you;
You have become terrified
And you will cease to be forever.'"

27:26-36 This starts the second poetic lament of chapter 27 (cf. vv. 3b-9). This lament first lists all of the people/groups mentioned in the first poem (those who built, manned the ships of Tyre and those who guarded the city). They will all be shipwrecked with the "great ship of Tyre." Then in vv. 30-32, these same groups mourn for Tyre's destruction (i.e., and their own).

27:26 "the east wind" See note at 17:10.

▣ "into great waters" Again this may refer to the chaotic waters of creation. Notice v. 34 "broken by the seas in the depth of the waters." See note at 26:3,19-21.

27:30-32 This is a series of mourning rites.

1. cry bitterly, vv. 30,31,32

2. put dust on their heads

3. wallow in ashes

4. pull out their hair

5. put on sackcloth

27:32

NASB, TEV,
JPSOA"like her who is silent in the midst of the sea"
NKJV, NRSV,
NAB"destroyed in the midst of the sea"
NJB"far out to sea"
Peshitta"built in the midst of the sea"

The Hebrew root דמה has several meanings (KB 225-226). BDB 199 has "one silenced, brought to silence (destroyed)." Either option fits the context. JB speculates "with haughty Tyre" (cf. vv. 3c-9).

27:34 Tyre is lost in the depth (BDB 771) of the chaotic waters sent by YHWH. The ship, the contents, and all on board are lost!

27:35 Trembling takes hold of fearful people (cf. 32:10; Job 18:20; also notice Exod. 15:14,15; Isa. 21:3; 33:13; Jer. 13:21). Note the parallel in 26:16.

27:36 "The merchants among the people" Ezekiel's knowledge of the trading centers and their known exports is absolutely amazing. This chapter forms one of the most detailed commercial chapters anywhere in ancient literature.

▣ "hiss at you" This (BDB 1056) is an audible gesture of astonishment (cf. Jer. 19:8; 49:17; 50:13). It also can be used of derision (cf. II Chr. 29:8; Jer. 25:9,18; 29:18; 51:37; Lam. 2:15; Micah 6:16). In context it is hard to make a distinction between astonishment and a sense of the appropriateness of what has happened.

Ezekiel 28

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Oracles Against the Nations (25:1-32:32)
		Oracles Against Tyre (26:1-28:19)
Tyre's King Overthrown	Proclamation Against the King of Tyre	Oracle Against Tyre	Prophecy Against the King of Tyre	Against the King of Tyre
28:1-10	28:1-10	28:1-10	28:1-5	28:1-10
(2b-5)	(2b-5)	(2b-10)		(2b-5)
(6b-10)	(6b-10		28:6-10	(6b-10)
	Lamentation for the King of Tyre	Lamentation Over the King of Tyre	The Fall of the King of Tyre	The Fall of the King of Tyre
28:11-19	28:11-19	28:11-19	28:11-19	28:11-19
(12c-19)	(12c-13)	(12c-19)		(12c-19)
	(14-15)
	(16)
	(17-19)
Judgment on Sidon	Proclamation Against Sidon	Oracle Against Sidon	Prophecy Against Sidon	Against Sidon
28:20-24	28:20-23	28:20-23	28:20-23	28:20-23
(22b-23)	(22b-23)	(22b-23)		(22b-23)
		Restoration of Israel	Israel Will Be Blessed	Israel Delivered From the Nations
	28:24	28:24	28:24	28:24
Israel Regathered	Israel's Future Blessing
28:25-26	28:25-26	28:25-26	28:25-26	28:25-26

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. Chapter 28 is part of a larger literary unit (i.e., chapters 26-28), which denotes the fall of Phoenicia.

B. Phoenicia, once a friend of Israel (i.e., supplied materials for the temple), became a pagan empire exporting Ba'al worship (i.e., Jezebel, queen of Ahab, cf. I Kgs. 16:29-34; 18-19).

C. Phoenicia (like Edom) was a godless nation. Her pride and slave trade made her an example of human society functioning apart from God.

D. For many years I saw this chapter and Isaiah 14 as referring to Satan, but in context this cannot be. It is true that human leaders and Satan share the problem of pride, arrogance, and rebellion. Because the descriptions from the Garden of Eden are also used of the person of chapter 28, it is obvious to me this was the only passage in the Bible that described the fall of Satan.

But wait, this chapter is about the king of Tyre, as Isaiah 14 is about the king of Babylon. Yet, what about the Garden of Eden descriptions? The king of Tyre was not in the Garden of Eden; he was not a covering cherub!

The answer to this quandary came home to me when I realized that Pharaoh is also described in Garden of Eden metaphors in Ezekiel 31. Ezekiel uses Edenic metaphors. Because I am a conservative Christian who honors and respects Scripture, without even thinking about it, I assumed that for it to be true it must be "literal." I have come to realize it is "literary." Here are the two books that have helped me deal with my American, twentieth century, conservative biases.

1. How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Doug Stuart

2. Plowshares and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic by D. Brent Sandy

Authorial intent, literary and historical context, and genre are the keys in interpreting the Bible!

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:28:1-10
¹The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, ²"Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, 'Thus says the Lord God,
"Because your heart is lifted up
And you have said, 'I am a god,
I sit in the seat of gods In the heart of the seas';
Yet you are a man and not God,
Although you make your heart like the heart of God —
³Behold, you are wiser than Daniel;
There is no secret that is a match for you.
⁴By your wisdom and understanding
You have acquired riches for yourself
And have acquired gold and silver for your treasuries.
⁵By your great wisdom, by your trade
You have increased your riches
And your heart is lifted up because of your riches —
⁶Therefore thus says the Lord God,
'Because you have made your heart
Like the heart of God,
⁷Therefore, behold, I will bring strangers upon you,
The most ruthless of the nations.
And they will draw their swords
Against the beauty of your wisdom
And defile your splendor.
⁸They will bring you down to the pit,
And you will die the death of those who are slain
In the heart of the seas.
⁹Will you still say, "I am a god,"
In the presence of your slayer,
Though you are a man and not God,
In the hands of those who wound you?
¹⁰You will die the death of the uncircumcised
By the hand of strangers,
For I have spoken!' declares the Lord God!"'"

28:1 "say to the leader of Tyre" At this time the leader of Tyre was Ittobaal, who had been the High Priest of Astarte and who assassinated the heir of Hiram I. Hiram's daughter was Jezebel, who was married to Ahab, king of Israel. Sennacherib appointed a later descendant, Ittobaal II (also known as Ethbaal II and Ithobalus II), king of Tyre (590-543 b.c.).

Tyre was the capital of the Phoenician empire. Tyrians were extremely arrogant because of their commercial prowess and their kings claimed to be descendants of the gods. This was also the claim of the Pharaohs of Egypt.

This section has caused great consternation to commentators. It seems to refer to a human king, but is described in supernatural terms (cf. Isa. 14:12-20). It is possible that Isaiah 14 refers to a military power that has gone beyond the bounds of pride and Ezekiel 28 refers to a commercial power that has gone beyond the bounds of pride (cf. vv. 2,9,16).

▣ "Because your heart is lifted up" See Special Topic at 11:19.

▣ "is lifted up" This verb (BDB 146, KB 170, Qal perfect) can have two senses.

1. positive

a. God, Isa. 5:16

b. Messiah, Isa. 52:13

c. God's ways, Isa. 55:9

d. God's true followers, II Chr. 17:6

2. negative

a. II Chr. 26:16; 32:25

b. Ps. 131:1 (the psalmist asserts he is not)

c. Pro. 18:12

d. Isa. 3:16

e. Jer. 13:15

f. Ezek. 16:50; 28:2,5,17

g. Zeph. 3:11

3. the noun is also used of haughty people

a. II Chr. 32:26

b. Ps. 10:4

c. Pro. 16:18

d. Jer. 48:29

4. as is the adjective

a. I Sam. 2:3

b. Ps. 101:5; 138:6

c. Pro. 16:5

d. Eccl. 7:8

e. Isa. 5:15

The major problem of mankind (and some angels) is pride (cf. 16:49; 24:21; 27:3; 28:2-6,9,17; Gen. 3:5; Isa. 10:12; 14:13,14; 23:8-12; 25:11-12; Jer. 48:29-30; Daniel 2-4, esp. 4:29-30; Zeph. 2:8-11; 3:11; I Tim. 3:6). Notice the Proverbs that deal with this sin: 11:2; 13:10; 16:18; 29:23.

I think pride, arrogance, and self-centeredness are the epitome of the attitude of independence and self-achievement, which characterizes the fall of Genesis 3. Salvation is a restoration of the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-27) from the original creation. Intimate fellowship with God, for which humans were created, is possible again, even now in a fallen world. The evidence that salvation/conversion has occurred is that the new creation is selfless, not self-centered. Selflessness is analogous to Christlikeness, which is God's irreducible will for every Christian!

▣ "I am a god" Also see vv. 6 and 9. This possibly reflects the kings of Tyre's (esp. Ittbaal II) claims that they were part god, like Hercules. Tyre's chief deity, Melqart (i.e., "king of the city") was called the Tyrian Hercules.

▣ "I sit in the seats of the gods" This phrase is parallel with the next one. It is possibly a reference to Poseidon or Neptune.

▣ "In the heart of the seas" Tyre's unique physical location was a source of security and pride.

▣ "Yet you are a man and not God" Because of this phrase, repeated three times for emphasis in vv. 4, 8, and 9, it is obvious that this refers to the political leader of Tyre as representative of the whole nation. This would not fit Satan at all! But it might fit the political leader of I Thess. 2:4 (i.e., the Man of Lawlessness or the Antichrist).

28:3 "you are wiser than Daniel" To whom does this refer? Daniel, who was a contemporary of Ezekiel in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, or to the famous Ugarit Danel of the Ugaritic Rash Shamra texts. See note at 14:14. When all is said and done, I still must go with Daniel of the Bible, but it is not an easy choice.

There is an obvious purposeful literary allusion to Genesis 1-3 in this chapter. The wisdom of the tree of knowledge (cf. Gen. 2:9,17; 3:3,11) here denotes commercial skills (cf. vv. 3-5). It was a wisdom that destroyed!

Notice all the different terms used in vv. 3-10.

1. wiser than Daniel, adjective, BDB 314

2. no secret hidden (cf. Dan. 8:26; 12:4,9)

3. wisdom, BDB 315

4. understanding, BDB 108

5. great wisdom, BDB 913, 315

6. the beauty of your wisdom, BDB 421, 315

7. possibly "splendor" (BDB 422) is parallel to wisdom in v. 7

Number 2 is obviously sarcasm (cf. E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech in the Bible, p. 810) or all are a series of self-descriptions.

28:4 "wisdom. . .acquired riches" There seem to be three sources of the arrogance of the Tyrian people: (1) wisdom; (2) power and wealth; and (3) beauty (cf. vv. 5,17; 27:3,4,10-11,25).

28:7 "strangers" The term (BDB 266, KB 267, Qal participle) refers to foreign invaders (cf. Isa. 1:7; 25:2,5; 29:5; 61:5; Jer. 5:19; 30:8; 51:2,51; Lam. 5:2; Ezek. 7:21; 11:9; 16:32; 28:7,10; 30:12; 31:12) who worship foreign (i.e., "strange") gods (cf. Deut. 32:16; Isa. 17:10; Jer. 2:25; 3:13; 5:19).

▣ "most ruthless of nations" Here this (BDB 792, lit. "terror-striking") refers to the Babylonians (cf. 30:11; 31:12; 32:12; Isa. 13:11). Nebuchadnezzar besieged the island fortress for over a decade and destroyed the city on the mainland (cf. 26:3-14; Hab. 1:6-8). Apparently the island fortress finally surrendered.

28:8 "the pit" See Special Topic at 3:18.

▣ "you will die the death of" This verse is referring to drowning (cf. 27:27,34). Remember Tyre is depicted as a beautiful, expensive cargo ship in chapter 27, which is destroyed by God's east wind and sinks with all cargo and all hands.

28:9 "Will you still say" The shocking claim to deity is emphasized in the Hebrew by a repetition of the Qal infinitive absolute and the imperfect verb of the same root, "say" (BDB 55, KB 65).

28:10 "the death of the uncircumcised" Since all peoples of Canaan practiced circumcision, mostly at puberty, this must refer to something else (cf. 31:18; 32:19,21).

1. uncircumcised people were thought to be residents of the lowest part of the underworld

2. a special category of the dead, like the unburied, possibly referring to children who died before puberty

The term "death" is plural, which denotes an awful death.

▣ "‘For I have spoken!' declares the Lord God" God's word is sure (cf. 5:17; 6:10; 12:25,28; 17:24; 21:32; 22:14; 24:14; 26:5,14; 30:12; 34:24; 36:36; 37:14; 39:5,8)!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:28:11-19
¹¹Again the word of the Lord came to me saying, ¹²"Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord God,
"You had the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
¹³You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The ruby, the topaz and the diamond;
The beryl, the onyx and the jasper;
The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald;
And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets,
Was in you.
On the day that you were created
They were prepared.
¹⁴You were the anointed cherub who covers,
And I placed you there.
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
¹⁵You were blameless in your ways
From the day you were created
Until unrighteousness was found in you.
¹⁶By the abundance of your trade
You were internally filled with violence,
And you sinned;
Therefore I have cast you as profane
From the mountain of God.
And I have destroyed you,
O covering cherub,
From the midst of the stones of fire.
¹⁷Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor.
I cast you to the ground;
I put you before kings,
That they may see you.
¹⁸By the multitude of your iniquities,
In the unrighteousness of your trade
You profaned your sanctuaries.
Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you;
It has consumed you,
And I have turned you to ashes on the earth
In the eyes of all who see you.
¹⁹All who know you among the peoples
Are appalled at you;
You have become terrified
And you will cease to be forever."'"

28:11 This is a new oracle, marked by the repeated literary marker "the word of the Lord came to me saying."

28:12 "lamentation" This is a funeral dirge, noted by a unique poetic beat. It is common in Ezekiel (cf. 2:10; 19:1,14; 26:17; 27:2,32; 28:12; 32:2,16). See note at 2:10.

▣ "the king of Tyre" This (BDB 572) is parallel to v. 2, "leader" (lit. "prince," BDB 617 only here in Ezekiel; only once in Isa. 55:4 and Jer. 20:1).

28:13-15 There seems to be a series of statements that go beyond the possibility of a mere human king.

1. the seal of perfection, v. 12

2. full of wisdom and beauty, v. 12

3. in the Garden of Eden, v. 13

4. clothed with colored/gems, v. 13

5. an anointed cherub who covers, vv. 14,16

6. in God's presence on God's mountain, v. 14

7. blameless, v. 15

Could this be the first true mention of Satan and his origin (see Origen, Tertullian, and Jerome)? All believers want more information about the origin and purpose of evil. However, this would be a strange context (i.e., God's judgment on surrounding nations) to be the only revelation on this subject. Pride and arrogance are characteristics of this fallen reality. YHWH judges pride! Ezekiel uses hyperbolic language from the Garden of Eden, not only here related to the king of Tyre, but also in chapter 31, related to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. See Contextual Insights, D.

28:13 "Every precious stone was your covering" This seems to be an allusion to the ephod (i.e., breastplate) of the High Priest (cf. Exod. 28:17,20; 39:10-14). Although the Masoretic Text lists only nine jewels, the Septuagint lists all twelve (sometimes the LXX reflects the more ancient text). The king of Trye is symbolized as

1. priestly

2. kingly

3. wealthy

▣ "settings and sockets" The MT has "tambourines" (BDB 1074, KB 1772, both say this is a textual corruption).

Sockets (BDB 666, refers to a jeweler's work of boring a hole, see KJ, NKJV, ASB, JB. The noun is used only two times. The verb means "piercing" or "boring').

▣ "On the day that you were created" It is assumed that the angelic realm is created (cf. v. 15; Ps. 104:4). Biblical faith is not an eternal dualism like Zoroastrianism, but the Bible is silent on when, how, and why. The Bible focuses on humans on this planet.

The two phrases "on the day that you were created" (cf. v. 15) and "I placed you there" (cf. v. 14) denote the authority and sovereignty of YHWH. Satan has no independent existence. He acts at YHWH's permission (cf. I Kgs. 22:19-28; Job 1-2; Zechariah 3).

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE DEMONIC (UNCLEAN SPIRITS)

28:14 "the anointed cherub" The term "anointed" (BDB 603, KB 596) is found only here in the OT. Its meaning is uncertain. Here are some theories.

1. cherub of expansion (BDB)

2. cherub that covereth

3. cherub with far-reaching wings

4. cherub of sparkling (i.e., "to illuminate," KB)

The LXX has "with the Cherubim," not one of them.

Cherubim are involved in several aspects of OT history.

1. they guard the Garden of Eden after mankind's fall, Gen. 3:24

2. they face inward on the Mercy Seat, the place of propitiation, Exod. 25:8; Ps. 80:1; 99; Isa. 37:16

3. they form YHWH's throne chariot, II Sam. 22:13; Ps. 18:10; Ezek. 1, 10

The descriptions in Ezek. 1:5-28 and 10:15-20 are similar to Rev. 4:6-9. However, Revelation does seem to blend the Cherubim with the Seraphim of Isaiah 6. See SPECIAL TOPIC: CHERUBIM at 1:5.

▣ "You were on the holy mountain of God" This is a different metaphor from the Garden of Eden (v. 13). This refers either to Mount Sinai (cf. Exodus 19-20; Ezek. 20:40) or to the mountain in the north where God dwells (cf. v. 16; Ps. 48:2; Isa. 14:13-14, similar to Ugaritic Ba'al poetry). Note that Psalm 50:2 uses similar descriptions of Mt. Zion (i.e., "perfect in beauty," cf. 28:12).

It was common in Ancient Near Eastern religious thought to view the gods as living on mountain tops (cf. Gilgamesh Epic). This is especially true for the Ugaritic Ba'al myth poems from Ras Shamra. The gods met and lived on a northern mountain called Saphon or Zaphon. Ba'al had a throne there built by Anath. The male god of Phoenician fertility worship was called Baal Saphon. This name has been found in Phoenician colonies around the Mediterranean. This northern mountain tradition, totally unrelated to Israel's holy Mt. Moriah (cf. 20:40), seems to be the source of the imagery of both Isa. 14:13-15 and Ezek. 28:14,16. See Roland de Vaux, Ancient Israel, vol. 2, pp. 279-281.

▣ "the stones of fire" This (BDB 6 construct BDB 77) can be translated "glittering gems." Some commentators try to link these with the jewels of v. 13, but that is a different metaphorical setting. This fire may be associated with God's personal presence (cf. Exod. 3:2; 13:21,22; 14:24; 19:18; 24:17; Deut. 1:33; 4:11,12,15,24,33,36; 9:3).

28:15 "blameless" This is a sacrificial term (BDB 1071) for "unblemished" (e.g., 43:22). Here the term denotes an original innocence. Humans were not created sinful, but "good" (cf. Gen. 1:31). Evil was an invader of original creation (cf. Genesis 3). This phrase relates to vv. 12-13. We learn from

1. verse 17 that pride corrupted original innocence and wisdom (see note at v. 3)

2. verse 18 that unfair and violent trade practices (cf. v. 16) brought God's judgment

Hyperbole and history are mixed together for powerful poetry.

28:16 "by the abundance of your trade" Obviously this is a reference to the historical king of Tyre (cf. v. 18).

▣ "Therefore I cast you as profane
From the mountain of God" Notice YHWH's sovereign judgment. The term "profane" (BDB 320, KB 319) means "polluted" and "defeated." This is a priestly word that Ezekiel uses often (32 times).

Note that this is not the same metaphor (i.e., Garden of Eden) as v. 13. This refers to a northern holy mountain.

NASB, NKJV,
REB"covering cherub"
NRSV, NIV"the guardian cherub"
TEV"the angel who guarded"
NJB"guardian winged creature"
JPSOA"shielding cherub"
LXX"the cherub brought thee out"

The feminine noun is found only here. The masculine form means "covering" or "screen" (i.e., used of the screens of the tabernacle, cf. Exod. 22:16; 35:17; 38:18; 30:40; 40:8,33; Num. 3:26), so it could denote one close to "the forgiving" God (i.e., the Ark).

The term (BDB 697 I) also denotes YHWH covering with His wings as a metaphor for protection. The cherub protected the Garden of Eden in Gen. 3:24 or more probably the angel protects the tree of life from Adam and Eve, lest they eat from it in the spiritual condition in which they find themselves (i.e., estrangement from God). So in this sense the cherub protects mankind from itself!

I must admit I am attracted to the Septuagint's understanding that the referent in this poetry is to Adam, who was escorted out of the Garden by a cherub (cf. James Moffatt translation and Edgar J. Goodspeed's translation of v. 14, "I placed you with the guardian Cherubim on the holy hill of God").

28:17 "I cast you to the ground;
I put you before kings" This again stresses the sovereignty of God (cf. v. 18). The mention of kings may

1. be an allusion to 26:16 (Tyre's trading partners, cf. v. 19)

2. be an allusion to the multi-national mercenary army of Babylon

Number 1 fits the context best.

Also note that the first phrase could be translated "I cast you to the earth," implying a fall from heaven (i.e., God's mountain), but probably it is a metaphor of rejection.

28:18 "You profaned your sanctuaries" The TEV has "You did such evil in buying and selling that your places of worship were corrupted." This is the only Bible text that uses "profane" in connection with a pagan sanctuary. One cannot separate life and worship!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:28:20-24
²⁰And the word of the Lord came to me saying, ²¹"Son of man, set your face toward Sidon, prophesy against her ²²and say, 'Thus says the Lord God,
"Behold, I am against you, O Sidon,
And I will be glorified in your midst.
Then they will know that I am the Lord when I execute judgments in her,
And I will manifest My holiness in her.
²³For I will send pestilence to her
And blood to her streets,
And the wounded will fall in her midst
By the sword upon her on every side;
Then they will know that I am the Lord.
²⁴And there will be no more for the house of Israel a prickling brier or a painful thorn from any round about them who scorned them; then they will know that I am the Lord God."

28:20-24 This is the judgment against Sidon, another Phoenician city linked with Tyre.

28:21 As v. 2 starts out with a command "say" (BDB 55, KB 65,Qal imperative), so too, this judgment starts with two commands.

1. Set your face against, BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal imperative, cf. 6:2; 13:7; 15:7; 20:46; 21:2; 29:2; 35:2; 38:2

2. Prophesy, BDB 612, KB 659, Niphal imperative, cf. 4:7; 11:4; 13:17; 25:2; 29:2; 34:2; 35:2; 36:6; 38:2; 39:1

28:22

NASB, NKJV,
LXX, Peshitta"I shall be glorified"
NRSV, JPSOA,
NIV"I will gain glory"
NJB, REB"I will show My glory"

Ezekiel is all about the glory of YHWH! The glory is for the purpose of revelation. YHWH wants the people of Phoenicia to know Him. Judgment is an instrument of revelation (i.e., "I shall manifest My holiness in her," cf. v. 25). He is always acting for the redemption of those created in His image and likeness!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:28:25-26
²⁵'Thus says the Lord God, "When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and will manifest My holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their land which I gave to My servant Jacob. ²⁶They will live in it securely; and they will build houses, plant vineyards and live securely when I execute judgments upon all who scorn them round about them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God."'"

28:25,26 The prophet again speaks of the hope of the restored people, the restored temple, and the restored covenant (cf. 11:17-20; 20:40-44). After the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, Ezekiel's message changed to one of restoration. He even illustrates the New Covenant concept in 36:22-38. A new day is dawning!

28:26 "They will live in it securely. . .live securely" This term "securely" (BDB 105) is repeated for emphasis. It reflects YHWH's earlier promises (cf. Lev. 25:18,19; 26:5; Ps. 4:8; Jer. 23:5-6; 32:37; Ezek. 34:25-28; 38:8,11,14; 39:26; Zech. 14:11).

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Why was God so angry at Tyre?

2. Did Tyre ever fall to Nebuchadnezzar II?

3. What is a cherub?

4. Does the chapter describe the fall of Satan? Why or why noy?

Ezekiel 29

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Oracles Against the Nations (25:1-32:32)
Judgment of Egypt	Proclamation Against Egypt	Against Egypt	Prophecy Against Egypt	Against Egypt
29:1-7	29:1-7	29:1-7	29:1-6a	29:1-7
(3b-7)	(3b-5)	(3b-7)		(3b-7)
	(6-7)		29:6b-9a
29:8-9b	29:8-16	29:8-9b		29:8-16
			29:9b-12
29:9c-12		29:9c-12
29:13-16		29:13-16	29:13-16
	Babylonia Will Plunder Egypt		King Nebuchadnezzar Will Conquer Egypt
29:17-20	29:17-20	29:17-20	29:17-20	29:17
				29:18-20
29:21	29:21	29:21	29:21	29:21

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. The prophecies against Egypt run from 29:1 through 32:32. Egypt was an active political influence during this period of Judean history. She tried to offer political security against Babylon. Egypt promised aid to Judah and Tyre; she promised more than she could perform (cf. Isa. 30:1-3; 31:1-3; Jer. 2:18,36; Lam. 4:17).

B. The characteristic literary marker, "the word of the Lord came to me saying," occurs seven times in this literary unit.

1. 29:1 (587 b.c.)

2. 29:17 (571 b.c.)

3. 30:1

4. 30:20

5. 31:1

6. 32:1

7. 32:17

All are dated except number 3, why is unknown.

C. The first date (i.e., 29:1) is about a year after Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem began. Apparently Egypt fielded her army against Nebuchadnezzar's forces (cf. Jer. 37:7), but quickly retreated.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:29:1-7
¹In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth of the month, the word of the Lord came to me saying, ²"Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.
³Speak and say, 'Thus says the Lord God,
"Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt,
The great monster that lies in the midst of his rivers,
That has said, 'My Nile is mine, and I myself have made it.'
⁴I will put hooks in your jaws
And make the fish of your rivers cling to your scales.
And I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers,
And all the fish of your rivers will cling to your scales.
⁵I will abandon you to the wilderness, you and all the fish of your rivers;
You will fall on the open field; you will not be brought together or gathered.
I have given you for food to the beasts of the earth and to the birds of the sky.
⁶Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the Lord,
Because they have been only a staff made of reed to the house of Israel.
⁷When they took hold of you with the hand,
You broke and tore all their hands;
And when they leaned on you,
You broke and made all their loins quake."

29:1 There is a series of dates mentioned in connection with this literary unit related to God's judgment on Egypt (i.e., 29:1-32:32). See note at Contextual Insights, B.

29:2 "Son of man" See note at 2:1.

▣ "set your face against" See note at 28:21.

▣ "set. . .prophesy. . .speak" These are all commands.

1. "set," BDB 962, KB 1321, Qal imperative

2. "prophesy," BDB 612, KB 659, Niphal imperative

3. "speak," v. 3, BDB 180, KB 210, Piel imperative

These are not Ezekiel's words nor his message!

29:3-7 This is a poetic lamentation.

29:3 "the Lord God" This is the recurrent title for deity (i.e., Adonai YHWH), used so often in the book of Ezekiel. See Special Topic at 2:4.

▣ "Pharaoh" This (BDB 829, KB 971) is the characteristic title for Egyptian kings starting with the Eighteenth Dynasty. It means "the great house" (i.e., royal family).

▣ "That has said, ‘My Nile is mine, and I myself have made it'" As the king of Tyre claimed deity (cf. 28:2,9), so too, the Pharaohs of Egypt (cf. v. 9b). The name of the Pharaoh at that time was Hophra (589-570 b.c.). Herodotus mentions his claim to divine power in 2.169. The Nile and the sun were the chief deities of Egypt (i.e., depending on the city and the particular Pharaoh).

▣ "the great monster" This term (BDB 1072) means

1. serpent, Exod. 7:9,1012; Deut. 32:33; Ps. 91:13

2. dragon, Neh. 2:13; Jer. 51:34

3. sea/river monster, Gen. 1:21; Job 7:12; Ps. 74:13; 148:7. It is parallel to Leviathan (cf. Psalm 74:13-14). It is used as a metaphor for Egypt in Isa. 27:1; 51:9,10; Ezek. 29:3; 32:2.

The two great river systems of the Ancient Near East were the cradles of civilization (i.e., the Nile and the Tigris/Euphrates).

Tanin (BDB 1072) is parallel with

1. Leviathan, Ps. 74:13-14; Isa. 27:1

2. Rahab, Isa. 51:9

3. Bashan, Ps. 68:22; Amos 9:3 (cf. NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 87)

The context shows us that "serpent, dragon, sea-monster" (BDB 1072) is a better word choice than "jackal" (BDB 1072), though both are philologically possible.

29:4-8 These verses describe what YHWH will do to the arrogant leaders of Egypt.

1. I shall put hooks in your jaws, v. 4

2. I shall make the fish cling to your scales, v. 4(twice)

3. I shall bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, v. 4

4. I shall abandon you and all your fish to the wilderness, v. 5

a. fall in open field

b. be gathered for food

(1) beasts

(2) birds

5. I shall bring a sword upon you, vv. 6,11

a. man

b. beasts

Notice all the first person singular nouns. YHWH is God. He alone can act in judgment. The mighty river beast is brought onto the land where he is helpless and will die. He will be eaten by the creatures of the wilderness.

29:4 "hook" This (BDB 296) can mean

1. thorn or thistle, cf. II Kgs. 14:9; Pro. 26:9; Isa. 34:13; Hos. 9:6

2. here, metaphorically of meat or fish hooks – These were used (first by the Assyrians) to control and humiliate people being taken into exile/slavery (cf. Isa. 37:29; Ezek. 19:4,9; 29:4; 38:4).

▣ "the fish of your rivers cling to your scales" This refers to politically allied, but weaker, nations.

29:5

NASB, NKJV"gathered"
NRSV, NJB,
Peshsitta"buried"
TEV, JPSPOA"unburied"
NIV"picked up"
REB"none to give you burial"

The MT has "gathered" (BDB 867, KB 1062, Niphal imperfect). "Buried" is found in some Hebrew manuscripts and the Aramaic Targums.

Proper burial (i.e., mummification and preservation) was a major requirement for happiness in the afterlife in Egyptian theology. Egyptian leaders were enamored with this issue (i.e., The Egyptian Book of the Dead). The great pyramids served this function as secure burial places for the elite.

The prophetic theme of animals and birds eating the fallen is common in Jeremiah (cf. 7:33; 9:22; 15:3; 16:4; 19:7; 34:20) and Ezekiel (cf. 29:5; 32:4; 33:27; 39:4,17-18). This seems to be a fulfillment of Deut. 28:26.

29:6 "Then all the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am the Lord" This was the purpose of the ten plagues (each against an Egyptian deity, the same is true of the creation account [i.e., Genesis 1] condemnation of Babylonian astral deities). All humans are made in God's image and likeness! All were created for fellowship with God! Tragically in the OT, often it is judgment (cf. vv. 9-10) that reveals YHWH!

▣ "they have been only a staff made of reed" This is a metaphor of weakness and inability (cf. Isa. 30:1-3; 31:1-3; Jer. 37:7).

29:7

NASB, NKJV"you broke and made all their loins quake"
NRSV"made all their legs unsteady"
Peshitta,
JPSOA"you would break, and make all their loins unsteady"
NJB, REB"you broke, making all their limbs give way"
LXX"thou wast utterly broken, and didst crush the loins of them all"

The MT has "you broke and you made to stand them all their loins." Most modern translations follow the Peshitta or Septuagint. The question is whether this phrase is sarcastic (God made them stand) or literal (God caused them to fall). The context is related to God's judgment on Egypt.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:29:8-9a
⁸'Therefore thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will bring upon you a sword and I will cut off from you man and beast. ⁹The land of Egypt will become a desolation and waste. Then they will know that I am the Lord."

29:8 YHWH will bring death and destruction to all Egypt, human and animal. Animals were common Egyptian gods. Their devastation would symbolize YHWH's power, as did the plagues of the Exodus.

29:9 "Then they will know that I am the Lord" This is a recurrent phrase (cf. 6:14; 7:27; 12:20; 15:8; 29:9; 32:15; 33:29; 35:3,9,14). YHWH wanted to be revealed through Israel's abundance, moral standards, and theology, but because of her unfaithfulness, He is revealed through judgment, judgment on her and other idolatrous nations (i.e., Egypt).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:29:9b-12
^9bBecause you said, 'The Nile is mine, and I have made it,' ¹⁰therefore, behold, I am against you and against your rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt an utter waste and desolation, from Migdol to Syene and even to the border of Ethiopia. ¹¹A man's foot will not pass through it, and the foot of a beast will not pass through it, and it will not be inhabited for forty years. ¹²So I will make the land of Egypt a desolation in the midst of desolated lands. And her cities, in the midst of cities that are laid waste, will be desolate forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands."

29:10 "from Migdol to Syene" The term "Migdol" (BDB 154) means "tower" or "fortress." In context this reference is to a location in the northeast delta region where Jews were living (cf. Jer. 44:1; 46:14).

Syene (BDB 692) refers to a southern city on the border of Cush/Ethiopia, known today as Aswan. This same phrase is repeated in 30:6 and functions for Egypt as "from Dan to Bethel" did for Palestine. It denotes the far reaches of the land and the mentioning of them together became an idiom for the whole land.

29:12 "forty years" See Special Topic: Symbolic Numbers in Scripture at 1:5. It denotes a long period of time, often a full generation.

▣ "scatter. . .dispense" These (BDB 806, KB 918, Hiphil perfect; BDB 279, KB 280, Piel perfect) are parallel and both refer to Judah's exile. When national armies were defeated their populace were regularly sold into slavery (cf. Jer. 49:32,36; 51:2). Egypt will be scattered (cf. 29:12,13; 30:23,26).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:29:13-16
¹³'For thus says the Lord God, "At the end of forty years I will gather the Egyptians from the peoples among whom they were scattered. ¹⁴I will turn the fortunes of Egypt and make them return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they will be a lowly kingdom. ¹⁵It will be the lowest of the kingdoms, and it will never again lift itself up above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations. ¹⁶And it will never again be the confidence of the house of Israel, bringing to mind the iniquity of their having turned to Egypt. Then they will know that I am the Lord God."'"

29:13-16 YHWH will restore Egypt to their land (cf. Deut. 32:8), but they will not be a powerful nation.

29:14 "Pathros" This (BDB 837) refers to upper (i.e., southern region) Egypt, from Cairo to Aswan (cf. Gen. 10:14; Jer. 44:1,15).

29:16 Israel will never again trust in Egypt for security (cf. Isa. 30:1-3; 31:1-3; 36:6 [note v. 6]).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:29:17-20
¹⁷Now in the twenty-seventh year, in the first month, on the first of the month, the word of the Lord came to me saying, ¹⁸"Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre; every head was made bald and every shoulder was rubbed bare. But he and his army had no wages from Tyre for the labor that he had performed against it." ¹⁹Therefore thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he will carry off her wealth and capture her spoil and seize her plunder; and it will be wages for his army. ²⁰I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor which he performed, because they acted for Me," declares the Lord God.

29:17-20 YHWH allowed Nebuchadnezzar II to capture Egypt (cf. 30:10; Jer. 43:10,11; 46:13,26) and take its spoils as payment for his army, since they received nothing for their hard work (cf. v. 18) at Tyre (i.e., thirteen-year siege, cf. Josephus, Antiq. 10.228). It is possible that Pharaoh Hophra allied with Tyre and took away Tyre's treasures before Tyre surrendered to the army of Nebuchadnezzar's (cf. The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 6, pp. 892-3).

29:18 This verse states that Nebuchadnezzar did not take the island fortress, but did capture and destroy the mainland city (cf. 26:7-12). The problem is that 26:14 implies that he did. Many commentators note that the plural is used in 26:7-17, but the singular in 26:13-14, which

1. implies that YHWH Himself will do it (note 29:3-6)

2. refers to Alexander the Great's destruction of the island fortress in 323 b.c.

▣ "every head was made bald" This was not a mourning rite, but a metaphor for heavy work (i.e., Nebuchadnezzar's siege and destruction of mainland Tyre). It is parallel to "every shoulder was rubbed bare."

20:20 As YHWH used Assyria to judge Israel (cf. Isa. 10:5), so now He uses Babylon to judge, not only Judah, but all the nations in the area. The metaphorical language used here sees it as a wage paid.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:29:21
²¹"On that day I will make a horn sprout for the house of Israel, and I will open your mouth in their midst. Then they will know that I am the Lord."

29:21 "I shall make a horn sprout for the house of Israel" Animal horns were a symbol of power and strength. This refers to a national and Messianic restoration (cf. I Sam. 2:10; Ps. 132:17; Luke 1:69).

▣ "I shall open your mouth" YHWH is in control of national and Messianic restoration as He is His prophet. Ezekiel's message was controlled by YHWH (cf. 3:27; 24:27; 33:22).

Ezekiel 30

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Oracles Against the Nations (25:1-32:32)
Lament Over Egypt	Egypt and Her Allies Will Fall	The Doom of Egypt	The Lord Will Punish Egypt	Against Egypt: The Day of Yahweh
30:1-5	30:1-5	30:1-4	30:1-4	30:1-3
(2c-4)	(2c-4)	(2c-4)	(2c-4)
				30:4-5
		30:5	30:5
30:6-9	30:6-9	30:6-8	30:6-8	30:6
(6-8)	(6)	(6-8)
	(7-9)			30:7-8
		30:9	30:9	30:9-12
30:10-12	30:10-12	30:10-12	30:10-12
(10-12)	(10-12)	(10-12)
30:13-19	30:13-19	30:13-19	30:13-19	30:13-19
(13-19)	(13-19)	(13-19)
Victory For Babylon	Proclamation Against Pharaoh		The Broken Power of the King of Egypt
30:20-26	30:20-26	30:20-26	30:20-26	30:20-26

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:30:1-5
¹The word of the Lord came again to me saying, ²"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord God,
"Wail, 'Alas for the day!'
³For the day is near,
Even the day of the Lord is near;
It will be a day of clouds,
A time of doom for the nations.
⁴A sword will come upon Egypt,
And anguish will be in Ethiopia;
When the slain fall in Egypt,
They take away her wealth,
And her foundations are torn down.
⁵Ethiopia, Put, Lud all Arabia, Libya and the people of the land that is in league will fall with them by the sword."

30:1 See note at 29:1.

30:2 "prophesy" This verb (BDB 612, KB 659) is a Niphal imperative. It is used thirty-seven times in Ezekiel. The book is a series of messages from YHWH to Judah through Ezekiel.

▣ "Thus says the Lord God" YHWH is the source of the message, not Ezekiel (cf. 25:3; Amos 1:3; 2:1). For the name Adonai YHWH see Special Topic at 2:4.

▣ "Wail" This verb (BDB 410, KB 413, Hiphil imperative) is common in

1. Isaiah, 13:6; 14:31; 15:2,3; 16:7(twice); 23:1,6,14; 52:5; 65:14

2. Jeremiah, 4:8; 25:34; 47:2; 48:20,31,39; 49:3; 51:8

3. Ezekiel (only twice), 21:12; 30:2

4. Joel, 1:5,11,13

It denotes those who cry out like wounded animals at the judgment of God which has come upon them (i.e., "Wail, also for the day!" vv. 2-3).

30:3 "the day of the Lord" See note at 7:19. This reference is to the immediate invasion of Babylon, not an eschatological one.

▣ "It will be a day of clouds" The phrase is an idiom of gloom (i.e., sirocco east winds from the desert, cf. 30:18; 32:7; 34:12), but it denotes more. The clouds are often the transportation of deity (e.g., Jer. 4:13; Dan. 7:13; Nah. 1:3). See Special Topic following.

SPECIAL TOPIC: COMING IN THE CLOUDS

30:4 "anguish" This term (BDB 298) comes from "birth pains" (BDB 296). It describes the terrible pain, emotionally and physically, of God's judgment

1. against Philistia, Exod. 15:14

2. against unspecified foreign kings, Ps. 48:6

3. against Babylon, Isa. 13:8; 21:3; Jer. 50:43

4. against Israel, Jer. 6:24; 22:23

5. against Lebanon, Jer. 22:23

6. against Moab, Jer. 48:41

7. against Edom, Jer. 49:22

8. against Egypt, Ezek. 30:4,9

9. against Assyria, Nahum 2:10

▣ "Ethiopia" This is literally "Cush" (BDB 468). Cush controlled Egypt during the twenty-fifth dynasty (716-663 b.c.), but had since been overthrown. However, in vv. 4 and 9 "Cush" seems to be a designation for Egypt (cf. Isa. 20:4).

▣ "They take away her wealth" The term translated "wealth" (BDB 242) has several meanings.

1. sound, murmur, roar of a crowd, Isa. 13:4; 17:12

2. tumult, confusion, Isa. 33:3

3. crowd, multitude, Ezek. 7:12,13; 23:42; 30:4; 39:11

4. abundance, Isa. 60:5

Context must determine which fits best. Because of 29:19 some choose #4, but 30:4 itself supports #3. Notice the same ambiguity in v. 10.

30:5 This refers to (1) mercenary soldiers (cf. v. 8; 27:10) or (2) allies (i.e., "in league," v. 5; and vv. 6,8).

1. Ethiopia/Cush (BDB 468), cf. 27:10; 38:5; Gen. 10:13

2. Put/Libia (BDB 806), cf. Gen. 10:6; Jer. 46:9

3. Lud/Lydia (BDB 530 [1] it is possible to link them with the northern Mediterranean, cf. Isa. 66:19 or [2] it is grammatically possible that all three denote Egypt)

4. Arabia (Peshitta, BDB 787) or "mixed people" (LXX. NKJV, BDB 786), both have the same consonants

5. Libya/Lub (BDB 464, cf. Gen. 10:13, another descendant of Ham living in northeast Africa)

6. "the people of the land," this phrase refers to another people group, but which one is uncertain. Some commentators speculate that because the term "covenant"/berith is used it refers to Jews living in north Africa.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:30:6-9a
⁶'Thus says the Lord,
"Indeed, those who support Egypt will fall
And the pride of her power will come down;
From Migdol to Syene
They will fall within her by the sword,"
Declares the Lord God.
⁷" They will be desolate
In the midst of the desolated lands;
And her cities will be
In the midst of the devastated cities.
⁸And they will know that I am the Lord,
When I set a fire in Egypt
And all her helpers are broken.
⁹On that day messengers will go forth from Me in ships to frighten secure Ethiopia; and anguish will be on them as on the day of Egypt; for behold, it comes!"

30:6 "the pride of her power will come down" This is the common thread between Tyre and Egypt (cf. 28:2; 29:9b).

▣ "From Migdol to Syene" See note at 29:10.

▣ "by the sword" YHWH sends the sword (cf. 7:15). In this context, the sword is Nebuchadnezzar's army (cf. vv. 10-11).

30:8 Fire is often the metaphor used to describe God's judgment (cf. vv. 14,16; 5:4; 10:2, 6-7; 15:4-7; 16:41; 19:12,14; 20:45-49; 21:31-32; 23:25, 47; 24:10,12; 39:6). See SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRE at 1:4.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:30:10-12
¹⁰'Thus says the Lord God,
"I will also make the hordes of Egypt cease
By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
¹¹He and his people with him,
The most ruthless of the nations,
Will be brought in to destroy the land;
And they will draw their swords against Egypt
And fill the land with the slain.
¹²Moreover, I will make the Nile canals dry
And sell the land into the hands of evil men.
And I will make the land desolate
And all that is in it,
By the hand of strangers; I the Lord have spoken."

30:11 "The most ruthless of the nations" This phrase describes the mercenary army of Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon (cf. 28:7; 31:12; 32:12; Hab. 1:6-8).

30:12 Notice the number of first person singular verbs referring to YHWH's sovereignty.

1. I will make, BDB 678, KB 733,Qal perfect

2. I will sell, BDB 569, KB 581, Qal perfect

3. I will make (lit. "I will bring desolation"), BDB 1030, KB 1563, Hiphil perfect

4. I, the Lord, have spoken, BDB 180, KB 210, Piel perfect

Number 2 is especially interesting because it uses a term normally reserved for YHWH's actions toward unfaithful Israel (cf. Deut. 32:30; Jdgs. 2:14; 3:8; 4:2,9; 10:7; I Sam. 12:9). The usage here implies YHWH's ownership of all lands and all peoples (cf. Deut. 32:8).

"Sell" is a metaphor for giving a people group into the hand of another group. A nation loses its autonomy.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:30:13-19
¹³"'Thus says the Lord God,
"I will also destroy the idols
And make the images cease from Memphis.
And there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt;
And I will put fear in the land of Egypt.
¹⁴I will make Pathros desolate,
Set a fire in Zoan
And execute judgments on Thebes.
¹⁵I will pour out My wrath on Sin,
The stronghold of Egypt;
I will also cut off the hordes of Thebes.
¹⁶I will set a fire in Egypt;
Sin will writhe in anguish,
Thebes will be breached
And Memphis will have distresses daily.
¹⁷The young men of On and of Pi-beseth
Will fall by the sword,
And the women will go into captivity.
¹⁸In Tehaphnehes the day will be dark
When I break there the yoke bars of Egypt.
Then the pride of her power will cease in her;
A cloud will cover her,
And her daughters will go into captivity.
¹⁹Thus I will execute judgments on Egypt,
And they will know that I am the Lord."'"

30:13-19 Notice the list of Egyptian allies.

1. Memphis, vv. 13,16, first known capital of Egypt named Menes after the first powerful king. Its chief deity was Ptah, the creator-god. The later name, Memphis, came from its association with the pyramid of Pepi I.

2. Pathros, v. 14, see note at 29:14

3. Zoan, v. 14, also called Tanis and probably the Hyksos Avaris, later called Ramesses, the delta capital of Egypt in 21^st and 22^nd dynasties

4. Thebes, vv. 14,16, is the location of the valleys of the kings and temples of Amun. Today it is called Luxor, about 400 miles south of Cairo.

5. Sin, vv. 15,16, a city is located in the delta. In Greek it is called Pelusiom (i.e., city of mud). It guarded the highway to the north.

6. On, v. 17, this city is close to Cairo in the delta region. In Greek it is called Heliopolis (i.e., city of the sun). It was one of the cities built by Hebrew slaves (cf. Exod. 1:11).

7. Pi-beseth, v. 17, later the capital of Egypt (22^nd dynasty). It was named after the goddess Bastet (woman with cat head). It was made famous by Pharaoh Shishak.

8. Tehaphnehes, v. 18, in Jer. 43:7 it is spelled Tahpanhes. It is located on the highway going to Arabia in the eastern delta region.

30:13 "the idols" There were several categories of idols (BDB 156) in Egypt.

1. royal rulers (Pharaohs)

2. animals

3. half human, half animals

4. fertility gods

Each city had their own chief god and/or goddess.

▣ "images" This (BDB 47) is parallel to "idols." Its basic meaning is uncertain, but the same root in Syriac means "weak," "feeble," "poor." It has the connotation of that which is insufficient or worthless. It is translated "idols" in Leviticus 19:4; 26:1; Psalm 96:5; 97:7; Isa. 2:8,18,20 (twice); 10:10; 19:1,3; 31:7(twice); Hab. 2:18.

▣ "there will no longer be a prince in the land of Egypt" Apparently Babylon's conquest and exile completely removed all the royal family to Babylon. Pharoah Hophra was assassinated and a new dynasty started.

30:14 "Zoan" This is a Hebrew form of the name of a famous ancient city (cf. Num. 13:22) in the delta region that is known by several names.

1. Avaris (Hyksos name)

2. Pi-Ramesses (moved to a new location to the north which became Zoan, ABD, vol. 6, p. 1106)

3. Tanis (later Greek name)

It was the northern capital of several Egyptian dynasties (i.e., Hyksos and Ramses II). It became the site of a revival temple to Amon (original temple was at Thebes).

It is mentioned in the OT in Num. 13:22; Isa. 19:11,13; 30:4; Ezek. 30:14, as well as Ps. 78:12,43.

30:16 "writhe in anguish" This phrase could be an infinitive absolute and an imperfect verb of the same root (BDB 296). If so, it denotes intensity.

▣ "will be breached" This verb (BDB 131, KB 149) is a Niphal infinitive construct. The TEV and NJB follow the Septuagint, which sees the breach as referring to the city's (i.e., Thebes) walls breaking and letting the Nile flood the city. The Septuagint (LXX) does not mention Memphis in the closing line of v. 16.

30:17-18 The NASB translates "they" (a feminine plural) of v. 17b as "the women," while NKJV translates "they" as "these cities," as do NRSV and NJB. The TEV identified "they" as other people.

The NASB probably bases its understanding on the parallelism of v. 18e.

30:18 "the day will be dark" Most English translations change the MT's "shall be withheld" (BDB 362, חשׂך) to "will be darkened" (BDB 364, חשׁך).

▣ "the pride of her power will cease" Pride is a major spiritual problem for humans, angels, and nations. It is the essence of the self-centeredness of Genesis 3. It is always followed by divine judgment (e.g., 28:2; 29:3; 32:12; 33:28; Isa. 14:13-14; 16:6; 25:11).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:30:20-26
²⁰In the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh of the month, the word of the Lord came to me saying, ²¹"Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and, behold, it has not been bound up for healing or wrapped with a bandage, that it may be strong to hold the sword. ²²Therefore thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt and will break his arms, both the strong and the broken; and I will make the sword fall from his hand. ²³I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands. ²⁴For I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; and I will break the arms of Pharaoh, so that he will groan before him with the groanings of a wounded man. ²⁵Thus I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fall. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he stretches it out against the land of Egypt. ²⁶When I scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the lands, then they will know that I am the Lord.'"

30:20-26 This is a new revelation about YHWH's judgment on Egypt, which uses the idiom of "arm" in several ways. Arm is a metaphor for ability.

1. I have broken the arm of Pharaoh, vv. 21, 22. Pharaoh Hophra gave himself the title of "The Strong-Armed One." This is, therefore, powerful irony.

2. It has not been bound up for healing, v. 21

3. Or wrapped with a bandage that it may be strong to hold the sword, v. 21

4. "I will make the sword fall from his hands," v. 22

5. I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, vv. 24, 25

6. I will put My sword in his hand, vv. 24, 25

7. I will break the arms of Pharaoh

8. The arms of Pharaoh will fall

Ezekiel 31

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Oracles Against the Nations (25:1-32:32)
Pharaoh Warned of Assyria's Fate	Egypt Cut Down Like A Great Tree	Allegory of the Cedar	Egypt Is Compared to A Cedar Tree	The Cedar Tree
31:1-9	31:1-9	31:1-9	31:1-9	31:1-9
(2b-9)	(2b-4)	(2b-9)	(2b-9)	(2b-9)
	(5-6)
	(7-9)
31:10-14	31:10-14	31:10-14	31:10-14	31:10-13
	(13)	(13)
				31:14
	(14d)	(14d)
31:15-17	31:15-18	31:15-17	31:15-17	31:15-17
31:18		31:18	31:18	31:18

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:31:1-9
¹In the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first of the month, the word of the Lord came to me saying, ²"Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes,
'Whom are you like in your greatness?
³Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon
With beautiful branches and forest shade,
And very high, And its top was among the clouds.
⁴The waters made it grow, the deep made it high.
With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place,
And sent out its channels to all the trees of the field.
⁵Therefore its height was loftier than all the trees of the field
And its boughs became many and its branches long
Because of many waters as it spread them out.
⁶All the birds of the heavens nested in its boughs,
And under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth,
And all great nations lived under its shade.
⁷So it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches;
For its roots extended to many waters.
⁸The cedars in God's garden could not match it;
The cypresses could not compare with its boughs,
And the plane trees could not match its branches.
No tree in God's garden could compare with it in its beauty.
⁹I made it beautiful with the multitude of its branches,
And all the trees of Eden, which were in the garden of God, were jealous of it.'"

31:1 See note at 29:1. The date is 587 b.c.

31:2-3 "say to Pharaoh" The literary unit dealing with God's judgment in Egypt began in chapter 29 and continues through chapter 32. Therefore, it is surprising to have Assyria addressed in v. 3. Assyria is mentioned in 32:22-33. There are two options.

1. Pharaoh is to view God's judgment on Assyria as an example of what will befall him and his nation (Jewish Study Bible, p. 1101).

2. The Hebrew text, אשׁו ר (BDB 1677), is corrupt and must be emended to

a. "I will liken you" (RSV), שׁור (BDB 1003, Qal imperfect)

b. a variant spelling of "cypress" (or a type of cedar, KB 1677) and, therefore, parallel to "cedar" (cf. 27:6)

3. "I regard," תאשׁור (BDB 1003)

31:3-9 The nation is described as

1. beautiful branches for shade

2. very tall (i.e., MT, NKJV, "among thick boughs' LXX, "among the clouds")

3. deep roots into good water

4. watered other trees

5. protection for many animals (i.e., nations)

6. greater than the trees of Eden

7. many branches

In essence this is the "global/cosmic tree" metaphor (cf. Psalm 80; Daniel 4). Trees were places of special reverence and respect. They often served as holy sites (e.g., Gen. 35:4,8; Josh. 24:26; palm tree, Jdgs. 4:5; oaks of Ophrah, cf. Jdgs. 6:11,19; I Kgs. 13:14; I Chr. 10:12) and also sites of fertility worship (e.g., I Kgs. 14:23-24; Hos. 4:13). However, this one tree symbolized a universal motif. It, of course, is a hyperbole in this context describing Egypt. YHWH allows nations to rise and He causes nations to fall. In YHWH's garden His trees continue to grow and bear fruit (cf. 47:12; Rev. 22:2). Heaven is symbolized as a beautiful, fruitful garden (cf. Genesis 2 and Revelation 22).

31:8

NASB, NJB,
JPSOA"cypresses"
NKJV, NRSV,
TEV"fir trees"
REB"juniper"
LXX, NEB"pines"

The UBS, Fauna and Flora of the Bible, pp. 162-163, identifies this (BDB 141) as an Aleppo pine, which is the largest conifer in the Mediterranean area. They can reach over 50' in height. Its wood is hard enough to use as building material (cf. I Kgs. 5:8,10;6:15,34; II Chr. 2:8; Isa. 14:8; Ezek. 27:5; 31:8). It is used to characterize a nation in Hosea 14:8; Zech. 11:1-3.

NASB, NRSV,
TEV, NJB"the plane trees"
NKJV"the chestnut trees"

The UBS, Fauna and Flora of the Bible, pp. 166-167, calls this a "plane tree." The Hebrew (BDB 790) root means "stripped" of bark (cf. Gen. 30:37). It is native to Palestine and grows near a water source. They are large and long-lived.

31:9 "Eden" Eden is a geographical location (i.e., in Ugaritic, "a plain") in Genesis 2-3 which contained a special garden planted and prepared by God for His highest creation (i.e., in image and likeness, cf. Gen. 1:26-27), mankind (cf. Gen. 2:8).

The special garden is alluded to in Isa. 51:3; Ezek. 28:13; 31:9,16,18(twice); 36:35; and Joel 2:3.

Apparently the word means "abundance" from an Aramaic root. In Hebrew (BDB 727 III, 792 II) the root means "delight" or "pleasure" (lit). After Genesis the term is a metaphor for a well watered, fruitful place.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:31:10-14
¹⁰'Therefore thus says the Lord God, "Because it is high in stature and has set its top among the clouds, and its heart is haughty in its loftiness, ¹¹therefore I will give it into the hand of a despot of the nations; he will thoroughly deal with it. According to its wickedness I have driven it away. ¹²Alien tyrants of the nations have cut it down and left it; on the mountains and in all the valleys its branches have fallen and its boughs have been broken in all the ravines of the land. And all the peoples of the earth have gone down from its shade and left it. ¹³On its ruin all the birds of the heavens will dwell, and all the beasts of the field will be on its fallen branches ¹⁴so that all the trees by the waters may not be exalted in their stature, nor set their top among the clouds, nor their well-watered mighty ones stand erect in their height. For they have all been given over to death, to the earth beneath, among the sons of men, with those who go down to the pit."

31:10 Again, like Tyre (i.e., 28:2,17), Assyria (cf. Isa. 10:12), and Babylon (cf. Isa. 14:11-14; Dan. 4:30; 5:20-23), the sin which caused YHWH to act was pride, arrogance, hubris! It is the essence of self-centeredness. It is the fruit of Eden. Maybe this is why Ezekiel uses the Garden of Eden metaphors to characterize

1. Tyre, chapter 28

2. Egypt, chapter 31

The word "greatness" or "magnify" (BDB 152) is most often used of YHWH (e.g., Deut. 3:24; 5:24; 9:26; 11:2; 32:3; Ezek. 38:23), but here it is used of human pride.

1. Israel, Isa. 9:9

2. Assyria, Isa. 10:12

3. Egypt, Ezek. 31:2,7,8,18

4. Edom, Ezek. 35:13

5. Moab, Jer. 48:26,42

6. the king, Dan. 11:36-37

31:11

NASB"despot of the nations"
NKJV"the most terrible of the nations"
LXX, NRSV,
NJB, REB"the presence of the nations"
TEV"a foreign ruler"
JPSOA"the mightiest of the nations"
Peshitta"the mighty one of the nations"

The MT has a construct of BDB 18 and 156 ("a mighty one of the nations"). The key term (BDB 18, KB 40) means "leader," "chief," originally "ram." The same term is used of the tree in v. 14 (cf. Isa. 1:27-31).

▣ "he will thoroughly deal with it" This is an infinitive absolute and an imperfect verb of the same root (BDB 793, KB 889), which denotes intensity or completeness.

▣ "I have driven it away" This same verb (BDB 176, KB 204, Piel perfect) was used of Adam and Eve being driven from Eden (cf. Gen. 3:24) and of Cain (cf. Gen. 4:14). It denotes Egypt exiled from her homeland by YHWH.

31:12 "alien tyrants of the nations" This is the same phrase that is used in 28:7; 30:11; 32:12 to refer to the army of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.

▣ "all the peoples of the earth have gone down from its shade" This is typical prophetic hyperbole. Egypt did have many allies and many mercenaries in her army (cf. vv. 12-13).

31:14 The destruction of Assyria, Tyre, Egypt, and later Babylon itself should be a graphic warning to other prideful, power-hungry nations (cf. vv. 15-18).
Death finally sends all fallen humans to their grave (i.e., "to the earth beneath. . .those who go down to the pit"). See SPECIAL TOPIC: Where Are the Dead? at 3:18.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:31:15-17
¹⁵'Thus says the Lord God, "On the day when it went down to Sheol I caused lamentations; I closed the deep over it and held back its rivers. And its many waters were stopped up, and I made Lebanon mourn for it, and all the trees of the field wilted away on account of it. ¹⁶I made the nations quake at the sound of its fall when I made it go down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit; and all the well-watered trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, were comforted in the earth beneath. ¹⁷They also went down with it to Sheol to those who were slain by the sword; and those who were its strength lived under its shade among the nations."

31:15-18 This paragraph mixes metaphors.

1. Sheol (i.e., "the deep"), vv. 15-18 (cf. Isa. 14:8-11)

2. Egypt as a river nation (i.e., "held back its rivers"), v. 15

and

1. Lebanon darkened, v. 15

2. all the trees of the field wilt away, vv. 15,16b

The trees of Eden and Lebanon are parallel and represent nations. There is a recurrent play on water in this paragraph.

1. the deep, v. 15

2. rivers, v. 15

3. many waters

4. drinkers of water (i.e., trees of Eden), v. 16

31:16 "go down to the pit" This idiom is found in 26:20; 32:18,24,29. It denotes Sheol, which refers to the holding place of the dead until judgment day (see Special Topic at 3:18).

The question is, "Are there levels of Sheol?"

1. 26:20, "the lower parts of the earth"

2. 31:18, "in the midst of the uncircumcised"

The first is simply a parallel, but the second may denote a worse place (cf. 28:10; 32:24,29,30).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:31:18
¹⁸"To which among the trees of Eden are you thus equal in glory and greatness? Yet you will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth beneath; you will lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with those who were slain by the sword. So is Pharaoh and all his hordes!'" declares the Lord God."

31:18 "the uncircumcised" See note at 28:10.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. Why did Ezekiel use metaphors from the Garden of Eden?

2. What is the symbol of a cosmic tree?

3. How do the metaphors of chapter 31 affect one's interpretation of chapter 28?

Ezekiel 32

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Oracles Against the Nations (25:1-32:32)
Lament Over Pharaoh and Egypt	Lamentation for Pharaoh and Egypt	Lament Over Pharaoh	The King of Egypt Is Compared to a Crocodile	The Crocodile
32:1-10	32:1-10	32:1-16	32:1-8	32:1-8
(2b-8)	(2b)	(2b-16)		(2b)
	(3-5)			(3-8)
	(6-8)
			32:9-10	32:9-14
32:11-16	32:11-16		32:11-16
(12c-15)	(12c-15)
				32:15
	(16)			32:16
	Egypt and Others Consigned to the Pit	Egypt in the Underworld	The World of the Dead	Pharaoh Goes Down to Sheol
32:17-21	32:17-21	32:17-21	32:17-19	32:17-21
	(18-19)	(18-19)
(19)			(19)
	(20-21)		32:20-21
32:22-23	32:22-23	32:22-23	32:22-23	32:22-23
32:24-25	32:24-25	32:24-25	32:24-25	32:24-25
	(24-25)
32:26-28	32:26-28	32:26-28	32:26-27	32:26-28
	(26-28)
			32:28
32:29	32:29-30	32:29	32:29	32:29
	(29-30)
32:30		32:30	32:30	32:30
32:31-32	32:31-32	32:31-32	32:31	32:31-32
	(31-32)
			32:32

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:32:1-2
¹In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first of the month, the word of the Lord came to me saying, ²"Son of man, take up a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him,
'You compared yourself to a young lion of the nations,
Yet you are like the monster in the seas;
And you burst forth in your rivers
And muddied the waters with your feet
And fouled their rivers.'"

32:1 See note at 29:1. This date would be about one year after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 b.c.

32:2 The four-chapter litany of judgment against Egypt continues (i.e., chapters 29-32).

▣ "take up a lamentation" This was a well known form of poetic beat (3-2, BDB 884, cf. 2:10; 19:1,14[twice]; 26:17; 27:2,32; 28:12; 32:16; Jer. 9:10,20). This chapter, like 19:1; 27:2; 28:12, starts with a command for a funeral dirge ("take up," BDB 669, KB 724, Qal imperative, cf. Jer. 7:29). Isaiah 14:4 has the same verb in Qal perfect, but with "taunt" or "proverb" (BDB 605).

▣ "You compared yourself to a young lion of the nations" Again this is a reference to Pharaoh's pride and arrogance (cf. 29:3; 30:6; 31:2-9,10; 32:12). He was not a lion, but a water creature.

▣ "Yet you are like the monster in the sea" See note at 29:3. This may be an allusion to Canaanite mythology where Ba'al defeats Yam, or Babylonian mythology where Marduk defeats Tiamat. The OT alluded to these myths without acknowledging their reality (e.g., Isa. 27:1).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:32:3-10
³Thus says the Lord God,
"Now I will spread My net over you
With a company of many peoples,
And they shall lift you up in My net.
⁴I will leave you on the land;
I will cast you on the open field.
And I will cause all the birds of the heavens to dwell on you,
And I will satisfy the beasts of the whole earth with you.
⁵I will lay your flesh on the mountains
And fill the valleys with your refuse.
⁶I will also make the land drink the discharge of your blood
As far as the mountains,
And the ravines will be full of you.
⁷And when I extinguish you,
I will cover the heavens and darken their stars;
I will cover the sun with a cloud
And the moon will not give its light.
⁸All the shining lights in the heavens
I will darken over you
And will set darkness on your land,"
Declares the Lord God.
⁹"I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring your destruction among the nations, into lands which you have not known. ¹⁰I will make many peoples appalled at you, and their kings will be horribly afraid of you when I brandish My sword before them; and they will tremble every moment, every man for his own life, on the day of your fall."

32:3 In 29:4 YHWH uses a hook, here a net (cf. 12:13; 17:20). This is also described in mythological terms in Ps. 74:13-14.

32:4 This same ignominious fate (i.e., unburied and eaten by animals) is described in 29:5.

32:5

NASB"refuse"
NKJV"carcass"
Peshitta"dust"
TEV, JPSOA"rotting corpse"
NJB"corruption"
REB"worms that fed on it"

The REB assumes the MT's מרומ (BDB 928) should be רממ (BDB 942, "be wormy," cf. Exod. 16:20). Some see a parallel to Isa. 14:11 to "maggots" רמה.

32:6

NASB"flowing blood"
LXX"dung"
NEB"discharge"
JPSOA"oozing blood"

This noun (BDB 847) is found only here in the OT. It is somehow linked to "blood" (BDB 196). NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 833, calls it "a sort of discharge. . .of sloughing tissue."

32:7-8 As the Genesis creation account (Genesis 1) depreciates the astral deities of Babylon, these verses depreciate the astral deities of Egypt. The darkness shows YHWH's power.

1. BDB 871, KB 1072 (Hiphil found only in Ezekiel, 3 times, cf. 31:15)

a. HIphil perfect, v. 7

b. HIphil imperfect, v. 8

2. BDB 365 (cf. Gen. 1:2; Exod. 10:22; Amos 5:18,20)

32:9-10 This is a common theme in these chapters (cf. vv. 16,19; 27:29-36; 28:19). YHWH's judgment on prideful Tyre and Egypt was meant to send a message to the nations (i.e., they will know that I am the Lord, e.g., v. 15; 29:9; 33:29; 35:3,4,9,14).

32:10 "shall be horribly afraid" This is the noun and verb of the same root (BDB 972, KB 1343, cf. 27:35; Jer. 2:12), which denotes the hair standing up in fear.

▣ "they shall tremble" This term (BDB 353, KB 350) denotes fear in YHWH"s coming and present judgment (cf. 26:16,18; 30:9).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:32:11-16
¹¹For thus says the Lord God, "The sword of the king of Babylon will come upon you. ¹²By the swords of the mighty ones I will cause your hordes to fall; all of them are tyrants of the nations,
And they will devastate the pride of Egypt,
And all its hordes will be destroyed.
¹³I will also destroy all its cattle from beside many waters;
And the foot of man will not muddy them anymore
And the hoofs of beasts will not muddy them.
¹⁴Then I will make their waters settle
And will cause their rivers to run like oil,"
Declares the Lord God.
¹⁵"When I make the land of Egypt a desolation,
And the land is destitute of that which filled it,
When I smite all those who live in it,
Then they shall know that I am the Lord.
¹⁶This is a lamentation and they shall chant it. The daughters of the nations shall chant it. Over Egypt and over all her hordes they shall chant it," declares the Lord God.

32:11 Nebuchadnezzar II was YHWH's instrument of judgment (cf. 21:19), as Assyria had been (cf. Isa. 10:5).

32:13 This could be another way of depreciating the gods of Egypt, as were the ten plagues in the Exodus.

32:14 The waters of Egypt will be undisturbed (clear and settled) by any animal or human. No one will be left alive. This metaphor for total destruction is found only here.

32:16 The professional wailers and mourners would be from all the nations.

1. those who were helped and protected by Egypt (v. 18)

2. those who were cruelly treated by Egypt

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:32:17-21
¹⁷In the twelfth year, on the fifteenth of the month, the word of the Lord came to me saying, ¹⁸"Son of man, wail for the hordes of Egypt and bring it down, her and the daughters of the powerful nations, to the nether world, with those who go down to the pit;
¹⁹ 'Whom do you surpass in beauty?
Go down and make your bed with the uncircumcised.'
²⁰They shall fall in the midst of those who are slain by the sword. She is given over to the sword; they have drawn her and all her hordes away. ²¹The strong among the mighty ones shall speak of him and his helpers from the midst of Sheol, 'They have gone down, they lie still, the uncircumcised, slain by the sword.'"

32:18-19 These verses contain four commands, two to Ezekiel, two to Egypt.

1. wail, BDB 624, KB 675, Qal imperative, v. 18

2. bring it down, BDB 432, KB 434, Hiphil imperative, v. 18

3. go down, BDB 432, KB 434, Qal imperative, v. 19

4. make your bed, BDB 1011, KB 1486, Hophal imperative, v. 19

32:19 "with the uncircumcised" See note at 28:10. This is a recurrent curse (cf. 28:10; 31:18; 32:19, 21,24,29,30; Jer. 9:25-26).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:32:22-23
²²"Assyria is there and all her company; her graves are round about her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword, ²³whose graves are set in the remotest parts of the pit and her company is round about her grave. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword, who spread terror in the land of the living.

32:23 "whose graves are set in the remotest parts of the pit" This is an idiom for the worst (cf. Isa. 14:15) or lowest places in the netherworld. They were slain in this world and humiliated in the next (cf. vv. 27, 32)!

Note the list of humiliated nations.

1. Egypt, vv. 17-21,31

2. Assyria, vv. 22-23

3. Elam, vv. 24-25

4. Meshech, Tubal (Anatolia), vv. 26-28

5. Edom, v. 29

6. Princes of the north (i.e., Syrians or Armenians) and Sidon, v. 30

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:32:24-25
²⁴"Elam is there and all her hordes around her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who went down uncircumcised to the lower parts of the earth, who instilled their terror in the land of the living and bore their disgrace with those who went down to the pit. ²⁵They have made a bed for her among the slain with all her hordes. Her graves are around it, they are all uncircumcised, slain by the sword (although their terror was instilled in the land of the living), and they bore their disgrace with those who go down to the pit; they were put in the midst of the slain."

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:32:26-28
²⁶"Meshech, Tubal and all their hordes are there; their graves surround them. All of them were slain by the sword uncircumcised, though they instilled their terror in the land of the living. ²⁷Nor do they lie beside the fallen heroes of the uncircumcised, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war and whose swords were laid under their heads; but the punishment for their iniquity rested on their bones, though the terror of these heroes was once in the land of the living. ²⁸But in the midst of the uncircumcised you will be broken and lie with those slain by the sword."

32:27

NASB, NKJV"uncircumcised" (מערלימ)
LXX, NRSV,
TEV, NJB"long ago" (מעולמ)

The phrases are spelled similarly in Hebrew. The second fits the context best because these people were part of the uncircumcised and the term is repeated in v. 28.

NASB, NKJV,
LXX"their iniquity rested on their bones"
NRSV, TEV"whose shields are upon their bones"
NJB"their shields put under their bones"
REB"their shields over their bones"

These men of Meshech, Tubal are honored even in death, but not so for the Egyptians!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:32:29
²⁹"There also is Edom, its kings and all its princes, who for all their might are laid with those slain by the sword; they will lie with the uncircumcised and with those who go down to the pit.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:32:30
³⁰"There also are the chiefs of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who in spite of the terror resulting from their might, in shame went down with the slain. So they lay down uncircumcised with those slain by the sword and bore their disgrace with those who go down to the pit.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:32:31-32
³¹"These Pharaoh will see, and he will be comforted for all his hordes slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his army," declares the Lord God. ³²"Though I instilled a terror of him in the land of the living, yet he will be made to lie down among the uncircumcised along with those slain by the sword, even Pharaoh and all his hordes," declares the Lord God.

Ezekiel 33

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Oracle of Restoration (33:1-39:29)
The Watchman's Day	The Watchman and His Message	Responsibility	God Appoints Ezekiel as a Lookout	The Prophet as Watchman
33:1-6	33:1-6	33:1-6	33:1-6	33:1-5
				33:6
33:7-9	33:7-9	33:7-9	33:7-9	33:7-9
			Individual Responsibility	Conversion and Perversity
33:10-16	33:10-11	33:10-16	33:10-11	33:10-11
	The Fairness of God's Judgment
	33:12-16		33:12-16	33:12-16
33:17-20	33:17-20	33:17-20	33:17-20	33:17-20
Word of Jerusalem's Capture	The Fall of Jerusalem	Miscellanea	News of Jerusalem's Fall	The Taking of the City
33:21-22	33:21-22	33:21-22	33:21-22	33:21-22
	The Cause of Judah's Ruin		The Sins of the People	The Ravaging of the Country
33:23-29	33:23-29	33:23-29	33:23-24	33:23-24
			33:25-26	33:25-29
			33:27-29
	Hearing and Not Doing		The Results of the Prophet's Message	The Results of the Preaching
33:30-33	33:30-33	33:30-33	33:30-33	33:30-33

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

BACKGROUND

Chapters 12-24 explain God's reason for His judgment on Judah.

A. Chapters 25-32 are the judgments on the surrounding nations.

B. Chapters 33-39 are the message to the exiles of God's promised restoration.

C. Chapter 33 is very similar to chapter 18 in its emphasis on individual responsibility (cf. Jer. 31:29-30). In this chapter the people admit their sin (cf. v. 10). This theme of individual responsibility is a major truth of the book of Ezekiel and it begins in 3:16-21.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:33:1-6
¹And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ²"Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, 'If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, ³and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, ⁴then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. ⁵He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life. ⁶But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman's hand.'"

33:1 This is the literary marker for a new prophecy.

33:2 "speak" As so many of Ezekiel's prophecies this one starts out with the command "speak" or "say" (BDB 180; KB 210, Piel imperative).

▣ "to the sons of your people" This is found only in Ezekiel (cf. 3:11; 33:2,12,17,30; 37:18) and mostly in this chapter.

▣ "If I bring a sword upon a land" This theme is amplified in chapter 21. The sword was one of several items of judgment (sword, famine, plague, wild beasts, e.g., 5:17).

▣ "watchman" The world translated "watchman" is really a Qal active participle of the verb "to look out," "look about" or "spy out" (BDB 859, KB 1044, cf. vv. 2,6[twice],7). This is the man who stood on the wall (or in a watchtower) to give an early warning of danger (cf. 3:16-21; Isa. 56:10; Jer. 6:17; Hosea 9:8).

33:3 "he sees the sword coming" The sword is used as a metaphorical way of referring to an invading army. In this case it refers to the army of Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon.

▣ "the trumpet" This refers to the sophar (BDB 1051) or ram's horn. It was used both for religious purposes and for war (cf. Josh. 6:4; II Sam. 2:28; 18: 24,25; Ps. 81:3; Joel 2:15; Amos 3:6; Hab. 2:1). See Special Topic: Horns Used By Israel at 7:14.

▣ "warns" This verb (BDB 264, KB 265, Hiphil perfect) means "to warn" or possibly from an Aramaic root, "to teach" (cf. Exod. 18:20). It is found in the verb form only and predominately in Ezekiel in two forms.

1. Hiphil, to warn or caution (cf. 3:17,18[twice],19,20,21[twice]; 33:3,7,8,9)

2. Niphal, to be warned (cf. 3:21; 33:4,5[twice],6)

33:4,6 "his blood will be on his own head. . .but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand" Ezekiel felt the pressure of speaking God's word to a non-responsive people (as did Isaiah and Jeremiah). In a sense he is defending his message of judgment on Judah. If he had not spoken, the inhabitants could have blamed him or God for the destruction and death of the nation. But he did speak and they still did not respond.
The word "blood" stands for a person's life (cf. 18:13; Lev. 17:11,14).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:33:7-9
⁷"Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me. ⁸When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. ⁹But if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life.

33:8 "you will surely die" This is a Hebrew grammatical construction (i.e., infinitive absolute and imperfect verb from the same root, here BDB 559, KB 562), which denotes emphasis or intensity.

1. This one is repeated in v. 14.

2. Another related one (i.e., BDB 310, KB 309, "he will surely live") is found in vv. 13,15,16.

▣ "that wicked man shall die in his iniquity" This is the message of chapter 18. If one repents, YHWH will forgive. If one sins and refuses to repent, that one will bear his judgment.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:33:10-16
¹⁰"Now as for you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'Thus you have spoken, saying, "Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them; how then can we survive?"' ¹¹Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord God, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?' ¹²And you, son of man, say to your fellow citizens, 'The righteousness of a righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble because of it in the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.' ¹³When I say to the righteous he will surely live, and he so trusts in his righteousness that he commits iniquity, none of his righteous deeds will be remembered; but in that same iniquity of his which he has committed he will die. ¹⁴But when I say to the wicked, 'You will surely die,' and he turns from his sin and practices justice and righteousness, ¹⁵if a wicked man restores a pledge, pays back what he has taken by robbery, walks by the statutes which ensure life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. ¹⁶None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him. He has practiced justice and righteousness; he shall surely live."

33:10 "say" It is characteristic for an imperative (BDB 55, KB 65, Qal imperative) to designate the beginning of YHWH's new message through Ezekiel (i.e., vv. 10,11,12).

▣ "Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we are rotting away in them" In chapter 18 the people were blaming their forefathers for God's judgments, but here in chapter 33 they acknowledge their personal and corporate rebellion.
The phrase "rotting away" is from the curses of Lev. 26:39-42. This phrase is found three times in Ezekiel (cf. 4:17; 24:23; 33:10).

▣ "then can we survive" This is literally "live" (BDB 310, KB 309, Qal imperfect). We must see the devastating mental and physical anguish that the destruction of Jerusalem caused to the covenant people. Ezekiel, in chapters 33-39 after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, begins to reassure the covenant people that YHWH is still their Covenant God (cf. Isa. 49:14-15) and that He will forgive and restore them, physically and spiritually (cf. 37:11-14).

33:11 "'As I live!' declares the Lord God" This is an oath related to the name of the Covenant God, YHWH, from the Hebrew verb "to be" (see Special Topic at 2:4). It is the ever-living, only-living God who swears by His own life (cf. 5:11).

▣ "I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked" This is a repetition of 18:23,32. The heart of God is love, not judgment (cf. John 3:16; Matt. 11:28-30). God wants all men to turn and respond to Him (cf. John 3:16; 4:42; I Tim. 2:4; Titus 2:11; II Pet. 3:9; I John 2:1; 4:14) by repentance and faith (cf. Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38,41; 3:16,19; 20:21).

▣ "turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why will you die, Oh house of Israel" The verb (BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal imperative) is repeated for emphasis (cf. 3:19,20; 14:6[thrice]; 18:21,23,24,26,27,28,30[twice],32; 33:9,11[twice],12,14,19). Repentance is a crucial spiritual requirement.

Repentance primarily is a turning from self and a turning toward God. See Special Topic at 14:6. The Hebrew word (BDB 996) speaks of a change of action, while the Greek speaks of a change of mind. Both are involved (cf. Ezek. 18:31; Jer. 31:33).

▣ "house of Israel" Israel in this context refers specifically to Judah. See Special Topic: Israel at 11:17. Ezekiel uses this designation to foreshadow the coming unity of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

33:12 "The righteousness of the righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression" This does not refer to cumulative guilt or acquired merit (cf. chapter 18), but lifestyle relational faith! What a terrible warning! What a wonderful invitation (cf. v. 10)!

33:13 "and he will surely live" This is the infinitive absolute and the imperfect verb of the same root (BDB 310, KB 309, cf. vv. 15,16), which expresses intensity or emphasis (see note at v. 8).

▣ "and he so trusts in his righteousness" This is always a danger of religious humanity. The believer must trust in God, not in oneself or one's performance. His/her trust must issue from an initial faith and repentance to an ongoing faith and repentance. Biblical faith is a daily relationship! Obedience does make a difference (cf. vv. 16,31-32; Deut. 4:1; Hab. 2:4) and is the natural result of a dynamic faith.

33:14 "practices justice and righteousness" Notice that there is no distinction in this context between secular and sacred because all belongs to God. This is a truth that moderns need to hear. All life and all relationships are sacred because of Gen. 1:26-27.

33:15 "restores a pledge" This term, "a pledge," (BDB 286, KB 285) basically means "to bind." When one borrows he is obligated to repay. To secure this repayment (without interest to a fellow Israelite) the creditor could take something of value and hold it.

1. grinding stone, 24:6

2. garments, 24:17; Exod. 22:25-27; Job 24:7,10

3. ancestral land and houses, Neh. 5:3 (possibly Job 24:2)

4. an essential animal, Job 24:3

5. essential help, the children, Exod. 21:7; Lev. 25:39-43; II Kgs. 4:1; Job 24:9

Each of these items was a necessary part of daily agricultural existence. To remove any one of these jeopardized the family, even life itself. YHWH's compassion and care for Israel was to be emulated by those Israelites who had resources. God would bless them for their compassion. They would be given more so that they could share more (cf. v. 13; II Cor. 9:6-10).

▣ "pays back what he has taken by robbery" Robbery is discussed in Exod. 22:1-4; Lev. 6:4,5. The stolen items must be returned with a penalty.

▣ "walks by the statutes" The verb (BDB 229, KB 246, Qal perfect) is an idiom of lifestyle faith. Faith is personal and communal. The first can be seen and evaluated by how we treat others!

Notice that the statutes (see Special Topic at 5:7) of God are meant to bestow life (another infinitive absolute and imperfect verb of the same root, BDB 310, KB 309). God's laws were to protect humanity during this period of fallenness (i.e., Deut. 30:16).

33:16 "None of his sins that he has committed will be remembered against him" What a tremendous promise of the forgiveness of God (cf. 18:22; Ps. 103:12; Isa. 1:18; 38:17; 43:25; 44:22; Micah 7:18, 19)! When God forgives, God forgets!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:33:17-20
¹⁷"Yet your fellow citizens say, 'The way of the Lord is not right,' when it is their own way that is not right. ¹⁸When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, then he shall die in it. ¹⁹But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and practices justice and righteousness, he will live by them. ²⁰Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways."

33:17-20 This supposed dialogue between God's spokesperson and the wicked is similar to the diatribe format found in Malachi, Paul's writings, and I John.

A statement of truth is made, then a supposed contemporary objector restates or challenges the first statement. In a concluding statement from the first speaker, God gives His answer to contemporary false views.

33:17 "The way of the Lord" This speaks of lifestyle faith (i.e., Deut. 3:33; 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16). The early church's title was "The Way" (cf. Acts 9:2; 18:25,26; 19:9,23; 22:4; 24:14,22).

▣ "right" This refers to a measuring standard (BDB 1067). It is used often in Ezekiel (cf. 18:25 [twice], 29 [twice]; 33:17 [twice], 20). They were claiming that God's justice was unfair (weighted falsely, cf. I Sam. 2:3; Pro. 16:2; 24:12), but the problem was human, willful rebellion (cf. 18:25, 29).

33:20 "I will judge each of you according to his ways" Notice the individual emphasis continues. This is a recurrent biblical truth. We reap what we sow!

Note Job 34:11; Ps. 28:4; 62:12; Pro. 24:12; Eccl. 12:14; Jer. 17:10; 32:19; Matt. 16:27; 25:31-46; Rom. 2:6; 14:12; I Cor. 3:8; II Cor. 5:10; Gal. 6:7; II Tim. 4:14; I Pet. 1:17; Rev. 2:23; 20:12; 22:12!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:33:21-22
²¹Now in the twelfth year of our exile, on the fifth of the tenth month, the refugees from Jerusalem came to me, saying, "The city has been taken." ²²Now the hand of the Lord had been upon me in the evening, before the refugees came. And He opened my mouth at the time they came to me in the morning; so my mouth was opened and I was no longer speechless.

33:21 "in the twelfth year of our exile" The Syriac translation has "eleventh."

▣ "The city has been taken" Ezekiel had predicted this earlier, but this was the first eyewitness confirmation. This is a crucial point in Ezekiel's ministry. Once the predicted judgment of God has struck (i.e., the destruction of Jerusalem), Ezekiel then begins to proclaim YHWH's messages of hope and restoration.

33:22 "the hand of the Lord had been upon me" This is an idiomatic way of referring to God's initiation of a revelatory message (cf. 1:3; 3:14,22; 8:1; 37:1; 40:1). The phrase usually marks crucial transition points, but here and in chapter 3 it denotes an incoming message.

▣ "He opened my mouth" Previously, Ezekiel had been forced to do dramatic actions because he could not speak, but now he was permitted to speak (cf. 3:26, 27; 24:27).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:33:23-29
²³Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, ²⁴"Son of man, they who live in these waste places in the land of Israel are saying, 'Abraham was only one, yet he possessed the land; so to us who are many the land has been given as a possession.' ²⁵Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "You eat meat with the blood in it, lift up your eyes to your idols as you shed blood. Should you then possess the land? ²⁶You rely on your sword, you commit abominations and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife. Should you then possess the land?'" ²⁷Thus you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "As I live, surely those who are in the waste places will fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves will die of pestilence. ²⁸I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and the pride of her power will cease; and the mountains of Israel will be desolate so that no one will pass through. ²⁹Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I make the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations which they have committed."'

33:24 "they who live in these waste places in the land of Israel are saying" Those who escaped the captivity and exile to Babylon (cf. Jeremiah 24), were asserting that God had blessed them and had cursed the exiles, but this was simply not the case (cf. v. 27; 11:1-27).

33:25 "You eat meat with blood in it" This refers to the improper preparations of meat (cf. Lev. 3:17; 7:26-27; 17:10,12,14; 19:26; Deut. 12:16, 23; 15:23). In this context it probably refers to cultic meals at pagan altars.

▣ "lift up your eyes" This is a metaphor for prayer. They were idolaters.

▣ "you shed blood" This refers to (1) the killing of righteous people; (2) the killing of the poor; or (3) the offering of their children to the Phoenician fertility god, Molech.

▣ "Should you then possess the land" This question is very similar to Jeremiah's temple sermon of chapter 7, in particular vv. 9 and 10.

33:26 "You rely on your sword" They were trusting in their military power and walled cities (cf. v. 28, "the pride of her power will cease").

▣ "you commit abominations and each of you defiles his neighbor's wife" This refers to the sexual fertility rites of the Canaanite gods, Ba'al and Ashterah. See SPECIAL TOPIC: FERTILITY WORSHIP OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST at 8:3.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:33:30-33
³⁰"But as for you, son of man, your fellow citizens who talk about you by the walls and in the doorways of the houses, speak to one another, each to his brother, saying, 'Come now and hear what the message is which comes forth from the Lord.' ³¹They come to you as people come, and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain. ³²Behold, you are to them like a sensual song by one who has a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument; for they hear your words but they do not practice them. ³³So when it comes to pass — as surely it will — then they will know that a prophet has been in their midst."

33:30 Ezekiel's fellow exiles were talking about (his prophecies) what happened to Jerusalem and what would happen to the few who remained. In this context the prophet is commanded to address their concerns.

1. come – BDB 97, KB 112, Qal imperative plural

2. hear – BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal imperative plural

God still wants to speak to His people. The ones in exile are the people He will begin again with.

33:31 "They come to you as people come, and they sit before you as My people but they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain" There was outward, religious show, but no true piety. To them Ezekiel was the best show in town (cf. v. 32), but they had no real desire to turn to God (cf. Isa. 6:9-13; 29:13).

33:32 "for they hear your words but they do not practice them" They hear, but they do not do (i.e., the opposite of shema). This is the condemnation of "religious people" (cf. Matt. 7:24-27; James 1:23-25).

The exiles loved to come hear or observe Ezekiel's messages, but they did not really believe them. He was the only show in town. This would all change with the news brought by an exiled survivor of Jerusalem that indeed all that Ezekiel had predicted had occurred (cf. v. 33).

33:33 The mark of a true prophet is that what they predict (unless repentance occurs, i.e., Jonah) comes to pass (cf. v. 29; 13:6; Deut. 18:22; Jer. 28:9). Ezekiel had been right about Judah and Jerusalem and he would be right about the destruction of the nations! He would also be right about the forgiveness and restoration to come!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. What is the significance of chapters 18 and 33?

2. What is the difference between the attitude of the people in chapters 18 and 33?

3. Explain the spiritual relationship described in 33:12, 13.

4. What is repentance?

Ezekiel 34

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

NASB	NKJV	NRSV	TEV	NJB
		Oracles of Restoration (33:1-39:29)
Prophecy Against the Shepherds of Israel	Irresponsible Shepherds	The Shepherds of Israel	The Shepherds of Israel	The Shepherds of Israel
34:1-6	34:1-6	34:1-6	34:1-6	34:1-6
34:7-10	34:7-10	34:7-10	34:7-10	34:7-10
The Restoration of Israel	God, the True Shepherd		The Good Shepherd
34:11-16	34:11-16	34:11-16	34:11-15	34:11-16
			34:16
34:17-19	34:17-19	34:17-19	34:17-19	34:17-22
34:20-22	34:20-24	34:20-22	34:20-25
34:23-24		34:23-24		34:23-31
34:25-31	34:25-31	34:25-31
			34:26-30
			34:31

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Guide to Good Bible Reading")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:34:1-6
¹Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, ²"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? ³You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. ⁴Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. ⁵They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. ⁶My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them."'"

34:1 This is literally a marker for a new revelation.

34:2 "Son of man" See note at 2:1.

▣ "prophesy" This term (BDB 612, KB 659) is first used in 4:7 (Niphal perfect, cf. 37:7), but it appears often as a Niphal imperative (cf. 6:2; 11:4[twice]; 13:2,17; 20:46; 21:2,9,14,28; 25:2; 28:21; 29:2; 30:2; 34:2[twice]; 35:2; 36:1,3,6; 37:9[twice],12; 38:2,14; 39:1). See Special Topic at 13:2.

▣ "the shepherds of Israel" "Shepherd" (BDB 944, KB 1258, Qal participle, cf. vv. 2[6 times], 3, 5,7,8[3 times],9,10,12,23[twice]) refers to the leaders, both political (i.e., II Sam. 7:7) and religious (i.e., priests, cf. Isa. 56:11; prophets, cf. Jer. 23:1-4; both Jer. 23:9-10; Zech. 11:17; and king, cf. Ezekiel 22). This verb also occurs in

1. Qal imperfect, vv. 2,3,8,10,14(twice),15,16,18,19,23(twice)

2. Qal perfect, vv. 8,12,13,23

3. Qal infinitive construct, v. 10

The origin of this concept comes (1) from the pastoral traditions of the Patriarchs (cf. Genesis 49:24); (2) Moses was a shepherd (cf. Exod. 3:1); or (3) from David's early life as a family herdsman (i.e., I Samuel 16:11; Psalm 78:70-71). Sheep are animals that need constant care and protection. Shepherding became a powerful metaphor for this.

Zechariah also uses the concept of true and evil shepherds in an eschatological, apocalyptic setting (cf. Zechariah 11-13).

34:3-4 These false shepherds think more of their own well-being than they do of the people of God (cf. Jer. 50:6).

1. feed (lit. pasturing) themselves, vv. 2,8,10

2. eat the fat of the sheep, vv. 3,10 (usually the fat is not eaten, cf. 39:19)

3. take the wool, v. 3

4. do not feed the flock, v. 3

5. do not help the sick, v. 4

6. do not bind the broken, v. 4

7. do not seek the scattered, v. 4

8. treat the flock violently, v. 4

34:4 "but with force and with severity you have dominated them" Note the three terms which denote the cruel treatment.

1. with force, BDB 306, cf. Jdgs. 4:3; 8:1; II Sam. 2:16

2. with severity, BDB 827, cf. Exod. 1:13,14; Lev. 25:43,46,53

3. dominated, BDB 921, KB 1109, Qal perfect, cf. Lev. 25:53; 26:17 (this is the same root used in Gen. 1:26,28)

34:5-6 As a result of the action, or lack of action, of leaders, the people of God

1. are scattered (cf. Jer. 23:1-2)

2. are preyed on (cf. vv. 8,23; 14:15,21)

3. wandered away and no one searched for them

Sheep usually stay together. For them to be scattered demonstrates a stressful, dangerous situation.

34:5 "they are scattered for lack of a shepherd" Also refer to Numbers 27:17; I Kings 22:17; and Matthew 9:36.

34:6 "there was no one to search or seek for them" The term "search" (BDB 205, KB 233, Qal participle) is used several times in this chapter.

1. Judah's leaders did not seek, v. 6

2. the shepherds did not seek (BDB 205, KB 233, Qal perfect), v. 8

3. YHWH will require (BDB 205, KB 233, Qal perfect) His sheep, v. 10

4. YHWH, Himself will search (BDB 205, KB 233, Qal perfect) for His sheep

The word "search" is parallel in this verse with "seek" (BDB 134, KB 152, Piel participle, cf. Jdgs. 6:29; I Chr. 16:11; II Chr. 20:3-4; Job 10:6; Ps. 24:6; 38:12; 105:4; Jer. 29:13)

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:34:7-10
⁷Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ⁸"As I live," declares the Lord God, "surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but rather the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; ⁹therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁰'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I will deliver My flock from their mouth, so that they will not be food for them."'"

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:34:11-16
¹¹For thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. ¹²As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. ¹³I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. ¹⁴I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. ¹⁵I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest," declares the Lord God. ¹⁶I will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken and strengthen the sick; but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with judgment."

34:11-31 Notice the number of first person masculine singular statements! YHWH, Himself will act on behalf of His people. This is exactly the opposite of vv. 2-6.

1. I Myself will search for My sheep, v. 11

2. I Myself will seek them out, v. 11

3. I will care for My sheep, v. 12

4. I will deliver them, vv. 12,22

5. I will bring them out from the peoples, v. 13 (cf. 11:17; 20:41)

6. I will gather them, v. 13 (cf. 11:17; 20:34.41; 28:25; 36:24; 37:21; 38:8; 39:27)

7. I will feed them, vv. 13,14,15,18

8. I will lead them to rest (lit. "cause to lie down"), v. 15 (cf. Ps. 23:1,2)

9. I will seek the lost, v. 16

10. I will bring back the scattered, v. 16

11. I will bind up the broken, v. 16 (cf. Isa. 30:26)

12. I will strengthen the sick, v. 16 (cf. Ps. 147:3)

13. I will feed them judgment, v. 16

14. I will judge between one sheep and another, vv. 17,22

15. I will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep, v. 20 (cf. v. 16)

16. I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David

17. I will be their God, v. 24

18. I will make a covenant of peace with them, v. 25

19. I will eliminate harmful beasts, v. 25

20. I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing, v. 26

21. I will cause showers to come down in their season, v. 26

22. I have broken the bars of their yoke, v. 27

23. I have delivered them, v. 27

24. I will establish for them a renowned planting place, v. 29

Here God acts because of His faithless leaders, but in Ezek. 36:27-38 He acts because of His people's inability to be faithful and obedient to His Mosaic covenant. This default on the part of His people precipitates a new covenant based on God's actions and faithfulness (cf. Jer. 31:31-34)! Jesus is the Good Shepherd (cf. John 10; Heb. 13:20; I Pet. 2:25).

34:12 "when he is among the scattered sheep" As a shepherd was present with his flock, so God will be personally present (i.e., for blessing and protection) with His people.

▣ "on a cloudy and gloomy day" This is an idiom for judgment (cf. 30:3; Ps. 97:2; Joel 2:2; Jer. 13:16; Zeph. 1:15), in this case Israel and Judah's exile.

34:16

NASB, NKJV,
NRSV, TEV,
JPSOA,
NAB"but the fat and strong I will destroy"
NJB"I shall watch over the fat and healthy"
LXX"I will guard the strong"
Peshitta"I will protect the fat and strong"

The MT has "I will destroy," BDB 1029, KB 1552, Hiphil imperfect first person singular (דמש), but the ancient versions (LXX, Peshitta, and Vulgate) have "I will preserve," BDB 1036, KB 1581 (רמש). The context supports both.

1. "preserve" fits the immediate verse

2. "destroy" fits the larger context (cf. vv. 17-22) of the chapter better

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:34:17-19
¹⁷"As for you, My flock, thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats. ¹⁸Is it too slight a thing for you that you should feed in the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or that you should drink of the clear waters, that you must foul the rest with your feet? ¹⁹As for My flock, they must eat what you tread down with your feet and drink what you foul with your feet!'"

34:17 "As for you, My flock" Ezekiel is making a comparison between the future condition of

1. the current leadership

2. the people

▣ "I will judge between one sheep and another, between the rams and the male goats" This refers to a judgment between the strong and the weak, between the greedy shepherds and the true shepherds (cf. v. 22).

34:18 "Is it too slight a thing for you" This is an idiom of inappropriate actions (cf. 16:20; Num. 16:9,13; Josh. 22:17; II Sam. 7:19; Isa. 7:13).

▣ Sheep do not like to feed in trampled pastures nor drink from muddied waters (cf. Psalm 23). The wealthy not only exploited the weak, poor, and socially ostracized, they made it such that they could not prosper and become free of their situation. This violates many passages in Leviticus and Deuteronomy about how the covenant people should treat each other.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:34:20-22
²⁰Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them, "Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. ²¹Because you push with side and with shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns until you have scattered them abroad, ²²therefore, I will deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another.

34:21 The leaders are described as aggressive male rams and goats that push and shove the people away.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:34:23-24
²³"Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. ²⁴And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the Lord have spoken.

34:23 "one shepherd" This probably refers to a united Israel (i.e., the children of Jacob, seed of Abraham). There will no longer be a divided monarchy as occurred in 922 b.c. (i.e., Israel and Judah).

▣ "My servant" This is an honorific title used first of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, cf. Deut. 9:27). It is used of Moses in Num. 12:7; Deut. 34:5; and Josh. 1:1,2,13,15; 8:31,33; 11:12,15; 12:6; 13:8; 14:7; 18:7; 22:2,4,5. It is also used of Joshua after his death (i.e., Josh. 24:29). In Isaiah it becomes a way of referring to Israel collectively, but also to the special coming son of David (cf. Isaiah 40-56). You can clearly see this interplay between the corporate and individual in Isaiah 42. Note that v. 1 is quoted in the NT as referring to the Messiah (cf. Matt. 12:18-21), but v. 19 obviously refers to the people of God (cf. 41:8-10; 44:21). This interplay occurs in several of the "Servant Songs" (cf. 42:1-9; 49:1-7; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12), which are unique to Isaiah.

▣ "David" David became the ideal king (cf. v. 24; 37:24; II Samuel 7; Ps. 18:50; 89; Isa. 9:6-7; 11:1-5; 16:5; 55:3-5; Jer. 23:5-6; 30:9; 33:15,17; Hosea 3:5; Micah 5:2-5). David was sinful (like all humans), but he had a heart for God. He became a way of referring to the special coming king of righteousness (see E. W. Hengstenber, Christology of the Old Testament, pp. 687-690).

34:24 "I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among them" These verses are (i.e., 23-24) parallels of 37:24-25. It is obviously Messianic. Note the typical covenant language! This is reunification of the covenant people under a Davidic monarch, as well as the fulfillment of God's covenant blessings (cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 27-28). Also note the concluding phrase, which assures the fulfillment of this divine promise (cf. Amos 9:11-15).

The questions related to these verses are

1. when does it occur?

2. who does it refer to?

Some try to relate this to the return under Zerubbabel (a prince of Judah, cf. Ezra 1:8; the exact relationship between Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel is disputed). Others note the continuing problems of the post-exilic period (see Haggai and Malachi) and assert that these ideal conditions must refer to the future.

It seems best to me because of

1. the nature of prophecy (see D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks)

2. the expansion of the NT into a universal gospel (i.e., Eph. 2:11-3:13)

3. the symbolic nature of chapters 34-39, 40-41, which relates this to God's plans for a restored Israel in the Persian period. All prophecy is conditional, even this one. God wanted to restore Israel and would have if only Israel wanted to and would have been obedient.

Does the "everlasting covenant" of 16:60 and 37:26 (cf. Isa. 55:3; 61:8) refer to a realized OT community or the NT human family? My presuppositional theology pushes me to option #2. For me as a historical-grammatical interpreter, the OT must stand on its own as the word of God. I must interpret it in light of the original inspired author's intent. However, progressive revelation (i.e., Jesus' life, actions, and teaching, plus NT authors) refocuses the message from a Jewish setting in Palestine to a universal gospel for all peoples (cf. Acts), thus fulfilling the concept of monotheism and the universal promise of Gen. 3:15. These prophecies must be analyzed through two lenses (i.e., the OT and the NT). Christianity is only true if the NT is the fulfillment of the OT and Jesus is the promised Messiah. The hope is wider than Israel. Genesis 3:15 is a promise to all the sons and daughters of Adam, not just Jews. There were no Jews in Genesis 3.

▣ "I will be their God" The king of Israel was to be God's representative (cf. I Samuel 8). This represents the ideal picture of a society where God is the true King and the righteous leader is His visible representative!

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:34:25-31
²⁵"I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. ²⁶I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing. ²⁷Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. ²⁸They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid. ²⁹I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore. ³⁰Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people," declares the Lord God. ³¹As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God," declares the Lord God.

34:25 "I will make a covenant of peace" This term "peace" is the Hebrew Shalom (BDB 1022, cf. 37:24-28; 39:25-29; Lev. 26:6). It must be remembered that all covenants have obligations (see SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT at 16:8). Free creatures have options!

Is this "covenant of peace" the same as "the new covenant" of Jer. 31:31-34? Ezekiel 36:22-38 (like these texts) describes a new way that YHWH will relate to His covenant people, a way characterized by (1) a new heart and a new mind and (2) YHWH's personal action on their behalf. A new covenant initially focuses on God's graciousness in redemption, still desires a righteous people to draw "the nations" to Himself!

▣ "eliminate harmful beasts from the land" As is so often the case, Ezekiel is influenced by Leviticus 26 (i.e., v. 22) and Deuteronomy (i.e., 32:24). The curses of disobedience are reversed into the blessing of covenant fidelity. The blessing was always YHWH's intent. He wanted to attract the nations to Himself by blessing Israel (see SPECIAL TOPIC: BOB'S EVANGELICAL BIASES at 12:16).

The prophecy of the new age is Isa. 11:6-9; 65:25, which includes animals and shows the original intent of Eden (i.e., a place of fellowship between God and humanity, and humanity and the animal kingdom). The Bible starts with an Edenic setting and also ends the same way (cf. Revelation 21-22). Heaven is depicted as a recreated Garden of Eden. Animals are part of this depiction!

▣ "so that they may live securely" This was part of the promises of Deuteronomy, which Ezekiel restates (cf. 28:26; 34:27,28; 38:8,11,14; 39:26; Jer. 33:16). Their security is because of the presence of God!

34:26 "My hill" This is a reference to Jerusalem and specifically the temple mount (cf. 20:40-49). God's hill is a contrast to the worship of the fertility gods of Canaan on the natural and manmade hills.

The prophecy, which is typical of the prophets, refers to a restored Jerusalem. Must this be taken literally? This is a central issue in dispensational theology. I have come to a different conclusion. Here are the introductory notes from my commentary on Revelation.

SPECIAL TOPIC: CRUCIAL INTRODUCTORY ARTICLE

▣ "I will cause showers" Moisture at the appropriate time and in expected amounts was part of the covenant blessings of Lev. 26:4 and Deut. 28:12. These were agricultural people living in an arid climate. Society was based on the regular and expected cycles of the seasons! God controls the cycle and the seasons (i.e., Lev. 25:21).

The phrase "showers of blessings" reflects the agricultural nature of God's promised blessings (cf. Deuteronomy 28).

34:27 "a tree of the field will yield its fruit" This refers to the covenant abundance (cf. Deuteronomy 27; Hosea 2:22; Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13, 14; Zech. 8:12).

▣ "I have broken the bars of their yoke" This is an idiom of oppression first used in Lev. 26:13. So much of Ezekiel's vocabulary and theology comes from Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 27-29.

34:28-29 The nations will no longer dominate God's people. This is the result of the original covenant coming into reality!

34:29

NASB"a renowned planting"
NKJV"a garden of renown"
NRSV, NJB"a splendid vegetation"
TEV"fertile fields"
JPSOA"a planting of renown"
NIV"a land of renown"
REB"their crops renowned"
Peshitta"a plantation of peace"
LXX"a plant of peace"

The word "planting" (BDB 642) can mean the plant itself or where it is planted. So the text is referring to (1) God's people's crops and herds being very productive (i.e., evidence covenant restored, which is the fruitfulness and safety described in vv. 25-27) or (2) God's people going back to Palestine (evidence covenant restored). The LXX and Peshitta reverse two consonants in the preposition plus the noun "renown/name" (BDB 1027) and change it to "peace" (BDB 1023) to link up with v. 25 (i.e., "I will make a covenant of peace").

This imagery goes back to 17:22-24 and the opposite of 19:10-14 (cf. Isa. 60:21; 61:3). One of the titles for the Messiah is "Branch" (cf. Isa. 4:2). There is a mixing of metaphors here.

1. the cosmic tree (i.e., Ezekiel 31)

2. Israel as a plant (or planting place, which is parallel to v. 26a)

3. the Messiah as a shoot or branch from a stump (cf. Isa. 11:2,10; 53:2; Rom. 15:12)

34:30 "I the Lord their God am with them" These are Covenant terms which show that the Covenant has been restored in the midst of the destruction of the temple! There is no more significant statement than "I am with them" (i.e., Emmanuel).

34:31 This covenant language about God as Shepherd (cf. John 10) and His people as sheep is also found in Psalm 23; 78:52; 80:1; Isa. 40:11; Jer. 31:10). This is such a wonderful metaphor of personal presence, care, protection, and provision!

▣ "you are men, and I am your God" This is not meant to be an emphasis on transcendence, but on the special creation of humanity (cf. Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7-8). The LXX omits "you are men" and it is followed by RSV, REB, NAB. Because "men" are mentioned in parallel texts in this literary unit of Ezekiel (i.e., 36:37,38), it seems best to stay with the MT.

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