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“Son of man, eat this scroll, then go and speak” (Ezek 3:1). The expectation that the prophet ingest God’s Word before proclamation demonstrates to every teacher or preacher that the text must first enter the heart of the messenger. But properly “digesting” God’s Word depends on correctly understanding the meaning of the text. The book of Ezekiel confronts the interpreter with a number of challenges; most notable are his visionary experiences and the high concentration of metaphor he uses in many of his oracles.1 But even more difficult is the challenge of managing some of the most vociferous language in all the prophets. Ezekiel’s blunt expressions do not make for delicate preaching material. Further complicating the practicality of teaching Ezekiel is its size—the second longest book in the Bible, barely surpassed only by the prophecies of Jeremiah.2 It is not surprising that several of the best commentaries comprise several large volumes. Not many people in ministry are granted the time necessary to plow through these mammoth works, as beneficial as that would be. So this commentary attends especially to the needs of the teacher or preacher who works with limited time. For economy’s sake, it addresses only the most difficult aspects of the text, providing discussion on crucial issues and focusing carefully on the central message for God’s people. What pitfalls should be avoided in exposition, and in what direction would Ezekiel aim his arrows were he to address the church today?

The Life and Times of the Prophet Ezekiel

God’s design from the beginning of creation was to bless his world (Gen 1:28). But his creatures rebelled (Gen 3:1–24; 6:5; 11:6), so beginning with Abraham, God called to himself a people through whom he might channel his blessing (Gen 12:1–3). Under Moses, God shaped the descendants of Abraham into a nation in order to form a missionary kingdom to the world (Exod 19:5–6). But they failed their calling in the land that God had given to them. They fought among themselves, split in civil war, overturned social justice with violence, and abandoned the God who called them. Like Adam and Eve, who were expelled from the garden, the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah) were sent into exile (2 Kgs 17:7–23; 2 Chr 36:15–20).3 Such were the final consequences of breaking the terms of the covenant between God and his people (Deut 28:63–64). But by God’s grace, that is not the final word; and Ezekiel proclaims both the message of doom as well as the vision of restoration.

Ezekiel was born into a priestly family (Ezek 1:3) and was a young man when the Babylonians subjugated the kingdom of Judah. As was customary, the conquerors took youths from elite families into captivity in order to “socialize” them to be good servants of their overlord. The first such deportation was in 605 BC. Among these earliest political prisoners were the likes of Daniel (Dan 1:1–7). Ezekiel was likely part of a second wave of deportation. After Jehoiachin’s rebellion against the Babylonian overlords in 598 BC, there was a punitive exile of Jerusalem’s leaders (2 Kgs 24:12–16). Ezekiel’s prophetic call came five years after this event while living among the exiles (Ezek 1:1–3). His oracles span 20 years of his life (see comments at Ezek 40:1). God addresses Ezekiel as “son of man,” which stresses his human frailty in contrast to the sovereign sufficiency of God (see comments at Ezek 2:1). We do not know the exact location of the Kebar Canal, where Ezekiel lived among the exiles, but it was a primary irrigation canal branching off the Euphrates River.

Prophecy in the ancient Near East was treated with special care, because it was an authoritative word directly from a deity. This is true whether it was a word from the god Adad to the king of Mari, from the goddess Ishtar to the king of Assyria, or from Yahweh to his people Israel. These ancient cultures transmitted divine words with the same respect given to royal, diplomatic correspondence, whether delivered orally or in writing. One dared not play fast and loose with it. So we have good reason to be confident that the words recorded in Ezekiel are the authoritative voice of God’s prophet. If Ezekiel’s oracles were not compiled by the prophet himself, his words were handled carefully and edited into book form under the guidance of inspired scribal editors (compare the process for wisdom literature presupposed in Prov 25:1).4

The Message of the Book as a Whole

One way to summarize the whole message of Ezekiel into one sentence is: Yahweh, the God of glory, must judge his rebellious people, yet he will restore a repentant remnant to covenant blessing in the land, where they will enjoy his glorious presence forever.5 “Yahweh,” was the revealed name of Israel’s covenant God (Exod 3:13–15). It is usually translated “Lord” in our English versions (see discussion of “Sovereign Lord” at Ezek 2:3). Over sixty-five times in Ezekiel, the Lord declares, “then they will know that I am Yahweh.” The intervention of Israel’s God in history will once and for all make his name known and respected, not only in Israel but in all the earth. Of particular concern in Ezekiel is the glory of God, which cannot be present among a sinful people; so Ezekiel envisions the glory departing from the temple and from Jerusalem (Ezek 11:22–23; cf. Exod 33:3–5). In the oracles of judgment against the nations, God’s glory is also of preeminent concern. This is demonstrated most clearly in the oracle against Tyre (Ezek 28:2, “because your heart is high you say, ‘I am god’”).

Ezekiel lived among a community of Jewish exiles who had not fully repented of the nation’s corporate sins,6 but they were nevertheless expecting an immanent return to their homeland. Their hope was rooted in an imbalanced theology that God would never abandon Jerusalem, the city of his temple (cf. Ps 48:8). They did not take seriously the warnings of the covenant. Much of Ezekiel’s message was targeted at such presumptuous expectations. The people needed to understand that punishment for Judah’s covenant rebellion had not run its course, especially because the people in exile and back in Jerusalem had not turned from their evil ways. Ezekiel’s contemporary, the prophet Jeremiah, confronted this same problem from the vantage point of his residence back in Jerusalem (cf. Jer 29:1–23).

Nevertheless, Ezekiel envisions a day when God’s glory will return to dwell among his people in a healed land (Ezek 43:5–7; 47:1–12). In preparation for that return, the people of Israel are restored spiritually as well as physically to full covenant blessing (Ezek 36–37). God will bring to fulfillment the covenant blessings promised to Abraham and Moses (Ezek 11:16–20; 16:60; 36:8–12; 37:11–14) as well as to David (Ezek 34:23–31; 37:24–28). The whole “covenant package” is assured in the final line of Ezekiel, “Yahweh is there” (cf. Exod 3:12–15; Lev 26:12). Much of the challenge in preaching Ezekiel is to translate these themes for Christian hope and living.

An overview of the book’s structure is as follows:

1. Judgment against Israel (Ezek 1–24)

After seeing a vision of the glory of God (chapters 1–3) and dramatically portraying the siege of Jerusalem (chapters 4–7), Ezekiel envisions the glory of God departing from the defiled temple (chapters 8–11). Then, a dramatic portrayal of exile (chapter 12) is followed by extensive explanation of the reasons for judgment (chapters 13–24).

2. Judgment against the Nations (Ezek 25–32)

The nations, who would exult their own glory over that of the Lord will be humiliated in judgment, including: neighboring nations (chapter 25); Tyre (chapters 26–28); Egypt (chapters 29–32).

3. Renewal of Israel and Restoration to a Glorious Kingdom (Ezek 33–48)

Through a new covenant, Yahweh will restore his people to new life, under new leadership, in a new kingdom in which his glory will again dwell forever. Ezekiel’s messages turn to salvation (chapter 33); new leadership (chapter 34); restoration to the promised homeland (chapters 35:1—36:15); restoration spiritually (chapters 36:16—37:28); final deliverance from chaos (chapters 38—39); and restoration of worship in the blessing of God’s presence (chapters 40—48).

Because Ezekiel’s prophetic oracles are organized chronologically through the book, they present a story in a general way.7 There is no elaborate plotline, but the chronological notices trace a progression of interactions between the prophet and his community, which has been traumatized by forced deportation. The narrative arc begins with the prophet’s call and his confrontation with the exiled compatriots. He labors to convince them that their exile is justified because of sin, and furthermore, that the doom announced against Jerusalem is sure to come. This puts their trauma in theological perspective. This trauma is amplified when news arrives of the destruction of their homeland, recorded half-way through the book. From that point on, Ezekiel’s task changes from confrontation to comfort.

Dividing the Book into Teachable Units

The immensity of the book of Ezekiel presents a challenge for a Sunday morning preaching series as well as for the length usually allowed for many seasonal Bible studies. While all Scripture is God’s word, not all of it is equally important for constructing our faith nor as immediately relevant for Christian living. So it is necessary to be selective about what passages in Ezekiel to cover.

In addition to the difficulty of choosing which passages to preach, there is the challenge of assigning the boundaries of each selection. Breaking up the book into the best literary segments does not necessarily optimize the book for realistic teaching units. So, sometimes I have combined segments of the book that could easily be separated but are difficult to justify as stand-alone teaching or preaching units. In my comments on the context for each section, I explain my decision, and the reader can make his or her own judgment accordingly.

After a statement of Ezekiel’s message, each passage is introduced by a contextual overview, placing the unit in the flow of the book. The bulk of the commentary focuses on the most important and difficult expressions used by the prophet. Then, a paragraph treats a central theological truth from the passage that bridges into discussion about teaching and applying the text to contemporary life.

If I were preaching through the book in an expository series, I would especially want to include the following units, which I judge to be particularly important for Ezekiel’s message:

Ezek 1:1–28 / The God of Glory Calls

Ezek 4:1—5:17 / Failing to Live as Light

Ezek 7:1–27 / The Impotence of Materialism (or Ezek 26:1—27:36)

Ezek 8:1–18 / Rebellion in God’s Face

Ezek 10:1–22 / God’s Parting Judgment

Ezek 18:1–32 / The Individual Responsibility to Repent (or Ezek 33:1–33)

Ezek 20:1–44 / Divine Pursuit of a Purified People

Ezek 28:1–26 / The Corruption of Tyre’s Pride

Ezek 34:1–31 / Two Kinds of Shepherds

Ezek 36:16–38 / Spiritual Transformation for God’s Honor

Ezek 37:1–28 / A Whole Covenant Package

Ezek 40:1—43:12 / The Return of God’s Glory

The reader is encouraged to read through Ezekiel and consider the main ideas stated at the beginning of each passage in the commentary as a guide to what other selections might be particularly relevant to a ministry context. Daniel Block has written an essay on “Preaching Ezekiel” that also offers very helpful guidance for understanding and delivering the message of the prophet.8

The Bridge to Application

We live in a world that has become broken due to human failure. Nevertheless, God has repeatedly intervened to redeem and restore his creation, decisively in the life and ministry of Jesus. But God was at work in Old Testament days as well, calling people into relationship with him, directing them in his ways, and establishing them as mission outposts in a world that naturally drifts into chaos. The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is the story of the reestablishment of God’s kingdom on a planet in rebellion against him.

One can think of the Bible as the narrative of God’s redemptive intervention, but a narrative that has not yet reached final conclusion in the outworking of history. It reveals to us the ways of God with humanity, it projects before us the world that God envisions to restore, and it invites us to participate cooperatively in this mission.9 If I may use the metaphor of a motion picture, the Bible projects what God is doing in the world, and each passage is a frame in the whole moving story. We must step into roles within this story to advance God’s program, not hinder it. As the instrument of God’s Spirit, the Bible does something to us and accomplishes things by us.

When teaching or preaching the Old Testament, one must ask, What sort of world would God have us inhabit? What should that look like practically in our communities today? What is my responsibility to achieve this? Sometimes it means that we advocate for change in the relationships and social structures around us. Usually it also means that we come face to face with our own rebellion. But because many difficulties in life or society are intractable, sometimes all we can do is to rest in hope for God’s personal intervention to redeem his world.

Answering the question, What is the prophet Ezekiel “doing” with this passage?, is a crucial step in aligning our interpretation and application with the scope of relevance the prophet had in view. Ezekiel chose his words carefully and efficiently to “hook” specific ideas in the mind of his audience. We want to attend to Ezekiel’s message that best connects the prophet’s words and the thought world of his audience. We could call that “contextual relevance,” and it helps us guard against grasping for meanings of the text beyond what Ezekiel would have imagined.10

One of the most common mistakes in teaching the Old Testament is to use the passage only as a springboard or illustration for what ends up being an exposition from the New Testament. So the challenge of teaching Ezekiel is the same for all of the Old Testament—care must be taken to expound the meaning of the Old Testament text itself rather than jump quickly into corresponding New Testament passages. New Testament texts can validate the message drawn from Ezekiel, but the message must be rooted in the meaning derived from Ezekiel itself. My use of the New Testament in this commentary is to validate the message of Ezekiel when necessary. This is done most often in passages where the message of Ezekiel strains Christian instincts about the life of believers who are in Christ. The use of the New Testament is also necessary to bring forward the message of Ezekiel to its consummation in our expectations of God’s Old Testament promises in Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Ancient Texts for Illustration

Illustrations are tools that clarify or drive home the point of a passage. They are not an end in themselves nor the framework upon which we hang the biblical message. In this commentary, I frequently quote ancient Near Eastern texts from the world of the Bible. Actually reading these texts to your audience can be effective in exposition; it helps clarify the cultural setting of the text in a way that informs meaning. The modern audience experiences more closely the impact that a particular passage would have had on the original audience. In my experience, people actually perk up when they hear these ancient voices from the past, voices they have never heard before that bring to concrete appreciation the life of the biblical world.

The Text and Translation of Ezekiel

My recommendation is always to consult three English translations when doing detailed Bible study. It is a good idea to choose at least one that is outside the translation tradition that you would normally consult. For example, the NIV, NASB, and NRSV offer a good mix. If there are no substantial differences, then it can be assumed the Hebrew text is reasonably clear and without significant difficulty. In these cases, the English versions offer a unified guide as to the meaning of the Hebrew text. However, when important differences do appear, it is due to one of three difficulties: (1) the Hebrew text has suffered in transmission over the ages, so there is discrepancy between manuscripts that witness to the original text; (2) there is a difficult grammatical expression that leaves some ambiguity as to meaning; (3) there is an unusual word meaning that remains unclear. One thing is sure, in this day of abundant English translations of the Bible, a variety of translations is present in any size of audience. This cannot be ignored. Our responsibility is to walk people through the differences, clarify when possible, and refrain from making dogmatic points on disputed readings.

It is helpful to remind people that the doctrine of inspiration does not extend to preservation of the text in the transmission process. Providentially, God has preserved for us an embarrassing overabundance of manuscript evidence for the New Testament and an adequate preservation of ancient manuscripts for the Old Testament. This includes Hebrew manuscripts as well as ancient translations, like the Old Greek that dates several hundred years before Christ. So I have endeavored to offer some explanation where significant differences appear between some of the most commonly used, modern English versions.

1. Technically, “oracle” refers to the answer received from a deity in response to a specific question for advice, but the word has come to be used commonly to refer to any divine message.

2. Based on word count, Ezekiel is second in size only to Jeremiah among the latter prophets and larger even than Psalms.

3. For a summary of the cataclysmic events surrounding the final decades of the kingdom, see Special Topic: The Last Kings of Judah at Ezek 19:1–14.

4. For discussion and defense, see Hilber, “Culture of Prophecy and Writing,” 219–41.

5. A earlier form of this statement has a pedigree stretching back through my professors, Elliot E. Johnson and Allen P. Ross, to Bruce K. Waltke.

6. The term “Jew” or “Jewish” is a common designation for the exilic community that perhaps more accurately could be called “Judean.”

7. Lyons, Introduction to the Study of Ezekiel, 79–80. The exception to proper chronological order is Ezek 29:17, where the concern for topic overrides the chronological need (see comments there).

8. Block, “Preaching Ezekiel,” 157–78. This is reprinted also in Block, By the River Chebar, 1–24. This same volume contains a number of other essays on Ezekiel that the reader might find helpful.

9. I am following here the model of application advocated by Kuruvilla, Privilege the Text!, especially 39–54.

10. Here I am influenced by a communication model called Relevance Theory. An accessible introduction can be found in Green, “Relevance Theory and Theological Interpretation,” 75–90; or Green, “Relevance Theory and Biblical Interpretation,” 266–73.