Ezekiel 11:1

The Spirit next lifted Ezekiel up in his vision and transported him to the east (main) gate of the temple courtyards where God’s glory had moved (cf. Ezekiel 10:19). There the prophet saw 25 of the governing leaders of the people of Jerusalem, including Jaazaniah the son of Azzur and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah. [Note: See Cooper, p. 139, for archaeological confirmation of the existence of these men in Jerusalem at this time.] These 25 civic leaders were not the same individuals as the 25 sun-worshipping priests whom Ezekiel had seen earlier (Ezekiel 8:16). Jaazaniah the son of Azzur does not seem to be the same man as Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan in Ezekiel 8:11. The name was evidently common at this time (cf. 2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 35:3). Gates were the traditional places where city elders administered justice and conducted legal matters.