Ezekiel 12:1-20

Symbols of Exile, Flight, and Famine

Ezekiel’s audience being blind to the meaning of the vision he has just described, he is commanded to give them, in new symbolic actions, a further representation of the coming fate of Jerusalem and its king and people. He is told to gather together such things as one leaving home would take with him, and to carry these out of his house by day. At night he is to dig a hole in a wall, and pass through it with his face covered and his baggage on his shoulder. When the people ask hun next morning what these proceedings mean he is directed to tell them that the action of the daytime is a symbol of the captivity awaiting Jerusalem, and that the action of the evening foreshadows the secret flight which Zedekiah will attempt, and the punishment of blindness which will prevent him from seeing the land of his exile (Ezekiel 12:1-16). Another symbolic action, resembling that of Ezekiel 4:9., is also commanded. Ezekiel is to eat and drink sparingly and with trembling, in token of the famine which the coming siege will cause in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 12:17-20).

2. The story of the vision seems to have produced no impression.

5. The wall] Some understand the town-wall of Tel-abib, or the wall of the courtyard of Ezekiel’s house, but we cannot be sure that these walls existed, The house-wall itself may be meant, but in j that case Ezekiel would have to carry his luggage indoors again.

6. Twilight] RV ’dark,’ and so in Ezekiel 12:7,

12. Cover thy face] A natural emblem for disguise and secrecy, but with a special reference, as Ezekiel 12:13 shows, to Zedekiah’s blindness.

7. Captivity] RV ’removing,’ as in Ezekiel 12:4.

10. The prince] Zedekiah, the last king of Judah: see Intro. That are among them] Changing one letter we may render, ’that are in it.’ The prince.. shall go forth] Zedekiah attempted to escape from Jerusalem towards the end of the siege, but was captured and brought to Nebuchadrezzar at Riblah. There his eyes were put out, and he was then taken to 1 Babylon (2 Kings 25:4-7; Jeremiah 39:4-7; Jeremiah 52:7-11).

12. That he see not] RV ’because he shall not see.’

16. I will leave a few] This is really an explanation of the symbol in Ezekiel 5:3.