Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
God will destroy the cities of Israel and wipe out the people’s idolatrous objects. Those who survive will realize their wrongdoings and turn to God.
II. Photo
God commands Ezekiel to address the mountains: “O mortal, turn your face toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy to them and say: ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God!’” (vv. 2-3a)
III. Important Verses
2-3a: O mortal, turn your face toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy to them and say: ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God!
4-6a: Your altars shall be wrecked and your incense stands smashed, and I will hurl down your slain in front of your fetishes. I will cast the corpses of the people of Israel in front of their fetishes, and scatter your bones around your altars in all your settlements.
8-10: Yet I will leave a remnant, in that some of you shall escape the sword among the nations and be scattered through the lands. And those of you that escape will remember Me among the nations where they have been taken captive, how I was brokenhearted through their faithless hearts which turned away from Me, and through their eyes which lusted after their fetishes. And they shall loathe themselves for all the evil they committed and for all their abominable deeds. 10 Then they shall realize it was not without cause that I the LORD resolved to bring this evil upon them.
IV. Outline
1-10. Oracle #1
1. Introduction
2-7. The Israelite cities will be destroyed along with the idolatrous objects
8-10. The survivors will return to God in exile
11-14. Oracle #2
11a. Introduction
11b. Exhortation to mock idolatrous objects
12. Death will plague Israel
13-14. Death will cause the people to know God
V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Allen, Leslie C. “Ezekiel 1-19” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 28 (Waco, Texas: Wordbook, 1994).
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
Hals, Ronald M. “Ezekiel” The forms of the Old Testament Literature vol. 19 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1989)
Photo taken from http://www.johnharveyphoto.com/MidCoast/JennyInlet/MountainAtSunsetLg.jpg
