Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Pelatiah, a prince of Judah, drops dead when Ezekiel condemns Jerusalem’s leaders. God promises to gather in the exiles and Ezekiel returns to Mesopotamia.
II. Photo
Ezekiel threatens Jerusalem’s leaders: “You feared the sword, and the sword I will bring upon you — declares the Lord God.” (v. 8 )
III. Important Verses
1-4: Then a spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the House of the LORD, which faces eastward; and there, at the entrance of the gate, were twenty-five men, among whom I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. [The LORD] said to me, “O mortal, these are the men who plan iniquity and plot wickedness in this city, who say: ‘There is no need now to build houses; this [city] is the pot, and we are the meat.’ I adjure you, prophesy against them; prophesy, O mortal!”
8: You feared the sword, and the sword I will bring upon you — declares the Lord GOD.
13: Now, as I prophesied, Pelatiah son of Benaiah dropped dead. I threw myself upon my face and cried out aloud, “Ah, Lord GOD! You are wiping out the remnant of Israel!”
17-18: Yet say: Thus said the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the Land of Israel. And they shall return there, and do away with all its detestable things and all its abominations.
24-25: A spirit carried me away and brought me in a vision by the spirit of God to the exile community in Chaldea. Then the vision that I had seen left me, and I told the exiles all the things that the LORD had shown me.
IV. Outline
1-4. God orders Ezekiel to prophesy against Jerusalem’s idolatrous leaders
5-12. Ezekiel portends the leaders’ downfall
13. Pelatiah dies immediately
14-21. God promises to gather in the righteous exiles and punish the sinners
22-23. God leaves Jerusalem
24-25. Ezekiel returns to Mesopotamia
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://files.myopera.com/LeMog/albums/613300/swords.jpg
