Ezekiel 12 Footnotes

12:1-7 Ezekiel enumerated many reasons for the fall of Judah and Jerusalem. This third cycle of prophecies includes ten messages that present seven causes for the community’s demise (vv. 1,17,21; 13:1; 14:2,12; 15:1; 16:1; 17:1; 18:1), followed by a funeral lament in 19:1-14. The first reason for the fall, presented in this passage, was the people’s obstinacy (2:3-8; Jr 36:1-32). The Lord reminded Ezekiel once again of their rebellious nature (Ezk 2:3-5). The prophet then acted out another dramatic sermon by packing his bags with items carried by one leaving for exile (12:4).

12:21-28 The rebellion of the Judeans was exacerbated because they despised the word of God. The people adopted a proverb: “The days keep passing by, and every vision fails” (v. 22), evidently deriding Jeremiah and Ezekiel. But God warned he would “put a stop to” their proverb and replace it with a new one, “the days have arrived, as well as the fulfillment of every vision” (v. 23; Dt 18:20-22; Jr 5:13-14; 17:15; 26:17-24).