Ezekiel 11

Evil Rulers to Be Judged

1 Moreover, the ¹Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the LORD'S house which faced eastward. And behold, there were twenty-five * men at the entrance of the gate, and among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and ²Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.

2 He said to me, "Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity and ³give evil advice in this city,

3 who say, 'The time is not near to build houses. This ⁴city is the pot and we are the flesh.'

4 "Therefore, ⁵prophesy against them, son of man, prophesy!"

5 Then the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and He said to me, "Say, 'Thus says the LORD, "So you think, house of Israel, for ⁶I know your ⁷thoughts *.

6 "You have ⁸multiplied your slain in this city, filling its streets with them."

7 'Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Your ⁹slain whom you have laid in the midst of the city are the flesh and this city is the pot; but I will ¹⁰bring you out of it.

8 "You have ¹¹feared a sword; so I will ¹²bring a sword upon you," the Lord GOD declares.

9 "And I will bring you out of the midst of the city and deliver you into the hands of ¹³strangers and ¹⁴execute judgments against you.

10 "You will ¹⁵fall by the sword. I will judge you to the ¹⁶border of Israel; so you shall know that I am the LORD.

11 "This city will ¹⁷not be a pot for you, nor will you be flesh in the midst of it, but I will judge you to the border of Israel.

12 "Thus you will know that I am the LORD; for you have not walked in My statutes nor have you ¹⁸executed My ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the ¹⁹nations around you.""'

13 Now it came about as I prophesied, that ²⁰Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice and said, "²¹Alas, Lord GOD! Will You bring the remnant of Israel to a complete end?"

Promise of Restoration

14 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

15 "Son of man, your brothers, your relatives, your fellow exiles and the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, 'Go far from the LORD; this land has been given ²²us as a possession.'

16 "Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Though I had removed them far away among the nations and though I had scattered them among the countries, yet I was a ²³sanctuary for them a little while in the countries where * they had gone."'

17 "Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will ²⁴gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."'

18 "When they come there, they will ²⁵remove all its ²⁶detestable things and all its abominations from it.

19 "And I will ²⁷give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the ²⁸heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a ²⁹heart of flesh,

20 that they may ³⁰walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be ³¹My people, and I shall be their God.

21 "But as for those whose hearts go after their ³²detestable things and abominations, I will ³³bring their conduct down on their heads," declares the Lord GOD.

22 Then the cherubim ³⁴lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and ³⁵the glory of the God of Israel hovered * over them.

23 The ³⁶glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and ³⁷stood over the mountain which is east of the city.

24 And the ³⁸Spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God to the exiles in Chaldea. So the vision that I had seen ³⁹left me.

25 Then I ⁴⁰told the exiles all the things that the LORD had shown me.

Ezekiel 11 Commentary

Chapter 11

Divine judgments against the wicked at Jerusalem. (1-13) Divine favour towards those in captivity. (14-21) The Divine presence forsakes the city. (22-25)

Verses 1-13 Where Satan cannot persuade men to look upon the judgment to come as uncertain, he gains his point by persuading them to look upon it as at a distance. These wretched rulers dare to say, We are as safe in this city as flesh in a boiling pot; the walls of the city shall be to us as walls of brass, we shall receive no more damage from the besiegers than the caldron does from the fire. When sinners flatter themselves to their own ruin, it is time to tell them they shall have no peace if they go on. None shall remain in possession of the city but those who are buried in it. Those are least safe who are most secure. God is often pleased to single out some sinners for warning to others. Whether Pelatiah died at that time in Jerusalem, or when the fulfilment of the prophecy drew near, is uncertain. Like Ezekiel, we ought to be much affected with the sudden death of others, and we should still plead with the Lord to have mercy on those who remain.

Verses 14-21 The pious captives in Babylon were insulted by the Jews who continued in Jerusalem; but God made gracious promises to them. It is promised, that God will give them one heart; a heart firmly fixed for God, and not wavering. All who are made holy have a new spirit, a new temper and dispositions; they act from new principles, walk by new rules, and aim at new ends. A new name, or a new face, will not serve without a new spirit. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. The carnal heart, like a stone, cannot be made to feel. Men live among the dead and dying, and are neither concerned nor humbled. He will make their hearts tender and fit to receive impressions: this is God's work, it is his gift by promise; and a wonderful and happy change is wrought by it, from death to life. Their practices shall be agreeable to those principles. These two must and will go together. When the sinner feels his need of these blessings, let him present the promises as prayers in the name of Christ, they will be performed.

Verses 22-25 Here is the departure of God's presence from the city and temple. It was from the Mount of Olives that the vision went up, typifying the ascension of Christ to heaven from that very mountain. Though the Lord will not forsake his people, yet he may be driven away from any part of his visible church by their sins, and woe will be upon them when He withdraws his presence, glory, and protection.

Cross References

• 1. Ezekiel 3:12, 14; Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 11:24; Ezekiel 43:5
• 2. Ezekiel 11:13
• 3. Psalms 2:1, 2; Psalms 52:2; Isaiah 30:1; Jeremiah 5:5; Micah 2:1
• 4. Jeremiah 1:13; Ezekiel 11:7, 11; Ezekiel 24:3, 6
• 5. Ezekiel 3:4, 17
• 6. Jeremiah 11:20; Jeremiah 17:10
• 7. Ezekiel 38:10
• 8. Isaiah 1:15; Ezekiel 7:23; Ezekiel 22:2-6, 9, 12, 27
• 9. Ezekiel 24:3-13; Micah 3:2, 3
• 10. 2 Kings 25:18-22; Jeremiah 52:24-27; Ezekiel 11:9
• 11. Proverbs 10:24; Isaiah 66:4
• 12. Job 3:25; Isaiah 24:17, 18
• 13. Deut 28:36, 49, 50; Psalms 106:41
• 14. Ezekiel 5:8; Ezekiel 16:41
• 15. Jeremiah 52:9, 10
• 16. 2 Kings 14:25
• 17. Ezekiel 11:3, 7; Ezekiel 24:3, 6
• 18. Ezekiel 18:8, 9
• 19. Ezek 8:10, 14, 16
• 20. Ezekiel 11:1
• 21. Ezekiel 9:8
• 22. Ezekiel 33:24
• 23. Psalms 31:20; Psalms 90:1; Psalms 91:9; Isaiah 8:14; Jeremiah 29:7, 11
• 24. Isaiah 11:11-16; Jeremiah 3:12, 18; Jeremiah 24:5; Ezekiel 20:41, 42; Ezekiel 28:25
• 25. Ezekiel 37:23
• 26. Ezekiel 5:11; Ezekiel 7:20
• 27. Jeremiah 24:7; Jeremiah 32:39; Ezekiel 18:31; Ezekiel 36:26
• 28. Zechariah 7:12; Romans 2:4, 5
• 29. 2 Corinthians 3:3
• 30. Psalms 105:45; Ezekiel 36:27
• 31. Ezekiel 14:11
• 32. Jeremiah 16:18; Ezekiel 11:18
• 33. Ezekiel 9:10; Ezekiel 16:43
• 34. Ezekiel 10:19
• 35. Ezekiel 43:2
• 36. Ezekiel 8:4
• 37. Zechariah 14:4
• 38. Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 11:1; Ezekiel 37:1; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4
• 39. Acts 10:16
• 40. Ezekiel 2:7; Ezekiel 3:4, 17, 27

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "This is"
• [b]. Lit "what comes up in your spirit"
• [c]. Lit "the slain"
• [d]. Heb "YHWH," usually rendered LORD, and so throughout the ch
• [e]. Lit "it"
• [f]. So with Gr; Heb "he will bring you out"
• [g]. Lit "it"
• [h]. Lit "brothers"
• [i]. So with Gr and some ancient versions; Heb "the men of your redemption"
• [j]. So with Gr and many mss; Heb "you"
• [k]. Lit "And to the heart of their detestable things and their abomination their heart goes"
• [l]. Lit "over them from above"
• [m]. I.e. Babylonia
• [n]. Lit "went up from"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 11

This chapter contains an account of the sins of the princes of Judah; a prophecy of their destruction; some comfortable, promises respecting those of the captivity; and the chapter is closed with the finishing of the vision of the Lord's removing from Jerusalem; and the whole being ended, the prophet related it to the men of the captivity. In Eze 11:1; the prophet, is shown five and twenty men, among whom were two he knew, and are mentioned by name, and were princes of the people; and he is told that these men devised mischief, and gave bad advice to the people, Eze 11:2,3; wherefore he is bid to prophesy against them, Eze 11:4; which he accordingly did, the Spirit of the Lord falling upon him, Eze 11:5; declaring that their secret evils were known, as well as their public ones; and that, seeing they had multiplied their slain, and had feared the sword, the sword should come upon them; some should fall by it, and others should be carried captive; the consequence of which would be, that God would be known, and his justice acknowledged, it being what their sins deserved, Eze 11:6-12; upon this prophecy being delivered out, one of the princes before named died immediately; which filled the prophet with great concern, and put him upon expostulating with God, Eze 11:13; wherefore, for his comfort, he is told, that though the inhabitants of Jerusalem had insulted their brethren that were carried captive, and looked upon the land of Israel as their own possession, that God would be a little sanctuary to them; that he would gather them out of all lands, and give them the land of Israel; that they should come thither, and remove all idolatry from it, and should have regenerating and renewing grace given them, to walk in the statutes and ordinances of the Lord, by which they should appear to be his people, and he to be their God, Eze 11:14-20; but as for such that continued in their abominable idolatries, these should receive a just recompence of reward, Eze 11:21; after which follows an account of the entire removal of the glory of the Lord from the city of Jerusalem, Eze 11:22,23; and the prophet being, in vision, brought again to Chaldea, reports the whole he had seen to them of the captivity, Eze 11:24,25.