1Und das Wort Jehovas geschah zu mir also: 2Menschensohn, du wohnst inmitten des widerspenstigen Hauses, welche Augen haben zu sehen und nicht sehen, Ohren haben zu hören und nicht hören; denn ein widerspenstiges Haus sind sie. 3Und du, Menschensohn, mache dir Auswanderergeräte und wandere bei Tage vor ihren Augen aus, und du sollst vor ihren Augen von deinem Orte zu einem anderen Orte auswandern: Ob sie vielleicht sehen möchten; denn ein widerspenstiges Haus sind sie. 4Und trage deine Geräte wie Auswanderergeräte bei Tage vor ihren Augen hinaus; und du, ziehe am Abend vor ihren Augen aus, wie man auszieht, um auszuwandern. 5Vor ihren Augen durchbrich dir die Mauer, und trage sie dadurch hinaus; 6vor ihren Augen nimm sie auf die Schulter, in dichter Finsternis trage sie hinaus; du sollst dein Angesicht verhüllen, damit du das Land nicht sehest. Denn ich habe dich zu einem Wahrzeichen gemacht für das Haus Israel. - 7Und ich tat also, wie mir geboten war. Meine Geräte trug ich wie Auswanderergeräte bei Tage hinaus, und am Abend durchbrach ich mir die Mauer mit der Hand; in dichter Finsternis trug ich sie hinaus, ich nahm sie vor ihren Augen auf die Schulter. - 8Und das Wort Jehovas geschah zu mir am Morgen also: 9Menschensohn, hat nicht das Haus Israel, das widerspenstige Haus, zu dir gesagt: Was tust du? 10Sprich zu ihnen: So spricht der Herr, Jehova: Den Fürsten in Jerusalem betrifft dieser Ausspruch und das ganze Haus Israel, in dessen Mitte sie sind. 11Sprich: Ich bin ein Wahrzeichen für euch ; gleichwie ich getan habe, also soll ihnen getan werden: in die Verbannung, in die Gefangenschaft werden sie gehen. 12Und der Fürst, der in ihrer Mitte ist, wird es in dichter Finsternis auf die Schulter nehmen und ausziehen; sie werden die Mauer durchbrechen, um es dadurch hinauszutragen; er wird sein Angesicht verhüllen, auf daß er mit seinen Augen das Land nicht sehe. 13Und ich will mein Netz über ihn ausbreiten, und in meinem Garne wird er gefangen werden; und ich will ihn nach Babel bringen, in das Land der Chaldäer, aber sehen wird er es nicht; und er wird daselbst sterben. 14Und alle, die um ihn her sind, seine Hülfe und alle seine Scharen, will ich in alle Winde zerstreuen und das Schwert ziehen hinter ihnen her. 15Und sie werden wissen , daß ich Jehova bin, wenn ich sie unter die Nationen versprenge und sie in die Länder zerstreue. 16Und ich werde von ihnen einige Leute übriglassen vom Schwert, vom Hunger und von der Pest, auf daß sie alle ihre Greuel erzählen unter den Nationen, wohin sie kommen werden. Und sie werden wissen, daß ich Jehova bin. 17Und das Wort Jehovas geschah zu mir also: 18Menschensohn, mit Beben sollst du dein Brot essen, und mit Zittern und in Angst dein Wasser trinken. 19Und sprich zu dem Volke des Landes: So spricht der Herr, Jehova, von den Bewohnern Jerusalems im Lande Israel: In Angst werden sie ihr Brot essen und in Entsetzen ihr Wasser trinken, weil ihr Land veröden wird von seiner Fülle wegen der Gewalttat aller seiner Bewohner. 20Und die bewohnten Städte werden wüst, und das Land wird eine Einöde werden. Und ihr werdet wissen, daß ich Jehova bin. 21Und das Wort Jehovas geschah zu mir also: 22Menschensohn, was ist das für ein Spruch, den ihr im Lande Israel habt, indem ihr sprechet: Die Tage werden sich in die Länge ziehen, und jedes Gesicht wird zunichte werden? 23Darum sprich zu ihnen: So spricht der Herr, Jehova: Ich will diesem Spruche ein Ende machen, und man soll ihn nicht mehr als Spruch gebrauchen in Israel; sondern rede zu ihnen: Nahe sind die Tage und das Wort eines jeden Gesichts. 24Denn kein eitles Gesicht und keine schmeichlerische Wahrsagung wird mehr sein inmitten des Hauses Israel. 25Denn ich bin Jehova, ich rede; das Wort, das ich rede, wird auch geschehen, es wird nicht mehr hinausgeschoben werden. Denn in euren Tagen, widerspenstiges Haus, rede ich ein Wort und tue es auch, spricht der Herr, Jehova. 26Und das Wort Jehovas geschah zu mir also: 27Menschensohn, siehe, das Haus Israel spricht: Das Gesicht, welches dieser schaut, ist auf viele Tage hin; und auf ferne Zeiten hin weissagt er. 28Darum sprich zu ihnen: So spricht der Herr, Jehova: Keines meiner Worte soll mehr hinausgeschoben werden; das Wort, das ich rede, wird auch geschehen, spricht der Herr, Jehova.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 EZEKIEL'S TYPICAL MOVING TO EXILE: PROPHECY OF ZEDEKIAH'S CAPTIVITY AND PRIVATION OF SIGHT: THE JEWS' UNBELIEVING SURMISE AS TO THE DISTANCE OF THE EVENT REPROVED. (Eze. 12:1-28)
eyes to see, and see not, . . . ears to hear, and hear not--fulfilling the prophecy of
Deut 29:4, here quoted by Ezekiel (compare
Isa 6:9;
Jer 5:21). Ezekiel needed often to be reminded of the people's perversity, lest he should be discouraged by the little effect produced by his prophecies. Their "not seeing" is the result of perversity, not incapacity. They are wilfully blind. The persons most interested in this prophecy were those dwelling at Jerusalem; and it is among them that Ezekiel was transported in spirit, and performed in vision, not outwardly, the typical acts. At the same time, the symbolical prophecy was designed to warn the exiles at Chebar against cherishing hopes, as many did in opposition to God's revealed word, of returning to Jerusalem, as if that city was to stand; externally living afar off, their hearts dwelt in that corrupt and doomed capital.
3 stuff for removing--rather, "an exile's outfit," the articles proper to a person going as an exile, a staff and knapsack, with a supply of food and clothing; so "instruments of captivity,"
Jer 46:19, Margin, that is, the needful equipments for it. His simple announcements having failed, he is symbolically to give them an ocular demonstration conveyed by a word-painting of actions performed in vision.
consider-- (
Deut 32:29).
4 by day--in broad daylight, when all can see thee.
at even--not contradicting the words "by day." The baggage was to be sent before by day, and Ezekiel was to follow at nightfall [GROTIUS]; or, the preparations were to be made by day, the actual departure was to be effected at night [HENDERSON].
as they that go forth into captivity--literally, "as the goings forth of the captivity," that is, of the captive band of exiles, namely, amid the silent darkness: typifying Zedekiah's flight by night on the taking of the city (
Jer 39:4;
Jer 52:7).
5 Dig--as Zedekiah was to escape like one digging through a wall, furtively to effect an escape (
Ezek 12:12).
carry out--namely, "thy stuff" (
Ezek 12:4).
thereby--by the opening in the wall. Zedekiah escaped "by the gate betwixt the two walls" (
Jer 39:4).
6 in . . . twilight--rather, "in the dark." So in
Gen 15:17, "it" refers to "thy stuff."
cover thy face--as one who muffles his face, afraid of being recognized by anyone meeting him. So the Jews and Zedekiah should make their exit stealthily and afraid to look around, so hurried should be their fight [CALVIN].
sign--rather, "a portent," namely, for evil.
9 What doest thou?--They ask not in a docile spirit, but making a jest of his proceedings.
10 burden--that is, weighty oracle.
the prince--The very man Zedekiah, in whom they trust for safety, is to be the chief sufferer. JOSEPHUS [Antiquities, 10.7] reports that Ezekiel sent a copy of this prophecy to Zedekiah. As Jeremiah had sent a letter to the captives at the Chebar, which was the means of calling forth at first the agency of Ezekiel, so it was natural for Ezekiel to send a message to Jerusalem confirming the warnings of Jeremiah. The prince, however, fancying a contradiction between
Ezek 12:13; "he shall not see Babylon," and
Jer 24:8-
Jer 24:9, declaring he should be carried to Babylon, believed neither. Seeming discrepancies in Scripture on deeper search prove to be hidden harmonies.
11 sign--portent of evil to come (
Ezek 24:27;
Zech 3:8, Margin). Fulfilled (
2Kgs 25:1-7;
Jer 52:1-
Jer 52:11).
12 prince . . . among them--literally, "that is in the midst of them," that is, on whom the eyes of all are cast, and "under whose shadow" they hope to live (
Lam 4:20).
shall bear--namely, his "stuff for removing"; his equipments for his journey.
cover his face, that he see not the ground--See on
Ezek 12:6; the symbol in
Ezek 12:6 is explained in this verse. He shall muffle his face so as not to be recognized: a humiliation for a king!
13 My net--the Chaldean army. He shall be inextricably entangled in it, as in the meshes of a net. It is God's net (
Job 19:6). Babylon was God's instrument (
Isa 10:5). Called "a net" (
Hab 1:14-
Hab 1:16).
bring him to Babylon . . . ; yet shall he not see it--because he should be deprived of sight before he arrived there (
Jer 52:11).
14 all . . . about him--his satellites: his bodyguard.
bands--literally, "the wings" of an army (
Isa 8:8).
draw out . . . sword after them--(See on
Ezek 5:2;
Ezek 5:12).
16 I will leave a few . . . that they may declare . . . abominations--God's purpose in scattering a remnant of Jews among the Gentiles; namely, not only that they themselves should be weaned from idolatry (see
Ezek 12:15), but that by their own word, as also by their whole state as exiles, they should make God's righteousness manifest among the Gentiles, as vindicated in their punishment for their sins (compare
Isa 43:10;
Zech 8:13).
18 Symbolical representation of the famine and fear with which they should eat their scanty morsel, in their exile, and especially at the siege.
19 people of the land--the Jews "in the land" of Chaldea who thought themselves miserable as being exiles and envied the Jews left in Jerusalem as fortunate.
land of Israel--contrasted with "the people in the land" of Chaldea. So far from being fortunate as the exiles in Chaldea regarded them, the Jews in Jerusalem are truly miserable, for the worst is before them, whereas the exiles have escaped the miseries of the coming siege.
land . . . desolate from all that is therein--literally "that the land (namely, Judea) may be despoiled of the fulness thereof"; emptied of the inhabitants and abundance of flocks and corn with which it was filled.
because of . . . violence-- (
Ps 107:34).
20 the cities--left in Judea after the destruction of Jerusalem.
22 proverb--The infidel scoff, that the threatened judgment was so long in coming, it would not come at all, had by frequent repetition come to be a "proverb" with them. This skeptical habit contemporary prophets testify to (
Jer 17:15;
Jer 20:7;
Zeph 1:12). Ezekiel, at the Chebar, thus sympathizes with Jeremiah and strengthens his testimony at Jerusalem. The tendency to the same scoff showed itself in earlier times, but had not then developed into a settled "proverb" (
Isa 5:19;
Amos 5:18). It shall again be the characteristic of the last times, when "faith" shall be regarded as an antiquated thing (
Luke 18:8), seeing that it remains stationary, whereas worldly arts and sciences progress, and when the "continuance of all things from creation" will be the argument against the possibility of their being suddenly brought to a standstill by the coming of the Lord (
Isa 66:5;
2Pet 3:3-4). The very long-suffering of God, which ought to lead men to repentance, is made an argument against His word (
Eccl 8:11;
Amos 6:3).
days . . . prolonged . . . vision faileth--their twofold argument: (1) The predictions shall not come to pass till long after our time. (2) They shall fail and prove vain shadows. God answers both in
Ezek 12:23,
Ezek 12:25.
23 effect--literally, "the word," namely, fulfilled; that is, the effective fulfilment of whatever the prophets have spoken is at hand.
24 no more . . . vain vision . . . flattering divination--All those false prophets (
Lam 2:14), who "flattered" the people with promises of peace and safety, shall be detected and confounded by the event itself.
25 word . . . shall come to pass--in opposition to their scoff "the vision faileth" (
Ezek 12:22). The repetition, "I will speak . . . speak," &c. (or as FAIRBAIRN, "For I, Jehovah, will speak whatever word I shall speak, and it shall be done") implies that whenever God speaks, the effect must follow; for God, who speaks, is not divided in Himself (
Ezek 12:28;
Isa 55:11;
Dan 9:12;
Luke 21:33).
no more prolonged--in opposition to the scoff (
Ezek 12:22), "The days are prolonged."
in your days--while you are living (compare
Matt 24:34).
27 Not a mere repetition of the scoff (
Ezek 12:22); there the scoffers asserted that the evil was so often threatened and postponed, it must have no reality; here formalists do not go so far as to deny that a day of evil is coming, but assert it is still far off (
Amos 6:3). The transition is easy from this carnal security to the gross infidelity of the former class.
