A. Everything we know about Ezekiel s personal life comes from his book. 1. The superscription identifies his father as a priest named Buzi.

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1 I. EZEKIEL THE MAN 1 A. Everything we know about Ezekiel s personal life comes from his book. 1. The superscription identifies his father as a priest named Buzi. 2. Since Ezekiel was in all probability a priest, he would have spent a good deal of time as a young man either in the temple environs, or learning of its activities from his father. 3. Perhaps at the age of 20 or 25, Ezekiel began training in his priestly duties (see comments at 1:1). 4. In Babylon, he was married, but whether his wife came with him from Jerusalem or they married in exile, we do not know. 5. We do not know if they had children. 6. Since he had his own house in exile, Ezekiel presumably had some means of employment, but we do not know what it might have been. B. Some commentators speculate on Ezekiel s personality and psychological state, but such portraits are highly questionable. 1. Some suggest that Ezekiel: a. Was strongly introverted b. That he suffered from mental illnesses c. That he may have had serious physical illnesses. 2. All such claims are attempts to create a greater backdrop against which to understand this enigmatic prophet. a. For all our desire to know more about him, the book of Ezekiel provides very little personal information. 1 Cf. Brandon L. Fredenburg, The College Press NIV Commentary: Ezekiel (Joplin, MO: College Press, 2002), 19-28, upon which these lecture notes are based. 1

2 b. We do know that he became a prophet. II. EZEKIEL THE PROPHET A. Jeremiah s prophetic ministry undoubtedly influenced Ezekiel s own work in several ways. 1. Ezekiel s oracles sometimes bear strong affinities to Jeremiah s. 2. Since other prophets seem to know and repeat words of their prophetic forebears and contemporaries, Ezekiel s borrowing from Jeremiah and others is not unusual. 3. Jeremiah's messages in Jerusalem probably helped shape Ezekiel s perception of the role of prophet. a. Jeremiah s frequent denunciations of Jerusalem temple priests would not have endeared him to Ezekiel (1) Ezekiel may well have thought Jeremiah s condemnations exaggerated (2) Perhaps Ezekiel was one of the corrupt ones against whom Jeremiah spoke (cf. 2 Chr 36:14). (3) If so, Ezekiel was only spared by the strong and direct intervention of Yhwh. b. Jeremiah's view that a prophet was either a true prophet (like Jeremiah/Daniel/Ezekiel) or a false prophet (like Hananiah; cf. Jer 28) probably affected Ezekiel. (1) If one were a false prophet, the punishment of Yahweh would fall upon him (2) If one were a true prophet, the vicious ire of the population would befall him. (3) Neither was a welcome choice for Jeremiah, Daniel, and the observant Ezekiel could not have desired the difficult role, either. 2

3 4. Clearly Ezekiel was at best a reluctant prophet, at worst potential liability with whom to deal severely. a. Yahweh s instruction that Ezekiel?not rebel like that rebellious house" (2:8) indicates that Yahweh considered Ezekiel capable of acting unfaithfully. b. Ezekiel s own admission of going into the prophetic task?in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit" shows the need for Yhwh's extraordinary control (cf. 3:14,24-27). c. Possibly Ezekiel harbored sympathy for views like those of Hananiah ben Azzur (Jeremiah 28). d. If so, Ezekiel s easy recalcitrance was why Yhwh made Ezekiel mute except to speak the words Yahweh dictated to him (3:26-27) and warned him intently about the severe punishment that would befall him should he rebel (3:20-21). e. However, after Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar, Ezekiel s ability to speak freely was given back to him (33:21-22). f. Notably, Ezekiel speaks words of hope and restoration when he is permitted freedom to speak. III. THE TEXT OF EZEKIEL A. Like the Hebrew text of Jeremiah, the text of Ezekiel is highly problematic at places, but generally intact. th th 1. The Masoretic text (MT) was not finally settled until the 6 or 7 century A.D. 2. However, the MT is based on a centuries-old, fairly stable textual tradition reaching back before A.D The earliest translational witnesses to the Hebrew text of Ezekiel are several versions of the Septuagint (LXX). 4. The variation between the LXX and the MT is significant in places. 3

4 5. It is possible that the LXX translators used a Hebrew text somewhat different from our available MT forms, or they may have tried to smooth out difficult Hebrew. 6. While the LXX assists in understanding the Hebrew in some instances, in other places the Greek translators had little clue how to render rare and technical words. 7. This is unsurprising since Ezekiel contains at least 16 words derived from Aramaic and as many as 50 terms from Babylonian Akkadian. 8. All told, Ezekiel has over 120 words that occur only once in the Old Testament. 9. Moreover, Ezekiel s Hebrew grammar and idioms are sometimes incomprehensible, probably because the language was in flux during the exile. IV. THE AUTHORSHIP AND COMPOSITION OF EZEKIEL A. The book of Ezekiel is almost entirely autobiographical. 1. Early in the 20th century, critics began to separate the small amount of authentic material that they surmised came from Ezekiel from the more numerous and much later additions they thought were written by others. 2. These efforts have not met with much unanimity. 3. The recent trend among commentators has been to return to a position close to the judgment that held sway before this past century: the content of Ezekiel comes almost entirely from the prophet himself B. There are good reasons to. return to this position. 1. The book portrays the experiences of one person through several decades of his life characterized by extremely difficult personal and social circumstances 2. The book has a uniform tone that favorably suggests the controlling presence of a single person. 4

5 3. Ezekiel is commanded several times to write what he received from Yahweh (24:1-2; 37:16), thus increasing the possibility that he did so at times when he was not commanded. 4. Third, if Jeremiah (cf. Jeremiah 36) can serve as an example, it is possible that Ezekiel used a scribe to record immediately his words. 5. Even if he did not use a scribe, he was probably capable of writing them himself due to his upbringing as the son of a priest. 6. Finally, other prophets in the ancient Near East also wrote their oracles to be read by others writing oracles from one s god(s) to one s audience was not unique to Israelite prophets C. Ezekiel may have transcribed almost all the content in the book, but we cannot be sure how his words came into their present arrangement. 1. There is no indication that Ezekiel is the one who composed the sections of the book into the form we now have. 2. This difficulty was recognized long ago by the Jewish rabbis who compiled the Talmud. 3. They suggested that a later persons collected, arranged, and edited several works, including Ezekiel s oracles, into biblical books bearing the name of their main protagonist:?the men of the Great Synagogue produced Ezekiel, the Twelve Prophets, Daniel, and the scroll of Esther" (Baba Bat 15a). 4. In the end, we must simply trust that, in God s providence, we have the words from Ezekiel that God desires us to have. V. THE DATE OF EZEKIEL A. Many of Ezekiel's visions and oracles have dates attached to them. 1. Fifteen such notices occur, with most of them referring to messages received before the fall of Jerusalem on 17 July 586 B.C. 2. All of the notices except those in 1:1 and 24:1 are clearly linked to the year of Jehoiachin s exile. 5

6 3. His exile began mid-spring (mid-march/early April) 597/596 B.C. according to Babylonian records. 4. This allows us to correlate Ezekiel s date notices with Gregorian calendar dates. 5. The following chart provides these in chronological order: a. 1:1 30 year, 4 month, 5 day?, probably same as 1:2 b. 1:2 5 year, [4 ] month, 5 day 31 July 593 B.C. c. 3:16 seven days from 1:2 7 August 593 B.C. d. 8:1 6 year, 6 month, 5 day 18 September 592 B.C. e. 20:1 7 year, 5 month, 10 day 14 August 591 B.C. f. 24:1 9 year, 10 month, 10 day 5 January 587 B.C. g. 29:1 10 year, 10 month, 12 day 7 January 587 B.C. h. th th 30:20 11 year, 1st month, 7 day 29 April 586 B.C. i. 31:1 th rd st 11 year, 3 month, 1 day 2l June 586 B.C. j. 33:21 12 year, 10 month, 5 day 8 January 585 B.C. k. 26:1 th th st [12 ], year 11 month, 1 day 3 February 585 B.C. l. 32:1 th th st 12 year, 12 month, 1 day 3 March 585 B.C. m. 32:17 12 year [12 month], 15 day 18 March 585 B.C. n. 40:1 th st th 25 year, 1 month, 10 day 28 April 573 B.C. o. th st st 29:17 27 year, 1 month, 1 day 26 April 571 B.C. B. A review of the dates indicates three important matters. 1. The material in Ezekiel is not arranged in chronological order. a. Generally, the book advances in chronological order, but this tendency is interrupted when several oracles have similar themes and are understand ably placed together. b. The last dated oracle in 571 B.C. indicates the earliest date when the book of Ezekiel could have reached its present form. (1) In all likelihood, the final compilation of the book may not have occurred immediately after the last oracle was received. 6

7 (2) A date of ca. 530 B.C. for the final edition of the book is probably not far off the mark and may have occurred in Judah, rather than Babylon. (3) Suggested dates much later than 500 B.C. are unnecessary c. These dates indicate that Ezekiel was very conscious of the time that had passed since he and his king had gone into exile. (1) The meticulous notations indicate that Ezekiel was strongly concerned with the genuineness of his prophetic call being recognized by his Judean kinsmen (2) He tenaciously hoped for an imminent restoration of his king back on the throne in Jerusalem and hi own return to the temple to take up his priestly duties. (3) Every notation linked to Jehoiachin s exile becomes, in effect, Ezekiel s means of marking time away from his much-desired priestly work in the Jerusalem temple. (4) The last words we have from him come in 571 B.C.; we know nothing of what transpired in his life after this. VI. THEMES IN EZEKIEL A. The Mosaic covenant is central to Ezekiel s message. 1. Of prime importance are the sections of blessings and curses in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy Ezekiel s basic, repetitive message is that Yahweh has irrevocably determined to bring the covenant curses to bear on his people. 3. Toward the end of the judgments the hope is announced that Yhwh will once again receive his people to himself in covenant. 4. This covenant order curse followed by blessing forms the fundamental outline of Ezekiel s book 7

8 B.? Then they will know that I am Yahweh" occurs over five dozen times and points out a crucial theme in Ezekiel: 1. Yhwh is faithful to his covenant. 2. Behind each recitation of this formula, called the?recognition formula" by scholars, Yhwh is pointing to an element of the covenant that he is fulfilling. 3. By having made the covenant with Israel in the first place, Yhwh freely bound himself by its words (cf. Exod 20:1). 4. Thus, each time he invokes and accomplishes a covenant blessing or curse, those who experience it should conclude that Yahweh is enacting it. C. The entire prophetic career of Ezekiel is necessary due to the covenant violations of Judah. 1. Almost every oracle witnesses to Judah s blatant disregard for her covenant obligations. 2. This theme, paired with Yhwh's faithfulness, makes the message of Ezekiel largely tragic. 3. Oracle after oracle demonstrates Judah/Israel's perpetual descent into the worldview of her neighbors and dismissive rejection of her high calling. 4. Yhwh's desires for Israel are frustrated to the point that he admits she has become like all the nations around her (e.g., 5:7). 5. This subtheme pervades chapters D. Judah/Israel are not separated from Yhwh s care even when she acts no better than other nations. 1. Ezekiel demonstrates Yhwh's sovereignty over the nations of the ANE in at least three ways. a. The?oracles against the nations" (25:1-32:32) show Yahweh s ability to judge them as easily, and on the same terms, as he judges his own people. 8

9 b. Yhwh enlists the aid of the ruler of the greatest nation at that time to bring judgment on his people. c. His sovereign manipulation of Nebuchadnezzar's interests and armies shows that even the Babylonian?king of kings" (cf. 26:7) is not beyond his control. 2. Ezekiel's oracles demonstrate Yahweh s sovereignty over the religious views of the nations around Judah/Israel. a. Ezekiel transforms several well-known ancient Near Eastern polytheistic mythical symbols and narratives into ways of aggrandizing the identity of Yhwh b. Even the myths of Judah s neighbors are not immune from Yahweh s sovereign manipulation and transformation for his glory. E. The three named visions of the book (1:4-3:15; 8:1-11:25; 40:1-48:35) indicate that the basis of all of Yhwh s dealings with Judah/Israel and the nations around her is his essential holiness Yhwh is indescribably unique. 1. In the first vision, Ezekiel is left to describe his encounter with Yhwh through an extended series of similes because normal language reached its limits 2. In the second vision Yhwh demonstrates the appalling affront to his essential identity his uniquiness/holiness a. He leaves the temple to protect his very identity, his?name," from being profaned by association with pagan rituals and deities. b. As the creation's sovereign, he did not have to leave; he chose to do so. 3. Only after Yahweh cleanses and sanctifies his people does he allow himself to live among them again. a. The vision of the new temple shows an utterly unique building designed for, and presumably built by, him. b. The temple and its accouterment are defined by their new name,?yhwh is there." 9

10 c. And wherever Yahweh is, is holiness. VII. STRUCTURE OF EZEKIEL A. Superscriptions, 1:1-3 B. st 1 Vision: Ezekiel's Conscription to be a Prophet, 1:4-3:15 C. Ezekiel's Message, Phase I: Announce Covenant Curses, 3:16-24:27 D. Interlude: Announcements of Judgment Upon Judah's Neighbors, 25:1-32:32 E. Ezekiel's Message, Phase II: Announce Covenant Blessings, 33:1-48:35 10