According to the book itself, it records six visions of the prophet ezekiel, exiled in babylon, during the 22 years from 593 to 571 bc, although it is the product of a long and complex history and does not necessarily preserve the very. The three major prophets isaiah, jeremiah, ezekiel and zephaniah all have the same basic sequence of messages. According to jewish tradition, the men of the great assembly wrote the book of ezekiel, based. Ezekiel dates his last message as in the year 571 bc. In contrast to various other prophets ezekiel has not been criticised as much. Freehof, union of american hebrew congregations, new york, 1978 commentary on sefer yechezkel from the vbm virtual beit midrash reconciling the sacrifices of ezekiel with the torah, jewish bible quarterly, reuven chaim rudolph klein, jbq, 44. The book of ezekiel would have been hidden away nignaz sefer yehezkel. Contains messianic jewish commentary on the hafatarah. The story of the prophet encountering god spawned merkavah mysticism, aptly named for the merkavah or. Behold a hand was sent unto me i saw a hand stretched out toward me, as from that divine person who appeared to me in the shape of a man. In ritual questions the book of ezekiel contains much that contradicts the. Ezekiel 26 commentary matthew henry commentary on the whole.
Ezekiel is an enigmatic book, with the final chapters among the most difficult to understand. Ezekiel went into exile at the same time as king jehoiachin in the year 597 bc. The major divisions within the book of ezekiel reveal the purpose of this ministry. Douglas stuart ezekiel the preachers commentary, 2002. The book of ezekiel he will be strengthened of god. I opened my talk by telling them that they were studying the book of ezekiel, but in israel, i was living the book of ezekiel. John calvins commentary on ezekiel the famous protestant reformerand a huge ezekiel fangives extensive commentary on a good number of chapters from ezekiel. You can find the best commentary on ezekiel for you using the tools on the right side.
Book three also includes commentary on the haftarah for shabbat hagadol and the five haftarah selections for passover. It is not a technical commentary designed for academic projects. The jewish study bible, michael fishbane consulting editor, jewish publication society, oxford press, 1999 edition. And lo, a roll of a book was therein wherein were contained the contents of the following prophecy. The works of josephus, hendrickson publishers, 1998. Ezekiel shut himself in his home and bound himself. Among his more famous prophecies, which were compiled in the book of ezekiel, are his visions of the divine chariot, the valley of the dry bones and the third temple. This commentary is based upon my personal devotional notes and reflections on the book of ezekiel.
A commentary on the book of ezekiel by pastor galen l. According to jewish tradition, ezekiel did not write his own book, the book of ezekiel, but rather his prophecies. A member of a priestly family, he was taken to babylon in the first deportation 597 b. Book of ezekiel overview insight for living ministries. It is intended to help you better understand some of the background and issues in ezekiels prophecy. Rashis commentary on ezekiel courtesy of chabad, rashis commentary on ezekiel provides a classic, orthodox jewish look at the prophet. It is intended to help you better understand some of the background and issues in ezekiel s prophecy. Ezekiel was a great way off, in babylon, but god told him what tyrus said against jerusalem. Jewish tradition has tended to regard the book of ezekiel. The prophet daniel lived in the city of babylon in what today is the city of hillah in iraq, approximately 550 miles from jerusalem, with a ministry to his captors.
The book of ezekiel, one of the major prophetical books of the old testament. Ezekiels book is one of the most original in the sacred literature of israel. Ezekiel yechezkel was a prophet who lived in babylonia at the time of the destruction of the first temple. Through the book, he is careful to date each message. Contains messianic commentary on the haftarah portions for leviticus include readings from samuel, kings, isaiah, ezekiel, jeremiah, and amos. Doughty southside christian church december 2014 introduction.
According to jewish tradition ezekiel was murdered in babylon by a jewish prince whom ezekiel accused of idolatry, ezekiel was supposedly buried on the banks of the euphrates river. The talmudic arrangement of the major prophets is jeremiah, ezekiel, and isaiah, the departure from the true historical order being justified thus. In the later jewish tradition the four forms are assigned, taking ezekiel s order, to the tribes of reuben, judah, ephraim, and dan, as the standards numbers 2. The books theological center is the unfolding of gods saving purposes in the history of the world from the time in which he must withdraw from the defilement of his covenant people to the culmination of his grand design of redemption. The book of ezekiel begins with his famous prophecy of the divine chariot. Jewish destiny and the book of ezekiel hebrew for christians. Because you are so proud and have said, i am a god. How true this is for all of us living in these days. New international commentary on the old testament nicot 9780802825353 by daniel block. Summary of the book of ezekiel the story of the bible. The book of kings ends with doom, jeremiah is all doom, ezekiel begins with doom but ends with consolation, while isaiah is all consolation, so we place doom alongside doom and consolation. This article is excerpted with permission from book of ezekiel. Living the book of ezekiel bridges for peacebridges for peace.
Bible commentators who have ventured into explaining the design detail directly from the hebrew bible text include rashi, david kimhi, yomtov lipmann heller, and meir leibush ben yehiel michal which all. Jewish bible commentaries merrimack valley havurah. The controversial book of ezekiel nearly didnt make it into the biblical canon. A commentary on the book of the prophet ezekiel 1 24 hermeneia. Designed for both jewish and nonjewish readers alike, the israel bible offers a unique commentary that seeks to explain gods focus on the land of israel alongside the original hebrew text, transliteration of select hebrew verses, and the new jewish publication society translation.
Its principal features are its systematic arrangement and homogeneity. Ezekiel cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. We are experiencing the events that ezekiel prophesied over 2,500 years ago. The genuineness of the book of ezekiel is generally conceded. This commentary provides insight into these chapters by offering the following distinguishing features. Ezekiels vision of gods chariot became the biblical text most important to jewish mysticism. The message of ezekiel, which is ultimately eschatological. Some few consider chapters xlxlviii to be apocryphal, because the plan there described in the building of the temple was not followed, but they overlook the fact that ezekiel here gives a symbolic representation of the temple, that was to find spiritual realization in gods new. The book of ezekiel has always been a problem book. Ezekiel spent the bulk of his life in babylonia, where he envisioned most of his prophecies. Ezekiel s first prophecy was in the year 593 bc and he continued to prophesy for about 20 years. In this vision,7 which he saw in the year 3332 429 bce while standing on the banks of the chebar river,8 ezekiel describes in vivid detail g.
In jewish tradition the interpretation of ezekiel has been particularly difficult because some of the legal material contained. These doubts were strong enough, in those early days, to raise the question of whether ezekiel should be one of the biblical books. Ezekiel is the central protagonist of the book of ezekiel in the hebrew bible. The prophet daniel lived in the city of babylon in what today is the city of hillah in iraq, approximately 550. It must be confessed that the book of ezekiel is very difficult. His name, which in hebrew is yehezqel god strengthens was very much in keeping with the mission god planned for him. Concerning the life of ezekiel there are but a few scattered references contained in the book bearing his name. Part of the new international commentary on the old testament. The first chapter of the biblical book of ezekiel served as the textual starting point for the merkavah mysticsand hints at an image of god. Yechezkel ezekiel chapter 1 tanakh online torah bible. The book of ezekiel is the third of the latter prophets in the tanakh and one of the major.
The book opens with an account of the vision that summoned ezekiel to his prophetic calling. In no other book is this pattern clearer than in ezekiel see outline. Ezekiel 1 commentary albert barnes notes on the whole bible. Ezekiel, a major prophet who is said to have begun prophesying in the fifth year of jehoiachins exile in babylonia, seven years before the final fall of jerusalem. First, the sages were troubled by apparent contradictions between ezekiels vision of the temple service and the laws given in the torah. Among the doctrines that ezekiel set down in his book, the rabbis noted the following as especially important. The prophet is so overcome by the vision that he falls on his face. Ezekiel chapters 1 to 24 free bible commentary in easy. A commentary on the book of ezekiel southside christian. The rabbis were greatly troubled by the fact that the book of ezekiel gives certain laws, chiefly as to the temple procedures, which actually contradict the laws given in the book of leviticus. The book of ezekiel chapters 2548, the new international commentary on the old testament, daniel block, eerdmans publishing company, 1998. Ezekiel chapters 1 to 24 free bible commentary in easy english.
Jeremiah was still in judah while ezekiel was with the exiles. He was the son of buzi, a priest of jerusalem ezek. The jewish people experienced two major exiles, the assyrian exile and the babylonian exile. Ezekiel 26 commentary matthew henry commentary on the. The invading babylonians brought about ten thousand jews to the village in 597 bc, including ezekiel and the last king of judah, jehoiachin 2 kings 24. Ezekiel with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Among the doctrines that ezekiel set down in his book, the rabbis noted the following as. In the later jewish tradition the four forms are assigned, taking ezekiels order, to the tribes of reuben, judah, ephraim, and dan, as the standards numbers 2. According to dates given in the text, ezekiel received his prophetic call in the fifth year of the first deportation to babylonia 592 bc and was active until about 570 bc. It includes a variety of traditional jewish commentaries along with rashis to give the. According to many of the commentaries rashi, radak citing his father.
Ezekiel describes his vision as an elaborate and complex image that symbolizes the majesty of yahweh and proclaims yahwehs sovereignty over all the nations of the earth. Human being, tell the prince of tzor that adonai elohim says. Ezekiel overview james burton coffman commentaries on. Ezekiel lived with other exiles at the river called chebar. The book of ezekiel is the third of the latter prophets in the tanakh and one of the major prophetic books in the old testament, following isaiah and jeremiah. Besides clarity of structure, the book of ezekiel reveals symmetry. Ezekiel lived among the jewish exiles in babylon at a settlement along the river chebar called telabib ezekiel 3. The babylonian exilethe exile in which ezekiel was involvedcame in two waves, the first beginning in 597 b. The most influential modern scholarly work on ezekiel, walther zimmerlis twovolume commentary, appeared in german in 1969 and in. The book of ezekiel commences with the vision of the celestial chariot. Ezekiel 28 complete jewish bible cjb bible gateway. Jewish commentary maimonides qualified these chapters of ezekiel as complex for the common reader and even for the seasoned scholar. Ezekiel lived with the common jewish captives approximately 50 miles south of the capital city of babylon, ministering to them for 22 years 593571 bc.
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