Ezekiel 11

King James Version

Full text for Ezekiel Chapter 11

1¶ Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD'S house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

2Then said he unto me, Son of man, these [are] the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:

3Which say, [It is] not near; let us build houses: this [city is] the caldron, and we [be] the flesh.

4Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.

5And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, [every one of] them.

6Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.

7Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they [are] the flesh, and this [city is] the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.

8Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD.

9And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

10Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.

11This [city] shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; [but] I will judge you in the border of Israel:

12And ye shall know that I [am] the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that [are] round about you.

13And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

14¶ Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

15Son of man, thy brethren, [even] thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, [are] they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.

16Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.

17Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

18And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.

19And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

20That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

21But [as for them] whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.

22¶ Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel [was] over them above.

23And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which [is] on the east side of the city.

24Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

25Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Ezekiel is shown twenty-five princes in Jerusalem, including Jaazaniah and Pelatiah, who devise wicked counsel and mock God's judgment. God refutes their 'caldron' proverb, promising to bring judgment upon them and scatter them, leading to Pelatiah's immediate death. Despite this, the Lord promises to be a 'little sanctuary' to the scattered Israelites and to gather them, giving them a new heart and spirit. The chapter concludes with the glory of the Lord departing from the city.

Medium Summary

The Spirit transports Ezekiel to the east gate of the Lord's house, where he sees twenty-five princes, including Jaazaniah and Pelatiah, who are devising mischief and giving wicked counsel. These leaders mockingly claim Jerusalem is a protective 'caldron' and they are the 'flesh' within it, safe from judgment. God, through Ezekiel, declares that the slain already in the city are the 'flesh,' and He will bring the living out for judgment by the sword and into the hands of strangers. As Ezekiel prophesies, Pelatiah dies, causing Ezekiel to intercede for the remnant of Israel. The Lord then promises to be a 'little sanctuary' to those scattered among the heathen and to gather them back to the land of Israel. He pledges to give them a new heart and spirit, replacing their stony heart with a heart of flesh, so they may walk in His statutes. The vision culminates with the glory of the Lord departing from the city and standing upon the mountain to its east, before Ezekiel is brought in a vision to the captivity in Chaldea.

Long Summary

The chapter opens with Ezekiel being lifted by the Spirit and brought to the east gate of the LORD'S house, where he observes twenty-five men, including Jaazaniah and Pelatiah, identified as princes of the people. These men are accused by the Lord of devising mischief and giving wicked counsel within Jerusalem, mockingly asserting that judgment is not near and that the city is a protective 'caldron' for them, the 'flesh.' The Spirit of the LORD then falls upon Ezekiel, commanding him to prophesy against them. God declares that He knows their thoughts and that they have multiplied the slain in the city. He reinterprets their 'caldron' proverb, stating that the slain already within are the 'flesh,' and He will bring the living forth to face judgment by the sword, delivering them into the hands of strangers. This judgment will occur in the border of Israel, so they may know that He is the LORD, because they have not walked in His statutes but followed the manners of the heathen. As Ezekiel prophesies, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah dies, causing Ezekiel to fall on his face and cry out, questioning if the Lord will make a full end of the remnant of Israel. The Lord responds by addressing the exiles, whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have scorned, claiming the land for themselves. God promises that although He has scattered them among the heathen, He will be to them as a 'little sanctuary' in the lands where they dwell. Furthermore, He pledges to gather them from the nations, bring them back to the land of Israel, and enable them to remove all detestable things and abominations. He will give them 'one heart' and a 'new spirit,' removing their 'stony heart' and giving them a 'heart of flesh' so they may obey His statutes and ordinances, becoming His people. However, those whose hearts still follow their detestable things will receive recompense upon their own heads. The vision concludes with the cherubims lifting their wings, and the glory of the God of Israel ascending from the midst of the city and standing upon the mountain to the east. Ezekiel is then transported in a vision to the captivity in Chaldea, where he relates all that the Lord had shown him.

Core Concepts

  • Wicked Princes and CounselEzekiel sees twenty-five princes, including Jaazaniah and Pelatiah, who are identified as devising mischief and giving wicked counsel within Jerusalem, leading the people astray.
  • The Caldron MetaphorThe princes use the metaphor of Jerusalem as a 'caldron' protecting them as 'flesh,' implying security from divine judgment. God reinterprets this, declaring the slain are the 'flesh' and promising to bring the living out for judgment.
  • Divine Judgment and ScatteringGod promises to bring the sword upon the wicked leaders and the city, delivering them into the hands of strangers and judging them in the border of Israel for their disobedience to His statutes.
  • Pelatiah's DeathAs Ezekiel prophesies against the wicked princes, Pelatiah dies, serving as an immediate and tangible confirmation of God's impending judgment and prompting Ezekiel's intercession for the remnant.
  • Promise of a Little SanctuaryFor the scattered Israelites, whom Jerusalem's inhabitants have disowned, God promises to be a 'little sanctuary' in the lands of their captivity, offering His presence and protection even in exile.
  • New Heart and SpiritGod pledges to gather the scattered remnant and give them a 'new spirit' and a 'heart of flesh' in place of their 'stony heart,' enabling them to walk in His statutes and become His people.
  • Departure of God's GloryThe vision culminates with the glory of the Lord departing from the midst of Jerusalem and standing upon the mountain to the east, signifying the city's abandonment to judgment and the removal of divine protection.