Ezekiel 12

King James Version

Full text for Ezekiel Chapter 12

1¶ The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying,

2Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they [are] a rebellious house.

3Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they [be] a rebellious house.

4Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.

5Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.

6In their sight shalt thou bear [it] upon [thy] shoulders, [and] carry [it] forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee [for] a sign unto the house of Israel.

7And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought [it] forth in the twilight, [and] I bare [it] upon [my] shoulder in their sight.

8And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,

9Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?

10Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; This burden [concerneth] the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that [are] among them.

11Say, I [am] your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove [and] go into captivity.

12And the prince that [is] among them shall bear upon [his] shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with [his] eyes.

13My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon [to] the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

14And I will scatter toward every wind all that [are] about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.

15And they shall know that I [am] the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.

16But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.

17¶ Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

18Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;

19And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, [and] of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.

20And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.

21¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

22Son of man, what [is] that proverb [that] ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?

23Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.

24For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.

25For I [am] the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.

26Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

27Son of man, behold, [they of] the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth [is] for many days [to come], and he prophesieth of the times [that are] far off.

28Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Ezekiel is commanded to perform a symbolic act of preparing for captivity, digging through a wall, and carrying his belongings out at twilight, signifying the impending exile of Jerusalem's prince and people. The Lord explains this sign, detailing the prince's capture and blindness, and the scattering of Israel. Furthermore, Ezekiel is to eat and drink with trembling, foreshadowing the desolation of the land due to its violence. The chapter concludes with God refuting the proverb that His prophecies are delayed, asserting that His word will be fulfilled swiftly.

Medium Summary

The Lord commands Ezekiel to enact a symbolic representation of the impending captivity of Jerusalem, as a sign to the rebellious house of Israel. Ezekiel is to prepare his belongings as if for removal, dig through a wall, and carry them out at twilight with his face covered, signifying the prince's flight and the people's exile. The Lord explains that this burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all Israel, who shall indeed go into captivity. The prince will be captured and brought to Babylon, yet will not see the land, and his helpers will be scattered, though a remnant will survive to declare Israel's abominations. Additionally, Ezekiel is instructed to eat and drink with trembling, symbolizing the fear and scarcity that will befall the inhabitants of Jerusalem due to their violence, leading to the land's desolation. Finally, God addresses the people's skepticism regarding delayed prophecy, declaring that the proverb "The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth" will cease, for His word will be fulfilled without delay.

Long Summary

Ezekiel 12 opens with the Lord instructing the prophet to perform a series of symbolic actions before the "rebellious house" of Israel, which has eyes but does not see, and ears but does not hear. Ezekiel is commanded to prepare his belongings as if for removal, bring them forth by day, and then, at evening, dig through a wall in their sight. He is to carry his possessions out through the breach in the twilight, bearing them on his shoulders, with his face covered so he cannot see the ground. This entire performance is explicitly stated to be a sign for the house of Israel. Ezekiel faithfully executes these commands, digging through the wall and carrying his stuff out at twilight. Subsequently, the Lord reveals the meaning of this prophetic sign: it concerns the prince in Jerusalem (understood to be King Zedekiah) and all the house of Israel dwelling among them. Just as Ezekiel performed the act, so shall they be removed and go into captivity. The prince himself will bear his belongings on his shoulder in the twilight, dig through the wall, and depart, covering his face. The Lord declares He will spread His net upon the prince, taking him to Babylon, where he will die without seeing the land. All his helpers and bands will be scattered, pursued by the sword, ensuring that they will know the Lord when dispersed among the nations. However, a small remnant will be spared from sword, famine, and pestilence, so they may declare their abominations among the heathen, confirming the Lord's identity. The chapter then shifts to another symbolic act: Ezekiel is to eat his bread with quaking and drink his water with trembling and carefulness. This act, too, is a sign for the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the land of Israel, who will similarly eat and drink with carefulness and astonishment. Their land will become desolate due to the pervasive violence of its inhabitants, and its cities will be laid waste, so they may know the Lord. Finally, the Lord addresses the prevalent proverbs among the people: "The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth," and that Ezekiel's prophecies are for "many days to come" or "far off." God emphatically declares that these proverbs will cease. He asserts that the days are at hand, and the effect of every vision will come to pass. There will be no more vain visions or flattering divinations. The Lord Himself will speak, and His word will not be prolonged but will be performed in their days, demonstrating His sovereignty and the immediacy of His judgment.

Core Concepts

  • Symbolic CaptivityEzekiel performs a dramatic pantomime of preparing for exile, digging through a wall, and carrying his belongings out at twilight with a covered face. This act visually represents the impending removal and captivity of Jerusalem's inhabitants and their prince.
  • The Rebellious HouseThe people of Israel are repeatedly described as a "rebellious house" that possesses eyes but does not see, and ears but does not hear. This highlights their spiritual blindness and stubborn refusal to heed God's warnings.
  • Judgment on the PrinceThe symbolic act specifically foretells the fate of the prince in Jerusalem (King Zedekiah), who will be captured, taken to Babylon, and die there without seeing the land, a prophecy fulfilled by his blinding.
  • Desolation of the LandEzekiel's trembling while eating and drinking symbolizes the fear, scarcity, and astonishment that will afflict the inhabitants of Jerusalem. This suffering is a direct consequence of their violence, leading to the utter desolation and waste of their cities and land.
  • Refutation of Delayed ProphecyThe Lord directly confronts the popular proverbs suggesting that His prophecies are prolonged or fail. He declares that His word will be fulfilled swiftly and without further delay, emphasizing the immediacy of His judgment.
  • Scattering and RemnantGod promises to scatter the prince's helpers and the people among the nations, pursuing them with the sword. However, a small remnant will be left to declare Israel's abominations among the heathen, ensuring that all will know the Lord.
  • Divine Sovereignty and FulfillmentThe chapter underscores God's absolute control over events, asserting that His spoken word will inevitably come to pass. This reinforces His power and the certainty of His judgments against Israel's rebellion.