Ezekiel 14
Summary for Ezek 14:1-3: 14:1-3 a The leaders of the exiled community of Israel came to visit Ezekiel again, probably seeking encouragement (cp. 8:1 b; 20:1 c). The people were tainted with the same kinds of sin, such as idolatry, that affected the people in Judah (cp. 8:10-12 d).Summary for Ezek 14:4-5: 14:4-5 e Though the exiles were going through the motions of seeking the Lord, their hearts had turned from the Lord to worship their detestable idols. It was tempting for the exiles to think that the Babylonians’ many military successes demonstrated that true power lay with the Babylonian gods rather than with the Lord.
Summary for Ezek 14:6-7: 14:6-7 f When asking for God’s advice, rebels should only expect the response to be, Repent.
14:8 g Instead of answering these people through a false prophet with a word of divine guidance, the Lord would answer them directly with a terrible act of judgment, thus eliminating them from among his people. Whether this indicates death or excommunication, these half-hearted leaders would be removed from the covenant community, the only place where true life is to be found.
Summary for Ezek 14:9-10: 14:9-10 h False prophets, who sought to counteract God’s will by prophesying what God had not spoken, would do God’s will unwittingly—they and other rebels would be deceived and confirmed in their rebellion. False prophets and rebellious people alike were thus punished for their sins (see also Deut 13 i; 1 Kgs 22:6-23 j).
14:11 k The goal of God’s judgment was not the total destruction of the exiles but their salvation, so that the people of Israel would learn not to stray from the Lord.
Summary for Ezek 14:12-20: 14:12-20 l Israel had not been unjustly singled out for judgment. If any country were to sin against the Lord, the result would be the same. It is clear that Israel is in view here, however, because the language used to describe their sin is used elsewhere to describe a breach in Israel’s covenant relationship with the Lord. The covenant was broken, so the nation would inevitably and justly experience the covenant curses that they had ratified at the time the covenant was first made (Lev 26 m).
• The covenant curses are itemized in four test cases. Each case envisions one of the curses listed in Lev 26 n: famine (Ezek 14:13-14 o; see Lev 26:26 p), wild animals (Ezek 14:15-16 q; see Lev 26:22 r), war (Ezek 14:17-18 s; see Lev 26:25 t), and disease (Ezek 14:19-20 u; see Lev 26:25 v).
14:14 w Noah, Daniel, and Job: Each of these men was famous for standing firm in the midst of a wicked generation. If anyone could merit a stay of judgment from God, they could. However, even if a land contained these three outstanding men of God, their righteousness would not suffice to save even their closest relatives from the coming disaster (14:20 x). How much less would it save a rebellious country!
• Since the Hebrew spelling of the name Daniel (Hebrew Dani’el; also in 28:3 y) is slightly different from that of the biblical prophet Daniel (Hebrew Daniyye’l), who was Ezekiel’s younger contemporary in Babylon, some have proposed that Ezekiel was referring to a legendary pagan hero named Danel. However, minor variations in the spelling of names are common in the Hebrew Old Testament. Ezekiel and his hearers would certainly have known of the biblical prophet Daniel as a model of righteousness and wisdom. It is unlikely that a prophet as radically outspoken against idolatry as Ezekiel would have picked a pagan figure like Danel to represent unparalleled righteousness and wisdom. So Ezekiel is most likely referring to the prophet Daniel.
14:21 z Jerusalem was worse off than the hypothetical country of 14:12-20 aa in two respects. First, Jerusalem did not have Noah, Daniel, and Job; instead, the city was filled with unrighteous people. Second, it would not be hit with one single judgment plague but with all four of these dreadful punishments at once. It is therefore not surprising that all her people and animals would be destroyed.
Summary for Ezek 14:22-23: 14:22-23 ab Some survivors would emerge from the devastating judgment (14:21 ac) and join those already in exile. They would not survive because of their righteousness or that of their relatives, but simply as an object lesson for those in exile. As the exiles saw the depravity of this remnant, they would feel better about what God had done to Jerusalem. The exiles would know that God had not acted without cause but had acted with justice in his judgment upon Jerusalem.
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