Ezekiel 12:1-20

Ezekiel 12:1-20

[1] The word  of the LORD  also came unto me, saying,  [2] Son  of man,  thou dwellest  in the midst  of a rebellious  house,  which have eyes  to see,  not; they have ears  to hear,  not: for they are a rebellious  house.  [3] Therefore, 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.  [4] Then 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.  [5] Dig  thou through the wall  in their sight,  and carry out  thereby. [6] In 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.  [7] And 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.  [8] And in the morning  came the word  of the LORD  unto me, saying,  [9] Son  of man,  hath not the house  of Israel,  the rebellious  house,  said  unto thee, What doest  [10] Say  the Lord  GOD;  This burden  concerneth the prince  in Jerusalem,  and all the house  of Israel  that are among  [11] Say,  I am your sign:  like as I have done,  unto them: they shall remove  into captivity.  [12] And 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.  [13] My 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  [14] And 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. [15] And they shall know  that I am the LORD,  when I shall scatter  them among the nations,  and disperse  them in the countries.  [16] But I will leave  a few  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,  [18] Son  of man,  eat  thy bread  with quaking,  and drink  thy water  with trembling  and with carefulness;  [19] And 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. [20] And the cities  that are inhabited  shall be laid waste,  and the land  shall be desolate;  and ye shall know  that I am the LORD. 

What does Ezekiel 12:1-20 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

This section contains three messages from the Lord all of which deal with the inevitability of another deportation of Jews from Jerusalem and Judah ( Ezekiel 12:1-20). Jerusalem would be overthrown and the Jews still there would be taken to Babylon in the very near future. The prophet"s perspective now broadened from the temple (chs8-11) to the city (ch12).