EZEKIEL

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EZEKIEL
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EZEKIEL WHO?

• What does the name Ezekiel mean in Hebrew?
• Ezekiel a combination of the verb hazak (to
  strengthen) and el (God)
• God strengthens or maybe May God strengthen.

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Biographical text from the first Chapter of
Ezekiel

• In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on
  the fifth day of the month, as I was among the
  exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were
  opened, and I saw visions of God. On the fifth
  day of the month (it was the fifth year of the
  exile of King Jehoi'achin), the word of the LORD
  came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in
  the land of the Chalde'ans by the river Chebar
  and the hand of the LORD was upon him there.
  (13)

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First an Editorial Comment - Notice the change
in the subject which indicates a later revision
of some sort

• First Person Ezekiel
• In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on
  the fifth day of the month, the heavens were
  opened, and I saw visions of God. (11)

• Third Person A redactor editor
• On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth
  year of the exile of King Jehoi'achin), the word
  of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son
  of Buzi, in the land of the Chalde'ans by the
  river Chebar and the hand of the LORD was upon
  him there. (12-3)

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Beginning with the first verse lets see if we can
learn any historical data about Ezekiel and his
vocation

• In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on
  the fifth day of the month, the heavens were
  opened, and I saw visions of God.

• Ezekiel says his call begins in the 30th year.
• What does that mean?
• Could it designate the 30th year of the
  Babylonian exile?

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The 30th year?

• But this contradicts the next verse which states
  that the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel in the
  5th year of the exile of King Jehoiachin
• (According to that verse, the 5th year of King
  Jehoiachins exile would mean that Ezekiel
  received his call in 593 B.C.)

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The 30th Year?

• Scholars propose various solutions
• 1. The year of Ezekiels first prophesy and the
  editorial comment is made in order to clarify the
  actual date.
• 2. The date Ezekiel published the book.
• 3. The Prophets age when he was called. (Origen)
• 4. The time that had passed since Hilkiah the
  high priest found the book of the Law in the
  house of the Lord which was the beginning of a
  reform movement

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Or

• The 30th year could refer to the date of
  ordination the date typical of the Levitical
  priesthood.
• The passage above in the Hebrew says that either
  Ezekiel was a priest or his father, Buzi, was a
  priest.

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Or

• He would have been a priest when he turned 30
  but because he was in exile he received a call to
  be a prophet instead. (Miller)

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But lets assume he was a priest

• After all, reading the book it is apparent that
  Ezekiel was accustomed to life in the temple
  because his language and thought are very similar
  to the priestly codes in use at the time (Miller)
  
• On the right is a Levite priest in ceremonial
  vestments -

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• He would have been away from the Temple which is
  the only place he could have exercised his
  priestly functions. (Cody)
• Following the reforms under King Josiah, which
  called for a more strict adherence to the Book of
  Deuteronomy, the Temple would be understood as
  the only place to practice public worship.

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• Being in exile, in lands that were unclean, water
  was a source of purity and prescribed washings
  could very easily have occurred at canals
  (Greenberg)
• This would explain the settlement of exiles near
  Nippur (Anchor)
• The Israelites having no were to worship probably
  conducted their ritual near water sources
• Psalm 137 - By the waters of Babylon, there we
  sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.
  (1371)

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• It would explain Ezekiels presence at the river
  Chebar
• the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest,
  the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chalde'ans by
  the river Chebar

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Land of the Chaldeans? Babylonia
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The River/Canal Chebar

• River Chebar A canal that left the Euphrates
  from the North of Babylon and flowed South East
  through the ancient city Sumerian of Nippur and
  finally returned to the Euphrates. Findings in
  Nippur reveal documents containing Jewish family
  names from the 5th cent B.C.

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Among the exiles

• Does not mean that Ezekiel was actually in
  contact with exiles, but simply that he was in
  the vicinity of exile territory.
• He most likely received his call while in
  solitude

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The hand of the Lord is a common expression in
the book of Ezekiel.What does that tell us about
his call?

• The form of speech is used several times in the
  book of Ezekiel

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• This prophetic form of speech may originate in
  the Exodus narratives which speak of the hand and
  arm of Yahweh and his outstreched arms.
  (Zimmerli)
• Yahwehs hand takes hold of the prophets senses
  and speech. It seizes him, and empowers him.
• It was more than simply a divine message.
  Rather, it was a submission to the Divine Word
  that could leave one subdued in a vision or
  trance. And I sat there overwhelmed among them
  seven days. (314)

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Seen elsewhere

• And the hand of the LORD was on Eli'jah and he
  girded up his loins and ran before Ahab to the
  entrance of Jezreel. (1 Kgs 1846)

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We can conclude then

• Ezekiel was seized and empowered by God when he
  received his call to be a prophet on the river
  Chebar.

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Bibliography

• Boadt, Lawrence, Ezekiel, The New Jerome Biblical
  Commentary, (Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
  Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1990) pp. 305 310
• Carley, Keith W., Ezekiel Among the Prophets A
  Study of Ezekiels Place in Prophetic Tradition,
  Studies in Biblical Theology, 2nd Series,
  (Naperville, Illinois Alec R. Allenson Inc.,
  1974)
• Cody, Aelred, Ezekiel, Old Testment Message A
  Biblical-Theological Commentary, (Wilmington
  Delaware Michael Glazier, Inc., 1984) pp. 21-30
• Eichrodt, Walther, Ezekiel A commentary, Old
  Testament Library, (Phildelphia Westminster
  Press,1970) pp. 49-59
• Greenberg, Moshe, Ezekiel 1 20, The Anchor
  Bible, (New York Doubleday, 1983) pp. 37- 42
• Miller, John W., Meet the Prophets A beginners
  Guide to the Books of the Biblical Prophets
  their meaning then and now, (New York/Mahwah
  Paulist Press, 1987), pp. 178 -187
• Ed. Wevers, John W., Ezekiel, The Century Bible,
  (New Jersey Nelson, 1969) pp.22-26, 40-44.
• Zimmerli, Walther, Ezekiel, Hermenia, vol. 1
  (Philadelphia Fortress, 1979, 1983), pp. 101-106

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Works Cited

• Boadt, Lawrence, Ezekiel, The New Jerome Biblical
  Commentary, (Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
  Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1990) pp. 305 310
• Cody, Aelred, Ezekiel, Old Testment Message A
  Biblical-Theological Commentary, (Wilmington
  Delaware Michael Glazier, Inc., 1984) pp. 21-30
• Eichrodt, Walther, Ezekiel A commentary, Old
  Testament Library, (Phildelphia Westminster
  Press,1970) pp. 49-59
• Greenberg, Moshe, Ezekiel 1 20, The Anchor
  Bible, (New York Doubleday, 1983) pp. 37- 42
• Miller, John W., Meet the Prophets A beginners
  Guide to the Books of the Biblical Prophets
  their meaning then and now, (New York/Mahwah
  Paulist Press, 1987), pp. 178 -187
• Ed. Wevers, John W., Ezekiel, The Century Bible,
  (New Jersey Nelson, 1969) pp.22-26, 40-44.
• Zimmerli, Walther, Ezekiel, Hermenia, vol. 1
  (Philadelphia Fortress, 1979, 1983), pp. 101-106