Ezekiel

1
Ezekiel

• HUMA 3810

2
Historical Background

• Exile of Jehoiachin in 597 BCE
• Ezekiel in exile 593-571 BCE

3
Structure of Book

• Two halves 1-24 (coming doom) and 25-32
  (salvation)
• 25-32 oracles against the nations
• 40-48 temple vision
• search for ipsissima verba unsuccessful
• 1273 verses in all
• estimates range from 21 (Garscha) 764
  (Zimmerli) verses

4
Life of Ezekiel

• Settled in Tel Aviv (315)
• Married (Ezek 2415-24)
• Elders consulted with him (Ezek 81 141 201)

5
His mental health

• various theories
• catalepsy, schizophrenia, paranoid schizophrenia
• David J. Halperin Ezekiel was dominated by a
  pathological dread and loathing of female
  sexuality and demonstrates a deeply ambivalent
  attitude toward a dominant male figure
• transported by spirit of God (312 83 111,
  24 371 401-2)
• dug through walls of house (121-16)
• lay on side (Ezek 41-15)
• ate scroll (31-3)
• periods of dumbness (315 seven days 326-27
  24 25-27 3321-22 several years)
• didnt mourn loss of wife (2415-23)

6
Ezekiels message

• Call narrative
• chariot vision (1 8-11 43)
• God progressively leaves land and moves to
  Babylon
• Life of prophet hard (26)
• Task of prophet to be watchman and lookout
  (316-21 331-21)
• Individual responsibility (Jer 3129 Ezek 182)
• Exilic identity
• Seemingly lost rights (Ezek 1114ff.)
• Anti-Juda(h)ism (Ezek 8 and 11)
• God has abandoned land (cf. chariot vision)
• Land condemned to destruction (1412-23)
• Restoration of land (371-14)