A Study of Ezekiel: Pt. 1

The name Ezekiel mean “God is Strong” and we will see that over 60 times in the book the phrase, or some version of the phrase, “Thus they will know that I am the LORD” will appear, revealing to the people of God his presence and control in all the world despite the temple being destroyed.

The Backstory of Who is Involved

Ezekiel /Jehezekel (Yechezqel: God will Strengthen)

from chazaq: To be strong, to strengthen, to harden, to prevail, to take hold of, to fasten upon, to seize, be strong, obstinate, to bind, restrain, conquer. Ezekiel is a priest become prophet, a mouthpiece of God to his people in exile in Babylon, swept away by Nebuchadnezzar. Son of Buzi. Buzi is mention nowhere else in the scripture but Buz may be a relation (Gen 22:21), Abraham’s nephew by Nahor and Milcah. There is also a Gadite named Buz (1 Chronicles 5:14) and one more Buz, a king of the coastlands across the sea. (Jeremiah 25:23) Buzites are mentioned once in Job 32.

2Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger. He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself rather than God. 3He burned with anger also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, although they had declared Job to be in the wrong.

In Chronicles and Ruth we see the lineage of Judah leads to a man named Ram.

Judah > Perez > Hezron > Ram > Amminadab > Nahshon > Salmon > Boaz > Obed > Jesse > David (2 Chron 2:5-25)

This Ram also had a nephew named Ram, the firstborn from his brother Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron their father. This Ram bore Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.

Are any of these related to Ezekial? I don’t know.

Jehoiachin / Jeconiah (Yehoyakin: Jehovah will establish)

Jehoiachin was King of Judah, grandson of Josiah and son Jehoiakim. His mother is Nechushta, a name derived from the Hebrew root נָחָשׁ (nachash), meaning "copper" or "bronze" with ties to Serpent. Not a detail to overlook as Jehoiachin acts very serpent like a disobeying God, doing evil in His sight.

God’s people end up on exile on this king’s watch.

2 Kings 24:8-17 “8Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. 9And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

Jerusalem Captured

10At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. 11And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, 12and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign 13and carried off all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the LORD, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the LORD had foretold. 14He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. 15And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king’s mother, the king’s wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. 16And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war.17And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.”

He remained a prisoner in Babylon for 37 years until he was freed and elevated among the kings in Babylon.

2 Kings 25:27-30 “27And in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freedb Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. 28And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. 29So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king’s table, 30and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived.”

Nebuchadnezzar (Nebo, protect the boundary!)

According to the Topical Lexicon, “Nebuchadnezzar II was the king of Babylon from approximately 605 to 562 BC. He is one of the most prominent figures in the Old Testament, known for his military conquests and his role in the Babylonian captivity of the Jews. Nebuchadnezzar is credited with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC, leading to the exile of the Jewish people to Babylon.

"In the book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar is portrayed as a complex character who experiences a series of dreams and visions interpreted by Daniel. These narratives highlight his pride, subsequent humbling, and eventual acknowledgment of the sovereignty of the God of Israel. Notably, in Daniel 4, Nebuchadnezzar is humbled by God, losing his sanity and living like an animal until he recognizes God's authority.

“Nebuchadnezzar's reign is also marked by significant architectural achievements, including the construction of the Ishtar Gate and the expansion of the city of Babylon. His legacy is a blend of military prowess, architectural innovation, and a complex relationship with the God of Israel as depicted in the biblical narrative.”

Mattaniah (Gift of Jah) >>> Zedekiah (Tsidqiyyahu/Tsidqiyyah: Right of Jah/Yah is Righteous)

Jehoiachin’s uncle who is made king of Judah.

2 Kings 24:18- 25:7 “18Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 19And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done. 20For because of the anger of the LORD it came to the point in Jerusalem and Judah that he cast them out from his presence.

And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.”

1And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it. 2So the city was besieged till the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.3On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. 4Then a breach was made in the city, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king’s garden, and the Chaldeans were around the city. And they went in the direction of the Arabah. 5But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. 6Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, and they passed sentence on him. 7They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him in chains and took him to Babylon.

Zedekiah died at 32 after Nebachudnezzar took Jerusalem with the Chaldeans.

Chaldeans/ Kasdi or Kasdimah: (Kasdim), referring to the Chaldeans, a people group in the ancient Near East.

According to Topical Lexicon, CHaldeans “were known for their influence in the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The Chaldeans are often associated with astrology and wisdom, and they played a significant role in the history of Babylon.

“Context: The Chaldeans, or Kasdim, were a Semitic-speaking people who settled in the southern part of Babylonia, in the region known as Chaldea. They rose to prominence in the late 7th century BCE, establishing the Neo-Babylonian Empire under the leadership of Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzar II. The Chaldeans are frequently mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, particularly in the context of the Babylonian Exile.

”In the Book of Daniel, the Chaldeans are depicted as wise men and astrologers, often consulted by the Babylonian kings for their knowledge and interpretation of dreams (Daniel 2:2, 4, 5, 10). The Chaldeans are also noted for their role in the conquest and destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE, as described in 2 Kings 25:1-10 and Jeremiah 39:1-10.

"The Chaldeans' reputation for wisdom and learning is reflected in their contributions to astronomy and mathematics, which were highly regarded in the ancient world. Despite their eventual decline, the legacy of the Chaldeans persisted through their cultural and scientific achievements.”

Kesed, who may be their ancestor, was the Son of Nahor, Abraham’s brother.

The Timeline

605 BC Nebachadnezzar becomes King of Babylon

597 BC Jehoiachin (18) becomes King of Judah in Jersualem/ Jerusalem surrenders to Babylon / 18,000 captives and Jehoiachin taken to Babylon (Ezekiel among them)/Zedekiah set up as King in Jerusalem

593 BC Ezekiel’s ministry begins in Babylon

588-586 BC Jerusalem sacked and Temple destroyed; Zedekiah killed

571 BC Ezekiel’s last message

562 BC Nebachadnezzar 43 year reign ends; Evil-Merodach becomes King of Babylon

560 BC Jehoiachin (55) freed from 37 years in prison

Landmarks and Geography

Chebar River

CHEBAR כְּבָר (Kebar: length) from( kabar כָּבַר: To be much, to multiply, to increase; כְּבָר kbar: Already, long ago;

?חָבוֹר Habor/Chabor?: chabar: To join, unite, bind together, ally; חָבַר)

“ke'-bar (kebhar, "joining" (Young), "length" (Strong); Chobar): The river by the side of which his first vision was vouchsafed to Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:1). It is described as in "the land of the Chaldeans," and is not, therefore, to be sought in northern Mesopotamia. This rules out the Habor, the modern Chabour, with which it is often identified. The two names are radically distinct: chabhor could not be derived from kebhar. One of the great Babylonian canals is doubtless intended. Hilprecht found mention made of (naru) kabaru, one of these canals large enough to be navigable, to the East of Nippur, "in the land of the Chaldeans." This "great canal" he identifies with the rood. shaTT en-Nil, in which probably we should recognize the ancient Chebar.” -W. Ewing

Ezekiel is always receiving his visions by the River in the land of Chaldeans…

The Land of the Chaldeans

Now that we have set the stage, in Part 2 we will get into the text of Chapter 1.