Jensens survey of the old testament adam 213
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A. NAME
The name Ezekiel is written in Hebrew as
Yehezqe’l, meaning “God strengthens.” The
prophet was truly a tower of strength in the
midst of a defeated people. Also, God made
him strong to resist the opposition of
hardhearted and rebellious Israelites (read
3:8-9).
B. BIRTH
If the phrase “thirtieth year” of 1:1 refers
to Ezekiel’s age at that time (593 B.C.), then
he was born in 623 B.C., during the reign of
the good King Josiah. Ezekiel was a child
when the book of the Law was recovered in
the course of renovating the Temple in 621
B.C. The years of his boyhood and youth were
thus spent in the bright reformation period
that followed that recovery.
C. FAMILY
Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, was born of a
priestly heritage. His father’s name was
Buzi, a priest possibly of the Zadok line (1:3;
40:46; 44:15). Ezekiel was married, but it is
not known if he had any children. The
darkest day of his life may have been when
the Lord announced to him two tragic
events: the siege of Jerusalem (24:2), and
the death of his beloved wife (24:15-18).
D. IN EXILE
When Ezekiel was about eighteen years
old (605 B.C.), the Babylonians (also known
as Chaldeans) made their rst invasion into
Judea, carrying away some captives, among
whom was Daniel (see Map U). Eight years
later (597 B.C.) they came again, and this
time Ezekiel was among the captives, which
comprised the upper classes of Judah. Read
2 Kings 24:10-17 for the historical record of
this (cf. Ezek 1:2; 33:21). Some of the exiles
were incarcerated; others were made slaves;
many were allowed to settle down in their
own homes in various settlements of the
exiles (cf. Jer 29:1-7; Ezra 2:59; Neh 7:61).
It was of divine providence that Ezekiel was
among those granted such liberties. His
home was in Tel-abib (Ezek 3:15), a
principal colony of exiles near the fabulous
city of Babylon. Tel-abib was located by the
canal Chebar (“Grand Canal”) which owed
from the Euphrates fork above Babylon
through Nippur, winding back into the
Euphrates near Erech.2 (Cf. 1:1, 3; Psalm
137:1.)
Ezekiel’s home was a meeting place where
the Jewish elders often came to consult with
him (8:1; 14:1; 20:1). It may be that his
home was open to any of the exiles who
wanted spiritual help.
E. CALL AND COMMISSION
Five years after his arrival in the strange
land of Babylon, Ezekiel received his call to
the prophetic o ce, to minister to the exiles
in Babylonia.3 What he experienced and
heard in this call is recorded in the rst
three chapters of his book.
Twenty-two years later (see 29:17), when
Ezekiel was around fty-two years old, he
