Ezekiel’s Wife Dies

Here are my thoughts on Ezekiel 24:15-27.

Summary: In this passage, God tells Ezekiel that his wife will soon pass away; He then commands him to refrain from openly mourning her passing.

She then passes away, and he obeys that command. The other exiles then ask him to explain his unusual actions; he responds by asserting that the death of his wife had rendered him senseless, so the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem would render them senseless.

God concludes by asserting that he will not be able to speak until he learns of the destruction of Jerusalem.

Thoughts: This passage is marked by the passing of Ezekiel’s wife. Taylor offers some thoughts on this point:

In these verses we catch a glimpse of the inner Ezekiel which rarely appears through his apparently harsh and unyielding exterior. His austerity and rigid self-discipline, his passion for truth and for the honour of God’s holy name, very nearly conceal the tender heart that lies within…Whereas in the other forty-seven chapters we are impressed, if not overawed, by Ezekiel’s personality, in this chapter at the heart of the book which bears his name we meet him and find him attractive with human emotions like our own.

I anticipate meeting Ezekiel and his wife in the next life and learning more about their relationship. When and how did they meet? What was her life like before she was sent into exile? What was the nature of her relationship with God both before and after her exile? What did she do while he carried out his prophetic ministry? Was she taken aback by at least some of his actions (e.g. whenever he fell into a trance)? Did her passing surprise him, or did she suffer from a lengthy illness? Did she also decry the sinfulness of her compatriots in Jerusalem? On a possibly-related note, why was she not mentioned in this book before this passage?

In verses 25-27, God asserts that Ezekiel will not be able to speak until he learns of the fall of Jerusalem. Taylor offers some thoughts on this point:

More particularly, the ritual dumbness, which was imposed upon him at the time of his call, would be taken from his mouth, and he would be able to speak freely…This release from the restriction imposed upon him will in itself be a portent and the people will recognize the hand of the Lord in it all (27). Then at last Ezekiel will be free. His prophecies of doom will no longer need to be uttered. He will be able to act as a shepherd and a watchman to his people.

Since he was deeply affected by the death of his wife, I assume that he was also deeply affected by the impending downfall of Jerusalem and the suffering of his compatriots. Indeed, he must have eagerly anticipated the time when he could comfort and encourage his compatriots – instead of condemning them with his words and/or deeds. I doubt that he actually enjoyed condemning his compatriots; instead, I believe that he longed for them to repent of their sinfulness – which would remove any enmity on their part towards him. I wonder if he was overwhelmed with joy and relief (including shedding many tears) when he was finally free to bless them.