Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 12:5
Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.
5. Dig through the wall ] Naturally the “wall” is not the wall of his house, but the city wall. He brought out his articles of flight by day, making them ready for the night-time when he was to escape through the wall. It is absurd to suppose, as is usually done, that he carried his things back into the house, and digged through the wall of his house in the evening. This would mar the action and be ridiculous. The “wall” is the city wall. The question whether Tel Abib was a walled place is of no importance, because the actions were probably not actually performed.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 5. Dig thou through the wall] This refers to the manner in which Zedekiah and his family would escape from the city. They escaped by night through a breach in the wall. See Jer 39:2-4; and 2Kg 25:4.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Come not through the door, but, as one who knows there is a watch and guard upon the door, get to some back part of thy house, and dig there, Eze 12:7, thyself, either to make the greater haste, or to keep all secret; for all will be little enough for them that must act what thou dost represent.
Thereby; through the hole thou hast dug.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. Digas Zedekiah was toescape like one digging through a wall, furtively to effect an escape(Eze 12:12).
carry outnamely, “thystuff” (Eze 12:4).
therebyby the openingin the wall. Zedekiah escaped “by the gate betwixt the twowalls” (Jer 39:4).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Dig thou through the wall in their sight,…. The wall of the house where he was, as an emblem of the city of Jerusalem closely besieged, from whence there was no escape but by digging through the wall this showed the manner in which Zedekiah made his escape, by the way of the gate, between the two walls which was by the king’s garden,
Jer 52:7;
and carry out thereby; not his stuff, as before; but provisions for himself, necessary for his journey or flight; as no doubt Zedekiah and those with him did.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Ezekiel is verbose in this narration. But in the beginning of the book we said, that because the teacher was sent to men very slow and stupid, he therefore used a rough style. We added also, that he had acquired it partly from the custom of the region in which he dwelt. For the people declined by degrees from the polish of their language, and hence it happens that the Prophet’s diction is not quite pure, but is intermixed with something foreign. As to the subject itself there is no ambiguity, since God repeats that he should dig through a wall, and bring out his vessels by himself before their eyes Here follows another part of the vision, namely, that there should be no free egress but that the Jews would desire to depart by stealth. First, therefore, it is shown to the Prophet, that the Jews who when secure at Jerusalem boasted that all was well with them, should be exiles; then, that it would not be in their power to go forth when they wished, unless perhaps they stealthily escaped the hands of the enemy through their hiding-place, as thieves escape by digging through a wall. Then the application will follow, but yet it was worth while to state what God intended by this vision. Afterwards everything is embraced. In their sight, says he, thou shalt bear upon thy shoulder, that is, thou shalt be prepared and girt for a journey as a traveler, and this shall be done in the day-time: but in darkness, says he, thou shalt bring them forth: after thy vessels have been prepared, wait for the evening: in the darkness afterwards thou shalt go forth. Here he shows what I have already touched upon, when necessity expelled the Jews from their country, that their departure would not be free, because they would be well off if’ they could snatch themselves away from the sight of their enemies in hiding-places and the darkness of the night.
He adds, thou shalt hide thy face, and the clause, neither shalt thou look upon the earth, means the same thing. Anxiety and trembling is marked by this phrase, as when he says, thou shalt hide thy face, it signifies that the Jews should be so perplexed that they should fear every event which happened. For those who fear everything veil their faces, as is well known. But this trembling is better expressed when he says, thou shaft not look upon the earth. For those who are in haste do not dare to bend down their eyes the least in either one direction or another, but are carried along to the place to which they are going, and press forward with their eyes, because they cannot hasten with their feet as quickly as they desire. Hence they seize their way, as it were, with their eyes. This is the reason why God says, thou shalt not look upon the earth, because I have set thee, says he, for a sign to the house of Israel. Here God meets the petulance of those who otherwise would laugh at what the Prophet was doing: what do you mean by that fictitious emigration? why do you not rest at home? why do you here frighten us with an empty spectacle? God, therefore, that the Jews should not obstinately despise what he shows them, adds, that the Prophet was a sign or a wonder to the house of Israel The word wonder is here taken in its genuine sense, though sometimes it has an unfavorable meaning. We say that anything portentous is disagreeable: but a “ portent ” properly designates any sign of the future. When therefore men predict what is hidden, it is called a portent. And this is the meaning of Isaiah, (Isa 8:18,) where he says, Behold me, and the children whom God has given me, for signs and wonders. He puts אתות, athoth, “signs,” in the first place, then מופתים, mophthim, “portents.” Here the Prophet speaks in the singular: I have given thee for a wonder. But since Isaiah treats of the rest of the faithful, he then uses signs and portents; since Isaiah seems to imply something more, namely, that the people were so stupid that they so feared and abhorred God’s servants, as if they had met, with a prodigy. Here, therefore, the depravity of the people is to be marked, because when they saw any pious and sincere worshipper of God they turned away their eyes as from a formidable prodigy. But now the Prophet speaks simply, that he had been placed for a prodigy to the house of Israel: because in truth this action was a presage of that future captivity which the Jews did not fear for themselves, and which was also incredible to the Israelites; whence that penitence and weariness of which I have spoken. But I do not object if any think that the Prophet speaks of a portent, because the Israelites were struck with astonishment; but the former sense is far more apposite. In this way then God distinguishes the action of the Prophet from all empty spectacles, and so vindicates his servant from all opprobrium. Meanwhile he signifies that although the Prophet was despised, yet that he would be true, and at the same time the avenger of contempt. It follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) Dig thou through the wall.This is a sub sequent action, as shown by Eze. 12:7. The wall was probably of adobe, sun-dried brick, the common building material of the country, and there was, therefore, no great difficulty in digging through it; but this way of entering the house indicates something of stealth and secrecy. He was to carry forth his goods openly through his door during the day, and then to re-enter at evening, and secretly to carry forth those things which he would not otherwise be allowed to take away.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5, 6. Dig thou through the wall and carry it [LXX., go ] forth in the twilight Or, darkness (Gen 15:17). They dare not attempt to leave the city by one of the gates, because of the watchfulness of the besieging army, but must attempt to break a way through the wall at a point less carefully guarded.
Thou shalt cover thy face for I have set thee for a sign Or, portent. (See Eze 12:11.) Representing the people, he carries out with him the provisions and other articles necessary for a hasty flight, and representing Prince Zedekiah, he goes forth with his face covered in shame and sorrow (Eze 12:12; Eze 24:17; 2Sa 15:30). There may also be a veiled prophecy that Zedekiah’s eyes are to be put out in the strange statement that he shall not see the ground (literally, land).
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your things out through there. In their sight you will bear it on your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark. You will cover your face so that you do not see the ground, for I have set you as a sign to the house of Israel.”
These further instructions would add to the significance of his acts. He was to leave his house through the wall, symbolising surreptitious escape from the city, and he was to leave as it was becoming dark in order to indicate the idea of secrecy and haste. And he was to cover his face so that he could not see the ground.
The houses in Babylonia would be made of sun-dried brick which, with some effort, would not be difficult to hack through , removing the bricks in order to make a way through. The covering of the face was probably to indicate that he was not expecting to see his homeland again so that he could not bear to look at the ground as he left (see Eze 12:11), and it may possibly have also been intended to indicate secrecy and disguise.
And these things were to be ‘a sign’, a guarantee of their happening. They would warn the house of Israel, of what was coming. As they watched his actions he was to hope that they would accept that this was really what was going to happen to their fellow-Israelites in Jerusalem. At least when Jerusalem did fall, and it is difficult for us to imagine just how huge a blow that would be to them when it happened, they would recognise that God had been telling them that this was what He was going to do all the time.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 12:5 Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.
Ver. 5. Dig through the wall. ] Make any shift. Necessitas magnum telum. He that digged Mortimer’s hole, as they call it, at Nottingham Castle, earned his liberty dearly. God might have said to the prophet at once, Get thee gone out of thy country – how sad a thing that is Ovid when banished setteth forth in many elegant elegies, sed cuncta per partes digerit – but he must do it piecemeal and by degrees, that it may the more affect them.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Dig thou through the wall. The sign (Eze 12:2) that Zedekiah would do this “betwixt the walls” (2Ki 25:4. Jer 39:4).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Dig thou: Heb. Dig for thee, This was to shew that Zedekiah should escape from the city through a breach in the wall. 2Ki 25:4, Jer 39:2-4
Reciprocal: Job 24:16 – In the dark Amo 4:3 – ye shall go
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 12:5. The town where Ezekiel and other captives were living would he enclosed with a wall. He was to make an opening through that wall large enough for a man to pass through, then let the people see him leave by way of the opening.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
He was to dig a hole in the sun-dried mud brick wall of his house (Heb. qir), perhaps the wall around the courtyard of his house, as the people watched, and pass through it. This unusual method of departure pictured desperation and secrecy. He should load his baggage on his shoulder and carry it away as night set in. He was also to cover his face so he could not see the land. This may represent the inability of the exiles to see their land any more or his shame at having to depart or his attempt to conceal himself from the enemy. He was to do all this because God was using him as a lesson to the Jews.