Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 12:7

And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought [it] forth in the twilight, [and] I bore [it] upon [my] shoulder in their sight.

7. with mine hand ] lit. with hand, i.e. by force, Isa 28:2. LXX. omits.

in the twilight ] the darkness, as Eze 12:6, so Eze 12:12.

Eze 12:8-16 . Exposition of the symbol.

The action of the prophet is a representation of what shall happen in the last days of the siege. The king and those about him shall prepare for flight; they shall go out secretly through the walls, but shall be captured and brought to Babylon.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

In the evening the prophet was to return to the wall, break through it, and transport the goods from the inside to the outside of the city.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Forth; either out of the house into some court or yard, through the wall whereof he digged; or else here is a transposing of his actions, and rehearsal of that in the first place which was acted in the second place.

Digged through the wall: see Eze 12:5.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

And I did so as I was commanded,…. Though it might seem ridiculous in the sight of men, and he be bantered and despised for it; yet, it being the will of God, he was obedient to it; as it becomes the servants of the Lord to be with all readiness and cheerfulness; even in things for which they may be laughed at by others:

I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity; brought his goods out of his house, in order to be had to another place, as a type of the captivity of his countrymen the Jews:

and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; not with an iron instrument, with which walls are dug; but with his hand, he having no such instrument with him, and being in haste, and also that it might be done without noise; denoting the suddenness of Zedekiah’s flight, and the haste he was in; not having time and leisure to take proper instruments with him, he and his men pulled out the stones of the wall with their own hands, and silently made their way through and escaped; see Eze 12:12;

I brought [it] forth in the twilight, [and] I bare [it] upon [my] shoulder in their sight: that it might be a sign and emblem of the above things to them, and they might learn some instructions from it.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Here the Prophet relates that he had executed what God had commanded: nor did it escape him that this action would be exposed to many jeers and reproaches. But he esteemed nothing of equal moment with pleasing God: hence we must remark the Prophet’s alacrity in executing God’s commands. For since to ingenuous natures nothing is more distasteful than reproach, he might reject the burden imposed upon him, because it provoked the laughter of all men. But because God was otherwise pleased he did as he was ordered. He says, therefore, that he carried away his vessels, as it were vessels of captivity, or of migration, and that in the day-time: as if he said that he had prepared whatever was necessary for the journey, as if he saw that a long march, even exile was before him. This then was the reason why he prepared his goods in the day-time. Now it follows, at evening he dug through the wall This belongs to the second clause, that the Israelites might understand that all egress was blocked up to the Jews, so that no safety remained but in concealed flight. He says also, by the hand, whence it appears to be done suddenly and tumultuously. He says, that he went out in darkness, and carried things on his shoulder — namely, that he may confirm what we have so often said, that the Jews had no hope of safety except under cover of the night: because they were besieged on every side, and could not move on one side or the other, lest the enemy should seize them. This is the reason why the Prophet says, that he went out in darkness through the wall which had been dug through

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

7. I did so as I was commanded Whether Ezekiel actually dug through the walls of Tel-abib or through the walls which surrounded the mimic city prepared within his own house (Eze 4:1) is not said, but the latter is far more probable. It was the tile, and not Tel-abib, which the exiles had learned to think of as the besieged city.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

‘And I did so, as I was commanded. I brought out my stuff by day, as stuff for removing, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my hand. I brought it out in the dark, and bore it on my shoulder in their sight.’

Note the emphasis on the fact that he did as he was told. If only Israel had done the same. It would appear that during the day he prepared his stuff and gathered it together ready for the great removal, and then at night, having made a hole in the wall with his hands, actually shouldered it and carried it to another place.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Eze 12:7 And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought [it] forth in the twilight, [and] I bare [it] upon [my] shoulder in their sight.

Ver. 7. And [did as I was commanded.] Though well laughed at for my labour by the mad world, ever beside itself in point of salvation, and looking upon God’s Jordans as Naaman did, with Syrian eyes. The outward signs in our sacraments are in themselves mean and ordinary matters; yet the minister is to make use of them, and the people to climb up to heaven by them as ladders of life Hence even in the ancient church liturgy they had their Sursum corda, Lift up your hearts. Rideant athei et ringantur.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)