Ezekiel's Placement In Biblical Chronology
Ezekiel, whose name means "God will strengthen" or "the strength of God," was a major prophet during the Babylonian exile [1, 3]. He was the son of a priest named Buzi [1, 2, 10]. Ezekiel was among the Jewish exiles taken captive with King Jehoiachin, approximately eleven years before the destruction of Jerusalem [1]. This captivity occurred around 597 BCE [2].
Ezekiel settled with other exiles at Tel-Abib, on the banks of the Chebar River in Babylonia [1, 2, 5, 10]. His prophetic ministry began in the "fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity" [2], which is specified as the fifth day of the fourth month in the thirtieth year, according to Ezekiel 1:1-3 [10]. This date corresponds to 594 BCE [2]. He continued prophesying for over twenty-two years, with his ministry extending until at least 573 BCE [1].
Key chronological markers within the book of Ezekiel include:
- The start of his prophetic call: "in the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity" (Ezekiel 1:2) [2, 10].
- A vision in the sixth year: In the sixth year, sixth month, and fifth day of the month, Ezekiel received a vision concerning the idolatry in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 8:1) [8].
- The fall of Jerusalem: News of Jerusalem's destruction reached Ezekiel in the twelfth year, tenth month, and fifth day of their captivity (Ezekiel 33:21) [6]. This event opened his mouth, and he was no longer silent [6].
- Later visions: A significant vision describing a new temple occurred in the twenty-fifth year of their captivity, fourteen years after Jerusalem's fall (Ezekiel 40:1) [9]. This date is calculated as April 20, 3430 A.M., or 574 BCE [9].
Ezekiel lived in his own house in exile and was married, though he lost his wife in the ninth year of his exile due to a sudden event (Ezekiel 24:18) [1, 2]. The book of Ezekiel is structured around these chronological points, with prophecies of denunciation against the Jews, warnings of Jerusalem's destruction, and later prophecies of restoration [4]. The chronological order of some chapters is noted to be flexible; for instance, Adam Clarke suggests that Ezekiel 25:1 chronologically follows Ezekiel 33:21 [7].
Sources
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Ezekiel — (the strength of God), one of the four greater prophets, was the son of a priest named Buzi, and was taken captive in the captivity of Jehoiachin, eleven years before the destruction of Jerusalem. He was a member of a community of Jewish exiles who settled on the banks of the Chebar, a "river' or stream of Babylonia. He began prophesying B.C. 595, and continued until B.C. 573, a period of more than twenty-two years. We learn from an incidental allusion, (Ezekiel 24:18) that he was married, and had a house, (Ezekiel 8:1) in his place of exile, and lost his wi”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Ezekiel — God will strengthen. (1.) 1 Chr. 24:16, "Jehezekel." (2.) One of the great prophets, the son of Buzi the priest (Ezek. 1:3). He was one of the Jewish exiles who settled at Tel-Abib, on the banks of the Chebar, "in the land of the Chaldeans." He was probably carried away captive with Jehoiachin (1:2; 2 Kings 24:14-16) about B.C. 597. His prophetic call came to him "in the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity" (B.C. 594). He had a house in the place of his exile, where he lost his wife, in the ninth year of his exile, by some sudden and unforeseen stroke (Eze”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Ezekiel — the strength of God”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Ezekiel, Book of — Consists mainly of three groups of prophecies. After an account of his call to the prophetical office (1-3:21), Ezekiel (1) utters words of denunciation against the Jews (3:22-24), warning them of the certain destruction of Jerusalem, in opposition to the words of the false prophets (4:1-3). The symbolical acts, by which the extremities to which Jerusalem would be reduced are described in ch. 4, 5, show his intimate acquaintance with the Levitical legislation. (See Ex. 22:30; Deut. 14:21; Lev. 5:2; 7:18, 24; 17:15; 19:7; 22:8, etc.) (2.) Prophecies”
- Ezekiel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Ezekiel 3:12: (Act 8:39). Ezekiel's abode heretofore had not been the most suitable for his work. He, therefore, is guided by the Spirit to Tel-Abib, the chief town of the Jewish colony of captives: there he sat on the ground, "the throne of the miserable" (Ezr 9:3; Lam 1:1-3), seven days, the usual period for manifesting deep grief (Job 2:13; see Psa 137:1), thus winning their confidence by sympathy in their sorrow. He is accompanied by the cherubim which had been manifested at Chebar (Eze 1:3-4), after their departure from Jerusalem. They now are heard moving wit”
- Ezekiel (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Ezekiel 33:21: Tidings of the Fall of Jerusalem, and the Consequences with Regard to the Prophet Eze 33:21. And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the tenth (month), on the fifth of the month after our being taken captive, there came to me a fugitive from Jerusalem, and said, The city is smitten. Eze 33:22. And the hand of Jehovah had come upon me in the evening before the arrival of the fugitive, and He opened my mouth, till he came to me in the morning; and so was my mouth opened, and I was silent no more. - In these verses the fulfilment of the promise made by God t”
- Ezekiel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Ezekiel 25:1: The word of the Lord - The chronological order of this chapter is after Eze 33:21, etc. See Abp. Newcome.”
- Ezekiel (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Ezekiel 8:1: Abominations of the Idolatry of the House of Israel Time and place of the divine revelation. - Eze 8:1. And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth (month), on the fifth (day) of the month, I was sitting in my house, and the elders of Judah were sitting before me; there fell upon me the hand of the Lord Jehovah there. Eze 8:2. And I saw, and behold a figure like the look of fire, from the look of its loins downwards fire, and from its loins upwards like a look of brilliance, like the sight of red-hot brass. Eze 8:3. And he stretched out the form of a ha”
- Ezekiel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Ezekiel 40:1: In the five and twentieth year of our captivity - According to the date here given, this prophecy was delivered on Tuesday, April 20, A.M. 3430, in the twenty-fifth year of the captivity of Jeconiah, and fourteen years after the taking of Jerusalem. The temple here described by Ezekiel is, in all probability, the same which he saw before his captivity, and which had been burned by the Chaldeans fourteen years before this vision. On comparing the Books of Kings and Chronicles with this prophet, we shall find the same dimensions in the parts described by both; for in”
- Ezekiel (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Ezekiel 1:1: The Appearance of the Glory of the Lord. - Eze 1:1-3. Time and place of the same. - Eze 1:1. Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth (month), on the fifth (day) of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Eze 1:2. On the fifth day of the month, it was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, Eze 1:3. The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Busi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him. Reg”