Book 26 of 66 · Old Testament
Ezekiel
Wild visions among the exiles in Babylon — the wheels, the dry bones, and a river from a new temple.
48 chapters1,273 versesWritten in HebrewSet Among the Jewish exiles in Babylon (c. 593–571 BC)
Overview
Ezekiel was a priest carried off to Babylon before Jerusalem fell. There, by a canal, he receives strange and powerful visions — wheels within wheels, a valley of dry bones brought to life, a river flowing from a rebuilt temple. His message has two halves: before the city falls, relentless warning that it will; after it falls, comfort and the promise of a new heart, a regathered people, and God's presence returning.
Book facts
- Author
- EzekielA priest among the exiles; the book is largely his first-person visions.
- Date written
- c. 590–570 BCDuring the exile in Babylon; many oracles are precisely dated.
- Original language
- HebrewHebrew prose and vision, full of strange and vivid imagery.
- Setting
- Among the Jewish exiles in Babylon (c. 593–571 BC)By the river Chebar, far from the fallen Jerusalem.
How it came to be
Ezekiel is named as a priest among the exiles, and speaks mostly in the first person. He was taken to Babylon before Jerusalem's fall and prophesied by the river Chebar.
Many of his oracles carry a precise date, making it one of the most carefully dated prophetic books.
What is arguedHow its visions should be understood, especially the detailed final temple. Its authorship by Ezekiel is generally accepted.
The whole book, chapter by chapter
| Chapter | What happens | Who is in it | Where it takes place |
|---|---|---|---|
Before the fall — warnings that Jerusalem will fall, chapters 1–24 | |||
| Chapter 1The living creatures | By the river Chebar Ezekiel sees a storm, four living creatures, and wheels full of eyes. | ||
| Chapter 2The scroll | Ezekiel is commissioned and given a scroll to eat. | — | |
| Chapter 3The watchman | Ezekiel is made a watchman, accountable to warn the people. | — | |
| Chapter 4The siege sign | Ezekiel acts out the siege of Jerusalem with a clay tile. | ||
| Chapter 5The shaved hair | He shaves his hair and scatters it as a sign of the city's fate. | ||
| Chapter 6The mountains of Israel | Judgment is pronounced on the idolatry of the land. | — | — |
| Chapter 7The end | "An end is come" — the day of the Lord upon the land. | — | — |
| Chapter 8The temple abominations | In a vision Ezekiel is shown the idolatry hidden inside the temple. | ||
| Chapter 9The mark | A mark is set on the faithful before the city is struck. | — | |
| Chapter 10The coals and cherubim | The glory of God moves, and coals of fire are scattered over the city. | — | |
| Chapter 11The departing glory | The glory of the Lord leaves the temple; a promise of a new heart to come. | — | |
| Chapter 12The exile's baggage | Ezekiel acts out going into exile with a packed bag. | — | |
| Chapter 13The false prophets | Woe to the prophets who cry "peace" when there is none. | — | — |
| Chapter 14The idols in the heart | God will not be sought by those who cherish idols in their hearts. | — | — |
| Chapter 15The vine wood | Jerusalem is like useless vine wood, fit only for the fire. | — | |
| Chapter 16The foundling bride | Jerusalem is pictured as a rescued foundling who became an unfaithful bride. | — | |
| Chapter 17The two eagles | A riddle of two eagles, about Judah's kings and Babylon. | — | |
| Chapter 18The soul that sins | Each person answers for their own sin: "the soul that sinneth, it shall die." | — | — |
| Chapter 19The lion cubs | A lament over the princes of Israel, like captured lion cubs. | — | — |
| Chapter 20The rebellions recounted | God recounts Israel's long history of rebellion. | — | — |
| Chapter 21The drawn sword | The sword of the Lord is drawn against Jerusalem. | — | |
| Chapter 22The bloody city | Jerusalem's crimes are laid bare; no one stands in the gap. | — | |
| Chapter 23The two sisters | Two sisters picture the unfaithfulness of Samaria and Jerusalem. | — | , |
| Chapter 24The boiling pot | A boiling pot pictures the siege; Ezekiel's wife dies as a sign, and he may not mourn. | ||
Against the nations — oracles on the surrounding nations, chapters 25–32 | |||
| Chapter 25The neighboring nations | Oracles against Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia. | — | , , |
| Chapter 26The word against Tyre | An oracle of the fall of Tyre. | — | |
| Chapter 27The ship of Tyre | A lament over Tyre as a splendid ship that sinks. | — | |
| Chapter 28The prince of Tyre | A taunt over the proud prince of Tyre. | — | |
| Chapter 29The word against Egypt | An oracle against Egypt and its Pharaoh. | — | |
| Chapter 30The day of Egypt | The day of Egypt's judgment. | — | |
| Chapter 31The cedar | Egypt is like a great cedar that is cut down. | — | |
| Chapter 32The lament for Pharaoh | A lament over Pharaoh and Egypt going down to the pit. | — | |
After the fall — comfort, new life, and a new temple, chapters 33–48 | |||
| Chapter 33The watchman's duty | Ezekiel is again the watchman; news comes that Jerusalem has fallen. | ||
| Chapter 34The shepherds | Woe to the shepherds who feed themselves; God will shepherd his flock himself. | — | — |
| Chapter 35The word against Edom | An oracle against Mount Seir (Edom). | — | |
| Chapter 36The new heart | God promises to gather his people and give them "a new heart" and his Spirit. | — | — |
| Chapter 37The dry bones | In the valley of dry bones, the breath of God brings a dead army to life. | — | — |
| Chapter 38The word against Gog | An oracle against Gog of the land of Magog. | — | — |
| Chapter 39The fall of Gog | Gog's great army falls, and God's name is made known. | — | — |
| Chapter 40The temple measured | In a vision a man measures a new temple. | — | |
| Chapter 41The temple chambers | The measuring of the temple continues. | — | |
| Chapter 42The priests' chambers | The chambers for the priests are measured. | — | |
| Chapter 43The returning glory | The glory of the Lord returns to fill the new temple. | — | |
| Chapter 44The east gate | The east gate is shut, and rules are given for the priests. | — | |
| Chapter 45The holy portion | A holy portion of land is set apart, with the prince's offerings. | — | — |
| Chapter 46The offerings and gates | The offerings and the use of the temple gates. | — | — |
| Chapter 47The river from the temple | A river flows from the temple, deepening and bringing life wherever it goes. | — | |
| Chapter 48The tribal portions | The land is divided among the tribes, and the city named "The Lord is there." | — | |
All 48 chapters. Start reading →
Worth knowing
Key people
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Key places
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Known for
Some of the best-known passages in Ezekiel — tap the verse to read it.
- The wheels within wheelsEzekiel 1:16
- "A new heart also will I give you"Ezekiel 36:26
- The valley of dry bonesEzekiel 37:5
- The river from the templeEzekiel 47:9