EZEKIEL (e-ziiici-eh), (Heb. yekh-ez kale , whom God will strengthen, or God will pre vail!.
(1) Name and Family. One of the greater prophets. whose writings, both in the Hebrew and Alexandrian canons, are placed next to those of Jeremiah. I le was the son of Buzi the priest (ch. i: 3), and, according to tradition, was a native of Sarera (Carpzov, I ntrad., pt. iii. p. 200). Of his early history we have no authentic in formation. We first find him in the country of Mesopotamia. 'by the river Chebar' (ch. i: 11, now A habdr, a stream of considerable length flowing into the Euphrates near Circesium, Kirk esia (Roseninfiller's Bib!. Grog. of Central Asia in Bib!. Cabinet, vol. it. p. 18o). On this riser Nebuchadnezzar founded a Jewish colony from the captives whom he brought from Jerusalem when he besieged it in the eighth year of king Jehoiachin (2 Kings xxiv :12). This colony, or at least a part of it) was settled at a place called 1 el-Abib, which has been thought by some to answer to the Thallaba of D'Anville (Rosenm., Bib!. Geog.. vol. ii, p. 188) ; and it seems to have been here that the prophet fixed his residence.
(2) Personal History. Ile received his com mission as a prophet in the fifth year of his cap tivity (B. C. 594)• Many critics suppose (from ch. i ) that this event took place in the 3oth year of his age. Ezekiel is remarkably silent re specting his personal history; the only event which he records (and that merely in its connection with his prophetic office) is the death of his wife in the ninth year of the captivity (ch. xxiv :18). He continued to exercise the prophetic office during a period of at least twenty-two years, that is, to the 27th year of the captivity (ch. xxix :17) ; and it appears probable that he remained with the cap tives by the river Chebar during the whole of his life. That he exercised a very commanding in fluence over the people is manifest from the num erous intimations we have of the elders coming to inquire of him what message God had sent through him (ch. ; xiv :I ; xx:t ; xxxiii:31, 32, etc.). Carpzov (pp. 2o3-2o4) relates several traditions respecting his death and sepulcher. It is there said that he was killed at Babylon by the chief of the people on account of his having reproved him for idolatry ; that he was buried in the held of Maur in the tomb of Shem and Arphaxad, and that his sepulcher was still in existence. Such traditions are obviously of very little value.
Ezekiel was contemporary with Jeremiah and Daniel. The former had sustained the prophetic office during a period of thirty-four years before Ezekiel's first predictions, and continued to pro phesy for six or seven years after. It appears probable that that the call of Ezekiel to the pro phetic office was connected with the communica tion of Jeremiah's predictions to Babylon (Jer. 591, which took place the year preceding the first revelation to Ezekiel I I lavernick, p. ix). The
greater part of Daniel's predictions are of a later date than those of Ezekiel ; but it appears that his piety and wisdom had become proverbial even in the early part of Ezekiel's ministry (ch. xiv:i4, 16; xxvid :3).
(3) Character. Most critics have remarked the vigor and surpassing energy which are manifest in the character of Ezekiel. The whole of his writings show how admirably he was fitted, as well by natural disposition as by spiritual en dowment. to oppose the 'rebellious house,' the 'people of stubborn front and hard heart,' to whom he was sent. The figurative representations which abound throughout his writings, whether drawn out into lengthened allegory, or expressing mat ters of fact by means of symbols, or clothing truths in the garb of enigma, all testify by their definiteness the vigor of his seen in visions are described with all the minute ness of detail and sharpness of outline which belong to real existences. But this characteristic is shown mnst remarkably in the entire subordi nation of his whole life In the great work to which he was called. V.'e never meet with him as an ordinary man: he always acts and thinks and feels as a prophet This ...nervy of mind oped in the one din (-non of the prophetic office is strikingly displayed in the acconnt he gives of the death of his wife (ch. xxiv:tc-18). It is the only memorable event of his personal history which he records, and it is mentioned merely in reference to his soul-absorbing work. There is something inexpressibly touching as well as char acteristic in this brief narrative—the 'desire of his eyes' taken away with a stroke—the command not to mourn—and the simple statement, `so I spake unto the people in the morning and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.' That he possessed the common sympathies and affections of humanity is mani fest from the beautiful touch of tenderness with which the narrative is introduced. We may even judge that a mind so earnest as his would be more than usually alive to the feelings of affection when once they had obtained a place in his heart. He then, who could thus completely subordinate the strongest interests of his individual life to the great work of his prophetic office, may well command our admiration and be looked upon as 'a truly gigantic phenomenon.' It is interesting to contrast Ezekiel in this respect with his con temporary Jeremiah, whose personal history is continually presented to us in the course of his writings; and the contrast serves to show that the peculiarity we are noticing in Ezekiel belongs to his individual character, and was not neces sarily connected with the gift of prophecy.
That Ezekiel was a poet of no mean order is acknowledged by almost all critics.