Ezekiel 25:1-32

EZEKIEL—NOTE ON Ezekiel 25:1 Oracles against Foreign Nations. At this moment in the dramatic downfall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel’s focus shifts. The fate of the city is left hanging as he presents a collection of oracles against foreign nations. Not all the oracles are dated, but most seem to fall within the period 587–585 B.C. (for the exception, see note on 29:17–21). Several other prophetic books include prophecies addressed to nations other than Israel and Judah (e.g., Isaiah 13:1; Jeremiah 46:1; Amos 1:1; Zephaniah 2:1). The primary purpose of such prophecies is to show that all peoples are under the authority of the King of kings, whether for judgment or for blessing. The reasons for judgment tend to be the same in both the foreign and domestic oracles within a given book. In Ezekiel, Judah and Jerusalem are punished for impurity and oppression, and so are the foreign nations. However, Ezekiel often simply announces God’s opposition to these nations without offering an explicit reason for the opposition. The oracles unfold in three large sections: first, Judah’s nearest neighbors are condemned (Ezekiel 25:1), followed by extended oracles against Tyre (chs. Ezekiel 26:1) and Egypt (chs. Ezekiel 29:1). Two smaller oracles—one against Sidon, the other looking to Israel’s regathering—are included at the halfway point (Ezekiel 28:20). In all, seven nations stand condemned.