The final nine chapters of Yehezkiel (Ezekiel) pose a sharp contrast to the preceding 39.  They take on a heavily concrete tone, instructing the generation of the return from the Exile on the building of a new temple and the reestablishment of the monarchy.  Instead of being a prophecy for Yehezkiel’s contemporaries, these chapters are … More Yehezkiel 40-48

Yehezkiel 33 is an expansion on Yehezkiel 3:16-27.  The prophet is instructed to be a watchman for the people–to warn them to return to righteousness in order to avert catastrophe.  If he fails to warn them, their blood will be on his hands.  If he warns them, and they fail to heed his call, their … More Yehezkiel 33-39

One of the more intriguing themes of the Prophets is that they deliver messages to foreign nations as well as to the Israelites.  Most notable, perhaps, is Yonah (Jonah), who was tasked with delivering a warning to the people of Nineveh.  Yesheyahu (Isaiah), Yermiyahu (Jeremiah), and Yehezkiel (Ezekiel) all deliver prophecies against the peoples who … More Yehezkiel 25-32

Yehezkiel (Ezekiel) 17 opens with a parable. An eagle takes a cutting and the seeds of one of the cedars of Lebanon, and plants them carefully, in good soil, near good water.  The seeds and cuttings grow into a vine and flourish, but they grow toward another eagle, hoping that the second eagle will care … More Yehezkiel 17-24

A recent FaceBook conversation with a Christian lead to following, deceptively succinct question, “But as a Jew, do you believe [Hashem] is a person, or a force?” My response was that Hashem is beyond human comprehension, and I was respectfully asked to explain the position.  As I started gathering scriptural passages to support this view, … More The Nature of the Divine

Yehezkiel (Ezekiel) 10 returns to the visionary imagery employed in chapter 1: angelic beings executing Hashem’s judgment on Israel.  In my previous post, I postulated that the four faces of these beings (bull, lion, eagle, and man) represented the four powers involved in the story of the Exile (Chaldea, Assyria, Egypt, and Persia, respectively), although … More Yehezkiel 10-16

This post begins an examination of Yehezkiel (Ezekiel).  He and Yermiyahu (Jeremiah) were approximately contemporary.  However, whereas the writings of Yermiyahu were primarily composed leading up to the Babylonian Exile, the book of Yehezkiel is written entirely within the context of the Exile.  Whereas Yermiyahu accompanies the partisans of Beit David into Egypt, Yehezkiel lives … More Yehezkiel 1-9

These are the final six chapters of Yirmiyahu. With chapter 46, as with 45, we read the words of a prophecy given in the time of Yehoyakim (Jehoiakim).  After all the chapters about the events of the Exile and the time of Zedekiyahu, it may seem strange or disjointed to read prophecy given years earlier.  … More Yirmiyahu 46-52

This segment opens with Yirmiyahu being brought to pray on behalf of the king among the people of Jerusalem during a respite in the siege against the city and then being arrested for prophesying against the city.  The people are rejoicing, because the Chaldeans have fallen back to repel Egyptian military aide sent to Jerusalem … More Yirmiyahu 37-45

Chapters 30 through 36 can be divided into two general topics: messages of hope for the restoration of Israel and historical/biographical information about Yirmiyahu and his prophecies. Chapters 30 and 31 both deliver messages of comfort to the Yehudim.  He discusses the return from Exile and the restoration of Beit David.  Chapter 33 extends the … More Yirmiyahu 30-36