Source: Marvin A. Sweeney, Reading Ezekiel: A Literary and Theological Commentary, Reading the Old Testament Series (Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Incorporated, 2013), 42–46.
The Third Oracular Account of Ezekiel’s Inaugural Vision.wav
This podcast examines the third part of Ezekiel's initial prophecies, focusing on divine pronouncements directed at the mountains and land of Israel. Introduced by the phrase "the word of YHWH was unto me," these oracles deliver YHWH's instructions to Ezekiel, emphasizing the widespread defilement of the land due to the people's idolatry and misconduct. The text highlights the use of symbolic actions and vivid imagery, like addressing the mountains directly and describing scattered corpses, to convey the severity of the impending judgment and underscore that the people's actions are the cause of their suffering, ultimately leading them to "know that I am YHWH."
The Oracular Account's Placement and Structure: The passage in Ezekiel 6:1–14 is presented as the third distinct oracular account within the introduction to the book of Ezekiel. It is introduced by a prophetic word transmission formula in verse 1, "and the word of YHWH was unto me, saying…," indicating YHWH's direct instruction to the prophet. This unit concludes before the next prophetic word formula appears in Ezekiel 7:1. Within this unit, YHWH's instruction to Ezekiel in verses 2–14 contains the oracles. The oracular speech itself begins with an introductory address and includes two main oracular speeches, each introduced by the messenger formula "thus says my lord YHWH," found in verses 3b–10 and 11–14.
Introductory Formulas: The passage employs specific formulas common in the book of Ezekiel. The prophetic word formula in verse 1 simply introduces this subunit, following the book's organizational principles. The messenger formula, appearing in verses 3b and 11, signals Ezekiel's role as YHWH's messenger and indicates that the following words are a direct quote from YHWH, similar to how messengers or ambassadors function in the ancient Near East by delivering messages word for word.
Address to Ezekiel: YHWH addresses Ezekiel at the beginning of the unit (vv. 2–3aα) as "Ben-Adam," or "son of Adam." This address is linked to Ezekiel's priestly identity and the role of the Zadokite priesthood as representatives of humanity before YHWH. YHWH also commands Ezekiel to "set your face to the hills of Israel," which is described as a common expressive action in the book, underscoring the oracle's importance. This action likely derives from the practice of a prophet facing the intended recipients of their oracle.
Addressing the Land and Creation: A notable aspect of this oracle is that Ezekiel is commanded to prophesy directly to the "hills of Israel" (v. 2) and later addresses them, along with the mountains, streams, and valleys (v. 3aβ, 3b). The sources explain that this means all creation in Israel is considered affected by the situation. This is striking because the oracle targets the land's physical features rather than solely the people.
Human Misconduct Defiling the Land: The reason for addressing the land stems from a priestly perspective which posits that human actions impact the status of the land they inhabit. If human conduct is contrary to YHWH's will, the land loses its sacred character, becoming profane or defiled through this misconduct. This concept explains why the land itself is subject to judgment and addressed in the oracle, following the condemnation of Jerusalem in a previous chapter, as Jerusalem, being the temple site, represents the holy center of all Israel.
The First Oracle: Judgment Against Cultic Practices: The first main oracle (vv. 3b–10) announces YHWH's punishment against the mountains of Israel and specifically targets various cultic sites and practices. It begins with the announcement of bringing "the sword against you." The charges focus on practices that defy YHWH's will, particularly idolatry, though the sources note that the book of Ezekiel presents only one side of this accusation. Various cultic installations are mentioned, including shrines or high places (cultic sites often on hilltops, sometimes used for processing grain offered at sanctuaries), altars (for offerings), and incense stands (for offering incense).
Imagery of Defilement and Destruction: The announcement of punishment heavily employs imagery of defilement. Scattering dead bodies around shrines symbolizes the death of people associated with these sites and, more importantly, defiles the shrines, as corpses and bones are considered polluting elements that compromise holiness. The source also points out that Ezekiel uses strong, often "gutter language," to describe illegitimate gods, specifically the term gillulim, which literally means "dung." Just as the temple is the sacred center of Israel, shrines serve as sacred centers for towns. Their destruction signifies that the towns and settlements themselves will be laid waste. This imagery of destruction echoes the blessings and curses found in major legal sections of the Torah and ancient Near Eastern treaty texts, implying the people have violated YHWH's expectations and will now face the consequences.
The Fate of the Remnant and Emotions: A segment of the first oracle (vv. 7–10) shifts focus to the fate of the remnant, those who survive the initial punishment. They are to be scattered or exiled among the nations. The source discusses this in relation to remnant theology, particularly as seen in the book of Isaiah, noting both similarities (remnant as a basis for restoration) and differences (Ezekiel focuses on emotions). Ezekiel portrays both YHWH's emotions, describing YHWH as broken-hearted over the need for punishment, and the people's emotions. Ezekiel continues his strong language towards the people, calling their cultic objects "dung" and using the language of "whoring" to describe their abandonment of YHWH. Ultimately, this segment asserts that the people will be disgusted with themselves because of their evil actions and abominations.
The Second Oracle and Ezekiel's Reaction: The second major oracle (vv. 11–14) begins with an instruction to Ezekiel himself. He is commanded to express alarm or recognition regarding YHWH's plans by striking his hands together and exclaiming 'ah! (best understood as an impromptu exclamation). The oracle then describes further aspects of the punishment, recapping earlier symbolic actions by outlining the fates of three groups of Israelites: those far away will die of disease, those nearby by the sword, and those who escape will die of famine. It includes a grim description of dead bodies scattered around shrines, altars, and idols. The mention of green trees and leafy oaks symbolizes cultic practices related to fertility goddesses, such as Asherah, often associated with verdant trees. The final image in this oracle draws on the metaphor of YHWH's hand stretched out against those to be punished, connecting to similar imagery used in Isaiah and the exodus narratives where Moses' or Aaron's hand/rod is stretched out against Egypt.
The YHWH Recognition Formula and Sovereignty: Both major oracles employ the "YHWH recognition formula," seen in verses 7 and 13 ("And you shall know that I am YHWH"). This is a common feature in Ezekiel used to designate the described scenarios of judgment as revelatory acts. Through these punishments, the people (and perhaps others) will come to recognize YHWH's identity and power. The formula asserts YHWH's role as the sovereign ruler over both Israel and all creation. The sources explain that the ultimate goal of these judgment scenarios is to demonstrate YHWH's power and presence and that the people's suffering is a consequence of their own actions, leading them to recognize that YHWH had just cause for bringing punishment upon them.