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
Old Testament prophets have a reputation for being intense, severe, and frankly, a bit strange. They speak of judgment, destruction, and divine anger in ways that can be difficult for modern readers to grasp. Among these formidable figures, the prophet Ezekiel stands out as one of the most vivid, challenging, and dramatic. His visions are otherworldly, and his pronouncements are unflinching.
But to dismiss his words as mere fire-and-brimstone rants is to miss the profound and often surprising complexity just beneath the surface. By taking a closer look at a single, powerful passage—Ezekiel chapter 6—we can uncover counter-intuitive details that reveal a message far more visceral, emotional, and theologically rich than the stereotype suggests. What follows are four surprising takeaways from this ancient oracle that challenge what we think we know about prophets.
In one of the prophecy's most striking commands, Ezekiel is not told to confront the people of Israel directly. Instead, he is instructed to "set your face to the hills of Israel and prophesy unto them." This address to the highlands is not random; it follows directly from the condemnation of Jerusalem in the previous chapter. Because Jerusalem was the holy center of Israel, its defilement had catastrophic consequences for the entire nation.
According to what scholars call "Priestly thought," human sin does not just corrupt the human heart; it physically defiles the land itself. When people engage in actions contrary to God's will, the land loses its "sacred character" and becomes "profane." The judgment announced by Ezekiel is therefore directed at the mountains, hills, streams, and valleys because they have been polluted by human misconduct. This powerful concept connects human morality directly to the health of the physical environment, showing creation itself as a victim of humanity's choices.
When condemning the objects of false worship, Ezekiel doesn't use polite or abstract theological terms. He chooses a specific and visceral Hebrew word: gillulim. While many translations render this as "idols" or "fetishes," its literal meaning is far more graphic and contemptuous. As the source text explains, the term is meant to shock.