וַיָּבוֹא אֵלַי אֲנָשִׁים מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּשְׁבוּ לְפָנָי

Men of the elders of the exile of Israel came [vayavo] to me and sat before me. Ezekiel maintained a prominent status among the people. The verse uses the singular form vayavo because it is referring to a group of elders who approached him as one.

וַיְהִי דְבַר־ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר׃

And the word of the Lord was with me, saying:

בֶּן־אָדָם הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה הֶעֱלוּ גִלּוּלֵיהֶם עַל־לִבָּם וּמִכְשׁוֹל עֲוֹנָם נָתְנוּ נֹכַח פְּנֵיהֶם הַאִדָּרֹשׁ אִדָּרֵשׁ לָהֶם!

Son of man, these men sitting before you have set their idols upon their heart, and placed the obstacle of their iniquity before their faces. Their idol worship controls their hearts and minds. Should I acknowledge them, their presence, and respond to them?

לָכֵן דַּבֶּר־אוֹתָם וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים אִישׁ אִישׁ מִבֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲלֶה אֶת־גִּלּוּלָיו אֶל־לִבּוֹ וּמִכְשׁוֹל עֲוֹנוֹ יָשִׂים נֹכַח פָּנָיו וּבָא אֶל־הַנָּבִיא אֲנִי ה' נַעֲנֵיתִי לוֹ בָא בְּרֹב גִּלּוּלָיו

Therefore, speak to them, and say to them: So said the Lord God: Any man of the house of Israel who sets his idols upon his heart and places the obstacle of his iniquity before his face and comes to the prophet, in the hope that the prophet will be unable to discern his true thoughts, I, the Lord, will respond to him as he comes, with the multitude of his idols. As is evident from the continuation of the passage, this means that God will answer that person by causing him to suffer. Some commentaries explain that God will respond by demonstrating that the individual in question still worships idols.

לְמַעַן תְּפֹשׂ אֶת־בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּלִבָּם אֲשֶׁר נָזֹרוּ מֵעָלַי בְּגִלּוּלֵיהֶם כֻּלָּם

Although one might think it is best to ignore them, I will not do so, so as to seize the house of Israel by their heart, with their evil thoughts that they attempt to conceal, as all of them have distanced themselves from Me with their idols. I will disclose their inner thoughts in order to demonstrate that they cannot hide from God’s judgment.

לָכֵן אֱמֹר אֶל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֹּה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים שׁוּבוּ וְהָשִׁיבוּ מֵעַל גִּלּוּלֵיכֶם וּמֵעַל כָּל־תּוֹעֲבֹתֵיכֶם הָשִׁיבוּ פְנֵיכֶם

Therefore, say to the house of Israel: So said the Lord God: Repent and return to God, and turn back from your idols, and turn back your faces from all your abominations, from the idolatry that has permeated your lives.

כִּי אִישׁ אִישׁ מִבֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמֵהַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר־יָגוּר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִנָּזֵר מֵאַחֲרַי וְיַעַל גִּלּוּלָיו אֶל־לִבּוֹ וּמִכְשׁוֹל עֲוֹנוֹ יָשִׂים נֹכַח פָּנָיו וּבָא אֶל־הַנָּבִיא לִדְרָשׁ־לוֹ בִי אֲנִי ה' נַעֲנֶה־לּוֹ בִּי

For any man of the house of Israel or of the strangers who reside in Israel, who distances himself from Me and sets his idols upon his heart and places the obstacle of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet to seek Me through him, will receive a response. These sinners do not refrain from approaching the prophet, despite their sinful actions and thoughts. Even as they maintain faith in other gods, they also seek to hear the word of God from the prophet. I, the Lord, will respond to him Myself.

וְנָתַתִּי פָנַי בָּאִישׁ הַהוּא וַהֲשִׂמוֹתִיהוּ לְאוֹת וְלִמְשָׁלִים וְהִכְרַתִּיו מִתּוֹךְ עַמִּי וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי־אֲנִי ה'

I will direct My attention against that man, and I will render him a sign and proverbs. His fate will serve as a prototype for the punishment that awaits similar individuals. And I will excise him from the midst of My people, and you will know that I am the Lord. The prophet is sending a message to the entire nation here, although he is directly addressing the distinguished elders sitting before him. He speaks to them with great anger, as they affiliate themselves with foreign religions and come to the prophet merely to broaden their horizons, or due to intellectual curiosity. Ezekiel initially told them that God would not reply to them at all, then added that if God were to respond to them, He would do so only in rage, as a punishment.

והַנָּבִיא כִי־יְפֻתֶּה וְדִבֶּר דָּבָר אֲנִי ה' פִּתֵּיתִי אֵת הַנָּבִיא הַהוּא וְנָטִיתִי אֶת־יָדִי עָלָיו וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּיו מִתּוֹךְ עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל

Yet even a prophet has weaknesses. When people come to him, the honor and respect he receives might tempt him to speak inappropriately or untruthfully, in order to gain attention or material benefits. If the prophet is enticed and speaks a matter, I, the Lord, enticed that prophet and have enabled him to follow the path he has chosen, and I will extend My mighty hand against him, and I will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel. Other commentaries explain that the notion of God enticing the prophet means that He is punishing him for covert sins he previously committed.

וְנָשְׂאוּ עֲוֹנָם כַּעֲוֹן הַדֹּרֵשׁ כַּעֲוֹן הַנָּבִיא יִהְיֶה

They will all bear responsibility for their iniquity; like the iniquity of the seeker of the prophet, whose heart turns to other gods, will be the iniquity of the prophet, who is enticed to voice inappropriate statements to his listeners. Therefore, their punishments will likewise be equivalent.

לְמַעַן לֹא־יִתְעוּ עוֹד בֵּית־יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאַחֲרַי וְלֹא־יִטַּמְּאוּ עוֹד בְּכָל־פִּשְׁעֵיהֶם וְהָיוּ־לִי לְעָם וַאֲנִי אֶהְיֶה לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים

This will be so that the house of Israel will no longer stray from Me, and they will no longer be defiled with all their transgressions. They will be My people, and I will be their God – the utterance of the Lord God. The purpose of these severe punishments is to remove sinful thoughts from Israel so that they will have faith in God. Those who come to the prophet must realize that prophecy is the word of God, which they are obligated to accept and fulfill. If they fail to do so, they will be destroyed.

וַיְהִי דְבַר־ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר׃

The word of the Lord was with me, saying:

בֶּן־אָדָם אֶרֶץ כִּי תֶחֱטָא־לִי לִמְעָל־מַעַל וְנָטִיתִי יָדִי עָלֶיהָ וְשָׁבַרְתִּי לָהּ מַטֵּה־לָחֶם וְהִשְׁלַחְתִּי־בָהּ רָעָב וְהִכְרַתִּי מִמֶּנָּה אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה

God begins by presenting an example of His justice in the world: Son of man, if a land sins against Me to commit a trespass, by alienating themselves from Me, I will extend My hand against it, and I will break for it the staff of bread, its source of sustenance. I will send famine against it and eliminate from it man and animal.

וְהָיוּ שְׁלֹשֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה בְּתוֹכָהּ נֹחַ דָּנִיֵּאל וְאִיּוֹב הֵמָּה בְצִדְקָתָם יְנַצְּלוּ נַפְשָׁם נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים

Even were these three celebrated and righteous men in its midst, Noah, Daniel, and Job, who all survived destruction and calamity to their surroundings, they, if they lived in a land decreed to be afflicted with famine, in their righteousness, would save only themselves – the utterance of the Lord God.

לוּ־חַיָּה רָעָה אַעֲבִיר בָּאָרֶץ וְשִׁכְּלָתָּה וְהָיְתָה שְׁמָמָה מִבְּלִי עוֹבֵר מִפְּנֵי הַחַיָּה

If I pass evil beasts through the land and bereave it, and it becomes desolate without passersby because of the attack of the beasts,

שְׁלֹשֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה בְּתוֹכָהּ חַי־אָנִי נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים אִם־בָּנִים וְאִם־בָּנוֹת יַצִּילוּ הֵמָּה לְבַדָּם יִנָּצֵלוּ וְהָאָרֶץ תִּהְיֶה שְׁמָמָה

even were these three men in it, as I live – the utterance of the Lord God – I swear (see commentary on 5:11) that they would surely not save sons or daughters, as the righteousness of parents will not save their children. They alone will be saved, but the land will be desolate.

אוֹ חֶרֶב אָבִיא עַל־הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא וְאָמַרְתִּי חֶרֶב תַּעֲבֹר בָּאָרֶץ וְהִכְרַתִּי מִמֶּנָּה אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה

Or if I bring the sword of war upon that land, and say, as a decree or a warning: Let the sword pass through the land, and I will eliminate from it man and animal,

וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה בְּתוֹכָהּ חַי־אָנִי נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים לֹא יַצִּילוּ בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת כִּי הֵם לְבַדָּם יִנָּצֵלוּ

were these three men in it, as I live – the utterance of the Lord God – they would not save sons or daughters, for they alone will be saved.

אוֹ דֶּבֶר אֲשַׁלַּח אֶל־הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא וְשָׁפַכְתִּי חֲמָתִי עָלֶיהָ בְּדָם לְהַכְרִית מִמֶּנָּה אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה

Or if I send a plague of pestilence to that land, and pour My fury upon it in blood, by killing the populace, to eliminate from it man and animal, as the plague of pestilence affects beasts as well as people,

וְנֹחַ דָּנִיֵּאל וְאִיּוֹב בְּתוֹכָהּ חַי־אָנִי נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים אִם־בֵּן אִם־בַּת יַצִּילוּ הֵמָּה בְצִדְקָתָם יַצִּילוּ נַפְשָׁם

were Noah, Daniel, and Job in it, as I live – the utterance of the Lord God – they would not save son or daughter. They, in their righteousness, would save themselves. When tragedy strikes, everyone is affected, and no one is spared through the merit of his relatives. Even the most righteous individuals, whose merit is incalculable, can save themselves, but no one else.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' אֱלוֹהִים אַף כִּי אַרְבַּעַת שְׁפָטַי הָרָעִים חֶרֶב וְרָעָב וְחַיָּה רָעָה וָדֶבֶר שִׁלַּחְתִּי אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם לְהַכְרִית מִמֶּנָּה אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה

For so said the Lord God: It is all the more so when I send My four evil punishments, the sword, famine, evil beasts, and pestilence, against Jerusalem, to eliminate from it man and animal. If only the completely righteous are spared from each punishment on its own, all the more so the wicked inhabitants of Jerusalem, which will be afflicted with all four punishments; all its inhabitants will be annihilated.

והִנֵּה נוֹתְרָה־בָּהּ פְּלֵטָה הַמּוּצָאִים בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת הִנָּם יוֹצְאִים אֲלֵיכֶם וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת־דַּרְכָּם וְאֶת־עֲלִילוֹתָם וְנִחַמְתֶּם עַל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר הֵבֵאתִי עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר הֵבֵאתִי עָלֶיהָ

But behold, a remnant has remained in it who are being taken out from the city, both sons and daughters, young refugees capable of enduring the long trip from Jerusalem to Babylon. Behold, they are coming out to you and will arrive in Babylon, and you will see their way and their exploits, and you will understand why Jerusalem was punished. You will accept the divine justice, and then you will be comforted and your sorrow will be assuaged concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, everything that I have brought upon it.

וְנִחֲמוּ אֶתְכֶם כִּי־תִרְאוּ אֶת־דַּרְכָּם וְאֶת־עֲלִילוֹתָם וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי לֹא חִנָּם עָשִׂיתִי אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂיתִי בָהּ נְאֻם ה' אֱלוֹהִים

They, those refugees, will indirectly comfort you when you see their way and their exploits, and you will know that it is not for naught that I did everything that I did to it – the utterance of the Lord God.