Beyond Today Bible Commentary: Ezekiel

Recall from 2 Kings 24:10-16 that the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah and took away 10,000 captives, including the Jewish king Jehoiachin (or Jeconiah). This was the second Babylonian deportation of the Jews, which took place in 597 B.C. The prophet Ezekiel was among a group of these captives, as the Jewish historian Josephus also relates (Antiquities of the Jews,Book 10, chap. 6, sec. 3). Ezekiel's group was resettled "by the River Chebar" (Ezekiel 1:1), southeast of Babylon. "Ezekiel 1:1-3 and Ezekiel 3:15 clearly define the place of origin of Ezekiel's ministry as Babylonia, specifically at the site of Tel Aviv located near the Kebar River and the ancient site of Nippur. This 'River' has been identified by many with the naru kabari [or 'grand canal'] (mentioned in two cuneiform texts from Nippur), a canal making a southeasterly loop, connecting at both ends with the Euphrates River" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary, introduction to Ezekiel). During this period the Jews were allowed to live in communities in whatever area of the empire to which they were transported. They seem to have been viewed more as colonists than slaves. Ezekiel himself was married until his wife suddenly died, and he had a house (Ezekiel 24:15-18; Ezekiel 3:24; Ezekiel 8:1). Elders of Judah frequently consulted him (Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 11:25; Ezekiel 14:1; Ezekiel 20:1; etc.).