Published: 2021-07-17

Cancelled mourning

Andrzej Sebastian Jasiński OFM
Scriptura Sacra
Section: Articles
DOI https://doi.org/10.25167/ScrS/4157

Ezekiel’s final dialogue in the face of Jerusalem’s impending disaster (Ezek 24:15-27)

Abstract

Prophet Ezekiel belongs to the figures of the Old Testament who realized their vocation in the period of the breakthrough epoch. Born in Jerusalem, moved to Babylonia (after the first conquest of the city in 597 B.C.), he was appointed prophet of Yahweh, surrounded by exiles who found themselves under new circumstances. Just as once the descendants of Jacob stayed in Egypt and received Moses as their leader, so also Israel in Babylonia received from Yahweh a confidant who was able to lead the people marked with the deepest blows of fate. Ezekiel was not at the head of the exiles who returned to Jerusalem. His task was even more difficult. Namely, he had to gather around him all the scattered people together with their leaders who, despite tragic experiences and magnitude, were not aware of the sins they had committed.
In the structure of the whole book of Ezekiel, the pericope about the death of the prophet’s wife (Ezek 24,15-27) was placed after the first part of the scripture in which (after the introduction, Ezek 1-3) the oracles against Israel are found (Ezek 4–24). The pericope “about woman” is to be seen as an introduction to a new theme, namely about oracles against the nations (Ezek 25–32). After the end of the old epoch (the punishment of Israel) a new one began (the punishment of the enemies of Israel). This breakthrough came only after the fall of Jerusalem (587/6 AD). As a sign of this event was the death of the wife of the prophet. Ezekiel despite the personal tragedy, could not follow the popular custom of mourning. However, it was a time of deep mourning for him, which was also felt by those around him. The “not showing the mourning” was on the one hand an attempt to bring the people away from wailing and on the other hand to look into the future with optimism and Yahweh’s help.

Keywords:

Prophet Ezekiel, cancelled mourning, Jerusalem, Ezek 24

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Jasiński OFM, A. S. (2021). Cancelled mourning: Ezekiel’s final dialogue in the face of Jerusalem’s impending disaster (Ezek 24:15-27). Scriptura Sacra, (21), 131–155. https://doi.org/10.25167/ScrS/4157

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