Ezekiel 12:22
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“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by, and every vision fails’?
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Though the vision of God's glory had gone up from the prophet, yet his word comes to him still, and is by him sent to the people, and to the same purport with that which was discovered to him in the vision, namely, to set forth the terrible judgments that were coming upon Jerusalem, by which the city and temple should be entirely laid waste. In this chapter, I. The prophet, by removing his stuff, and quitting his lodgings, must be a sign to set forth Zedekiah's flight out of Jerusalem in the utmost confusion when the Chaldeans took the city (v. 1-16). II. The prophet, by eating his meat with trembling, must be a sign to set forth the famine in the city during the siege, and the consternation that the inhabitants should be in (Eze 12:17-20). III. A message is sent from God to the people, to assure them that all these predictions should have their accomplishment very shortly, and not be deferred, as they flattered themselves they would be (Eze 12:21-28).
Open source ↗12:22 Ezekiel’s hearers were so reluctant to open their ears to the message of the prophets that they had coined a proverb to express their skepticism.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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They are saying, ‘Is not the time near to build houses? The city is the cooking pot, and we are the meat.’
“Son of man, take note that the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many years from now; he prophesies about the distant future.’
to those who say, “Let Him hurry and hasten His work so that we may see it! Let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come so that we may know it!”
You dismiss the day of calamity and bring near a reign of violence.
Behold, all who speak in proverbs will quote this proverb about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’