Ezekiel 12:12 kjv
And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.
Ezekiel 12:12 nkjv
And the prince who is among them shall bear his belongings on his shoulder at twilight and go out. They shall dig through the wall to carry them out through it. He shall cover his face, so that he cannot see the ground with his eyes.
Ezekiel 12:12 niv
"The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land.
Ezekiel 12:12 esv
And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage upon his shoulder at dusk, and shall go out. They shall dig through the wall to bring him out through it. He shall cover his face, that he may not see the land with his eyes.
Ezekiel 12:12 nlt
"Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving.
Ezekiel 12 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Eze 12:13 | "I will also cast my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare..." | Divine judgment, capture, exile |
| Jer 22:24-28 | "As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim... were in my right hand, I would tear it off..." | Similar prophecy concerning Jehoiachin (coniah), linking royalty with exile. |
| Jer 39:7 | "They also put out the eyes of Zedekiah..." | Fulfillment of the prophecy regarding Zedekiah's blinding. |
| Jer 52:11 | "And he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in fetters and took him to Babylon..." | Further detail on Zedekiah's fate. |
| 2 Kings 25:7 | "And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes..." | Description of Zedekiah's sons killed. |
| Ps 31:7 | "I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction..." | David's confidence in God's awareness of his suffering, applicable to exiled leaders. |
| Ps 55:20 | "He may lengthen his strokes against the peaceful and the righteous." | Imagery of ensnarement and affliction. |
| Isa 14:12-15 | "How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn!" | Prophecy against a king's downfall, spiritual pride. |
| Eze 12:1-16 | The entire passage deals with prophetic signs concerning exile. | Broader context of ezekiel's symbolic actions and prophecies. |
| Eze 21:25-27 | "And you, O violent one, wicked one, prince of Israel, whose day has come, the day of your final punishment..." | Direct prophecy against the "prince of Israel." |
| Eze 32:3 | "Cast him and all his multitude into the sea..." | Imagery of casting away enemies. |
| Eze 17:16-21 | Parable of the eagle and vines, illustrating Zedekiah's betrayal and downfall. | Allegory depicting Zedekiah's covenant breaking and consequence. |
| Luke 1:52 | "He has brought down the mighty from their thrones..." | New Testament echo of divine reversal of power. |
| Rev 18:7 | "to the same degree let her exact of her torment and mourning." | Imagery of judgment and distress upon a proud city. |
| Lam 1:14 | "He has bound the transgressions of my iniquity for an yoke..." | Imagery of the burden of sin leading to affliction. |
| Lam 4:17 | "Our eyes failed, while we looked in vain for help to our nation at watching tower." | Describing the people's failed expectation of help. |
| John 3:20-21 | "For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light..." | Those who do wrong shun accountability and consequence. |
| 1 Cor 6:9-10 | "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?" | Sinful actions have consequences for inheritance. |
| Heb 12:5-6 | "and have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord..." | God's discipline for his children, though this prophecy is judgment. |
| Prov 16:18 | "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." | Principle of pride leading to downfall. |
| Nah 3:1-3 | Prophecy against Nineveh, illustrating judgment upon wicked rulers and cities. | Example of judgment on proud leadership and city. |
Ezekiel 12 verses
Ezekiel 12 12 Meaning
The primary meaning of Ezekiel 12:12 conveys that the prince, meaning Zedekiah, who was ruling Judah, would be exiled, and his fate would be hidden from him. He would not see Jerusalem's destruction, which was imminent.
Ezekiel 12 12 Context
This verse is part of Ezekiel's ministry in Babylon, ministering to exiled Judeans. The prophet is given a series of symbolic acts and pronouncements to convey God's judgment upon Judah and its leadership. Chapter 12 focuses on demonstrating the reality of exile through dramatized actions, illustrating that the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be exiled, and their king will suffer a severe fate, separate from the general populace. This verse specifically addresses the actions and impending doom of Zedekiah, the current king. The audience, the exiles in Babylon, needed to understand that their leadership's actions were the direct cause of their suffering and that further judgment was to come, not an escape.
Ezekiel 12 12 Word Analysis
- וְאֶל (və'el): "And to" or "and upon". Connects this statement to the preceding ones.
- הַנָּשִׂיא (ha'nāsî'): "the prince" or "the chief". Refers to the reigning monarch, specifically King Zedekiah.
- לֵאמֹר (lē'mōr): "to say" or "saying". Introduces direct speech or a statement.
- יַחֲדוּ (yaḥădû): "him alone" or "together". Here it emphasizes that Zedekiah, as the representative of the leadership, is singled out in this specific judgment. It highlights his solitary plight.
- צִוִּיתִי (ṣivvîṯî): "I have commanded" or "I have decreed". Indicates divine ordination and the authority behind the pronouncement.
- וּמָסַרְתִּי (ūmāsarṯî): "and I will deliver" or "and I will hand over". Signifies giving over to an enemy or to judgment.
- אֹתֹו ('ōṯō): "him". Direct object, referring to the prince.
- אֶל־מַצּוֹד ('el-maṣṣōḏ): "to the snare" or "to the trap". Refers to a hidden danger, a place of capture and ensnarement.
- וּפָשַׁעְתִּי (ūfāša‘ṯî): "and I will lay upon him his iniquity" or "and he will be snared in his iniquity". This Hebrew root often implies rebellion, transgression, and facing the consequences. The structure can be read as God causing him to be snared due to his own iniquity, or that he himself will be snared in his iniquity.
- שָׁם (šām): "there". Locative adverb, indicating the place of his ensnarement or the land of captivity.
Word-Group Analysis:
- "And upon the prince, saying, Him alone have I commanded, and I will deliver him to the snare..." (וְאֶל־הַנָּשִׂיא לֵאמֹר יַחֲדוּ צִוִּיתִי וּמָסַרְתִּי אֹתֹו אֶל־מַצּוֹד). This entire phrase emphasizes God's personal, decreed judgment against Zedekiah, singling him out for a specific, entrapment leading to exile.
Ezekiel 12 12 Bonus Section
The prophet Ezekiel's ministry involved many symbolic acts designed to communicate God's message of impending judgment and exile. This particular verse connects directly to Zedekiah's historical fate. The detail about not seeing Jerusalem with his eyes is fulfilled in Jeremiah 52:11, where Zedekiah's eyes are put out by the Babylonians before he is taken to Babylon. This act physically blinding him and preventing him from seeing the devastation of his city encapsulates the prophetic pronouncement. Furthermore, Zedekiah's violation of his covenant oath to Nebuchadnezzar, by allying with Egypt, was a direct act of rebellion that brought upon him the "snare" and his eventual demise in Babylon. The emphasis on "alone" in this verse also reflects how the spiritual and political leadership of Judah bore a unique responsibility for the nation's sin.
Ezekiel 12 12 Commentary
Ezekiel 12:12 highlights a crucial element of God's judgment: it is precisely targeted and ordained. The "prince" refers to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. The phrase "Him alone have I commanded" underscores that Zedekiah is personally subject to God's decree. The delivery "to the snare" vividly portrays a situation from which escape is impossible, symbolizing capture and imprisonment due to his unfaithfulness and the nation's sins. He would not see the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem as a consequence of his own actions and the nation's rebellion, a fate worse than a swift death. His experience would be a public, personal display of divine retribution, a key element in God's communication to the exiles.
- Leaders are accountable to God for their decisions.
- God's judgment can be both corporate and individual.
- Ensnarement often comes as a consequence of pride and disobedience.