Ezekiel 12 13

Ezekiel 12:13 kjv

My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

Ezekiel 12:13 nkjv

I will also spread My net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there.

Ezekiel 12:13 niv

I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die.

Ezekiel 12:13 esv

And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. And I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there.

Ezekiel 12:13 nlt

Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there.

Ezekiel 12 verses

Ezekiel 12 13 Meaning

Ezekiel 12:13 is a direct prophetic declaration from God concerning Judah's prince, King Zedekiah. It details his inescapable capture through divine intervention, his forced deportation to Babylon, and the unique, tragic detail that he would not visually perceive the land of his exile, concluding with his death in that foreign land.

Ezekiel 12 13 Context

Ezekiel 12 falls within the prophet's early ministry in Babylonian exile, during a time when many Judeans, still in Jerusalem or exiled, clung to false hopes of a swift return and Jerusalem's invincibility. This chapter is a dramatic visual prophecy: God instructs Ezekiel to act out packing bags and digging through a wall at night, signifying the coming siege and desperate escape attempts of Jerusalem's inhabitants and its "prince." Verse 13 specifically addresses the fate of this prince, King Zedekiah, the last king of Judah before its fall. Historically, Zedekiah, appointed by Nebuchadnezzar, later rebelled against Babylon, placing his trust in Egypt, a decision that sealed his doom and that of Judah. This verse, therefore, directly refutes the prevalent false prophecies of peace and emphasizes the precise, severe, and divinely ordained judgment awaiting the disobedient king.

Ezekiel 12 13 Word analysis

• "I will also spread My net over him":

  • "I": Yahweh (LORD), highlighting divine authorship and omnipotence. This judgment is an act of God.
  • "spread": The Hebrew paras (פָּרַשׂ) signifies a deliberate, expansive, and inescapable action, like laying a snare or casting a dragnet.
  • "My net": The Hebrew mikmar (מִכְמַר) refers to a hunting net, implying a thorough and complete capture. The possessive "My" stresses divine ownership and strategic planning. The prince is metaphorically reduced to prey.
  • "over him": Refers specifically to the "prince" mentioned in the preceding verses (Ezek 12:10, 12), universally understood as King Zedekiah.

• "and he will be caught in My snare":

  • "he will be caught": A passive verb indicating Zedekiah's complete helplessness and the inevitability of his capture against God's determined will.
  • "in My snare": The Hebrew matsud (מָצוֹד) refers to a trap or a hunting ambush, reinforcing the imagery of irresistible capture established by "net." Again, "My" emphasizes divine initiation and execution.

• "and I will bring him to Babylon":

  • "bring him": The Hebrew va-havi'oti (וַהֲבִיאֹתִ֕יהוּ) is a causative form ("I will cause him to come"), directly affirming that this is not his choice or destiny, but a divine decree.
  • "to Babylon": בָּבֶל (Bavel), the literal imperial capital, destined to be the place of his exile.

• "the land of the Chaldeans":

  • "the land of the Chaldeans": אֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים (eretz Kasdim). This specifies Babylon and emphasizes the pagan foreignness of the empire that serves as God's instrument of judgment, highlighting the complete loss of status and home for Zedekiah.

• "yet he will not see it":

  • "he will not see it": The Hebrew לֹ֥א יִרְאֶֽנָּה (lo yir'enna) is a precise prophecy. It means he will not visually perceive the land of Babylon, a perplexing statement unless interpreted prophetically of physical blindness. This "riddle" highlights the precise nature of God's foreknowledge and word.

• "though he will die there.":

  • "die there": יָמ֥וּת שָֽׁם (yamut sham) confirms his ultimate fate: death in exile, away from the Promised Land, signifying the completeness of his judgment and the loss of royal and personal honor.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "My net...My snare": These phrases collectively stress God's active, personal involvement in the king's downfall. It illustrates the complete inevitability of capture, depicting Zedekiah as ensnared by an irresistible, divine hunter.
  • "I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans": This combination explicitly states the place of exile and the specific instruments of divine judgment. It underscores that his deportation is not a random event but a purposeful act of God, carried out through the Chaldean empire.
  • "yet he will not see it, though he will die there": This is a prophetic paradox. He will arrive in the land, yet be blind to it, a state fulfilled by his actual blinding by Nebuchadnezzar before he reached Babylon. This pairing accentuates the ultimate humiliation and suffering—arriving alive, but blind, to face a certain death in a foreign land.

Ezekiel 12 13 Bonus section

• Polemic Against False Prophets: This specific prophecy, with its detailed and grim outcome for the king, served as a stark polemic against the numerous false prophets in Jerusalem who promised peace and assured the people that no further exile would occur, directly contradicting God's warnings delivered by Ezekiel and Jeremiah.
• Theological Implications: The verse profoundly showcases God's attribute of divine sovereignty, His absolute control over human leaders and geopolitical events to achieve His righteous purposes. It also underscores the veracity and precision of prophecy, demonstrating how even seemingly contradictory or enigmatic elements (like "not see it" while arriving) find their literal and accurate fulfillment in history, solidifying faith in God's unerring word. The fate of Zedekiah epitomizes the consequences of disobedience and rebellion against God, especially for those entrusted with leadership.
• Harmony with Jeremiah: This prophecy intricately complements Jeremiah's contemporary messages. While some might initially perceive a tension between Ezekiel's "not see it" and Jeremiah's prophecies that Zedekiah would "see the king of Babylon eye to eye" (Jer 34:3), both were precisely fulfilled. Zedekiah did see Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah before his blinding (2 Kgs 25:6-7), thereby fulfilling Jeremiah. His subsequent blindness meant he did not see the land of Babylon itself upon his arrival there, perfectly fulfilling Ezekiel. This detailed interplay underscores the complex yet harmonious nature of biblical prophecy.

Ezekiel 12 13 Commentary

Ezekiel 12:13 precisely outlines the divinely ordained downfall of King Zedekiah, serving as a powerful demonstration of God's sovereignty over kings and nations. The metaphors of "net" and "snare" powerfully communicate the absolute inescapability of divine judgment. God declares His direct involvement in every aspect of Zedekiah's fate, from capture to forced exile to Babylon, highlighting that human rebellion cannot thwart His will. The unique prophetic riddle, "he will not see it," concerning his arrival in Babylon, was historically fulfilled when Zedekiah's eyes were gouged out by Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah before his transportation. This ensures he physically saw his captor but would be blind upon reaching Babylon. His ultimate death in exile underscored the finality of his judgment, signifying the tragic consequences of disobeying God and rejecting His word through the prophets.