What is the meaning of Ezekiel 31:1? In the eleventh year - Ezekiel dates his prophecies from the exile of King Jehoiachin (Ezekiel 1:2). - This “eleventh year” is calculated to be 587 BC, just weeks before Jerusalem’s fall (2 Kings 25:2–4). - Marking time so precisely reminds us that God’s dealings with nations and individuals unfold in real history, not in vague myth (Exodus 12:40–41; Galatians 4:4). on the first day of the third month - The third month on the Hebrew calendar is Sivan, about late May–June. - First-day dates often signal fresh beginnings or significant announcements in Scripture (Numbers 1:1; Ezra 10:16–17). - Israel was receiving the Law at Sinai during this same month centuries earlier (Exodus 19:1–6), underlining that the Lord’s covenant authority still governs what He is about to say through Ezekiel. the word of the LORD came to me, saying - The phrase anchors the message in divine revelation, not human opinion (Jeremiah 1:4; 2 Peter 1:21). - Ezekiel is acting as a faithful messenger, similar to the pattern in Ezekiel 7:1; 12:1; and repeatedly throughout the book. - That God continues to speak during national crisis shows His relentless pursuit of both judgment and restoration (Amos 3:7; Hebrews 1:1–2). summary Ezekiel 31:1 establishes a precise historical moment—587 BC, first day of Sivan—underscoring that the coming oracle about Egypt (31:2-18) is rooted in actual time and space. By highlighting God’s ongoing, authoritative word to His prophet, the verse invites us to listen with the same seriousness Israel was meant to have, assured that the Lord’s timetable and His truth remain utterly reliable. |
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