The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Ezekiel

In Short

John Skinner provides a comprehensive commentary on the Book of Ezekiel, tracing the prophet’s ministry before, during, and after the catastrophic fall of Jerusalem. Writing to exiled Judaeans in Babylon, Ezekiel grapples with a nation’s spiritual collapse, declaring that Israel’s exile is the inevitable consequence of its persistent idolatry and moral failure. Yet the narrative does not end in ruin. Skinner tracks Ezekiel’s transition from a herald of doom to a shepherd of hope who outlines a restored, ideal theocracy. The book has endured because it rigorously articulates the tension between individual accountability and divine mercy, presenting a profound theology of spiritual renewal, holiness, and the absolute sovereignty of God in human history.

The Story

Skinner structures his analysis around the dramatic theological and historical arc of Ezekiel’s prophecy, which opens on the banks of the river Chebar in Babylon. Ezekiel’s call begins with an overwhelming vision of the glory of Jehovah, an encounter that cements his role as an uncompromising watchman. Sent to a stubborn "house of disobedience," Ezekiel is commissioned to speak divine truth regardless of whether his compatriots listen. His initial message is one of unsparing judgment. Through vivid symbolic actions and sharp oracles, he announces the impending, inevitable destruction of Jerusalem and the collapse of the Judaean monarchy.

In Skinner’s reading, the early chapters systematically dismantling every false hope of the exiles. The exiles cling to the illusion that Jerusalem will stand and that their captivity will be brief. Ezekiel shatters these pretensions, exposing the secret idolatries practicing within the Temple itself and declaring that Jehovah’s glory has departed from the sanctuary. He outlines a history of Israel marked by continuous unfaithfulness, illustrated through raw, challenging allegories like the sisters Ohola and Oholibah. He insists that judgment is not an arbitrary exercise of power, but the necessary vindication of Jehovah's holiness against a people who have defiled His land and name.

The central turning point occurs with the actual fall of Jerusalem. When news arrives that the city has been sacked and the Temple destroyed, Ezekiel’s message undergoes a profound transformation. The prophet, once regarded merely as an entertaining speaker whose words were heard but ignored, becomes the architect of Israel’s future. Skinner demonstrates how the tone shifts from condemnation to consolation and reconstruction. With the old political and religious structures swept away, Ezekiel focuses on the formation of a "New Israel."

This reconstruction requires both inner regeneration and external reorganization. Ezekiel promises that God will bestow a new heart and a new spirit, replacing the people's stony hearts with hearts of flesh. He envisions a national resurrection, most famously captured in the vision of the valley of dry bones coming to life. Before this ideal state can be realized, Jehovah must clear the stage by executing judgment on the surrounding heathen nations—such as Tyre, Sidon, and Egypt—proving His universal sovereignty and ensuring that Israel will no longer be seduced or threatened by its neighbours.

The final section of the book presents a detailed vision of the ideal theocracy. Ezekiel outlines a meticulously planned sanctuary, a purified priesthood, a redefined monarchy where the "Prince" holds a subordinate administrative role, and a fair reallocation of the Holy Land among the restored tribes. A miraculous river flows from the threshold of the Temple, bringing life and fertility to the desert. The entire vision culminates in a fully ordered, sanctified community where the presence of God abides permanently, ensuring that the new city's name shall be "Jehovah is there."

How It Unfolds

The Prophet’s Call Ezekiel receives an extraordinary vision of God's glory by the Chebar canal, where he is commanded to eat a scroll filled with lamentations. He is consecrated as a hardened watchman to speak harsh truths to an obdurate, rebellious exile community.

Denunciation of Jerusalem Through symbolic acts and dark allegories, Ezekiel proclaims the total ruin of Jerusalem, demonstrating that the city’s deep-seated idolatry and moral corruption leave Jehovah no choice but to unsheathe the sword of judgment.

The Departure of Glory In a vision of the Jerusalem Temple, Ezekiel witnesses pagan rites performed in holy spaces, leading to the heartbreaking climax where the glory of God rises from the sanctuary and leaves the city to its fate.

Oracles against the Nations The prophet turns his gaze outward, issuing severe proclamations of destruction against foreign powers like Ammon, Tyre, and Egypt to demonstrate Jehovah’s supreme authority over global history and prepare a safe world for Israel's future.

The Promise of Renewal Following Jerusalem’s fall, Ezekiel shifts to hope, delivering prophecies of spiritual transformation, the shepherd king, and the dramatic resurrection of the dry bones, assuring the exiles of a divine restoration.

The Ideal Sanctuary Ezekiel details a precise blueprint for a new Temple, establishing strict ordinances for the priesthood, the ritual sacrifices, the distribution of land, and the role of the Prince in a holy society centered on God's abiding presence.

The People

• Ezekiel

A priest turned prophet living among the Judaean exiles in Babylonia. He wants to faithfully execute his divine commission as a watchman, warning his people of sin and guiding them toward repentance. He faces an audience hardened by stubbornness, false optimism, and superficial piety. Through his grueling ministry, he evolves from a solitary, unyielding preacher of doom into the visionary architect of Israel's spiritual and social rebirth.

• Jehovah

The sovereign God of Israel, who seeks to vindicate His holy name and establish a pure relationship with His people. Standing in stark opposition to Israel's chronic unfaithfulness and idolatry, Jehovah executes stern judgment through exile and destruction, yet ultimately acts out of sovereign mercy to regenerate, forgive, and dwell permanently among a transformed, holy nation.

• The Exiled House of Israel

The community of Judaeans displaced in Babylon, deeply attached to worldly gains, political illusions, and heathen practices. They desire national restoration without moral reformation, treating Ezekiel’s warnings with apathy or as mere entertainment. Through suffering and divine intervention, they are destined to receive a new heart and a new spirit, ultimately becoming the purified foundation of the ideal theocracy.

• The Prince

The ruler in Ezekiel’s vision of the restored future state, representing a transformed concept of Hebrew kingship. Standing in contrast to the greedy, unjust monarchs of Israel's past, the Prince wants to maintain the order and equity of the land while supporting the Temple's sacrificial system. He ends up in a distinctly subordinate role, stripped of absolute political power to ensure he never oppresses God's people again.

In Its Own Voice

"Behold, I make thy face hard like their faces, and thy forehead hard like theirs, like adamant harder than flint. Thou shalt not fear them nor be dismayed at their countenance, for a disobedient house are they."

God reassures Ezekiel during his consecration, granting him the uncompromising resilience needed to confront an unyielding, rebellious nation.

"They shall come thither, and remove thence all its detestable things and all its abominations. And I will give them another heart, and put a new spirit within them. I will take away the stony heart from their flesh."

The prophet outlines the promise of divine salvation, where true restoration requires the supernatural cleansing and inner transformation of the exiles.

"He was to them 'as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument': 'they heard his words, but did them not.'"

Skinner observes how the exile community initially treated Ezekiel's impassioned public preaching as mere entertainment rather than a call to genuine moral reform.

What It's Really About

At its core, Skinner’s study of Ezekiel is an exploration of the relationship between divine holiness, human responsibility, and radical grace. The commentary confronts the problem of national failure: how a people chosen by God could fall into total moral and political ruin. Skinner shows that Ezekiel rejects any mechanical view of religion, arguing that outward rituals are worthless without an inward alignment of the human will with God's holy character.

The work also centers on the religion of the individual. Moving away from collective guilt where children suffer solely for their ancestors' sins, Ezekiel insists that every soul stands directly accountable before God. Yet, human effort alone cannot bridge the chasm caused by sin. The overarching argument demonstrates that salvation is entirely a supernatural act of God, who cleanses His people, bestows a new heart, and re-establishes His presence among them purely to vindicate His holy name before the world.

Why Read It Today

John Skinner’s commentary remains a remarkably lucid guide for anyone seeking to understand one of the Old Testament’s most complex and vivid books. Written in clean, measured prose, it untangles Ezekiel’s intricate symbolism, architectural measurements, and challenging theological transitions without ever losing sight of the narrative's central message. Reader-scholars, history enthusiasts, and students of biblical literature will appreciate Skinner's ability to balance rigorous historical context with deep, thoughtful reflection.

The book is not without its demands. Readers must navigate detailed architectural breakdowns of the ideal Temple, long lists of sacrificial regulations, and archaic geographical allotments that require patience. Furthermore, the commentary candidly addresses Ezekiel's unflinching, severe portrayals of judgment, ancient ritual concepts of holiness, and the strange, highly symbolic language typical of apocalyptic literature.

What stays with you, however, is Skinner’s powerful presentation of a prophet who refused to compromise with the culture of his day. Ezekiel emerges as a fascinating, complex figure—a priest who sees his world collapse, yet possesses the spiritual clarity to construct a blueprint for hope out of the ashes. Skinner's balanced analysis reveals how Ezekiel’s grand vision of a renewed heart and an abiding divine presence continues to offer profound insights into the nature of faith, judgment, and redemption.