[p. 49; Syriac p. 43]

The blessed Ezekiel was of a priestly family. He was deemed worthy of the prophetic revelation in the country of Babylon. He had been exiled there at the time of the third deportation (carried out) by Nebuchadnezzar, together with king Jochanya [*Jehoiakim]. The time period of his prophetic activity was 28 years. Then he was put to death by the head of the Judaean Exile, [Syriac p. 44] because he constantly charged him with worshipping idols. He was buried in the village of Amor, in the tomb of Shem and Arphaxad, the sons of Noah. He begins his work as follows:

[1.1] ⌜"And it happened in the 30th year, the fifth, the fourth month." Some count the 30th year on the basis of the "great week" of 50 years which is called "Jubilee" in Hebrew, when fields are left (fallow), slaves (are freed), etc., in keeping with the commandment of the Law. Others say that it is the 30th year of the prophet's life. Others again say (that it is counted) from the first deportation (carried out) by the Babylonians. But the correct solution is as follows: (It is the 30th year) from the 18th year of Josiah, since (the day) when the book of Deuteronomy was found discarded in the temple⌝ [cf. TbK I.307.3-11] [p. 50], although it had been deposited carefully in the ark—considering that since that moment it was proclaimed against the people that they would be carried off, as Huldah the prophetess points out to Josiah [2 Kgs 22], albeit the personal virtue of Josiah stood up before them and turned away the wrath from the people. Moreover, the good and merciful one is accustomed to reduce the sentence that he pronounces on the guilty—David and the Ninevites and others come to mind. The reason for the discovery of the book in the temple was this: It had been ordained that the book of Deuteronomy be read before the people every year, at the feast of Shades [i.e., Sukkot]. But the priests and the wicked kings and the false prophets prevented it from being read before the people for fear that the words of the true prophets regarding the captivity might possibly be confirmed and the people might give up their rebellion against God and the prophets. Thus it was unexpectedly that the book was found discarded in the temple—in order to reprove them. So ⌜the number (30 years) is arrived at as follows: 13 (years) of Josiah, since he reigned for 31 years; 11 of Jehoiakim; one year (divided) between Joahaz and Jehoiachin, and five of the captivity: In all, 30 years⌝ [cf. TbK I.307.11-15]. This is confirmed again by the number of days the prophet reclined [Ez. 4.6]. — [Syriac p. 45] The words, "the fifth": He is speaking of the fifth year of his captivity, and at the same time of the fifth [p. 51] (day) in this "fourth month," which is Tammuz. — The river "Kobar": this is the Euphrates.

[1.3] "The hand of the Lord": Everywhere (Scripture) refers (in this way) to his operative force, whether for benefits or for punishments, whether in speech or in vision.

[1.4ff.] "And I saw, and behold! a storm wind." ⌜By the "storm" he refers to the quickness of the Babylonians' arrival, and by the "fire," to the severity of the punishment⌝ [cf. TbK I.300.21-301.4] that will come upon the people, just as all the Scriptures announce the punishment inflicted by God on the wicked using the figure of storm and fire: "The Lord," they say, "is in the storm, and his path in the hurricane" [Nah. 1.3]; and, "As the storm rushes up from the south" [Is. 21.1], etc.

(As for) this vision, he does not see it with corporeal eyes but with spiritual eyes. — ⌜For because the Judaeans thought that God never provides his revelations in the midst of impure nations, but (only) in the promised land of Palestine, and that they therefore no longer enjoyed the special providence of God and could no longer be delivered from the captivity, since they had been removed from the presence of God and cast into foreign countries, it is to combat this kind of thinking that God shows the prophet this majestic vision, in order to demonstrate that he is present everywhere by virtue of his nature and his providence ["économie" Van den Eynde]⌝ [TbK I.300.12-18].