Ezekiel 1:2

Eze 1:2 In the fifth [day] of the month, which [was] the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,

Ver. 2. In the fifth day.] The Sabbath day, likely, that queen of days, as the Jews call it. See on Eze 1:1.

Which was the fifth year of Jehoiakim’s captivity.] With whom Ezekiel and other precious persons, called by Jeremiah good figs, were carried captive. {Eze 40:1}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Eze 1:2-3. In the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity — This was of course the fifth year of Zedekiah, who succeeded Jehoiachin. And as the city and temple were destroyed in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, (2Ki 25:2,) it follows that this vision appeared to Ezekiel six years before that event. The Hebrew writers, it must be observed, use several computations of the beginning of the Babylonish captivity: see the note on Jer 25:11. That under Jehoiachin, wherein Ezekiel was made a captive, is the computation he always follows in the succeeding parts of his prophecy. The word of the Lord — This expression signifies any sort of revelation, whether by a vision, such as is related in the following verses, or by a voice, as Eze 2:3; came expressly — Hebrew, היה היה, being was, or, in coming came, that is, came assuredly; unto Ezekiel — It came with such clearness and conviction that he could neither doubt of its divine authority, mistake its import, nor question his being appointed to the prophetical office; the priest — Being of the family of Aaron, he was a priest by birth, and was now made a prophet by an extraordinary call. In the land of the Chaldeans — In the worst places God can raise up instruments for the service of his church. And the hand of the Lord was there upon him — He felt sensible impressions of a divine power closing his senses to external objects, opening his eyes to see the visions, opening his ears to hear the voice, and his heart to receive both. When the hand of the Lord goes along with his word, then it becomes effectual.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1:2 This happened during the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity: The word of the Lord first came to Ezekiel in 593 BC, while Judah was still a semi-independent state (see Ezekiel Book Introduction, “Setting”). Judah had been subjugated by the Babylonians in 597 BC, and King Jehoiachin had been carried into exile in Babylon at that time. Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, ruled Judah as a Babylonian vassal (597–586 BC). Ezekiel dates his prophecy with reference to Jehoiachin’s captivity rather than to Zedekiah’s reign because he seems to have viewed Zedekiah as a stand-in for the lawful king, Jehoiachin. Zedekiah later rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kgs 24:20), who besieged the city of Jerusalem (588 BC), destroyed it, and burned the Temple (586 BC).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Jehoiachin's captivity--In the third or fourth year of Jehoiakim, father of Jehoiachin, the first carrying away of Jewish captives to Babylon took place, and among them was Daniel. The second was under Jehoiachin, when Ezekiel was carried away. The third and final one was at the taking of Jerusalem under Zedekiah.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. Jehoiachin's captivity] Called also Jeconiah and Coniah; see 2Kg 24:12. He was carried away by Nebuchadnezzar; see 2Kg 24:14.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. fifth year … jehoiachin] Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim and grandson of Josiah, reigned only three months and ten days. He is also styled Jeconiah or Coniah, Jer_22:24 seq., Eze_24:1, Eze_27:20; 2Ki_24:8. His captivity dates b.c. 597, and Ezekiel’s call 592, six years before the fall of Jerusalem.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In the fifth day of the month,.... The month Tammuz, as before:

(which was the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity); the same with Jeconiah and Coniah, as he is sometimes called; he was taken by the king of Babylon, when he had reigned but three months, and his captivity held seven and thirty years, Kg2 24:8.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Jewish date. This verse and Eze 1:3, which seem rather to interrupt the course of the narrative, may have been added by the prophet when he revised and put together the whole book. The word “captivity” (as in Eze 1:1) refers to the “transportation” of the king and others from their native to foreign soil. This policy of settling a conquered people in lands distant from their home, begun by the Assyrians, was continued by the Persians and by Alexander the Great. The Jews were specially selected for such settlements, and this was no doubt a Providential preparation for the Gospel, the dispersed Jews carrying with them the knowledge of the true God and the sacred Scriptures, and thus paving the way for the messengers of the kingdom of Christ.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Captivity. Literally, "transmigration," (Haydock) which is more agreeable to the Hebrew, &c. Jechonias delivered himself up. Six years after this, Sedecias was taken. (St. Jerome)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

In the fifth day; the Hebrew hath only fifth, according to its concise style; we do well to supply day, as in Eze 1:1.

Of the month Tamuz, as Eze 1:1, answering to our June and July.

Which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity: this account observed will guide us in computing the times this prophet referred to, Eze 1:1, these five of Jehoiachin, and the eleven of his predecessor, added to fourteen of Josiah’s reign after he found the law, make up thirty years, Eze 1:1, which likely might be the jubilee, the most fit for so solemn a passover as Josiah kept.

Jehoiachin, who is also called Jeconiah, and Coniah, whose father Jehoiakim was slain by the Chaldeans, and he, after three months’ short reign, voluntarily yielded up himself to the Chaldees; of which rendition of himself and his we read 2Ki 24:12, &c. Though this man yielded up himself, yet the Babylonians made him prisoner, and carried him and his into captivity; and so the Hebrew, avers; though some distinguish this from captivity by calling it a transmigration, the Hebrew calls it

captivity.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The fifth year of King Jehoiachin"s captivity. The date of this deportation stands as B.C. 599 (2Ki_24:8-16; 2Ch_36:9, 2Ch_36:10) and thus brings us to B.C. 595 4 as the time of Ezekiel"s first vision. It was for him and for his fellow exiles a natural starting point to reckon from. It would have been, in one sense, as natural to reckon from the beginning of Zedekiah"s reign, as Jeremiah does, but (Jer_39:1, Jer_39:2) Ezekiel does not recognize that prince who was, as it were, a mere satrap under Nebuchadnezzar as a true king, and throughout his book systematically adheres to this era. (Eze_8:1 Eze_20:1 Eze_24:1, et al. ) About this time, but a year before, the false prophets of Judah were prophesying the overthrow of Babylon and the return of Jeconiah within two years, (Jer_28:3) and the expectations thus raised wereprobably shared by many of Ezekiel"s companions in exile, while he himself adhered to the counsels of the leter which Jeremiah had sent (Jer_29:1-23) to the Jews of the Captivity. To one who felt himself thus apart from his brethren, musing over many things, and perhaps perplexed with the conflict of prophetic voices, there was given, in the "visions of God" which he relates, the guidance that he needed. They did not break in, we may well believe, suddenly and without preparation on the normal order of his life. Like other prophets, he felt, even before his call, the burdens of his time. and vexed his soul with the ungodly deeds of these among whom he lived.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The month - Thamus, as ver. 1, answering to our June and July. Fifth year - This account observed will guide us in computing the times referred to ver. 1. These five of Jehoiachin, and the eleven of his predecessor, added to fourteen of Josiah's reign, after he found the law, make up thirty years, ver.

1. Jehoiachin - Who is also called Jechoniah, and Coniah. It may be of use to keep an account, when and where God has manifested himself to us in a peculiar manner. Remember, O my soul, what thou didst receive at such a time, at such a place: tell others what God did for thee.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

that is the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile Thus, we may deduce that the thirty years he counted, he counted from the beginning of the jubilee [cycle]: the last jubilee commenced at the beginning of the eighteenth year of Josiah[‘s reign]; that is, the year that Hilkiah found the scroll (II Kings 22). So we learn in Seder Olam (ch. 26), that the beginning of the jubilee was that [year]. Josiah reigned thirty one years. Subtracting from them the seventeen years that had already passed leaves fourteen years. Jehoiakim reigned eleven years; [together, that] totals twenty-five years. Jeconiah [Jehoiachin] his son, had reigned only three months when he was exiled, and the year that Ezekiel prophesied was the fifth [year] of his exile, hence the thirtieth year of the jubilee. And so we find that at the end of his prophecy, he gives a sign using the count of the jubilee [as a reference], for it says (40:1): “In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month.” Our Rabbis said (Arachin 12a): What “year” is it that begins on the tenth of the month? You must say that this is the jubilee year [See Leviticus 25:9f.].

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.