Ezekiel 11:13

Eze 11:13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

Ver. 13. And it came to pass that when I prophesied.] God heweth men by his prophets, and slayeth them by the words of his mouth, and his judgments are as the light, or lightning, that goeth forth. {Hos 6:5} Elisha hath his sword as well as Jehu and Hazael. {1Ki 19:17} See Jer 1:10 2Co 10:6.

Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died.] Suddenly, {a} and before his time, in Solomon’s sense. {Ecc 7:17} Driven away he was in his iniquity Cerinthus, Arius so were Ananias and Sapphira, Cerinthus, Arius, Stephen Gardiner, Cardinal Pool, Dick of Dover, as they called the persecuting suffragan {b} there; Nightingale, parson of Becking, &c. See Pro 6:14-15.

Then fell I down upon my face.] Out of a holy solicitude about God’s elect, lest they also should have perished, as Petaliah had done, whose very name might seem somewhat ominous, for it signifieth "the escaped one of the Lord"; and therefore his sudden death might portend destruction to the remnant of Israel.

And cried with a loud voice.] Sudden or singular judgments put saints upon humble, earnest, and argumentative prayer.

{a} Magnum est subito opprimi.

{b} A bishop considered in regard to his relation to the archbishop or metropolitan, by whom he may be summoned to attend synods and give his suffrage. ŒD

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 11:13. And when I prophesied, Pelatiah died — Mentioned Eze 11:1, a principal man among the twenty-five princes, who made all the mischief in Jerusalem: see note on Eze 11:2. It seems this was done only in vision now, (as the slaying of the ancient men, Eze 9:6,) but it was an assurance, that when this prophecy was published it would be done in fact. And the death of Pelatiah was a pledge of the complete accomplishment of the prophecy. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried — The prophet thought this an earnest of the common destruction which was coming upon all the inhabitants of the city, and thereupon he earnestly deprecated so severe a judgment. See chap. Eze 9:8.

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

11:13 The judgment that the Lord pronounced occurred immediately. • O Sovereign Lord, are you going to kill everyone in Israel? If those who still remained in the land were destined for such comprehensive destruction, who would be God’s people?

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

It seemeth that this noble man died of some terrible death, and therefore the Prophet feared some strange judgment of God toward the rest of the people.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Pelaliah--probably the ringleader of the scorners (Eze 11:1) was an earnest of the destruction of the rest of the twenty-five, as Ezekiel had foretold, as also of the general ruin.

fell . . . upon . . . face--(See on Eze 9:8).

wilt thou make a full end of the remnant--Is Pelatiah's destruction to be the token of the destruction of all, even of the remnant? The people regarded Pelatiah as a mainstay of the city. His name (derived from a Hebrew root, "a remnant," or else "God delivers") suggested hope. Is that hope, asks Ezekiel, to be disappointed?

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 13. Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died.] Most probably he was struck dead the very hour in which Ezekiel prophesied against him. His death appears to have resembled that of Ananias and Sapphira, Ac 5:1, &c.

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

It is by no means doubtful that this Phalatias died at the same time at which the vision was offered to God’s servant. We shall see at the end of the chapter that the Prophet was always in exile; but then he seemed to himself caught up into the temple, and seemed also to himself to behold Phalatias dead. And yet it is possible that he died at his own home, and not in the entrance or threshold of the temple. But we know that the vision was not limited to places. As, therefore, Ezekiel was only by vision in the temple, so also he saw the death of Phalatias; and in this way God began by a kind of prelude to show that the slaughter of the city was at hand. For Phalatias was one of the chief rulers, as was said in the first verse of this chapter, and was doubtless a man of good reputation: hence his death was a presage of a general destruction. Hence this exclamation of the Prophet, Ah Lord God, wilt thou utterly consume the remnant of Israel? for now only a small number out of an immense multitude remained. Phalatias is seized, and in this way he shows that destruction hangs over the whole people. Hence it came to pass that the Prophet fell upon the earth astonished, and exclaimed that it was by no means agreeable to God’s promises to destroy the remnant of Israel. For some remnant ought to remain, as we often see in other places: even in the general slaughter of the whole people, God always gave some hope that he would not abolish his covenant. For this reason the Prophet now exclaims.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(13) Pelatiah . . . died.—This Pelatiah was one of the “princes of the people” mentioned in Eze_11:1-2 as “those that devise mischief and give wicked counsel.” The prophet’s mind is greatly affected by his sudden death, and he earnestly intercedes that in the judgments God will not “make a full end of the remnant.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. While Ezekiel was uttering this prophecy Pelatiah fell down dead, and the prophet seemed to see in the event the coming destruction of all the remnant of Israel before the wrath of God, and fell on his face to intercede for them. This incident is exceedingly difficult to estimate. The prophet tells us that all the occurrences in ch. 8–11 were done in vision. Unfortunately this does not justify us in assuming that the death of Pelatiah was a mere symbolical death, and no reality. For the “vision” is in great measure a mere schema under which the prophet groups much that had reality, such as his own thoughts, his discourses to the people, and probably actual events happening in Jerusalem. But in grouping the events under the schema of the vision he idealises them, making them expressive of general conceptions and principles, and it is impossible to distinguish between things which were actual but are idealised, and things which are purely creations of the symbolizing imagination. It is possible that Ezekiel prophesied against these princes in Jerusalem (ch. Eze_11:4), as Jeremiah did against the false prophets in Babylon, whom a horrible fate overtook (Jer_29:21), and against Hananiah (Jer_28:15. seq.), and it is possible that soon afterwards Pelatiah suddenly died, and that these real occurrences have been drawn by the prophet under his schema of the vision. On the other hand the death of Pelatiah may be merely symbolical, to shew with what certainty the word of God takes effect, the symbol being modelled on Jeremiah’s prophecy against Hananiah.

a full end] See on ch. Eze_9:8.

14 seq. The answer of the Lord to the prophet’s intercession. The destruction of the inhabitants of Jerusalem is not the end of Israel. The Israel in exile is the Israel whom the Lord regards and will yet restore.

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.

And it came to pass when I prophesied,.... Or, "as I prophesied" (i); that is, while he was prophesying, or declaring the above things from the mouth of the Lord, concerning the slaughter of the Jews by the sword, and the captivity of the rest:

that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died; one of the princes of the people, and was among the five and twenty men the prophet saw at the door of the east gate of the temple, Eze 11:1; this man dropped down dead on a sudden, just as Ananias and Sapphira at the feet of Peter, Act 5:5. It was in a vision Ezekiel saw this, and in the temple; but no doubt at the same time this prince died at his own house, whose death was notified to the prophet in this way;

then fell I down upon my face; as greatly surprised at the event, and filled with concern at what would be the issue of this providence; looking upon it as a pledge and earnest, a token and forerunner, of the utter destruction of the people:

and cried with a loud voice; expressing the vehemency of his affection, and the earnestness of his supplication:

and said, ah, Lord God! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel? or, "art thou making?" (k) the ten tribes had been carried captive many years ago, and a large number of the other two tribes in Jeconiah's captivity, so that there were but a remnant left in the land; and, upon the sudden and awful death of this prince, the prophet feared the Lord was going to make an utter end of them at once; which he deprecates.

(i) "me prophetante", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus. (k) "tu faciem", Montanus, Starckius.

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

The death of Pelatiah was communicated in this vision, which represented ideally the idolatry in which Pelatiah had actually been foremost.

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

Pheltias, the prince, (ver. 1.; Haydock) or false prophet, whose death Ezechiel does not bewail, but fears the great destruction of the people; (Worthington; Menochius) though, if Pheltias died impenitent, his death might justly call for tears. (Haydock) --- This happened in a vision. Yet (Calmet) he probably died suddenly about his time. (Lyranus)

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).

Either this refers to some’ particular prediction of the death of this man; as Jeremiah did of Hananiah’s death, Jer 28:17; though I do not remember that Ezekiel had spoken of it before, and therefore I take the words for a usual transition. If you suppose the first guess at the meaning of,

it came to pass, then this will be best interpreted by

according to, or

even as; if you adhere to the latter, then this when is

whilst, or

as, I was prophesying.

Died; and so was a pledge or presage of the following death of the other twenty-four.

Then; immediately, in the most humble manner, as that people were used to do, Jos 7:10; 2Ch 20:18. He fell down upon his face, in order to pray.

Cried; with intense and earnest mind he prayed, as well as with a loud voice: see Eze 9:8. Much like phrase is that in Est 4:1.

Ah Lord God! an expression of his tender compassions for them.

Wilt thou make, & c.? a very usual way of interceding, and so common in Scripture, that it is a wonder any should find fault with it who know the Scripture.

Make a full end, by slaying all as this man is cut off. This man’s name implieth one that escaped, or was delivered by God’s good hand; and perhaps the prophet alludes to it; however, he is very solicitous, as others were, for the remnant, which was ever least, 2Ki 19:30,31; Isa 10:21,22; Jer 23:3; 31:7; and in this manner does Eze 9:8, intercede for the Jews.

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

13. Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died — At the very time when the prophet in vision is crying out against these wicked counselors (Eze_11:7) he sees the chief conspirator fall dead. He thinks the end has at last come and God’s extremest punishment has begun, and once again he utters the wail which had before broken from his heart (Eze_9:8). He had all along, it seems, hoped that repentance would follow these plain warnings, and forgiveness would be granted; but he now fears that the total destruction has commenced of which he had so long prophesied.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pelatiah the son of Benaiah. We must remember that this as part of the vision, but it may be assumed, in the nature of the case, that it represented what then or afterwards was a fact in history. Had Pelatiah died suddenly during a council meeting? Compare the death of Hananiah in Jer_28:17. As it was, even in the vision, the death so startled and horrified the prophet, that he burst out again into a prayer like that of Eze_9:8. Was the "residue," the "remnant" of Israel, represented by one of thechief counsellors of the city, to be thus cut off?

Remonstrance and intercession.

It is remarkable that whilst Ezekiel was commissioned to censure and to denounce the political action of the evil counsellors of Jerusalem, he took no pleasure in the awful practical expression which the righteous Judge saw fit to give to this censure and denunciation. It was the prophet"s business to expose the wicked policy of Pelatiah; but this man"s death was to Ezekiel a severe shock and sorrow, calling forth from his sympathetic and patriotic heart the words in which he deprecated with all reverence and submission the displeasure of the Lord.

I THE OCCASION OF REMONSTRANCE AND INTERCESSION. In this passage the occasion was twofold.

1. The pressure of present affliction, in the death of one of the leaders andrulers in the metropolis.

2. The apprehension of future calamity and disaster such as the presentaffliction foreboded. What had happened to one would, in all likelihood, happen to others. Similarly, every well wisher to his country and his Church is, in times of trial, driven to the throne of grace for merciful forbearance and interposition.

II THE PRESENTATION OF REMONSTRANCE AND INTERCESSION.

1. There is an identification on the part of the suppliant of himself with hispeople. After all, whatever might be the errors of any class of his countrymen, Ezekiel was a Hebrew, and he could not but suffer in the sufferings of his country; its misfortunes could not but afflict him; its ruin could not but humiliate and distress him.

2. There is an implicit admission of the justice of the Divine action; theprophet does not complain of what had been wrought by the hand of Divine and judicial authority. No affliction was undeserved.

3. There is supplication that ills apparently impending may be averted. AsAbraham pleaded for Sodom, so Ezekiel pleaded for Jerusalem. There is but a remnant: of that remnant shall a full end be made? As if he added, in the language of the patriarch, "That be far from thee, Lord!

APPLICATION. The Christian cannot fail to be reminded, by this passage, of the intercessory office of Christ. We have an Advocate with the Father, appointed and accepted by that Father"s love. Here is our refuge and our hope in the time of calamity and under the fear of judgment. Our High Priest is a powerful and successful Intercessor. Our sins have deserved that "a full end" should be made of humanity. But through Christ mercy is extended, clemency exercised, and salvation assured to those who place themselves under the patronage and protection of the great Mediator and Advocate. T.

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

Pelatiah - Mentioned ver. 1, a principal man among the twenty-five princes, who made all the mischief in Jerusalem. It should seem this was done in vision now, (as the slaying of the ancient men, chap. ix, 6,) but it was an assurance, that when this prophecy was published, it would be done in fact. And the death of Pelatiah was an earnest of the compleat accomplishment of the prophecy. A full end - By slaying all, as this man is cut off.

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

And it came to pass, as I was prophesying, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died: then I fell upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said: Alas! Lord Jehovah, dost Thou make an end of the remnant of Israel? - The sudden death of one of the princes of the nation, while Ezekiel was prophesying, was intended to assure the house of Israel of the certain fulfilment of this word of God. So far, however, as the fact itself is concerned, we must bear in mind, that as it was only in spirit that Ezekiel was at Jerusalem, and prophesied to the men whom he saw in spirit there, so the death of Pelatiah was simply a part of the vision, and in all probability was actually realized by the sudden death of this prince during or immediately after the publication of the vision. But the occurrence, even when the prophet saw it in spirit, made such an impression upon his mind, that with trembling and despair he once more made an importunate appeal to God, as in Eze 9:8, and inquired whether He meant to destroy the whole of the remnant of Israel. עשׂה כלה, to put an end to a thing, with את before the object, as in Zep 1:18 (see the comm. on Nah 1:8). The Lord then gives him the comforting assurance in Eze 11:14-21, that He will preserve a remnant among the exiles, and make them His people once more.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

It came about

This phrase is used here to mark an important event in the story. If your language has a way for doing this, you could consider using it here.

Pelatiah son of Benaiah

This is the name of a man. See how you translated this in Ezekiel 11:1. (See: How to Translate Names)

I fell on my face

"I bowed down to the ground" or "I lay on the ground." Ezekiel did not fall by accident. He went down to the ground to show that he respected and feared Yahweh. (See: Idiom and Symbolic Action)

Alas, Lord Yahweh

The word "Alas" is an exclamation that expresses fear and sadness. AT: "Oh no, Lord Yahweh" or "Ah, Lord Yahweh" (See: Exclamations)

translationWords

prophet

Lord Yahweh

remnant

Israel

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.