Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shewed me.

EZEKIEL 11:25KJV
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What does Ezekiel 11:25 mean?

Ezekiel 11:25 describes how Ezekiel reported everything the LORD had shown him in a vision to the other exiles living in Babylon. The verse shows Ezekiel acting as a messenger, faithfully passing on God’s message to his fellow captives.

Ezekiel is speaking to the Jewish people who had been taken away from Jerusalem and were living in captivity. After receiving a vision from God, Ezekiel goes to these exiles and tells them all that he saw and heard. This verse marks the end of a dramatic vision and highlights Ezekiel’s role as a prophet who communicates God’s words to people far from their homeland.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 11:25

  • "spake" (דָּבַר, dabar): This word means to speak or declare. It often carries the sense of formal or important communication, fitting Ezekiel’s role as a prophet delivering a divine message.
  • "captivity" (גּוֹלָה, golah): This word refers specifically to people who have been exiled or carried away from their homeland. It emphasizes that Ezekiel’s audience is a community living in forced exile.
  • "things" (דָּבָר, davar): This word can mean "words," "matters," or "things." Here, it points to the specific content of the vision and message Ezekiel received.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of God in the Hebrew Bible, underlining that the message comes directly from Israel’s God.
  • "shewed" (רָאָה, ra’ah): This word means "to show" or "to cause to see." It highlights that Ezekiel’s message is not his own idea but something God revealed to him.

Why Ezekiel 11:25 matters

  • Ezekiel 11:25 clarifies that the prophet’s visions were not kept private but were shared with the whole community of exiles, showing the importance of communication among God’s people in difficult times.
  • The verse emphasizes Ezekiel’s faithfulness in delivering the full message, not just parts of it, which is a key theme in his prophetic ministry.
  • This moment connects the vision Ezekiel received in earlier verses to the real-life situation of the exiles, linking God’s words directly to the people who needed hope and guidance.

Where else these words appear

“captivity” Hebrew H1473 · used in 41 verses

  • 2 Kings 24:15 And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land, those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.
  • Ezra 10:8 And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.
  • Jeremiah 49:3 Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled: cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth; lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.