Ezekiel 11:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

And the spirit raised me up, states the prophet, and led me to the entrance of the Lord’s house, which faced directly east. There, before the gate, I noticed around twenty-five men. Among them was Jesonias, the son of Hezekiah, and Phaltias, an elder of the people. The Lord then spoke to me, saying, O son of man, these men engage in empty talk and devise wicked plans in this city, asserting, Is this not a new dwelling? This is the place of sanctuary, and you are the sustenance. He condemns both the leaders and their followers for conspiring against God's will, ignoring the Prophets, and failing to recognize their impending surrender to their foes. They hope instead to remain in the city and conclude their lives there. They claim, ‘The houses are newly constructed; in them we will dwell, and thus we shall finish our days.’ Angered by this, God reveals through the Prophet the forthcoming siege by their enemies, as the Prophet declares: