Ezekiel 24:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I responded, The Lord spoke to me, saying, Tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: I will desecrate my sanctuary, the pride of your strength and the very comfort of your eyes, that which your soul cherishes; your sons and daughters whom you have abandoned will fall by the sword. You too shall follow my example: do not cover your faces, nor eat food for mourners; wear wreaths on your heads and shoes on your feet; do not lament or weep, but grieve for your sins, and each of you shall sigh to one another. Ezekiel will serve as a sign for you: all that he does, so shall you do when it happens, and you will know that I am the Lord your God. Moreover, as for you, son of man, when the day comes that I will take away their strength, the joy of their glory, and the comfort of their eyes, upon which their souls depend, that day when a fugitive shall come to you to bring news: on that day your mouth will open to this survivor, and you will speak and will no longer be mute; you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, listen, I will take from you suddenly the comfort of your eyes: you shall not groan, nor cry, nor allow tears to stream from you. Your hair shall remain unbound, your shoes on your feet, and you will not receive comfort from others’ words, nor shall you eat the bread of mortals. I shared this command in the morning, and by evening, my wife had passed; I did as I was told. The people asked me, Will you not explain the meaning of your actions? I told them, The Lord spoke to me, saying, Say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: I will profane my holy places, the pride of your strength, the comfort of your eyes, that which preserves your souls. Your sons and daughters whom you have forsaken will perish by the sword, and you shall replicate my actions. You shall not find comfort in others’ words, nor shall you consume the bread of the grieving; leave your hair unbound and shoes on your feet. Do not mourn or grieve, but rather be troubled for your transgressions, and each shall provide solace to one another; Ezekiel will be a sign to you. You shall do all that he has done, and when that time arrives, you will know that I am the Lord. As for you, son of man, on the day when I will withdraw their strength, their glory, and the comfort of their eyes—the very pride that rests upon their sons and daughters—when a survivor comes to you to deliver the message: on that day your mouth will be opened to the one who escaped, and you shall speak, no longer silent, serving as a sign to them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

Thus, in order to illustrate the depth of suffering, God rightly declared, ‘The groaning of the blood, the loins weep,’ indicating the sorrow and mourning for death that exists within one’s loins. Yet, even in this immense grief, the Prophet is called not to weep. You shall not make man weep. He further delineates the proper course of action: Your vineyards shall be upon you, and your sandals shall be on your feet, and you shall not find comfort in their voices, nor shall you take food from men. You will not engage in any customary mourning practices, such as shaving your head, walking barefoot, or seeking solace at the wake. It is likely that the Prophet was also a Nazorean, as it is stated, Let your gossip be upon you; and it has been previously commanded that he drink water, not wine, both of which are characteristics of the Nazoreans.