14:1 the elders of Israel came to me The leaders of the exiled community may have visited Ezekiel on a regular basis, acknowledging his role of spiritual leadership as prophet and priest of Yahweh. The elders were present during Ezekiel’s visionary experience in 8:1, and he reported the vision to them in full in 11:25. They come to inquire of Ezekiel again in 20:1. Whether they fully accepted Ezekiel’s authority is unclear, since he criticizes them for their lack of total commitment to Yahweh.

14:3 idols into their heart The phrase can be taken literally or metaphorically. The elders might be literally guilty by wearing some sort of magical amulet around their necks, or they may simply be guilty of devotion to other gods.

their idols The Hebrew word used here, gillulim, appears only in the plural in the ot and always in reference to idols. The biblical use is intentionally insulting and disparaging because gillulim is based on the word gel, meaning “dung” (see 4:12; Job 20:7).

a stumbling block of their guilt The connection with Ezek 7:19 suggests the people in exile are being condemned for idolatry in the same terms as those in Judah (see note on 3:20).

I really let myself be consulted by them The rhetorical question highlights the spiritual unworthiness of the elders. They seek the guidance of Yahweh, but they hedge their bets with their devotion to other gods.

14:4 he comes to the prophet The answer to the question in v. 3 appears to be “yes.” The people can come and inquire of Yahweh—even in the midst of their idolatry. The response they receive from Him will depend on whether they experience a change of heart.

14:5 I may take hold of the house of Israel by their heart Yahweh allows them to approach and inquire precisely so that He might give them an opportunity to restore their relationship with Him.

14:6 Return, and turn away from your idols The people may have come to Yahweh seeking a word of hope and salvation addressing their captivity. They receive instead a word that cuts to the heart of their spiritual problem—the barrier that idolatry has created between them and Yahweh (compare 18:30–32).

your detestable things Hebrew term here can refer to anything offensive. In context, it refers to sacrilegious offenses. See note on 5:9.

14:7 I Yahweh will answer him myself The repentance commanded in v. 6 is required before further inquiry. If anyone fails to repent before seeking Yahweh, they will find Him, but His purpose in answering will be judgment.

14:8 I will set my face against that person That is, Yahweh will turn in judgment on them and pronounce a sentence. The gesture is a common way of turning attention to a person or object before pronouncing judgment against them. In 4:3, 7; 6:2; 13:17, Yahweh commands Ezekiel to set his face toward the object of his prophetic condemnation.

a sign and make him into the subject of proverbs The punishment would stand as an example for others not to follow the same path. See note on Job 17:6.

I will cut him off from the midst of See Lev 20:6. Anyone consulting a practitioner of magic was punished by Yahweh setting His face against them. They would then be cut off from the people.

14:9 I Yahweh, I have deceived that prophet Ezekiel’s rhetoric seems to be based on 1 Kgs 22, where all the prophets declaring victory for Ahab, king of Israel, have been misled by a “lying spirit.” Only the prophet Micaiah declares the truth—that Israel will be defeated and Ahab will die (see 1 Kgs 22:13–23).

I will stretch out my hand A common idiom for divine judgment. It is used most frequently by Ezekiel but is based on Exod 7:5.

14:10 they will bear their guilt Awon can refer to both the offense and its punishment. Compare Ezekiel’s symbolic bearing of the people’s punishment or iniquity in Ezek 4:4.

14:11 Israel will not go astray again The goal of the discipline is to restore the relationship (compare Lev 26:18–23; Deut 8:5 and note).

for me a people, and I will be for them as God A basic statement of the covenant relationship (see note on Ezek 11:20).

14:13 I will break for it the supply of food An idiom for sending famine. See note on Ezek 4:16.

14:14 Noah, Daniel, and Job The righteousness of these exemplary figures cannot be transferred to save anyone else from judgment. The theme is similar to Abraham’s plea to Yahweh to spare Sodom for the sake of 10 righteous men (Gen 18:32); but here, even the presence of three legendary, righteous men would not be enough to spare anyone else (compare Jer 15:1).

would save only themselves The implication that each person is accountable for his or her own actions is developed in more detail in ch. 18.

14:15 If a fierce animal I should let cross Reflects the case law format with an “if” statement followed by the consequences (see note on Ezek 5:17).

14:16 surely they will not save sons and daughters Likewise, Job is unable to save his children (Job 1:18–19).

14:21 to Jerusalem The recipient of punishment is specifically noted as Jerusalem, identifying the generic “land” noted in Ezek 14:15.

my four punishments—the evil A summary of the modes of punishment described earlier (vv. 12–23): sword (vv. 17–18), famine (vv. 12–14), wild beasts (vv. 15–16), and pestilence (vv. 19–20). All four are part of the covenant curses in Lev 26:22–26.

14:22 A remnant will be left over The preservation of a remnant brought out of large-scale judgment is a prominent biblical theme. See note on Isa 1:9.

you will be consoled with respect to the evil that I brought In this case, the remnant was preserved to provide justification for the judgment. Once the exiles see how bad the people really were, they will understand why judgment was necessary.