Ezekiel 24:2
in Ezekiel 24“Son of man, write down today’s date, for on this very day the king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this selfsame day: the king of Babylon drew close unto Jerusalem this selfsame day.
KJV
Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day.
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This verse in Ezekiel 24
Commentary
5 notes on this verseSon of man, write thee the name of the day,.... That is, what day of the week it was, as well as what day of the month; as whether the first, or second, or third, &c.: for the Jews had no other names for their days, as we have: even of this same day; according to Bishop Usher (r), it was the 30th of January, and the fifth day of the week (Thursday); A.M. 3414, or 590 before Christ. Mr. Whiston (s) places it at 3413 A.M. or 591 before Christ.
This site's exposition
in the ninth year, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month
on Ezekiel 24:1-2
The chapter opens with an unusually exact date, the ninth year, the tenth month, the tenth day, and the Lord commands the prophet to write it down as a fixed record rather than a vague oracle. Henry reads the precision as proof offered in advance, Ezekiel by the river Chebar naming the very day Nebuchadnezzar's siege began outside Jerusalem before any news of it could travel that far. Keil notes the date became a fixed fast day in the Jewish calendar, the tenth of Tebeth, a tradition that has kept this chapter's opening verse in memory ever since.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Chapter 24, Verse 1 onwards) Then in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'Son of man, write down the name of this day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
By the sign of Ezekiel's not mourning for the death of his wife is shown that the calamities coming upon Jerusalem were too great to be lamented, so great that they should sink down under them into a silent despair,
Note, It is good to keep an exact account of the date of remarkable occurrences, which may sometimes contribute to the manifesting of God's glory so much the more in them, and the explaining and confirming of scripture prophecies. Known unto God are all his works.
The words behind it
19 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בֶּן־ | ben- | O son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אָדָ֗ם | ʾadam | humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
| כְּתָב | ketov- | write | H3789 → | 224 times |
| לְךָ֙ | lekha | <for> yourself | ||
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שֵׁ֣ם | shem | [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| הַיּ֔וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֶ֖צֶם | ʾetzem | [the] substance of | H6106 → | 126 times |
| הַיּ֣וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּ֑ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| סָמַ֤ךְ | samakh | he has leaned | H5564 → | |
| מֶֽלֶךְ־ | melekh- | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בָּבֶל֙ | bavel | Babylon | H894 → | 262 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| בְּעֶ֖צֶם | beetzem | on [the] substance of | H6106 → | 126 times |
| הַיּ֥וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
בֶּן־O son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אָדָ֗םhumankind
ʾadamH120 →551 times
כְּתָבwrite
ketov-H3789 →224 times
לְךָ֙<for> yourself
lekha
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שֵׁ֣ם[the] name of
shemH8034 →864 times
הַיּ֔וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֶ֖צֶם[the] substance of
ʾetzemH6106 →126 times
הַיּ֣וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּ֑ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
סָמַ֤ךְhe has leaned
samakhH5564 →
מֶֽלֶךְ־[the] king of
melekh-H4428 →2525 times
בָּבֶל֙Babylon
bavelH894 →262 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔םJerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
בְּעֶ֖צֶםon [the] substance of
beetzemH6106 →126 times
הַיּ֥וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 52:4So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built…
it leads to
- Zechariah 8:19
“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: The fasts of the fourth, the fifth, the seventh, and the tenth months will become times of joy and gladness, cheerful feasts for the house of…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ezekiel 24:1–2
In the ninth year, on the tenth day of the tenth month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 39:1
In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army and laid siege to the city.
- Zechariah 8:19
Through
Isaiah 8:1Then the LORD said to me, “Take a large scroll and write on it with an ordinary stylus: Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
it leads to
- Isaiah 30:8
Go now, write it on a tablet in their presence and inscribe it on a scroll; it will be for the days to come, a witness forever and ever.
- Job 19:23–24
I wish that my words were recorded and inscribed in a book,
- Isaiah 8:3
And I had relations with the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. The LORD said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz.
- Habakkuk 2:2–3
Then the LORD answered me: “Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it.
- Isaiah 30:8
Through
2 Kings 25:1So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 52:4–11
So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his entire army. They encamped outside the city and built…
- Jeremiah 52:4–11
About Ezekiel

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PlaceBabil Governorate (archaeological site)BabylonAncient Mesopotamian city and imperial capital; site of the Israelite exile and a recurring biblical symbol of worldly power.
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
This page draws on Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
