Albert Barnes Commentary Ezekiel 24:16-27

"Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet thou shalt neither mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. Sigh, but not aloud, make no mourning for the dead; bind thy headtire upon thee, and put thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. So I spake unto the people in the morning; and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded. And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so? Then I said unto them, The word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Speak unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left behind shall fall by the sword. And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another. Thus shall Ezekiel be unto you a sign; according to all that he hath done shall ye do: when this cometh, then shall ye know that I am the Lord Jehovah. And thou, son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their heart, their sons and their daughters, that in that day he that escapeth shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears? In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him that is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: so shalt thou be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am Jehovah." — Ezekiel 24:16-27 (ASV)

The death of Ezekiel’s wife took place in the evening of the same day that he delivered the preceding prophecy. This event was to signify to the people that the Lord would take from them all that was most dear to them; and, owing to the extraordinary nature of the times, quiet lamentation for the dead, according to the usual forms of mourning, would be impossible (Ezekiel 24:17).

The priest in general was to mourn for his dead (Leviticus 21:1 and following); but Ezekiel was to be an exception to the rule. The “tire” was the priest’s mitre.

Eat not the bread of men—food supplied for the comfort of the mourners (Ezekiel 24:23).

Pine away—compare Leviticus 26:39. The outward signs of grief were a certain consolation. Their absence would indicate a heart-consuming sorrow (Ezekiel 24:27).

Ezekiel had been employed four years in foretelling the coming calamities. He had been utterly disregarded by the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and received with apparent respect but with real incredulity by those in exile. Now, until the city was actually taken, the voice of prophecy was to cease, so far as God’s people were concerned.

Hence the intervening series of predictions relating to neighboring and foreign nations (Ezekiel 25-32). After this, the prophet’s voice was again heard addressing his countrymen in their exile. This accounts for the apparently parenthetical character of the next eight chapters.