Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 11:15

"Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel, all of them, [are they] unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from Jehovah; unto us is this land given for a possession." — Ezekiel 11:15 (ASV)

Your brethren— that is, those who were with Ezekiel in the Captivity. The expression is made emphatic by repetition, and by the addition, “men of your kindred.”

The people remaining in Jerusalem, with arrogant confidence in themselves and without sympathy for the exiles, had said to them, by words and by deeds, “We are holier than you; we dwell in the chosen city, we have the Temple, the appointed priesthood and sacrifices, and we have in possession the land of the Church of God; you are outcasts.”

The prophet is taught that these despised exiles, deprived of so many privileges, are still his true brethren, and that he is to regard these as his true kindred rather than the corrupt priests at Jerusalem.

In this word, there is an allusion to the office of Göel, the next of kin, whose duty it was in every way to assist his impoverished or unfortunate kinsman. Furthermore, these exiles are called “all the house of Israel wholly.” The others, not these, are cast out, and God will make His people from those who are now undergoing His purifying chastisement. This contrast is carried out in the following verses.