241 The Message of God came to me in the ninth year, the tenth month, and the tenth day of the month: 2 "Son of man, write down this date. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day. 3 Tell this company of rebels a story: "'Put on the soup pot. Fill it with water. 4 Put chunks of meat into it, all the choice pieces - loin and brisket. Pick out the best soup bones 5 from the best of the sheep in the flock. Pile wood beneath the pot. Bring it to a boil and cook the soup. 6 "'God, the Master, says: "'Doom to the city of murder, to the pot thick with scum, thick with a filth that can't be scoured. Empty the pot piece by piece; don't bother who gets what. 7 "'The blood from murders has stained the whole city; Blood runs bold on the street stones, with no one bothering to wash it off - 8 Blood out in the open to public view to provoke my wrath, to trigger my vengeance. 9 "'Therefore, this is what God, the Master, says: "'Doom to the city of murder! I, too, will pile on the wood. 10 Stack the wood high, light the match, Cook the meat, spice it well, pour out the broth, and then burn the bones. 11 Then I'll set the empty pot on the coals and heat it red-hot so the bronze glows, So the germs are killed and the corruption is burned off. 12 But it's hopeless. It's too far gone. The filth is too thick. 13 "'Your encrusted filth is your filthy sex. I wanted to clean you up, but you wouldn't let me. I'll make no more attempts at cleaning you up until my anger quiets down. 14 I, God, have said it, and I'll do it. I'm not holding back. I've run out of compassion. I'm not changing my mind. You're getting exactly what's coming to you. Decree of God, the Master.'"
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 24:1-14
Commentary on Ezekiel 24:1-14
(Read Ezekiel 24:1-14)
The pot on the fire represented Jerusalem besieged by the Chaldeans: all orders and ranks were within the walls, prepared as a prey for the enemy. They ought to have put away their transgressions, as the scum, which rises by the heat of the fire, is taken from the top of the pot. But they grew worse, and their miseries increased. Jerusalem was to be levelled with the ground. The time appointed for the punishment of wicked men may seem to come slowly, but it will come surely. It is sad to think how many there are, on whom ordinances and providences are all lost.