Ezekiel-Chapter-15

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Re Tanakh versions:

Throughout this site I may use any of the following three versions of the Tanakh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2“Mechon-Mamre.org (MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org (SEF), three brilliant versions, although JPS-1917 is my preferred version!

Colour coded details of our beloved TaNaKh:

1. Torah = History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.

*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Megillot, or Scrolls - Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and history of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles I & II.

Please Note: Some alterations or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.

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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!

Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).

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Ezekiel Chapter 15

With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

Introduction:

Ezekiel 15 is one of the prophet’s briefest yet sharpest allegories. It uses a simple image a vine branch to convey a difficult truth about Jerusalem’s moral state during the final years before the destruction of the בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ  - Beit haMikdash - Solomon’s Temple. The chapter is not a prophecy of comfort but a sober assessment of spiritual failure and its consequences. The central metaphor is this: a vine branch has only one purpose bearing fruit. Unlike other trees, its wood is not strong, not useful for construction, and not valuable for craftsmanship. If it fails to produce fruit, it has no secondary purpose. It is simply fuel for fire. Ezekiel uses this image to describe Jerusalem’s condition: a people chosen for a unique mission, but who abandoned that mission. The chapter is not about worthlessness; it is about lost potential and the consequences of refusing one’s calling.

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Below are the verses of Ezekiel Chapter 15:1-8: Whilst below the verses are the Explanation’s. (Chapter is from JPS-1917 version of the Tanakh).

Verses 1-2: “And the Word of יְהוָה - the LORD came unto me, saying: ‘Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any tree, the vine branch which grew up among the trees of the forest?

Explanation: אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God) asks Ezekiel a rhetorical question: What is the wood of the vine compared to the wood of any other tree? The point is not to demean the vine but to highlight its singular purpose. A vine is not valued for its wood; it is valued for its fruit. Without fruit, it has no practical use. Spiritually, this frames Israel’s unique role: not power, not military might, not wealth, but moral and spiritual fruitfulness.

Verse 3: Shall wood be taken thereof to make any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

Explanation: The verse emphasizes that vine wood cannot be used to make tools, pegs, or any functional object. This deepens the metaphor: if the vine does not fulfil its purpose, it cannot be repurposed into something else. Applied to Jerusalem, the message is that the nation cannot substitute ritual, politics, or alliances for its core mission of ethical and spiritual living.

Verse 4: Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire hath devoured both the ends of it, and the midst of it is singed; is it profitable for any work.

Explanation: The vine wood, once thrown into the fire, becomes even more useless. Burned at both ends, charred in the middle, it cannot be shaped or salvaged. This reflects Jerusalem’s situation: already damaged by earlier calamities (such as exile of the elite to Babylon), yet still refusing to change course.

Verse 5: Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work; how much less, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is singed, shall it yet be meet for any work?

Explanation: Even when intact, vine wood is not useful for construction. How much more so when it is burned and weakened. This is a stark image of decline: a people who once had potential but have allowed themselves to be spiritually scorched.

Verse 6: Therefore thus saith אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim: As the vine-tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so do I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Explanation: אֱלֹהִים - Elohim declares that Jerusalem is like this burned vine: once chosen, now damaged by its own choices. The metaphor is not about inherent worthlessness but about self-inflicted diminishment. The fire represents the hardships already endured sieges, political instability, and partial exile.

Verse 7: And I will set My face against them; out of the fire are they come forth, and the fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am יְהוָה - the LORD, when I set My face against them.

Explanation: אֱלֹהִים - Elohim says He will set His face against them, meaning that the consequences of their actions will continue until they recognize their condition.
The phrase “they shall know that I am
יְהוָה - the LORD” is not triumphal; it is tragic. It means that the people will understand the seriousness of their covenant only when they face the results of abandoning it.

Verse 8: And I will make the land desolate, because they have acted treacherously, saith אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim’.

Explanation: The chapter concludes with the declaration that Jerusalem will become desolate because of unfaithfulness. This is not a punishment for punishment’s sake. It is the natural outcome of a society that has severed itself from its moral and spiritual foundation. The desolation is not the end of the story of Ezekiel later speaks of renewal, but here the focus is on accountability.

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My Closing Message:

Ezekiel 15 is a mirror held up to a nation that had forgotten its purpose. The vine is not condemned for being weak; it is lamented for failing to bear fruit. The chapter challenges every generation to consider its own mission and whether it is living up to it. The message is not despair but clarity: purpose gives strength, and abandoning purpose leads to fragility. Ezekiel’s metaphor invites reflection on how individuals and communities can reclaim their ‘calling’, restore ‘integrity’, and once again become ‘fruitful.

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This site was originally created, for those who desired to return to our blessed and wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at least two or three times a day (if possible) and always seek our beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance, for His love is always with us, especially when we seek Him, blessed be He! However this site has become very much a teaching site with hundreds of studies!

Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following via several of our prophets...

Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hostsMal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. (JPS).

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“The More Torah, the More Life”,

For Elohim is the One who gave us our ... Life!”

May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom = Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָהthe LORD of hosts, be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as the מוֹעֲדִים Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying your daily תְּפִלָּה - Tefeelah’s - Prayers and regular בְּרָכָה Be’ra’chah’s - blessings before food and drinks, etc!

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!

Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

 

 

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