“The word of Yahweh
Came to me.
‘Son of man!
You are living
In the midst
Of a rebellious house!
They have eyes to see,
But they do not see!
They have ears to hear,
But they do not hear!
They are
A rebellious house!
Therefore,
Son of man!
Prepare for yourself
An exile’s baggage!
Go into exile
By day
In their sight!
You shall go
Like an exile
From your place
To another place
In their sight.
Perhaps
They will understand,
Though they are
A rebellious house.’”
Here is another oracle of Yahweh to Ezekiel, the son of man, filled with symbolism about the exile. Yahweh told Ezekiel that he was living in the middle of a rebellious house. These people had eyes to see, but they did not see. They had ears to hear, but they did not hear. Thus Ezekiel was going to prepare himself to go into exile with the baggage of an exile. He was to leave in plain sight during the day. He was to go from one place to another, so that everyone could see it. Perhaps the people of this rebellious house might understand what was going on.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 