on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights an astonishing moment of prophetic fulfillment, where the escaped survivor from Jerusalem doesn't just inform Ezekiel, but comes specifically "to cause you to hear it with your ears." This emphasizes not just the news itself, but the profound, undeniable reality of God's word coming to life before everyone's very eyes.
on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just before this, God instructs Ezekiel to mourn his wife's death without outward signs, mirroring the stunned silence of a people who will soon experience the devastating fall of Jerusalem. This verse anticipates the actual news of the city's destruction finally reaching Ezekiel and the exiles through a survivor, breaking the prophet's enforced silence and confirming God's judgments as they unfold. The arrival of this messenger, which happens later, will mark a turning point where Ezekiel's mouth is finally opened to speak again, relaying the full, heartbreaking reality of the disaster.
Ezekiel was commanded to be silent, a profound sign of the unimaginable sorrow awaiting Jerusalem. But even in silence, God's message was being prepared.
In Ezekiel 24:17, God tells Ezekiel not to mourn publicly for his wife, the sign of Jerusalem's impending doom. He is to remain silent, a powerful symbol of the shock and stunned grief that will overcome Jerusalem's inhabitants. This silence isn't emptiness, but a pregnant pause before the full weight of God's judgment is revealed.
This sign is deeply personal for Ezekiel, but it broadcasts a devastating truth to the exiles: their emotional and spiritual support system – their families, their city, their temple – is about to be taken away in such a catastrophic way that words will fail.
Even though Ezekiel is silenced, the prophetic word continues to come to him in other ways, preparing the ground for the eventual messenger.
Judgment is coming, but not everyone will perish. A survivor will eventually arrive, bringing the devastating news directly to Ezekiel and the exiles.
Verse 26 shifts from Ezekiel's personal, symbolic silence to a future event: the arrival of a survivor from Jerusalem. This messenger isn't just any refugee; they are coming specifically to 'cause you to hear it with your ears.' This emphasizes the undeniable reality of the judgment.
This survivor's testimony serves multiple purposes:
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This event is specifically dated in chapter 33, showing that the shock of the fall and the arrival of news took time, underscoring the prolonged suffering and the eventual, undeniable confirmation of God's judgment.
Understand the original words
paliyt · Hebrew Noun
A person who flees from danger, usually war or judgment, to seek safety or convey information. In a prophetic context, it often signifies the arrival of catastrophic news or the fulfillment of divine judgment.
yom · Hebrew Noun
A word denoting the timing of an event, often referring to a moment of divine intervention, judgment, or revelation. In prophetic literature, it points toward a specific future occasion ordained by God.
This verse points to a specific, devastating moment: the fall of Jerusalem. The 'fugitive' serves as a stark confirmation that the prophet's symbolic actions and words were terrifyingly accurate, bringing the brutal reality of the disaster to the exiles through a first-hand account.
c. 597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Jehoiachin and many skilled workers, including the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity.
c. 589 BC
Nebuchadnezzar Besieges Jerusalem
The Babylonian army, led by King Nebuchadnezzar II, begins a lengthy siege of Jerusalem, cutting off the city from external aid.
c. 587/586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple Destruction
Jerusalem falls after the long siege. The Babylonians plunder and burn the city, including Solomon's Temple, and deport most of the remaining population.
c. 586 BC
Ezekiel Receives News of Jerusalem's Fall
A fugitive survivor from Jerusalem reaches the exiles in Babylon and informs Ezekiel of the city's destruction, fulfilling the prophecy in Ezekiel 24:26.
This passage directly fulfills Ezekiel 24:26, describing the arrival of a survivor from Jerusalem to report its fall to Ezekiel, confirming the prophetic word.
Jeremiah 52:6-7This historical account details the dire circumstances of Jerusalem's fall, including the capture of the last king, Zedekiah, which is the event that a 'fugitive' would be escaping from and reporting.
Isaiah 6:11-13This passage describes a desolate land after judgment, similar to the aftermath of Jerusalem's destruction that the fugitive would be reporting, emphasizing the totality of the devastation.
Lamentations 1:1-2This chapter poignantly captures the grief and desolation of Jerusalem after its fall, mirroring the sorrowful news a survivor would bring to Ezekiel and the exiles.
pulpitEzekiel 24:26: "That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?"
Verses 26, 27. - Yet another sign was given, not to the people, but to the prophet himself. For the present there was to be the silence of unutterable sorrow, continuing, day after day, as there had been before (Ezekiel 3:26). Then there should come a messenger from Jerusalem, reporting its capture and destruction, and then his mouth should be opened. The messenger does not come ti…
henryEzekiel 24:15-27: "Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,"
24:15-27 Though mourning for the dead is a duty, yet it must be kept under by religion and right reason: we must not sorrow as men that have no hope. Believers must not copy the language and expressions of those who know not God. The people asked the meaning of the sign. God takes from them all that was dearest to them. And as Ezekiel wept not for his affliction, so neither should they weep for theirs. Blessed be God, we need n…
This verse highlights an astonishing moment of prophetic fulfillment, where the escaped survivor from Jerusalem doesn't just inform Ezekiel, but comes specifically "to cause you to hear it with your ears." This emphasizes not just the news itself, but the profound, undeniable reality of God's word coming to life before everyone's very eyes.
Just before this, God instructs Ezekiel to mourn his wife's death without outward signs, mirroring the stunned silence of a people who will soon experience the devastating fall of Jerusalem. This verse anticipates the actual news of the city's destruction finally reaching Ezekiel and the exiles through a survivor, breaking the prophet's enforced silence and confirming God's judgments as they unfold. The arrival of this messenger, which happens later, will mark a turning point where Ezekiel's mouth is finally opened to speak again, relaying the full, heartbreaking reality of the disaster.
Just before this, God instructs Ezekiel to mourn his wife's death without outward signs, mirroring the stunned silence of a people who will soon experience the devastating fall of Jerusalem. This verse anticipates the actual news of the city's destruction finally reaching Ezekiel and the exiles through a survivor, breaking the prophet's enforced silence and confirming God's judgments as they unfold. The arrival of this messenger, which happens later, will mark a turning point where Ezekiel's mouth is finally opened to speak again, relaying the full, heartbreaking reality of the disaster.
"on that day a fugitive will come to you to report to you the news." — This verse highlights an astonishing moment of prophetic fulfillment, where the escaped survivor from Jerusalem doesn't just inform Ezekiel, but comes specifically "to cause you to hear it with you…
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Last reviewed October 2026