In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been struck down.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that the news of Jerusalem's destruction, a devastating event, arrived a significant time after it happened, emphasizing the isolation and difficulty of communication for the exiles. This delay underscores how God's timing for Ezekiel's prophecy opening is not dictated by human urgency but by His own sovereign plan.
In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been struck down.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage marks a crucial turning point for Ezekiel and the exiles. It's been over a year and a half since Jerusalem fell, but definitive news has just arrived via a fugitive, confirming the devastating destruction of the city. This long-awaited confirmation fulfills a prophecy given to Ezekiel earlier (Ezekiel 24:26) and signals the beginning of his new role to speak words of hope and restoration to his people.
Imagine waiting years for confirmation of a disaster, only for it to finally arrive.
This verse lands like a punch, detailing the exact date a survivor from Jerusalem finally brings devastating news to Ezekiel and the exiles.
A Lingering Tragedy
The text pinpoints the twelfth year of exile, the tenth month, and the fifth day. This date is over a year and a half after Jerusalem was actually captured and destroyed (Jeremiah 39:2; 52:5-6). Why the delay?
This delayed confirmation underscores the profound isolation and the slow, agonizing way reality often dawns on us.
One person's harrowing escape carries the weight of a city's destruction.
The arrival of 'one that had escaped' isn't just a plot device; it's a crucial element that reawakens Ezekiel's ministry.
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A Mouth Opened
God had previously silenced Ezekiel's prophetic voice, except in judgment (Ezekiel 24:26-27). The arrival of this survivor, this 'escaped' individual, signals a shift. It’s the trigger for Ezekiel's mouth to be opened again, but this time, to speak to the exiles about repentance and hope.
Understand the original words
galah · Hebrew Noun
A period of forced absence from one's homeland, often used in Scripture to describe divine judgment upon Israel for covenant disobedience. It represents a time of suffering, reflection, and the necessity of returning to God.
The significant delay between Jerusalem's fall and the arrival of the fugitive messenger highlights the perilous travel conditions and the isolation of the exiles, making this confirmation a deeply impactful moment for Ezekiel and his community.
597 BC
First Deportation of Exiles
King Jehoiachin and a large number of Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon.
589 BC
Siege of Jerusalem Begins
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem, initiating a prolonged and devastating conflict.
587 BC (July)— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem
Babylonian forces breach Jerusalem's walls, culminating in the destruction of the city and the Temple. Many are killed or exiled.
c. 587-586 BC
Message of Jerusalem's Fall Arrives
A fugitive who escaped Jerusalem reaches Ezekiel in Babylon, confirming the city's destruction roughly 1.5 years after the event. This news reopens Ezekiel's prophetic ministry.
c. 586 BC
Ezekiel's Ministry Reopens
With the confirmation of Jerusalem's fall, God restores Ezekiel's ability to speak to the exiles, shifting from judgment to a message of future hope and restoration.
This passage directly foreshadows the arrival of a fugitive with news of Jerusalem's fall, creating a powerful link between prophecy and its eventual fulfillment in Ezekiel 33:21.
Jeremiah 39:2This passage provides the historical account of Jerusalem's fall, giving context to the devastating news that a fugitive brings to Ezekiel in the later chapter.
Lamentations 1:1The book of Lamentations vividly expresses the sorrow and desolation of Jerusalem's fall, resonating with the profound impact of the news delivered in Ezekiel 33:21.
2 Kings 25:8-12This passage details the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, offering a factual backdrop to the 'smitten' city that the fugitive reports to Ezekiel.
pooleEzekiel 33:21: "And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten."
In the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month; that is one year and five months after the thing was done, and temple burnt, and the city sacked. One that had escaped; one whose own care, but God’s wonderful providence had much more, befriended him; perhaps it might be one of those t…
barnesEzekiel 33:21: "And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten."
The date shows an interval of 112 years from the taking of Jerusalem Jeremiah 52:12 . The general news that the city was taken must have reached them, but it was only when the messenger arrived that the prophet's mouth was opened. It is not improbable that a body of men after the destru…
The verse highlights that the news of Jerusalem's destruction, a devastating event, arrived a significant time after it happened, emphasizing the isolation and difficulty of communication for the exiles. This delay underscores how God's timing for Ezekiel's prophecy opening is not dictated by human urgency but by His own sovereign plan.
This passage marks a crucial turning point for Ezekiel and the exiles. It's been over a year and a half since Jerusalem fell, but definitive news has just arrived via a fugitive, confirming the devastating destruction of the city. This long-awaited confirmation fulfills a prophecy given to Ezekiel earlier (Ezekiel 24:26) and signals the beginning of his new role to speak words of hope and restoration to his people.
This passage marks a crucial turning point for Ezekiel and the exiles. It's been over a year and a half since Jerusalem fell, but definitive news has just arrived via a fugitive, confirming the devastating destruction of the city. This long-awaited confirmation fulfills a prophecy given to Ezekiel earlier (Ezekiel 24:26) and signals the beginning of his new role to speak words of hope and restoration to his people.
"In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, a fugitive from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has been struck down.”" — The verse highlights that the news of Jerusalem's destruction, a devastating event, arrived a significant time after it happened, emphasizing the isolation and difficulty of communication for the e…
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Last reviewed October 2026