Ezekiel 33:21-22
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The detailed date isn't just historical context; it signifies that the devastating news of Jerusalem's fall arrived a year and a half after the event, fulfilling a prophecy to Ezekiel that he'd remain silent until a fugitive brought the news. This delay underscores that the full weight of the disaster, and the prophet's renewed commission to speak, were intentionally deferred until the news officially reached the exiles.
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.” Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the fugitive came; and he had opened my mouth by the time the man came to me in the morning, so my mouth was opened, and I was no longer mute.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After a period of prophetic silence, a messenger arrives from Jerusalem, bringing the devastating news that the city has finally fallen to the Babylonians. This confirms what Ezekiel had foretold, and marks a significant turning point where his message shifts from judgment to offering hope for those in exile. The arrival of this survivor, who escaped the destruction, fulfills a specific prophecy and signals the reopening of Ezekiel's prophetic ministry to his people.
Imagine waiting for crucial news, only for it to arrive months or even years late. This is the reality for Ezekiel and the exiles.
The date mentioned in verse 21 – the twelfth year, tenth month, fifth day – is significant. It's about a year and a half after Jerusalem was actually captured and destroyed. While the general news of the city's fall might have filtered through earlier, this specific messenger brings the confirmed, personal account.
The messenger's simple words, 'The city has been struck down,' carry the weight of a nation's catastrophe.
The phrase 'The city has been struck down' isn't just a report of military defeat; it's the death knell of an era. For Ezekiel and the exiles, Jerusalem wasn't just a city – it was the heart of their identity, their covenant relationship with God, and the dwelling place of His presence.
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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.
yad YHWH · Hebrew Noun
A metaphorical expression indicating the direct influence, power, or enabling presence of God upon a prophet, equipping them for ministry or divine revelation. It implies the prophet's submission to God's authority and initiative.
597 BC
First Deportation of Judah
King Jehoiachin and many prominent citizens of Judah, including the prophet Ezekiel, are exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian Captivity for many.
587 BC— this verse
Fall and Destruction of Jerusalem
After a prolonged siege, Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army breaches Jerusalem's walls, loots the Temple, and destroys the city. King Zedekiah is captured and blinded, and more of the population is exiled.
c. 586 BC - 585 BC
Fugitive Reaches Ezekiel
A survivor who escaped the devastated city of Jerusalem finally reaches Ezekiel and the exiles in Babylon, bringing the definitive, firsthand news of Jerusalem's fall.
c. 585 BC
Ezekiel's Prophecy Resumes
The arrival of the fugitive marks the end of a period of prophetic silence for Ezekiel. God then commissions him to deliver messages of judgment and future hope to the exiles.
This passage records the same event—the fall of Jerusalem—providing crucial chronological context and confirming the devastating destruction described in Ezekiel 33:21.
Ezekiel 24:26This earlier prophecy directly foretold that on the very day Jerusalem fell, a fugitive would escape and bring Ezekiel the news, linking this narrative moment back to a specific divine promise.
Lamentations 1:1This chapter poignantly describes Jerusalem's desolation and sorrow from the perspective of the city itself, offering a profound emotional parallel to the factual report of its destruction received by Ezekiel.
2 Kings 25:8-12This historical account details the Babylonian army's actions upon capturing Jerusalem, corroborating the grim news of the city being 'smitten' that Ezekiel receives.
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 detailed date isn't just historical context; it signifies that the devastating news of Jerusalem's fall arrived a year and a half after the event, fulfilling a prophecy to Ezekiel that he'd remain silent until a fugitive brought the news. This delay underscores that the full weight of the disaster, and the prophet's renewed commission to speak, were intentionally deferred until the news officially reached the exiles.
After a period of prophetic silence, a messenger arrives from Jerusalem, bringing the devastating news that the city has finally fallen to the Babylonians. This confirms what Ezekiel had foretold, and marks a significant turning point where his message shifts from judgment to offering hope for those in exile. The arrival of this survivor, who escaped the destruction, fulfills a specific prophecy and signals the reopening of Ezekiel's prophetic ministry to his people.
After a period of prophetic silence, a messenger arrives from Jerusalem, bringing the devastating news that the city has finally fallen to the Babylonians. This confirms what Ezekiel had foretold, and marks a significant turning point where his message shifts from judgment to offering hope for those in exile. The arrival of this survivor, who escaped the destruction, fulfills a specific prophecy and signals the reopening of Ezekiel's prophetic ministry 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.” Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me the evening before the fugitive…" — The detailed date isn't just historical context; it signifies that the devastating news of Jerusalem's fall arrived a year and a half after the event, fulfilling a prophecy to Ezekiel that he'd remai…
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Last reviewed October 2026
