John B Taylor - Ezekiel (TOTC)

The aim of this series of Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, as it was in the companion volumes on the New Testament, is to provide the student of the Bible with a handy, up-to-date commentary on each book, with the primary emphasis on exegesis. Major critical questions are discussed in the introductions and additional notes, while undue technicalities have been avoided.

In this series individual authors are, of course, free to make their own distinct contributions and express their own point of view on all controversial issues. Within the necessary limits of space they frequently draw attention to interpretations which they themselves do not hold but which represent the stated conclusions of sincere fellow Christians. While he has done all this, the author of this commentary has shown that it is possible to make a book of the Bibleoften little read and studied outside a few well-known passagesstand out afresh in its historical and prophetic setting, yet with meaning, relevance and application for the serious reader today.

In the Old Testament in particular no single English translation is adequate to reflect the original text. The authors of these commentaries freely quote various versions, therefore, or give their own translation, in the endeavour to make the more difficult passages or words meaningful today. Where necessary, words from the Hebrew (and Aramaic) text underlying their studies are transliterated. This will help the reader who may be unfamiliar with the Semitic languages to identify the word under discussion and thus to follow the argument. It is assumed throughout that the reader will have ready access to one, or more, reliable renderings of the Bible in English.

There are signs of a renewed interest in the meaning and message of the Old Testament and it is hoped that this series will thus further the systematic study of the revelation of God and his will and ways as seen in these records. It is the prayer of the editor and publisher, as of the authors, that these books will help many to understand, and to respond to, the Word of God today.

D. J. Wiseman

Commentaries may be divided into two classes. Some are designed to help readers of the Bible to understand better the parts which they read. The others are designed to help the same people to tackle the parts they would otherwise ignore. The present commentary is intended to fall within this second category. To those who have grappled confidently with the problems of Ezekiels visions and who can spend happy hours working out the fulfilment of his prophecies, these pages have little to offer. But those who have done no more than dip tentatively into his forty-eight chapters will, I hope, be encouraged to be more venturesome. For their benefit I have tried to avoid undue technicalities and, even when I have felt it necessary to make reference to the original Hebrew, I have tried to make my comments clear and readable so that the complete layman will never feel himself at a loss. My success will be judged, therefore, not so much by the number of people who read this book as by the number who read Ezekiel as well.

I am most grateful to Professor D. J. Wiseman both for his personal encouragement and for a number of helpful suggestions and improvements he has made; to the Rev. Arthur Cundall for carefully checking the manuscript and pointing out inaccuracies which I may never have spotted; and to Mr. Alan Millard for help in preparing the chronological table in the Introduction. My thanks are also due to Mrs. Valerie Everitt and Mrs. Joy Hills for their invaluable help in typing the manuscript. Most of all I should like to express my gratitude to my wife and children, who have willingly made sacrifices so that this book should be written and who have encouraged me more than I can say.

John B. Taylor

Easter Day 1969