Ezekiel 1:2

it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin: The word of the Lord first came to Ezekiel in 593 BC. At that time, Judah was still partly independent (see Ezekiel Book Introduction, “Setting”). However, the Babylonians had already taken control of the nation in 597 BC. They had carried King Jehoiachin away into exile in Babylon.

Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah, ruled Judah as a vassal of Babylon from 597 to 586 BC. A vassal was a king who ruled under the authority of a stronger king. Ezekiel dated his prophecy from the time of Jehoiachin’s captivity, not from the reign of Zedekiah. He likely viewed Zedekiah as a temporary ruler in place of the rightful king, Jehoiachin.

Later, Zedekiah rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (2 Kings 24:20). In response, Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem in 588 BC. He destroyed the city and burned the temple in 586 BC.

The opening verses show that the prophet began his ministry among the exiles from Judah. The Babylonians had taken these people away from their land and brought them to Babylon.

Old Testament prophetic books often begin with a “call narrative.” A call narrative describes how God chose and sent a prophet to serve in this role (for example, Jeremiah 1:4–19).

This account showed that the prophet’s message was legitimate. It made clear that the prophet spoke as the Lord’s ambassador (a representative sent with authority). The call narrative also introduced important themes that the book would explain more fully later.

In Ezekiel, the call narrative focuses on the Lord’s coming judgment on his people.