Ezekiel 24:15

Nowhere do we see a prophet so deeply involved in his message as in this event. God took the life of Ezekiel’s wife. Yet Ezekiel was not allowed to mourn her openly, even though she was very precious to him.

Ezekiel was a priest (Ezekiel 1:3). Priests had strict rules about mourning. When people mourned, they often tore their clothes and left their hair uncombed. These public signs of grief made a person ceremonially unclean (not fit for worship).

Priests were not allowed to make themselves unclean, except for their closest family members (Leviticus 21:1–4). Even so, God told Ezekiel not to follow the usual customs of mourning.

Ezekiel’s silence was a sign act (a symbolic action that carries a message). It showed what would soon happen to Israel (Ezekiel 24:20–24; see “Prophetic Sign Acts” Theme Note). The people would lose something precious, but they would not be able to mourn in the normal way.