Seven of the fourteen dates in the book of Ezekiel appear in this major part of prophecies of judgment against the nations surrounding the land of Israel. They do not follow the same chronological order as the other dates. Instead, it seems that these prophecies have been put together according to their subject matter without regard to their chronological order. Six of these prophecies with dates are directed against Egypt or the king of Egypt. Only one is directed against another country, namely Tyre.

In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month: This date is incomplete because it does not specify the month. Some translations reflect this by leaving a gap (so Good News Translation, New American Bible), but most just render it word-for-word like Revised Standard Version. Others have tried to guess what number is missing from the text; for example, Revised English Bible has “on the first day of the first month in the eleventh year,” and New International Reader’s Version says “the first day of a month near the end of the 11th year.” One Septuagint manuscript changes the Hebrew text to read “on the first day of the first month of the twelfth year” (similarly Allen), and so does the New Living Translation footnote with “In the eleventh [month of the twelfth] year, on the first day of the month.” As a result of these different readings, the date of this prophecy ranges between April 23, 587 B.C. and February 3, 585 B.C. It is best for translators to follow either Revised Standard Version or Good News Translation here. As with most other dates given in the book, Ezekiel is referring to the time since he and other people of Judah were taken into exile by the Babylonians. It is helpful for translators to specify this by saying “On the first day of the month of the eleventh year of our captivity” or “On the first day of the month of the eleventh year after the Babylonians took the people of Judah captive.” For those translators who include footnotes in their Bibles, it will be helpful to mention the uncertainty of this date. If any translators need to include a specific date, it will be best to choose a date after the fall of Jerusalem, because the prophecy refers to the reaction of the people of Tyre to the fall of Jerusalem (see Ezek 26.2). Jerusalem fell in August 586 B.C. (see 2 Kgs 25.8; Jer 52.12). The New Living Translation footnote gives February 3, 585 B.C. as the date, which fits well here. This date is less than a month after Ezekiel heard the news of the fall of Jerusalem (see 33.21). As usual, translators should follow the most natural order of recording dates in their own language.

As usual in Ezekiel, this prophecy begins with the traditional formula the word of the LORD came to me, which Good News Translation renders “the LORD spoke to me.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .