In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month: Again Ezekiel carefully records the date of this prophecy (compare 1.2; 8.1; 20.1; 24.1; 29.1, 17; 30.20; 31.1; 32.1; 33.21). He received it from God almost twenty-five years after the Babylonians had taken him and many other Israelites as prisoners. In the twenty-fifth year means that it was at least twenty-four years but not yet twenty-five. Contemporary English Version says “Twenty-five years after,” which is incorrect. At the beginning of the year is not as specific as other dates in Ezekiel, because the text does not say the “in the first month” (compare 29.17; 30.20), but it is clear that the beginning of the year refers to the first month of the year. However, translators will do well to be less specific here as in the Hebrew text. A good model for the whole date is “Twenty-four years after the Babylonians took us into captivity, on the tenth day of the year.” When translating the date, translators should follow the most natural order of recording dates in their own language,. For those translators who include footnotes in their Bibles, it is appropriate to indicate that this date is probably April 28, 573 B.C.

In the fourteenth year after the city was conquered: Ezekiel confirms the date with reference to another well-known event, which is the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. That event took place in July 587 B.C. Ezekiel received this prophecy from God almost fourteen years after the fall of Jerusalem. Contemporary English Version says “fourteen years after the Babylonians had captured Jerusalem,” which is incorrect. A better model is “nearly fourteen years after the Babylonians had captured Jerusalem.”

The emphatic Hebrew phrase rendered on that very day shows that the date was particularly important for Ezekiel. He does not say why, but we may assume it is because of the importance of the prophecy that begins in this chapter and continues to the end of chapter 48.

The hand of the LORD was upon me means the power of Yahweh had taken control of Ezekiel (see the comments on 1.3). Good News Translation says “I felt the powerful presence of the LORD,” and Contemporary English Version has “the LORD’s power took control of me.”

At the end of this verse Good News Translation includes “and he carried me away.” The Hebrew says literally “and he caused me to come there,” which New International Version renders “and he took me there.” Revised Standard Version omits these words because they are repeated at the beginning of the next verse. But they emphasize where God took Ezekiel, namely, back to Jerusalem (compare New Century Version “and he brought me to Jerusalem”), so it is best to retain them.

Possible models for this verse are:

• Nearly twenty-five years after the Babylonians took us into exile, at the beginning of the year on the tenth day of the month, nearly fourteen years after they captured Jerusalem, on that very day, the LORD took control of me, and carried me to Jerusalem.

• Nearly fourteen years after the Babylonians captured Jerusalem, the LORD’s power took control of me, and took me there. It was nearly twenty-five years after they took us into exile, at the beginning of the year on the tenth day of the month.

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 .