Is not the time near
The phrase questions the immediacy of a significant event. In Hebrew, "קָרוֹב" (qarov) means "near" or "close." This reflects a common skepticism or disbelief in the prophetic warnings about impending judgment. The people are questioning the urgency of the prophet's message, perhaps out of complacency or disbelief. This skepticism is a recurring theme in the Bible, where people often doubt the immediacy of God's promises or warnings, leading to a lack of repentance and preparedness.

to build houses?
This phrase implies a sense of normalcy and long-term planning, which contrasts with the urgency of the prophetic warning. The Hebrew word "בָּתִּים" (batim) means "houses," symbolizing stability, security, and future planning. In the context of Ezekiel's prophecy, the people are focused on their own plans and security rather than heeding the warning of impending judgment. This reflects a broader biblical theme where human plans are often at odds with divine plans, emphasizing the need for trust and obedience to God's timing and purposes.

This city is the cooking pot
The metaphor of a "cooking pot" (Hebrew: "סִיר" - sir) is significant. It suggests a place of containment and safety, as a pot holds its contents securely. However, in the context of Ezekiel's prophecy, it is an ironic metaphor. The people of Jerusalem believed they were safe within the city's walls, much like ingredients in a pot. Yet, the metaphor also implies impending judgment, as the pot will be subjected to heat. This dual imagery serves as a warning that their perceived security is false, and judgment is imminent.

and we are the meat
The phrase "we are the meat" (Hebrew: "בָּשָׂר" - basar) completes the metaphor. Meat within a pot is subject to cooking, symbolizing the people's vulnerability to the coming judgment. While they see themselves as the choice pieces, secure and protected, the reality is that they are about to face the heat of God's judgment. This imagery serves as a powerful reminder of the false security in human strength and the need for reliance on God. It underscores the prophetic message that true safety is found not in physical walls or human plans, but in obedience to God.

(1) That suggested by the Authorized Version. "It (the judgment of which the true prophets spoke) is not near. Let us build houses, not, as Jeremiah bids (Jeremiah 39:5), in the land of exile, but here in Jerusalem, where we shall remain in safety. Are we threatened with the imagery of the 'seething pot' (Jeremiah 1:13)? Let us remember that the caldron protects the meat in it from the fire. The walls of the city will protect us from the army of the Chaldeans." The temper which clothed itself in this language was that of the self-confident boastful security of Jeremiah 28:3; and the death of Hananiah, the son of Azur, in that history presents a parallel to that of Pelatiah in this.

(2) Grammatically, however, the rendering of the Revised Version is preferable: The time is not near for building houses; probably, as before, with a reference to Jeremiah's advice. "We," they seem to say, "are not come to that plaint yet. We will trust, as in (1), in our interpretation of the caldron."

(3) On the whole, I incline, while adopting the Revised Version rendering, to interpret the words, as Smend takes them, as the defiant utterance of despair: "It is no time for building houses, here or elsewhere. We are doomed. We are destined (I borrow the nearest analogue of modern proverbial speech) 'to stew in our own juice.' Well, let us meet it as we best may." I find what suggests this view . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...