Ezekiel in Fausset's Bible Dictionary

"God will strengthen," Hebrew, Yehezqel. Son of Buzi (Ezekiel 1:3), a priest. Probably exercised the priestly office at Jerusalem before his departure in the captivity or transmigration (galut) of Jehoiachin, which took place 11 years before the city fell (2 Kings 24:15). His priestly character gave him much weight with his Hebrew fellow exiles. His priestly service was as real in the spiritual temple in Chaldaea as it had been in the visible temple at Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11; Ezekiel 40-48; Ezekiel 4:13-14; Ezekiel 20:12-13). The priestly tone appears throughout his book, so that he is the priest among the prophets. Called to prophesy in the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity (595 B.C.) "in the 30th year in the fourth month." i.e. the 30th from the era of Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar's father (525 B.C.), an era he naturally uses writing in Babylonia (Farrar). But elsewhere he dates from Jehoiachin's captivity alone. This fact, and his expressly calling himself "the priest" (Ezekiel 1:3), favor the view that his mention of the 30th fear of his own age is in order to mark his entering on a priestly ministry to his exiled countrymen (that being the usual age, Numbers 4:23; Numbers 4:30; "the heavens being opened" to him, as they were to his Antitype in beginning His ministry in His 30th year at Jordan, Luke 3:21-23). Thus, he would be 25 when carried away. The best of the people were apparently the first carried away (Ezekiel 11:16; Jeremiah 24:2-8; Jeremiah 24:10). Believing the prophets they obeyed Nebuchadnezzar's first summons to surrender, as the only path of safety. But the unbelieving were willing to do anything to remain in their native land; and despised their exiled brethren as having no share in the temple sacrifices...