15:4 charred. The partial burning of Israel is probably a reference to the partial exile that had already taken place in 597 b.c. with the deportation of Jehoiachin and a large portion of the city’s upper class, including Ezekiel. After this partial damage, the city is worth even less. The prophet Zechariah likens the Babylonian exile to a fire when he describes the high priest as “a brand plucked from the fire” (Zech. 3:2).