Chapter 424 (continued)
A Prophecy against Jerusalem. EZEKIEL XXI. A Stoord drawn against Israel.
sentences and mournful repetitions imply violent emo •
Or, I will accept you (your worship) "as a sweet savour" [Maurer] (Ephesians 5.2; Philippians i. 18). God first tions. 9. sword— of God (Deuteronomy 32. 41). The Chaldeans are his instrument. 10. to make a sore slaughter—/t/., "that killing it may kill." glitter—irt., accepts the person in Messiah, then the offering (v. 40; Genesis 4. 4). bring . . . out from . . . people, &c.—the same woids as in v. 34; but there applied to the bringing glitter as the lightning-flasft : flashing terror into the foe. should we . . . make mirth— it is no time for levity when such a calamity is impending (Isaiah 22. 12, 13). it contemnetli tlie rod of my son, <fec.—The sword has no more respect to the trivial "rod" or sceptre of Judali (Genesis 49.10), than if it were any common "tree." "Tree" Is the image retained from ch. 20. 47; explained forth of the hypocrites, as well as the elect ; here restricted to the saved remnant, who alone shall be at last restored literally and spiritually in the fullest sense, sancttiied in you before . . . heathen—(Jeremiah 33. 9). All the nations will acknowledge my power displayed In restoring you, and so shall be led to seek me (Isaiah 66. 18; Zechariah IJ. 16-19). there—not merely in exile when suffering punishment, which makes even reprobates be sorry for sin, bat when received Into favour in your own ch. 21. 2, 3. God calls Judah " my son" (cf. Exodus 4. 22; Hosea 11. 1). Fairbairn arbitrarily translates, " Perchance the sceptre of my son rejoiceth ; it (the sword) despiseth every tree." 11. the slayer—the Babylonian king In this case; in general, all the instruments of God's wrath (Revelation 19. 15). 1!J. terrors by reason of the sword, &c.—rather, "they (the princes of Israel) are delivered land, remember—(Ch. 16. 61,63.) The humiliation of Judah (Nehemiah 9.) is a type of the future penitence of the whole nation (Hosea 5. 15; 6. 1; Zechariah 12. 10-14). God's goodness realized by the sinner is the only thing that leads to true repentance (Hosea 3. 5; Luke 7.37,38). 44. The English T'eriio/i chapter ought to have ended here, and ch. 21. begun with "Moreover," i&c, as in the Hebrew Bible, for my name's sake—(Ch. 36. 22.) Gratuitously; according to iny compassion, not your merits. After having commented on this verse, Calvin was laid on his deathbed, and his commentary ended. 45-49. An introductory brief description in enigma of the destruction by xip to the sword together with my people." [Glassiuh.] smite . . . upon . . . thigh—a mark of grief (Jeremiah
31. 19.) 13. it is a trial-rather, "There is a trial" being made: the sword of the Lord will subject all to the ordeal. " What, then, if it contemn even the rod" (sceptre) of Judah? Cf. as to a similar scourge of unsparing trial. Job 9. 2.3. it shall be no more—the sceptre, i. e., the state, must necessarily then come to an end. Fulfilled in part at the overthrow of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar, but fully at the time of "Shiloh's " (Messiah's) coming (Genesis 49.
fire and sword, detailed more explicitly in ch. 21. 46. south . . . south . . . south—three different Hebrew
10), when Judea became a Roman province. 14. smite v,'ords, to express the certainty of the Divine displeasure resting on the region specified. The third term is from a root meaning dr.y, referring to thesuu's heat in the south. . . hands together—(Numbers 24. 10), indicative of the indignant fury with which God will "smite" the people, sword . . . doubleil tlie third time—referring to the threefold calamity:—1. The taking of Zedekiah (to whom the "rod," or sceptre, may refer); 2. the taking of the representing the burning judgments of God on the southern parts of Judea, of which Jerusalem was the capital, set thy face—determiuately. The prophets used to turn themselves towards those who were to be the subjects of their prophecies, drop—as the rain, which flows in a continuous stream, sometimes gently (Deuteronomy 32. 2), sometimes violently (Amos 7. 16 ; Micah 2.6, Margin), us city; 3. the removal of all those who remained with Gedaliah. "Doubled" means "multiplied" or "repeated." The stroke shall be doubled and even trebled, of tlie slain-1. e., by which many are slain. As the Hebrew is singular, Faikbairn makes it refer to the king, "the sword of the great one that is slain," or "pierced through." entereth . . . privy chambers—(Jeremiah 9.
here, forest—the densely populated country of Judea; trees representing people. 47. Are—every kind of judgment (ch. 19.12; 21. 3, "my sword;" Jeremiah 21.14). green tree . . . dry—fit and unfit materials for fuel alike
21.) The sword shall overtake them, not merely in the open battle-field, but in the chambers whither they flee to hide themselves (1 Kings 20. 30 ; 22. 25). Maurer trans-
" the righteous and the wicked," as explained in ch. 21. 3,
4 ; Luke 23. 31. Unsparing universality of the judgment! flaming flame—one continued and unextinguished flame. "The glowing flame." [Faikbairn.] faces—persons lates, "which besieged them;" Fairbairn, " which penetrates to them." English Version is more literal. 15. point—" the whirling glance of the sword." [Fairbairn.] "The naked (bared) sword." [Henderson.] trains—lit.,, stumbling-blocks. Thel-r own houses and walls shall he stumbling-blocks in their way, whether they wish to
I'.ere tlie metaphor is merged in the reality. 49. Ezekiel complains that by this parabolic form of prophecy he only makes himself and it a jest to his countrymen. God therefore in ch;21. permits him to express the same prophecy more plainly.
fight or flee, made bright—made to glitter, wrapped,,
&c. viz., in the hand of him who holds the hilt, or in itsscabbard, that the edge may not be blunt when it is presently drawn forth to strike. G^^^lVS>,s\s Margin, trans-
CHAPTER XXI.
Ver. l-;}2. Prophecy against Israel and Jeru.saLEM, and against Ammon. 3. the holy places—the three parts of the temple: the courts, the holy place, and the holiest. If "synagogues" existed before the Babylonian captivity, as Psalm 74. 8 seems to imply, they and ihe prospuchce, or oratories, may be included in the "holy places" here. 3. righteous . . . -wicked-not contradictory of cli. 18. 4, 9 ; and Genesis 18. 23. Ezekiel here views the mere owiJt'ard aspect of the indiscriminate universality of the national calamity. But really the same captivity to the "righteous" would prove a blessing as a wholesome discipline, which to the "wicked" would be an unmitigated punishment. The godly were sealed with a mark (ch. 9. 4), not for outward exemption from the common calamity, but as marked for the secret interpositions of Providence overruling even evil to their good. The godly were by comparison so few, that their salvation Is not brought into view here, but the universality of the judgment. 4. The "sword" did not, literally, slay all; but the judgments of God by the foe swept through the land " from the south to the north." 6. tvlth the breaking of thy loins—as one af Bicted with pleurisy; or as a woman, in labour-throes, clasps her loins in pain, and heaves and sighs till the girdle of the loins is broken by the violent action of the body (Jeremiah 30. 6). 7. The abrupt 38 tales, "sharpened," &c. 16. Apostrophe to the sword. Go . . . one way—or, " Concentrate thyself;" " Unite thy forces on the right hand." [Grotius.] The sword is commanded to take the nearest route for Jerusalem, "whither their face was set," whether south or north (" right hand or left"), according to where the several partsof the Chaldean host may be. or other . . . on the leffc—rather,
"set thyself on the left." The verbs are well chosen. The main "concentration" of forces was to be on "the right hand," or south, the part of Judea in which Jerusalerm was, and which lay south in marching from Babylon, whereasthe Chaldean forces advancing on Jerusalem.from Egypt, of which Jerusalem was north, were fewer,, and therefo-re' "set thyself" is the verb used. 17. Jehovah Hiraaelf smites His hands together, doing what he had com-, manded Ezekiel to do {Note, v. 14), in token of his«mjting Jerusalem; cf. the similar symbolical action (2 Kings 13.
18, 19). cause . . . fury to rest—give ib full vent, and so satisfy It (ch. 5. 13). 19. two ways—The king coming from Babylon Is represented in the grajliic style of Ezekiel as reaching the point where the road brancheil otf in two ways, one leading by the south,.by Tadmor or Palmyra, to Rabbath of Ammon, east of Jordan ; the othei by the north, by Riblah In Syria, ta.Jernaalem, and lies-
A Prophecy against Jerusalem, EZEKIEL XXI. Israel and (he Ainmonita.
which way to take. Ezeklel Is tokl to "appoint tiif iwo ways" (as in eh. 4. 1), lor Nebucljadnezzar, lish Version Is better: so Gesknius (2 Chronicles 36. 13;' Jeremiah 52. 2). when iniquity shall have an enil—(u.
29.) When thine iniquity, having reached its last stage of guilt, shall be put an end to by judgment (ch. 35. 5). 2G. diadem—rather, " <Ae mitre" of the holy priest (Exodus 2S.1; Zechariah 3. 5). His priestly emblem as reprosentative of the priestly people. This, as well as "the crown," the emblem of the kingdom were to be removed, until they should be restored and united in the Mediator, Messiah (Psalm 110.2,4; Zechariah 6. 13). [Faikbairx. As, however, the King Zedeklah alone, not the high priest also, is referred to in the context, English Version tliousli knowing no otlier control but his own will and sviperstilion, liad really tliis path "appointed" for hiin by tlie all-ruling God. out of one lamI-^'(2., Babylon, choose . . . « jilacf— a huncl. 80 it is translated by Kaikhaikn, " make a finger-pont," viz., the head of the two ways, the hami-post pointing Nebuchadnezzar to the way to Jerusalem as the way he should select. But Mauker rightly supports English Version. Ezekiel is told to "choose the place" wliere Nebuchadnezzar should do as is described in i". 20, 21 ; so entirely does God order by the prophet every particular of place aud time in the inovi'mi;nts of the invader. 20. Rabl>atl» of tlie Ammojiites—distinct from Rabbah in Judah ('2 Samuel 12. 20). Ra)>t)ath is put first, as it was from her that Jerusalem, that doomed city, had borrowed manjof her idols, to Juclnli in .Trr>iis!«l«-m—instead of simply putting "Jerusalem," to imply the sword was to come not merely to Judah, but to its people ivithin Jerusalem, "defenced" thongh it was, its defences on which .the Jews relied so much would not keep the foe out. 21. parting— Ji'i., "mother of the way." As "head of the two ways" follows, wliich seems tautology after "parting of the way," Havkhnick translates, according to Arabic idiom, the highway, or prineipal road. English Version is not tautology, "head of the two ways" defining more accurately is supported b}' Gesenius. this shall not be the tiame the diadem shall not be as it was. [Rosenmijli.er.] Nothing shall remain what it was. [Faikbaikn.] exnlt. . .'low . . . abase . . . high—not the general trutli expressed (Proverbs 3. 34 ; Luke 1.52; James 4. 6; 1 Peter 5.
5); but specially referring to Messiah and Zedekiah contrasted together. The "tender plant . . . out of the dry ground" (Isaiali 53. 2) is to be "exalted" In the end (v. 27); the now " high" representative on David's throne, Zedekiah, is to be "abased." The outward relations of things sliall be made to change places in just retaliation on the people for having so perverted the moral relations of things. [Hengstenberg.] 27. Lit., "An overturning, overturning, overturning, will I make it." Tlie tlireefold repetition denotes the awful certainty of the event; not as Rosenmuller explains, the overthrow of the
" parting of the way." made . . . bright—rather, "shook," from an Arabic root, arrows—Divination by arrows is here referred to: they were put into a quiver marked with the names of particular places to be attacked, and then shaken together; whichever came forth first intimated the one selected as the first to be attacked. fjEROME.] The same usage existed among the Arabs, and is mentioned in the Koran. In the Nineveh sculptures the king is represented with a cup in his right hand, liis left resting on a bow; also with two arrows in the right, and the bow in the left, probably practising divination, images Hebrew, teraphim : household gods, worshipped as a family talisman, to obtain direction as
A'lree, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah; for Zedekiah alone is referred to. it shall be no more, until he cornea whose right it is—strikingly parallel to Genesis 49. 10. Nowhere shall there be rest or permanence; all things shall be in fluctuation until He comes who, as the rightful Heir, shall restore the throne of David that fell with Zedekiah. The Hcbrcv for "right" is "judgment:" it perhaps includes, besides the right to rule, the idea of His) rule being one in righteoitsness (Psahn 72. 2; Isaiah 9. 6, 7; 11.4; Revelation 19.11). Others (Nebuchadnezzar, <&c.>, who held the rule of the earth delegated to them by Goii. abused it by unrighteousness, and so forfeited the " right." He both has the truest "right" to the rule, and exercisei to the future and other blessings. First mentioned in Mesopotamia, whence Rachel brought them (Genesis 31.
it in "right." It is true the tribal "sceptre'' continued with Judah " till Shiloh came" (Genesis 49. 10); but there was no kingly sceptre till Messiah came, as the spiritual King then (John 18. 36, 37); this spiritual kingdom being about to pass into the literal, pei-sonal kingdom over Israel at His second coming, when, and not before, this prophecy shall not have Its exhaustive fulfilment (Luke 1. .32, 33; Jeremiah 3. 17; 10. 7; "To thee doth it appertain"). 38. Lest Amnion should think to escape because NebucJiadnezzar h,ad taken the route to Jerusalem, Ezekiel denounces Judgment against Ammon, without the prospect of a restoration such as awaited Isr.ael. Jeremiah 49. 6, it
19, 31 1 ; put away by Jacob (Genesis 35. 4); set up by Micah as his household gods (Judges 17. 5) ; stigmatized as idolatry (1 Samuel 15. 23, Hebrew ; cf. Zechariah 10. 2, Margin). liver—they judged of the success, or failure, of an undertaking by tlie healthy, or unhealthy, state of the liver and entrails of a sacrifice. 22. Rather, "/« his right hand was (is) the divination," i. e., he holds up in his rigiit luind the arrow marked with "Jerusalem," to encwurage his army to march for it. captains—the Margin, " battering-rams," adopted by Fairbaikn, is leSs appropriate, for " Ijattering-rams" follow presently after. [Gror I I's. ] open the mouth in . , . slaughter i. e., commanding slaugliter: raising the war-cry of death. Not as GrSENius, "to open the mouth ii'ilh the ivar-shout." 23. Unto the Jews, though credulous of divinations when in their favour, Nel)uchadnezziir's divination "shall be (seen) as is true, speaks of a " bringing again of its captivity," but this probably refers to its spiritual restoration under Messiah ; or, if referring to it politically, must refer to hut a partial restoration at the downfall of Babylon under Cyrus, their reproach—This constituted a leading feature in their guilt; they treated with proud contumely the covenant people after the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (ch. 25. 3, 6; Zephaniah 2.9,10), and appropriated Israel's territory (Jeremiah 49. 1;. Amos 1.
falsi'." to llieni, itc—This gives the reason which makes the Ji'ws fancy themselves safe from the Chaldeans, viz., that lhey "have sworn" to the latter "oaths" of alleginnce, forgetting that they had violated them (ch. 17. 13, i;i-15). furbislietl, to consmne — Maurer punctuates thus, " Drawn for the slaughter, it Is furbished to devour ('consume'), to glitter." English Version, "to consume because of the glittering," means, "to consume by reason
Ki, IS), hut Nebuchadnezzar vtWX remember in consulting his idols that he swore to Zedeklah by them, but that Zedekiiih broke the league. [Grotius.] Rather, Ood v. ill remenU)ef against them (Revelation 16. 19) their vio-
Lsit ing their oath sworn by the true God, whereas Nebuchadnezzar kept his oath sworn by a false god; v. 21 conof the lightning Jtashlike rapidity with which it falls." Five years after the fall of Jerusalem, Ammon was destroyed for aiding Ishmael in usurping the government of Judea against the will of the king of Babylon (2 Kings 25. 25; Jeremiah 41. 15). [Grotius.] 29. see vanity . . . divine h lie—Ammon, too, had false diviners who flattered them with assurances of safety; the only result of which will be to " bring Ammon upon the necks," etc., /. e., toad.l th<. Ammonites to the headless trunks ol the slain of Judah, whose bad example Ammon followed, tuid " whose day" of visitation for their guilt " is coino." when their iniquity ahall have an end—see Note, v. 25. 30. Shall I tirij\s this. 24:. Their unfaithfulness to Nebuchadnezzar v;as a type of their general unfaithfulness to their covenant God. ivith the hand viz., of the king of Babylon.
2.7. profajni—.!is having desecrated by Idolatry and perjury his otlice as the Ijord's anointed. IlAVEiiNiCK translates, as in V. 1 1, " slain," i. e., not literall.v, but virtually; to K/.i-klel's idealizing view Zedeklah was the grand victim " |)ier< ed tlirongh" by God's sword of Judgment, as his sons were slain before his eyes, whlcli were then put out, luid lie wa.s led a cajitlve In chains to Babylon. Kn.g5M
KEAPEKS AND GLEANliBS OF ANCIENT PALESTINE.