Commentary on Ezekiel Chapters 1-20 John Calvin (continued)
JOHN CALVIN
they had despised my judgments and had not walked in my statutes. He here inverts the order: he had formerly said that they had not walked in his statutes and had despised my judgments; but now he begins with the contempt: and have polluted my Sabbaths, because their hearts went after their idols. The sense is, that they always treated God deceitfully: and although they held that he was to be worshipped formally, yet they were always addicted to various superstitions: as also Stephen reproves them, (Acts 7:40-43,) for he agrees entirely with our Prophet. As he puts
Sabbaths in the plural number, I do not interpret it so strictly as some do, thinking that the Prophet means Sabbaths of years, and afterwards the jubilee: for there were three Sabbaths among the Jews; that is, every seventh day was consecrated to God, and every seventh year, and every fiftieth. Although it is true that years were sabbatical as well as days, yet I do not think that the Prophet is making any subtle distinctions here but I take Sabbath to mean the seventh day. It now follows ---
Ezekiel 20:17
17. Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
17. Et pepercit oculus meus super ipsos 540 ne perderem ipsos, et ne facerem ipsos 541 consumptionem in deserto.
This is added, because God often afflicted the people with heavy punishments, but he restrained himself, that he should not utterly destroy both their persons and their name. He says, then, that he spared them through respect for his own name, as he formerly said, that he should not execute consumption on them; that is, that he should not utterly blot out the memory of them. He did not spare them entirely to foster their depravity by his indulgence, but as we shall afterwards see, he withdrew his hand that he should not consume them, as he might most justly have done. It now follows ---
Ezekiel 20:18-19
18. But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
18. Et dixi ad filios ipsorum in deserto, In decretis, 542 patrum vestrorum ne ambuletis, et indicia ipsorum ne servetis: et in idolis 543 ipsorum ne polluamini.
19. I am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;
19. Ego Iehovah Deus vester, in decretis meis ambulate, et judicia mea servate, et facite ea.
After God has shown that the obstinate wickedness of the people was such that they profited by neither rigor nor clemency, he now says that the sons were altogether like their fathers. For when he says that he turned his discourse to their sons, he obliquely indicates that he was so broken down by their disgust, that he is unwilling to address the deaf. I said, therefore, to their sons: why not to themselves? because they had become obdurate in their impiety, and gave no hope of 540"My eye took no notice of them." — Calvin. 541"And I did not execute on them." — Calvin. 542Or, "statutes." — Calvin. 543Or, "pollution's." — Calvin.