INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 21 This chapter contains an explanation of a prophecy in the latter part of the preceding chapter; and a new one, concerning the sword of the Chaldeans, and the destruction of the Jews and Ammonites by it. The prophecy of the fire in the forest is explained, Ezekiel 21:1, up... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ME, SAYING. Upon the above excuse or complaint about speaking in parables; wherefore the prophet is ordered to speak in plainer language to the people. It is very probable that the prophet delivered the prophecy recorded in the latter part of the preceding chapter... [ Continue Reading ]
SON OF MAN, SET THY FACE TOWARD JERUSALEM,.... Which shows that this city was meant by "the south", Ezekiel 20:46: AND DROP THY WORD TOWARD THE HOLY PLACES; which also are meant by the south in the passage referred to, even the holy land, holy city, and holy temple; or the temple itself is only mea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAY TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL,.... The inhabitants of it, signified by the "forest of the south field", Ezekiel 20:47: THUS SAITH THE LORD, BEHOLD, I AM AGAINST THEE; and sad it is to have the Lord against a people, a nation, a city, or a family, or a particular person; for there is no contending w... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEING THEN THAT I WILL CUT OFF FROM THEE THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED,.... Some by the sword, some by famine, some by pestilence, and others by captivity; and, upon the whole, none spared, but the land left desolate: THEREFORE SHALL MY SWORD GO FORTH OUT OF HIS SHEATH AGAINST ALL FLESH, FROM THE S... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT ALL FLESH MAY KNOW THAT I THE LORD HAVE DRAWN FORTH MY SWORD OUT OF HIS SHEATH,.... The same with kindling a fire in Judea, Ezekiel 20:48: IT SHALL NOT RETURN ANY MORE; that is, into its sheath, until it has done all its work; meaning that the Chaldean army should not return to their own land... [ Continue Reading ]
SIGH, THEREFORE, THOU SON OF MAN, WITH THE BREAKING OF THY LOINS,.... As if thy loins were broke, and go as if they were, and sigh as thou goest; or as a woman in travail, having her hands upon her loins as ready to break, and in the utmost distress; or heave, and groan, and sigh, till the girdle of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL BE, WHEN THEY SAY UNTO THEE, WHEREFORE SIGHEST THOU?.... Which he was to do that purpose, that they might be put upon asking him the reason of it; whether it was on his own personal amount, or on account of his family or particular friends; or whether on a public account, either because... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN, THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ME, SAYING. Either this is a new prophecy of another sword, distinct and different from that of the Chaldeans, even of the sword of the Romans, as Cocceius thinks or it is a further explanation of the former, and an enlargement upon it.... [ Continue Reading ]
SON OF MAN, PROPHESY AND SAY, THUS SAITH THE LORD,.... Deliver out the following prophecy in the name of the Lord: SAY, A SWORD, A SWORD IS SHARPENED, AND ALSO FURBISHED; it is not only drawn out of its sheath, as before, but is made sharp and bright, and ready for use. It is repeated, either to sh... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS SHARPENED TO MAKE A SORE SLAUGHTER,.... To cut easily, and wound deeply, and make a slaughter of men, like beasts for sacrifice; a sacrifice to the justice of God for their sins, and so acceptable to him; and it is he indeed that sharpens it, or prepares the instruments of his vengeance, wheth... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE HATH GIVEN IT TO BE FURBISHED, THAT IT MIGHT BE HANDLED,.... Either Nebuchadnezzar, or rather God, or the Son of God, prepared and brightened the sword, that it might be handled and made use of, either by the Chaldeans or Romans, to the destruction of the Jews. The Targum is, "he gave their... [ Continue Reading ]
CRY, HOWL, SON OF MAN,.... Not only sigh, but cry; and not cry only, but howl; signifying hereby that this would be the case of the Jews when these calamities should come upon them; and, in order to affect them with them before hand, the prophet is ordered to act such a part, as well as to express h... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE IT IS A TRIAL,.... As all afflictions and calamities are, especially to the people of God they try their faith and patience, and every other grace; and also to wicked men, they try them, whether they will repent or not: AND WHAT IF THE SWORD CONTEMN EVEN THE ROD? the sceptre: the king of Ju... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU, THEREFORE, SON OF MAN, PROPHESY, AND SMITE THINE HANDS TOGETHER,.... As being in the greatest agony for what is coming upon thy people: or "strike hand to hand" y; clap them together, as encouraging the enemy with his drawn, sharp, and glittering sword, to make use of it, and do execution with... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE SET THE POINT OF THE SWORD AGAINST ALL THEIR GATES,.... The word rendered "point" is nowhere else used, and is differently translated: by some the "fear" of the sword z, as Menachem and Kimchi; by others the "cry" of the sword, or of those that are slain with it, as Jarchi; and the Targum par... [ Continue Reading ]
GO THEE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER,.... Go to some one place: or "unite thyself" a; to other swords, or join other soldiers holding swords; the address is to the sword, to steer its course some one way, and slay as it goes along, sparing none: EITHER ON THE RIGHT, OR ON THE LEFT; OR SOUTH, OR NORTH; so the... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL ALSO SMITE MY HANDS TOGETHER,.... As well as the prophet was bid to do, Ezekiel 21:14, either expressing a concern for the calamity of the people, or indignation at their sins: or rather as encouraging their enemies to make use of the sword pointed at them, and, as it were, rejoicing at their... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ME AGAIN,.... Immediately after the former; for this respects the same prophecy about the sword, and the way of its coming, and the cause of it: SAYING; as follows:... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO THOU, SON OF MAN, APPOINT THEE TWO WAYS, THAT THE SWORD OF THE KING OF BABYLON MAY COME,.... Describe or draw out upon a table or tile, as in Ezekiel 4:1, or on the ground, two roads, such as are described in maps; which it may be supposed the king of Babylon would take, either the one or the o... [ Continue Reading ]
APPOINT A WAY,.... Mark out a way, describe a road, draw one out upon the ground, or point out one upon a table, or tile: THAT THE SWORD MAY COME; in which the sword will come; or those that kill with the sword, as the Targum, even the Chaldean army under Nebuchadnezzar: TO RABBATH OF THE AMMONITE... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE KING OF BABYLON STOOD AT THE PARTING OF THE WAY, AT THE HEAD OF THE TWO WAYS,.... That is, he would stand there; the prophet knew that it was certain it should be, and therefore represents it as if it was; he had, by a spirit of prophecy, seen, that when the king of Babylon was come to such... [ Continue Reading ]
AT HIS RIGHT HAND WAS THE DIVINATION FOR JERUSALEM,.... All his divinations, whether by arrows, or by images, or by liver, all directed him to his right hand, to turn to that which led to Jerusalem; and thus what appeared to him to be the effect of divination was overruled by the providence of God,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL BE UNTO THEM AS A FALSE DIVINATION IN THEIR SIGHT,.... That is, the Jews shall laugh at this divination as a vain thing, as a Heathenish practice, and of which nothing would come; and even at the prophet's account of it, and his prophecy concerning the king of Babylon coming to invade t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... Because of their vain confidence, added to their perjury and perfidy: BECAUSE YE HAVE MADE YOUR INIQUITY TO BE REMEMBERED; their old sins, by committing new ones, both against the Lord, and against the king of Babylon: IN THAT YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS ARE DISCOVER... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU, PROFANE WICKED PRINCE OF ISRAEL,.... Meaning Zedekiah, the then reigning prince; who is so called, because he had profaned or violated the oath and covenant he made with the king of Babylon, as well as because of other sins he was guilty of; and his being a prince of Israel was an aggravat... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD, REMOVE THE DIADEM, AND TAKE OFF THE CROWN,.... That is, from Zedekiah; and as these are the regalia and ensigns of royal dignity, taking them off signifies the deposition of him as a king, the stripping him of his kingly power and authority: an earthly crown is a corruptible... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL OVERTURN, OVERTURN, OVERTURN, IT,.... The crown and kingdom of Judah; which being expressed three times, has not respect, as Kimchi thinks, to the three generations, in which the crown ceased after the captivity, as those of Asir, Shealtiel, Pedaiah; and in the fourth generation was restored... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU, SON OF MAN, PROPHESY, AND SAY,.... Here begins a new prophecy, or rather an enlargement on part of the former; two ways being marked out for the sword of the Chaldeans to come in; the one leading to Jerusalem, the other to Rabbath of the Ammonites; the prophecy being finished concerning th... [ Continue Reading ]
WHILES THEY SEE VANITY UNTO THEE, WHILES THEY DIVINE A LIE UNTO THEE,.... The Ammonites had their seers, soothsayers, diviners, and false prophets, which they are bid to be aware of, and are cautioned against hearkening to, Jeremiah 27:3, these told them they were in the utmost safety, and that the... [ Continue Reading ]
SHALL I CAUSE IT TO RETURN INTO HIS SHEATH?.... The drawn and furbished sword of the Chaldeans? no, I will not; it shall never return or be put up until the Ammonites are utterly consumed. Some read these words in the imperative, as the Targum, "return the sword to its sheath;'' so the Vulgate Lat... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I WILL POUR OUT MINE INDIGNATION UPON THEE,.... Like a mighty flood, which should sweep them away for their sins and transgressions; and particularly for their reproaches of God and his people, which caused his indignation to rise, and him to pour it out upon them in such a manner: I WILL BLOW... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT BE FOR FUEL FOR THE FIRE,.... Easily consumed, as briers and thorns cast into a furnace; such are wicked men to the fire of God's wrath: THY BLOOD SHALL BE IN THE MIDST OF THE LAND; such large numbers shall be slain everywhere, that the land shall flow with the blood of them; who shall l... [ Continue Reading ]