INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 33 This chapter treats of the prophet's duty, and the people's sins; contains a vindication of the justice of God; a threatening of destruction to those who remained in the land after the taking of the city; and a detection of the hypocrisy of the prophet's hearers. The duty... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ME,.... After the delivery of various prophecies concerning the ruin of other nations, the Ammonites, Tyrians, and Egyptians, a fresh prophecy comes from the Lord concerning the Jews: SAYING; as follows:... [ Continue Reading ]
SON OF MAN, SPEAK TO THE CHILDREN OF THY PEOPLE,.... The Jews, of whom the prophet was; and designs those who were with him in the captivity; and who, having behaved so ill, the Lord will not own them for his people, but calls them the prophet's people, and the children of them: AND SAY UNTO THEM,... [ Continue Reading ]
IF WHAT HE SEETH THE SWORD COME UPON THE LAND,.... Or those that kill with the sword, as the Targum; as soon as he observes a body of armed men, more or less, marching towards the borders of the land with a manifest intention to enter and invade it: HE BLOW THE TRUMPET, AND WARN THE PEOPLE; warn th... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN WHOSOEVER HEARETH THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET, AND TAKETH NO WARNING,.... Does not mind the notice given him; is incredulous of the danger he is in, or negligent of providing for his safety; fancies it is an alarm, and nothing else; and imagines there is no real danger, or what is a mere trifle; o... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HEARD THE SOUND OF THE TRUMPET,.... The alarm of the enemy being at hand, and so was inexcusable: AND TOOK NOT WARNING; which that gave him: HIS BLOOD SHALL BE UPON HIM; the fault shall be imputed to himself, and not another; and he must bear it himself, and answer for it, and not the watchman:... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF THE WATCHMAN SEE THE SWORD COME,.... Or those that kill with the sword, as the Targum is; so far doing the duty of his office as to be in the watchtower, and not asleep: AND YET BLOW NOT THE TRUMPET: to give the people notice of the enemy, and of their danger: AND THE PEOPLE BE NOT WARNED;... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THOU, O SON OF MAN,.... Here begins the application of the parable to the prophet himself, describing his office and his duty: I HAVE SET THEE A WATCHMAN UNTO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL; which is repeated from Ezekiel 3:17, Ezekiel 3:17. The Targum is, "I have appointed thee a teacher;'' a spiritual... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I SAY UNTO THE WICKED, O WICKED MAN,.... Order the prophet to say so to him, and as follows; Ezekiel 3:18.... [ Continue Reading ]
NEVERTHELESS, IF THOU WARN THE WICKED OF HIS WAY,.... Ezekiel 3:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE, O THOU SON OF MAN, SPEAK UNTO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL,.... Such of them as were with him in the captivity: thus ye speak, saying; reasoning and arguing within and among themselves; which the Lord heard, and made known to the prophet, who is bid to repeat it to them in order to give an answer:... [ Continue Reading ]
SAY UNTO THEM, AS I LIVE, SAITH THE LORD,.... The following is the answer returned from the Lord by the prophet to their above complaint and reasoning; to which is premised the oath of God, showing the certainty, reality, and sincerity of what is said, which might be depended on as true: I HAVE NO... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE, THOU SON OF MAN, SAY UNTO THE CHILDREN OF THY PEOPLE,.... Ezekiel 33:2. The purport of what the prophet is bid to say in this and some following verses is, that the righteousness of a man that trusts in it, he sinning and not repenting, shall not save him; and that the wickedness of a rep... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I SHALL SAY TO THE RIGHTEOUS, THAT HE SHALL SURELY LIVE,.... A happy life, here and hereafter; an eternal life, and not die the second death: this must be understood, should he appear a truly righteous person; one that does not trust to his own righteousness, but to the righteousness of Christ,... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAIN, WHEN I SAY UNTO THE WICKED, THOU SHALT SURELY DIE,.... That is, provided he continues in the same course of life, impenitent and unbelieving: BUT IF HE TURN FROM HIS SIN; repent of it, and forsake it: AND DO THAT WHICH IS LAWFUL AND RIGHT; or "judgment and justice"; do that which is agreeab... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THE WICKED RESTORE THE PLEDGE,.... His neighbour's raiment, which he has taken as a pledge for money lent him; and which, according to the law, was to be restored before sunset, Exodus 22:26 which wicked men did not attend unto; but when such a man is brought to a sense of his wickedness, and rep... [ Continue Reading ]
NONE OF HIS SINS THAT HE HATH COMMITTED SHALL BE MENTIONED UNTO HIM,.... Imputed to him; placed to his account; charged upon him, or ever be spoke of to him, either now, or at the day of judgment, by way of accusation and complaint, or to his condemnation: HE HATH DONE THAT WHICH IS LAWFUL AND RIGH... [ Continue Reading ]
YET THE CHILDREN OF THY PEOPLE SAY,.... "Not my people"; for surely the children of God could never say what follows; and one would think that even no man could say it, after so much had been said by the Lord concerning the righteous and the wicked, and his dealings with them, which must appear to b... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE RIGHTEOUS TURNETH FROM HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS,.... This and what is said in the following verse are clear instances of the equality, justness, and goodness of the ways of God; and are again repeated, if possible, to make it clear and plain to them that their charge and complaint were groundless;... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF THE WICKED TURN FROM HIS WICKEDNESS,.... Ezekiel 18:27.... [ Continue Reading ]
YET YE SAY, THE WAY OF THE LORD IS NOT EQUAL,.... Still obstinately persisting in their false charges, notwithstanding plain proofs to the contrary: O YE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, I WILL JUDGE YOU EVERYONE AFTER HIS WAYS; Ezekiel 18:30.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE TWELFTH YEAR OF OUR CAPTIVITY,.... Of Jeconiah's captivity, when Ezekiel with others were carried into Babylon; see Ezekiel 1:2 IN THE TENTH MONTH, IN THE FIFTH DAY OF THE MONTH; which was a year, four months, and some days, after the city of Jerusalem was taken; for that... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS UPON ME IN THE EVENING, AFORE HE THAT WAS ESCAPED CAME,.... The prophet felt a divine impulse on his mind; he was under the influence of a spirit of prophecy, and knew before the messenger came to him what his message was, and was prepared to receive it, and to prophesy... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ME,.... After the messenger had delivered his message, and he had received it, and conversed with him about it: SAYING: as follows:... [ Continue Reading ]
SON OF MAN, THEY THAT INHABIT THOSE WASTES OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL,.... The places which were laid waste by Nebuchadnezzar's army, going and returning, in and about Jerusalem, and in several parts of Judea; these were they that were left in the land after the destruction, to people and plant it; or wh... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE SAY UNTO THEM, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... Send them this message in writing, as from the Lord; for the prophet was now in Chaldea, and could not deliver it by word of mouth to those that inhabited the wastes of Israel; but he could tell it to the messenger that came to him, who had escap... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 26 YE STAND UPON YOUR SWORD,.... You trust in it, and think to support yourselves by it, and secure your possession and right of it by that means. So the Targum, "you stand in your strength:'' YE WORK ABOMINATION; that which is abominable to God, and not fit to be named among men; Jarchi inte... [ Continue Reading ]
SAY THOU THUS UNTO THEM, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... Send or write unto them in the name of the Lord, after this manner, AS I LIVE, which is the form of an oath; the Lord swears by himself his life, because he could swear by no greater, and for the confirmation of what follows: SURELY THEY THAT A... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR I WILL LAY THE LAND MOST DESOLATE,.... Or, "desolation" and "desolation" n; one desolating judgment shall follow upon another, until it is completely desolate; it was very desolate already, through the ravages of the Chaldean army; but it should become more so, through other judgments here threa... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL THEY KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD,.... An omniscient Being, that could foresee and foretell what would come to pass; and omnipotent, able to do whatever he pleased, and true and faithful to his word; and a sovereign Lord, whose will cannot be resisted; this they should see, own, and acknowledg... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO, THOU SON OF MAN,.... I have something to say to thee, and inform thee of, not only concerning the Jews in Judea, what they say, and what will befall them; but concerning those that are with thee, and what they say of thee, and what will be the issue of it: THE CHILDREN OF THY PEOPLE STILL ARE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY COME UNTO THEE AS THE PEOPLE COMETH,.... As the people of God, who came to the prophets's house to hear him preach the word, and explain it for their spiritual profit and edification these came when they did, and as early and constantly, and with seeming pleasure: AND THEY SIT BEFORE THEE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND, LO, THOU ART UNTO THEM AS A VERY LOVELY SONG OF ONE THAT HATH A PLEASANT VOICE,.... Whose voice, and the music of it, are regarded, and not the matter of the song, but the manner in which it is sung; so these people did not so much attend to what the prophet said as the manner of his delivery;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THIS COMETH TO PASS,.... The prophecy before delivered out, concerning the desolations in the land of Israel, by the sword, pestilence, and wild beasts: LO, IT WILL COME; whatever is predicted by the Lord; in the mouth of his prophets, certainly comes to pass: then shall they know that a p... [ Continue Reading ]