Ezekiel 14:3

Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? THESE MEN HAVE SET UP THEIR IDOLS IN THEIR HEART, AND PUT THE STUMBLINGBLOCK OF THEIR INIQUITY BEFORE THEIR FACE. The heart is first corrupted, and then the outward manifestation of idol-worship follows: they set their idols before their eyes. With all their pretence of consulting God now, they have not even put away their idols outwardly: implying gross contempt of God. "Set up," literally, raised aloft: implying that their idols had gained the supreme ascendency over them. STUMBLINGBLOCK OF ... INIQUITY - (see ; , "Let not them (God's laws) depart from thine eye, then shalt thou walk in thy...

1-11 No outward form or reformation can be acceptable to God, so long as any idol possesses the heart; yet how many prefer their own devices and their own righteousness, to the way of salvation! Men's corruptions are idols in their hearts, and are of their own setting up; God will let them take their course. Sin renders the sinner odious in the eyes of the pure and holy God; and in his own eyes also, whenever conscience is awakened. Let us seek to be cleansed from the guilt and pollution of sins, in that fountain which the Lord has opened....

Verse Ezekiel 14:3. _THESE MEN HAVE SET UP THEIR IDOLS IN THEIR HEART_] Not only in their houses; in the _streets_; but they had them in their _hearts_. These were _stumbling-blocks_ of iniquity; they _fell over_ _them_, and broke the neck of their souls. And should God be inquired of by such miscreants as these?...

EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 14:1 As the result, probably, of the previous utterances, certain ELDERS OF ISRAEL, _i_._e_. of the exiles in Tel-Abib, came to consult Ezekiel, wishing to know what counsels or what predictions he had for them. In Ezekiel 8:1 we have "the elders of Judah," and it is possible that there were two groups in the Population of the town, and that these represented Israel as distinct from Judah—a deputation, as it were, from the earlier exiles. The term appears again in Ezekiel 20:1. More probably, however, the terms are used interchangeably. Ezekiel 14:

SON OF MAN, THESE MEN HAVE SET UP THEIR IDOLS IN THEIR HEART,.... Though they look so grave and demure, seem so devout and religious, and hear with so much attention and reverence, and express such a desire of consulting me by thee, they are no other than idolaters; and though they are at such a distance from their native place, and have not their idols with them, yet they have them in their fancy and imagination, and their hearts are after them, and are set upon them; these engross their affections, they are near and dear unto them, notwithstanding all their pretensions: or, they "have caused their idols to ascend upon their heart" p; their hearts are the altars on which they worship them, and the throne on which they have placed them; they are held in the highest esteem by them, and have the greatest honours done them, and have the ascendant over them; even their "dunghill" gods, as th...

Ezekiel 14:1. These inquiring elders, with wickedness in their hearts, give another illustration of the depth of degradation in which the people had sunk. He who searches the hearts knew what was in them. They came with pious, religious pretensions. It sounded well to inquire of the Lord and seek the prophet-priest for that purpose. Their hearts were full of evil. While their lips spoke of asking the Lord, their hearts were full of idolatry. They liked idolatry. Their hearts were in it and this stumbling-block of their iniquity they had put before their faces, which means they openly defied the Lord God of Israel by their doings. “Should I be inquired of at all by them?” To seek the Lord and inquire of Him in such a condition reveals a brazen spirit and the deepest depravity. Yet this also belongs to the conditions in which the professing people of God are when judgment overtakes them....

INSINCERITY OF THOSE WHO CONSULT THE PROPHETS. Like prophet, like people. The prophets, as _we_ have just seen (Ezekiel 13), were greatly to blame; but no less were the people partly because of their scepticism (Ezekiel 12:21), and partly, as we now see, because of their insincerity. This is illustrated by a question put by certain elders on the occasion of a visit to Ezekiel a question which neither deserved nor received an answer; for they are idolaters, certainly at _heart and_ probably in fact; they worship Yahweh with divided heart, and are therefore inevitably excluded from a knowledge of His purpose and will. No answer can be given to such, but the answer of the Divine judgment; and if they continue their policy of impenitent compromise, their fate will be nothing less than terrible (Ezek

SON OF MAN. See note on Ezekiel 2:1. MEN. Hebrew, plural of _'enosh_. App-14. IDOLS. manufactured idols. INIQUITY. perversity. Hebrew. _dvah._ App-44. BEFORE THEIR FACE. Instead of God's law, according to Deuteronomy 6:8; Deuteronomy 11:18. and Proverbs 3:21....

_set up their idols in_ Lit. _have laid their idols upon their heart_, which appears to mean, laid them on their minds, busied their thoughts and filled their affections with them. _stumblingblock of their iniquity_ The reference is still to the idols. Stumblingblock of iniquity is that over which one falls and commits iniquity, see on ch. Ezekiel 7:19. _before their face_ i.e. have placed them in their view, or, so as to follow them; cf. Ezekiel 14:6 "turn away your faces from all your abominations;" Psalms 16:8; Psalms 101:3. The language is figurative, and does not imply literal setting-up of idols. should

THESE MEN HAVE SET UP THEIR IDOLS— They are not only inclined to idolatry in their hearts, but have actually set up idols, and worshipped them. However, the prophet shews plainly, that their idolatries consisted not in intirely deserting, but in polluting the religion of Moses with foreign worship. Div. Leg. vol. 4: p. 47....