Ezekiel 15:5

Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned? BEHOLD, WHEN IT WAS WHOLE, IT WAS MEET FOR NO WORK: HOW MUCH LESS ... WHEN ... BURNED? If useless before, much more so when almost wholly burned....

EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 15:2 WHAT IS THE VINE TREE, etc.? The prophet's mind had apparently been dwelling, after the close of his previous utterance, on the imagery of earlier writers, in which Israel had appeared as the vine of Jehovah (Genesis 49:22; Psalms 80:9; Hosea 10:1; Isaiah 5:1.; Deuteronomy 32:32; Jeremiah 2:21), and to which

BEHOLD, WHEN IT WAS WHOLE IT WAS MEET FOR NO WORK,.... Before it was cut into pieces, and east into the fire, it was not fit to make so much as a pin of to hang anything on; so Israel, when all together, before the ten tribes were carried captive, or the Jews before the captivity of Jeconiah, were useless and unfruitful, and to every good work reprobate: HOW MUCH LESS SHALL IT BE MEET YET FOR [ANY] WORK WHEN THE FIRE HATH DEVOURED IT, AND IT IS BURNED? as its wood is good for nothing before it is burned, its ashes are useless after....

Ezekiel 15:1. This is the first of three parables to demonstrate still further the delusion of their false hope that deliverance would come. The vine is a type of Israel Psalms 80:8; Isaiah 5:1, and Hosea 10:1. The vine is only good for one thing, which is the bearing of fruit; apart from this it is worthless. The wood cannot be used for anything whatever. It is good for nothing but burning. Nebuchadnezzar carried out this sentence 2 Kings 25:9. It reminds us also of the parable of the vine our Lord spoke, in which, speaking of the unfruitful branch, He said, “Men gath

EZEKIEL 15. THE USELESS VINE (JERUSALEM) IS DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION. We have seen some of the reasons why the illusion of the inviolability of Jerusalem was so hard to slay (chs. 12f.). Here we meet with another. The people believed themselves to be the darlings of Yahweh. Had not the great Isaiah (ch. 5) compared them to a vine, which had enjoyed His special nurture and care? Good, says Ezekiel, but remember how useless the vine is; why you cannot even make a peg out of its wood. While, as for the fruit of this particular vine he passes over this in ominous silence it has either none to show, or the foul fruit (of injustice and oppression) so stingingly denounced by Isaiah (Isaiah 5:4; Isaiah 5:7). Besides, it has already been burned at both ends an allusion to the fall of Israel in 721 B.C. and the first deportation of

_meet for no work_ Lit., _it could not be made into_, or, _used for_any work; how much less, when the fire hath devoured it and it is charred, shall it be any more used for, or made into any work....

CHAPTER EIGHT PARABLES AND PICTURES 15:1-17:24 The justification of God's judgment against Judah continues in Chapter s 15-17, but the nature of the defense changes. Here Ezekiel employs parables or allegories to paint a rather gruesome word picture of the ingratitude, sin and rebellion of God's people. He describes (1) the useless vine (Ezekiel 15:1-8); (2) the faithless wife (Ezekiel 16:1-43); (3) the fallen sister (Ezekiel 16:44-63); and (4) the lowly vine (Ezekiel 17:1-21). The section closes with a brief and optimistic parable of the stately cedar ...

15:5 burned, (c-24) Or 'charred;' 'parched,' Psalms 69:3 ....

EZEKIEL'S PARABLE OF THE VINE Jerusalem and Israel are compared elsewhere in Scripture to a cultivated vine, bearing or expected to bear fruit. Ezekiel's similitude, however, is that of the wild vine (Ezekiel 15:2, RV), regarded simply as a tree. It is the most worthless of trees. Its wood is of no use for any purpose, being too weak even to make a peg of. A vine branch that happens to be half-burnt is even more worthless than it was before. Jerusalem is such a half-burnt vine, already charred by the first captivity. It is only fit for fuel, and will be wholly consumed....

EZEKIEL: ‘THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM GOD’ THE *SIN OF JUDAH AND THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD EZEKIEL CHAPTER S 1 TO 24 _IAN MACKERVOY_ CHAPTER 15 A *VINE WITHOUT FRUIT – EZEKIEL 15:1-8 V1 The *LORD spoke to me. V2 ‘*Son of man, the wood of the *vine is much poorer than the wood from any tree in the forest. V3 You certainly cannot use the wood from the *vine to make anything. You cannot use it to make something to hang things on. V4 You can put it on the fire as fuel. Both ends burn but the middle does not burn well. No, it is no use for anything. V5 When the *vine was whole, you could make nothing from it. It is even less use when the fire has burned it....