Ezekiel 25:17

And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them. THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD, WHEN I SHALL LAY MY VENGEANCE UPON THEM - they shall know me, not in mercy, but by my vengeance on them (). Remarks: (1) The triumphing of the wicked over the people of God is but short. If God spared not the elect nation Israel, He was sure not to suffer the Ammonites to escape with impunity, because they were in many respects no less guilty than Israel, and they added to their guilt by the grievous sin of insolently exulting, not merely over the land of Israel and the house of Judah in their distress, but also over the downfall of the Lord's own sanctuary, as if this were tantamount to the triumph of paganism over the worship of Yahweh. Let not the carna...

8-17 Though one event seem to the righteous and wicked, it is vastly different. Those who glory in any other defence and protection than the Divine power, providence, and promise, will, sooner or later, be ashamed of their glorying. Those who will not leave it to God to take vengeance for them, may expect that he will take vengeance on them. The equity of the Lord's judgments is to be observed, when he not only avenges injuries upon those that did them, but by those against whom they were done. Those who treasure up old hatred, and watch for the opportunity of manifesting it, are treasuring up for themselves wrath against the day of wrath....

The Philistines occupying lands to the south of Judah were a Hamite race Genesis 10:14, but of a different branch from the Canaanites. They were a powerful people never dispossessed by the Israelites Joshua 13:3. They were a thorn in the side of the chosen people throughout, and joined in attacking Jerusalem in the day of her trouble. They were much reduced by the Assyrians Isaiah 14:31, and Egyptians Jeremiah 47:1, before the time of this prophecy, but further destruction came upon them in the general ruin of the inhabitants of Canaan, which commenced with the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar....

EXPOSITION The section on which we now enter—the great "parenthesis," as I have called it, of Ezekiel's prophetic work—contains messages to the seven nations that were most closely connected with the fortunes of Israel and Judah. These were (1) Ammon (Ezekiel 25:1); (2) Moab (Ezekiel 25:8); (3) Edom (Ezekiel 25:12); (4) Philistia (Ezekiel 25:15); (5) Tyre (Ezekiel 26:1); (6) Zidon ...

AND I WILL EXECUTE GREAT VENGEANCE UPON THEM WITH FURIOUS REBUKES,.... By way of retaliation for their vengeance and fury, wrath and malice, against his people; suggesting, that the judgments inflicted on them, for quantity and quality, should be very great: AND THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD, WHEN I SHALL LAY MY VENGEANCE UPON THEM; they shall see the hand of God in it, acknowledge his justice, and confess that their gods were idols, and that the God of Israel is the only true God....

CHAPTER S 25-32 Predictions of Judgments Against the Nations _ 1. Prophecies concerning Ammon, Moab, Edom, and the Philistines (Ezekiel 25:1) _ 2. Concerning Tyrus (Ezekiel 26:1) 3. The glory of Tyrus and Her Fall (Ezekiel 27:1) 4. The prince of Tyrus (Ezekiel 28:1) 5. Concerning Egypt (Ezekiel 29:1; Ezekiel 30:1) 6. Pharaoh's greatness and his overthrow ...

VENGEANCE. Hebrew, plural. great vengeance. THEY SHALL KNOW, &c. See note on Ezekiel 6:10....

_with furious rebukes_ Wanting in LXX. No agents are mentioned as the destroyers of the Philistines....

IV. THE WORD AGAINST PHILISTIA 25:15-17 TRANSLATION (15) Thus says the Lord GOD: Because the Philistine have acted in revenge, and have taken vengeance with contempt in (their) soul to destroy with eternal enmity, (16) therefore, thus says the LORD: Behold, I am about to stretch out My hand against the Philistine, and I shall cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. (17) And I will execute great vengeance on them by acts of furious chastisement;[376] and they shall know that I am the LORD when I execute My vengeance on them. [376] Rendering of the Berkeley Version; NASB, _with wrathful rebukes._ COMMENTS The Philistine invaded Palestine about 1200 B.C. in the days of the Judges. They hailed from the island of Caphtor (Amos 9:7). Knowing the secret of smelting iron, they immediately gained the advantage over the Israelites who still fou

§ 1. AMMON, MOAB, EDOM, AND PHILISTIA These four nations were the neighbours of Israel on the E., SE., and SW. respectively, and are dealt with in their geographical order. Ammon and Moab are denounced for their exultation at the fall of Jerusalem, Edom and Philistia for their revengeful share in Israel's humiliation. All of them are threatened with destruction from God. The instruments of the judgment are to be the Bedouins of the desert in the case of Ammon and Moab, and Israel in the case of Edom. The destroyers of the Philistines are not indicated. 1-7. Ammon. For the Ammonites see on Ezekiel 21:28. In addition it may be observed that the king of Ammon was a party to the plot against Gedaliah, the governor whom Nebuchadrezzar left in Palestine after the capture of Jerusalem (J