Ezekiel 7:23

Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence. MAKE A CHAIN - symbol of the captivity (cf. , "Make thee bonds"). As they enchained the land with violence, so they shall be chained themselves. It was customary to lead away captives in a row, with a chain passed from the neck one to the other. Therefore translate, as the Hebrew requires, 'the chain'-namely, that usually employed on such occasions. Calvin explains it that the Jews should be dragged, whether they would or no, before God's tribunal, to be tried as culprits in chains. The next words favour this, "the land is full of bloody crimes." BLOODY CRIMES - rather, 'judgment of bloods;' i:e., with blood-sheddings, deserving the extreme judicial penalty. Compare , "H...

Interpreters refer the Prophet’s being ordered to make a chain to the captivity; for we know that captives are accustomed to be bound with chains and fetters, or manacles. Hence they explain it that God threatens the people with exile. But the Spirit seems rather to allude to criminals, who plead their cause in chains. For the Jews had long reveled in their vices, and the absence of punishment had rendered them very audacious. Now the Prophet says, the time had come in which they were to be brought to the tribunal of God, and there to be dealt with most justly as criminals. Since, therefore, they bound criminals with chains, that they might plead their cause ignominiously — criminals, I say, who were already, as it were, half condemned; hence the Prophet is ordered _to make a chain, _so that not only the people should be called upon to render all account of their wickedness, but should a...

23-27 Whoever break the bands of God's law, will find themselves bound and held by the chains of his judgments. Since they encouraged one another to sin, God would dishearten them. All must needs be in trouble, when God comes to judge them according to their deserts. May the Lord enable us to seek that good part which shall not be taken away....

Verse Ezekiel 7:23. _MAKE A CHAIN_] Point out the _captivity_; show them that it shall come, and show them the reason: "Because the land is full of bloody crimes," c....

MAKE A CHAIN - Forge the chain, the chain of imprisonment determined for them....

EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 7:1 The absence of any fresh date, and the fact that it is simply tacked on to the previous chapter by the copulative conjunction, shows that what follows belongs to the same group. The use of the phrase, THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ME, shows, however, that there was an interval of silence, perhaps of meditation, followed by a fresh influx of inspiration; and, so far as we may judge from the more lyrical character of the chapter, a more intense emotion. EZEKIEL 7:2 AN END, etc. The iteration of the word once more gives emphasis. The words read like an echo of Amos 8:2. The FOUR CORNERS (Hebrew, "wings...

MAKE A CHAIN,.... To bind them; not the robbers, the Chaldeans, but the Jews; in order either to bring them to the bar to be tried for capital crimes hereafter mentioned, or to be led bound in chains into captivity; see Ne 3:10; FOR THE LAND IS FULL OF BLOODY CRIMES; or, "judgment of bloods" m; capital crimes, such as are deserving of death, particularly murder, or shedding of innocent blood; so the Targum interprets it of sins of murder: AND THE CITY IS FULL OF VIOLENCE; rapine, oppression, and injury done to the poor, the widow, and the fatherless; meaning the city of Jerusalem, where was the great court of judicature, and where justice ought to have been administered. m משפט דמים "judicio sanguiuum", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Calvin, Polanus, Starckius; "criminibus capitalibus", Piscator; "sanguianariis judiciis", Castalio....

Ezekiel 7:1. This chapter closes the first great message of Ezekiel. This great judgment message is written in beautiful language, which, in the Authorized Version, is marred by numerous incorrect renderings. The reader will find a reliable metrical translation in our larger commentary on Ezekiel. First, the end is announced to come upon the entire land; it could no longer be averted. There is another day coming in which the Lord will deal in fearful judgments with this earth. Now is the day of salvation in which God speaks in love through His Son, When wickedness and apostasy has reached its climax, the day of salvation will end and “the day of vengeance of our God” will begin. Then He will speak in His wrath and vex them in His sore displeasure Psalms 2:5. Then will they say to the mountains and rocks, “Fal

In the dread day of the siege, _when_ ruthless Babylonian hands would profane Yahweh's secret (or rather cherished) place, _i.e._ the Temple, famine would reign, and then not all their silver and gold, of which they had been so haughtily proud, could buy for them a bit of bread, nor could their gilt and silvered gods deliver them. Nor was it only the idolatry of their worship, but the violence, the cruelty, the injustice of their lives, their bloody crimes, that had brought this desecration upon the holy places. All the civil and religious leaders would be at their wits-' end, and, in the absence of true leadership the common people would be helpless. Then, when they are reaping the reward of their sin and folly, they shall know that I am Yahweh. (In Ezekiel 7:23 the words rendered make the chain are obscure and uncertain.)...

MAKE. CHAIN. The sign of captivity, answering to the other sign in Ezekiel 7:11. ("q"). BLOODY CRIMES. crimes of bloodshed i.e. capital crimes....