1According to the duty of a watchman in warning the people, Ezekiel is admonished of his duty in warning sinners. 10God sheweth the manner of his dealings with the righteous that revolteth, and with the returning sinner. 17He maintaineth the equity of his proceeding. 21Upon the news of the taking of Jerusalem Ezekiel prophesieth the desolation of the land. 30The hypocrisy of the captive Jews reproved.
1AGAIN the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2Son of man, speak to the 1children of thy people, and say unto them, 2When I bring the 3sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their 4coasts, and set him for their watchman:
1 See Ezek. 3 on verse 11.
2 Hebr. A land, when I shall bring the sword upon, against or into it.
3 That is, in My judgment send war, hostile invasion, with all the consequences thereof.
4 That is plainly as much as out of or from among them, or out of their frontiers, uttermost borders, where the watchmen are commonly placed to heed all approaches of the enemies. See the diverse use of this phrase Gen. 47:2; Judges 18:2; 1 Kings 12:31. Likewise Gen. 19:4; Isa. 56:11, in the annotation.
3If when he seeth the sword 5come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
5 Hebr. coming.
4Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be 6upon his own head.
6 That is, he is the cause of his own destruction and is guilty of his own destruction. Compare Lev. 20:9 with the annotation, and so in the sequel.
5He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his 7soul.
7 That is, life, or person, himself. See Gen. 12:5; 19:17, with the annotations.
6But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any 8person from among them, 9he is taken away in his iniquity; but his 10blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
8 Or, soul, that is, a person, or someone, as above.
9 I indeed, by My secret government, have justly sent this punishment upon him; but that shall not excuse this unfaithful watchman.
10 As Ezek. 3:18.
7¶So thou, O son of man, 11I have set thee a watchmana unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
11 Compare this place with Ezek. 3:17, etc., and see the annotation there.
a Ezek. 3:17, etc.
8When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I 12require at thine hand.
12 Or, seek.
9Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
10Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be 13upon us, and we 14pineb away in them, how should we then 15live?
13 That is, we bear its punishments. Compare Ezek. 32:27. See Lev. 5 on verse 1.
14 According to God’s threats. Compare Ezek. 24:23. See there.
b Ezek. 24:23.
15 As Thou dost promise us, but (they want to say) we find it contrary in the act. Thus they murmured at the plagues of God without minding their repentance, and upon condition whereof promises of life were made.
11Say unto them, Asc I live, saith the Lord GOD, 16I have no pleasure in the 17death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: 18turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for 19why will ye die, O house of Israel?
c Ezek. 18:23, 32.
16 An abrupt kind of speech usual in oaths. See Num. 14 on verse 23.
17 As ye suppose and complain, that I take delight to slay you, though ye would turn from you wickedness, as if it were all one to Me whether ye did repent or not, how ye behave yourselves, whether well or ill, ye are sure notwithstanding to suffer; as wicked murmurers and hypocrites are accustomed to speak. Compare Ezek. 18:23, with the annotation.
18 That is the thing, as if God would say, therein are ye wanting, that ye all continue in your wickedness, and yet murmur against My plagues, whereas ye ought to repent and turn from your sins.
19 As if God said: How is it that ye continue so foolish, that ye bring your own destruction upon yourselves by your impenitence? If ye will go on as ye have begun, nothing else can happen you, but that you must needs die and perish in your perverseness. Think upon this seriously, for your own good.
12Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousnessd of the 20righteous shall not deliver 21him in the day of his 22transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not 23fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his 24righteousness in the day that he sinneth.
d Ezek. 18:24.
20 See Ezek. 3:20; 18:24, with the annotations.
21 The aforementioned and perceived righteous man.
22 Or, of his backsliding.
23 That is, perish through My punishments, of which is here properly spoken. See Gen. 14 on verse 10.
24 Mentioned in verse 12.
13When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall 25surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.
25 Hebr. living live; upon condition of uprightness and perseverance unto the end.
14Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely 26die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
26 Hebr. dying die; if thou repent not.
15If the wicked restore the 27pledge, 28give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall 29surely live, he shall not die.
27 As Ezek. 18:7.
28 See Exod. 22:1, 4; Lev. 6:2, 4; Num. 5:6, 7.
29 Hebr. living live. Also in the next verse.
16None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto 30him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
30 See Psalm 79 on verse 8.
17 ¶ 31Yet the children of thy people say, Thee way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
31 Compare Ezek. 18:25 with the annotation.
e verse 20; Ezek. 18:25, 29.
18When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
19But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
20¶Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, 32I will judge you every one after his ways.
32 This is a short and pithy Divine conclusion of this entire dispute between God and His impenitent, murmuring people.
21¶And it came to pass in the twelfth year 33of our captivity, in the 34tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that 35one thatf had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, Theg36city is smitten.
33 With Jehoiachin or Jeconiah. Compare Jer. 29:10 with the annotation; Ezek. 1:2; 24:1; 40:1.
34 In the ecclesiastical year called Tebeth, answering to our December and January; after Jerusalem was conquered by the king of Babel on the 9th day of the 4th month of the previous year, in the 19th year of his reign, and his chief captain Nebuzaradan had entered into it on the 7th day of the 5th month, 2 Kings 25:3, 8; Jer. 39:2.
35 According to God’s prophecy, Ezek. 24:26.
f Ezek. 24:26.
g 2 Kings 25.
36 Jerusalem is taken and destroyed, and many of the inhabitants are slain. Also 1 Sam. 30:1; 2 Sam. 15:14; 2 Kings 3:19; 1 Chron. 20:1; Ezek. 40:1. Compare Jer. 43:11; 46:13; 47:1, etc.
22Now the 37hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until 38he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more 39dumb.
37 See Ezek. 1 on verse 3.
38 The aforesaid messenger.
39 As was also foretold him by God, Ezek. 24:27. Compare Ezek. 3:26 with the annotation.
23Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
24Son of man, they 40that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was 41one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.
40 The inhabitants who were left in desolate Canaan, after Jerusalem was destroyed, the greatest part of the people carried away captive, and the land laid waste by the Babylonians.
41 As if they said: God did not promise this land to Abraham for himself alone, for he had no need of such a great land as this is, neither did he ever inhabit it completely himself, but for his children and posterity, which we are. (Compare Isa. 51:2; John 8:33, etc.) And though we are now fewer in number than previously, yet we are the right heirs, and shall indeed continue in it. So desperately obstinate were these men, though they saw the punishing hand of God before their eyes.
25Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; 42Ye eat with the 43blood,h and 44lift up your eyes toward your idols, 45and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?
42 Or, Should ye, etc.? Or, Because ye eat blood, and thus in the sequel.
43 Contrary to the law, Gen. 9:4; Lev. 7:26; 17:10; 19:26; Deut. 12:16.
h Gen. 9:4; Lev. 3:17, etc.
44 See Ezek. 18:6.
45 As if God would say: By no means; I have promised you the land upon condition of obedience, but your disobedience is manifest, as the foregoing and following words do show.
26Ye 46stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye 47defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land?
46 Or, have stood, that is, ye trust in your valor and skill in war, thinking thereby to abide in the land forever; or, you are ready with your swords, as those who intend to offer violence to their neighbor. Compare the manner of speech with Ezek. 31:14.
47 By unchastity and adultery.
27Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; 48As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the 49open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the 50caves shall die of the pestilence.
48 A kind of oath, as verse 11.
49 Hebr. face of the field.
50 Where they think to hide and secure themselves. See Judges 6:2 with the annotation.
28For I will lay the land most 51desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the 52mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.
51 Or, utter desolation or mere desolation or astonishment. Or, unto desolation and, or, yes, desolation. The Hebrew word has also the meaning of to make desolate, and to be astonished, to be afraid, or affrighted. Also Ezek. 35:3, 7
52 Israel’s mountainous land.
29Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.
30¶Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the 53walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.
53 As neighbors are accustomed to talk together by the walls of the houses, and at one another’s doors.
31And they comei unto thee as the people 54cometh, and they 55sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they 56shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
i Ezek. 14:1, 20:1, etc.
54 In multitudes into the holy congregation to hear the word of God. Hebr. as the coming in of the people.
55 Compare Ezek. 8:1.
56 That is, they flatter thee, commending thy prophecies with hypocritical feigned gestures, because of the beauty thereof; as if they said: Oh, how well and excellently does he speak, etc. Other, they make the same words pleasant with their mouth, that is, they confess with their mouth that thy words are pleasant, but, etc., the meaning being all one.
32And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely 57song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can 58play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.
57 Or, sweet love song, which sounds pleasantly, or is full of pleasantness.
58 Upon instruments of music, as Psalm 33:3.
33And when this 59cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a 60prophet hath been among them.
59 Which thou hast prophesied unto them from Me.
60 A true prophet sent from God.