EZEKIEL CHAPTER 22 A catalogue of sins committed in Jerusalem, and the dispersion of the Jews because of them, EZEKIEL 22:1. God will burn them as dross in the furnace EZEKIEL 22:17. The general corruption of all orders of men, for which God's wrath is poured out upon them, EZEKIEL 22:23. No text fr... [ Continue Reading ]
Some would have the prophet here to be questioned, whether he would, and why he would, plead for such a city. Others, that God doth forbid him to plead for it, or be solicitous about it. I rather think God doth awake: him to more vigorous reproving of this sinful people, and threatening them for sin... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CITY, Jerusalem, SHEDDETH, is shedding, blood; it is her present practice as well as her former, murders are committed by her, and it is said the city did it; it was done with public consent, and probably under pretext of judiciary process to colour it, as in Naboth's case, and as they would hav... [ Continue Reading ]
GUILTY IN THY BLOOD; greatly or deeply guilty. THOU HAS SHED, in abundance, cruelly and perfidiously. DEFILED THY SELF; as a polluted thing, loathsome to be seen or touched THINE IDOLS; dunghill gods. CAUSED THY DAYS TO DRAW NEAR;. hastened the days of thy sorrows and punishment, of the desolation i... [ Continue Reading ]
THOSE THAT BE NEAR; as the Idumeans or Edomites, who insulted over Jerusalem when it was taken, Ammonites, and Moabites, and Philistines. THOSE THAT BE FAR FROM THEE; the barbarous Medes, Iberians, Hyrcanians, &c., to whom thou shalt be carried captive, whose land is far off. INFAMOUS; of a most inf... [ Continue Reading ]
He was in EZEKIEL 23:2 commanded to show the Jews all their abominations. Now he is directed to begin with the greatest first, either those of the royal family, or else such as adhered close to the interest of them, and were advanced to places of great trust; or, who were heads of families. EVERY ON... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THEE; in Jerusalem. HAVE THEY: it is plural, and agrees with princes, they whose better disposition, whose education and greatness, (beside the command of God,) should have advanced their venerable thoughts and deportment towards parents. SET LIGHT BY, have contemned, father and mother, though Go... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU, all the land, or thou, O Jerusalem, or thou, O Zedekiah, the chief of the princes; or else, having spoken of them all in the plural, he now changeth number, and so speaks to each in particular. HAST DESPISED; hast had very low esteem of them, as if mean and ridiculous. MINE HOLY things; all my... [ Continue Reading ]
MEN THAT CARRY TALES; informers and trepanners, or persons that, corrupted with money, give in false witness against the innocent; and the princes of Israel had hand in it. THEY EAT, offer sacrifice, on the mountains, and feast there, celebrating the honour of their idols: see EZEKIEL 18:6,11,15. LE... [ Continue Reading ]
Like wild Arabians, the worst of heathens, there have been and are some that incestuously defile their fathers bed. HUMBLED; it seems to imply a force and violence offered to the persons, whether virgins or married, whom at unseasonable time they forced to satisfy their lusts: forbidden LEVITICUS 18... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE, i.e. some, or the man of quality, state, and such as were of high degree, as the word is translated PSALMS 62:9. Or what if it were translated as EZEKIEL 22:6, every one; it was grown a most general vice, as JEREMIAH 5:8. ABOMINATION WITH HIS NEIGHBOUR'S WIFE; adultery, which God doth, and man... [ Continue Reading ]
Judges, who should have saved, have sold the life of innocents; they who sat on God's tribunal have acted the devil there, and murdered innocents, contrary to EXODUS 23:8. TAKEN USURY: see EZEKIEL 18:8. Greedily gained of thy neighbours; with unsatiable thirst of gain torn to pieces and devoured thy... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD; hear therefore, and mark, ye wicked Jews. I HAVE SMITTEN MINE HAND, in testimony of my abhorrence of your ways, as threatening to punish you, and setting on the fierce Babylonian upon you to execute my just displeasure. AT THY DISHONEST GAIN; thy covetousness, the root of all the evils in th... [ Continue Reading ]
CAN THINE HEART ENDURE? this question is a vehement negation, thou canst by no means endure, withstand and repel the evils that are coming, or bear them when come. Will thy courage hold out, and conquer? Nay, it will be with thee as EZEKIEL 21:7, your hearts shall melt. CAN THINE HANDS BE STRONG, to... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL SCATTER THEE, as the wind scatters chaff, among the heathen, the worst of the Babylonish vassals. AND DISPERSE THEE IN THE COUNTRIES; doubled for certainty of the thing. CONSUME THY FILTHINESS OUT OF THEE: some take it for a threat by a fire, that shall consume the filthy sinners, and the fil... [ Continue Reading ]
Whereas I was thine inheritance, and thou enjoyedst all riches, delight, safety, peace, and honour in me, so long as thou wert a holy, obedient people; now that you are polluted, a very sink of all filthiness, for which I have cast thee off, and sent thee into captivity, there be to thyself what tho... [ Continue Reading ]
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Not a few among many, but universally the whole house of Israel, the seed of him that was a prince with God, the covenant people of God, are strangely degenerate and corrupted, as if purer and richer metals should by worse and worse turn to dross. ALL THEY, from the king to the peasant, the priests,... [ Continue Reading ]
YE ARE ALL, from one end of the land to the other. I WILL GATHER YOU; from all parts thereof I will by a secret overruling providence bring you together into Jerusalem, as into a furnace where you may he melted and consumed.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY; founders, who melt down metals to prove them. GATHER SILVER, & c.: if these different kinds of metals be to be gathered into one and the same furnace, it speaks the involving all promiscuously in the same afflictions; if it be meant as each distinct metal is tried by the fire in the furnace, b... [ Continue Reading ]
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These verses are an ingeminating of the same menaces, the more to affect the Jews with fear, and due apprehensions of their danger, and make them think of returning to God. AS SILVER IS MELTED: this seems to intimate the Divine care over some few, that in the midst of the rest were precious, and God... [ Continue Reading ]
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THOU; the land of Israel. IS NOT CLEANSED, NOR RAINED UPON; though God's judgments have been as violent storms and floods, though they have been as hottest fires, yet neither thy filth hath been carried away, nor thy dross melted out of thee by them, still thou retainest both. Therefore is INDIGNATI... [ Continue Reading ]
A CONSPIRACY; a contrivance, or framing among themselves a design, to speak all alike flattering, smooth words, and give out promises of peace and safety, when there was no peace; they would have the Jews believe in little time the vessels of the Lord's house, and the Lord's people in Babylon, shoul... [ Continue Reading ]
HER PRIESTS; God owns them not as his, they were priests that suited such a people. PRIESTS; men by office bound to reverence the law, to study it, and to preserve it from men's corruptions. VIOLATED MY LAW; wrested it to oppression and impiety, and to maintain errors, and made it speak what they wo... [ Continue Reading ]
HER PRINCES, as before, EZEKIEL 22:25,26. Princes; rulers of all sorts, who should have crushed oppressors and defended the oppressed. Wolves; creatures greedy, bloody, and crafty, resembling dogs that men make use of to defend their folds; so the authority which God had given to defend is by these... [ Continue Reading ]
PROPHETS; false prophets. HAVE DAUBED THEM; flattered their oppressing bloody princes in their ways of sin and violence. WITH UNTEMPERED MORTAR; with promises and encouragements that, like ill tempered mortar, will deceive them, though all seems for the present smooth and safe. Divining lies; preten... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND, the common people, have used oppression; greatly, continuedly, and cruelly oppressed one another, wronged each other by frauds and violence. EXERCISED ROBBERY; on every occasion turned downright thieves and robbers. HAVE VEXED, by these oppressions, the poor and needy: see EZ... [ Continue Reading ]
I SOUGHT, very earnestly and diligently; spoken of God after the manner of man. A MAN; any one. AMONGST THEM; among princes, prophets, priests, or people. THAT SHOULD MAKE UP THE HEDGE; to repair the breach, and prevent further mischief. STAND IN THE GAP; that might interpose between a sinful, suffe... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE, thus provoked by all, HAVE I POURED OUT MINE INDIGNATION, as a flood to sweep them away. I have consumed them; kindled a fire against them, that will destroy them. THEIR OWN WAY, sinful abominable ways, HAVE I RECOMPENSED UPON THEIR HEADS; brought these as a net on them, when as wild beas... [ Continue Reading ]