EZEKIEL CHAPTER 6 The judgement of Israel for their idolatry, EZEKIEL 6:1. A remnant shall be saved, EZEKIEL 6:8. The prophet is directed to lament their abominations and calamities, EZEKIEL 6:11. THE WORD OF THE LORD, this revelation or prophecy, came in the sixth year of Jeconiah's captivity, on t... [ Continue Reading ]
SON OF MAN; see EZEKIEL 2:1; put thyself towards the mountains, in a posture of one who is going to speak, look toward them; hereby (as Isaiah did, ISA 12) upbraiding the deafness of the Jews, whom he now left to speak to mountains. Or rather, to the inhabitants of the mountains, who were secure in... [ Continue Reading ]
YE MOUNTAINS; ye that dwell in the mountains, ye secure, fearless, and rude mountaineers, hear and consider what God speaks against you, for thus saith the Lord God to you, on mountains and hills of Israel ye dwell and commit idolatry. TO THE RIVERS; to those who either by rivers sides worshipped id... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR ALTARS; God's altar was only at Jerusalem, these were their altars. DESOLATE; no priest to attend, no sacrifice offered, nor a votary come to them. IMAGES; statues, and perhaps the particular images made to the sun, as the Hebrew word including heat may signify. Or the open places on the tops o... [ Continue Reading ]
LAY BEFORE THEIR IDOLS; expose to open shame, while the carcasses of idolaters recall to mind their shameful folly and sin. CARCASSES; either of such as are newly slain, or such as the Chaldeans did dig out of their graves, in spite, contempt, or covetousness, hoping to find some costly ornaments bu... [ Continue Reading ]
Mountains and hills with their altars were doomed, now the cities that were of less note than Jerusalem seem particularly to be threatened, because they were idolatrous; according to the number of cities were there gods, JEREMIAH 11:13. High places and altars set up to the honour of those idols shal... [ Continue Reading ]
When the slain shall fall thus in your sight, you shall know two things you would not regard before. 1. That idols are vanity and snares. 2. That I am the Lord, who do avenge the quarrel of my covenant. Or, may it not be turned, And the profane shall fall, i.e. the idols, and altars; and other impl... [ Continue Reading ]
It is the Lord that preserves a remnant, the enemies rage would destroy all; and it is an act of deliberate and voluntary resolution, not by chance, but by choice. A REMNANT; some few in comparison with the great multitudes that are cut off. Though he promiseth a handful shall remain, yet it shall b... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY THAT ESCAPE; some of them, not every one of them, for several of the escaped did not bethink themselves, as appears, JER 47 $ 48$ 49$. SHALL REMEMBER ME; my precepts which they violated, my mercies which they abused, my threats which they despised, my promises which they refused, my prophets wh... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL KNOW; see, acknowledge, and believe it too. THE LORD; the only one whom they should worship or depend on, who can claim their hearts, their fear, love, and trust, as rightfully due; just in my ways, true both to threats and promises. IN VAIN; either, 1. Without cause; the sufferers gave... [ Continue Reading ]
Here are two actions commanded, and both signify a mixture of affection in the person, as wonder and amazement, indignation and displeasure, grief and sorrow, pity and commiseration, all which are required in the prophet, to show both the evil of sin he did see, and the evil of sufferings which he d... [ Continue Reading ]
FAR OFF; either by his early and voluntary flight from his own country; or, he that is carried away captive, and sent by the enemy into a far country. PESTILENCE; the arrow I will shoot after them. HE THAT IS NEAR; who stays in his own country, or dwells near to Jerusalem, or would retire to it when... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SHALL YE KNOW: see EZEKIEL 6:3. UPON EVERY HIGH HILL, & c.; each of which was accounted a fit place for such superstitions rites, and in all which some or other of you did commit idolatry, and, shame to speak it, burnt sweets, rich spices, which God had given them, to dunghill gods, stinking id... [ Continue Reading ]
STRETCH OUT MY HAND: this noteth the greatness of the blow, God striketh hard when he stretcheth out his hand, and therefore you find a mighty hand joined with outstretched arm. DESOLATE; a desolation, (a Hebraism,) for most desolate. YEA, MORE DESOLATE; and a desolation greater or above the desolat... [ Continue Reading ]