Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Ver. 1. _Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying._] A new commission to preach again to his countrymen, which he had not done since Ezekiel 24:27. _See Trapp on "_ Eze 24:27 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: Ver. 2. _Speak to the children of thy people._] I say, "of thy people"; for I can scarce find in my heart to... [ Continue Reading ]
If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Ver. 3. _He blow the trumpet._] Hence the ancients _a_ infer that a bishop must preach, and that _Praelati officium est sollicitudo non celsitudo._ He taketh upon him the office of a constant preacher, saith Gr... [ Continue Reading ]
Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. Ver. 4. _His blood shall be upon his own._] The blame shall rest wholly upon himself. Not to be warned is both a just presage and desert of destructio... [ Continue Reading ]
He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. Ver. 5. _But he that taketh warning._] _Foresight_ is the best means of _prevention._... [ Continue Reading ]
_But 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] person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand._ Ver. 6. _He is taken away in his iniquity._] This is a d... [ Continue Reading ]
So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. Ver. 7. _See Trapp on "_ Eze 3:17 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
When 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 require at thine hand. Ver. 8. _See Trapp on "_ Eze 3:18 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
Nevertheless, 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. Ver. 9. _See Trapp on "_ Eze 3:19 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins [be] upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? Ver. 10. _Thus ye speak._] _a_ But not well, while ye have hard thoughts of God and heavy thoughts of yourselves,... [ Continue Reading ]
Say unto them, [As] I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Ver. 11. _As I live, saith the Lord God, &c._] This is one of those precious p... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be ab... [ Continue Reading ]
When I shall say to the righteous, [that] he shall surely 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. Ver. 13. _When I shall say to the righteous._] See on Ezekiel... [ Continue Reading ]
Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; Ver. 14. _Thou shalt surely die,_] viz., Except thou repent; for that altereth the case. Penitence is almost as good as innocence. _ If he turn from his sin and do._] These two... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezekiel 33:15 [If] the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. Ver. 15. _Give again that he had robbed._] _Quod rapuit reddideret._ The law for restitution, see Numbers 5:6,7 .... [ Continue Reading ]
None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live. Ver. 16. _None of his sins._] This is point blank against the doctrine of purgatory.... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. Ver. 17. _Yet the children of the people say._] This was a second cavil of theirs. See Ezekiel 33:10; Ezekiel 18:25. Archesilas was surnamed _Cavillator:_ so might these well have been. _... [ Continue Reading ]
When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. Ver. 18. _When the righteous turneth._] To set them down, if right reason would do it (and man should be _mancipium rationis,_ a slave to reason), he repeateth what he hath said before.... [ Continue Reading ]
But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. Ver. 19. _He shall live thereby._] Provided that he rest not in his righteousness, but learn to live by the faith of the Son of God. Gal 2:20... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways. Ver. 20. _Yet ye say._] But therein ye lie, which is not the guise of God's children. Isa 63:8 _ I will judge you every one after his ways._] And so wring a testimony, if not from your mo... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, [that] one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten. Ver. 21. _In the twelfth year._] Some read the eleventh year; and indeed it was wonder that such i... [ Continue Reading ]
Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb. Ver. 22. _The hand of the Lord,_] _i.e., _ The Spirit of the Lord, which acted me and carried me out. 2P... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Ver. 23. _Then the word of the Lord._] See Ezekiel 18:1 .... [ Continue Reading ]
Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we [are] many; the land is given us for inheritance. Ver. 24. _They that inhabit those wastes of the land of lsrael._] Those poor few now left in the land. 2 Kings 25:12 _... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? Ver. 25. _Ye eat with the blood._] Which wicked Saul would not do, 1Sa 14:32-34 much less would righteous Abraham have done it, since it w... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land? Ver. 26. _Ye stand upon your sword._] _Vivitur ex rapto._ He that hath the longest sword carrieth it among you: ye are also very revengeful, ready to say with him in the poet,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; [As] I live, surely they that [are] in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that [is] in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that [be] in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence._ Ver. 27. _They t... [ Continue Reading ]
For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. Ver. 28. _For I will lay the land most desolate._] Heb., Desolation and desolation. God made clean work there; there was not a Jew left in th... [ Continue Reading ]
Then 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. Ver. 29. _Then shall they know._] By woeful experience.... [ Continue Reading ]
Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls 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. Ver. 30. _The children of thy people... [ Continue Reading ]
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee [as] my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, [but] their heart goeth after their covetousness. Ver. 31. _And they come unto thee._] Very goodly. _ And they sit be... [ Continue Reading ]
And, lo, thou [art] unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. Ver. 32. _As a very lovely song._] Or, A love song. _a_ The word leaves no more impression upon carnal men's consciences than a s... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them._ Ver. 33. _That a prophet._] See on Ezekiel 2:5 .... [ Continue Reading ]