Ezekiel 7:10-13

B. The Calamity Described 7:10-27

In describing Judah's coming day of visitation Ezekiel stresses four points (1) the social disruption (Ezekiel 7:10-13); (2) the military dismay (Ezekiel 7:14-18); (3) the economic distress (Ezekiel 7:19-22); and (4) the political disorder (Ezekiel 7:23-27).

1. Social disruption (7:10-13)

TRANSLATION

(10) Behold the day! Behold it comes; the turn has come forth; the rod has blossomed, arrogance has budded. (11) Violence has risen up for a rod of wickedness; none of them (shall remain) and none of their multitude, and none of their wealth nor any wailing among them. (12) The time has come, the day has arrived; as for the buyer, let him not rejoice, and as for the seller, let him not mourn; for wrath is upon all its multitude. (13) For the seller shall not return unto that which is sold, although they be yet alive; for the vision concerns the whole multitude which shall not return; neither shall they strengthen themselves, a man whose life is in his iniquity.

COMMENTS

The judgment rod of God Babylon had blossomed into an arrogant superpower (Ezekiel 7:10).[187] The violence practiced by the Jews had risen up for a rod of wickedness; i.e., the evil practices of the Jews had created the rod which will smite them.[188] In that day the whole population would be affected. None would escape. They would either perish or be carried away into exile. Nothing would remain of the multitude of the people or their wealth.[189] So great would be the loss that survivors would not wail[190] over the dead (Ezekiel 7:11).

[187] Others think the rod in Ezekiel 7:10 is the royal house of Judah which had blossomed and budded with arrogance.

[188] Cf. Isaiah 10:5 where Assyria is called the rod of God's anger; and Jeremiah 50:31 which underscores the arrogance of Babylon.

[189] KJV nor any of theirs, i.e., none of their offspring would be left alive. This translation is possible but not preferable.

[190] Some recent versions render the Hebrew noah as eminency. It is best to follow the older commentators in relating the word to nehi, = wailing.

That coming day would result in a complete socio-economic upheaval. Selling an inherited piece of property was normally an occasion of deep grief in the Old Testament world. But the seller of real estate would no longer be concerned with such sentimentality. On the other hand, the one who purchased that property would have no reason to rejoice. In the day of God's wrath land holdings would be immaterial. Both the wealthy land buyer and the poverty-stricken seller would be faced with deprivation and death (Ezekiel 7:12). Never would the land seller be able to repossess his inheritance even though he might live through the judgment (lit., though their life be yet among the living). Jubilee observance where all property reverted to original owners would not be possible in the land of exile. According to the vision which Ezekiel had received, the Jews would be driven from their homes never to return during their lifetime (Ezekiel 7:13).

At first sight this prophecy seems to contradict Jeremiah 32:15; Jeremiah 32:37; Jeremiah 32:43 which states that properties would be bought and sold in Judah again following the exile. However, Ezekiel is speaking of his contemporaries. They would not live to reclaim their family inheritances. The men who lived a life of iniquity would not be able to strengthen themselves so as to withstand punishment (Ezekiel 7:13). Those driven out would not return, and those who remained in the land would die in their sins.