This chapter contains very severe reproaches against the people of
Judea who were left at Jerusalem. For although Ezekiel had been a
leader to the Israelites and the Jewish exiles, yet God wished his
assistance in profiting others. Hence the office which God had imposed
upon his Prophet is now exten... [ Continue Reading ]
A question arises here — When God had adopted Abraham two hundred
years previously, why was not that covenant taken into account? for he
here seems not to magnify his own faithfulness and the constancy of
his promise when he rejects the Jews as sprung from the Canaanites or
Amorites; but this only s... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Prophet metaphorically describes that most miserable state in
which God found the Jews. For we know that scarcely any nation was
ever so cruelly and disgracefully oppressed. For when they were all
driven to servile labor without reward, the edict went forth that
their males should be cut of... [ Continue Reading ]
I have already explained the time to which the Prophet alludes, when
the seed of Abraham began to be tyrannically oppressed by the
Egyptians. For God here assumes the character of a traveler when he
says that _he passed by. _For he had said that the Jews and all the
Israelites were like a girl cast... [ Continue Reading ]
Here what I lately touched upon is now clearly expressed, that the
people in their extreme distress were not only safe, but increased by
God’s singular favor. For if the infant after exposure retains its
life, it will still be a weak abortion. Hence God here by this
circumstance magnifies his favor,... [ Continue Reading ]
God now reproaches the Jews with his kindness towards them, since he
had clothed them in splendid ornaments, and yet they afterwards cast
themselves into the vilest lusts, as we shall see. But we must
remember that the Prophet is now speaking of the time of their
liberation. But God says _that he pa... [ Continue Reading ]
Here God more clearly explains what had been formerly touched upon,
namely, that he then married the people, as a young man marries his
bride. But he here states that he endowed her; for they would not have
been sufficiently adopted by God unless they had been adorned with
superior presents; since i... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Prophet, in a metaphor, relates other benefits of God by
which he liberally adorned his people; for we know that nothing has
been omitted in God’s pouring forth the riches of his goodness on
the people. And as to the explanations which some give of these female
ornaments allegorically, I do... [ Continue Reading ]
If any one makes any inquiry about these various kinds of dresses,
whether it was lawful for women to use so many ornaments, the answer
is easy, that the Prophet here does not approve of what he relates,
but uses a common image. We said that his only intention was to show
that God could not have tre... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Prophet still continues to recite those blessings of God by
which he had bound the people to himself. As to his saying, _that its
name had gone forth_, it cannot be restricted to a short period; but
it embraces a continued series of God’s favors until the people
reached the highest point of... [ Continue Reading ]
Here God begins to expostulate with his people; and with this view
relates all the benefits which for a long time he had bestowed upon
the Israelites, and especially upon the tribe of Judea. The Prophet
now addresses them. Nothing was more unworthy or preposterous than for
the Jews to be proud throu... [ Continue Reading ]
He says that the Jews erected houses of ill fame for themselves; and
the language is mixed, because the Prophet, expresses simply the kind
of harlotry of which he is speaking, and yet in the meantime mingles
another figure; for he says _that they took garments and made
themselves altars_. No doubt h... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet reproves them because they used silver and gold in making
idols for themselves. He not only condemns idolatry, but ingratitude,
since they turned to God’s dishonor the gifts which he had bestowed.
First, the profanation of his gifts was base; besides this, they had
rashly and purposely a... [ Continue Reading ]
Here God complains that the Jews turned their abundance of all things
to perverse worship: for, as a husband who indulges his wife freely
supplies all her wants, so a woman who is immodest was what she has
received from her husband, and bestows it on adulterers; so also the
Jews were prodigal in the... [ Continue Reading ]
Here God blames them for another crime, that of sacrificing their
offspring to idols. This was a very blind superstition, by which
parents put off the sense of humanity. It is indeed a detestable
prodigy when a father rejects his children, and has no regard or
respect for them. Even philosophers pla... [ Continue Reading ]
He strengthens the same sentence, and more clearly explains that they
offered their sons and daughters by cruelly sacrificing them when they
passed them through the fire. This was a kind of purifying, as we have
seen elsewhere. When, therefore, they passed their children through
the fire, it was a r... [ Continue Reading ]
Here God accommodates to his own ends what he has hitherto related,
namely, the extreme wickedness and baseness of the people’s
ingratitude in thus prostituting themselves to idols. Hence he recalls
to mind their condition when he espoused them. For if the wretched
slavery from which they had been d... [ Continue Reading ]
The first verse is variously explained. Some read the clause
separately, ויהי אחרי כל רעתך, _vihi achri kel regnethek
_— _it was after all thy wickedness_: and they think that God
threatens the Jews here as he did in Hosea, (Hosea 2:9.) For after God
had there complained that his wool and his flax h... [ Continue Reading ]
He now adds, _that he made their beauty to be abhorred. _I have no
doubt that the Prophet alludes to the filthiness of abandoned women;
and even the Latins called them “worn out,” whose foulness arises
from their utterly giving themselves up to every wickedness. The
Prophet then says that the people... [ Continue Reading ]
I Mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, that the Prophet blames
the Jews not for one single kind of fornication, but for two different
kinds. Interpreters do not observe this, but think that the Prophet is
always discoursing of idols and superstitions. But if we prudently
weigh all the circumst... [ Continue Reading ]
Here God reproves the hardness of the Jews because admonition did not
render them wise. The common proverb aptly says, “fools grow wise
only by the rod;” and when their obstinacy is such that the rod does
no good, their faults are indeed desperate. Hence God complains, when
he had chastised the Jews... [ Continue Reading ]
I interpret this verse also of the covenant by which the Jews had
entangled themselves, when they willingly joined themselves to the
Assyrians; for this was a sure sign of distrust, when they so desired
foreign aid, as if they had been deprived of God’s protection. And
it would be absurd to explain... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Prophet teaches that the Jews were immoderate in their
desires, just as if a woman was not satisfied with two or three
followers, should wantonly crave after many lovers: such, says the
Prophet, was the Jews’ licentiousness. As to his saying, over the
land of Canaan in Chaldaea, some think... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet seems at variance with himself when he compares the Jews
to a robust or very strong woman, and yet says that their heart was
dissolute. For those who translate an obstinate heart are without a
reason for it, for this seems to imply some kind of resistance, as
they were strong and bold, a... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Prophet again reproves the superstitions to which the Jews
had devoted themselves: but yet he speaks figuratively, because by
high places he does not simply mean altars, but tents by which the
Jews had attempted to entice their neighbors: just as if an immodest
female should choose a high p... [ Continue Reading ]
Some translate it an adulteress under her husband’s roof, and
תחת, _thecheth_, signifies “instead of:” and they explain it
thus, that adulteresses do not divorce themselves from their husbands
when they violate the marriage bond, but always remain at home for the
purpose of admitting strangers; and... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Prophet shows the great folly of the Jews in shamelessly
squandering their goods; for gain impels harlots to their occupation:
they feel the disgrace of it, but want urges them on. But the Prophet
says, that when the Jews committed sin they did it with extravagance,
since they spared no exp... [ Continue Reading ]
But the Prophet only confirms his former teaching, that the Jews were
seized with such lust, and in so unaccustomed a manner, that they
could only satisfy their desires with severe loss; but this comparison
only magnifies their crime, since they were worse than any harlots;
for although they basely... [ Continue Reading ]
After God has inveighed against the people’s sins, and treated the
whole nation as guilty, he now pronounces judgment on their
wickedness. He repeats shortly what he had said, as a judge explains
the reason of his sentence. _Since, _says he_, the lower parts of thy
body and thy disgrace has been dis... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse is only added for the sake of explanation. Already God had
explained shortly and clearly every event which should happen to the
Jews, yet they should perish in the greatest disgrace and be destitute
of all help, since through distrust in God they sought the favor of
men, like a woman eage... [ Continue Reading ]
Here Ezekiel enlarges upon God’s judgment, when he teaches that the
Jews would not only be exposed to every disgrace, as if they were
brought forward into a noble and conspicuous theater, but they would
suffer spoliation and rapine from those in whom they formerly trusted.
_I will give thee_, says h... [ Continue Reading ]
Since what Ezekiel has hitherto brought forward was incredible, he now
explains the manner of its accomplishment — that the Chaldmans and
Assyrians should bring a large army _and bury the whole of Judea with
stones, and pierce it through with swords_. By these figures he simply
means that there shou... [ Continue Reading ]
After he had spoken of the slaughter of men, he adds the burning of
their dwellings. This was sad indeed, that the whole land should be
deprived of inhabitants: but the deformity of this last slaughter was
heaped upon them when the houses were burnt up; for the country was
laid waste for the future,... [ Continue Reading ]
Although God seems here to promise some mitigation of his wrath, there
is no doubt that he expresses what we formerly saw, namely, that such
should be the destruction of the nation that there would be no need to
return again to punish them. When, therefore, he says_, I will make my
indignation rest... [ Continue Reading ]
He first blames the Jews for not reflecting on the liberality of their
treatment. But that ingratitude was too shameful, since God had not
omitted any kind of beneficence for their ornament. But since they
thought themselves not adorned with sufficient splendor by God, and
that he was less munificen... [ Continue Reading ]
Here the Prophet uses another form of speech; for he says that the
Jews deserved to be subject to the taunting proverbs of those who
delight in wickedness. The sense is, that they were worthy of extreme
infamy, so that their disgrace was bandied about in vulgar sayings.
This is one point: he now add... [ Continue Reading ]
Now the Prophet, not content with the simile which he had used, says
that the Jews were far worse than either their mothers or sisters. Yet
he is not inconsistent, for God wished by degrees to drag the wicked
to trial. If at the very first word he had said that they were worse
than the Sodomites, th... [ Continue Reading ]
Since what we have lately seen was difficult to be believed, hence God
interposes an oath. Nor is it surprising that shame was so despised
and cast far away by the Jews, since they were inured to it; and we
know how they were swollen with pride, for they always boasted in
their adoption and gloried... [ Continue Reading ]
Here God begins to show the reason why he extenuated the wickedness of
Sodom in comparison with that of his own people: for if he had spoken
generally, without explaining the counsel of God, his language would
have been incredible, and so would have been ineffectual. But now God
shows that he did no... [ Continue Reading ]
We must diligently attend to this passage; for God does not here
excuse the wickedness of Sodom; but, abominable as that people was, he
says that the Jews were yet more abandoned. We know why God inflicted
his vengeance in a terrible manner against the Sodomites and their
neighbors, for that was a f... [ Continue Reading ]
God now pronounces the same thing concerning Samaria, whom he had
formerly called the younger sister. By Samaria, as we said, he means
the Israelites, because that city was the head of the Kingdom of
Israel: the ten tribes had been already driven into exile; and he says
they were not half so wicked... [ Continue Reading ]
Here at length God announces that he would punish the Jews according
to their deserts. Hitherto he has recounted their crimes, as judges
are accustomed, when they condemn criminals, to state the reasons
which induce them to pass sentence: thus God shortly shows how wicked
the Jews were. He now adds,... [ Continue Reading ]
He here confirms again what we lately saw, that the Jews were doomed
and devoted to final destruction, nor was it possible for them to
escape any more than for Sodom to rise again and Samaria to be
restored to her original dignity. The Jews foolishly corrupt this
passage, since they think that resto... [ Continue Reading ]
Hence we gather from the last verse, that God gave the Jews no hope of
safety, but rather confirms their utter destruction, so that no future
safety was to be hoped for. For he says_, that you may bear thy
reproach and become ashamed_, namely, because they had sinned
grievously, as I have said befor... [ Continue Reading ]
A clearer explanation of the former doctrine now follows, that the
Jews, should thus feel God merciful when his mercy reached Samaria and
Sodom; but that never could be done, and hence the Jews were reduced
to despair; for, as I have said, the Prophet argues from what is
impossible and almost absurd... [ Continue Reading ]
God here blames the Jews because they did not attend to that
remarkable judgment which he had executed against the Sodomites: for
they had always before their eyes what ought to retain them in the
fear of God; for that was a formidable spectacle, as it is this day.
They knew that region to have been... [ Continue Reading ]
Here God repeats what we saw before, that the Jews were deprived of
all excuse. We know how bold they were in their expostulations, and
how they always cried out when God treated them severely. Because,
therefore, complaints were always flying about from this proud people,
here, as before, God prono... [ Continue Reading ]
Here, also, God meets the false objection by which the Jews might
strive with him; for whatever they were, yet God had entered into
covenant with them. They might, therefore, fly to this refuge, that
God had bound himself in covenant with them, since he had adopted
Abraham with his seed. Although th... [ Continue Reading ]
Because God here promises that he would be propitious to the Jews,
some translate the former verse as if it had been said, “Shall I do
with thee as you have done?” or, I would do as you have done, unless
I had been mindful; but that is too forced in my opinion. I have no
doubt that the Prophet restr... [ Continue Reading ]
As God, then, shows that he would not be merciful to the Jews for any
other reason than through being mindful of his covenant, so now, in
return, he informs us what he requires from them, namely, that they
should begin to acknowledge how basely they had abjured their pledged
fidelity — how unworthil... [ Continue Reading ]
The Prophet here confirms his former teaching, namely, that although
the Jews rendered God’s covenant vain as far as they possibly could,
yet it should be firm and fixed. But we must hold what I have
mentioned, that this discourse is specially limited to the elect,
because the safety of the whole pe... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezekiel again exhorts the faithful to repentance and constant
meditation. We have said that these members cannot be divided, namely,
the testimony of grace with the doctrine of repentance: we have said,
also, that this is the substance of the gospel, that God wishes those
to repent whom he reconcile... [ Continue Reading ]