And it came to pass in the (a) seventh year, in the fifth [month], the
tenth [day] of the month, [that] certain of the elders of Israel came
to enquire of the LORD, and sat before me.
(a) Of the captivity of Jeconiah.... [ Continue Reading ]
Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge [them]? cause (b)
them to know the abominations of their fathers:
(b) This declares the great leniency and patience of God who calls
sinners to repentance before he condemns them.... [ Continue Reading ]
And say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose
Israel, and (c) lifted up my hand to the seed of the house of Jacob,
and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up
my hand to them, saying, I [am] the LORD your God;
(c) I swore that I would be their God, which... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said I to them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his
eyes, (d) and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I [am]
the LORD your God.
(d) God had forbidden them to make mention of the idols, (Exodus
23:13; Psalms 16:4).... [ Continue Reading ]
But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken to me: they did
not every man cast away the abominations of (e) their eyes, neither
did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my
fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of
the land of Egypt.
(e) Whi... [ Continue Reading ]
But I wrought for my (f) name's sake, that it should not be profaned
before the nations, among whom they [were], in whose sight I made
myself known to them, in bringing them forth from the land of Egypt.
(f) God had ever this respect to his glory, that he would not have
evil spoken of his Name amon... [ Continue Reading ]
But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be profaned
before the (g) nations, in whose sight I brought them out.
(g) Who might by it take an opportunity to blaspheme my Name and to
accuse me of lack of ability, or else that I had sought a means to
destroy them more conveniently.... [ Continue Reading ]
Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but
profaned my (h) sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.
(h) That is, my true religion, which I had commanded them, and gave
themselves to serve me according to their own fantasies.... [ Continue Reading ]
But I said to their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the
statutes of your (i) fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor
defile yourselves with their idols:
(i) By which the Holy Spirit confuses them that say that they will
follow the religion and example of their fathers, and not meas... [ Continue Reading ]
Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my
statutes, and had profaned my sabbaths, and their eyes were after (k)
their fathers' idols.
(k) Meaning that they set their delight on them.... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore I gave (l) them also statutes [that were] not good, and
judgments by which they should not live;
(l) Because they would not obey my laws, I gave them up to themselves
that they should obey their own fantasies, as in (Ezekiel 20:39;
Romans 1:21; Romans 1:24).... [ Continue Reading ]
And I polluted them in their own (m) gifts, in that they caused to
pass through [the fire] all the firstborn, that I might make them
desolate, to the end that they might know that I [am] the LORD.
(m) I condemned those things, and counted them as abominable, which
they thought had been excellent an... [ Continue Reading ]
(n) [For] when I had brought them into the land, [for] which I lifted
up my hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all
the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there
they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made
their sweet savour, a... [ Continue Reading ]
Then I said to them, What [is] the high place to which ye go? And its
name is called (o) Bamah to this day.
(o) Which signifies a high place, declaring that they vaunted
themselves of their idolatry and were not ashamed of it, though God
had commanded them expressly that they should have no altar l... [ Continue Reading ]
For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through
the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even to this day:
and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? [As] I live,
saith the Lord GOD, (p) I will not be enquired of by you.
(p) He shows that the ingratitude... [ Continue Reading ]
And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say,
We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve
wood and (q) stone.
(q) He declares that man by nature is wholly enemy to God, and to his
own salvation, and therefore God calls him to the right way, partly... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will bring you into the (r) wilderness of the people, and there
will I enter into judgment with you face to face.
(r) I will bring you among strange nations as into a wilderness and
there will visit you, and so call you to repentance and then bring the
godly home again, (Isaiah 65:9).... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will (s) purge out from among you the rebels, and them that
transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country
where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel:
and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.
(s) Signifying that he will not burn the corn with the ch... [ Continue Reading ]
As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; (t) Go ye,
serve ye every one his idols, and after this [also], if ye will not
hearken to me: but profane ye my holy name no more with your gifts,
and with your idols.
(t) This is spoken to the hypocrites.... [ Continue Reading ]
And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, in which
ye have been defiled; and ye (u) shall lothe yourselves in your own
sight for all your evils that ye have committed.
(u) Your own consciences will convict you after you have felt my
mercies.... [ Continue Reading ]
Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop [thy word] toward
(x) the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;
(x) For Judah stood south from Babylon.... [ Continue Reading ]
And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus
saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall
devour every (y) green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the blazing
flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north
shall be burned in it... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak (z)
parables?
(z) The people said that the prophet spoke darkly: therefore he
desires the Lord to give them a plain declaration of it.... [ Continue Reading ]