D X 1-4. The Elders of Israel.
Y 5-22. Rebellions and Causes.
Y 23-26. Punishments and Reasons.
X 27-44. The house of Israel.
482 B.C. 5th Abib [July 22nd]
Ezekiel 20)
1 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD (Yahaveh Himself), and sat before me.
2 Then came the word of the LORD to me, saying,
3 "Son of man, speak with the elders of Israel (in the Captivity; who were being deceived by false prophets who predicted a speedy return), and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD; 'Are you come to inquire of Me? As I live, says the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.' '
4 Will you judge them, son of man, will you judge them? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:
5 And say to them, 'Thus say the Lord GOD; 'In the day when I chose Israel (cp. Ex. 6:7;0;2. Deut. 7:6), and lifted up My hand to the seed of the house of Jacob (put for "I swear". Cp. Gen. 14:32. Deut. 32:40), and made Myself known to them in the land of Egypt (Ezekiel speaks about Israel in Egypt more than any other prophet), when I lifted up My hand to them, saying, 'I am the LORD your God;'
Y Z1 j1 5-7. Commands.
k1 8-. Rebellion.
l1 -8. Threatening.
m1 9,10. Forbearance.
Z2 j2 11,12. Statutes.
k2 13-. Rebellion.
l2 -13. Threatening.
m2 14-17. Forbearance.
Z3 j3 18-20. Commands.
k3 21-. Rebellion.
l3 -21. Threatening.
m3 22. Forbearance.
6 In that day that I lifted up My hand to them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt (Ex. 3"8,17. Deut. 8:7,8,9) into a land that I had spied out for them, flowing with milk and honey (Ex. 3:8,17; 13:5; 33:3. Lev. 20:24. Num. 13:27; 14:8; Josh. 5:6. Jer. 11:5; 32:22), which is the gazelle (Cp. v.15. Ps. 48:2, put for "beauty".) of all lands:
7 Then said I to them, 'Cast you away every man the abominations (put for which Yahaveh abominated) of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the manufactured gods of Egypt (cp. Lev. 18:3): I am the LORD your God.'
8 But they rebelled against Me (see 2:5), and would not hearken to Me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of 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.
9 But I wrought for My name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the nations, among whom they were, in whose sight I made Myself known to them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.
10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. (See Ex. 13,&.)
11 And I gave them My statutes, and showed them My judgments (see Deut. 4:1), which if a man do, he shall even live in them. (See Lev. 18:5.)
12 Moreover also I gave them My sabbaths (see Ex. 20:8; 31:13), to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.
13 But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness: they walked not in My statutes, and they despised My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and My sabbaths they greatly polluted:
then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. (See Num. 14:22,23,29; 26:65.)
14 But I wrought for My name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the nations, in whose sight I brought them out.
15 Yet also I lifted up My hand to them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them (see Num. 14:24-30. Cp. PS. 95:11), flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands;
16 Because they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols. (Cp. Ex. 32:23.)
17 Nevertheless My eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.
18 But I said to their son in the wilderness (see Num. 14:32,33; 32:13-15. Deut. 4:3-5), 'Walk you not in the statutes of your fathers (like those of Omri [Mic. 6:16]. Cp. Jer. 16:13), neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
19 I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them;
20 And hallow My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.'
21 Notwithstanding the sons rebelled against Me (cp. Num. 25:1,2. Deut. 9:23,24; 31:27): they walked not in My statutes, neither kept My judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted My sabbaths:
then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness.
22 Nevertheless I withdrew My hand (idiom for a relaxing of anger or refraining from punishment), and wrought for My name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them forth.
Y A 23. Punishments.
B C n 24-. Judgments. Reasons.
o -24-. Statutes. "
D -24. Pollution by People. "
B C o 25-. Statutes. "
n -25. Judgments. "
D 26-. Pollution by Yahaveh. "
A -26. Punishment.
23 I lifted up My hand to them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations, and disperse them through the countries; (See Lev. 26:23. Deut. 28:64. Cp. 12:15)
24 Because they had not executed My judgments,
but had despised My statutes,
and had polluted My sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
25 Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, (Heb. idiom = I suffered others to give them statutes,&c.: i.e. in their captivity)
and judgments whereby they should not live;
26 And I polluted them in their own gifts (The contrast is with their pollution of God's gifts [v.16]), in that they caused to pass through (or, pass over. The firstborn were to be passed over to Yehovah [Ex. 13:12]; but they passed them [through the fire] over to Molech [Lev. 18:21. Deut. 18:10])the fire all that opens the womb,
that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.' '
X p 27-32. Incrimination.
q 33-39. Threatening.
p 39. Incrimination.
q 40-44. Restoration.
27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD; 'Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a great treachery against Me.
28 For when I had brought them into the land, for the 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 savor, and poured out there their drink offerings.
29 Then I said unto them, 'What is the high place where-unto you go?' (for emphasis, to mark the contrast this idolatrous high place and Zion the true high and holy mountain [v.40]) And the name whereof is called Bamah to this day.' '
30 Wherefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD; 'Are you polluted after the manner of your fathers? and commit you whoredom after their abominations?
31 For when you offer your gifts, when you make your sons to pass through the fire, you pollute yourselves with all your idols, even to this day: and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.
32 And that which comes into your spirit shall not be at all, that you say, 'We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.'
33 As I live, says the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm (cp. Deut. 4:23,&.), and with fury poured out, will I become king over you:
34 And I will bring you out from the peoples, and will gather you out of the countries wherein you are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out.
35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples (probably another country [like the U.S.A.] in which they were tested as to whether they would hear which would be to them a wilderness), and there will I plead with you face to face.
36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt (see Num. 14:21-23,28,29. See vv.13,38), so will I plead with you, says the Lord GOD.
37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod (this was the manner of counting sheep, which were numbered as the passed under the shepherd's club: implying here that none should be lost [Amos 9:9], and that the restored nation should be holy to Yehovah [cp. v.40]. See Lev. 27:32]. See Jer. 33:13), and I will bring you into the binding obligation of the covenant:
38 And I will 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 on the soil of Israel: and you shall know that I am the LORD.' '
39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD; 'Go you, serve you every man his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not hearken to Me (Divine irony): but pollute you My holy name (see Ex. 3:5) no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
40 For in My holy mountain (i.e. Moriah and Zion. Cp. Isa. 2:2; 54:1-7; 62:1-9; 65:17-25; 66:20-23), in the mountain of the height of Israel, says the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve Me: there will I accept them, and there will I seek your heave offerings, and the first-fruits of your oblations (i.e first-fruit gifts or presents), with all your holy things.
41 I will accept you with your sweet savor, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein you have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the nations.
42 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up My hand to give it to your fathers.
43 And there shall you remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein you have been defiled; and you shall loathe yourselves (cp. 16:61-63) in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed.
44 And you shall know that I am the LORD when I have wrought with you for My name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O you house of Israel, says the Lord GOD.' '
E E 20:45-21:32. Parables and signs.
F 22:1-16. The city defiled.
E 22:17-22. Symbol. Dross.
F 22:23-31. The Land not cleansed.
E G1 20:45-21:5. Parable and its interpretation. G2 21:6-32. Signs and their Significance.
G1 H r 20:45,46. Subject. Forest of the South.
s 20:47. Fire. Devouring.
t 20:48. All flesh shall see.
I 20:49. Ezekiel. Complaint.
H r 21:1,2. Subject. Jerusalem and the Land.
s 21:3,4. Sword. Cutting off.
t 21:5. All flesh shall know.
45 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
46 "Son of man, set your face toward the south (= the Negeb. See Ps. 126:4), and drop your word toward the south, and prophesy to the forest of the south field; (I.e. Judah and Jerusalem.)
47 And say to the forest of the south, 'Hear the word of the LORD; Thus says the Lord GOD; 'Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
48 And all flesh (= all people, every one) shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched.' ' '
49 Then said I, "Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, 'Doth he not speak parables?' " (Thus intended to have the same purpose as the Lord's parables.)