rjuwnrtirn • HI HI THE CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOB SCHOOLS & THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL i\ J.J. S.PEROWNE. D.D. BISHOP OF WORCESTER ! ^3f libtri5» THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES i^fijnol^ ^odi?n wii.i.iAM George's son? NS. I t ( r is: F. A. BROCKHAUS. l^cfa ISDik: ALXC.MILLAN AND CO. Clje CamftriUfle 38iftle for ^cijools auD Collcflcs. General Editor:— J. J. S. PEROWNE, D.D. Bishop of Worcester. THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET E Z E K I E L, WITH NOTES AND INTRODUCTION BY THE REV. A. B. DAVIDSON, D.D., LL.D. EDITED FOR THE SYNDICS OF THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. CAMBRIDGE: AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. 1892 (JTambrtligc I'RINTEU BV C. J. CLAY M.A. AND SONS AT THE aNIVERSITV PRESS PREFACE ]%'^0 BY THE GENERAL EDITOR. The General Editor of TJic Cambridge Bible for Schools thinks it right to say that he does not hold himself responsible either for the interpretation of particular passages which the Editors of the several Books have adopted, or for any opinion on points of doctrine that they may have expressed. In the New Testament more especially questions arise of the deepest theological import, on which the ablest and most conscientious interpreters have differed and always will differ. His aim has been in all such cases to leave each Contributor to the unfettered exercise of his own judgment, only taking care that mere controversy should as far as possible be avoided. He has contented himself chiefly with a careful revision of the notes, with pointing out omissions, with suggesting occasionally a reconsideration of some question, or a fuller treatment of difficult passages, and the like. Beyond this he has not attempted to interfere, feeling it better that each Commentary should have its own individual character, and being convinced that freshness and variety of treatment are more than a compensation for any lack of uniformity in the Series. PREFATORY NOTE. The Book of Ezekiel is less suited than most others to be the subject of merely popular annotation. The state of the Text is such that frequent references to it as well as to the Versions are unavoidable. It was no part of the purpose of the following Notes to construct a Text; the thing aimed at has been to shew the general meaning of the Book, and, if possible, the connexion of its parts with one another ; but the readings of the LXX. have generally been adduced when they presented any important deviation from the Hebrew. In the later chapters the MS. of which the Greek is a translation was in many instances more correct than that of which the present Hebrew is a copy. Such aids as were available have been used, and obligations are acknowledged to a number of works, besides those named at the end of the Introduction. A number of passages in the Text have baffled the ingenuity of the best scholars, and appear to be incurably confused. Other parts of the Book are rendered obscure by allusions not now understood. And altogether the student of the Book must take leave of his task with a certain sense of defeat. THE EDITOR. CONTENTS. PAG KS I. Introduction. Chapter I. The Book of Ezekiel ix — xvii Chapter II. Ezekicl's llistoiy and Proplietic Work Chapter III. Jehovah, God of Israel Chapter IV. Israel, the People of the Lord P. Text and Notes Index XVII — -xxxi xxxi — -xliii xliii — Iv I- -361 363 The Text adopted in this Edition is that of Dr Scrivener's Cambridge Paragraph Bible. A few variations from the ordi- nary Text, chiefly in the spelling of certain words, and in the use of italics, will be noticed. For the principles adopted by Dr Scrivener as regards the printing of the Text see his Intro- duction to the Paragraph Bible, published by the Cambridge University Press. INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER I. The Book of Ezekiel. The Book of Ezekiel is simpler and more perspicuous in its arrangement than any other of the great prophetical books. It was probably committed to writing late in the prophet's life, and, unlike the prophecies of Isaiah, which were given out piecemeal, was issued in its complete form at once. The pro- phecies are disposed upon the whole in chronological order, though the book may contain much that was never actually spoken, and even the prophecies that were orally delivered may have undergone considerable modification under the pen of the prophet when reproducing them. None of the prophets shews any anxiety to record his discourses in the precise form in which he delivered them. The aim of the prophets in their writings was not literary but practical, as it was in their speeches. It was their purpose to influence the minds of the people when they spoke, and this was equally their purpose when they wrote, and, if in the interval the circumstances of the people had to some extent changed, they did not hesitate to accommodate their former discourses to the new situation. The book of Ezekiel is occupied with two great themes ; the destruction of the city and nation ; and the reconstitution of the people and their eternal peace. The book thus falls into two equal divisions of 24 chapters each : — EZEKIEL b INTRODUCTION. First Division, ch. i. — xxiv., Prophecies of the destruction of the city and nation, its certainty and necessity. Second Division, ch. xxv. — xlviii., Prophecies of the restora- tion of the people, their regeneration and eternal peace as the people of the Lord. These prophecies are for the most part symbolical actions, of which the explanation is added ; or allegories and riddles, the meaning of which is read to the people. Though a good many actual events are referred to, the book contains little that is historical. It is rather a book of general principles. These principles are all but deductions from the prophet's conception of Jehovah, God of Israel and God over all. In this respect Ezekiel resembles the author of Is. xl — Ixvi, though he has neither the breadth of sympathy nor the glow of emotion that distinguish the Evangehst of the Old Testament. First Division, ch. i. — xxiv. Prophecies of the destruction of the nation. First section, ch. i. — iii. 21. The prophet's consecration to his calling, and first period of his ministry (July 592 B.C.). (i) Ch. i. Vision of Jehovah, the God of Israel, who calls and sends him. (2) Ch. ii. I — iii. 9. His mission to Israel as a prophet. His inspiration, under the symbol of eating the roll of a book presented to him in the hand of Jehovah. (3) Ch. iii. 10 — 21. He goes to the Exiles, and when among them receives a clearer view of his mission, which is to be a watchman to warn every individual person, the wicked that he may turn from his evil, and the righteous lest he fall from his righteousness. The theophany of ch. i. is a vision of Jehovah as he is in himself (final note to the Chapter). The appointment of the prophet to be a watchman is not a change on his original appointment to be a prophet, it is a more precise definition of it. The prophet of this age is a watchman, a warner of indi- vidual men. For the old order has changed, the state is dis- appearing, and only individuals remain out of which the new and eternal kingdom of the Lord has to be reconstructed (note INTRODUCTION. xi on iii. 1 6). On the general meaning of the whole section cf, note on iii. 21. Second section, ch. iii. 22 — vii. 27. Symbolical prophecies of the overthrow of the city and state. (Under foregoing date.) (i) Ch. iii. 22 — 27. Change in the prophet's procedure : he is commanded to cease for a time from being a public reprover. (2) Ch. iv. Symbols of the siege of the city, the terrible scarcity within it, and of the people's bearing their iniquity in exile. (3) Ch. v. Further symbols of the fate of the inhabitants : a third shall die of famine ; a third fall by the sword around the city, and a third be scattered among the nations, still pursued by the sword. (4) Ch. vi. Prophecy of destruction on the mountains, the mountain-land of Israel, where idolatries everywhere prevailed. (5) Ch. vii. Dirge over the downfall of the city and nation. Third section, ch. viii. — xi. More precise symbolical prophe- cies of the destruction of the city and people at Jehovah's own hand, because of the idolatrous pollution of his house (Aug. 591 B.C.). (i) Ch. viii. The multiplied idolatries in the Temple : the image of jealousy in the court; the worshippers in the cham- bers of imagery ; the women wailing for Tammuz ; and the sun-worship between the Temple and the altar (cf. final note to the ch.). (2) Ch. ix. Symbol of the slaughter of the idolatrous peo- ple. A messenger from the Lord passes through the city put- ting a mark on the forehead of all who bewail the evils that prevail, and he is followed by divine executioners who slay all not so sealed. (3) Ch. x. Symbol of the destruction of the city by fire from God. (4) Ch. xi. Symbol of the Lord's departure from his House, and abandonment of the city to the fury of her enemies. Fourth section, ch. xii. — xix. The same theme of the cer- tainty of the destruction of the nation, with proofs of its moral necessity. (Without date, but later than preceding.) b2 xii INTRODUCTION. (i) Ch. xii. I — 20. The unbelief of the people is such that new signs must be given them. Symbolical prophecy of the attempted escape of the king, and his capture by the Chal- deans. (2) Ch. xii. 21 — 28. The people's unbelief is partly due to their observation of the character of prophecy. But the popular imagination that prophecies of evil fail to come true, or refer to the distant future, shall receive a speedy and terrible refutation. (3) Ch. xiii., xiv. These delusions of the people are fostered by the false prophets, who prophesy only of prosperity. The prophets who deceive and those who are deceived by them shall perish together. (4) Ch. XV. But will the Lord destroy the nation of Israel, the vine of his planting .-" — The nation of Israel among the nations is like the vine branch among the trees. Good for little when whole, what is it good for now when half-burnt in the fire ? Only to be flung again into the fire and wholly con- sumed. (5) Ch. xvi. Parable of the foundling child who became the faithless wife. Let Israel's history be judged. What has it been but one persistent course of ingratitude and unfaithful- ness to Jehovah ? Her chastisement cannot be deferred. (6) Ch. xvii. And must not Zedekiah's perfidy against the king of Babylon, and his breaking the oath of Jehovah be punished? He has brought ruin both on himself and on the kingdom. Yet the Lord will set up a new kingdom on the land of Israel, into which all nations shall be gathered. (7) Ch. xviii. The principles of this kingdom: the right- eous shall live in his righteousness and the sinner die in his sin. The Lord hath no pleasure in the death of him that dieth. None shall perish for the sins of another : neither does any man lie under a ban from his own past life. Therefore let every man repent that he may live (cf. final note to the ch.). (8) Ch. xix. Lament over Judah and her royal house. Fifth section, ch. xx — xxiii. Concluding prophecies demon- strating the necessity of Israel's destruction. (Aug. 590 B.C.) INTRODUCTION. xiii (i) Ch. XX. That which has preserved Israel from destruc- tion at every stage of her history, and that which has given her a history, has been Jehovah's regard for his own name — lest it should be profaned among the nations. (2) Ch. xxi. But now his threats uttered long ago must take effect. The sword of the Lord is whetted and furbished against Jerusalem. (3) Ch. xxii. The aggravated sins of all classes of the people : the royal house, the priests, the prophets, and the people of the land. (4) Ch. xxiii. New exposure of the life-long immoralities of the two adulterous women, Oholah and Oholibah (Samaria and Jerusalem). After a silence of several years the military movements of Nebuchadnezzar drew a new and final oracle from the prophet against Jerusalem, Jan. 587 B.C., the time when Nebuchad- nezzar began to invest the city. (5) Ch. xxiv. Final symbol of the siege and the dispersion of the people, and of their purification from evil amidst the afflic- tions of the exile. A rusted caldron is set upon the fire that its contents may be seethed and pulled out indiscriminately (the siege and dispersion), and that its brass may glow and its rust and foulness may be molten and purged away. Second Division, ch. xxv. — xlviii. Prophecies of the restora- tion and reconstruction of the nation (xxv. — xxxix) ; and vision of the final and perfect state of Israel as the people of the Lord (ch. xl. seq.). First section, ch. xxv. — xxxii. Prophecies concerning the nations. These prophecies occupy the place in the prophet's book proper to their contents. They are an introduction to the posi- tive prophecies of the restoration of Israel. The judgments on the nations prepare the way for the restitution of the people. The purpose and effect of them is to make Jehovah, God of Israel, and God over all, known to the nations, so that they shall no more vex or seduce his people, as they have done in the past (ch. xxviii. 25, 26) ; and no more lift themselves up in xiv INTRODUCTION. pride of heart against the one living God (cf. introductory note to ch. XXV.). The prophet does not pursue the destiny of the nations further, nor state how much their recognition of Jeho- vah imphes. But cf. final notes, ch. xvi. (i) Ch. XXV. Judgment on the smaller nations around Israel, and revelation to them of Jehovah — Ammon, Moab, Edom and the Philistines. (2) Ch. xxvi. — xxviii. 19. Judgment on Tyre for her pride of heart, and on the prince of Tyre, who said, I am God ! (3) Ch. xxviii. 20 — 26. J;'dgment on Sidon that it may no more be a pricking briar to the house of Israel. (4) Ch. xxix. — xxxii. Judgments on Egypt. It shall be humbled and reduced to be a base kingdom, that it may no more be a delusive stay to the house of Israel, nor seduce them from trust in Jehovah alone. Second section, ch. xxxiii. — xxxix. Positive prophecies of the restoration of the people, and reconstitution of the kingdom of the Lord. (i) Ch. xxxiii. The place of the prophet in preparing for the kingdom. He is a watchman, warning every individual soul that by repentance and righteousness it may live. The conditions of entering the new kingdom and of life are alto- gether moral, and each man shall enter it for himself (cf. final note to the ch.). (2) Ch. xxxiv. The Ruler. The former evil shepherds, who fed themselves and not the flock, shall be removed ; Jeho- vah himself will take in hand the feeding of his flock, and will set up one shepherd over them, even his servant David, to feed them for ever. (3) Ch. XXXV. — xxxvi. The Land. The land of the Lord, rescued from the grasp of Edom and the nations who have usurped it, shall be given again to Israel for ever ; it shall be luxuriant in fertility and teem with people. — The principle that moves the Lord to do these things for Israel is regard to his holy name, even that he may reveal himself, as he truly is, to mankind. His forgiveness and regeneration of the people, who shall henceforth be led by his spirit (xxxvi. 16 — 38, cf. final note). INTRODUCTION. xv (4) Ch. xxxvii. The People. Thus the nation, now dead, shall be reawakened into life and restored. In the restitution Ephraim and Judah shall no more be divided, but shall have one king, even David, over them for ever. Thus the restitution of the people is complete, and their holiness as the people of the Lord perfect. Jehovah sanctifies them by dwelling among them; the people know that he is their God, and the nations know that he sanctifies them (xxxvii. 28). So far that which is the purpose of all history- has been attained : Jehovah has been revealed both to his people and to the nations. The nations, however, who have learned to know Jehovah, whether from his judgments lighting on themselves (xxv. — xxxii.), or from their observation of the principles on which he rules his people, are the nations who have long been on the stage of history and played their parts beside Israel. There are far-off peoples lying in the ends of the earth who have not heard Jehovah's fame nor seen his glory. One great act in the drama of history has still to be performed. He who is God alone is known to the world as the God of Israel, and it is only through Israel that he can reveal himself to all. These distant peoples shall come up from the ends of the earth, and, like other nations, also touch on Israel, and then shall the glory of the Lord be revealed and all flesh shall see it together. History as the prophet conceives it, whether of Israel or of the nations, is Jehovah's revelation of himself to mankind ; every movement of it carries this burden, "Ye shall know that I am the Lord." The wave of history pauses on the shore when Jehovah's glory rises on the uttermost ends of the earth. (5) ch. xxxviii., xxxix. Invasion of Israel in the latter day by Gog and all the nations lying in the far-off corners of the earth. The Lord's defence of his people, now that they are holy and true, reveals to the nations not only his power but his nature, and the principles on which he rules his people and the world. He is known to the ends of the earth. Third section, ch. xl. — xlviii. A vision of the final glory and peace of the redeemed people of the Lord. xvi INTRODUCTION. Preceding prophecies described the redemption and re- storation of the people (xxxiii. — xxxvii.) ; the present section gives a picture of the condition of the people thus for ever redeemed. The background of the picture is the whole pre- ceding part of the book. The last words of ch. i. — xxxix. are, "And I will hide my face from them no more; for I have- poured out my spirit on the house of Israel, saith the Lord God." The people are all righteous, led by the spirit of the Lord, and knowing that Jehovah is their God. The passage does not describe how salvation is to be attained, for the sal- vation is reahzed and enjoyed; it describes the state and life of the people now that their redemption is come. The fact that the subject of the passage is the final blessedness of the people accounts for the supernatural elements in the picture. But both the natural and the supernatural features of the people's condition are to be understood literally. The Temple, the services and the like are meant in a real sense, and no less literally meant is the supernatural presence of Jehovah in his House, the transfiguration of nature, the turning of the desert into a garden, and the sweetening of the waters of the Dead Sea (cf. introductory note to ch. xl.). (i) ch. xl. I — xliii. 27. Account of the Temple buildings. ia) ch. xl. I — 27, description of the outer gateway and outer court, {b) ch. xl. 28 — 47, the inner gateway and inner court. {c) ch. xl. 48 — xli. 26, the house itself with its annexed build- ings, {d) ch. xhi., other buildings in the inner court, and dimensions of the whole, {e) ch. xliii. i — 12, entry of Jehovah into his House. (/) ch. xliii. 13 — 27, the altar of burnt-offering, and the rites consecrating it. (2) ch. xliv. — xlvi. Ordinances regarding the Temple, {a) ch. xliv., those who shall minister in the house, priests and Levites. {p) ch. xlv. i — 17, revenues of priests, Levites and prince; the duties devolving on the prince in upholding the ritual, ic) ch. xlv. 18 — xlvi. 24, the special and daily services in the Temple ; the special offerings of the prince. (3) ch. xlvii., xlviii. The boundaries of the holy land, and new disposition of the tribes within it. {a) ch. xlvii., the life- INTRODUCTION. xvii giving stream issuing from the Temple ; the boundaries of the holy land, {b) ch. xlviii., disposition of the tribes in the land; dimensions and gates of the holy city. CHAPTER II. Ezekiel's History and Prophetic Work. EZEKIEL was the son of Buzi, of whom nothing further is known. This name has some resemblance to the word "to despise," and a rabbinical fancy interprets it of Jeremiah, "the despised," making Ezekiel the lineal descendant of this prophet, as he is his child in thought and faith. Ezekiel is styled the priest, and in all probabihty he was of the family of Zadok. The priests had already in this age attained to great influence ; they were the aristocracy, standing next to the royal family (xxii. 25, 26). It is not certain whether Ezekiel had actually been engaged in priestly duties before his captivity, though it is not unlikely, both from the name priest applied to him and from the minute acquaintance which he shews with the Temple, its dimensions and furniture, and with the sacerdotal rites. The passage iv. 14 is not certain evidence, as the pro- hibition to eat carrion was binding on all the people (Ex. xxii. 31, though some consider this verse a later insertion). The age at which priests undertook their duties is not clearly stated in the Law. Ezekiel began to prophesy five years after the captivity of Jehoiachin (597 B.C.), and he states that this was in the thirtieth year. If this statement referred to his age he would have been grown up to manhood some years before his exile, but the words are obscure (notes on i. i — 3). It is doubtful if the statement of Josephus {Ant. x. 6, 3) that he was carried captive "when a youth" has any ground beyond the historian's own fancy. The evidence points in a different direction. In several passages the prophet's "house" is men- tioned (iii. 24, xii. 3 seq.) ; the "elders" occasionally assemble there (viii. i, xiv. i, xx. i), and according to xxiv. 18 he was married. Reuss is hardly right in regarding his wife and her xviii INTRODUCTION. death as fictions; the language used implies that she was a real person and that her death occurred as stated, though, as usual, the prophet employed the incident for didactic purposes, and some of the details may be creations of his idealism ; for it is characteristic of him that real events float before his eye in a moral atmosphere, which magnifies them and gives them an outline which is ideal only. The uncompromising attitude taken up by him towards his fellow captives is a thing hardly to be expected from a mere youth (Jer. i. 6) ; and even in the earliest part of his Book his views appear fully formed, and his convictions regarding the impending fate of his country unalterably fixed. The weight due to the last fact, however, may not be so great, because the Book was written at an advanced period of life, and even the earlier parts of it may be coloured with reflections of a later time. The period at which the prophet's youth was passed was rich in influences that must have powerfully affected him. Though too young to take part in the reform of Josiah (620), or perhaps to remember it, he grew up in the midst of the changes which it had introduced, and probably learned to estimate previous history from the point of view which it gave him. The tragic events which followed one another closely at this epoch, such as the death of Josiah (608), the exile of Jehoahaz to Egypt and of Jehoiachin to Babylon, made a lasting impression on his mind. The last event formed the chief landmark of his life, and that not solely because his own history was so closely connected with it ; and how deeply the fate of the two young princes touched him, and how well he could sympathise with the country's sorrow over it, a sorrow recorded also by Jeremiah (xxii. 10), is seen in his Elegy on the princes of Israel (ch. xix.). He has a fondness for historical study, and no history is to him without a moral ; and silently the events of this time were writing principles upon his mind to which in after years he was to give forcible enough ex- pression. It was not, however, merely the silent teaching of events from which Ezekiel learned. He had a master interpreting INTRODUCTION. xix events to him to whose influence every page of his prophecies bears witness. Jeremiah, indeed, may not have been Ezekiel's only master ; there were other prophets of the time like- minded with him, such as that Urijah whom Jehoiakim dragged from his hiding-place in Egypt and slew with the sword (Jer. xxvi.), and perhaps others of whose names no record has been kept, for it is almost an accident, and only because his fate cast light on the history of Jeremiah in a moment of peril, that the name of Urijah has been preserved. There were also priests who cherished the same aspirations as these prophets, and pursued in their own province the same ends. It is not without significance that Jeremiah no less than Ezekiel was of a priestly family, and that too a rural one, for it was not in the capital alone that true religion had its representatives- like Micah Urijah was a prophet of the country, being of Kirjath-jearim (Jer. xxvi. 20). And among Ezekiel's predecessors in the priesthood and also am.ong his contemporaries there were some who, if they had spoken to the world, would have spoken in the same manner as he did, for the favourable judgment which he passes on the Zadokite priests (xliv. 15) is not altogether due to mere caste prejudice. Still the teaching and Hfe of Jeremiah was probably the most powerful influence under which the young priest grew up. It would, no doubt, be a mistake to ascribe every idea in Ezekiel which coincides with Jeremiah's teaching to the influence of that prophet. There is a common circle of thoughts and feelings which even the greatest minds share with those of their own age. Striking out some new conceptions, and opening up some lines of advancement which mark an epoch, the chief elements of their faith and life are common to them with others of their day and have been inherited from the past. The surprise with which we read Jeremiah might be lessened if the means of comparing him with others were not so narrow as the paucity of writers in the century before the exile causes it to be. At any rate his influence upon the language and thought of Eze- kiel can readily be observed. It could hardly have been other- wise. For thirty years before Ezekiel's captivity Jeremiah had XX INTRODUCTION. been a prophet, speaking in the courts and chambers of the temple and in the streets of Jerusalem, and having such a his- tory as made him the most prominent figure of the day. Eze- kiel was familiar with his history and had listened to his words from his infancy. Many of his prophecies had circulated in writing for a number of years previous to the captivity of Je- hoiachin which Ezekiel shared, and the constant intercourse between Jerusalem and the exiles kept the prophet of the Chebar well informed regarding the course of events at home, and the views which prominent persons there took of them (xi. 2 seq., xvii. &c.). In the year 597 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar took Jerusalem and carried into captivity the young king Jehoiachin, the flower of the population including many priests, Ezekiel among them, as well as a multitude of other citizens, particularly craftsmen. Ezekiel with a community of other exiles was settled at Tel- Abib by the river Chebar — not to be identified with the Chabor which falls into the Euphrates near Carchemish, but some stream or canal in Babylonia proper ; and five years later he was called to occupy among them the place of a " watchman" (592 B.C.). How large the community was does not appear, nor what kind of place Tel-Abib was, for the references of the prophet to walls (xii. 7, xxxiii. 30) hardly justify the conclusion that it was a walled town. The community appears to have been left, as was usually the case, to regulate its internal affairs and govern itself according to its own mind. The pro- phet repeatedly mentions the "elders," and though he calls them elders of Judah (viii. i) or Israel (xiv. i, xx. i), he identi- fies them with the captivity (xi. 25), of which they must have been the heads and representatives. The lot of the exiles might in some cases be hard, but there is no evidence that they were harshly treated by their conquerors or suffered want. When the prophet speaks of famine he refers to Canaan (xxxvi. 29, 30, xxxiv. 27, 28), and the phrase "made servants of them" (xxxiv. 27) has more a national than an individual refer- ence, like such expressions as "prison houses" in the second part of Isaiah (xlii. 22). The exiles possessed houses (iii. 24, INTRODUCTION. xxi xxxiii. 30), and there is no allusion to persecution from their heathen neighbours. Cf. Jer. xxix. 5 seq. The picture, if it can be called so, which the prophet gives of the hfe of the exiles and their circumstances is singularly colourless. His interests were exclusively religious, and any insight which he affords us is into the religious condition of his fellow-captives, from whose mouth he occasionally quotes an expression very suggestive as to their state of mind (xii. 22, 27, xviii. 2, 25, 29, XX. 49, xxxiii. 10, 30, xxxvii. 11). His own mind was occupied with the largest conceptions, and the exiles were to his eye representatives of a larger subject. When bidden go to "them of the captivity" he felt sent to the "house of Israel" (ii. 3, iii. 4), and while addressing his fellow exiles he fancies before him the people in Canaan or the nation scattered abroad throughout the world. This identification of the exiles with the people as a whole, and this occupation of the prophet's mind with great national interests, makes it difficult to know how far in his apparent addresses to the exiles he is touching upon their actual practices. Nothing is more likely than that the captives continued the evil courses in which they had grown lip at home, so far as this was possible in a foreign land. They certainly shared in the fanaticism or optimism of those left in the country, and heard with incredulity the prophet's predictions of the speedy downfall of the city (xii. 22, 26 scq). It is known from Jeremiah (xxix. 8) that there were false pro- phets among the exiles who confirmed them in their delusive hopes, and Ezekiel might refer to these prophets in such pas- sages as ch. xiii, xiv. But such language as " ye have not gone up into the breach" (xiii. 5), "I sought for a man that should stand in the breach before me for the land" (xxii. 30), shews that it is the circumstances of the nation as a whole and not those of the exiles that occupy the prophet's attention. The same appears from such expressions as those in xiv. 7, " every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that layeth his idols on his heart." In one passage (xx. 32) the people are represented as resolving to adopt the religion of the nations, "We will be as the nations, to serve xxii INTRODUCTION. wood and stone ;" and such a spirit might very naturally reveal itself among the exiles surrounded by heathen neighbours. But probable as this is, the chapter is a review of the nation's history, and the language may be little more than the prophet's interpretation of the spirit shewn by the people all through its history. It is only on rare occasions that he draws any dis- tinction between the exiles and those remaining in the land. When he does so he shares the feeling of Jeremiah (ch. xxiv, xxix. 1 6 seq.) that the flower of the people had been carried into captivity with Jehoiachin, and that the hope of the nation lay in them (xi. 14 — 21). But usually the exiles are regarded as the representatives of the house of Israel ; the "elders" are the elders of Judah or Israel, and when addressing them the prophet desires to speak in the ears of all his countrymen ; just as it is the fate of Jerusalem (iv. — xi.), the history of the nation (xvi, XX, xxiii), and its future destinies (xxxiii. — xxxvii.), that form the theme of his discourse. The idea that the prophet's office was limited to the exiles, among whom he was a sort of pastor, with a cure of souls, is supported by nothing in the Book. It would be a mistake, however, to press this general bearing of Ezekiel's mission, and his preoccupation with the destinies of the house of Israel as a whole, so far as to infer from it that he had no actual prophetic ministry among the exiles ; that he was a writer simply, unused to the life of men — a solitary theo- rist, whose "stuff for removing" (xii. 4), if he had brought it forth, would have been little more than an inkhorn ; and that the form of oral address which he gives his words is a mere literary artifice. It may not be allowable to assume that his operations among the exiles were literally altogether such as he describes them, but, apart from his own representations, several things afford evidence indirectly that he did exercise a ministry of some kind and of some duration. In ch. xx. 49 (Heb. xxi. 5), when commanded to prophesy of the great conflagration which the Lord would kindle in the field of the south, he exclaims, "Ah Lord God! they say of me, Is he not a speaker of para- bles.?" And in xxxiii. 30 he is represented as being the subject of conversation among the people : " The children of thy people INTRODUCTION. xxiii talk of thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, saying, Come, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord." These incidental allusions imply that the prophet had a manner which the people had learned to recognise and to discount, and that they were in the habit of meeting to consult him. The frequent assembling of the elders before him implies the same thing. It is true that these elders are very subordi- nate figures ; they are mentioned and then the discourse passes on to the "house of Israel" or even the strangers that sojourn in Israel, but they cannot be wholly fictitious, or (to speak with Reuss) mere " dummies." Again, though it may be true that the prophet's book was written as it now is at a late period, and though its present form suggests careful planning, all passages relating to the destruction of Jerusalem and the principles of Jehovah's government and the attributes of his nature illus- trated by it being embraced in the first part, and the second part being devoted to the Restoration and the illustrations of Jehovah's purposes which it affords, the fact that in the first part there are many promises of restitution is evidence of actual oral communication (xi. 14 — 20, xvi. 52—63, xvii. 22 — 24, XX. 39 — 44). These consolatory passages naturally arise out of the preceding threatenings, as in other prophets, if these were actually spoken, while in an orderly dogmatic treatise they would have been postponed to the second part of the book. The passage xxix. 17—20 possibly implies that the prophet felt his predictions against Tyre to have received a less hteral ful- filment than was expected from them. If so, his retention of the predictions without change affords ground for believing that upon the whole he has reproduced his discourses with fidelity. The severe, even harsh tone pervading the early part of the book is evidence to the same effect. It is scarcely con- ceivable that the prophet should have adopted such a tone after the fall of the city unless he had been reproducing in the main what he had spoken before it. And in like manner the people's mind, buoyant and impatient of the prophet's anticipations of disaster in the first half of the book, appears prostrated and plunged into despair in the second (xxxiii. 10). It is beyond xxiv INTRODUCTION. belief that so many circumstances, all harmonious if real, should be nothing but elaborate fictions. It cannot be assumed that the prophet's exercise of his office was just literally such as it is represented. Circumstances of actual occurrence are idealized by him and made the ex- pressions of general conceptions and principles, and it is not always possible to distinguish between events which were actual but are idealized, and things which are purely creations of the symbolizing imagination (note on xi. 13). The prophet appears to have entered on his mission with his convictions in regard to the fate of his country hxed. He clearly foresaw the down- fall of the state. But like all the prophets he was assured of the reconstitution of the kingdom of God on a securer basis. It is for this chiefly that he is appointed to labour (ch. xxxiii.); and this position suggests to him from the be- ginning the nature of his prophetic calling, which is to be a "watchman" to warn every individual man (note iii. 16). It is probable that the first section of the book (ch. i. — iii. 21) covers the earliest period of his ministry. After this a change of procedure, occasioned by the incredulity of the people, ap- pears to have been adopted by him ; he ceased to be a public reprover, confining himself to the instruction of those who visited him in his house (iii. 22 — 27, note, p. 26). The meaning of this so-called "silence" is obscure; it was only comparative, though it is represented as lasting till tidings arrived of the fall of the city (xxiv. 27, xxxiii. 22), when, his anticipations being verified, his mouth was again opened. Little is said of the prophet after this beyond mention of occasional visits from the elders. But, though the book may contain a good deal that was never publicly spoken, and though, being edited after the events foretold had occurred, the predictions in it may even have received in some parts a certain colour from the fulfihnent, it may be assumed that the main contents of the oral addresses are faithfully reproduced in it ; and the passage XX. 49 is warrant for supposing that the more striking pecu- liarities of the prophet's manner are truly reflected. The prophet's style, though stately and polished, is less INTRODUCTION. xxv elevated and more prosaic than that of the earlier prophets, though he occasionally rises into wild and irregular poetry (ch. vii., xxi.), and in particular affects the Kinah or Lament (ch. xix., xxvi. 17, xxxii. 17). His language begins to shew incorrectness, though some of the faults may be due to the very depraved state of the text ; and his diction has a certain luxuriance, which must sometimes be called redundancy, unless we may infer from the more sober text of the LXX. that many of the cumulative phrases are glosses with which the Heb. text has been overgrown (note, vi. 6). The frequent recurrence of the same phrases produces a feeling of monotony, though the repetition appears due to mannerism and the ascendancy of certain ideas in the prophet's mind quite as much as to defective literary skill. The expression "child of man" (ii. i) occurs nearly a hundred times, and others very frequently, such as "idols" (block-gods, vi. 4); "the mountains of Israel" (vi. 2 &c.), a phrase found in no other writer (cf. Is. xiv. 25); "appease my fury" (v. 13, &c.) ; "stumbling-block of iniquity" (vii. 19); "rebellious house" (ii. 5, and often in ch. i. — xxiv. cf. xliv. 6); "desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate" (xxix. 12, xxx. 7); "the time of the iniquity of the end" (xxi. 25, &c.); "the Lord Jehovah" (ii. 4, and extremely often, though much seldomerin LXX.); "I Jehovah have spoken it" (v. 13, &c.) ; and the characteristic "they (ye) shall know that I am Jehovah" (vi. 7, &c.), language by which Ezekiel expresses his conception of the purpose and issue of all history, whether it be the dispersion and restoration of his own people or the commotions and changes that take place among the nations. There are three things in particular which are characteristic of the Book : symbolical figures, symbolical actions, and visions. The three seem all due to the same cast of mind, and are related to one another, being all more or less the creations of an ima- gination or phantasy always grandiose and often beautifuh One of the finest of the ideal symbols appears in the Elegy on the princes of Israel (ch. xix.), in which the nation is repre- sented as a mother lioness rearing her whelps, one after another EZEKIEL c xxvi INTRODUCTION. of which when they had learned to catch the prey was taken by the nations in their pit and caged in captivity. There is a touch of pathos, rare in the prophet, when in reference to the captive prince he speaks of the young Hon's voice being no more heard on the mountains of Israel. Of singular beauty also is the representation of the merchant city Tyre, rising out of the waters on her island rock, under the symbol of a gallant ship moored in the seas (ch. xxvii.). Her mast is a cedar of Lebanon, her sail fine byssus of Egypt, her decks of teak inlaid with ivory. All the ships of Tarshish attend on her and pour into her the richest products of the nations to form her cargo. But she is broken by the east wind and founders in the heart of the seas, to the dismay and inconsolable grief of all seafaring men. If the author of the Apocalypse be a purer poet than Ezekiel, the prophet has given him his in- spiration and furnished him with materials for his most splendid creations. Again, though marked by a breadth which offends against modern taste, the allegory of the foundling child which became the faithless wife is powerful, and, when the details are forgotten and only the general idea kept in mind, even beautiful as well as true. An outcast infant, exposed in the open field and weltering in her blood, was seen by the pitying eye of a passer by. Rescued and nourished she grew up to the fairest womanhood and became the wife of her benefactor, who heaped on her every gift that could please or elevate. But the ways into which he led her were too lofty to be under- stood, and the atmosphere around too pure for her to breathe ; the old inborn nature (her father was the Amorite and her mother a Hittite) was still there beneath all the refinements for which it had no taste, and at last it asserted itself in shame- less depravity and insatiable lewdness. Other figures are the familiar one of Israel as a vine (ch. xv.), to which a pathetic turn is given by a studious silence regarding its fruit ; that of Egypt as the crocodile, a semi-mythical monster, fouling his waters in his restless energy, but dragged out by the hook of Jehovah and flung upon the land, his carcase filling the valleys and his blood the water-courses; and that of Nebu- INTRODUCTION. xxvii chadnezzar as a great speckled eagle with long pinions, hovering over Lebanon and cropping its highest branches. It is the prophet's manner to develop his symbols into a multitude of details, which sometimes has the effect of obscuring the bril- liancy of the central conception. Though scarcely, with Ewald, to be called "learned," Ezekiel has a knowledge of designing and architecture (ch. xl. scq.), and his acquaintance with foreign lands and their natural and industrial products is wide. In this respect he comes nearest to the author of Job, though the latter delights rather to dwell on the phenomena of nature, the luxuriant vegetation of the Nile valley, the wild creatures of the desert, and the monstrous creations of the waters, while Ezekiel is more attracted by the precious stones and metals which various lands are famed for, and by the rich fabrics produced by human skill (ch. xxvii.). Naturally, his imagination luxuriates in mythological tradition, especially of a weird kind, such as tales of the "mighty" which were of old (ch. xxxii.), legends of paradise, the garden of God (xxviii.), and impressions of the popular mind regarding Sheol the abode of the dead. The prophet's symbolical actions have been variously under- stood. It is beyond doubt that actions of this kind were oc- casionally performed by prophets. Zedekiah made him "horns of iron" wherewith to push (i Kings xxii. ii). Jeremiah put a yoke upon his own neck, which Hananiah broke from off him (Jer. xxviii. 2, lo). The symbolical act, ch. li. 59 — 64, may also have been literally executed, as well as that in xix. 10. Whether his act in hiding his girdle (ch. xiii.) was real or not may be doubtful, and the same doubt exists in regard to Isaiah's walking naked and barefoot (ch. xxi.) ; the fact that the sign was con- tinued for three years rather tells against a literal performance of it ; and it may be held certain that Jeremiah did not send yokes to the kings of Edom and Moab (Jer. xxvii. 3). It is possible that Ezekiel may in some cases have had recourse to this forcible way of impressing his teaching. Some of the actions described might well have been performed, such as joining two sticks together into one to represent the future union under one c 2 xxviii INTRODUCTION. king of Judah and Israel (xxxvii. 15 scq.). He might also have refrained from all outward mourning on the death of his wife, as a sign of the silent grief under which the people would pine away when tidings reached them of the destruction of the city and the death of all dear to them (xxiv. 15 seq.). But on the other hand how could the prophet "eat his bread with quaking and drink his water with trembling" as a sign to the house of Israel? (xii. 18). And can it be seriously supposed that he actually took a sharp sword as a razor and shaved off the hair of his head and beard, burning a third of it in the city (what city?), smiting a third of it with the sword about the walls, and scattering the remaining third to the winds ? (v. i seq.). Such actions, and others like them, could not have been performed, and this fact casts doubt on the literahty even of those which were possible. Even if 190 days be the true reading in iv. 5, it is most improbable that the prophet should have lain on his side immoveable for half a year, and it appears impossible when other actions had to be done simultaneously. The hypothesis of Klostermann^ hardly deserves mention. This writer sup- poses that the prophet lay on his side because he was a cataleptic and temporarily paralysed, that he prophesied against Jerusalem with outstretched arm because his arm could not be withdrawn, being convulsively rigid, and that he was "dumb" because struck with morbid alalia. It is surprising that some reputable scholars should seem half inclined to accept this explanation 2. They perhaps have the feeling that such an interpretation is more reverential to Scripture. But we need to remind ourselves, as Job reminded his friends, that superstition is not religion (Job xiii. 7 — 12, xxi. 22). The Book itself appears to teach us how to interpret the most of the symbolical actions. In xxiv. 3 the symbol of setting the caldron on the fire is called uttering a parable (cf. xx. 49). The act of graving a hand at the parting of the ways (xxi. 19) must certainly be interpreted in the same 1 Stud. u. Krit., 1877. 2 Orelli, Ktirzgef. Komnientar ; Valeton, Vierial Voorlezingen ; Gautier, La Mission dti Prophiie Ezkhiel. See on the other side Kuenen, Onderzoek, ii. p. 268. INTRODUCTION xxix way, and, though there may be room for hesitation in regard to some of them, probably the actions as a whole. They were imagined merely. They passed through the prophet's mind. He lived in this ideal sphere; he went through the actions in his phantasy, and they appeared to him to carry the same effects as if they had been performed^ The vision is a mental operation of the same kind, though higher. The simplest and most beautiful of them all is the vision of the dry bones and their resurrection (ch. xxxvii.). Three elements are observable in it : first, certain truths and ideas in the prophet's mind, truths not new but often expressed elsewhere, at least partially, such as the idea of the people's restoration. Secondly, the operation on these truths of the prophet's mental genius, giving them a unity, throwing them into a physical form, and making them stand out before the eye of his phantasy as if presented to him from without. And thirdly, there may be a certain literary embellishment. This last element is most conspicuous in the visions of the Cherubim (ch. i.) and of the new Temple (ch. xl. seq.^. But it must be maintained that the second element, the constructive operation of the phantasy, was always present, and that the visions are not mere literary invention. Occasionally, however, the prophet does use the vision, like other things, in an ideal way, bringing consider- able stretches of his own prophetic work under the outline of a single vision, as in ch. i. — iii. 21 and ch. viii. — xi. (cf. note, iii. 21). Ezekiel felt such visions as that in ch. xxxvii. to be a revelation of God. And from whence else could his assurance of the people's restoration have come? There was nothing in the state of the world and the nations to suggest it, and everything ^ In regard to ch. iv. i — 3 Calvin remarks, Hoc fuit puerile specta- culum, nisi a Deo jussus fuisset Propheta sic agere. But that which would be puerile unless commanded by God remains puerile in itself, and the sound sense of men will conclude that God did not command it. ^ The difference between Isaiah's knowledge of God and that of Ezekiel, and consequently the greater detail of the latter in ch. i. com- pared with Is. vi., is very prettily expressed by Abarbanel, who says that Ezekiel was a villager who saw the divine Majesty but rarely and therefore minutely described it, while Isaiah dwelt in the capital and was familiar with the great King. XXX INTRODUCTION, in the past history of the people and their present condition to make it seem impossible (xxxiii. lo). The singular struggle between hope and fear revealed in Lam. iii. 21 seq. is typical of the state of mind even of those in whose hearts hope was not dead; and the very energy of the utterance in Is. 1. 4—8 is evidence of the obstacles which faith had to overcome. Between the latest date in ch. i. — xxxix. and the date of ch. xl. seq. there is an interval of thirteen years. Ch. i. — xxxix. may be supposed to have been composed a considerable time before ch. xl. seq. The latter chapters are quite unique in a prophetic book, while the contents of the earlier part do not differ from those of other prophetic writings. The difference of the two parts may have suggested to Josephus {Ant. x. 5, i) the idea that Ezekiel wrote two books, unless, indeed, the words he uses should apply rather to Jeremiah. Although ch. i. — xxxix. form the background to ch. xl. — xlviii., a certain change in the prophet's view seems to have taken place in the interval, par- ticularly in regard to the role of the Prince. The passage xxix. 17 — 21 is a later insertion dated two years after ch. xl. After this date (570 B.C.) nothing is known of the prophet. Tradition asserts that he met his death in Babylonia at the hands of a prince of his people whom he had upbraided for his idolatrous practices^ The contention of some scholars that the Book is later than the exile and pseudepigraphic has not met with any wide accept- ance. Zunz^ would place it in the Persian period (c, 440 — 400 B.C.)- The view of Geiger^ is similar; while Seinecke*, who identifies Gog with Antiochus Epiphanes, brings the Book as low as the Maccabean age. Ezekiel was received into the Canon along with the other prophetical books. The date of the canonising of the Prophets is uncertain, though it must have been prior to 200 B.C. (ProL ^ For this and other traditions cf. Knobel, Frophetisjtms, p. 301. ^ Gottesdienst. Vortrdge, p. 157, and Zeit. Deut. Morg. Ges., vol. xxvii., p. 676. 3 Urschrift, p. 23. ■* Gesch. d. V, Is. i. 138, quoted in Kuen., Onderz., ii. 315. INTRODUCTION. xxxi to Ecclus., and Ch. xlix. 8, Dan. ix. 2). The differences between the ritual details in ch. xl. seq. and the Law naturally created difficulties, which, however, do not seem to have been widely felt, as no scholar's name or school is mentioned in connexion with them. Hananiah ben Hezekiah, of blessed memory (a contemporary of Gamaliel the master of St Paul), resolutely grappled with them ; he had 300 measures of lamp-oil brought him, and betaking himself to an upper room he sat and recon- ciled the differences, of which no more was heard^ CHAPTER III. Jehovah, God of Israi.l. Ezekiel's general doctrine of God does not differ materially from that of other prophets of the same age, such as Jeremiah and Isaiah xl. sq., though the character of his mind causes him to bring some divine attributes into more prominence than others, and his education as a priest leads him to a way of thinking or at least to the use of a kind of phraseology not observed in other prophets. His conception of Jehovah appears in the "visions of God" which he describes (ch. i., viii., x., xliii.). These visions were all alike, and they reveal his general impression of that which Jehovah is. The fourfold nature of the cherubim, of their faces and wings and of the wheels, all forming a chariot mov- ing in every direction alike, and with the velocity suggested by the wings and wheels, symbolizes the omnipresence of Je- hovah, while the eyes of which the whole was full are a token of his omniscience. The throne above the firmament on which he sat indicates that he is King in heaven, God over all, om- nipotent. The divine being himself appeared as of human 1 See Buhl, Kanon und Text, p. 30 (Transl., p. 24, 30). Wilde- boer, Het Ontstaan van den Kanon, p. 59. Bleek, 4 Ed., p. 551. xxxii INTRODUCTION. form, while his nature was light, of such brightness that fire fitly represented him only from the loins downwards, from the loins upwards the effulgence was something purer and more dazzling, and he was surrounded by a brightness like that of the rainbow in the day of rain. This "glory," which contains himself within it (x. 4, 18, xliii. 5, 6), is that which is manifested to men (final note, ch. i.). The name by which the prophet calls the God of Israel is Jehovah, or the Lord Jehovah. Whether the name Lord ex- presses something judicial or no may be uncertain, it expresses at least something sovereign (Is. vi. i, 5) ; but the other name Jehovah now in Ezekiel's age expresses the idea of God abso- lutely. Jehovah has all power: the nations as well as Israel are in his hand. He brought Israel out of Egypt, and gave them the good land of Canaan, and he will disperse them among the nations, delivering them over to the king of Babylon; but yet again he will recover them out of the hand of those who have served themselves of them, and save them with an everlasting salvation. With the same omnipotence he rules among the nations. His judgments fall upon the peoples around Israel, Ammon, Moab and Edom, whose name he causes to perish among the nations; but they light also on Tyre and even upon Egypt, which he gives into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. He breaks the arm of Pharaoh and strikes the sword out of his hand, putting his own sword into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. He brandishes his sword in the eyes of all the nations, while creation shudders and the waters of the great deep stand motionless. He puts his hook in the jaws of Gog, and brings him up from the ends of the earth, revealing himself to the most distant lands and the far-off islands of the sea. He reverses the past, bringing again the captivity of Sodom and her daughters. He sends forth his life-giving spirit, and the nation that was dead and its bones scattered feels the breath of life and rises to its feet a great army. His rule of the nations is the judgment of the nations ; and his verdict upon a nation is seen in the last act which it plays upon the stage of history and is eternal (.xxxii. 17 s^.). INTRODUCTION. xxxiii At the sight of his glory the prophet fell upon his face, but it is not Jehovah's will that his servants should be overborne by his majesty (Job ix. 32 — 35, xiii. 21), and he says to the prophet "stand upon thy feet that I may speak with thee" (ii. i). Though profoundly devout and but a "child of man" in the presence of Jehovah, the prophet is far from regarding God as a mere transcendent majesty and abstract omnipotence. He is the living God. He has "a likeness as the appearance of a man" (i. 26). He has "a mighty hand and a stretched out arm" (xx. 33), a "face" (vii. 22, xiv. 8, xv. 7, xxxix. 23, 24), a "mouth" (iii. 17, cf. xxii. 21), "eyes" and "ears" (viii. 18), his fury comes up into his "nostrils" (xxxviii. 18), and the sanctuary is the place of the "soles of his feet" (xliii. 7; cf. Is. Ix. 13). These representations in Ezekiel mean neither more nor less than they do in other prophets, such as Is. xl. — Ixvi. ; they are not to be dwelt upon individually but taken together, and when thus combined they express the idea of a living personality possessing all the powers of personal being. Even when the prophet represents Jehovah's judgments as executed by the mediation of divine messengers (ch. ix.), or when he interposes a "man" between God and himself (xl. 3 sg.), this is due to his tendency to personify rather than to any feeling of the distance of God from men or the world, as appears from xliii. 5 — 7. Again, Jehovah appears in the prophet endowed with all the attributes and emotions of moral being. He expresses his own consciousness of that which he is by using his own name, as when he says, "Ye shall know that I am Jehovah ;" and his sense of himself when injured, as it is when his people worship other gods or when the nations touch that which is his, op- pressing his people or usurping his land, reacts and manifests itself as "jealousy." He pities the outcast infant weltering in its blood and bids it live (xvi. 6), and the little children passed through the fire to Molech, whom he calls "my children" (xvi. 21). He has compassion on "his sheep," broken or lost and scattered on the mountains through the selfishness of hirelings who feed themselves and not the flock, and he binds xxxiv INTRODUCTION. up that of them which was broken, and strengthens that which was sick (xxxiv. i6). His "soul" is "alienated" from his people (xxiii. 1 8), whose uncleannesses he "loathes" (xxxvi. 17). His "anger" is kindled by their ways, he pours out his "fury" upon them and "appeases" it in their punishment. Yet he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked; his will is that men should live (xviii. 23, xxxiii. 11). He is conscious of being God alone, and directs all history, whether of his people or the nations, towards one goal, the revealing of himself as that which he is to the eyes of mankind. If he sends afflictions on his people it is that he may break their whorish heart and their eyes (vi. 9), and when his chastisements fail he forgives for his name's sake (xxxvi. 22 ; cf. Is. xlviii. 9), brings himself near and dwells by his spirit in men's hearts (xxxvi. 27), even tabernacling in a visible form among them for ever, so that the name of the new Jerusalem to all generations is, The Lord is there (xlviii. 35). His relation to his people or the prophet is not that of one distant or unapproachable. Being King in Israel, — and he expresses his resolution to be King over them yet in truth (xx. '}y'^, — he gives them statutes and judgments. Yet these are "good," they are "statutes of life" (xxxiii. 15), which if a man do he shall live by them (xx. 11). In like manner he com- municates his word to the prophet, commanding him to receive it and not be rebellious like the rebellious house (ii. 8). The prophet represents his inspiration under the symbol of eating the roll of a book, but why this symbol should imply a more " mechanical " idea of inspiration than the language of Jer., " Behold I have put my words in thy mouth " (i. 9), does not appear. Though the roll was written on the front and on the back with lamentation and woe, it was in the prophet's mouth "as honey for sweetness" (iii. 3). The same joy in Jehovah's service even amidst persecutions was felt by Jeremiah : " Thy words were found and I did eat them ; they were the joy and rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by thy name" (xv. 16). Sympathy with Jehovah in his alienation from the people be- cause of their evil is expressed by both prophets, "I sat alone INTRODUCTION. xxxv because of thy hand, for thou hast filled me with indignation " (Jer. XV. 17, and in a more violent form vi. 11 ; cf. Ez. iii. 14). Both prophets have such fellowship with Jehovah that they can venture to intercede for the people, though they are repulsed with the answer that the time for intercession has gone by, "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me my mind could not be toward this people ; cast them out of my sight" (Jer. xv. i ; Ez. ix. 8, xi. 13). Jehovah is God over all, and the self-exaltation of peoples or their rulers in any place of the world, as when the prince of Tyre says, I am God, or when the Pharaoh says, My river is mine, I have made it, is an offence against the majesty of him who is alone exalted. What might be called moral forces are no less subservient to his will and ruled by hiin than those that are physical. The prophet, indeed, represents Jehovah as the Author of all that occurs, whether on the stage of history or in the minds of men. Even the evil that men do is in many instances ascribed to him, without men, however, being thereby relieved of responsibility for it. In one aspect men's deeds are their own, in another they are occasioned by God. Jerusalem sets her bloodshed on a bare rock, without covering it; but from another point of view it is the Lord himself who sets it on a bare rock "that it might cause fury to come up, to take vengeance" (xxiv. 7). A prophet allows himself to be enticed, and entering into the purposes of the people— whitewashing the wall which they build — speaks such a prophetic word as fosters their delusive hopes. It is the Lord that deceives this prophet that both he and those whom he deludes may perish together (xiv. 10). The laws given to the people were "good," statutes of life. But the people neglected and disobeyed them, they perverted their meaning, extending the law of the offering of the firstborn even to children, whom they burnt in the fire. This perversion was caused by God himself; he gave them laws that were not good, that he might destroy them (xx. 25, 26). Evil things come into the mind of Gog, he devises an evil device, saying, "I will go up against them that are quiet, to take the spoil, and to take the prey." It is Jehovah that puts hooks in xliv INTRODUCTION. teaching agrees in many things with that of his predecessors, particularly Jeremiah. It is surprising how much the two prophets have in common. Both enter upon their office with opinions already formed of the people to whom they are sent, and with the expectation of opposition from them (Jer. i. 19) ; those around Ezekiel are thorns and briars and he dwells among scorpions (ii. 6) ; they are impudent and stiffhearted (ii. 4). Both receive assurance of divine assistance in their contention with them : " I have made thy face hard against their faces... harder than flint have I made thy forehead" (iii. 8, 9 ; Jer. i. 8, 17, 18, xv. 20; Is. 1. 7). Both sympathise with the anger of Jehovah in his controversy with his people and share it, being filled with "indignation" (iii. 14; Jer. vi. 11, xv. 17), and keep aloof from the people, refusing to enter into their sorrow or joy, for a doom from heaven hangs over them (iii. 26, cf. xxiv. 15 — 27 ; Jer. xvi. 5 seq.). Israel is a " rebellious house," and their rebellion has been continuous throughout their history, " they have rebelled they and their fathers unto this very day" (ii. 3, ch. xvi., xx.) ; "from the day that your fathers came forth out of Egypt unto this day, I have sent unto you my servants the prophets ; yet they hearkened not unto me, they did worse than their fathers " (Jer. vii. 25). Both assert that Jerusalem has outbidden Samaria in wickedness (xvi. 47, 51, xxiii. 11 ; Jer. iii, 11, xvi. 12), and that both peoples have been more perverse than the heathen (v. 6, xvi. 48; Jer. ii. 11). The degeneracy has infected all classes and persons, it is in vain to look for a "man" in the streets of Jerusalem : " I sought for a man among them to stand in the gap before me for the land, but I found none" (xxii. 30; Jer. V. i). In one respect Ezekiel appears to exceed his predecessors in the condemnation of his people : he recognises no good time in Israel's history. To older prophets a halo surrounded Israel's earliest time, though it soon faded away : " I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness ; but they came to Baal-Peor and con- secrated themselves unto the shame, and became abominable like that which they loved" (Hos. ix. 10) ; " I remember of thee INTRODUCTION. xlv the kindness of thy youth, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness" (Jer. ii. 2). And Isaiah even speaks of Jerusalem as at one time "the faithful city," though in his own day she had become an harlot (i. 21). Jeremiah appears to date the declension from the settlement in Canaan (ii. 5 — 7, 21, cf Is. v. 2 ; Mic. vi. 3), and Ezekiel agrees with him that at that time the people sank into deeper degeneracy, seizing the occasion presented by the Canaanite shrines to add to their provocation and blasphemy (xvi. 15 seq.^ xx. 28 ; Deut. xii. 2). But he goes further, pushing the people's idolatries back as far as the wilderness (xx. 24), and even into an earlier time : " Son of man, there were two women... and they committed whoredoms in Egypt" (xxiii. 2). Jerusalem came of tainted blood: her father was the Amorite, and her mother an Hittite (xvi. 3). The history of Israel in Egypt is told so briefly in the Pent, that no corroboration of the prophet's idea is found, which, however, has everything in its favour (on xx. 7, 8) ; and for the wilderness the oldest part of the Pent, supports him (Ex. xxxii., cf. Deut. ix. 6, and often). The revelation of Jehovah was not first made to Israel in Egypt, Jacob was his "servant" (xxviii. 25, xxxvii. 25), as well as Abraham (xxxiii. 24); and the prophet supposes the state of the people in Egypt to be very much their state in his own day : they knew Jehovah, but they had abandoned him for idols which they refused to forsake (xx. 5). It is possible that Ezekiel may judge the past history of his people from the point of view of his own attain- ment in religious knowledge ; he may regard the worship at the high places, though meant by the people for service of Jehovah, as nothing better than Canaanitish heathenism ; and looking at the darker side of the people's history and regarding the nation as a moral personality (xx. 30 — 44), he may not advert to much that deserved to be excepted from his sweeping charge of apostasy. The nature of the prophetic discourse has always to be taken into account. Its object was to shew to Jacob his transgressions (Mic. iii. 8 ; Jer. xxviii. 8). The judgment of the prophets on the people in every age was not a comparative but an absolute one. They condemn the people xlvi INTRODUCTION. because they fall short of the ideal which they themselves perceive to be true. They also represent this shortcoming as a declension and forsaking of a position formerly attained. This latter part of the prophetic judgment has been thought by many to be scarcely historical : their own ideal which they con- trast with the popular religion is always true, but their verdict on the people, it is thought, would have been fairer if, instead of charging them with declension, they had blamed them for backwardness and slowness of attainment. The written histoiy of Israel is so greatly occupied with external events that it affords little insight into the religious condition of the people before the prophetic age, but the unanimous feeling of the prophets as to the past must have a historical ground. Ezekiel's judgment on Jerusalem (ch. xvi.) finds a parallel in a singular passage in Jer. xxxii. 30 — 35 : " For this city hath been to me a provocation of mine anger and my fury from the day that they built it unto this day." Further, the two prophets are in agreement on much else, the details of the people's sin and the issue of it. Both name the chief sin of Israel "whoredom," as had been common since Hosea, though Isaiah uses the metaphor only once (i. 21); and the figures by which Ezekiel describes it, realistic and repulsive enough though they be, in nothing exceed those used by Jeremiah (xvi. 25, 34, xxiii. 8, 17, 20, 40; Jer. ii. 23, 24, iii. 2, V, 7, 8, xiii. 27). Apart from figure, this whoredom or infidelity to Jehovah, includes two things, idolatry and alliances with foreign states, those "lovers" on whom Israel and Judah doted (xxiii. 5, 16; Jer. iv. 30). The idolatry was partly real, a wor- ship of "other gods" (Jer. xvi, 11), the Baals or shame (xi. 13), the host of heaven (Jer. xix. 13; Ez. viii. 16), and the queen of heaven (Jer. vii. 18, xliv. 17 seq. cf Ez. viii. 14). It is not certain to what deities the small shrines were erected which were to be found in every street and at the head of every way (xvi. 24, 25). Jer. xi. 13 appears to call them altars to the shame or Baal, though it might be inferred from Ez. xvi. 23 that they were dedicated to deities not native to Canaan. Besides this, however, both prophets stigmatise with the same odious name the whole INTRODUCTION. xlvii service at the rural altars, on the high hills and under the ever- green trees, with its accessories of images, sun-pillars and asheras (vi. 6 ; Jer. ii. 20, iii. 2, 6). It is not the mere localities nor the number of the altars that arouses their aversion ; it is the nature of the worship and its evil memories (Hos. iv. 13, 14; Am. ii. 7), for Ezekiel regards the rural shrines as a survival of Canaanitish paganism (xx. 27, 28). The images or block-gods (vi. 4) standing in these shrines were probably in many instances figures of Jehovah, for since the verdict of Hosea on the calf- image (viii. 6), "A workman made it, it is no God," little if any distinction was drawn between such images and others (Is. ii. 8, xvii. 8, XXX. 22). Both prophets name these objects of worship "abominations," and represent them as being placed in the house of the Lord to defile it (Jer. vii. 30, xix. 4 ; Ez. viii. 3 seq.), and as polluting the land (Jer. xvi. 18). Since Hosea foreign alliances had been stigmatised as "hiring lovers" (viii. 9, 10), and both the later prophets adopt the phraseology (xvi. 37, xxiii. 9, 22; Jer. XXX. 14; cf. Lam. i. 19). From the earliest times the prophets regard these alliances as due to a false conception of the nature of the kingdom of the Lord, and as evidence of mistrust in Jehovah (Is. vii. 9, x. 20, 21, xxx. 15, xxxi. i); and, naturally, they were opposed to them for another reason, be- cause the customs and idolatries of the foreign nations followed in their train (Is. ii. 6, cf. on xvi. 23 seq.; initial note to xxiii., and final note to xvi.). In other details the two prophets are in harmony : they both reprobate the "bloodshed" of which Jerusalem is guilty. This "blood" was partly judicial murders (ix. 9, xxii. 6; Jer. vii. 6, xxii. 3), partly that shed in partizan conflicts within the city (xi. 7), but especially the child murder of later days (xvi. 20, 36, XX. 26; Jer. vii. 31, xxxii. 35, cf. notes on xvi. 20, xx. 25). Jeru- salem is "the bloody city" (xxiv. 6, xxii. 3, 4, &c.); she has set her blood upon a rock and it cries for vengeance (xxiv. 7 ; Job xvi. 18). But both prophets enter into greater details regarding the sins of the people than earlier prophets were wont to do, though Jeremiah adheres more to the ancient custom of denounc- ing civil wrongs (vii. 5 scq., xxii. i — 5), while Ezekiel descends xlviii INTRODUCTION. lower and exposes the social abominations of his day (ch. xviii., xxii., xxiii., cf. Jer. ix. 2 — 9). In these descriptions (e.g. xxii. i — 13) he shews affinities with some parts of the Law, particularly the small code, Lev. xvii. — xxvi., and reveals how deeply the taint of Canaanitish impurity had infected the moral life of Israel, though it may not be easy to say whether what he describes be a recent outbreak of immorality due to the decaying vigour of the national life and the moral paralysis rapidly advancing to its heart, or whether the conscience of the teachers of Israel was only now awakening to the enormity of vices that had long been pre- valent. — On the prophet's moral ideal compared with others cf. on xviii. 9. The sin of Israel is universal, infecting all classes, the royal house, the priests, the prophets and the people of the land (xxii. 23 — 31)- The time for intercession has gone by; the sword of the Lord is whetted for the slaughter '(xxi.); Jerusalem, the rusted caldron, must be set upon the fire that its contents may be seethed, and that its brass may glow and its rust be molten away (xxi v.). When the catastrophe came, verifying the prophet's anticipations, his mouth was opened. The people perceived that the view taken of their history by their prophetic teachers, from Amos downwards, was just, and that they were true in- terpreters of the mind of their God. So the old era was closed. The prophet had now to inaugurate the new. Like all other prophets Ezekiel, though he sees the destruction of the state to be necessary, believes in its restitution. And this restitution will be the operation of Jehovah. A complete section of his prophecies (xxxiii. — xxxvii.) is devoted to this future, in which all its details are set forth ; but even in the earlier part of his Book many allusions to it occur. As early as ch. xi. the exiles are consoled with the promise: "I will gather you from the peoples and give you the land of Israel. And I will put a new spirit within you, and I will be your God" (xi. 17 — 20). And in xvi. 60 a new and everlasting covenant is promised to Jerusalem, under which she shall not only be restored herself, but receive her sisters Samaria and Sodom for daughters. As in other prophets these prophecies of restitution assume a INTRODUCTION. xlix Messianic form, a universal kingdom being promised to the house of David : " I will take of the lofty top of the cedar. . .in the moun- tain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing" (xvii. 22 — 24). In xxi. 27 the Messiah is alluded to in the words "till he come whose right it is" (the ref. in xxix. 21 is more general, to the restoration of Israel). The passages xxxiv. 23 scq., and xxxvii. 24 seq. are even more expHcit. In the restitution the two kingdoms shall be reunited, with one shepherd over the two peoples, even the Lord's servant David (Am. ix. 11; Hos. iii. 5; Jer. xxxiii. 15). David shall be their prince for ever (xxxvii. 24, 25 ; Is. ix. 7). In these passages "prince" and "king" are used without distinction, and as the Messianic king is called "David" it is probable (Jer. xxiii. 5 — 8) that there is allusion to the Davidic house, though "David" might mean one in the spirit and power of David (cf. on xxxiv. 23, xxxvii. 25). In all these passages Ezekiel's representations are quite parallel to those of other prophets. In ch. xl. seq. the "prince" seems to play a more subordinate role^ though there his functions in the wor- ship of the restored community are specially referred to. Ch. xxxiii. — xxxvii. describe the reconstitution of the kingdom on all its sides : the culmination of the monarchy in the Messiah (xxxiv.) ; the recovery of the land and its transfiguration (xxxv., xxxvi.); the regeneration of the people, with the redemptive principles which it illustrates, such as will leave eternal im- pressions on the people's mind (xxxvi.); and the re-awakening of the dead nation into life and the union of all the disjointed members of the north and of the south into one living subject again, as seen in the grandiose vision of the dry bones (xxxvii.). The conditions on man's part of entering this new kingdom appear to be stated in such passages as xviii. and xxxiii. The object of the prophet here is scarcely to vindicate the strict retributive righteousness of God or to shew how this righteous- ness operates at all times. The passages refer more to the future than to the present, more to how God is about to deal with men than to how he has dealt with them; and there is a certain ideal element in the delineation, as there is in all 1 INTRODUCTION. prophetic references to the coming kingdom of the Lord. Of course the general principle is sometimes stated that the righteous will be spared and the wicked perish (ix.), though in other places the judgment is represented as sweeping away all indiscriminately (xx. 45 seg.); and ch. xiv. 12 se^. depends on Jer. xv. i seg., and is meant to shew that the wicked will no longer be spared for the sake of the righteous rather than to exemplify the strict retributive righteousness of God. That the reference in these chapters is to the future, a future somewhat indefinite and ideal, is probable both from the parallel passage in Jeremiah and from the prophet's own lan- guage. It is in the ideal times of Israel restored that the proverb, "The fathers ate sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge," shall no more have currency (Jer. xxxi. 27 seg'.); and Ezekiel's language is similar, "As I live, saith the Lord, it shall no longer be permitted to you to use this proverb in Israel" (xviii. 3). The prophet stands before a new age, and it is its principles that he reveals. His purpose is practical, to meet the conditions of the people's mind, and to awaken them to a new moral activity, in preparation for the sifting and crisis that shall try every individual mind (xxxiii. i — 6). His principles but form the background to his exhortation to repentance. He attaches them to two expressions which he had heard from the mouths of the people: "The fathers ate sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge" (xviii. 2), and, "Our iniquities be upon us and we pine away in them, how then shall we live ? " (xxxiii. 10). To the one, which means that men are inexorably involved in the sins of their people or forefathers, he opposes the principle that every individual mind stands in immediate relation to God, and none shall perish for the sins of another, the soul that sinneth shall die; and to the other, which means that the evil past of life is irremediable, he opposes the principle that God has no pleasure in the death of the sinner, there is place for repentance. The last principle is developed with a certain theoretical com- pleteness, which means no more, however, than that man has moral freedom to do good or evil, that he who is righteous INTRODUCTION. H may become a sinner, and that the sinner may turn from his evil, and that men will be judged not according to that which they have been but according to that which they are. The real point upon which the prophet's mind is operating is the spiritual relation of the individual mind to God; but like others he may not be able to keep this distinct from the ex- ternal condition of the person, or as he calls it "life" or "death." At the same time the future and ideal time to which he applies his principles exonerates him from the charge of teaching a doctrine false to everyday experience (cf. notes on xviii. and xxxiii.). This emancipation of the individual soul, whether from a doom inherited from a former generation or from one entailed on it by its own evil past, was perhaps the greatest contribution made by Ezekiel to the religious life and thought of his time. He probably reached his individualism by reflection on such events as the downfall of the state, leaving now no place for religion except in the individual mind, and on the sentiments which he heard expressed by men around him. His con- temporary Jeremiah reached the same truth from another direction, from his own experience of the inwardness of the relation of God to men. The very nature of this relation required that the religious subject should be the individual mind. Yet, as in the case of other prophets, Ezekiel no sooner states the conditions on man's part of entering the new kingdom than he seems to desert them. Jeremiah, after demanding of the people a radical reformation (iv. 3), pauses to ask himself. Can the Ethiopian change his skin ? and his hope at last is in a divine operation: "I will write my law in their hearts. ..and their sin will I remember no more" (xxxi. 31 — 34). The transi- tion in Ezekiel from ch. xxxiii. to ch. xxxvi. is similar. It was the hope of the prophets that the fires of the exile would purify the people, and that they would come out as silver tried in the furnace. They are constrained to confess that this hope has been disappointed : Israel will be saved, but only by Jehovah working for his name's sake (Is. xliii. 25, xlviii. 10, 11). Hi INTRODUCTION. Ezekiel perhaps hardly saw so much of the exile as to reason in this way, but his conclusion in xxxvi. 24 — 29 is the same. This remarkable passage has no parallel in the Old Testament, and reads like a fragment of a Pauline epistle (final note on xxxvi.). The doctrine of the spirit of God receives fuller deve- lopment in it than anywhere else in the Old Testament. Only one thing is wanting to complete this doctrine on its practical side, a statement of the means which the spirit shall use in his operations (John xvi. 14). Of singular beauty are the prophet's references to the eternal impressions which God's goodness in their history will leave on the mind of his people (xxxvi. 31, 32, xvi. 61, 63, XX. 42 — 44, xxxix. 26 seq.). Like that of Hosea and others Ezekiel's eschatology occupies itself chiefly with the destinies of Israel ; the place of the nations in the regenerated world is not dwelt upon. How much is implied in the oft-repeated words, " They shall know that I am Jehovah," is not clear Profounder conceptions of the relations of Jeho- vah to the nations are at least touched upon in ch. xvi. (final notes); and in one passage it is foretold that the nations will seek refuge under the rule of the Messiah (ch. xvii. 23). The final section (xl. scq.) is an ideal picture of the perfection and eternal peace of Israel restored. It has been remarked that in these chapters Ezekiel supplies a programme for the subsequent development of Judaism. It is possible that a subsequent generation imposed his ideal of Israel's final state upon the historical restoration that took place under Zerubbabel and under Ezra. But such a thing was not the prophet's idea, and never came into his mind. In his view Israel's develop- ment reaches its culmination in the restoration itself, and the regeneration of the people accompanying it (cf. Is. Ix.). The ritual observances which he enjoins are not the "statutes of life " elsewhere spoken of. These statutes are the moral require- ments of the decalogue, practically carried out so as to exclude idolatry and the impurities often referred to (ch. xxii.); and the fulfilment of these statutes is ensured by the moral regeneration wrought by God upon the people (xi. 18 — 20, xvi. 60 — 63, xxxvi. 25 seq. ; cf initial note to xl. seq.). INTRODUCTION. liii The points of contact between Ezekiel and the ritual Law have raised many interesting though compUcated questions of criticism, upon which this is not the place to enter. The ques- tions mainly relate to the age of the Law in its present written form as this has to be determined by the antiquity of some of the practices contained in it, e.g. the day of Atonement (Lev. xvi., cf. Ez. xlv. 18—20), the distinction of Priests and Levites within the tribe of Levi (Ez. xliv., cf. Deut. xviii. i, 6—8 ; 2 K. xxiii. 8, 9), and the High-priesthood (on xliv. 22). Inferences from comparison of Ezekiel with the Law have to be drawn with caution, for it is evident that the prophet handles with freedom institutions certainly older than his own time. The feast of weeks (Ex. xxiii. 16, xxxiv. 22) forms no element in his calendar ; the law of the offering of the firstlings of the flock is dispensed with by him ; there is no gilding in his Temple, and no wine in his sacrificial libations. His reconstruction of the courts of the Temple is altogether new ; and so is his pro- vision in the "oblation" of land for the maintenance of priests, Levites and prince. On any hypothesis of priority the differ- ences in details between him and the Law may be easiest explained by supposing that, while the sacrifices in general and the ideas which they expressed were fixed and current, the particulars, such as the kind of victims and the number of them, the precise quantity of meal, oil and the like, were held non-essential and alterable when a change would better express the idea. The prince is left to regulate some of these things at his own discretion (xlvi. 7, 11). The affinities of Ezekiel with the small code. Lev. xvii. — xxvi., are remarkable both in subject and in some parts in phraseology (Lev. xxvi.). The differences, however, are too important to admit the view that he is the author of this code ; and the question whether he had some parts of it at least before him in a written form is a very complicated one. Of more interest than the question, What amount of the Law was known to Ezekiel in writing ? is the other. How much of it was familiar to him in practice? It is evident that the ritual as it appears in his Book had long been a matter of consue- liv INTRODUCTION. tudinary law. He is familiar not only with burnt, peace and meat offerings, but with sin and trespass offerings (xlv. 17). All these are spoken of as things customary and well under- stood (xlii. 13, xliv. 29 — 31); even the praxis of the trespass offering is so much a thing familiar that no rules are laid down in regard to it (xlvi. 20). The sin and trespass offerings are little if at all alluded to in the ancient extra-ritual literature, but the argument from silence is a precarious one, for Ezekiel himself, when not precise, uses the comprehensive phraseology " burnt offerings and peace offerings " (xliii. 27). The people's dues to the priests are also so much customary that no rules are needful to regulate them (xliv. 30). Ezekiel is no more a "legislator" than he is the founder of the Temple. The affinities in language between Ezekiel and the ritual law are scarcely literary, they arise from the fact that the writers move among the same class of conceptions, and, in Ezekiel's case at least, from the fact that these conceptions have long ago created for themselves a distinct phraseology. The question of interest is, how ancient the conceptions are. In the literature outside the Law little light is cast on the history of the priest- hood or ritual or on the class of conceptions prevailing in priestly circles. The prophets, while furnishing abundant evidence of the existence of a sumptuous ritual, shew little sympathy for it, and reveal more the popular perversion of priestly conceptions than their legitimate meaning. Sparse as historical allusions are they suffice to shew the antiquity of the conceptions, e.g. the sacredness of blood (i Sam. xiv. 33), the distinctions of clean and unclean (i Sam. xxi. 4), and the atoning virtue of sacrifice (i Sam. iii. 14, xxvi. 19). It is evident that two streams of thought, both issuing from a fountain as high up as the very origin of the nation, ran side by side down the whole history of the people, the prophetic and the priestly. In the one Jehovah is a moral ruler, a righteous king and judge, who punishes iniquity judicially or forgives sins freely of his mercy. In the other he is a person dwelling among his people in a house, a holy being or nature, sensitive to every uncleanness in all that is near him, and re- quiring its removal by lustrations and atonement. Those cherish- INTRODUCTION. Iv ing the latter circle of conceptions might be as zealous for the Lord of hosts as the prophets. And the developments of the national history would extend their conceptions and lead to the amplification of practices embodying them just as they extended the conceptions of the prophets. A growth of priestly ideas is quite as probable as a growth of prophetic ideas. That the streams ran apart is no evidence that they were not equally ancient and always contemporaneous, for we see Jeremiah and Ezekiel both flourishing in one age. At one point in the history the prophetic stream was swelled by an inflow from the priestly, as is seen in Deuteronomy, and from the Restoration downwards both streams appear to coalesce^. ^ Commentaries referred to in the following notes are, Havernick, 1843, Hitzig, 1847, Ewald, 1868 (Trans. i88o), Keil, Trans. 1876, Reuss, 1876, Smend, 1880. Cornill, Das Buck dcs Proph. Ezechiel, 1886, a reconstruction of the Text. Schrader, Die Keilinschriften und das Alte Tesf., is referred to as KA T (now translated by Whitehouse). Boett- c\\Qx, Proben Alttest. Schrifterkldrting, 1833, ■^ndi Aehrenlese, vol. 2, 186.^. Besides the valuable discussions in Driver, Introduction, 1891, and in Kuenen, Onderzoek, 11. 1889, the following are contributions to the exposition of Ezekiel: Cornill, Der Prophet Ezechiel, 1882; Klihn, EzechiePs Gesicht voin Tempel, 1882; Plumptre, "Ezekiel: an Ideal Biography," Expositor, 1884; Valeton, Viertal Voorlezingen (third lecture), 1886; Arndt, Die Stellung Ezechiel' s, 1886; Meulenbelt, De Prediking van den Profeet Ezechiel, 1888; Gautier, La Mission du Prophete Ezechiel, 1891, Horst, Leviticus xvii. — xxvi. und Hezekiel, 1881 (critical). Also the Essays of Klostermann, Stud. u. Krit., 1S77, and Kuenen, Modern Review, 1884. N THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET E Z E K I E L. ow it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth 1 month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among First Division, Ch. I. — XXIV., Prophecies of the Destruc- tion OF THE Kingdom. First Section. Ch. I. — III. ix. The section consists of two divisions : First, Ch. I. inaugural vision of Jehovah; second, Ch. II. — III. 21, the various steps by which Jehovah, thus seen, initiated the prophet into his work. The inaugural vision Cli. i. has two parts; (i) vv. i — 3, definition of the time and place of tlie appearance of the vision of God; and (2) vv. 4 — 28, description of the vision itself, with its influence upon the prophet. I — 3. The manifestation of Jehovah was made to the prophet in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, and in the midst of the captives by the river Chcbar (v. r); or, it was on the fifth of the month, in the fifth year of the captivity of king Jehoiachin, and in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river Chebar {vv. 2, 3). Vv. I — 3 appear to contain two superscriptions, one in v. i, in which the prophet speaks in the first person, and which is syntactically connected with v. 4 sei^.; and one in vv. 2, 3, in which the prophet is spoken of, his name and descent and priestly rank stated, and the thirtieth year of v. i identified with the fifth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin. The language in v. i is precisely similar to almost all the other specifications of time in the Book, e.g. viii. i, xx. i, xxiv. i, xxvi. I, xxix. I, 17, xxx. 20, xxxi. i, xxxii. i, 17, xxxiii. 21, xl. i. In two cases the phrase "and it came to pass" is not used (xxix. i, xl. i). If the verse stood alone the natural inference from the other dates would be that the year was the thirtieth of Jehoiachin's captivity, as in other cases, or as it is put in two instances "our captivity" (xxxiii. 21, xl. i). The latest date mentioned in the Book is the 27th year of the captivity (xxix. 17), and it has been conjectured that v. I refers to another prophecy or vision three years later, and that vv, 2, 3 form the real heading. Against this, however, is (i) that the specification of circum- stances and place in v. i is natural in an introductory statement, but not to be expected in any other. In point of fact it nowhere occurs after ezekiel I EZEKIEL, I. [v. 2. the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were 2 opened, and I saw visions of God. In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's cap- the introductory visions by which the prophet received his commission, except in references to these visions (x. 15, 20, 22, xliii. 3). And (2) the words "which was the fifth year" v. 1 evidently refer to some year already mentioned, which is now said to coincide with the fifth of Jehoiachin's captivity. The two parts of the superscription are awkwardly connected, but neither of them can be wanted, though it is quite possible that they do not appear in their original form. The thirtieth year might refer to some event or era from which Ezekiel reckoned, (i) As such an event the discovery of the Book of the Law and Josiah's consequent reformation of worship (621 B.C.) already occurred to the Chaldee translator. Between this date and 592, the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity there is a period of 29 years. There is, however, no other instance of such a kind of reckoning, nor any evidence that the discovery in Josiah's eighteenth year was ever regarded as an era. (2) That the prophet should refer to a Babylonian era is quite possible, seeing he lived in Babylonia. But no such era has been discovered. The beginning of the reign of Nabopolassar, when Babylon became independent of Assyria, is usually dated in 625; and the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity would be the thirty-third year of such an era. (3) It is possible that the prophet might refer to the year of his own age. The conjecture that Ezekiel, being a priest, would have entered upon office in his thirtieth year, and that his prophetic call coincided with this date, has little to support it, as the age at which priests might undertake office is nowhere fixed in the Law; and the reference to the year of the prophet's age in v. i would be extremely un- natural. Neither is there much probability in the suggestion (Kloster- mann. Stud. u. Krit. 1877) that &. i is a fragment of a longer passage in which the prophet's history before his call was narrated. In such a case reference to the thirtieth year of his age would certainly lose its strangeness, but such a history would be without example, as a prophet's life always opens with his call. the river of Chebar\ Not to be identified with the Chabor (2 Kings xvii. 6) which falls into the Euphrates at Circesium. More probably the Chebar was some stream much further south in Babylonia proper (2 Kings xxiv. 15; Jer. xxix. 15, 20). heavens were opened] In his trance the prophet saw the heavens opened [v. 3). visions of God] Might be visions given by God, or visions in which God was seen. The expression is probably to be taken somewhat generally, as meaning heavenly or divine visions (viii. 3). 2. fifth year... yehoiachin] Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim and grand- son of Josiah, reigned only three months and ten days. He is also styled Jeconiah or Coniah, Jer. xxii. 24 seq., xxiv. i, xxvii. 20; 2 Kings xxiv. 8. His captivity dates B.C. 597, and Ezekiel's call 592, six years before the fall of Jerusalem. vv. 3, 4-] EZEKIEL, I. tivity, the word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the 3 priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him. And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the 4 north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a bright- 3. catne expressly] Omit expressly. The name Ezekiel probably means "God is strong." Nothing further is known of Ezekiel or of his father Buzi. The designation "priest" appears to apply to Ezekiel, not to his father. As the prophet excludes all Levites from priestly office except the "sons of Zadok" (xl. 46, xliii. 19, xliv. 15, 16), it may be inferred that he belonged himself to this family. It appears from Jer. xxix. i seq. that among the captives carried away with Jehoia- chin were both priests and prophets. hand of the Lord] the prophetic ecstasy, 4 — 28. The theophany, or, vision of God. This is described first generally, as a whirlwind and great cloud coming from the North, with a luminous splendour around it, due to a fire sending out continuous flashes within it (v, 4). Secondly, more particularly that is described which appeared within the storm-cloud {vv. 5 — 28). This was the chariot of God, in which he rode, descending to the earth and moving from one place to another (cf. ch. X.). This chariot is represented as foursided. On each of the four sides was a living creature of human shape, with outstretched wings. Also on each of the four sides, beside each of the living crea- tures there was a wheel. The living creatures are not represented as having any platform or basement under them on which they stand; the wheels are usually said to be "beside" them, in ch. x. 2 "under" them. The wheels are to be conceived as at right angles to each of the four sides of the chariot, presenting their rims to the four points of the com- pass. Above the heads of the four living creatures, or over their wings when horizontally expanded, was a firmament of crystal. Above the firma- ment was the appearance of a throne. And upon the throne the appearance of one like fire, encircled with a glory which was like the rainbow in the day of rain. 4. God appears in cloud and storm : clouds and darkness are round about him, Ex. ix. 24; i Kings xix. 11 ; Job xxxviii. i ; Ps. 1. 3. out of the north] In Ps. xxix. the theophany also comes from the north, and passes southward to the desert. The idea of the prophet can hardly be that the " place " or abode of God, from which he now comes, is situated in the northern part of the earth, for he saw " the heavens opened" (z/, i). In other places he refers to Eden, the garden of God (xxviii. 13, xxxi. 8, 9) for which he appears also to use the name "mount of God" (ch. xxviii. 14, 16), though without indicating any locality for it, but it would be very precarious to bring these passages EZEKIEL, I. [v. 5. ness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour 5 of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the into any connexion with the present one. When Jehovah leaves the city (ch. xi. 23) his glory passes out by the East gate and stands over the " mountain which is on the East side of the city," the mount of Olives ; and when he returns to the new temple he enters by the same east gate, which therefore is to remain for ever shut (xliii. 2, xliv. 2). In Is. xiv. 13 the king of Babylon resolves to seat himself in the mount of assembly, in the recesses of the north, above the stars of God ; but whatever this passage means it has no reference to the God of Israel. On the other hand the idea that the theophany appears to come from the north because the north was the region from which the enemies of Israel, the instruments of God's vengeance, were to advance, is altogether to be rejected. The theophany here is not a manifestation of God specially in the character of an avenger or judge ; he does not appear to the prophet as inflamed with anger. The theophany no doubt expresses the prophet's conception of God, but it is his conception of God as he is in himself and in his nature, not as he is in preparation for any signal act of judgment. This is conclusively shewn by the fact that the theophany here, and that when Jehovah appears for the destruction of Jerusalem (ch. viii. — xi.), and when he again appears to enter the new Jerusalem and make his abode in the new temple (ch. xliii.) are all identical, according to the statement of the prophet : "and the appearance was like the vision which I saw when I ( ? he) came to destroy the city, and like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar" (xliii. 3). a fire infolding itself'\ lit. taking hold of itself. The meaning appears to be that the fire incessantly gave out flames or flashes. The expression is suggested by the zigzag, chainlike flash of the thunderbolt. brightness was about it\ i.e. about the whole phenomenon of storm and cloud; though a great cloud it was illuminated all round by the continuous flashing of fire within it. colour of a77iber'\ Perhaps look, glance (Heb. eye) of amber. The word rendered "amber" is of uncertain meaning. LXX. renders elektron, which probably was some very brilliant metal, usually supposed to be an amalgam of gold and silver. out of the midst of the fire\ The words seem an explanation of the preceding phrase "out of the midst thereof" But this phrase more naturally refers to the whole phenomenon, as in v. 5. The words are wanting in LXX. and may be a gloss. If genuine they might go along with amber: like amber out of the midst of fire, as Rev. i. 15, "like fine brass burning in a furnace." This is not quite natural, neither is it natural to take "fire" here in a general sense of the great light caused by the fire {v. 13, ch. x. 2, 6). Probably the words are a marginal gloss referring the expression " out of the midst thereof" to the fire, while in fact it refers to the whole whirlwind and cloud. The prophet immedi- ately proceeds to describe in detail the four living creatures, the wheels, the firmament and throne. No one of these can be the thing compared to electrum, because each of them is compared to something else. It vv. 6, 7-] EZEKIEL, I, midst thereof ca^tie the Hkeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. 6 And their feet were straight feet ; and the sole of their feet ? seems that the combined effect produced by these, the look of the whole manifestation within the tempestuous cloud, the chariot, living creatures and the like, was a splendour like that of electrum. When the prophet looked more narrowly the general splendour resolved itself mto these individual things, living creatures, wheels and so on. 5 — 14. The four living creatures. These are described as having in general the human form ; they were erect and had apparently two feet {vv. 5, 7); they had four faces, one looking each way: the face of a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle (z*. 10). The man's face was the front face of each, and met the eye of the beholder who looked at the chariot on any of its four sides, and thus when the chariot moved in any direction the creature on that side had the appearance of an advancing man. The living creatures had each four wings, one pair being used in flight, and the other pair covering the body (vv. 6, u). The two pairs of wings were probably at right angles to one another, one pair belonging to the front and back sides and the other pair to the two lateral sides, for it is said that they had human hands under their wings on their four sides {v. 8). They had thus four hands or arms like those of men. Their feet, that is, their limbs were straight like those of men, but their feet proper were round like those of a calf [v. 7). When in motion each creature expanded one pair of wings, that is the wings on the right and left of the front face ; the expanded wings of the four thus formed a square, the tips of the wings of each creature touching those of two of its fellows on the right and on the left (w. 11). When the living creatures stood still their wings dropped {v. 24). 5. out of the midst thei'eof] Most naturally, out of the midst of the whole phenomenon of the tempestuous fiery cloud, though it might be out of that splendour which was like electrum. Four "living creatures," as Rev. iv., there unfortunately rendered "beasts." 6. had four faces] These were a man's in front of each, an eagle's opposite to this at the back of each ; a lion's on the right hand of each, and the face of an ox on the left of each. Thus four different faces were presented in each direction, so that in whatever direction the whole moved, while a man's face was presented tirst, those of a lion, an ox and an eagle were also encountered. In this view the four living creatures made up one creature, and each of the four was in small that which the four were combined. 7. straight feet] " Feet " here means limbs. These appear to have been two in number, though this is not expressly stated. The foot itself was round, or as much so as that of a calf. The word "straight" applied to the limbs means strictly "even," i.e. probably without pro- EZEKIEL, I. [w. 8—11. was like the sole of a calf's foot : and they sparkled like the 8 colour of burnished brass. And tkey had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four 9 had their faces and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another ; they turned not when they went ; they went 10 every one straight forward. As for the hkeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side : and they four had the face of an ox on the left side ; they four also had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched up- tuberance or knot such as a knee-joint would be. The living creature did not need to turn, and its leg was without joints. they sparkled... btirmshed brass\ that is, the limbs of the creature, not the living creature itself, Dan. x. 6, "his arms and his feet like in colour to burnished brass" (Rev. i. 15). "Colour" (lit. eye) is probably "glance" (z*. 4). 8. Each living creature appears to have had four hands or arms, cf. oh. X. 21. The last words of v. 8 must be joined with v. 9: "and their faces and their wings, of them four — their wings were joined one to another ; they turned not when they went, they went every one straight- forward." The meaning is that as each creature with his outstretched wings formed one side of the square his wings touched or were joined to those of two other creatures, one on his right and another on his left. The words "they turned not" refer to the faces. The above sentence is very awkward, and the whole is given by LXX. in a much shorter form : v. 8 and the faces of them four v. 9 turned not when thev went, they went every one straightforward. The clauses in v. 9 (Heb.) corre- spond respectively to im. 11, \^. 10. Read as R. V., and as for f he likeness 0/ their faces: they had the face of a tnan ; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side, n thy side to thy side. Here the prophet represents those pressed by the rigours of the siege, as in vv. 4 — 6. The "days of thy siege" most naturally means the days of thy suffering siege (ch. v. 2). 9 — 17. Symbol of scarcity during the siege and pollution IN THE dispersion FROM HAVING TO EAT UNCLEAN THINGS AMONG THE GeNTILES. The passage continues v. 8. The prophet is commanded (while lying immovably on his side in siege) to take of all kinds of grain, vv. 9— 12.] EZEKIEL, IV. 33 Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, 9 and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof. And thy meat 10 which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day : from time to time shalt thou eat it. Thou shalt drink n also water by measure, the sixth part of a hin : from time to time shalt thou drink. And thou shalt eat it as barley 12 cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of coarse as well as fine, of everything that will still hunger, and cast them into one vessel. These are to be baked into cakes and fired with hot ashes of men's dung, though on the prophet's entreaty a relaxation of this repulsive condition is granted and he is allowed to substitute the dung of cows. These cakes are to be eaten sparingly in small quantity from time to time, and water drunk with them sparingly. And this use of the cakes so prepared is to continue all the time that the prophet lies on his side. These actions symbolize first, great scarcity and straitness during the siege (z/z*. 16, 17); and secondly, pollution from eating unclean thijigs in the exile among the nations (jy. 13). 9. and fitches\ So Vulg. viciam, vetches. Others speli, as marg. and R.V. Bread was usually made of wheat, the addition of the other coarser materials and their mixture indicate the straits to which men will be reduced in the siege and perhaps after the fall of the city; cf. Lam. V. 6, 10, "We gave the hand to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians to be satisfied with bread... Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine." It is not certain that a mixture of various kinds of grain was regarded as a thing unclean, though the Law forbade sowing a field with divers sorts of seed. Lev. xix. 19; cf. Deut. xxii. 9. three hundred and iiinely'] Probably 190 should be read as in v. 5. The language here shews that the 190 (or, 390) was the whole number, and that the 40 for Judah were not additional but included. 10. ttventy shekels a day] Twenty shekels might be eight or nine ounces. In this country two pounds of bread is held an ordinary allowance. 11. sixth part 0/ a hin] The hin was rather less than a gallon, and the sixth part under a quart. Both the bread and water were to be consumed from time to time, always in unsatisfying quantities. 12. It was customary in the East to use the dung of animals when perfectly dried as fuel. The hot ashes remaining from it are perfectly clean, and retaining their glow for a considerable time were used for firing cakes upon or under. See Wetzstein in Del. y^/', p. 261 (Trans, i. p. 377). Whether the Hebrews would have considered such fuel un- clean is not certain (cf. Lev. v. 3, vii. 21 ; Deut. xxiii. 13); the material for firing which the prophet is commanded to use would certainly be KZKKIEL 2 34 EZEKIEL, IV. [vv. 13—16. 13 man, in their sight. And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the 14 Gentiles, whither I will drive them. Then said I, Ah Lord God, behold, my soul hath not been polluted : for from m.y youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces ; neither came there abominable 15 flesh into my mouth. Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt pre- 16 pare thy bread therewith. Moreover he said unto me. Son of man, behold, I will break the staflf of bread in Jerusalem : unclean (Deut. xxiii. 13) as well as loathsome. The command is ex- plained in V. 13. 13. eat their defded bread\ Rather : eat their bread unclean. This is the meaning of the symbol: the food which the people shall eat among the nations will be unclean. In a pathetic passage of Hosea it is said : "they shall not dwell in the Lord's land; but Ephraim shall eat unclean food in Assyria. They shall not pour out wine offerings to the Lord, neither shall their sacrifices be pleasing unto him ; their bread shall be unto them as the bread of mourners, all that eat thereof shall be polluted; for their bread shall be for their appetite; it shall not come into the house of the Lord" (ch. ix. 3, 4 R.V. marg.). A foreign land was in itself unclean (Am. vii. 17), no presence of Jehovah sanctified it; all food eaten in it was also common for it was not hallowed by part of it being brought into the house of the Lord and offered to him. F"ood eaten among the heathen was as the bread of mourners in Israel, all who partook of it were polluted. But as the words of the prophet suggest (z'. 14) in addition to this general uncleanness the people were forced in their straits or induced to eat many things actually prohi- bited by the Law, such as that which died of itself or was torn by wild beasts (ch. xliv. 31; Lev. xvii. 15; Deut. xiv. 21. Comp. Is. Ixv. 4). And it is natural that in the sore famine during the siege such unclean food was eaten, as indeed more terrible practices prevailed (ch. v. xo). Verse 13 appears in a shorter form in LXX. , but there is no reason to regard the whole verse as a gloss. 14. abominable Jles/i] This word "abomination" is applied to the sacrificial flesh kept over till the third day (Lev. vii. 18, xix. 7), and in Is. Ixv. 4 broth of "abominations" is coupled with swine's flesh. The meaning seems to be "carrion." The word occurs only these four times. 16, 17. Explanation of the symbol of eating bread by measure {w. 10, 11). 16. the staff of bread] i.e. the staff which bread is; a common figure, ch. V. 16; Lev. xxvi. 16; Is. iii. i ; Ps. cv. 16. It is scarcely necessary to say that the symbolical actions of this chapter were not actually performed. They naturally passed through the mind of the prophet as described, but so far as others were con- V. 17.] EZEKIEL, IV. 35 and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care ; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment: that 17 they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity. cerned they were merely narrated. The truth expressed by the symbo- lical action was as plain when the action was merely described as it would have been had the action been performed and seen. It is evident that the actions referred to here could not have been performed because they are represented as being done simultaneously. It is while he presses the siege with arm uncovered that the prophet also lies on his side held down by bands, bearing the sin of the people {vv. 5, 7, 8), and it is while lying immoveable in this condition that he prepares cakes upon the coals and eats them {vv. 8, 9). The prophet's symbols merely express an idea; it is only when supposed to be actually performed that inconsistencies appear. The siege and the hardships of it prolonged into the exile — the people's bearing their sin — are the two chief ideas of the chapter. These are of course contemporaneous with one another so far, but they are spoken of separately in vv. i — 6, the siege in vv. i — 3, and the hardships of it and the exile in vv. 4 — 6. But from v. 7 onwards they are some- what mixed together. Cornill reconstructs the chapter in a very drastic way with the view of keeping the two things, the siege and the exile, distinct throughout. He groups the verses as follows : first, bearing the sin of the people, i.e. the exile with its uncleanness, vv. 4 — 6, 8 (7 is a gloss), 9, 12 — 15; and secondly, the siege with its scarcity, vv. 1 — 3, 10, II, 16, 17. This reconstruction of the text is too violent to have any probability. A different suggestion was made by Well. [Hist. p. 273, note), to the effect that in v. 9, 390 is the right reading (though erroneously transferred also to v. 5 for 190), and that the reference is exclusively to the siege, which the prophet calculated would last so long. Further, the prophet's lying on his side and being bound with bands, v. 8, is a different thing from his lying on his side, z'. 5. In j;. 5 he represented the bondage of the exile, in v. 8 scq. the straitness of the siege. This view requires that v. 13, which interprets v. 8 scq. of eating unclean food in the dispersion, should be struck out as a gloss. The verse certainly appears in a shorter form in LXX. , though there seems no ground for considering it wholly interpolated. And it is more natural that the repulsive symbol of v. 11 should refer to the fact that all food eaten in exile was unclean rather than to uncleanness due to scarcity of fuel during the siege. The introduction too of a literal number of 390 days among other numbers of days which are symbolical is scarcely probable. Ch. V. 1 — 4. Symbol shewing the fate of the population DURING THE SIEGE AND AFTER IT, AND THEIR DISPERSION AMONG THE NATIONS. The prophet is commanded to take a sharp sword and use it as a barber's razor. With this he is to shave off the hair of his head and 3—2 36 EZEKIEL, V. [vv. i— j. And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's rasor, and cause // to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard : then take thee balances to weigh, and divide the hair. Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are ful- filled : and thou shalt take a third part, and smite about it with a knife : and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind ; and I will draw out a sword after them. Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy beard. He is then to take balances in order accurately to weigh the hair into three parts. One third is to be burned in the fire within the city ; a second third to be cut to pieces with the sword round about the city ; and the last third is to be strewn to all the winds, and pursued by the sword. Of these last a few were to be taken and bound in the skirts of the prophet's garment ; though of these again some were to be thrown into the fire and consumed. The sense of the symbol is clear ; a third part of the population shall be consumed by pestilence and famine within the city {v. 12); a third shall fall by the sword round about the city, on its capture ; and a third shall be scattered among all nations, pursued by the sword. Of these a few shall meantime escape, but shall be subjected anew to consuming judgments. 1. a sharp knife] lit. sword. The term may suggest the devouring divine sword, ch. xxi. 8 scq. take thee a barber's rasor] With R.V., as a barber's razor shalt thou take it unto thee. Two weapons are not to be taken, the sword is to be used as a razor. Isaiah (ch. vii. 20) had already said: " In that day shall the Lord shave with the razor that is hired, even with the king of Assyria, the beard and the hair of the feet." The land is likened to a man ; the enemy sweeps off the population clean as the razor does the hair of the body. balances to -weigh] The divine justice is accurate, assigning to each part its destined chastisement ; Jer.xv. 2, " Such as are for death to death ; and such as are for the sword to the sword ; and such as are for the famine to the famine ; and such as are for the captivity to the captivity." 2. M/7v/part in the midst of the city] If we could suppose that the prophet were strict in his symbolism the "city" here would be that graven upon the brick (ch. iv. i). There is no reason to suppose that he has this in his mind. smite about it with a knife] Rather : and smite it with the sword round about it, i.e. around the city (e-. 12). This is the fate of many of those who seek to escape before and after the capture of the city. draw out a s7vord] Comp. Jer. ix. 16, " I will scatter them among the heathen. ..and will send the sword after them." Lam. i. 3, "Judah dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest ; all her pursuers over- took her between the straits." The phrase again Lev. xxvi. 33. 3. fezv in number] Or, "by number," — accurately numbering them. (Is. xl. 26.) Of those dispersed a few shall meantime be preserved. vv. 4— 6.] EZEKIEL, V. 37 skirts. Then take of them again, and cast them into the 4 midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire ; for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord God ; This is Jerusalem : I have set 5 it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her. And she hath changed my judgments into c wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more 4. Yet of those preserved some shall be cast into the fire and con- sumed. thereof shall a fire\ therefrom, i.e. from that remnant which is sub- jected to new consumption in the fire. The " fire " that goes out from this remnant must be destructive, not purifying, as in xix. 14 (cf. Jud. ix. 15; Ezek. XV. 5, XXX. 9, xxxix. 6), but the meaning is not quite clear. It is the prophet's belief that those left in the city after the captivity of Jehoiachin were more debased and wicked than those already carried away (ch. ix. 9, xi. 15). When the city is destroyed and its inhabitants come as captives among the former exiles, these when they see their wickedness will be comforted over the fall of Jerusalem, acknowledg- ing that it was inevitable (ch. xiv. 22). Further Jehovah expresses his determination that he shall yet subdue Israel unto him and rule over them, though this implies purging out from among them the rebels, as of old in the wilderness of the Exodus (ch. xx. 33 — 38). And the pro- phet feels himself a watchman (ch. iii. 17); an approaching judgment looms before him, which all the people, each one for himself, will have to pass through. And the idea may be that the judgment, beginning with the inhabitants of Jerusalem, shall spread from them over the whole house of Israel. 5—17. Explanation of the four preceding symbols. Jerusalem, set in the midst of the nations and favoured of God above them all, has even exceeded them in wickedness {vv. 5, 6). Therefore God's judgments upon her shall be unparalleled in severity, first in the horrors of the siege, and secondly in the terrible miseries of pestilence, famine and blood that shall follow it {vv. 7 — 17). 5. This is ycrnsalem] Or, this yerusalem — I set it ! (Ex. xxxii. i ; Ezek. xl. 45). Jerusalem is placed emphatically at the head of the sen- tence; the thoughts which the name suggests are then developed in the succeeding clauses. countries that are round'] Rather : nations ; and countries are round about her. The geographical position of Jerusalem in the midst of the nations, distinct from them all, was but the external side of the exclusive favours bestowed on her by God. She should have been distinguished above the nations in righteousness, but her corruption was become deeper than theirs. Comp. on the idea of the central position of Jerusalem and Canaan, ch. xxxviii. 12 — "the navel of the earth." 6. Read : And she hath rebelled against my judgments to do wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes. "Judg- EZEKIEL, V. [vv. 7—9. than the countries that are round about her : for they have refused my judgments, and my statutes, they have not 7 walked in them. Therefore thus saith the Lord God ; Because ye multipHed more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done ac- cording to the judgments of the nations that are round 8 about you ; therefore thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I, even I, a7n against thee, and will execute judgments 9 in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations. And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like, because of all merits" is ordinances; and "they" refers to the people, who compose Jerusalem. 7 — 17. Because she has surpassed the nations in evil, her chastise- ments shall be without example in severity. Because ye muliiplieii\ R.V. becatise ye are turbulent. Both render- ings assume an otherwise unknown verb, supposed to be derived from the noun " multitude," "tumult," &c. The existence of such a verb is improbable. The suggestion of Boett. followed by Corn, because ye rebelled (hamroth) is perhaps best, as v. 6 is then resumed. The sense of R.V. could be got by a very slight change (hamoth), cf. xxii. 5, last words ; Am. iii. 9. neither... according to the judgments'] that is, the ordinances and practices of the nations. Others with Syr. would omit the neg. : bill have done according to.... The charge of the prophet, however, is that Israel had exceeded the nations in wickedness ; cf. xvi. 47, 48; Jer. ii. 10, 11, "Hath a nation changed their gods, which yet are no gods?" 8. itt the sight of the nations'] The nations saw Israel's wickedness, and they shall also see her judgments, and they shall know that Jehovah is God alone. 9. that which I have not dojte] This is no mere rhetorical threat. It is possible that the miseries of the siege and exile were no greater than those endured by other nations in those days, but the same miseries may be felt more acutely. Israel was a nation fervidly patriotic, and patriotism was inspired by the glow of religion ; it was also for that time a nation highly cultured ; and moreover its calamities were felt to come from the hand of its own God. The feelings of the godly Israelite after the fall of the city corresponded to the prophet's words here before its fall: "Ho ! all ye that pass by, behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger" (Lam. i. 12). "See O Lord and behold. To whom hast thou done thus?" (Lam. ii. 20). "For the punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment vv. 10-13.] EZEKIEL, V. 39 thine abominations. Therefore the fathers shall eat the lo sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole rem- nant of thee will I scatter into all the winds. Wherefore, as n I live, saith the Lord God ; Surely, because thou hast de- filed my sanctuary with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee ; neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity. A third /d-r/ of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with 12 famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee : and a third /v. 15 — 18, sun-worship practised in front of the temple in the inner court. 1 — 3. The trance in presence of the elders. The prophet, abiding in his house (ch. iii. 25), was visited by the elders of the captivity among whom he dwelt. They probably came to consult him regarding the affairs at home and the prospects of the city. Thrown into a state of vv. 1,2.] EZEKIEL, VIII. S3 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, 8 in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me. Then I beheld, and lo, a likeness 2 as the appearance of fire : from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as excitation by their words or by their presence he fell into a trance. The vision of the God of Israel again appeared to him, for this thought of Jehovah chiefly occupied his mind and led to all his other thoughts, and he was carried away in the spirit to Jerusalem ; and there the manifold idolatries of the people were shewn him. Two chief thoughts appear expressed by the symbolism ; first, by making the "glory" of Jehovah appear in Jerusalem the prophet points the contrast between the glorious God whom the people had abandoned and the debased forms of worship to which they had addicted themselves, and also implies that this worship was done in the face of Jehovah, " to provoke the eyes of his glory" (Is. iii. 8); and secondly, when Jehovah himself shews the idolatrous practices of the people, we see, what is characteristic of the p ophet, the effort to throw himself into the consciousness, so to speak, ot Jehovah, and look out at things from his mind, he being who he is. It would be a mistake to regard the details here given as due entirely to literary artifice ; there is no doubt a foundation of reality under them, though when in after years the prophet reflected on the facts and re- corded them he gave them great expansion and embellishment. 1. the sixth month] The first vision of the prophet was in the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity and in the fourth month (i. i); the present one a year and two months later. LXX. reads fifth month, and many modern scholars accept this reading, arguing that the Heb. date is due to some copyist or reader who wished to leave room for the number of days during which the prophet had to lie on his side (ch. iv. 5, 9). The copyist must have been an indifferent arithmetician, for 7 (iii. 15) + 390 + 40 (ch. iv. 5, 6) = 437, while a lunar year and two months, 354 + 59 = 413 days. The discrepancies between the Heb. and LXX. dates are not easy to explain. elders 0/ Judah] Ch. xiv. i, "Certain of the elders of Israel." The meaning appears from ch. xi. 25, "So I spake to them of the cap- tivity all the things which the Lord had shewed me." The community at Tel Abib were probably permitted to have a certain internal govern- ment of their own. In the "elders" before him the prophet sees repre- sented not so much the captivity as the whole "house of Israel." On "hand of the Lord," cf. ch. i. 3. 2. as the appearance of fire] More naturally, the appearance of a man, as LXX., cf. ch. i. 26, 27, " the appearance of a man " (a different word, however), where the description is the same, viz. fire from the loins downwards and amber from the loins upwards. The prophet speaks with reverential vagueness of God — "a likeness as the appear- ance of a man," and "he put forth the likeness of a hand," 54 EZEKIEL, VIII. [v. 3. 3 the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber. And he put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of mine head ; and the spirit lift me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusa- lem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north ; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which 3. He does not even say that it was the divine hand that carried him ; spirit carried him, the form of the divine hand was merely sym- bolical. the visions of God'\ i.e. shewn him by God, ch. i. i. door of the inner ^atel Rather : door of the gate Of the inner court looking toward the north, i.e. the northern gate of the inner court. The word " inner" is wanting in LXX. The general opinion has been that the prophet was set down in the inner court, at the inner door of the northern gateway into that court. The term " door, " however, seems in usage to mean the outside entrance ; and if the prophet had stood in the inner court he would have had to look northward through the gate- way in order to see the image of jealousy, which was certainly not in the inner court. It is more natural to suppose him set down in the outer court, in front of the gateway leading into the inner court. In front of this gateway, in the outer court, stood the image of jealousy, near the entrance. Having seen this the prophet is next brought into the gateway [v. 7), where he enters the chamber of imagery, some one of the cells in the gateway building. From there he is carried outside the sacred enclosure altogether to the north door of the outer court {v. 14), where he finds the women bewailing Tammuz. And finally he is trans- ported into the inner court where he beholds the sun-worship practised in front of the temple-house itself. Previous to this he had not been in the inner court, for when being shewn the idolatries he is always taken to the precise place where they are practised. image of jealousy] Not an image of "jealousy " itself, considered as a deity, but an image which becauseit provoked to jealousy wasnamed image of jealousy. The "jealousy" of God is a violent emotion or resentment arising from the feeling of being injured (Deut. xxxii. 21). It is uncer- tain what this image was. The word occurs again, Deut. iv. 16, in the sense of similitude or "figure," and in Phenician with the meaning of "statue," e.g. in an inscription from Idalion ijOorp. Ins. Sem., vol. I. 88, 3, 7, &c.). According to 2 Kings xxi. 7 Manasseh put a graven image of Ashera in the house of the Lord, which Josiah brought out and burnt {2 K. xxiii. 6; 2 Chron. xxxiii. 7, 15). In earlier times the Ashera (A.V. grove) was a tree or pole planted beside an altar. It is not quite certain whether the pole or stock was a substitute for the evergreen tree, when this could not be had, or whether like the sun- image it was the symbol of a goddess. In later times the term seems used as the name of a goddess. The expression "in the house of the Lord" is hardly to be pressed so far as to imply that Manasseh placed the Ashera in the temple proper, "house" is used of the whole temple vv. 4-7-] EZEKIEL, VIII. 55 provoketh to jealousy. And behold, the glory of the God of 4 Israel 7vas there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain. Then said he unto me. Son of man, lift up thine eyes now 5 the way towards the north. So I lift up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold, northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry. He said further- 6 more unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do ? ei'cn the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that / should go far off from my sanctuary ? but turn thee yet again, a?id thou shalt see greater abominations. And he brought me to the door of the court ; and when I 7 buildings, including the courts. The image here may be this Ashera, whether we are to suppose it replaced after Josiah had burnt it, or whether the prophet be here taking a comprehensive view of the idolatries of Israel, including the time of Manasseh. In 2 Kings xxiii. 11 refer- ence is made to the horses of the sun placed " at the enteiing in of the house of the Lord," but these would scarcely be called an "image." 4. The glory of the Lord was that seen by the prophet at the Chebar (ch. i.). This glory expressed the prophet's conception of Jehovah. And this Jehovah is here, in contrast with the deities worshipped by the people, and beholding their worship. 5. gate of the altar\ Is probably the northern inner gate. The north- ern entrance was the most frequented, partly because the royal palace and buildings lay to the south and east, and the west was closed by the buildings of the temple itself. In Lev. i. 4 the sacrificial victims are commanded to be slaughtered on the north side of the altar. in the entry\ The image was situated on the north of the altar gate, and the words in or at the entry are to be taken somewhat generally. The words are wanting in LXX. 6. \ should go far off\ i.e. withdraw. These abominations defiled Jehovah's sanctuary, the place of his abode, causing him to abandon it. His withdrawal is symbolized ch. xi. i, 22, 23. turn thee... again... see\ Rather: tliou shalt again see greater abomi- nations; so vv. 13, 15. 7 — 12. The secret idolatry of the Elders. 7. the door of the courts i.e. the outside entrance of the gateway into the inner court. Placed at first near the entrance the prophet is now brought to the gateway itself, either unto some chamber within it or some building attached to it, of. xl. 44. In the wall of this building he observed a hole, through which lie dug and entered a chamber, on the walls of which were portrayed all manner of creatures, and in the chamber were seventy elders offering incense to the imagery on the walls. 56 EZEKIEL, VIII. [vv. 8—10. 8 looked, behold a hole in the wall. Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall : and when I had digged in 9 the wall, behold a door. And he said unto me, Go in, and 10 behold the wicked abominations that they do here. So I went in and saw ; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of behold a hole] The symbolism is not very clear. The "hole" is meant to suggest that entrance into the chamber was obtained secretly by those who practised their rites there. The words are wanting in LXX. 8. The words "in the wall" are wanting both times in LXX. 9. The word "wicked " is wanting in LXX. 10. The construction is difficult : lit. "and behold every likeness (v. 3 ; Deut. iv. 17, 18) of creeping things and beasts (cattle), abomination, and all," &c., the term "abomination" being descriptive both of creeping things and beasts. The term "beasts" is employed of the larger domestic animals, though also of the beasts of prey; it seems nowhere used of the smaller vermin. On the other hand the word "abomina- tion" is chiefly used in regard to the smaller creatures that swarm, whether in the waters or on the land, in the latter case winged and creeping things being included (Lev. xi.), and nowhere of the animals called "beasts." LXX. omits "likeness of creeping things and beasts," and it is possible that these words are a marginal gloss explanatory of "abomination." It has usually been supposed that the reference is to the debased forms of Egyptian superstition. This is possible, for the other practices mentioned, the lamentation for Tammuz and the sun-worship came from abroad. Israel appears to have fallen into the idolatries of the nations about her when she came under their influence, particularly when they became paramount over her, and their gods were thought to be stronger than her own God. The Egyptian influence had been powerful from the days of Isaiah down- wards, and even after the battle of Carchemish (b.c. 604) the hope of Egyptian support induced Jehoiakim in his last years and Zedekiah toward the close of his reign to renounce their allegiance to Babylon. On the other hand the practices here mentioned may be rather a revival of ancient superstitions which, during the prosperity of the kingdom and amidst the vigour of the national religion, had fallen into disuse or maintained themselves only as a secret cult, but which, amidst the disasters of the time, when Jehovah appeared to have forsaken the land and men looked to every quarter for aid, again became prevalent (see W. R. Smith, Religion of the Semites, p. 338). If the LXX. reading be followed the passage may have less sig- nificance than has been attributed to it. atid all the idols] the block-gods, see ch. vi. 4. The fact that the "idols," which according to ch. vi. (iro. 4, 6, 9, 13) are to be found over all the mountains of Israel, are represented as portrayed upon the wall is peculiar, and suggests that the whole is symbolical. In vv. II — 14.] EZEKIEL, VIII, 57 Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about. And there " stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand ; and a thick cloud of incense went up. Then said he unto me, " Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery ? for they say. The Lord seeth us not ; the Lord hath forsaken the earth. He said also unto me, Turn thee -s yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's 14 house which was towards the north ; and behold, there sat ch. xxiii. 14 Jerusalem sees images of the Chaldeans portrayed upon the wall and falls in love with them, but such portraits can hardly have been a reality. 11. seventy men of the ancients] i.e. of the elders. The seventy were not any court such as the later Sanhedrim, but merely seventy men representing the elders of Israel (Ex. xxiv. i ; Numb. xi. 16, 24, 25). The elders were the leaders of the people, and probably here represent them. Prominent among these elders was Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. There is no reason to suppose the name fictitious. Shaphan the scribe was the person who read the Book of the Law found in the temple to king Josiah (2 Kings xxii. 10). A son of his son Ahikam acted along with him and was a protector of Jeremiah (Jer. xxxix. 14), and another son is mentioned (Jer. xxxvi. 10) as having a chamber in the upper court where Baruch read Jeremiah's roll in the ears of the people. If Jaazaniah was a son of this Shaphan he pursued a different course from his father and brothers. 12. the chambers of his imagery] Or, Ms chambers of imagery. The language implies that there were many chambers of imagery, and again suggests that the scene was symbolical. For "ancients" elders. On 'imagery" Lev. xxvi. i ; Numb, xxxiii. 52. forsaken the earth] Rather: the land. The multiplied calamities of later years suggested that Jehovah no more protected the country (ch. ix. 9). This was possibly the feeling of the elders and people in some moods, but in other moods they spoke differently. In ch. xi. 15 they say to those already in exile, "Get you far from the Lord! unto us is this land given in possession." 13. Turn thee yet again] See v. 6. 14. The women bewailing Tammuz. 14. gate of the Lord'S house] i.e. outside the whole temple buildings to the north gate of the outer court; cf. ch. x. 19, xi. i. The term "house" embraces all the temple buildings (Jer. xxxv. 4). The 58 EZEKIEL, VIII. [w. 15, 16. '5 women weeping for Tammuz. Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man ? turn thee yet again, and thou 16 shalt see greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, xvcre about five and twenty men, ivith their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces towards the women may have been seen sitting outside the gate, or they may have been in some of the chambers of the outer gateway. Of course the temple building in Ezekiel's time did not quite correspond to his ideal sketch in ch. xl. seq., but there were no doubt chambers at that time connected with both gateways (Jer. xxxv. 2, 4, xxxvi. 10, 12, 20, 21, cf. xxvi. 10; 2 Kings xxiii. 11). Tammuz is identical with Adonis. The latter name, Adon, " Lord," is not a proper name, being applicable to any great god, but when the myth found its way to Greece, the word became a proper name. The name Tammuz is Babylonian Dumu-zi, Duzi, said to signify "son of life," and to indicate the eternal youth of the sun-god (cf. Fried. Del. in Baer's Ez(k.\ Schrader, KAT. on Ezek. viii. 14; Sayce, Hibbert Led. iv.). The story of the death of Tammuz is said to be a solar myth, having reference to the death of the sun-god. The explanations given by Assyrian scholars are not very clear. Sometimes the death is said to be that which he undergoes each night, sometimes that which he undergoes when he expires before the touch of winter, and sometimes the death is that of the lusty, life-giving vernal god, who perishes along with all life on earth amidst the summer fires which he himself has kindled. The town of Gebal or Byblos, eight miles north of Beirut, was the great seat of the Adonis worship in Phenicia. It is possible that the cult passed westward from Babylonia, but it may be that in Syria the rites had an independent origin and a different meaning, and that it was not till later that they were interpreted in the sense of the Babylonian myth (W. R. Smith, Religion of the Semites, index under Adonis). It was probably from Phenicia that the worship entered Judsea. Milton's interpretation of the rites may not quite exhaust their meaning : the love tale Infected Zion's daughters with like heat; Whose wanton passions in the sacred porch Ezekiel saw. Such myths may originally be only beautiful nature poetry, but we are so allied to nature that we see our feelings reflected in her, as on the other hand her moods repeat themselves in us. Particularly in times of decay and loss the sadder aspects of nature intensify our own feeling by presenting to our minds a universal decay in which we and all things are involved. It is only the sorrowful side of the Tammuz rite that the prophet refers to. 15. turn thee yet again\ See v. 6 end. vv. 17, 18.] EZEKIEL, VIII. 59 east; and they worshipped the sun towards the east. Then •? he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man ? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here ? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and lo, they put the branch to their nose. Therefore is will I also deal in fury : mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity : and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. 16. The sun-worshippers in the inner court. 16. about five ami hv£nty\ LXX., about twenty. These men were seen adoring the sun with their faces to the east, and their backs to the temple house. Their position between the temple and the altar seems to imply that they were priests (Joel ii. 17), and it is not decisive against this view that they are called "elders" in ch. ix. 6, for Jer. xix. I refers to "the elders of the priests." They may be supposed representatives of the priesthood. -vorshipped the suii\ The worship of the sun, the queen of heaven, and the host of heaven, was adopted by Israel from their eastern con- querors: cf. 1 Kings xxiii. 5, 11; Jer. xliv. 17; Job xxxi. 26; Deut. iv. 19. (The Heb. is to be read mishtahavim.) 17. Is it a light thing] Probably : is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit. ..that they have filled: cf Is. xlix. 6; ch. ix. 9. the branch to their nose\ This is supposed to be part of the ceremo- nies of their sun-worship. It is said that the Persian sun-worshippers held before them a branch or bunch of date, pomegranate or tamarisk tree, or according to some of the Homa tree, probably that their breath might not contaminate the glory of the rising deity. The word "nose" might mean face (Gen. iii. 19), but why not "mouth?" And this distinctively Persian rite is hardly probable at so early a date in Israel. Also the reference to idolatry seemed concluded, for it is asked whether these idolatries were not enough, that they had also filled the land with blood. LXX. has given a general sense, " and behold these are as mockers," probably regarding the words as a pro- verbial phrase. 18. These abominations will assuredly bring down the unsparing chastisements of heaven. The phrase "shall not spare nor pity" is common in the prophet, ch. v. 11, vii. 4, 9, ix. 5, 10. as under their wings. And the 22 Hkeness of their faces 7e/as the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves : they went every one straight forward. called by the divine speaker {vv. 1, 6) because previous to tliis he himself has so called them (ch. ix. 3). The meaning is rather that this third vision of them (ch. i. and ch. iii. 23) with its details and move- ments revealed to him that the creatures were cherubim. But admit- ting that the prophet had visions we can hardly escape the conclusion that the details of the phenomenon of the cherubim repose upon reflec- tion. This reflection may have preceded the visions and been repro- duced in them, but where did he find the elements that entered into his combination? Were they not derived from the temple largely, though also from the storm-cloud? Could he be unaware of the source whence he derived them ? It is possible that in the excitation of the vision he did not recall the processes of his own reflection. Or may it be that we are straining the word "knew" when we understand it in the sense of learned, canie to know? This is the natural sense to put upon it in this Book, and up to this time the prophet has not used the name cherubim. The derivation of the word cherub is obscure. If Assyrian scholars are right the name is Babylonian, and is found given to the colossal winged bulls (called at other times shidu, Heb. shed) which guard the portals of palaces and temples in Babylonia. The word (Kirubu) is said to have the sense of "great" (Schrader, KA T. on Gen. iii. 24, Del. Paradies, p. 150 seq.). But though the name be common to Babylo- nian and Hebrew, and though originally the idea expressed by the name may have been the same in both, the usage as known from Baby- lonian literature marks the end of a long development, and that in Hebrew marks the end of another long and independent development, and any attempt to control or explain the one by the other must be made with caution. The narrative and essential part of Ch. x. lies in vv. 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 18, 19; the rest is annotation suggested by points in the narrative, in which ch. i. is repeated without anything essential being added to it. A second description of the cherubim after ch. i. looks unnecessary, and Cornill would excide w. 8—17 entirely. There may be occasional glosses in these verses, but no reason exists for cutting them out which does not equally apply to vv. 20 — 22. The whole description of the divine chariot has an appearance of artificiality to us now, but in Eze- kiel we have a peculiar mind, and it is safer to content ourselves with saying that we do not altogether understand the importance which he attaches to the phenomenon of the chariot and the living creatures. -JO EZEKIEL, XI. [v. i. 11 Moreover the spirit lift me up, and brought me unto the Ch. XI. Threat of destruction against the people, es- pecially THE WAR PARTY IN JERUSALEM, WITH PROMISE OF restoration to THE EXILES. Though the symbolism in ch. ix. x., shewing the slaughter of the inhabitants and the burning of the city, might have seemed exhaustive, there were thoughts in men's minds which had to be met, and issues to which reference had to be made. The city was thought impregnably strong, and Jehovah's presence would protect it. The prophet sym- bolizes the departure of Jehovah from it, and warns those who trust to its strength that their trust is vain. Yet the fall of the city is not the last act in Israel's history; the "house of Israel" is wider than the population of Jerusalem, and towards the larger Israel Jehovah has purposes of mercy. He will restore them to their ancient heritage, where they shall serve him in a land purified from all its uncleanness. In ch. X. i8 it was stated that the glory of the Lord left the threshold of the house and returned to the cherubims, and in ch. x. 19 that the whole manifestation removed from the inner court and stood at the eastern entrance to the outer court of the temple. The prophet also is transported to the same place (ch. xi. i). At the entrance to the gateway he sees twenty-five men, among them two who are named, princes of the people. The twenty-five represent the rulers of the city and the leaders of the inhabitants. (i) vv. 1 — 12. These men are represented as plotting evil enter- prizes, that is, of rebellion against the king of Babylon. They are not unaware of the danger they incur, but are confident in the pro- tection which the well fortified city will afford them — it is the pot and they are the flesh, which the fire cannot reach. The prophet receives command to prophesy against them, and declare that their confidence is vain. The city shall not protect them ; they shall be dragged out of it and slain on the borders of the land, far away from it. (2) vv. 13 — 21. While the prophet was delivering this threat one of the two princes named died. Filled with terror at the certainty with which the word of God takes effect, the prophet fell down to intercede that the remnant of Israel might not be destroyed. He is reminded that though Jerusalem fall his fellow exiles remain and all the house of Israel. These exiles were despised by the people of Jerusalem and denied any share in the inheritance of the land; but though the Lord had scattered them he would yet bring them to their ancient home, giving them a new heart to serve him. (3) vv. 22—25. Finally the divine manifestation rose from the city and stood over the Mount of Olives. The prophet was carried back to Chaldaea; the hand of the Lord was lifted from him, and he awoke out of his vision, the contents of which he narrated to them of the captivity. 1 — 12. The men that plot evil. 1. The gate referred to is the outer eastern gate ; the position taken up by the cherubim and glory was outside the temple precincts wholly. vv. 2, 3.] EZEKIEL, XI. 71 east gate of the Lord's house, which looketh eastward : and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men ; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people. Then said he unto 2 me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city : which say, // is not 3 near ; let us build houses : this city is the caldron, and we Jaazaniah and Pelatiah are named "princes of the people." Possibly they were more prominent members of the ruling party. It is the manner of the prophet to introduce elements of reality into his sym- bolical pictures (cf. ch. xxiv. 16 seq.), and it is unnecessary to regard these two personages as fictitious or seek for some symbolical meaning in their names. A different Jaazaniah was mentioned in ch. viii. 11. The twenty-five men here are not to be identified with those in ch. viii. 16 ; they are rulers and leaders of the people {v. 2). 2. give wicked counsel] lit. 7uho counsel evil counsel. The evil counsel probably refers to the revolutionary enterprizes of these men against the authority of Babylon, which the prophet severely condemns (ch. x\ii.). The city was divided into factions, one part holding with Babylon and another with Egypt, while some were for peace on any terms. The consequence of these divisions was much bloodshed within the city {v. 6). It is probable that the schemes of these plotters were only being hatched (v. 5); it was not till some time later that the steps now meditated were actually taken. 3. It is 7iot near; let us bidld] Rather as R.V. The time to build houses is not near, lit. the building of houses is not near. The phrase "to build houses" is to be taken as in ch. xxviii. •26, "And they shall dwell with confidence therein, and shall build houses and plant vineyards and shall dwell with confidence." To build houses is a sign and a consequence of a time of peace and security (Is. Ixv. 21; Jer. xxix. 5, ^S). These agitators desire to turn men's minds away from peaceful occupations, and make them contemplate other measures, assuring them that when war comes the strong city will be their salvation — it is the pot which will protect the flesh from the fire around it. Others, e.g. Ew., take the phrase interrogatively: Is not the building of houses near? This, however, hardly corresponds to the situation, which is not one of war which it is hoped will speedily pass over, but one of contemplated rebellion. LXX. renders : Have not the houses been recently built? it is the pot &c.; so Corn. This gives a closer connexion to the two halves of the verse, but "houses" could hardly have the sense of fortifications, nor does the phrase naturally express the meaning that the damage done to the city when last captured (under Jehoiachin) had been fully repaired. this city is the caldron} lit. it is the caldron or pot. The phrase implies two things, the danger of fire around, and that the strong city will prove a protection to those within it. These revolutionary spirits are aware of the risks they run, but with a certain grimness 72 EZEKIEL, XI. [vv. 4— 12. 4 be the flesh. Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O 5 son of man. And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak ; Thus saith the Lord ; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel : for I know the things that come 6 into your mind, every one ^/them. Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with 7 the slain. Therefore thus saith the Lord God ; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron : but / will bring you forth out of the 8 midst of it. Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a 9 sword upon you, saith the Lord God. And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of 10 strangers, and will execute judgments among you. Ye shall fall by the sword ; I will judge you in the border of Israel ; 11 and ye shall know that I am the Lord. This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst la thereof ; but I will judge you in the border of Israel : and ye shall know that I am the Lord : for ye have not walked of humour they make light of them. The figure here is somewhat different from that of the boiling pot for war common in the Arabic poets. 4. The prophet felt called to prophesy against these men— and all this is part of the vision. See on ch. iii. 21. 6. things that come into your mind] i.e. your projects. _ Apparently as yet the rebellion was no more than a plan which was being hatched. 6. Comp. ch. xxii. 25, vii. 23. Those opposed to the schemes of the ruling party, or suspected of opposition, were openly or on various pretexts cut off. ^^ 7. Those slain in the midst of Jerusalem will be the only "flesh ' that will remain in the pot. The living conspirators who think they shall be safe shall be dragged forth and judged far away from the pro- tecting city, on the borders of Israel. The figure of the pot and flesh is used differently in ch. xxiv. (The Heb. is probably to be spelled so as to give the meaning ''I will bring you forth.") 8. havefeared\ Ye fear. The language of the ruling class, in spite of its recklessness (z/. 3), betrays the consciousness of the risks they incur ; and their fears shall be more than verified. 9. hands of strangers] i.e. foreign conquerors, the Babylonians. 10. in the border of Israel] far away from the city, which they hoped would protect them. Cf. Jer. Iii. 26, "So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah; and he smote them and put them to death in Riblah, in the land of Hamath." 2 Kings xxv. 18 seq. 11. 12. vv. II, 12 .ire wanting in LXX. vv. 13—15.] EZEKIEL, XI. 73 in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you. And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah '3 the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord God, ivilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel ? Again the '4 word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, thy '5 brethren, eveti thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabit- 13. While Ezekiel was uttering this prophecy Pelatiah fell down dead, and the prophet seemed to see in the event the coming destruction of all the remnant of Israel before the wrath of God, and fell on his face to intercede for them. This incident is exceedingly difficult to estimate. The prophet tells us that all the occurrences in ch. viii. — xi. were done in vision. Unfortunately this does not justify us in assuming that the d. ath of Pelatiah was a mere symbolical death, and no reality. For the "vision" is in great measure a mere schema under which the prophet groups much that had reality, such as his own thoughts, his discourses to the people, and probably actual events happening in Jerusalem. But in grouping the events under the schema of the vision he idealises them, making them expressive of general conceptions and principles, and it is impossible to distinguish between things which were actual but are idealised, and things which are purely creations of the symbolizing imagination. It is possible that Ezekiel prophesied against these princes in Jerusalem (ch. xi. 4), as Jeremiah did against the false pro- phets in Babylon, whom a horrible fate overtook (Jer. xxix. 21), and against Hananiah (Jer. xxviii. 15 seq.), and it is possible that soon afterwards Pelatiah suddenly died, and that these real occurrences have been drawn by the prophet under his schema of the vision. On the other hand the death of Pelatiah may be merely symbolical, to shew with what certainty the word of God takes effect, the symbol being modelled on Jeremiah's prophecy against Hananiah. a full end'] See on ch. ix. 8. 14 seq. The answer of the Lord to the prophet's intercession. The destruction of the inhabitants of Jerusalem is not the end of Israel. The Israel in exile is the Israel whom the Lord regards and will yet restore. 15. the mefi 0/ thy kindred} LiL the men of thy redeniptiofi. This could only mean, the men to be redeemed, or delivered, by thy interces- sion — the men for whom thou shouldst pray. Such a sense is difficult to draw from the words. In usage the term has not the meaning of "kindred." Probably the word should be so read as to mean "exile" — the men of thy exile, i.e. thy fellow captives. are they unto whom] It is better to regard the first words in the verse down to "wholly" as exclamations: "thy brethren, thy brethren, thy fellow exiles, and all the house of Israel, all of it ! they unto whom..." 74 EZEKIEL, XI. [w. i6, 17. ants of Jerusalem have said, Get ye far from the Lord : 16 unto us is this land given in possession. Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God ; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanc- 17 tuary in the countries where they shall come. Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God ; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye The sentence is not strictly grammatical, but the exclamations give an answer to the prophet's anxious question, "wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?" (i^. 13). The destruction of them of Jerusalem is no full end ; the fellow-exiles of the prophet and all the house of Israel scattered abroad (ch. iv. 4, xxxvi. 16) remain. The second half of the verse is loosely attached to the first — they to whom, &c. Get ye far from the Lord\ A slight alteration in a point would give the sense: of whom. ..have said (say), They are far from the Lord. The change is hardly necessary. Those left were in possession of the temple, the abode of Jehovah, and had the assurance of his presence, in which those gone forth had no part, for to go into a foreign land was to come under the dominion of other gods, according to the words of David, "For they have driven me out this day from having part in the inheritance of the Lord, saying. Go serve other gods" (i Sam. xxvi. 19, cf. Deut. iv. 28, xxviii. 36, 64; Jer. xvi. 13; Hos. ix. 3). See ch. viii. 12, ix. 9, for the expression of a different mood of feeling. is this land giveti\ is the land. Comp. the expression of similar pre- tensions, ch. xxxiii. 24. 16 seq. Answer of Jehovah. It is true he has scattered the exiles among the nations ; but he will again gather them. 16. yet will I be to theni] Rather : and have teen to them for a sanctuary hut little in the countries where they are come. The expres- sion " for a sanctuary but little " refers to the taunt of the dwellers in Jerusalem that the exiles were far from the sanctuary and had no part in Jehovah. It is true that he had not been to the exiles in great measure that which a " sanctuary " is, viz. a presence of Jehovah, a sanctification, and a religious joy. It is doubtful if "sanctuary" has anywhere (even Is. viii. 14) the meaning of asylum, protection ; the sanctuary is the abode of Jehovah, and his presence there sanctifies those in the midst of whom he dwells. The exiles longed to be near the sanctuary and mourned their distance from it (Ps. Ixxxiv., cxxxvii.); while those left in the land boasted of the possession of it and looked on the exiles as outcasts. 17 — 20. But this time of privation for the exiles shall come to an end. They shall be gathered out of the countries, and the land of Israel given to them ; from which they shall remove all its abominations. They shall receive a new heart to walk in the Lord's commandments; and he shall be their God and they his people. w. 18—21.] EZEKIEL, XI. 75 have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all is the detestable things thereof and all the abominations there- of from thence. And I will give them one heart, and I will 19 put a new spirit within you ; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh : that 20 they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them : and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. But as for them whose heart walketh after the 21 heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God. give you the land of Israd'\ Those left in the country said : The land is given unto us. They shall be cast out and the land again given to those novi' in exile. The flower of the nation had been carried away in the captivity of Jehoiachin. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel regard the exiles as the hope of the nation and speak bitterly against the popula- tion remaining at home ; comp. the former's parable of the very naughty figs (ch. xxiv.), and the latter's scornful questions, ch. xxxiii. 24 — 26. Cp. ch. xxviii. 25, xxxiv. 13, xxxvi. 24. 18. shall take away] i.e. remove. Cf. ch. xxxvii. 22, 23. The " de- testable things" are the false gods (i K. xi. 5, 7 ; 2 K. xxiii. 13), and all the accompaniments of the debased worship (cf. ch. xxxiii. 25, 26). 19. give them one heart] Cf. Jer. xxxii. 38, " And they shall be my people and I will be their God, and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for ever." LXX. "another" heart (rfor d). Some MSS., Targ. and Syr. read new, which is the prophet's own term, ch. xxxvi. 26. Both "another" and "new" form a better anti- thesis to "stony heart" than " one" does. The old stony heart, unim- pressible and obstinate, shall be taken away, and a heart of " flesh," sensitive and responsive to the touch of Jehovah, shall be given them. 20. shall be my people] Then shall the covenant between the Lord and Israel be fully realized, for this is the idea of the covenant, that he should be their God and they his people, ch. xxxvi. 28, xxxvii. 27; Jer. xxxi. 33. 21. But those who cleave to their abominations shall receive the recompense of their ways — there is no peace saith the Lord to the wicked (Is. xlviii. 22). The language " whose heart walketh after the heart of fheix detestable things " is without parallel or meaning ; elsewhere it is : whose heart walketh after their idols (ch. xx. 16, xxxiii. 31, after their covetousness). A different class of persons is referred to from those spoken of in vv. 17 — 20, either the population in Jerusalem or more naturally those in general who follow idols. The text requires some amendment : but as for those whose heart goeth after their detestable things... their way will I recompense. 76 EZEKIEL, XI. [vv. 22—25. 22 Then did the cherubims hft up their wings, and the wheels besides them ; and the glory of the God of Israel 7vas over 23 them above. And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on 24 the east side of the city. Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen 25 went up from me. Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the Lord had shewed me. vv. 22 — 25. The manifestation of Jehovah rises from over the city and moves eastward to the Mount of Olives. The city .is abandoned by Jehovah (Hos. v. 15). The prophet does not pursue the movement further. The glory passes out by the eastern gate, by which also it returns into the new temple (ch. xliii. i — 4). The prophet is carried back by the spirit to the captivity ; to which he narrates all he had seen. Fourth Section, Ch. XII.— XIX. The necessity of Israel's DESTRUCTION. The preceding symbols, such as those in ch. iv. — xii. and ch. viii. — xi., had foreshewn the certainty of the nation's fall, a new series of discourses demonstrate the necessity of it. Many thoughts and con- siderations occurred to men's minds which invalidated the force of the prophet's threats and disinclined them to receive them, or at least left them in hesitation. They had been for long familiar with threats of judgment, but the threatened storm had passed over. There were also men who saw into the future as well as Ezekiel, who, however, discerned no signs of approaching calamity, but foretold peace and security. And further, was not Israel the people of Jehovah, whom he could not cast away? In a new series of discourses the prophet disposes of such considerations, adding also positive reasons which demonstrate the moral necessity of the nation's removal. The section has these divisions — (i) ch. xii. I — 20. Symbol of the king's secret flight and capture. (2) ch. xii. 21 — 28. The popular delusion that prophecies of evil failed to come true, or referred to the distant future, shall receive a speedy and terrible refutation. (3) ch. xiii., xiv. The prophets who foster such delusions and preach peace, prophesy out of their own heart and lie. The deceivers and those deceived by them shall perish together. (4) ch. XV. Will the Lord destroy the nation of Israel, his own people ? — Israel among the nations is like the vinebranch among the trees: what was it ever good for? Particularly, what is it good for now when half-liurnt in the fire? Only to be flung again into the fire and wholly consumed. (5) ch. xvi. Let the history of Jerusalem be judged and estimated | vv. 1—3.] EZEKIEL, XII. n The word of the Lord also came unto me, saying, Son of 1 man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebehious house, which ^ have eyes to see, and see not ; they have ears to hear, and hear not : for they are a rebeUious house. Therefore thou 3 Has it not been a persistent course of ingratitude and unfaithfulness? Can the issue of it be anything but destruction ? (6) ch. xvii. And the perfidy of Zedekiah against the king of Babylon, must it not be chastised? (7) ch. xviii. The principles of the divine government. (8) ch. xix. Dirge over Judah and her royal house. Ch. XII. Symbol of the flight and capture of the king. The passage is without date, but the signs were subsequent to those already described. The first part, vv. i — 20, is rather of the nature of a preface, repeating the certainty of the downfall of the city and nation, while all that follows up to ch. xix. supports this certainty by shewing the moral necessity of Israel's destruction. (i) vv. I — 2. An introduction characterizing the house of Israel as blind and unable to discern the signs of the times, and therefore in need of new proofs to convince them. (2) w. 3 — 7. A symbolical action, prefiguring the fate of the king and people on the capture of the city. (3) vv. 8 — 16. Exposition of the symbol: the failure of Zedekiah's attempt at resistance, his flight and capture, exile and death in Babylon, with the dispersion of the people into all lands. (4) vv. 17^20. A new symbol of the life of anguish and terror which the people shall lead under the foreign invaders. (5) vv. 21 — 25. Warning against a proverb current in Israel to the effect that "visions," that is, prophecies of evil, did not come true. (6) vv. 26 — 28. Warning against a less blameable form of unbelief, the idea that prophecies, such as those now given, referred to a distant time, and that it would be long ere they were fulfilled. 2. The people of Israel among whom the prophet dwells is a rebellious house (ch. ii. 3, 6, 7, 8, iii. 26, 27). His former signs meet with no belief from them. They have eyes but see not : they behold events and history with their bodily eyes, but fail to discern the moral meaning in them. Events are just events to them, the nature of the God who animates the events remains undiscovered by them (Is. vi. 9, xlii. 20; Jer. v. 21 ; Mark viii. 18). And the signs and words of the prophet make no impression on them ; they say, " Doth he not speak parables?" (ch. xx. 49). Therefore new signs must be given them {v. 4). 3—7. Symbolical action, prefiguring the escape and capture OF the fugitives. The details of the symbol seem to be as follows : First, the prophet prepares "stuff for removing" — such articles as one meaning to escape would carry with him. These things being prepared, he brings them 78 EZEKIEL, XII. [w. 4—6. son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight ; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight : it may be they will consider, 4 though they be a rebellious house. Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing : and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that 5 go forth into captivity. Dig thou through the wall in their 6 sight, and carry out thereby. In their sight shalt thou bear out. It is not said where he deposits them ; it would be in some place convenient to make his escape from, in the vicinity of the wall of the oily. These things he does before the eyes of the people during daylight. His action represents the conduct of persons in a besieged city, whose movements are free within the city ; hence this part of the action is done openly {vv. 3, 4). Secondly, these preparations having been made by day, the prophet himself goes out in the even, in the darkness, and digs through the wall, making his escape at the opening, and carrying on his shoulder the articles which he had prepared to take with him in his flight. Besides doing this in the darkness he covers his face. In doing all this he is a "sign" to the house of Israel : in this way shall the king and those with him seek to escape into exile from the enemy when the city is about to fall into their hands {w. 4 — 7). 3. stuff for reniovingi Lit. articles of exile, i.e. such articles as one carries with him when going as a fugitive into exile. and remove by day] Lit. remove as into exile. The word is wanting in LXX., which reads: prepare for thyself articles of exile by day in their sight. This is more natural. remove froffi thy place] The words seem to describe generally the whole symbolical action which the prophet is to perform. though they be a rebellious'] for they are. 4. Then shalt thou bring] And thou shalt. The prophet is to bring forth the articles which he had prepared, depositing them in some convenient place in readiness to carry with him when he escapes. afid thou shalt go forth] Possibly : and thou shalt go forth thyself, as R.V. The second half of v. 4 is to be connected with v. 5, de- scribing the prophet's action so far as it symbolizes what refers to the persons of the fugitives. 5. Dig through the wall] Naturally the " wall" is not the wall of his house, but the city wall. He brought out his articles of flight by day, making them ready for the night-time when he was to escape through the wall. It is absurd to suppose, as is usually done, that he carried his things back into the house, and digged through the wall of his house in the evening. This would mar the action and be ridiculous. The "wall" is the city wall. The question whether Tel Abib was a walled place is of no importance, because the actions were probably not actually performed. . 6. The verse refers to the prophet's going out through the city wall, vv. 7— lo.] EZEKIEL, XII. 79 /'/ upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground : for I have set theey<7r a sign unto the house of Israel. And I 7 did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand ; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare // upon my shoulder in their sight. And in the morning came the word of the Lord unto me, 8 saying, Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the re- 9 bellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou ? Say thou lo unto them. Thus saith the Lord God; This burden con- icrneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel bearing on his slioulder the bundle of articles he carried with him in his flight. in the twilight] in the darkness. So f. 7. The word again only Gen. XV. 17. '■over thy face] This might be to disguise himself, but the next words "tjiou shalt not see the land" (ground) seem to require a different sense. Cf. vv. 12, 13. a sign unto. ..Israel] A typical sign, as explained v, 11, "As I have done so shall it be done unto them." Comp. ch. xxiv. 24, 27 ; Is. viii. 18 ; XX. 3 ; Zech. iii. 8. 7. with mine hand] lit. 7vith hand, i.e. by force, Is. xxviii. 2. LXX. omits. in the twilight] the darkness, as v. 6, so t/. 12. vv. 8 — 16. Exposition of the symbol. The action of the prophet is a representation of what shall happen in the last days of the siege. The king and those about him shall prepare for flight; they shall go out secretly through the walls, but shall be captured and brought to Babylon. 8, 9. in the morning] This circumstance might seem to imply that the prophet really performed the actions described. But though in this case performance of the action was not an impossibility it was pro- bably only narrated (see on ch. iv.). The natural sequel of the action (supposing it done), the curiosity of the people, is described, just as the action itself was, as if it had literally been shewn. 10, 11. The general meaning of these verses is clear enough — the prophet's action is a representation of what shall happen in Jerusalem in the case of prince and people, but v. 10 is very obscure, and probably not in its original form. This burden concerneth the prince] lit. the prince (is) this burden in Jerusalem. The term "burden" has also the sense of "oracle," but Ez. does not use it in this sense and there is no reason to find any play upon the word as Jer. xxiii. 33. The allusion can only be to the last words oft'. 7— I bare it upon my shoulder ; and the meaning would be: this bearing or loading has reference to the prince {v. 12). With this 8o EZEKIEL, XII. [vv. 11—13. 11 that are among them. Sa)^, I am your sign : Uke as I have done, so shall it be done unto them : they shall remove and 12 go into captivity. And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth : they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby : he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes. 13 My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare : and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans ; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die sense the following words must run : and all the house of Israel which are in the midst of it (Jerusalem — with a change of one letter). The objec- tion to this that if the relative were subject the pronoun would not be expressed after it (Hitz., Keil) is worthless. But there are other objec- tions more valid : "all the house of Israel" could hardly be used of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the phrase usually refers to the larger Israel, existing in all places. R.V. "this burden concerneth the prince. ..and all the house of Israel among whom they are;" but coticerneth is said of the "prince" and of "all the house of Israel" in different senses. Notwithstanding the objections to it the easiest course is to read: in the midst of it (Jerusalem) as above. Com. omits the verse as a gloss. 11. / am your sigti\ i.e. a sign to you — the exiles, to whom he is speaking; while done "to them" refers to the inhabitants of Jerusa- lem. Cf V. 6. 12. sho7ildcr iti the twilight, and shair\ The balance of clauses requires: shall bear upon his shoulder; in the darkness shall he go forth (or, carry forth — a slight change of reading, which obviates the unnatural and). that he see ?iot the ground] Rather as R.V., because he shall not see the land. 7i'ith his eyes'] Lit. by eyesight himself. The language is unnatural. LXX. " that he may not be seen by eye, and he himself shall not see the land." Whether original or not this rendering combines the two ideas expressed by "covering the face," viz. that of disguise (Job xxiv. 15), and that of inability to see (Job ix. 24). The prophet clearly foresaw the fall of the city and the captivity of the king, and he may have threatened the king with a chastisement for his rebellion which, though barbarous, was not unusual in that age. If he did so it is still probable that afterwards when composing his Book he made the references to the putting out of the king's eyes more distinct {v. 13). 13. The king's flight shall be unavailing ; he shall be captured and brought blinded to Babylon, where he shall die. As the Lord fought against Jerusalem in the siege, so it is he that ensures the capture of the king. It is in his net that he is ensnared and taken ; Hos. vii. 12, "when they go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of heaven." Cf Ez. xvii. 20; xxxii. 3. yet shall he not see it] The eyes of Zedekiah were put out by Nebu- chadnezzar at Riblah. 1 Kings xxv. 5 seq.; Jer. Hi. 8, 11. vv. 14—22.] EZEKIEL, XII. 81 there. And I will scatter toward every wind all that are m about him to help him, and all his hands; and I will draw out the sword after them. And ihey shall know that I a/n ^5 the Lord, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries. But I will leave a few men 16 of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence ; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord. Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying. Son \l of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness; and say unto the '9 people of the land. Thus saith the Lord God, of the inhabit- ants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel ; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is thi:rein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein. And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid 20 waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. Son of 21 22 14 — 16. All the armies and aids of the king shall be dispersed and pursued with the sword. They shall be scattered among the nations, and their history shall bring to their knowledge what Jehovah, their God, truly is. A remnant of them shall be spared among the nations that they make known to them their abominations, and these also shall learn what the God of Israel is. Jerusalem and Israel is set in the midst of the nations round about (eh. v. 5), its history is a drama enacted before the eyes of mankind, and the drama when finished will reveal, not only to Israel but the nations of the world, Jehovah in his fulness. Cf. ch. xiv. 22, 23, xvii. 24, xx. 9, xxxviii. 23, xxxix. 23; Is. v. 16; Jer. xxii. 8. 17 — 20. A new symbol of the terror and violence and desolation about to come upon the land. 18. It is obvious that this symbol could not have been actually performed. Cf. ch. iv. 16. 19. Jcrnsalcm and of the land] Rather : Jerusalem In (lit. upon) the land. because of the violence] The punishment of violence is violence. The internal wrong and oppression shall be avenged by a crushing violence and destruction from without. Am. iii. 9 — 11. The phrase "desolate from all that is therein," lit. from its fulness, means desolate and emptied of its fulness. EZEKIEL 6 82 EZEKIEL, XII. [vv. 23, 24. man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? 23 Tell them therefore. Thus saith the Lord God ; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel ; but say unto them, The days are at hand, 24 and the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more 21 — 28. Warning against despising of prophecy. The prophet felt that such threats as those just uttered (vv. i — ^o) were neglected and little thought of. People disposed of such pro- phecies by saying that they did not come true ; or, if they did not go so far, by saying tliat they referred to the distant future. Ezekiel warns them that Jehovah's threateninrs bear upon the present time, and that they shall be fulfilled. 22. The days are pfolongedl i.e. time passes and becomes long. The words are a generalization upon the fact that prophecies of judg- ment are not fulfilled; time goes on and "every vision faileth," remains a dead threat. LXX. omits " every," giving even a more comprehensive sense. The reference is specially to prophecies of judgment, and there was room for misapprehension in regard to these, because being drawn forth by moral evils existing when they were uttered, they were of the nature of threats, the object of which was to bring the people to repentance, and thus prevent their own fulfilment. For the same reason they were often of a general character, and thus when their fulfilment was postponed or when they were not literally fulfilled, men judged that they were merely uttered in the air. The moral purpose and consequently the contingent character of prophecy is expressly taught in Jer. xviii., and was well understood by intelligent persons in Israel, as appears from the reasoning of the princes in regard to the prophecy of Micah, Jer. xxvi. 17 — 19. 23. Judgment had been so often threatened and so often deferred that the failure of prophecy to realize itself became a proverb. Too superficial to apprehend the meaning of its postponement these scoffers made light of the threatened judgment (2 Pet. iii. 3, 9). Now they shall be undeceived. For similar popular sentiments, cf Jer. v. 13, 14, xvii. 15. the effect of every vision] Lit. the zvord — the contents, of every vision. 24. Another thing which robbed the word of the true prophets, who threatened judgment, of its force was the fact that there were other prophets who spoke in a contrary sense, preaching peace and security. Prophets, though alike speaking in the name of Jehovah, contradicted one another, and the people, even if anxious to know the truth, had no criterion whereby to judge between them. The scene between Jeremiah and Hananiah (Jer. xxviii.) is very instructive as to the condition in which the people were left. There was nothing in Jeremiah to shew him to be a true prophet, and nothing in Hananiah 26 27 vv. 25—28.] EZEKIEL, XII. 83 any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the Lord : I will speak, and the word 25 that I shall speak shall come to pass ; it shall be no more prolonged : for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God. Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, behold, they of\\\Q house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off. Therefore say unto them. Thus saith 28 to prove him false. Truth and falsehood could be distinguished in those days in no other way than now : he who has to distinguish must find the criterion in himself — he that is of the truth heareth my voice. The people believed that Jehovah spoke by prophets, but by which prophets, whether Jeremiah or his opponents, they had to decide out of their own hearts, and not unnaturally (Mic. ii. 11) they despised Jeremiah as a false prophet and held to his opponents (Jer. xviii. 18). no fnore...flatti-riug divinatio)i\ These false prophecies of peace shall cease, for the same judgment which confirms the true prophecy shall annihilate the false. The term "divination" was employed of the methods of reaching the mind of the deity used by the native popu- lations of Canaan (Deut. xviii. 10; i Sam. vi. 2). They were such appliances as lots, arrows, and other methods of augury (Ezek. xxi. 21). Possibly these methods had in some degree passed into use in Israel, and were employed by a low prophecy. In true prophecy these mechanical arts were discarded : Jehovah spoke to the mind of the prophet in his mind. Here, however, the word "divination" is used of the oracles of the prophets who were false, even though not em- ploying any external arts of augury. Their prophecy is called " flatter- ing," lit. smooth, because it promised immunity from trouble and disaster. Cf. Jer. xiv. 14. 25. for I am the Lord} Rather: for I the Lord will speak. Lit. for I the Lord will speak what word I shall speak, and it shall come to pass. The sense is given by A.V. The word which the Lord speaks to this generation shall be fulfilled before it pass away. 26 — 28. If others did not go so far as to disregard prophecy al- together, they concluded that the prophecies bore reference to the future, and that the judgments threatened would not come in their day (Is. xxxix. 8). This also was an inference not unnatural. The prophecies of the true prophets were moral and designed even when threatening to turn men away from their sins, and thus in a manner to frustrate their own fulfilment. They were not absolute predictions, but conditional threats, which might be averted on repentance and amendment (Jonah; Jer. xviii.; Joel ii. 14). And in point of fact the most terrible threatenings of judgment were connected with the "day of the Lord," which might be supposed not very near (Is. v. rS, 19). Cf. on V. 22; Hal), ii. 3. 6 — 2 84 EZEKIEL, XIII. [vv. 1—3. the Lord God ; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have sjDoken shall be done, saith the Lord God. 13 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of "" man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own 3 hearts. Hear ye the word of the Lord ; thus saith the Lord 28. word which I have spokeii\ which I shall speak, lit. what word I shall speak. Cf. for construction, Jer. xiv. i, xlvi. i ; Am. v. i. Ch. XIII. Against the false prophets and prophetesses. The passage is an expansion of ch. xii. 24, and has three main parts: first, vv. I — 9 denunciation of tht prophets as persons who help forward the downfall of the state, as foxes among the ruins only undermine that which is still standing. Secondly, vv. 10 — 16 denunciation of them under another graphic figure — they are persons who whitewash the tottering wall which the people build. Thirdly, vv. 17 — 23 denuncia- tion of the prophetesses who ensnare souls. 1 — 9. The lying prophets are like foxes among the ruins. (i) vv. 1 — 3. The inspiration of these prophets is not from the spirit of God but from their own heart. (2) vv. 4, 5. Consequently so far as the state was concerned they were like foxes among the ruins ; they burrowed among these and only helped to bring down what might still be standing. (3) vv. 6, 7. They deceived the people, and were self-deceived. They prophesied lies, and looked that God would establish their lies. (4) w. 8, 9. Therefore destruction shall overtake them. The people of the Lord, when the day of chastisement has passed, shall be again a people in their own land, but the names of these prophets shall not be found among them. 2. propJuts of Israel that prophcsy\ There seems a kind of sarcasm on " prophets of Israel," — those whom Israel accepts and delights to regard as prophets (Mic. ii. 11); and a similar sarcasm in "that pro- phesy." They prophesied and that without limit : their mouths were always full of "thus saith the Lord" (z'. 6). LXX., however, reads rather dif- ferently. Jer.xviii. iSshewshow the people regarded their prophets ; they had faith in them and believed that Jehovah spoke by them, while such men as Jeremiah they judged to be false prophets : Come, let us devise devices against Jeremiah, for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Cf. Jer. xliii. 2. their own hea7-ts\ The inspiration of these prophets came from their own hearts or minds — their own thoughts and hopes, and judgment upon the situation in which they were placed. They had nothing higher than human wisdom, while the inspiration of the true prophet came from the spirit of God. V. 3-] EZEKIEL, XIII. 85 God ; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own 3. foolish p7-ophets\ The word, not used again by Ezekiel, is rather a moral term, meaning destitute of that wisdom the beginning of which is the fear of the Lord (Ps. xiii. i). Jeremiah charges the prophets of his day with shameful vices, "They commit adultery with their neigh- bours' wives" (Jer. xxix. 23, cf. xxiii. 14, and pass.); but, without supposing that all the "false" prophets were so bad, it characterized them in general that they were superficial men in a moral sense. Their notions of religion and life were not high or strict, and hence they saw nothing in the condition of the people or the state calling for the judg- ment of God, and prophesied "peace." This was what distinguished them from Jeremiah and other prophets whom we call "true." Micah says in opposition to them: "I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin" (ch. iii. 8) ; and Jeremiah goes so far as to declare it to be the mark of a true prophet that he threatens judgment upon the nation (Jer. xxviii. 8, 9). A true prophet is one by whom the Lord speaks, and a "false" prophet (the expression is not used in the Old Testament, though the prophets are said to speak "falsely") is one by whom he does not speak. This is true: but the converse has also its truth — the Lord did not speak by these prophets because they were "false" (i Kings xxii. 6 seq^. There is a spirit of false prophecy as well as a spirit of true prophecy. The spirit of trae prophecy is the spirit of the theocracy and of the religion of Jehovah, the spirit that comprehends its principles, sympathises with its lofty morality, understands its aims, and therefore can perceive the true means to be used for fulfilling them. The spirit of false prophecy is the untheocratic spirit, which, even when speaking in the name of Jehovah, has not entered with any profoundness into the nature and aims of his kingdom, and consequently misapprehends the means needful to further it. In his encounters with the prophets of his day Jeremiah opposes them in three spheres: that of policy ; that of morals; and that of personal experience. In policy the genuine prophets had some fixed principles, all arising out of the idea that the kingdom of the Lord was not a kingdom of this world. Hence they opposed military preparation (Ps. xx. 7), riding on horses and building of fenced cities (Hos. xiv. 3; Mic. v. 10, 11; Is. xxxi. i), and counselled trust in Je- hovah (Is. vii. 9, X. 20, 21, xvii. 7, xxx. 15). These prophets were moving forward (often unconsciously) towards that conception of the kingdom of God which has been realized in the "Church;" and exter- nal providence was shaping the history of the nation on lines parallel to this conception, which eventually received form by the destruction of the state and the reduction of the people to be a mere religious community. The false prophets, on the other hand, desired their country to be a military power among the powers around, they advocated alliances with the Eastern empires and with Egypt, and relied on their national strength (Am. vi. 13). Again, the true prophets had a stringent personal and state morality (see above). In their view the true cause of the destruc- tion of the state was its immoralities. But the false prophets had no 86 EZEKIEL, XIII. [vv. 4, 5. 4 spirit, and have seen nothing ! O Israel, thy prophets are s like the foxes in the deserts. Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to such deep moral convictions, and seeing nothing unwonted or alarming in the condition of things, prophesied of "peace." They were not necessarily irreligious men, but their religion had no truer insight into the nature of the God of Israel than that of the common people (Am. v. 18); hence they pointed to the Temple as the house of the Lord, which he must protect; while Jeremiah told them that they had made it " a cave of robbers," in which they thought themselves safe after committing their crimes, and threatened it with the fate of Shiloh (Jer. vii., xxvi.). And finally Jeremiah expresses his conviction that the prophets whom he opposed did not stand in the sime relation to the Lord as he did ; they had not his experiences of the word of the Lord, into whose counsel (Am. iii. 7) they had not been admitted, and they were without that fellowship of mind with the mind of Jehovah which was the true source of prophecy (Jer. xxiii. pass.). Hence he satirizes their pretended supernatural "dreams," and charges them from conscious want of any true prophetic word with "stealing" words from one another. Cf. vv. 6, 7 and ch. xiv. their own spirit\ The term is used in opposition to the " spirit" of the Lord which inspired the true prophet, who is called "a man of the spirit" (Hos. ix. 7). As distinct from heart "spirit" is rather the force or power moving the prophet. In early times the prophets were the subjects of considerable excitation ; and looking on them thus power- fully affected men recognised the influence of the spirit of God upon them. and have seen nothing] Rather : and (go after) that whicll they have not seen. They did not see, though no doubt they thought they saw. They were self deceived. 4. foxes in the deserts'] in the waste places, i.e. ruins. The pro- phets are like foxes ; ruins are congenial to them ; a condition of decay is their proper sphere ; there they can burrow as their instincts prompt them. The main idea, however, is that their operations only increase the devastation and undermine and bringdown anything that may yet be standing. In a declining and disastrous time the minds of men are excited and feed on the wildest schemes, and feeling themselves helpless they readily turn to those who pretend to speak to them in God's name. And it only adds to their ruin when those to whom they turn have no higher wisdom than themselves. 5. gone up into the gaps] Or, breaches. Ezekiel turning to the prophets themselves uses "ye" — a frequent change of person in animated speech. made up the hedge] Or, fence, R.V. If they had been true prophets they would have done two things : stood in the breach, and made a wall of defence for Israel. Without figure : these prophets knew neither what measures to adopt to stop the way of the invading dangers, nor what protective methods to recommend that the state vv. 6—8.] EZEKIEL, XIII. 87 stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. They have seen 6 vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith, and the Lord hath not sent them : and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Have ye not seen ^ a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The Lord saith //; albeit I have not spoken ? Therefore thus saith the Lord God ; Because ye 8 have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore behold, I am might be successfully defended. They are hardly charged with want of personal courage when it is said they go not up into the breach ; rather they wanted wisdom and insight, they had no measures to suggest which would repair or protect the fortunes of the people. Another prophet with more pathos describes the incompetence of Israel's leaders in the day of her distress : "there was none to guide her among all the sons which she had brought forth ; neither was there any to take her by the hand of all the sons that she had brought up " (Is. li. 18). No doubt the one measure to adopt was repentance and trust in the Lord; Am. v. 14, "Seek good, and not evil. ..and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye say." 6, 7. Their prophecies are false : they are self-deceived. 6. have made others to hope\ Rather : they have hoped for the confirmation of the word. The usual sense of the verb is to "hope ; " only in a single passage (Ps. cxix. 49) does it appear to mean to "cause to hope." The false prophets looked for the confirmation (in fulfil- ment) of their prophecies and visions — they were self-deceived, not consciously false. Prophecy being an inward thing, a speaking by the spirit in the mind and to the mind, there was no external criterion, and while the true prophet had the witness in himself that he was true, the false prophet might not be aware that he was false (Jer. xxiii. 21, 31). It is an interesting question what kind of mental experience the true prophet had, which verified to him his own genuineness. vv. 8, 9. Chastisement from Jehovah upon these prophets. Because these prophets speak falsely Jehovah is against them, for he is the living and the true \v. 8) ; but that which God is against must speedily feel the effects of his opposition — his hand will be upon them {p. 9). There is no inert, inoperative opposition on God's part. The sweep of his operation is so vast that its movement may be unperceived, as the earth appears to stand still, though moving with inconceivable rapidity, but its effect will become apparent. 9. The punishment is described in three steps, which form a climax. At present these prophets possess influence, they are counsellors and leaders ; when Israel is a nation again upon her own land they shall have no place in the council of the people — read council for assembly as marg. Now they occupy a high place in the roll of citizens, and have names distinguished ; then their names shall not be written in the writing (i.e. the book or register-roll) of the house of Israel ; 88 EZEKIEL, XIII. [vv. 9— ii. 9*against you, saith the Lord God. And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies : they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel ; and ye shall know that I loflw the Lord God. Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace ; and there was no peace ; and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with un- II tempered morter : say unto them which daub it with untem- pered morter, that it shall fall : there shall be an overflowing shower ; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy cf. Ezr. ii. 62 ; Is. iv. 3. And finally, they shall not have a place in the land at all— Israel shall return, while they shall perish. Jeremiah had already used the same language in regard to Shemaiah, a prophet who misled the exiles, Jer. xxix. 32. 10—16. The prophets whitewash the tottering wall which THE people build. 10. Because, even decause] A solemn and emphatic introduction of the offence of the prophets ; ch. xxxvi. 3 ; Lev. xxvi. 43. seduced] Or, led astray. />eace; and there was 710 peace] "Peace " indudes security and pros- perity ; cf. Mic. iii. 5 ; Jer. vi. 14, viii. 11, xxiii. 17. and otie built tip a wall] Rather : and it (the people) buildeth up a wall, and behold they (the prophets) daub it with whitewash, or plaster. The word for "wall" (occurring only here) is not the usual one, though similar to the one common in Arab. ; in usage it may have meant "a slight wall," as marg., or a partition. The figure incisively describes the futile projects of the people, and the feeble flattery and approval of the prophets. When a weak man cannot originate anything himself, he acquires a certain credit (at least in his own eyes) by strong approval of the schemes of others, saying. Right ! I give it my cordial approval, and indeed would have suggested it. What made the prophets whitewash the wall which the people built was partly the feeling that from the place they occupied they must do something, and maintain their credit as leaders even when being led ; and partly perhaps that having no higher wisdom than the mass they quite honestly approved their policy. Being sharers with them in the spirit of the time they readily acquiesced in their enterprises. II seq. Threat of destruction under the figure of a hailstorm, which shall sweep away the wall and those who daub it with whited plaster. 11. and yc, great hailstones] The apostrophe to the hailstones is rather unnatural. A different pointing gives the sense, and I will cause great hailstones to fall, but the construction is altogether impro- bable. Jer. viii. 13, is not in point. vv. 12—18.] EZEKIEL, XIII. 89 wind shall rent it. 'Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not 12 be said unto you, Where is the daubing \v\\Q.x&with ye have daubed it ? Therefore thus saith the Lord God ; I will 13 even rent // ivith a stormy wind in my fury ; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in tny fury to consume //. So will 1 break down the wall 14 that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Thus 15 will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it nnth untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it ; to wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning 16 Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord God. Likewise thou son of man, set thy face against the 17 daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart ; and prophesy thou against them, and say. Thus saith 18 wind shall rent it] Or, a strong wind shall break forth. 12. Confusion of the false prophets. 13. rent it with a stormy wind] Rather : cause a stormy wind to break forth. 14. s/iall be discovered] i.e. uncovered, laid bare. The prophets shall be destroyed in the ruins of the wall (Am. ix. i). The figure tends in these words to be replaced by the reality, namely, Jerusalem and its downfall. 16. to wit, the prophets] This construction puts "the prophets" in apposition with the last words of z^. 15 "they that daubed it." The words may be taken as an address : Ye prophets of Israel &c. 17 — 23. Denunciation of the false prophetesses. Female prophets were not unknown in Israel whether in earlier or later times, as Deborah (Judg. iv. 3) and Huldah (2 Kings xxii. 14), The prophetesses referred to here were like the prophets, prophesying out of their own heart {v. 17). Their prophesying was by some species of divination, which they used in order to obtain oracles. The me- thods of divination practised are somewhat obscure : they bound fillets upon the joints and threw cloths or veils over the heads of those who consulted them. By these means they "hunted" souls; they saved souls alive that should not live and slew souls that should not die (z'. 19), or as expressed otherwise, they made the heart of the righteous sad and strengthened the hands of the wicked (w. 22). In other words 90 EZEKIEL, XIII. [v. 19. the Lord God ; Woe to the wotiien that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls ! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will 19 ye save the souls alive that come unto you ? And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my like the false prophets they misled the people, promising life to the ungodly and prophesying disaster to those who were righteous. 18. pillows to all armholes\ Probably : fillets or bands to all joints of the hand. Heb. appears to read "my hands," which is no doubt an error of transcription ; none of the ancient versions repro- duces the reading. The term rendered "kerchiefs" probably means veils or coverings to the head, which fell down over the whole body, and were adapted in size to the person to be covered, whether young or old. The language is to be understood literally, and not as a metaphor, with the meaning, to lull into ease and security. Ephrem Syrus already considered the reference to be to amulets worn on the arms, from which responses were brought forth, and the translation cited in the Hexapla as the "Hebrew" renders "phylacteries." Fried. Del. (Baer's Ezek., pp. xii., xiii.) quotes a Babylonian formula of incanta- tion in which reference is made to such fillets and cloths. souls alive that come unto jyou] Lit., save souls alive for yourselves, i.e. to your advantage or profit. R.V. marg. , souls that are yours, may represent a sense not unusually put upon the words ; your aivn souls — by the earnings of false prophecy. 19. ami will ye polliite\ Rather, directly : and ye profane me. To "profane" the Lord is to bring him down from the high sphere of purity or truth or power, where men's thoughts should place him, into the region of the impure, the false or unworthy — the sphere of the common (ch. xx. 39). To "profane" is the opposite of to "sanctify." for haiidfuls of barley^ may signify, for mean and trifling hire. Others think that the offerings may be described which were presented in order to obtain the oracular response. In this case the rendering would be : with handfuls of barley (see W. R. Smith, yournal of Phi- lology, vol. XIII.). But comp. I Sam. ii. 36; 2 Kings xxiii. 9 with I Sam. ix. 8; i Kings xiv. 3; 1 Kings iv. 42 ; Mic. iii. 5. In Jer. xliv. 15 the women are represented as baking cakes to be offered to the queen of heaven. the souls that should jiot die] The righteous ; cf. v. 22, ye have made the heart of the righteous sad. The meaning appears to be that the tendency and direction of their prophecies, like those of the false prophets, was in support of the wicked and adverse to those like- minded with the true prophets. They "slay" by their prophetic word (Hos. vi. 5 ; Jer. i. 10, I have set thee to pluck up &c.) when they threaten evil ; and so they make the heart sad (faint and despondent) of those whom the Lord hath not made sad. vv. 20— 23.J EZEKIEL, XIII. 91 people that hear your lies ? Wherefore thus saith the Lord 20 God ; Behold, I am against your pillows, where?*.'//// ye there hunt the souls to make ^/wm fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make //lem fly. Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and 21 deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted ; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Because 7ci/f/i lies je have made the heart of 22 the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad ; and strength- ened the hands of the wicked, that /le should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life : therefore ye shall 23 see no more vanity, nor divine divinations : for I will deliver my people out of your hand : and ye shall know that I am the Lord. TJV. 20—23. Chastisement of the prophetesses. 7vkerev/hh ye there hunt] Or, inhere (or, wherein) ye hunt. A slight change of reading gives, wherewith ye hunt (Targ. Syr. ). to make ihtmjiy] Or, as R.V. marg. like birds (Ew.). LXX. omits. For "pillows" a.szihowQjinets. The expression "from your arms" is not to be forced so as to imply that the bands or fillets were bound upon the arms of the prophetesses themselves (cf. v. 18). even the souh that ye hunt] The reading here is no doubt corrupt. The easiest change is to read : I will let the souls go, whose life (naph- sham) ye hunt as birds; cf. Prov. vi. 26 "the adulteress hunteth for the precious life." Cornill makes the excellent suggestion: " I will let the souls go free [reading othan hophshim] that ye hunt." 22. heart of the righteous sa-i] Or, discourage the heart of the righteous — opposed to "strengthen the hands" of the v^'icked. The word rendered "made sad" or pained in the end of the clause might have been expected. by promising him life] Rather: and toe saved alive; lit. so as to save him alive. The agent is not expressed. 23. The judgment of God is at hand which shall make an end of all false prophecy and divination. Ch. xii. 24; Mic. iii. 6, 7; Am. viii. 1 1. The issue of these judgments shall be that Jehovah shall be known in truth. Ch. XIV. Answer to idolaters who inquire of the Lord. In ch. xiii. Ezekiel had denounced the false prophets who led the people astray, and had threatened them with extirpation from the community of the Lord. But the question of false prophecy is not yet exhausted. It has another side. It is true that false prophets mislead the people, but it is equally true that it is to a wrong-minded people that the existence of false prophets is due. The strong current of perverse inclination in the people sweeps the prophet away before 92 EZEKIEL, XIV. [vv. 1—3. 14 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and 2 sat before me. And the word of the Lord came unto me, 3 saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face : should I be inquired of at all by them ? it; he is enticed, and entering into the mind of the people, gives such prophecies as coincide with their desires. The evil of false prophecy is due to a deeper and more pervasive evil than itself; it is indeed a judgment from God upon the fundamental sin of the people, their idolatry {v. 9). Therefore the true prophet has only one answer to give to the people who consult him — Put away your idolatries. The chapter has two parts : First, w. I — II. There shall no answer be given by the prophet to idolaters who inquire through him but the answer, "Put away your idolatries or look for the judgment of God." If a prophet lets himself be enticed to answer the people after their mind, he and they shall perish together. Secondly, vz'. la — 23. The principle of the Divine judgment. The presence of righteous men among a sinful people shall not save the sinners; the righteous shall deliver only their own souls. 1 — 11. Answer to idolaters who inquire of the Lord. 1. eMefs of Israel^ That is, in point of fact, elders of the exiles ; but in them the prophet sees representatives of the house of Israel both at home and abroad {^'v. 4, 7), and when addressing them he feels himself speaking to his people in all places. Cf. ch. viii. r, xx. i. These elders came and sat before him. It is scarcely probable that their presence was due to the prophet's words in ch. xiii., denouncing their false prophets. It might no doubt be supposed that they were perplexed by these denunciations, and, not knowing whom to believe, waited on the prophet for some further enlightenment. It is more likely that their thoughts were occupied about Jerusalem and the future of their country, and that they hoped to hear something more from Ezekiel on these subjects. 3. set up their idols in] Lit. /lave laid their idols upon their heart, which appears to mean, laid them on their minds, busied their thoughts and filled their affections with them. stumblingblock of their iniquity^ The reference is still to the idols. Stumblingblock of iniquity is that over which one falls and commits iniquity, see on ch. vii. 19. before their face] i.e. have placed them in their view, or, so as to follow them; cf. v. 6 "turn away your faces from all your abomi- nations ;" Ps. xvi. 8, ci. 3. The language is figurative, and does not imply literal setting-up of idols. should I be iiujuircd of] Or, shall I let myself be inquired of? that is, shall I give an answer (through the prophet)? cf. Is. Ixv. i, where "inquired of" is parallel to "was found." vv, 4—8.] EZEKIEL, XIV. 93 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith 4 the Lord God ; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet ; I the Lord will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols ; that / may take the house of Israel 5 in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, 6 Thus saith the Lord God ; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols ; and turn away your faces from all your abomi- nations. For every one of the house of Israel, or of the 7 stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to inquire of him concerning me ; I the Lord will answer him by myself j and I will set my face s 4. The Lord will answer such men directly through himself, by involving them in the consequences of their own idolatries and de- stroying them. setteth up his idols'] Cf. v. 3. will answer him that cometh] If this reading be adopted, the ren- dering must be, I the Lord will answer him; he cometh in the multitude — a meaning which has no probability. The present text reads, I will answer him according to it, (i.e. the iniquity, or the stumbling-block) (even) according to the multitude, &c. In v. 7, where the same expression occurs, the reading is, "I will answer him by myself;'" and the present passage had better be assimilated to v. 7. What is meant by the Lord's answering "through himself" is stated V. 8, "I will set my face against that man." The answer will be given in acts of judgment. according to the multitude'] The divine chastisement will be heavy, proportionate to the gross idolatry. 5. take... in their own heart] The sinner's sin is like a snare in which he is captured and destroyed; sin carries its own retribution in itself (Job viii. 4). The phrase "take them in their own heart" is explained by the words that follow, "because they are all estranged from me through their idols." Their "heart" is the idolatrous direction of their thoughts and affections; in this they shall be taken {vv. 3, 4, 7). 6. The prophet is not permitted to give an answer to any inquiries of such men. Jehovah will answer them through himself {v. 7); the message which the prophet has to deliver is, repentance or destruction ! 7. every one. ..sojourneth in Israel] Comp. Lev. xvii. 8, 10, 13, XX. 2, and remark on v. i above. On "setteth up" cf. v. 3. answer him by myself] Or, through myself, directly in deeds. 94 EZEKIEL, XIV. [w. 9, 10. against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people ; and ye 9 shall know that I atn the Lord. And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have de- ceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people 10 Israel. And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity : the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punish- 8. Jehovah's answer to the idolatrous inquirer : he will make him a sign and a proverb, and cut him off from his people. viake him a sign'] This is the traditional reading (Baer's Ezek. — hiph. of Sim, cf. xxi. 16; Job iv. 20). R.V. follows a different text. On "sign" &c. cf. Numb. xxvi. to; Deut. xxviii. 37. 9 — 11. Fate of the prophet who gives an answer to idolatrous inquirers: he and they shall perish to- GETHER. 9. l>e deceived ivhen he hath spoken} Rather, be deceived (or, en- ticed) and speak a word, i.e. a prophetic word, ch. xii. 25 seq. The meaning appears to be: if the prophet, entering into the "heart" of the idolaters, the circle and direction of their thoughts, and the general spirit which animates them, gives them a prophetic oracle which coincides with the line of their thoughts, and thus helps to foster their delusions, that prophet himself has been seduced or en- ticed; and it is the Lord who has enticed him. The passage has a resemblance to i Kings xxii. 20. There a lying spirit came forth from the Lord and entered into the prophets of Ahab and deceived them, so that they entered into the designs of the wicked king and gave an answer favourable to him. Here it is the Lord himself who entices the prophet. In both cases this enticement or deception was in punishment for previous sin. Ezekiel does not appear to reflect upon the point whether the prophet before being deceived was true or false. The "prophet" became false when deceived, when he entered into the spirit and purposes of the idolaters, and spoke a word to them in the line of their sinful conduct and hopes. And this word merely hardened them in their mind and was a step towards taking them in their own heart {v. 5). 10. Both the people and prophet shall perish together ; the punish- ment of the one shall be as that of the other. Already Jer. xiv. 15, 16, xxvii. 15. The passage rests on such general assumptions as these: r. That the principles of the constitution of Israel are known, and the fundamental one is, thou shalt have no other gods before Me. Probably Ezekiel interpreted this first principle as Hosea did, including among "other gods" not only gods different from Jehovah, but images or representa- tions of Jehovah himself (Hos. viii. 6). Men's first duty was to be true to this principle ; cf. the summary proceeding advocated in Deut. xiii. ■2. vv. II— 13.] ?:ZEKIEL, XIV. 95 ment of him that seeketh unto him; that the house of Israel " may go no more astray from me, neither be poUuted any more with all their transgressions ; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord God. The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, Son of J^ To those who sin against this fundamental article of religion all other religious offices and ordinances, so far from being beneficial, are made by God a means of destruction. The preaching of the true prophets only hardens (Is. vi.); or prophecy may be turned into false prophecy. The man who wittingly commits sin had better keep clear of religious ordinances and performances. And the "prophet" (even the modern one) had better keep clear of wicked men, lest he should be used as the instrument of their punishment and perish with them. See on iii. 20. 11. Yet all these judgments of God have a far-off merciful end in view. They are a blast of fire and of judgment to consume the sin of the people (Is. iv. 4), and when the tempest is overpast the sky rises clear behind — that the house of Israel go no more astray... but that they may be My people and I may be their God. 12 — 23. The presence of righteous men among a sinful people WILL NOT save THE SINNERS. The passage may be in answer to thoughts which the prophet felt might rise in the minds of those to whom he spoke. He threatened destruction to people and prophets alike, a destruction indiscriminate and universal. Were not these threats exaggerations? Were they in harmony with God's former ways of dealing with his people ? Would he slay the righteous with the wicked? would he not rather spare the wicked on the intercession of the righteous and for their sake, as often in former times? (Gen. xviii. 23; Num. xiv. 15). To this the prophet replies after Jer. xv. that righteous men among the people shall not avert God's judgment, they shall only save their own souls. (i) vv. \^ — 1Q. A supposition is put that God brings any one of his four great judgments, famine, evil beasts, sword or pestilence, upon a land to destroy it. Though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in that land, they should by their righteousness save neither sons nor daughters, only their own souls. (2) vv. 21 — 23. Application to Jerusalem. Much less shall the righteous save the wicked when the Lord shall bring all his four sore judgments together upon Jerusalem. And if a remnant be spared and carried into all lands, this apparent exception will only confirm and impress the principle by shewing to all how inevitable the utter destruc- tion of Jerusalem was on account of its wickedness, and that God in his righteousness could deal in no other way with it. And thus the exiles when they see the way and doings of those that escape from Jerusalem will be comforted for its fall, and their minds will be lifted up into a higher sympathy with God in his acts of righteousness. On the prophet's own sympathy, cf. ch. iii. 14. vv. 12 — 14. Famine. 96 EZEKIEL, XIV. [vv. 14—17. man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing griev- ously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine 14 upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it : though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, 15 saith the Lord God. If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that 16 no man may pass through because of the beasts : though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters ; they only 17 shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. Or if I 13. when the land] Rather: a land. The whole oiz: 13 is suppo- sition: when a land sinneth. ..and I stretch. ..and break. ..and send... and cut off. 14. t/iese three vie7i\ By Jeremiah the Lord had already said: *' though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people "(Jer.xv. i). The history of Noah had been written, and was well known long before the time of Ezekiel. He is referred to by other prophets, e.g. Is. liv. 9, "This is as the waters of Noah unto me." It is scarcely probable, however, that the prophet owed his knowledge of Daniel and Job to the books which now exist under their names. They are more likely great traditional names, familiar to the prophet and his people, which the authors of our present books appro- priated and used for their own purposes of edification. It is scarcely natural that the prophet should name Daniel if he was a contemporary of his own living at the court of Babylon. He refers here to his piety, and in ch. xxviii. 3 to his wisdom. These references are quite suitable to the Daniel known to us from the book of that name, but of course the pictuie of Daniel drawn in the book may contain traits taken from tradition, or even from Ezekiel. In all probability the Book of Job is posterior to the time of Ezekiel. On "staff of bread," cf. ch. iv. 16, v. 16; Lev. xxvi. 26. w. 15, 16. Noisome, i.e. hurtful, beasts. Lev. xxvi. 22. 16. neither sons nor daughters] There is no support in the words for the idea of Havernick that the three names, Noah, Daniel and Job form a climax, inasmuch as Noah saved his children, Daniel only his three fellow-exiles, while Job could deliver neither son nor daughter, though every week he interceded and made atonement for them. This idea is false to the sense of the Book of Job, for Job's children are nowhere represented by the author of the book as having been cut off for their sins, though naturally Job's "friends" put this constraction upon their death (ch. viii. 4). The prophet does not appear to have in view any historical details in the lives of these three men ; he refers to the men themselves as great saints famous in the traditions of his people. vv. 17, 18. Sword and war. Lev. xxvi. 25. vv. 18—22.] EZEKIEL, XIV. 97 bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land ; so that I cut ofif man and beast from it : though 18 these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves. 0\ if \ send a pestilence 19 into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast : though Noah, Daniel, and 20 Job, xvere in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter ; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness. For thus saith the Lord 21 God ; How much more when I send my four sore judgements upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast ? Yet behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be 22 brought forth, both sons and daughters : behold, they shall 17. say. Sword, go throughl This rendering assumes a grammatical anomaly. Rather, tlie sword shall go through. vv. 19, 20. The pestilence. 19. viy fury upon it in blood] The term ' ' blood " is almost a synonym for " death ; " cf. Ps. xxx. 9, "What profit is there in my blood, in my g )ing down to the pit?" Ch. v. 17. On the Babylonian idea of "four" plagues, cf. Del. Parad. p. 146. w. 21 — 23. Application to Jerusalem. 21. How nntch more] If when a single judgment is sent upon a land the wicked shall not be spared for the sake of the righteous, how much more shall this not happen when the wickedness of the land is so great that God's four sore judgments together fall upon it, as they shall fall upon Jemsalem? Ch. v. 17, xxxiii. 27, 22. Yet the history of Jerusa- lem may seem an exception. It is an exception for a wider purpose. 22. behold, therein shall be left] Rather : and toehold, should there be left therein a remnant. After "behold" the verb is hypothetical, as often, e.g. ch. xiii. 12, xv. 4. If some of the wicked in Jerusalem escape it is with a special design, viz. that those spared should reveal their great wickedness to the earlier exiles, among whom they shall come, and thus shew how inevitable the destruction of the city was. that shall be brought forth] The ancient versions read the active (hiph.) participle here : that shall bring forth sons and daughters. In vv. 18, 20 it is said that the three great saints named should save neither sons nor daughters ; and here some would be spoken of who brought out sons and daughters. It is very doubtful if this pointed antithesis was in the mind of the prophet. His point is that if some in Jerusalem, men and women, escape, notwithstanding the principle that the righteous shall not save the wicked, it is for a special purpose, viz. to shew to the earlier exiles the great wickedness of Jerusalem, and thus comfort them over its fall. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel regard the exiles carried away EZEKIEL y 98 EZEKIEL, XIV. [v. 23. come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings : and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, eve7i concerning all that I 23 have brought upon it. And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings : and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God. under Jehoiachin as the flower of the nation (Jer. xxiv.), and those left behind as the dregs of the people. Of course it was the persons of rank and influence that were carried captive, while those left behind were the meanest, least educated and probably most idolatrous (Jer. xxiv. 8 — 10, xxix. 16 — 20). their way and their doitigs'] Their evil "way" of life, and their gross idolatries. comforted concerni>ig the evir\ The exiles of the days of Jehoiachin and those of earlier times, whose thoughts were keenly occupied with Jerusalem and its fate (ch. xxiv. 25), shall be comforted for its destruc- tion when they see the way and doings of the new exiles. So corrupt and gross in their iniquities shall these appear to them that they will feel that no other fate than that which has befallen it was possible for Jerusalem ; and that "not without cause" has Jehovah overthrown it (z/. ■22). Cf. on "comforted" ch. xxxii. 31. In the passage vv. 12 — 23 questions are not raised what " land " it is that Jehovah will bring his plagues of famine, sword and the like upon, nor when he will bring them. The cases supposed are merely illus- trations of the principle that the righteous shall not save the wicked. And the application to Jerusalem is what the prophet has in view. See on ch. xviii. Ch. XV. The vine tree among the other trees of the FOREST. The chapter pursues the same general line of thought as ch. xiv. 12 — 23, and ch. xvi. In ch. xiv. 12 — 23 the prophet had replied to a feeling that might arise in men's minds that Jehovah would spare the sinners of the people for the sake of the righteous. Here he replies to another thought — were these predictions of wholesale destruction upon Israel, the people of the Lord, and Jerusalem where he had placed his name, probable? Other nations might perish, but Israel was the Lord's heritage, the vine of his planting. The prophet accepts the idea of the vine and replies to it. Like Isaiah's song of the vineyard (Is. v.) the passage has two parts, first, the similitude of the vine, vv. i — 5 ; and secondly, the applica- tion to Israel, vv. 6 — 8. Founding on old similitudes the prophet assumes that Israel is the vine, and compares it as a tree or as wood with the other trees of the forest. It is as wood that it is put in comparison with the trees. He vv. 1—6.] EZEKIEL, XV. 99 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of 15 man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a ^ branch which is among the trees of the forest ? Shall wood 3 be taken thereof to do afiy work ? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon ? Behold, it is cast into the 4 fire for fuel ; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burnt. Is it meet for any work ? Behold, 5 when it was whole, it was meet for no work : how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath de- voured it, and it is burned ? Therefore thus saith the Lord 6 God ; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which is studiously silent in regard to the fruit of the vine. This, which gave the vine its preeminence (Judg. ix. 13), cannot be touched upon, for it does not exist. It is the wood of the vine only that can be compared with the other trees of the forest, the feeble, creeping plant with the lofty trees around it. Judah never had any pretensions to be a power- ful state, or to enter into competition in wealth or military resources with the kingdoms round about. As a tree among the trees, a state among the states, what was it good for ? And especially now what is it good for, when it has already been in the fire, its ends consumed and iis heart charred? What is it fit for, or need it expect, but to be flung again into the fire and wholly consumed ? 2. or than a branchl Perhaps : the vine-branch which is, — the words taking up "the vine tree" of previous clause. Owing to the verb the natural sense is : 7u/iat shall be made of ike wood of (he vine among all wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest ? Cf. V. 3. With the comparative sense the accents should be dis- regarded : ivhat is the wood of the vine more than any wood of the bratich which is &c. On Israel as the vine cf. Gen. xlix. 11; Is. v. i ; Deut. xxxii. 32; Jer. ii. 21; Ezek. xvii. 5, xix. 10; Ps. Ixxx. ; Hos. x. r. 3. Uselessness of the wood of the vine. to do any work'\ i.e. use for any work or purpose. The words may mean, to make it into any work or article of workmanship. It has too little firmness even to be made into a pin to hang any article upon. 4. A hypothetical sentence : Behold, when it hath been cast into the fire for fuel, when the fire hath devoured both the ends of it, and the midst of it is charred, will it be meet for any work ? This part of the similitude is borrowed from the actual instance of Israel. As it is Jerusalem, including Judah, that is compared to the vine, the burning of the ends and scorching of the middle probably refers to the calami- ties sustained by that kingdom, such as the captivity under Jehoiachin and other severe reverses. 5. 7neet for no 7vork'\ Lit., ii could not be made into, or, used for any work ; how much less, when the fire hath devoured it and it is charred, shall it be any more used for, or made into any work. 100 EZEKIEL, XV. [vv. 7, 8. I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabit- 7 ants of Jerusalem. And I will set my face against them ; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them ; and ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I set 8 my face against them. And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord God. 6 — 8. Application of the figure to Jerusalem. 6. which I have givcn'\ The reference is to the supposition in v. 4. It is nowhere said in the passage that the vinewood is fit only for fuel, nor that it has been appointed (when created by God) to be burnt; z;. 4 is a supposition that in a particular case it has been flung into the fire for fuel, and its ends burnt, and the inference is drawn that, good for little when whole, much less will it be good for anything in that condition. The use of the first person "I have given" is peculiar. Cornill suggests "it has been given," considering "I have given" which follows immediately to have been the source of the error. so ivill I give\ Lit., so have I given. The comparison is not be- tween Jerusalem and a vine when whole, but between Jerusalem and a vine with its two ends burnt. Naturally the supposition is made that the vinewood flung into the fire has been plucked out after having been burnt and charred, and the question is asked, Is it good for any- thing now? This is the condition of Jerusalem : it has been given into the fire for fuel, plucked out of it, as it were, half-burnt ; is it good for anything ? 7. go out from oneyfrc] Rather: they have come out of the fire, but the fire shall devour them. They are in the condition of a brand that has been plucked for a moment from the fire (sw. 4, 5), but they shall be plunged again into it to be burnt. Only scathed and charred as yet, they shall be wholly consumed. / am the Lord'\ The object of these chastisements is that they may know that he who inflicts them is Jehovah, and what Jehovah is; and this shall be the result of them. 8. The figure of "burning" in the fire is expressed in literal lan- guage : the land shall be made a desolation. Like his predecessor Jeremiah, the prophet sets little store by the existence of Israel as a state or kingdom among other states. Israel's mission is religious, not politi- cal. See on ch. xiii. 3. Ch. XVI. The foundling child who became the faithless WIFE. The prophet continues to pursue his demonstration of the inevitable- ness of Jerusalem's destruction. In ch. xiii. xiv. he swept away the delusive hopes with which the prophets of Israel filled her imagination ; and in ch. xv. he shewed how little the fact that Israel was the people of the Lord was fitted to inspire confidence, as other prophets had shewed before him (Am. iii. ■2). In the present passage it is the positive proof vv. 1—3.] EZEKIEL, XVI. loi Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son 16 of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, and say, 3 Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem ; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan ; thy father was an of the necessity of Israel's destruction that he exhibits — her persistent unfaithfulness to Jehovah through all her history, and her forgetfulness of his goodness. He has to "shew to Jerusalem all her abominations" (v. 2). This is done in the allegory of the foundling child who became the faithless wife of her benefactor. Though marked by a breadth with which modern taste is unfamiliar the allegory is powerful. And when the details are forgotten and only the general conception remains in the mind, the prophet's creation is felt to be artistically beautiful as well as true. An outcast infant exposed in the open field and weltering in its blood was seen by the pitying eye of a passer by. Rescued and nourished she grew up to the fairest womanhood, and became the wife of her benefactor, who lavished on her all that could delight and elevate. But the ways into which he led her were too lofty to be understood, and the atmosphere around her too pure for her to breathe; the old inborn nature (her father was the Amorite and her mother a Hittite) was still there beneath all the refinements for which it had no taste, and at last it asserted itself in shameless depravity and insatiable lewdness. This moral history of Israel has these divisions : (i) vv. I — 7. The exposed infant adopted and reared to womanhood. (2) vv. 8 — 14. The foundling, now grown up to be a fair woman, taken in marriage by her benefactor. (3) vv. 15 — 34. Her numerous infidelities. (4) w. 35 — 58. Punishment of the adulterous wife. (5) vv. 59 — 63. Her receiving again. 1 — 7. The exposed child rescued and adopted by Jehovah — His taking to Himself the family of Israel in the early patriarchal times. 2. cause Jerusalem to knoiv] The object of the chapter is to impress on Israel the necessity of the Divine judgment because of her persistent idolatry through all her histoiy (ch. xx. 4, xxii. 2, xxiii. 36). Jerusalem, which is spoken to throughout, represents the kingdom of Judah, and even the whole family of Israel in its early history. 3. Thy birth... land of Canaan^ of the Canaanite. "Birth" is origin (ch. xxi. 30, xxix. 14), the figure being taken from a mine or a quarry, cf. Is. li. i, "Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged." When Jerusalem's origin is said to be from the land of the Canaanite several references seem com- bined, e.g. the fact that Jerusalem was a Canaanite city; that Israel first became a family in Canaan {z<. 4) ; and that having originated there its moral character corresponded to its Canaanite origin and had cleaved to it all through its history. I02 EZEKIEL, XVI. [vv. 4—7. 4 Amorite, and thy mother a Hittite. And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee ; thou wast not 5 salted at all, nor swaddled at all. None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born. 6 And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee whe?i thou wast in thy 7 blood. Live. I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of an Atnorile] the Amorite. The Amorites and Hittites are named as the two chief Canaanitish peoples, the whole population being some- times called the Amorites (Gen. xv. 16; Am. ii. 9), and at other times the Hittites (Josh. i. 4). Jerusalem has the one for father, and the other for mother {v. 45). 4. as for thy nativity] The circumstances of thy birth were these, as follows. The family of Israel, represented by Jerusalem, is compared to an exposed infant, for whom the things absolutely necessary to pre- serve its life were not done. The reference is to the history of the family in Canaan, and in its descent to Egypt, when it was feeble, unprotected and in danger of perishing. to supple thee] The word is otherwise unknown. Targ. "for purifi- cation," probably guessed, but some such sense is required. Fried. Del. refers to an Assyrian root signifying to wash. wast not salted at alt] An ancient custom was to rub the newborn infant with salt — "tenera infantium corpora... solent ab obstetricibus sale contingi ut sicciora sint et restringantur, " Jerome. The ceremony was probably partly religious as well as healthful. 6. None of the offices necessary to preserve the life of the child were performed ; no pitying eye looked on it, no affectionate hand did aught for it; it was even thrown out in the open field. It was too common a custom among ancient nations to expose children ; among the Arabs female children were buried alive {Kor. 81. 8). to the lothing of thy person] Rather, because of the utter loathing of thee; lit. the loathing of thy soul. Cf. v. 45. 6. And ivheti I passed] More pathetic in the Heb. order: and I passed by thee and saw thee. polluted] weltering ; wallowing or struggling. when thou wast in thy blood] The meaning may be : "I said unto thee, In thy blood live ! " i.e. in spite of thy blood ; although unclean and loathsome, live ! Jehovah's pitying eye looked through that which might repel, and saved. The repetition (which LXX., however, omits) may emphasise the great act of Jehovah's pity. 7. have caused... multiply] Lit. as marg. made thee a tnynad. This idea of multiplication in number AQseris the figure, introducing the notion V. 8.] EZEKIEL, XVI. 103 the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments : thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare. Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, s thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness : yea, I sware unto thee, of the numerical increase of the people (Ex. i. 7; Deut. x. 22, xxxiii. 17). The rest of the verse, however, continues the figure of the child growing up to womanhood. For "myriad" LXX. has "do thou grow" (imper.). This is not natural, but probably some word signifying " growth " should be read, "I gave thee growth like the herb of the field ; and thou didst grow and wax great." tJiou art come... ornaments] Thou didst come to excellent ornament, lit. ornament of ornaments. The connexion requires that "ornament" should mean graces and beauties of the person. The word has nowhere else this sense, being always employed of such ornaments as jewelry which are worn [v. 11). The rendering "beauty of cheeks" (Hitz.) rests upon the supposed sense of Ps. xxxii. 9, ciii. 5. In Is. Ixiv. 6 a word somewhat similar occurs: filthy (i.e. menstruous) garment, and several scholars (J. D. Michaelis, Cornill) assume this sense here. This requires considerable alteration of the text, which already lay before LXX. (though r was read for d, as often). Neither is v. 22 in favour of it. are fashioned] Better past tenses : were fashioned. . . was grown, but thou wast. The passage is an allegorical description of the early history of the family of Israel, their struggles for existence in Canaan, their descent into Egypt, the oppressions suffered there, and the Lord's care and pro- tection of them (Ex. iii. 7, 9; Ps. cv. 12 seq.). The unattractive charac- ter of the early patriarchal history as written in Genesis is plain enough (Gen. xxix. — xxxi., xxxviii,). This unattractive character is set forth in the blood and pollution of the new-born infant, and the Lord's care of them in their dependent and defenceless condition under the figure of his pity and adoption of the outcast child. The truth conveyed in the allegory is more delicately expressed by another writer : "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all peoples; but because the Lord loved you " (Deut. vii. 7, 8). 8—14. The child, now an adult virgin, taken to Himself in MARRIAGE BY JeHOVAH : — THE REDEMPTION OF THE PEOPLE FROM Egypt, and covenant with them at Sinai to be their God. 8. Now when I passed] Better in continuance of the historical nar- rative, and I passed by. the tune of love] The outcast child was now a marriageable woman. spread my skirt] Cf. Ruth iii. 9 — a figure for marriage. I04 EZEKIEL, XVI. [vv. 9—13. and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, 9 and thou becamest mine. Then washed I thee with water ; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and 10 I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with broi- dered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded " thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon 12 thine hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful 13 crown upon thine head. Thus wast thou decked with gold a covenant with thee] The marriage relation is a covenant, Prov. ii. 17; Mai. ii. 14. On the "oath," cf. v. 59. thou becamest mine] She became his wife, Ruth iv. 13; Hos. iii. 3. 9. Purifications before marriage. Whether "blood" be used some- what generally to indicate the uncleanness of her infancy still cleaving to her, or in a more specific sense, may be uncertain {v. 7), Ruth iii. 3; Esth. ii. 12. 10. The costly clothing. broidered work] Ps. xlv. 14; Judg. v. 30. The word might mean work of various colours (Ex. xxvi. 36). So vv. 13, 18. badgers' skin] According to most, skin of the sea-cow or manati, an animal allied to the dolphin, and found in the Red Sea. The name is found in Assyrian; the Assyrian kings crossed the Euphrates in ships made of the skin of this animal, and Salmaneser pursued his foes on lake Van in such ships. These facts suggest that the skins were readily pro- cured not only in Mesopotamia but even in Armenia, and that some land animal must have furnished them. On these grounds Fried. Del. {/Prolegomena, p. 78) decides for the wether. See Dill, on Ex. xxv. 5. fine linen] i.e. byssus. It is not certain whether the byssus was cotton or linen, or both. It was worn by the priests (Ex. xxxix. 27), and by persons of rank (Gen. xli. 42). The "girding" or binding here can hardly refer to the headdress (Ex. xxix. 9), because in z'. 13 the "clothing" is said to be of fine linen (cf. v. 12 for headdress). covered thee with silk] The word again only in v. 13. It may be doubtful if silk was worn as early as the time of the prophet. The LXX. and ancients thought of some very thin and delicate material. The kind of garment was probably some large wrapper or veil covering the whole person. w. II, 12. Her ornaments. 11. On bracelets, cf. Gen. xxiv. 22, 47. On chain or necklace, Gen. xli. 42 ; Prov. i. 9, iii. 3. 12. o?t thy forehead] Rather : a ring on thy nose, Is. iii. 2 1. The nose- ring was a jewel placed on the outside of the nostril. Cf. Judg. viii. 24 (where read, nose-rings). Gen. xxiv. 47. On earrings. Numb. xxxi. 50. a beautiful cro7vn] so ch. xxiii. 42; in Is. Ixii. 3 rendered "a crown of glory." The word does not suggest royalty (xxiii. 42). 13. Her delicate fare and beauty. V. 14.] EZEKIEL, XVI. 105 and silver ; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work ; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil : and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among m the heathen for thy beauty : for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God. fine flour] This was used in offerings at the altar (v. 19), and was probably the food of persons of refinement and rank. Cf. Ps. Ixxxi. 16, "I should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat, and with honey out of the rock should I satisfy thee;" Ps. cxlvii. 14; Deut. xxxii. 13, 14. exceeding beautiful] The beauty is less that of the mere city (Ps. xlviii. 2) than of the personified state or people {v. 14). prosper into a kingdom] Or, attain to royal estate. The reference is not to the mere historical fact that a monarchy arose in Israel under Saul or more permanently under David. It was Israel herself, per- sonified as a woman, that attained to royalty, that is, to be an inde- pendent state among the states around, a queen among other queens. The words are wanting in LXX. 14. Her renown spread among the nations because of her beauty. In this is included partly the prosperity and success of the state, not without reference perhaps to the beauty of the city (Lam. ii. 15, the perfection of beauty, the joy of the whole earth, Ps. 1. 2), and of the land, which is often celebrated (ch. xx. 6, 15 the glory of all lands, cf Dan. viii. 9, xi. 16, 41; Zech. vii. 14); and partly also the glory of a higher kind conferred on her by Jehovah and his presence, in the sense of Deut. iv. 6 — 8. my comeliness] Or, my adornment; that given by me (^jv. 10 — 13); hardly in the sense of Is. Ix. i, that Jerusalem's beauty was only a reflection of the glory of Jehovah, who was in the midst of her. These verses allegorically set forth the second period of Israel's history: her redemption by Jehovah from Egypt, his covenant with her to be her God, his leading her into the promised land, and making her the paramount power there, and loading her with all the riches of that good land. Other prophets with more simplicity have celebrated this early time, "I remember of thee the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals; how thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land not sown" (Jer. ii. 2); "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe on the fig tree at her first season" (Hos. ix. 10; cf Deut. xxxii. 10). 15 — 34. The wife's infidelities — Israel's idolatries and idolatrous alliances with foreign nations. The idolatries of Israel are represented figuratively as a wife's infidelities against her husband, as had been common in the prophets since Hosea, particularly in Jeremiah (in Isaiah only the single passage ch. i. 21). These idolatries seem presented in two stages: vv. 15 — 22, io6 EZEKIEL, XVI. [vv. 15—17. 15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy forni- 16 cations on every one that passed by ; his it was. And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon : the 17 like thifigs shall not come, neither shall it be so. Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, her addicting herself to the worship and religious customs of the Ca- naanites among whom she dwelt; and vv. 23 — 34, her alliances with foreign peoples and adoption of their religions. 15 — 22. All the gifts of Jehovah to her she took and bestowed on idols: her raiment {vv. 16, 18), her gold and silver {v. 17), and her delicate fare (v. 19). And as if this were a small matter, she sacri- ficed also the children which were Jehovah's to her idols {vv. 20, 21). 15. because of thy renowfi] In the consciousness of it. The con- sciousness of her beauty and renown removed from her mind the sense of dependence and responsibility, and she became vain in her own imaginations. Another prophet has expressed the same idea in regard to Babylon: "Thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever, so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst consider the issue of them... thou hast said. None seeth me." (Is. xlvii, 7, 10). Havern. quotes Ovid, Fasti, I. 419, Fasttis inest piilchris, seqtiiturque superb ia forma m . every one that passed by] A figure taken from the habit of harlots sitting by the wayside, Gen. xxxviii. 14; Jer. iii. 2, "By the ways thou hast sat for them as an Arab in the desert." /lis it was] The prostitution was indiscriminate, Jer. iii. 2 ; cf. ch. xxiii. 40. The idea expressed is the ineradicable tendency of the people to adopt the religious customs of the nations with which age after age they came into connexion {v. 23 seq.). The phrase is pe- culiar and wanting in LXX. 16. She took of her "garments," the flax and the wool which Jehovah had given her to cover herself withal (Hos. ii. 9), and made tents upon the high places for the idols which she there worshipped. For "high places" cf. ch. vi. 3. The "high places decked with divers colours" (R. V.) might be tents, or the reference might be to hangings or carpets. In 2 Kings xxiii. 7 reference is made to women "who wove tents for Ashera;" cf. i Kings xiii. 32 ; 2 Kings xvii. 29. like thmgs shall not come] Or, should not come. An exclamation of dislike and abhorrence of the shameful practices just referred to. The rendering given can hardly be extracted from the words, which are probably corrupt in some way, though already read by LXX. (with a different vocalization). Comp. perhaps ch. xx. 29. 17. Cf. Hos. ii. 8, I multiplied unto her silver and gold, which they used for Baal. imag;cs of men] Jerusalem being an unfaithful wife the idols are vv. i8— 20.J EZEKIEL, XVI. 107 and didst commit whoredom with them, and tookest thy 18 broidered garments, and coveredst them : and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them. My meat also 19 which I gave thee, fine flour, and oil, and honey, whereimth I fed thee, thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savour : and tkus it was, saith the Lord God. Moreover 20 thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto "men." The images were of gods; and this prophet probably saw little distinction between an image of Jehovah and that of any other deity. It is likely that, apart from the calf-images, the symbols of Jehovah as well as of the other gods were of the human form ; cf. as to the Teraphim, i Sam. xix. 13. The supposition hazarded by some that the "male images" (marg.) were representations of the Phallus has little to support it. It is true that Jerome considers the "gruesome object" set up by Maacah the mother of Asa to be simulacrum Priapi (2 Chron. xv. 16, cf. i Kings xv. 13), but this is mere conjecture; and the passage Is. Ivii. 8 is too obscure to be depended upon (cf. Prof. W. R. Smith, Rel. of Sem. p. 437). broidered... coveredst them] Cf. v. 10, 13. The practice of clothing the idols is illustrated by Jer. x. 9, "There is silver beaten into plates . .blue and purple for their clothing; they are all the work of cunning men." hast set mine oil] didst set. The ref. is to the offerings made to the idols. The Lord calls it "mine" because due to him, or rather because given by him to Israel, Hos. ii. 8, "she did not know that I gave her corn and wine and oil... I will take back my corn in the time thereof." 19. a stveet savour] See on ch. vi. 13. The words "and thus it was'" emphasize what was done, with a tone of reprobation. 20 seq. The sacrifice of children. Jehovah is the husband of the idealized community, and the indi- vidual members are his children. Human sacrifices, though rare, were not altogether unknown in early Israel, as the instance of Jephthah proves (Judg. xi.). They were probably more common among the Canaanites and neighbouring peoples, though perhaps even among them resorted to only on occasions of great trial, in the hope of appeasing the anger or securing the favour of the deity (cf. the tragic story of the king of Moab, 2 Kings iii. 27). Instances of human sacrifices do not occur in the early history of Israel, for neither the slaughter of Agag (i Sam. xv. 33) nor the hanging of seven descendants of Saul (2 Sam. xxi.) comes strictly under the idea of a sacrifice; but Ahaz king of Judah is said to have passed his son through the fire (2 Kings xvi. 3), and the practice introduced by him was followed by Manasseh (2 Kings xxi. 6), and must have spread among the people io8 EZEKIEL, XVI. [vv. 21—24. them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small 2> matter, that thou hast slain my children, and delivered them to cause them to pass through f/ie fire for them? 22 And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou 23 wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood. And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto 24 thee ! saith the Lord God ;) that thou hast also built unto thee an eminent place, and hast made thee a high place in (Jer. vii. 31, xix. 5, xxxii. 35). The phrase "to pass through the fire" might be taken to mean merely a lustration or purification by fire, not implying the death of the child. This cannot, however, have been the case, for this prophet uses the words sacrifice {v. 10) and slaughter (z". ■zi), and Jeremiah says the people built high places "to burn their children in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal" (ch. xix. 5). The child, of course, was not burnt alive, but slain like other sacrifices, and offered as a burnt offering. The practice was a wide- spread one in the East, 2 Kings xvii. 31. See further on ch. xx. 25 seq. 20. to be devoureil] Namely, in the fire. 21. hast... delivered theni] Or, didst deliver them up, in causing them, as R.V. The child passed into the possession of the deity when consumed in the fire. 22. So absorbed was Jerusalem in her infidelities that she remem- bered nothing of her early history, "the shame of her youth," nor the compassion shewed her by Jehovah. On "polluted" cf. v. 6. 23 — 34. Her infidelities with strangers from abroad, i.e. her alliances with idolatrous nations and adoption of their religious rites: Egypt (ijv. 23 — 27), Assyria {v. 28), and Chaldea (z'. 29^1?^.). Hosea already stigmatized foreign alliances as whoredoms ; it is not, however, so much the political aspect of these alliances as their religious conse- quences that Ezekiel reprobates. Such alliances were followed by the fashions and worship of the nations with which they were formed (Is. ii. 5 seq.). Naturally also when Israel became subject to the great eastern empires, the overwhelming influence of these states, with their customs and religions, was widely felt. The gods which had given them universal empire were introduced and worshipped. There appears to have been a great invasion of foreign idolatry in Judah in the declining years of the state, and the kingdom sank to a level in this respect to which the North had never fallen. 23. after all thy 7vickedness'] The wickedness described in preced- ing verses as idolatries of Canaan ; after this followed foreign idolatiy. LXX. omits the words "woe, woe unto thee." 24. an emment place'] The term is used of the "back," the "boss" of a buckler, and the like, and means something elevated to some extent and probably arched ; R.V. vsxzxg. vaulted chamber. It appears to be the same thing which is called a "high place" or rather: height, or elevated place, in this verse and v. 25 (a different word from that vv. 25—28.] EZEKIEL, XVr. 109 every street. Thou hast built thy high place at every head 25 of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms. Thou hast also committed for- 26 nication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh ; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger. Behold therefore, I have stretched out my hand over thee, 27 and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, which are ashamed of thy lewd way. Thou 2s usually rendered "high place"). Small shrines must be meant, as they were put m every street, and at every head of the way. If the places were arches or vaults there is no reason to suppose that they were used for literal prostitution, as A.V. marg. suggests. The lan- guage is figurative for idolatry, Jer. ii. 20, iii. 2. 25. thy high place] See v. 24. made... to be abhorred] This sense is doubtful; the word means to abominate, hence dishonour or disregard, or as we might say "pros- titute thy beauty. " 26. Egyptian idolatry. hast also committed] and thou didst commit. The narrative tense should be used throughout. great of flesh] In an obscene sense. Cf. ch. xxiii. 20. The ex- pression is chosen probably to represent the brutality of the Egyptian idolatries, which in some ways were baser than those of any people. 27. / have stretched] I stretched... and diminished... them that hated... were ashamed. The reference appears to be to the distant times of the Philistine supremacy in the last days of the Judges. thi7ie ordinary food] Or, allotted portion, Ex. xxi. 10. The measure is one to which an offended husband might have recourse. Hos. ii. 9, "therefore will I take back my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof." daughters of the Fhilistittes] i.e. the cities or small Philistine lord- ships. The clause might explain the phrase "diminished thy portion" — her territoiy was seized by her enemies. which are ashamed] were ashamed. Cf. Am. iii. 9, " Publish ye in the palaces of Ashdod and say, Assemble ye on the mountains of Samaria, and behold what oppressions are in the midst thereof." Whether the prophet speaks of Egyptian idolatry in the early times of Israel's life from historical sources may be uncertain. Such idolatry at this period seems nowhere else spoken of; comp. the list Judg. x. 6. Possibly as he charges the people with idolatry in F>gypt (ch. xx. 7; xxiii. 3, 8, 19, 21) they may not have shaken themselves clear of it even in the period of the Judges. The connexion of the country with Egypt was at all times very close. 28. Infidelity with Assyria. The historical tense "didst play" is better. Already Am. v. 26 no EZEKIEL, XVI. [w. 29— 32. hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable ; yea, thou hast played the harlot with 29 them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. Thou hast more- over multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto 30 Chaldea ; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith. How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman ; 31 in that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as a harlot, in that thou scornest hire; 32 but as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh appears to mention the names of Assyrian gods, for the passage can hardly refer to any time but his own. Jer. ii. 18, 36. 29. Infidelities with the Chaldeans. Past tense is better: didst multiply. iji the land of Canaan'] Rather : with (lit. unto) the merchants' land, even Chaldea. Again ch.xvii. 4, the land of traffic. With similar contempt Hosea (xii. 7) uses the term of Israel. Cf. Prov. xxxi. 24 ; Is. xlvii. 15. 30. Hmu weak is thine heart] i.e. how passion-sick, consumed by desire. The term "heart" [fetn.) occurs nowhere else, and the plur. (Ps. vii. 10; Prov. xv. 11) is hardly evidence for it (Ges.). LXX. renders: how shall I deal with thy daughter (exactly as Hos. xi. 9 how shall I deal with thee, Ephraim). Our present text lay before the trans- lator: "with thy daughter" is "thy heart" with different points; and "weak" was probably read as part of verb "to fill" (spelled as Job viii. 11) and rendered freely. The text, however, may be faulty. imperious. ..wotnan] Not positive: domineering; but negative: subject to no control, unbridled. 31. Recapitulation of the acts done in her unbridled licentiousness, with the addition of a trait shewing that her dissoluteness was without parallel^other harlots take hire, she gives it. in that thou scornest hire] Rather : hast not been as an harlot, that scofifeth at her hire (R.V. marg.), lit. in scoffing at hire. The words describe a characteristic of harlots, not one of Jerusalem in which she is unlike them. On scoff or "mock at," cf. ch. xxii. 5; 1 Kings ii. 23; Hab. i. 10; Ps. xliv. 14; Jer. xx. 8, &c. The harlot mocks at her hire in order to augment it ; Jerusalem does not desire hire, she rather offers it (^'- 33)- 32. Seems to break the connexion and has been regarded as a gloss. The words "instead of her husband" should be "under her husband," though her husband's (cf. xxiii. 5, when she was mine; Numb. v. 19). The clauses are probably exclamatory : A wife that committeth adultery ! though her husband's (though married) she taketh strangers! It is also possible to take the language as an apostrophe: O adulterous wife, &c. LXX. read differently, and the verse is not without suspicion. vv. 33— 38.] EZEKIEL, XVI. iii strangers instead of her husband. They give gifts to all 33 whores : but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom. And the contrary is in thee from other 34 women in thy whoredoms, whereas none foUoweth thee to commit whoredoms : and in that thou givest a reward, and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary. Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord : thus p saith the Lord God ; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them ; behold therefore, I will gather all thy lovers, with 37 whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all thetn that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy naked- ness. And I will judge thee, as ivomen that break wedlock 38 and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in 34. from other wome7i\ Point thus: "from other women: in that thou committest whoredom, and none goeth a whoring after thee ; and in that thou givest hire, and no hire is given unto thee ; therefore thou art contrary." Hos. viii. 9, Ephraim hireth lovers; Jer. ii. 23 — 25, iii. i, 2. 35 — 43. Punishment of the adulterous wife, and child- murderer. This punishment is described in somewhat mixed figin-es: first, w. 26 — 39, in a figure which tends to pass into a literal account of the de- struction of Jerusalem; and secondly, w. 40—43, in a figure suggested by the punishment of the ordinary adulteress. 36. thy filthiness'] The parallelism "nakedness" requires some such sense; and so the Jewish tradition. The Heb. is the ordinary word for "brass," but any reference to "hire" or money here is out of the question. Cf Dukes, Spr. d. Mischiiah, p. 37. Geiger, Urschrift, p. 392. Somewhat differently Fried. Del. in Baer, Ezek., p. xiv. 37. all thy lovers'] The heathen nations whose alliance she sought, Hos. ii. 10. iaketi pleasure] Lit. to whom thou hast been pleasing or sweet— with a sensual reference. that thou hast hated] The nations with whom no alliances were formed, such as the Philistines. 38. shed blood] Reference to child murder, vv. 20, 36. Cf. ch. xxiii. 45; Lev. xx. 10; Deut. xxii. 22. give thee Mood in ftiry] Lit. make thee the blood of fury, i.e. bring 112 EZEKIEL, XVI. [vv. 39— 43. 39 fury and jealousy. And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places : they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee 40 naked and bare. They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and 41 thrust thee through with their swords. And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women : and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no 42 hire any more. So will I make my fury towards thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be 43 quiet, and will be no more angry. Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things ; behold therefore, I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord God : and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abomina- tions. on thee the bloody death which fury and jealousy executes. On cons. cf. ch. xxvi. 21, XXXV. 6. 39. On "eminent place" and "high places," see v. 24. strip thee... of thy clothes'] Reference is probably to a barbarous prac- tice of publicly exposing the adulteress, v. 37. Ch. xxiii. 26; Hos. ii. 10. 40. a co}?ipa)ty against thee] A congregation or public assembly of the people, at which the adulteress shall be tried and then executed ; Lev. XX. 2; Deut. xxii. 21 (cf. i Kings xxi. 9 — 15), Prov. v. 8 — 14, I. was almost in all evil (danger of death) in the midst of the congregalion and assembly. The death of the adulteress was by stoning ; Lev. xx. 10; Deut. xxii. 22; John viii. 5. 41. thine houses with f re] A summary method of punishment often adopted, as by the Philistines on Samson's father-in-law (Judg. xv. 6) ; threatened by Ephraim on Jephthah (Judg. xii. i). Comp. also the summary act of Absalom against Joab for his inattention to the prince's messages (2 Sam. xiv. 30), cf. Josh. vii. 25. sight of viany wometi] The neighbouring states. There may be reference to a custom of making women witness the fate of the adulteress, that they might take warning. 42. make 7ny fiity . . .to rest] i.e. satisfy and appease it. Cf. ch. v. 13. 43. The verse concludes the whole passage w. 35 — 43, summing up its meaning compendiously, cf. v. 22. thou shalt not commit] The tense is perf, which can hardly be taken as fut. perf., though the prophet does use the perf. in an uncommon way (ch. xiii. 11, xxiv. 5). The sentence can hardly be read interro- gatively, without altering the text. LXX. read and thus for " and not": vv. 44-46.] EZEKIEL, XVI. 113 Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this 44 proverb against thee, saying, As is the mother, so is her daughter. Thou art thy mother's daughter, that lotheth 45 her husband and her children ; and thou art the sister of thy sisters, which lothed their husbands and their children : your mother was a Hittite, and your father an Amorite. And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters 46 and thus hast thou committed lewdness. The term "lewdness" is used by Ezekiel of sexual enormity, applied figuratively to idolatry {v. 27). "Lewdness" and "abominations" would not differ, except that the former was the quality characterizing the acts called abominations. In this case the clause must read : and thus hast thou committed lewdness in (amidst) all thine abominations ; and the words would be a final summary of the preceding verses. "Lewdness," however, is used liter- ally (ch. xxii. q), and v. 45 seems to speak of literal unchastity. The clause might thus be attached to v. 44, and "lewdness" being distin- guished from "abominations," we might read: lewdness in addition to all thine abominations. This distinction, however, is not natural. The proposal to read first person, and put the words into the mouth of Jehovah (Keil) : I have not committed wickedness in all thine abomina- tions (i.e. by winking at them and leaving them unpunished. Lev. xix. 29) is singularly inept. 44. A taunting proverb in regard to Jerusalem, the adulteress and child-murderer: she is the true daughter of her mother the Canaanite. The proverb or saying is probably to be restricted to the words: "As is her mother, so is her claughter." In v. 45 seq. the prophet speaks and addresses Jerusalem. 45. that lotheth her husband^ In the sense of the allegory "lothing her husband " should mean changing her god for another ; and in the case of Jerusalem and Samaria the charge is intelligible, Jehovah being the husband (ch. xxiii.). But such a charge could hardly be made against the Canaanites, the Hittite mother and Sodom (Jer. ii. 11). The prophet appears to desert the allegory, introducing real features into his description, and referring to actual adultery and unfaithfulness, which were characteristic of the Canaanite nations. Another interpreta- tion, as old as Theodoret, considers Jehovah to be the "husband" even of the Hittite mother, heathen idolatries being infidelity to the true God. Such a reflexion is not natural to a prophet of this age, though a similar idea occurred to St Paul (Rom. i.). At the same time this prophet predicts the restoration of Sodom and its union to the people of the Lord. Cornill, considering the difficulties of interpretation as insuper- able, strikes out the words as a gloss. sister of thy sisters'X The sisters of Jerusalem were Samaria and Sodom, and she had a genuine family likeness to them. your vioiher'] Your (plur.) refers to the three sisters. 46. elder sister'] " elder " is lit. greater, and the reference is to the greater political importance and wider territory of Samaria ; as on EZEKIEL 8 114 EZEKIEL, XVI. [vv. 47— 51. that dwell at thy left hand : and thy younger sister, that dvvelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters. 47 Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations : but, as if that were a very little thing, 48 thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways. As I live, saith the Lord God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy 49 daughters. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen 50 the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me : therefore I took 51 them away as I saw good. Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abomina- tions more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all the other hand Sodom was smaller than Judah. In estimating the quarters of the heavens the beholder faced the east, having the north on his left, &c. her daughters] i.e. subordinate towns. 47 — 51. The depravity of Jerusalem exceeded that of either of her sisters: Sodom {v. 48 — 50), Samaria {v. 51). 47. as if that were a very little thing] Or temporally : but a little while, and then, i.e. speedily thou zvast corrupted ; though there seems no reference to any actual period of righteousness, such as the times of David. (The strange word kdt is utterly unknown ; any connexion with Ar. kat only, or with an Assyr. word "a little," Fried. Del. p. xvi. is little probable. If the word be anything but an echo of preceding sounds it may be a fragment of the word "little," cf. Is. xvi. 14, xxix. 17.) Cf. ch. v. 6, 7. 48. Cf. Matt. x. 15, xi. 24. 49. abundance of idleness'] prosperous ease, as R.V. , lit. prosperity of quiet. Sodom lived in security and suftered no calamities, as Jer. xlviii. 1 1 says of Moab, ' ' Moab has been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees; he hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity." On "fulness of bread" and consequent pride and forgetfulness of God cf. Deut. xxxii. 15; Hos. xiii. 6; Prov. xxx. 7. strengthen the hand~\ Or, take hold of the hand, i.e. to help or rescue. Prosperity led to pride and inhumanity and then to abomi- nations (v. 50). 60. as I sa%v good] Or, when I saw it. Gen. xviii. i\, I "will go down and see whether they have done according to the cry which is come up unto me. " 51. hast just ified^ Jer. iii. 11, "Backsliding Israel hath justified vv. 52-55-] EZEKIEL, XVI. 115 thine abominations which thou hast done. Thou also, 52 which hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they : they are more righteous than thou : yea, be thou confounded also, and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters. When I shall bring again their captivity, the captivity of 53 Sodom and her daughters, and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters, then will I brmg again the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them : that thou mayest bear 54 thine own shame, and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them. When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return 55 herself more than treacherous Judah." The abominations of Judah set Samaria and Sodom in a comparatively righteous light. 62. Point thus: "and thou also, which hast (in that thou hast) given judgment for (in behalf of) thy sisters, bear thy shame; through thy sins which thou hast committed more abominable than they, they are more righteous than thou." Jerusalem has "given judgment" or inter- posed (i Sam. ii. 25) in behalf of her sisters in being more wicked than they — she has made them comparatively righteous. The phrase "bear thy shame" might mean "suffer in destruction the consequences of thy wickedness;" vv. 54, 61, 63, however, shew that the ref. is to the feeling of shame due to the fact that by the grossness of her abomi- nations she has shewn her sisters to be more righteous than she (cf. xxxix. 26). The prophet assumes the exile and looks forward to the time of restoration. Sodom also and Samaria shall be restored as well as Jerusalem, and it is this that shall bring shame to her, for she shall feel that they whom she did not deign to mention because of their evil fame (v. 56) were not worse but better than herself. 53. Sodom and Samaria shall be restored, and Jerusalem along with them. When I shall bring agahi] Rather ; and I will bring again. The phrase "turn the captivity" probably means: turn the fortunes (lit. the turning) of one. captivity of thy captives] Most moderns by a slight change of reading after LXX. render : and I will bring again thy captivity in the midst of them. Cf. Is. xix. 24, " In that day shall Israel be a third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth." 64. Read: "that thou mayest bear thy shame, and be ashamed because of all that thou hast done in comforting them." Jerusalem "comforted" Samaria and Sodom in surpassing them in wickedness, and causing them to feel less their own guilt, as also in causing their restoration. 66. When thy sisters] Better: and thy sisters... and thou and thy daughters. In this idea of the restoration of Israel's heathen neighbours 8—2 ii6 EZEKIEL, XVI. |vv. 56—60. to their former estate, and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters 56 sliali return to your former estate. For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride, 57 before thy wickedness was discovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, which despise 58 thee round about. Thou hast borne thy lewdness and 59 thine abominations, saith the Lord. For thus saith the Lord God ; I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, which hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant. 60 Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in to their own land after being plucked up out of it Ezekiel as usual follows Jeremiah; cf. in general, Jer. xii. 14 — 17; Moab, ch. xlviii. 47, Ammon, xlix. 6, and Elam, xlix. 39. 56. Jerusalem did not deign to refer to Sodom on account of the wickedness and evil repute of the latter. Others interrogatively: Was not Sodom a report (a moral byword) in thy mouth? But the in- terrogative form is precarious. 57. was discovered'\\.Q. manifested. According to modes of thinking then prevalent calamity was the accepted proof of wickedness. Jeru- salem's wickedness was laid bare when her gi'eat calamities fell upon her, Lam. i. 8, 9. the time ^ thy reproach^ Better, with R.V. as at the time of the reproach of the daughters of Syria — which is that which they cast upon Jerusalem, not conversely as A.V. The "time" must be the present, not any previous time, and the language expresses this awkwardly. LXX. read: as now thou art the reproach ("now" for "time," and either finding or inserting the pron. "thou"). The rendering : before thy wickedness was discovered as (it is) now^ a reproach &c. (Hitz. Corn.), is scarcely a Heb. construction. It would be easiest to change "time" into "thou" (cf. the opposite change "which" into "ten" ch. xl. 49): as thou art the reproach. Syria, and... round about her\ The mention of Syria (Heb. Aram) is strange when the reference is to the downfall of Jerusalem. For Aram Syriac gives Edotn (—T. of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the 3 house of Israel ; and say. Thus saith the Lord God ; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took 4 the highest branch of the cedar : he cropt off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick ; he set 5 it in a city of merchants. He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field ; he placed // by great 6 waters, and set it as a willow tree. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him : so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot 7 forth sprigs. There was also another great eagle with great roots and sent out its branches towards him — Zedekiah sought the alliance and protection of the king of Egypt. (4) vv. 9, 10. Denunciation of the vine for its treachery. The east wind shall blow on it and it shall wither. 2. a riddle] As requiring interpretation; the passage is also called a " parable," as containing a similitude or comparison. The eagle is Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Conquerors are often compared to the eagle, Deut. xxviii. 49; Is. xlvi. 1 1 ; Jer. iv. 13, xlviii. 40; Hos. viii. I ; Lam. iv. 19. 3. longivinged] With long pinions. The eagle was also of " divers colours" or speckled, with reference possibly to the very diverse nation- alities included in the Babylonian empire. ca?iie unto Lebanon] The figure of the eagle coming to Lebanon and cropping off the highest branch and top of the young twigs (t/. 4) repre- sents the carrying off of those highest in the land of Israel. Lebanon as opposed to Babylon is the mountain of Palestine ; the cedar, the tree of Lebanon, appears to represent the royal Davidic house {vv. 12, 22), and its highest branches king Jehoiachin and the princes who were carried away to Babylon {v. 12). On "land of traffic" {v. 4), cf. ch. xvi. 29. 5. Nebuchadnezzar then took Mattaniah, son of Josiah, and made him king under the name of Zedekiah. The "seed of the land " is the native royal house. he placed it] The unknown form so rendered might be a verb, cf. Hos. xi. 3. LXX. omits; Ew. conjectures slip, or cutting. The com- parison to the willow (the sense is not certain, the word not occurring again) is suggested by the place where it was planted, beside great waters. " Water" is the requisite of every tree in the East, and "great waters" are the favourable conditions granted to Zedekiah. "They that drink water" is a name for trees, ch. xxxi. 16. 6. of loiv siatni-e] This refers to the dependent nature of Zedekiah's kingdom, as tributary to the lord superior. Cf. Is. xvi. 8: Hos. x. i. 7vhose branches turned] Or, that its branches might turn... and the roots thereof be. vv. 8—12.] EZEKIEL, XVll. 121 wings and many feathers : and behold, this vine did bend her roots towards him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation. It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might 3 bring forth branches, and that // might bear fruit, that // might be a goodly vine. Say thou, Thus saith the Lord 9 God; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither ? it shall wither (71 all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof. Yea behold, being planted, shall it prosper ? shall it not >o utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, n Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these 12 things mean? tell tiiem, Behold, the king of Babylon is 7. The other great eagle, which however is not described with such imposing epithets as the former, is the king of Egypt. The vine bent its roots toward him — sought to draw nourishment from him. by the furrows^ Rather : from the beds of its plantation— i.e. where il was planted. The words are connected with "did bend her roots." 1 he comparative sense : to water it more than the beds, has less pro- bability ; though it would express the uneasiness of Zedekiah and his vain political dreams. 8. The happy condition of Zedekiah's monarchy under the king of Babylon, had he been content with his subordinate role as a feudatory prince. 9. Threat of punishment because of his treachery. The vine shall be pulled up and utterly withered — Zedekiah's monarchy shall be taken away before the king of Babylon. shall he not pull up] The subject is most naturally the king of Baby- lon, who planted it ; the words might be used in the sense of the pass. : shall it not be pulled up? it shall wither... her spring] As R.V., all her fresh springing leaves shall wither. even without great po'ver] It will be a light thing for the king of Babylon to pluck up this vine by the roots. Both the words and con- struction are peculiar; cf. v. 17. 10. Destniction under another figure, that of the east wind, before which vegetation crumbles into dust. Cf. ch. xix. 12; Hos. xiii. 15; Is. xxvii. 8, xl. 7 ; Job xxvii. 21. 11 — 21. Interpretation of the riddle. 12. the rebellious house] i.e. Israel, ch. ii. 5. king of Babylon is come] Better past tenses throughout: came... and 122 EZEKIEL, XVII. [vv. 13—17- come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes tliereof, and led them with him to Babylon ; 13 and hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him : he hath also 14 taken the mighty of the land : that the kingdom might be base, that // might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of 15 his covenant it might stand. But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things 1 or shall he break the cove- 16 nant, and be deHvered ? ^^ I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place zvhere the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. 17 Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great took; so f. 13 and took. On the captivity of Jehoiachin, cf. 2 Kings xxiv. II seq.\ Jer. xxiv. i, xxix. i. 13. the king's sced^ the royal seed, lit. seed of the kingdom. See on V. 5 ; cf. 2 Kings xxiv. 17 ; Jer. xxxvii. i. an oath of hini\ Cf. 1 Chron. xxxvi. 13. he hath also takeu'\ he took also. On " mighty of the land," cf. v. 12. Probably the more influential classes are included, those who if left might be uneasy under the yoke and likely to stir up revolt ; cf. 2 Kings xxiv. 14, 15; Jer. xxix. i, 2. 14. might be dase] i.e. humble, and without pretension; cf. ch. xxix. 1 4. It was with this purpose that Nebuchadnezzar carried away the mighty of the land. He also hoped that the kingdom would "stand;" it was no doubt his policy to have a dependent, friendly state on the frontier of Egypt. The word "stand," however, may refer to the covenant: to keep his covenant, that it might stand. 15. Cf. 2 Kings xxiv. 20. The king of Egypt referred to was Pharaoh Hophra, Jer. xliv. 30, xxxvii. 5 sei/. The indignation of Ezekiel against Zedekiah arises greatly from his regarding the subjection of Jerusalem to Babylon as a thing determined by Jehovah. Hence the covenant broken by Zedekiah is not merely the covenant of the king of Babylon but that of Jehovah {v. 19). The prophet follows Jeremiah. He had possibly read the words of the latter spoken in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah, ch. xxvii. 9 — 17, "serve the king of Babylon and live;" and probably he had heard his words to the same effect spoken in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, ch. xxv. His advice to the exiles also was no doubt known to him, ch. xxix. 4. 16. Zedekiah, being carried to Babylon, shall die there. 17. The aid of Pharaoh shall be in vain; cf Jer. xxxvii. 5, and the pathetic references to the hopes and disappointments of the besieged during the last days of Jerusalem in Lam. iv. 17. vv. 18—22.] EZEKIEL, XVII. 123 company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons : seeing he 18 despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these thitigs, he shall not escape. Therefore thus saith the Lord God ; As 1 ^9 Hve, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my cove- nant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head. And I will spread my net upon him, and 20 he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me. And all his fugitives with 21 all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered towards all winds : and ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken it. Thus saith the Lord God ; I will also take of the highest 22 branch of the high cedar, and will set //; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will On "mounts," &c., cf. ch. iv. 2. 20. spread my net\ Cf. ch. xii. 13; Hos. vii. 12. plead with hi?)!] i.e. there subject him to the consequences of his treachery, bringing it thereby to his knowledge that he is suffering the penalty of it, cf. xx. 35, 36, xxxviii. 22; Jer. ii. 35. 21. all his fugitives] The form of word does not otherwise occur, but has been so understood by some ancient versions. Others as Targ., Syr., assume a transposition of two letters and render: his choice men ; and so many moderns (cf. ch. xxiii. 7; Dan. xi. 15). This last reading is found in a number of MSS. Cf. ch. v. 2, 12, vi. 10, 13, xii. 12 sccj. 22 — 24. Promise OF A new and universal Messianic kingdom IN Israel. The attempt of the king of Babylon to set up a kingdom in Israel miscarried; he who set up the kingdom took it away. The shoot planted by him was smitten by the east wind and withered. But Je- hovah himself will plant a shoot of the high cedar, the Davidic house, on a high mountain that all nations may see it (Is. ii. 2, xi. 10), even on the height of the mountain land of Israel, and it shall become a great cedar, so that all the fowls of heaven shall lodge in the branches of it. This kingdom shall be imposing and universal, and all peoples shall find protection under it. And then shall it be known that Jehovah is king among the nations, that kingdoms are in his hand, to set one up and pull another down ; that he can make the green tree wither and the dry tree blossom and bear fruit. 22. / 7vill also take] I will take—" I " emphatic. The iigure refers to the house of David, cf. vv. 2, 3 ; Is. liii. 2. 124 EZEKIEL, XVII. [vv. 23, 24. 23 plant // upon a high mountain and eminent : in the moun- tain of the height of Israel will I plant it : and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar : and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing ; in the 24 shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish : I the Lord have spoken and have done it. high mounlairt] This belongs partly to the figure of the cedar, but indicates also the conspicuousness to the eyes of the nations of tliis great cedar; Is. ii. 2. 23. viountain of the height\ Cf. ch. xx. 40, xl. 1. foTvl of every wiiig^ As fowls flock to a great tree so all peoples will put their trust in the shadow of this great monarchy in the land of Israel; ch. xxxi. 6; Dan. iv. 12 ; Matt. xiii. 32. 24. As this kingdom is compared to a cedar other kingdoms are likewise called trees; cf. ch. xxxi. 5, 8, 14, 16, 18. Kings and king- doms are hardly distinguished, the kingdom is but the expression of the king. Then all shall know that this great result is the work of Jehovah, who worketh contrary to men's expectations ; who overturneth till he come whose right it is to rule. Cf. i Sam ii. 4 — 8; Luk. i. 51 — 53. Ch. XVIII. The moral freedom and responsibility of the INDIVIDUAL MAN BEFORE GOD. This great idea is expressed in two parts: First, vv. I — 20. The individual man is not involved in the sins and fate of his people or of his forefathers. Secondly, vv. 21 — 32. Neither does he lie under the ban of his own previous life. His moral freedom raises him above both. The prophet as usual attaches himself to the ideas of Jeremiah, who had prophesied that in the ideal days to come, those of the New Covenant, the perfect future that was about to dawn upon men, they should no more say, "The fathers ate sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge," but every one should die for his own iniquity (ch. xxxi. 29, 30). The outlook of Ezekiel is also in some measure ideal, and the principles which he enunciates must be judged in this light (ch. xxxiii.). His purpose is in the main practical. He desires to lay a basis for his exhortation "Turn yourselves from all your transgressioris"^ (z'Z'. 30 — 32). His exhortations are addressed to tlie individuals of the people, for he contemplates the end of the state ~:^ and only individuals remain, and he has to face and settle questions that from the circumstances of the time had begun to exercise and perplex men's minds. The strokes that had fallen one after another upon the state might be deserved, when the state was considered a moral person that had sinned all through her history (ch. xvi.); but V. I.] EZEKIEL, XVIII. 125 And the word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, 18 the calamitieb that were deserved by the general mass fell with a crushing weight on many who had not been partakers in the sins that brought them down. The captives carried away under Jehoiachin were more righteous than those still left to inherit the mountains of Israel; and compared with the dark days of Manasseh even the gene- ration subject to Zedekiah might think themselves better men. Such reflections made the people feel themselves involved as by a kind of fate in the deeds of their forefathers, a feeling which found expression in the proverb, "The fathers ate sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." This proverb might express various feelings as it came from different mouths. Itjiiight be uttered by some in self- exculpation, and in a satisfied, self-righteous tone; or it might be the expression of a perplexed condition of mind, which found God's providence dark, and went so far as well nigh to arraign the divine rectitude; or finally it might express the feeling of lying under a hopeless fate inherited from the past — a feeling which crushed out individual life and paralysed all personal effort after righteousness, and delivered over the mind to an inactivity of despair (ch. xxxiii. 10). These difficulties could not fail themselves to suggest their own solution. They were partly due to the consciousness, which circumstances were everywhere creating, of the worth of the individual soul; and their solution lay in pursuing this idea further and giving it clearer ex- pression. The prophet meets the state of the people's mind with two great principles from the mouth of the Lord: (i) "All souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine." Each soul is the Lord's, his relation to each is direct and immediate (v. 4). And (2) "I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth," saith the LoTxr(iiz^^23, 32). And two conclusions follow from these principles: (i) "Each soul being immediately related to God, its destiny depends on this relation — the soul that sinneth shall die ;" and {2) " Wherefore, turn yourselves and live" {v. 32). The emancipation of the individual soul is complete. First, vv. I — 20. The individual soul shall not be involved in the sins and fate of its people or forefathers. (i) vv. I — 5. Introduction. The current proverb that the children suffer the consequences of the sins of their fathers {vv. i, 2). Answer of Jehovah : All souls are mine. None shall answer for the sins of another — the soul that sinneth shall die {vv. 3 — 5). (2) vv. 6 — 20. Developement of this principle in three instances : first, a man who is upright, doing truth and righteousness — this man shall live (vv. 5 — 9). Secondly, if this righteous man beget a wicked son who doeth evil, this wicked son of a righteous father shall die {vv. 10 — 13). Thirdly, but if this wicked son of a righteous father himself beget a son who, seeing the evil of his father, avoids it and acts righteously, this righteous son of an evil father shall live (vv. 14 — 18). To restate the principle: the righteous shall live in his righteousness, and the wicked shall die in his own evil {7/7'. 19, 20). 126 EZEKIEL, XVIIl. [vv. 2— 5. 2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, 3 and the children's teeth are set on edge ? As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use 4 this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine ; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine : the soul that sinneth, it shall die. 5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and 2. concerning the land] Rather, in the land, lit. upon : cf. v. 3 "in Israel." fathers have eaten] Or, the fathers eat ; the proverb being thrown into a general form. The proverb, already noticed by Jeremiah (ch. xxxi. 29, 30) means that the children suffer the consequences of the sins of their fathers. Sour or unripe grapes are occasionally eaten, and naturally the effect upon the eater's teeth is immediate — his teeth are set on edge, lit. blunted, the edge of them turned. Here, however, the effect is first felt by the children. Such feelings could not but arise in the troubled times of the fall of tffe state, when the righteous suffered with the wicked, and the most righteous were carried into exile, and just because they still clave to their own faith in the midst of heathenism endured severer sufferings than others who accommodated themselves to their circumstances. Soon after the fall of Jerusalem we hear the same complaint in literal terms: "The fathers sinned and are not, and we have borne their iniquities" (Lam. v. 7). 3. ye shall not have occasion] Or, it shall not be permitted you. 4. all souls are muie] i.e. every individual soul stands in immediate relation to God; Numb. xvi. 22, "O God, God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the con- gregation?" All souls alike belong to God, and this "alike" guarantees the treatment of each by itself, the soul of the son no less than the soul of the father. According to former modes of thought the son had not personal independence, he belonged to the father, and was involved in the destiny of the father. sinneth, it shall die] It and not another because of its sin. "Live" and " die" are used by the prophet of literal life and death, continuance in the world and removal from it. They have, however, a pregnant meaning arising from the other conceptions of the prophet. He feels himself and the people standing immediately before that perfect king- dom of the Lord which is about to come (ch. xxxiii., xxxvii), and "live" implies entering into the glory of this kingdom, while "die" implies deprivation of its blessedness; for of course, like all the Old Testament writers, Ezekiel considers the kingdom, even in its perfect condition, an earthly one. 6 — 20. Developement of the principle in three instances, chosen so as to exhibit it in its most paradoxical form. 6—9. The man that is righteous shall live. First, his righteousness vv. 6— 9] EZEKIEL, XVIII. 127 right, and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath « hft up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman, and hath not oppressed any, but hath 7 restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment ; he that hath not given 8 forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judg- ment between man and man, hath walked in my statutes, 9 is defined generally as doing judgment or right and justice, v. 5. Then it is analysed into: (i) religious duties, v. 6; (2) duties relating to marriage and the relations of men and women, v. 6; (3) duties to one's neighbour, vv. 7, 8 ; and (4) finally all these duties are brought under the conception of obedience to the commands of God, v. 9. 6. eaten upon the mountains\ that is, sacrificed on the high places and partaken of the sacrificial meal following, token of fellowship as a guest with the idols there worshipped. The phrase occurs again w. II, 15, xxii. 9. In xxxiii. 25 the reading is, eaten ivith the blood; cf. Lev. xvii. 17, xix. 26; i Sam. xiv. 33. Sept. renders Lev. xix. 26, eaten upott the mountains, and it is possible that the same error of reading occurs here, and that xviii. 6, 11, 15, xxii. 9, should be assimi- lated to xxxiii. 25 (W. R. Smith, Kinship, p. 310). lift up his ejyes] In prayer to the idols, or trust in them, or perhaps generally, in acknowledgment of them. Ps. cxxi. i, cxxiii. i ; Job xxxi. 26. his neighbour's 7vi/e] Adultery is not seldom charged against the people by the prophets, especially Jeremiah, e.g. Jer. v. 8, ix. 2, xxix. 23; cf. Lev. XX. 10; Deut. xxii. 22. Note Job's claims for himself, ch. xxxi. 9. On the other impurity forbidden cf. Lev. xv. 24, xviii. 19. 7, 8. Duties to one's neighbour. 7. hath not oppressed] In v. 12 the opposite course reads: hath op- pressed the poor and needy. Occasion of oppression would arise when the poor was in debt (Am. ii. 6, 7); or being unprotected he might be defrauded of his hire, Mai. iii. 5 (James v. 4). Cf. the claim made by Job, xxxi. 13. to the debtor his pledge'] This refers to the duty of returning to the debtor any pledge whch was an article necessary to his existence or comfort, as a garment which was his cover by night. Ex. xxii. 26; Deut. xxiv. 6; cf. Job xxii. 6; Am. ii. 8. On the positive duties of feeding the hungry and clothing the naked cf. again the claims of Job, xxxi. 17 — 20. 8. On usury cf. the humane law, Lev. xxv. 35—37. The case supposed is that of lending to the poor, Ex. xxii. 25 ; Deut. xxiii. 20. executed true judgment] When acting as judge, or as umpire between man and man. 128 EZEKIEL, XVIII, [vv. lo, ii. and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly ; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God. 10 If he beget a son t/ia^ is a robber, a shedder of blood, 11 and t/ia^ doeth the like to any one of these things^ and 9. The man who acts thus {vv. 5 — 8) hath walked in God's statutes and he shall live. For "to deal truly," LXX. reads: to do them, by transposition of two letters, which is more natural. With the ideal of a righteous man here given may be compared these others: Job's, ch. xxxi., perhaps the most inward in the Old Testament, Ps. XV. ; Is. Iviii. 5 — 7. Such ideals differ from ours principally in that they seem to consist of conduct exclusively external, while we express our ideal in terms of the thought and feelings. But first, when these external actions are enumerated it is always assumed that they proceed from a right condition of mind, of which they are the natural fruit. Hence the prophet says, "Make you a new heart, and a new spirit" (p. 31). The same assumption is made when God is spoken of as making men righteous by forgiveness, or by bestowing on them pro- sperity, the sign of righteousness. The mental state corresponding to this right relation to God is always regarded as present. And in point of fact the righteousness of God himself consists in righteous acts, just as the righteousness of man. The ancient mind fastened on the outward acts as revealing the inward state, while the modern mind goes directly to the internal condition. And secondly, moral conduct was never thought of as the result of a happy or pure disposition, or as the fruit of prevalent social custom, or obedience to laws called moral or natural ; it was always regarded as obedience to divine commandment. Morals was part of religion. Every moral law was fulfilled in obedience to God; hence Jehovah says of this moral man, "he hath walked in my statutes, he shall live " (z/. 9). 10—13. Second link in the chain : this righteous man is THE father of A VIOLENT SON WHO SHEDS BLOOD AND DOES evil; the wicked son shall not live because of the righteousness of his father, he shall die in his own sin. 10. a robber'] a man of violence. a7id that doeth the like] The text is difficult. LXX. reads : shedding blood, and cotnmitting sins, 11 who hath not ivalked in the way of his righteous father, but hath even eaten, &c. This text gives the general meaning of the Heb., of which it looks like a paraphrase. It is difficult to decide whether the last clause of v. 10 refers to the father or the son. The words in the place where they stand should refer to the wicked son, and so A.V., R.V., but if so they cannot be reconciled with v. 11. The words rendered "these things" {2!. 10) and "those duties" [v. 11) are the same, viz. the things w. 6 — 9, and cannot be regarded as things forbidden (v. 10) and things commanded (v. 11) at once. The unknown word ach occurring here (cf. v. 18, xxi. 20) is supposed to be the same as "only" (akh), but is probably a fragment of the word "one" due to an error of the copyist and should be neglected. vv. 12— 18.] EZEKIEL, XVIII. 129 that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife, hath 12 oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lift up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination, hath given forth ij upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live : he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die ; his blood shall be upon him. Now lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins m which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like, that hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath 15 lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath oppressed any, hath 16 not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, hit hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment, that hath taken off his hand from 17 the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes j he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live. As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled is his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity. 11. and that doeth not\ Fairer : aiid he hath not done any of these things, but even hath eaten, &c. The things which he hath not done are those in w. 6 — 9 regarded as positive commandments. The words naturally refer to the wicked son. They are incompatible with those in the end of v. 10, if these be said of the son. Syr., feeling the incompa- tibility, omits. It is easier, however, to omit the words in v. 10, as a gloss from Lev. iv. 2, because the words "but even hath eaten" require a negative clause before them. 13. shatt surety die'\ The formula common in the law, "shall surely be put to death," Lev. xx. 1 1 ; Ex. xxi. 15, xxii. 18. his blood. ..upon hi??i\ He shall suffer the death due to his own deeds, ch. xxxiii. 4; Lev. xx. 9; 2 Sam. i. 16. w. 14 — 20. Third link in the chain of illustration: this unrighteous man on the other hand begets a son who, seeing his father's iniquities, is deterred by them and lives righteously. This son shall not die for the sins of his father, but live because of his own righteousness. 14. and considereth'^ Lit. even seeth, so v. 28. With a different punctuation the word would mean : and feareth, as R.V. 16. 'cvithholden the pledge] taken aught to pledge, as R.V. 17. taken off his hand] withdrawn his hand — so as not to injure or oppress — the poor. LXX. reads : from iniquity, but cf. ch. xx. 22. 18. spoiled his brother] LXX. omits "brother;" the word is that EZEKIEL O I30 EZEKIEL, XVIII. [vv. 19—23. 19 Yet say ye, Why ? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father ? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done 20 them, he shall surely live. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son : the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the 21 wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, 22 he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him : in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live ? referred to z'. 10. Here " brother " might stand, though "neighbour" is the temi elsewhere used (^jv. 6, 11). The word "violence" or robbery has a different form w. 7, 12. 19. Vei say ye, IVhy?] Rather : and ye say, wherefore doth not the son bear...? The prophet refers to the current view, and supposes it quoted as an objection to his principle. So long as the idea prevailed that the son was, so to speak, part of the father, it was natural to sup- pose that he should be included in the father's punishment ; hence the people ask, Why doth the son not bear, \\t. bear part of, share in bearing (so V. 10), the iniquity of the father? In opposition to this idea the prophet states his principle on both its sides, tjv. 19, 20. Secondly, vv. 21 — 32. As men shall not be involved in the sins of their people or their fathers, so the individual soul shall not lie under the ban of its own past. The sinner who turneth from his evil and doeth righteousness shall live in his righteousness, vv. 21 — 23. And on the other hand, the righteous man who turneth away from his righteousness and doeth evil shall die in his evil, v. 24. 22. vientioned unto hini] Or, remembered in regard to him. 23. The verse meets a feeling of despair both in regard to themselves and in regard to God which was beginning to take possession of the minds of some, perhaps many, among the people. The despair in re- gard to themselves is seen in ch. xxxiii. 10, 11, "We pine away in our iniquities, how should we live?" and the despair in regard to God, which is but another side of that in regard to themselves, is expressed in such passages as Lam. iii. 42 — 44, "We have rebelled and thou hast not pardoned... Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud that our prayer should not pass through." The Lord had brought the evil on them which he had purposed (Lam. ii. 8, 17), and it was final (Lam. ii. 9). vv. 24—28.] EZEKIEL, XVIII. 131 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, 24 and committeth iniquity, a7id doeth according to all the abo- minations that the wicked ma7i doeth, shall he live ? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned : in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. Yet ye say. The way 25 of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel ; Is not my way equal ? are not your ways unequal ? When a 26 righteous mari turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them ; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked 27 man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath com- mitted, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth 2s The same despondency, though softened in some measure by the lapse of time, appears in another prophet, Is. xl. 27 — 31, xlix. 14, "Zion hatli said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me." So long as the state existed the covenant might also be thought to remain, and the prophets could sustain the hearts of men by reminding them that the Lord was their God ; but when the state fell and Israel was no more to appearance the people of Jehovah, they had to go behind the covenant and fall back on that unchanging nature of Jehovah which originated the covenant — that mercy which endureth for ever. The prevailing disposition of the mind of Jehovah was towards the salvation of men. 24. Although it would have sufficed for the prophet's purpose to assure the repentant sinner of God's forgiveness, he has a certain theo- retical interest in the principle which he is insisting on which makes him develop it on the other side also. 25. Yet ye say. The way..-equal'\ And ye say. The "way" of the Lord is the principle on which he acts, or his action on it, Is. Iv. 8, cf. ch. xxxiii. 17, 20. The objection of the people may really have been expressed (cf. v. 19). The pro phet's principle of the freedom of the individual and his independence was a novelty running counter to cherisiied notions of that age, notions corroborated by much that is seen uT kistory and life. The instance of Korah, whose children perish- ed^wirh him for his sin, the case of Achan, whose transgression was imputed to the whole camp, the history of Jonathan, and no doubt multitudes of instances were familiar to the people where men were treated as bodies and the individuals shared the fate of the mass though personally innocent. To us now the prophet's principle is self-evident. Still even to us it is only a theoretical principle, and can be maintained against facts only by drawing a distinction, which the people in Israel had not yet learned to draw, between the spiritual relation of the mind to God and the external history of the individual. See end of chapter. :^ 132 EZEKIEL, XVIII. [vv. 29-32. away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he 29 shall surely live, he shall not die. Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal ? are not your ways unequal ? 30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions ; so iniquity shall 31 not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgres- sions, whereby ye have transgressed ; and make you a new heart and a new spirit : for why will ye die, O house of 32 Israel ? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God : wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. 30 — 32. Exhortation to repentance founded on the principle that God will deal with every man according to the condition in which he is found. 30. miqitity...ycnr riiiit'] More naturally: that it (your trans- gressing) be not a stumbling block of iniquity to you. The trans- gressions which they are called on to renounce are specially their idolatries, cf. ch. xiv. 3, vii. 19, xliv. 12. 31. a neiv hea7-t\ Cf. ch. xi. 19, xxxvi. 26; Jer. iv. 4, xxiv. 7; Ps. li. 7. The words are those of practical exhortation; to charge the prophet with assigning to man a power greater than that which Scripture in general allows to him is to distort his language. Cf. what he says on the other side regarding the divine operation on man, ch. xxxvi. 25—27, xi- 19- 32. The appeal to turn from evil sustained by reference to the prevailing nature of God. He is the God of salvation; his will is that men should live. The A.V. marg. to "turn yourselves (cf. v. 30) or others" is altogether false. The active form "turn" is either used intransitively, or yourselves (lit. your faces) is understood, cf. ch. xiv. 6. ( 1 ) The^ace of the presen^chapter m ay be e xplained by connecting it with tTieMessianic prophecy immediately preceding (ch. xvii. 22 — 24); the passage enunciates the principles and conditions of entering the perfect kingdom. The same principles are stated in two other passages, ch. iii. 16 — 21, and ch. xxxiii. i — 20. They are properly in place in the last passage. The prophet feels himself, however, essentially a prophet of the new age, and writing his Book after the fall of Jerusalem he may have expanded principles less fully developed at an earlier time. The age before which he stands is an ideal one, and principles realized but imperfectly now shall then have full preva- lence (ch. xii. 16, xiv. 22). (2) The principle which the prophet insists upon is not the strict retributwe righteousness of God, but the moral freedom and inde- pendence of the individual person. The individual is not involved EZEKIEL, XVIII. 133 in the destiny of his fathers or of his people ; neither does he lie under an irrevocable doom pronounced over him by his past life. The im - mediate relation of every spirit to God and its moral freedom^to break with its own past raises Tt~ above both these dooms. What Ezekiel teaches regarding God is that he hath no pleasure that the^wTcked sTToutd'^die. The prophet's whole purpose is practical, to strike off from the people the shackles of a despair that was settling upon them, whether they looked to themselves or to God. What he says of men is that each stands in immediate relation to God ami sliall live or die according as he repents or continues in his sin ; and what he teaches of God is that in spite of the dark clouds of judgment behind which he seems now hidden his prevailing will is that men should live. (3) The conception of the prophet is a complex or double one, having an internal and an external side. The inward element in the conception is the spiritual relation of the individual person to God; the outward element is the form "life" and "death" in which this internal relation is made manifest, rewarded or punished in God's treatment of the individual person. We perceive a cleavage taking place between these two elements. The principles enunciated by the prophet refer to the spiritual relation of the individual to God, and are true when limited to this. The individual shall not, in this sense, suffer for the sins of his people, nor the child for the sins of his father; and even his own past life does not weave an inexorable fate around him from which there is no escape. In all cases consequences evil enough may descend upon the son from the father, or upon himself from his own past life, but not this particular consequence. His moral freedom and independence raises him above these consequences, ahd^ briiigs^him as an independent person into direct relation with God, over^gainst others and even over against his former sel f. A nd this is really all that the prophet is teaching of new tnith here._ It is truth which the New Testament teaches, and which is the foundation of all morals. To charge the prophet with cutting up the individual human life into sections which have no moral relation to one another, or with teaching that a man shall live or die according to the condition in which he shall be found "for the moment" when the judgment overtakes him, is grossly to distort his language. It may be true that the prophet has not yet been able fully to analyse his own complex conception and separate completely the spiritual relation of the mind to God from the person's external con- ditions. No Old Testament writer probably has been able to do this consciously and formally, although it is often done in principle and in moments of spiritual elevation (Ps. Ixxiii. 23 seq., xvii. 14, 15). But the ideal character of the age which the prophet feels to be about to dawn, and to which he applies his principles, marks an approach towards completing the distinction. This future though imminent ideal time, the time of the perfect kingdom of God, is that which corresponds to our idea of heaven, or another future world, in which external condition will perfectly correspond to spiritual state. The prophet's ideal world, in which spiritual relation would be perfectly bodied out externally, was still the earth. "Life" and "death," in 134 EZEKIEL, XIX. [vv. i, 2. 19 Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of 2 Israel, and say, What is thy mother ? A lioness : she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young the ordinary sense of these words, were the only means by which inward spiritual relations could find proper outward expression. Ch. XIX. Dirge over the princes of Judah. The elegy represents the princes of Judah as young lions, reared among lions by the mother lioness, but caught in pits by the nations and carried away. The mother lioness cannot of course be the natural mother of the princes, but rather the people, Judah itself. Two princes are lamented, one captured and carried to Egypt, viz. Jehoahaz, son and successor of Josiah {vv. i — 4) ; and another carried to Babylon, who must be Jehoiachin [vv. 5 — 9). The elegy does not appear to extend further. Verses 10 — 14 refer to Zedekiah, and are prophetic. They are connected in general idea with vv. i — 9, but the figure for the mother is now the vine. The following table may be useful here. Josiah falls at Megiddo, B.C. 608. Jehoahaz his son reigned three months. Jehoiakim (son of Josiah), 608—597. Jehoiachin (his son) reigned 3 months. Zedekiah (son of Josiah), 597 — 586. Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem, 588. Fall of Jerusalem, 586. The elegiac measure is maintained in z'v. i — 8; it is somewhat dis- turbed in z'. 9; while vv. 10—14 seem in the ordinary measure. The elegiac verse (which may be half or even third of a full verse) is divided by the cesura into two members of unequal length, the second being shorter, and falling with a mournful cadence. 1 — 4. Captivity of Jehoahaz in Egypt. 2. How was thy mother a lioness! — among the lions; In the midst of young lions she couched — she reared her whelps. 3. And she brought up one of her whelps — he grew a young lion ; And he learned to catch the prey — he devoured men. 4. And the nations heard regarding him — he was taken in their pit; And they brought him with hooks — unto the land of Egypt. 1. princes of Israel] Probably with LXX. prince, as required by the pron. Mj mother (z^. 2). The "prince" is a general term for the king, applicable to one king after another. The lamentation is for the "king" of Judah, represented by one person after another. On "lament" cf Jer. vii. 29. 2. What is thy mother?] Rather to be taken as an exclamation, as rendered above. The mother is the people Israel, a lioness among other lions — kings or states with royalty. vv 3-6.] EZEKIEL, XIX. 135 lions. And she brought up one of her whelps : it became a 3 young lion, and it learned to catch the prey ; it devoured men. The nations also heard of him ; he was taken in their 4 pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt. Now when she saw that slie had waited, a7id her hope s was lost, then she took another of her whelps, a7id made him a young lion. And he went up and down among the 6 3. The first young lion is Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, carried to Egypt by Pharaoh Necho after the defeat of his father at Megiddo, 1 Kings xxiii. 31—35- Cf. the touching reference to him Jer. xxii. 10—12. He also bore the name of Shallum. Coming to the throne at the age of 23 he reigned only 3 months, and died in Egypt. Cf. Jer. v. 26. . 4. /leard of hini\ This might better be read : raised a cry against him, in the sense of Is. xxxi. 4 ; Jer. 1. 29. with chains^ hooks (or, rings) as ch. xxix. 4, xxxviii. 4 ; cf. 2 Kings xix. 28. 5—8. Jehoiachin carried captive to Babylon. The second young lion is Jehoiachin. The intermediate prince Je- hoiakim could not be included in an elegy, because he died in peace. It is the princes of Israel whom foreign nations captured that are lamented. What is touched upon is more the humiliation and sorrow of Israel, the mother lioness, in her young lions being captured, than the fate of the iv^o persons. The elegy is a national one, cf. on v. i. 6. And she saw that she had waited — her hope was lost ; And she took another of her whelps — she made him a young lion. 6. And he walked among the lions — he gi-ew a young lion, And he learned to catch the prey — he devoured men. 7. And he broke down their palaces — he wasted their cities; And the land and its fulness was desolate— at the noise of his roaring. 8. Then the nations set themselves against him — on every side from the countries. And they spread their net over him — he was taken in their pit. 6. that she had wait ed'\ If "she" be subject some such sense as deceived, "disappointed" (Ew.) would be suitable, though to reach this sense by adding "in vain" to waited is hardly permissible. The subject might be "her hope," and waited might mean tarried, delayed. There might be reference to hope of the return of Jehoahaz, which appears to have been cherished, as Jeremiah takes occasion altogether to cut it off (Jer. xxii. 10 — 12). Corn, proposes "acted foolishly," but the word suggested is too strong (Num. xii. 11 ; Is. xix. 13; Jer. v. 4, 1. 36). 6. Jehoiachin ascended the throne on the death of his father at the age of 18. He reigned only 3 months, when Nebuchadnezzar carried him away to Babylon, 2 Kings xxiv. 8 scq. 136 EZEKIEL, XIX. [vv. 7—10. lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the 7 prey, and devoured men. And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities ; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring. 8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him : he was taken in 9 their pit. And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon : they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel. 10 Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the 7. kntnv their desolate palaces] 'KX. kiiezu their palaces. The word is usually "widows" as marg., but "palaces," Is. xiii. 22. Neither translation gives any sense. Better : he broke down their palaces, (change of r for d); or cf. Jer. ii. 15, 16 (marg. fed on), a passage very similar. If "widows" be read the verb would need to be altered to "multiplied," ch. xxii. 25, an important passage (Jer. xv. 8). Corn, (partly Hitz. ): and he lay down in his den, he wasted the forests. This keeps up the figure, but requires serious alteration of the reading. Jer. ii. 15 shews that "young lions" may burn cities, and feed on the crown of the head. 8. in their pit] A well-known method of capturing dangerous beasts. The object to "set" may be voice or shout, v. 4, Jer. xii. 8. 9. in chains] See v. 4. The elegiac measure is not maintained in this verse. Possibly the original form of the verse has not been pre- served. If the words "they brought him into holds" were omitted, an elegiac verse, though less regular, would be restored. 10—14. The fate of Zedekiah and his country, on which he has brought ruin. Israel was once a spreading vine by great waters ; her branches rose into the clouds, and her rods were rulers' sceptres — a powerful race of kings rose out of her. Now she is torn up and thrown down, carried into the wilderness, and planted in a dry and barren soil. A fire also has gone out from one of her strong rods which has consumed her. Her last prince, Zedekiah, has finally broken the state to pieces (cf. ch. xvii.). 10. is like a vine] was like, in contrast to "but now she is planted in the wilderness" (v. 13). The "prince" of Israel is addressed, not any individual prince, but the kingsliip or royalty by whomsoever repre- sented. The mother, as before, is the people or nationality of Israel. in thy blood] R.V. marg. refers to ch. xvi. 6, not wisely. LXX. read "on a pomegranate" {brmn for bdmk). Ew. suggests: "a vine of Carmel," Ges. "a vine of thy vineyard;" Corn, as usual "zu streichen." Others: "in thy likeness" "in thy thought," "in thy rest" — all without sense. More tolerable: "in her height" (rumah), v. w. vv. II — I4.J EZEKIEL, XIX. 137 waters : she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. And she had strong rods for the sceptres of n them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches. But she was plucked up in fury, 1?. she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit : her strong rods were broken and withered ; the fire consumed them. And now she is planted in the 13 wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground. And the fire is 14 gone out of a rod of her branches, 7vhich hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation. 11. sceptres... bare rule] Or, for rulers' sceptres, i.e. royal sceptres. Out of Israel this vine there rose powerful native kings. among the thick branches] Or, into the clouds, cf. xxxi. 3, 10, 14. The phrase is designedly hyperbolical, to express the power of Israel in earlier times. Jer. xi. 16, 17. appeared in her height] Lit. was seen — conspicuously and from afar. 12. Destruction of the vine, the nationality of Israel. The figures employed are usual, ch. xvii. 9, 10, xxxi. 12; Am. ix. 15. 13. The deportation of the people from their own land into condi- tions where national life cannot thrive. 14. The fire that consumed the vine went out from her own rods. The royal house brought destruction on the nation as well as on itself. Reference is to the rebellion of Zedekiah. gone out of a rod] Possibly collective: out of the rods. The refer- ence to Zedekiah is expressed generally in terms of the royal house. shall be for a laiiieutatioti] Lit. and is become a lamentation. Sad enough is the history, ch. xxxii. 16. It is not necessary, however, to infer from this that the lamentation was written after the exile. The passage vv. 10 — 14 is prophetic, cf. Is. xlvii. ; Jer. ix. 16 — 21. In the Book of Kings both Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin are said to have "done evil." A three months' reign afforded little scope for much mischief. Ezekiel's treatment of the young lions is ideal, and in the case of Jehoia- chin the reference is rather to the evils which his attitude brought upon the country, than to any ravages which he wrought personally. Ch. XX. — XXIV. Further predictions regarding the kall of Jerusalem. These chapters pursue the same subject as occupied the prophet in previous chapters, the destruction of the state, though they appear to look at it from another point of view, and suggest another motive for it — Jehovah's regard to his own name. First, ch. xx. Review of Israel's past history and emphasising of the principle which has given Israel a history and saved her from destruction, viz. Jehovah's regard to his own name. EZEKIEL, XX. [vv. 1—5. 3 20 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, and sat before me. Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying, Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ; Are ye come to inquire of me ? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by 4 you. Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them ? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers : s and say unto them. Thus saith the Lord God ; In the day Second, ch. xxi. But this same principle — regard to his name — re- quires Israel's dispersion now. Therefore the sword of the Lord is whetted against her. Third, ch. xxii., xxiii. New exhibition of the sins of Israel. Fourth, ch. xxiv. Final judgment on Jerusalem, under the figure of a rusted caldron set upon the fire to cleanse it. ch. XX. has two divisions: (i) zrv. I — 29. The principle that has saved Israel from destruction and given her a history— Jehovah's respect to his own name. (2) vv. 30 — 44. The same principle will rule what of Israel's history still lies in the future. 1 — 4. Introductory. Certain elders came to the prophet to enquire of the Lord, in the seventh year of the captivity of Jehoiachin and tenth day of the fifth month — Aug. 590 B.C., four years before Jerusalem fell. 3. will not be inquired of\ The proposed enquiries of the elders probably related to something in the present; to such men no answer will be given except to read the lesson of Israel's history to them. For the history concerns them. They are one in spirit and conduct with Israel of the past, and the principles which have ruled the former history will rule also the history to come. 4. luilt thou judge\ The interr. seems to have the sense of an im- patient imperative, and the repetition gives stronger expression to the imperative, cf. ch. xxii. 2, xxiii. 36. "Judge" is explained by "cause them to know the abominations of their fathers." To rehearse the history of the fathers is to hold the mirror up to themselves. 5 — 29. Review of the history of the fathers. The principle that has ruled this history is that all through it Jehovah has acted for his name's sake. It is this principle that has given Israel a history, otherwise their sins would have cut them off. For his name's sake he'spared the people in Egypt {v. 9), again in the wilderness {v. 14), and again the second generation there {v. 22). The history is reviewed in these divisions: vv. 5 — 10 Israel in Egypt; vv. 11 — 17 the people led out into the wilderness; vt<. 18 — 26 the children of those who fell in the wilderness; and vv. 27 — 29 the people that entered Canaan. vv. 6—8.] EZEKIEL, XX. 139 when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I at?i the Lord your God ; in the day that I lifted 6 up mine hand unto them, to bring them forth of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands : then said I 7 unto them. Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. But they rebelled against me, s and would not hearken unto me : they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt : then I said, / will pour out my 6. when I chose Israel^ The choice or election of Israel is referred to only here in Ez., and also once in Jeremiah, xxxiii. 24. The idea is much insisted on in Is. xl. — Ixvi. Already, however, Deut. vii. 6. lifted up mine hand\ i.e. sware, Ex. vi. 8 ; Numb. xiv. 30. The thing sworn is stated v. 6. made myself known'\ Cf. Ex. iii. 6 seq., vi. 3. lie made himself known as Jehovah their God, whose nature his acts revealed, Ps. ciii. 7. 6. the day that I lifted] On that day I lifted...; and I said unto them. On "milk and honey" cf. Ex. iii. 8; and on the idea of Canaan as the "glory" of all lands, a frequent judgment in late writings, cf. Jer. iii. 19; Dan. viii. 9; Ps. xlviii. 2. 7. abominations of his eyes] Tho.se to which his eyes and desires were directed, the idols, cf. xviii. 6 ; Num. xv. 39. The prophet charges Israel with idolatry in Egypt (ch. xxiii. 3). Though history as we have it says little of such a thing, it may be assumed as certain, considering the people's receptivity to the worship of their neighbours throughout their history. The same view, Josh. xxiv. 14; cf. Lev. xviii. 3. The question how far Jehovah was known and worshipped in Egypt is an obscure one. The name could not have been altogether unknown or the people could not have been rallied by Moses to his service nor induced to put themselves under his protection. That his worship, however, was mixed with impurities may be assumed. How far the people partook in the worship of Egyptian deities cannot be ascertained. 8. The history in Exodus narrates only the conflict of Israel with the Egyptians, being silent on internal struggles in Israel itself. The work of Moses in delivering his people must have extended over a period of time. His efforts in educating the people are entirely passed over in the history. The announcement, however, that Jehovah was the God of Israel implied casting away all other gods, and this principle, often expressed in his intercourse with the people, probably met with but slack acceptance. Ps. cvi. follows Ezek. closely, cf. v. 7. I40 EZEKIEL, XX. [w. 9-12. fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the 9 midst of the land of Egypt. But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they tvere, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of 10 Egypt. Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the " land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, 12 which if a man do, he shall even live in them. Moreover 9. for jny name's sake] This idea, very common in this prophet, also in Is. xl. — Ixvi., does not appear in the earlier prophets, except Is. xxxvii. 35. Cf. however, Deuc ix. 28, 29; Jer. xiv. 7, 21; Is. xliii. 25, xlviii. 9, II. Jehovah's name expresses that which he is, or has revealed himself to be, and the phrase does not differ from "for my own sake," cf. ch. xxxvi. 22, 32. should not be polluted] Rather: profaned. The words explain, " for my name's sake," viz. lest it should be profaned among the nations. Deut. ix. 28, 29 suggests one way in which the name of Jehovah might be profaned among the nations. To "profane" is the opposite of to "sanctify." The one is to cherish any thoughts of Jehovah or to attri- bute any deed to him inconsistent with his being the one true God, or derogatory to him who is so. To "sanctify " him is to recognise him in thought and in act, particularly in worship, to be the one true God ; to assign to him attributes and operations befitting his nature, and to live in such a way as those who are the people of Jehovah ought to live, for the manner of the people is reflected on the character of their God (Am. ii. 7). This is the way, at least, in which Ezek., with the conception of Jehovah which in his age he had reached, uses the terms "profane" and "sanctify." 11 — 17. The people delivered from Egypt and brought into the wilderness. There also Jehovah wrought for his name's sake. 10. First half of the verse is wanting in LXX. 11. gave them... statutes] Reference is to the Sinaitic legislation. The fact of the legislation is confirmed by the prophet, but his lan- guage "statutes and judgments" does not enable us to form an opinion how extensive it was, nor what particulars it embraced besides the law of the sabbath (v. 12), and of course the law that Jehovah was God alone of Israel, because he uses the phrase "statutes and judgments" very generally, for example of the conduct and principles of the people in the wilderness themselves {v. 18). shall even live in them] Or, shall live by them. Obedience to them will issue in "life," the word being used in its natural sense, Deut. iv. 40, "thou shalt keep his statutes. ..that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the land," Deut. v. 16 (fifth commandment). The precepts of Jehovah given to the people were such that obedience to them would ensure prosperity and life, while disobedience would cause calamity and death, and this not only in the mere government of them by their God, vv. 13—16.] EZEKIEL, XX. 141 also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the 13 wilderness : they walked not in my statutes, and they de- spised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them ; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted ; then I said, /would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them. But I wrought for my name's sake, that 14 it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out. Yet also I lifted up my hand unto 15 them in the wilderness, that / would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands ; because they despised 16 but because the statutes were in themselves "good," cf. v. 25; Am. v. 14; Hos. viii. 3; Mic. iii. ■2, vi. 8. 12. my sabbaths] The pUiral refers to the stated recurrence of the day; other festivals are not included. to be a sign] The prophet does not speak of the Sabbath as an older institution than the exodus, though his language does not decide the point, as he refers merely to the connexion into which the day was brought with Israel's redemption (as Deut. v. 15) and made a "sign" to them of their relation to Jehovah. The people were commanded to "sanctify" the Sabbath, i.e. to dedicate it and keep it to the Lord. This dedication of a part of their time or life to Jehovah had a similar significance to the dedication of the first-fruits of the ground and the firstlings of their cattle ; it was an acknowledgment that they were the Lord's. It was the response on their side to the operation of Jehovah on his side in "sanctifying" them, or making them his own possession (end of z'.) Thus the Sabbath was a "sign" or visible token that he was their God and they his people {v. 20) ; Ex. xxxi. 13, 14; Is. Ivi. 1, 4. This meaning of the Sabbath as a symbol of the religion of Jehovah explains the importance attached to keeping it particularly in the exile ; its observance sustained the feeling of the people among the heathen that they were the people of Jehovah, Is. Ivi. 2 seq., Iviii. 13; Neh. xiii. 19, cf Jer. xvii. 21 ; Lev. xix. 3, xxvi. 2. 13. Provocation of the people in the wilderness. They rejected the statutes of Jehovah and " polluted," better: profaned, his sabbaths, i.e. failed to dedicate and keep them to Jehovah. The profanation is to be taken in a wider sense than the special instances of neglect, Ex. xvi. 27 ; Numb. XV. 32. This profanation of the Sabbath was oblivion of the covenant, cf. Am. viii. 5. pour out my fury] Cf. Ex. xxxii. 10 seq. ; Num. xiv, 11, 12, 29. 14. 15. For his name's sake Jehovah did not make a clean end of the people, nevertheless he sware that the generation that came out of Egypt should not enter into the land of promise, Num. xiv. 22, 23, 29; Deut. i. 35; Ps. xcv. 11. 142 EZEKIEL, XX. [vv. 17—23. my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted 17 my sabbaths : for their heart went after their idols. Never- theless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither 18 did I make an end of them in the wilderness. But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, 19 nor defile yourselves with their idols : I ajii the Lord your God ; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do 20 them ; and hallow my sabbaths ; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord 21 your God. Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me : they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judg- ments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them ; they polluted my sabbaths : then I said, / would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against 22 them in the wilderness. Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that // should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought 33 them forth. I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that / would scatter them among the heathen, 16. polluted my sabbaths] profaned. wctit after their idols] Ex. xxxii.; Num. xxv. ; Hos. ix. 10. Am. v. 25 cannot be appealed to here. 17. Another motive besides regard for his own name moved Jehovah to spare Israel — pity for the sinners; cf. Ps. Ixxviii. 38, " But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not ; yea many a time he turned his anger away". Num. xiv. 20. 18 — 26. The second generation in the wilderness. These only imi- tated the sins of their fathers, Num. xxv. i, 2; Deut. ix. 23, 24, xxxi. 27. 21. polluted my sabbaths'] profaned. 22. %uithdrew j/tiiie hand] Lit. turned, or turned back his hand, outstretched to smite. The words are wanting in LXX., and in the other verses (yv. 9, 14) the phrase "I wrought for my name's sake" begins the verse. For be polluted, profaned. 23 — 26. Yet though he wrought for his name's sake not to destroy them their sins could not be altogether passed by. In two ways they were marked: Jehovah laid a heavy threat upon the people of dispersion among all nations, vv. 23, 24; and he gave them laws that were not good, that by following them they might be destroyed, w, 25, 26. 23. I lifted up... also] Moreover I lifted up, lit. And I on my part, so V. 25. scatter... among the heathen] The people entered Canaan laden with this heavy threat for their sins in the wilderness. Such threats were vv. 24, 25.] EZEKIEL, XX. 143 and disperse them through the countries ; because they had 24 not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polkited my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. Wherefore I gave them also statutes 25 that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not always conditional, Jer. xviii., Jonah. This conditional character is expressed in other passages where a similar idea occurs, Lev. xxvi. 33 ; Deut. xxviii. 64. The prophet hardly means that the exile was due to the people's sins in the wilderness, except in so far as the moral charac- ter of the people remained the same throughout down to the generation then living. But cf. Ex. xxxii. 34. 25. Wherefore I gave... also] Moreover also I gave, see v. 23. statutes .. .not good] These statutes are of a kind contrary to those given before {v. 11) which were good. These points seem plain: 1. The practice referred to is that of passing the firstborn male children through the fire as a burnt-offering to the deity. 2. The law in Israel was that all the male firstborn of men and the male firstlings of beasts were the Lord's. The firstborn of men were to be redeemed, as also the firstlings of unclean animals, but the firstlings of clean animals were to be offered in sacrifice to Jehovah (Ex. xiii. 2, 12, 13, xxii. 29, cf. Num. iii. 46, 47, xviii. 15, 16). The law requiring the sacrifice of the firstborn had become extended, so as to include children. The practice was one prevailing among the peoples around Israel, and probably it first crept into use in Israel and was then justified by the law or custom relating to cattle, of which it might seem a natural extension; but in Jeremiah vii. 31, xix. 5 Jehovah vehemently protests that to command it never came into his mind. The question to whom the children were offered, lit. passed over in the fire, is not quite easy to decide. In passages where the practice is condemned it is represented as a sacrifice to "the Molech," Lev. xviii. 21 ; Deut. xii. 31, xviii. 10, or to the Baal, Jer. vii. 31, or generally, to the idols, Ezek. xvi. 21; Ps. cvi. 38 (idols of Canaan). Though the spelling of the name Molech is peculiar, the word probably means "the king" origin- ally, just as the Baal means "the lord," both names being descriptive of the same deity. In Is. Ivii. 9 "the king" has theordinary spelling. Though borrowing the practice from the Canaanites it is probable that in Israel the sacrifice was offered to Jehovah, particularly as the law under which it was made was considered given by him. On the other hand Jer., though repudiating this popular inference, speaks of the offering as being made to Baal. The name "Baal," however, from Hosea downwards is used somewhat laxly, including the images of Jehovah, and all heathenish ceremonies in his service are called worship of Baal. 3. This law is described as not good, one by which men could not live. The effect of it was that men were polluted in their gifts {v. 26), and the purpose of it was to destroy them. This evil law, entailing this consequence, was a judicial punishment of them for their former sins, just as the "deception" of the false prophets was, ch. xiv. 9. Whether the people, familiar with the Baal worship, drew the 144 EZEKIEL, XX. [vv. 26—28. 26 live; and I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I a)n the Lord. 27 Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have com- 28 mitted a trespass agamst me. For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to false inference from the law of the firstborn, or whether false teachers set the idea before them, is uncertain (Jer. viii. 8 appears to refer to written perversions of the law). The sacrifice of children was a practice that gained ground in the disastrous times before the exile (Hos. xiii. 2 has another meaning: men who sacrifice kiss calves; it is the irration- ality of vie7i kissing calves that the prophet mocks, not the enormity of human sacrifices). Ezekiel appears to regard the practice as ancient, as he connects it with the second generation in the wilderness. The instances noted in early history are transjordanic (Jephthah and king of Moab), and possibly, though the practice became aggravated only at a later period, the prophet may have considered that the people became acquainted with it on the other side of the Jordan. 26. might make them desolate\ Or, destroy them; less probably: horrify them (ch. xxxii. 10). The train of thought is the same as that expressed in ch. xiv. 9. The penalty of sin is further delusion and worse sin, the end of which is death. The last clause "to the end... Lord" is wanting in LXX. 27 — 29. The people on their entiy and in their abode in Canaan. 27. Yet in this\ i.e. the following act, v. 28, cf xxiii. 38. have blasphemed] Past tense: blasphemed... they committed. The blasphemy is not in words, but in high-handed disregard of his com- mands. Num. XV. 30. 28. The prophet regards the worship on the high-places and under the evergreen trees as a Canaanitish usage adopted by Israel, as Deut. xii. At the same time Israel usually employed the altars or chapels which they found for the service of Jehovah ; but naturally many cor- ruptions would creep into such Service, and it might become little different from a service of Baal. In the oldest prophets, Amos and Hosea, it is the /cind of worship at the high-places that is condemned, the revelry and heathenish merrymaking (Hos. ix. i), the sensuousness (Hos. viii. 13; Am. v. 21), and the false conception of deity implied in it (Hos. vi. 6). The mere localities or multitude of altars do not seem assailed, except that the more there were of them the more sin was committed, because the whole worship was sinful (Hos. viii. 1 1 ; Am. iv, 4). Later this impure worship was perceived to be inseparable from the high-places and these themselves came under condemnation. Ezekiel does n(5t go further in his condenniation of the high hills and green trees tlian his ]iredecessor Jeremiah (Jer. ii. 20, iii. 6). vv. 29, 30.J EZEKIEL, XX. 145 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, and poured out there their drink offerings. Then I said unto them. What is the 29 high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day. Wherefore say unto the 30 all the thick t7-ecs^ Evergreen and umbrageous trees appear to have been regarded as abodes of deity. offered. ..their sacrifices\ Four words are employed : offerings of flesh, particularly the peace or thank-offerings ; what is called their "offering" or oblation, a general word used of bloodless sacrifices as well as of others, possibly first-fruits and the like; their "sweet savour," usually said of the odour of the flesh or fat burnt upon the altar, but also of the odour of meal-offerings (ch. xvi. 19); and finally, drink-offerings. The clause "and there... provocation of their offering" is wanting in LXX. The term "offering" (Korban), found only in Lev., Numb., again in Ez. xl. 43 (see there). 29. The word bamah, "high-place," has no certain etymology, though often used and at an early period, e.g. in David's elegy on Saul (2 Sam. i. 19), and in Moabite (Mesha's inscrip.). The prophet here introduces a punning and contemptuous derivation of the word. Jehovah asks "what {inah) is the high place whereunto ye go {ha)," and the pro- phet seems to consider the word composed of these two syllables. Some have supposed that "go" has the sense of "go in," and that the allusion is to the immoralities practised on the high places (Am. ii. 7 ; Hos. iv. 13, 14). This idea does not seem expressed in the words; neither is there much probability in the conjecture that the words are borrowed by Ezek. from some older prophet (Ew.). The prophet's view of the generation of the exodus differs from that of earlier prophets, e.g. Hos. ix. 10; Jer. ii. 2. The generation in the wilderness was probably not a homogeneous one, and the narratives which we possess represent its conduct as various at different times. Two views might be taken of it, and Ezek. as his manner is takes the severer view. 30—44. Jehovah's regard to his own name will fashion the history of the people to come as it has fashioned the PAST. Having reviewed the past and shewn the elders their own picture in the doings of their fathers, and how the thing which has fashioned the history in the past has been Jehovah's regard for his own name, the prophet now comes to read to them the history of the future as the same regard of Jehovah to his name will model it. First, w. 30—34. The Lord will not give any answer to such enquirers who follow the ways of their fathers. But they may be assured that their resolution to assimilate themselves to the heathen and become EZEKIEL 10 146 EZEKIEL, XX. [w. 31—33. house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God ; Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers ? and commit ye whoredom 31 after their abominations ? For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day : and shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As \ live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you. 32 And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say. We will be as the heathen, as the families 33 of the countries, to serve wood and stone. As I live, saith like them worshippers of wood and stone shall not be permitted to have effect. Jehovah 'vill assert his sovereignty over them, and will dis- entangle them out from among the heathen as he gathered their fathers from among the Egyptians. Secondly, vv. 35 — 40. He will bring them out from the nations into the wilderness of the peoples, as he brought their fathers into the wil- derness of Egypt, and will plead with them anew as he pleaded with their fathers in days long ago — and with the same result that the rebels among them shall fall in the wilderness, but the remnant shall again in the mountain height of Israel serve the Lord, who will accept them. Thirdly, vv. 41 — 44. And from this restoration these things shall follow: I. Jehovah shall be sanctified, seen to be God and acknow- ledged by the nations {v. 41). 2. Israel shall know what Jehovah is, when he fulfils his ancient promise to the fathers to give them this land [v. 42). 3. They shall then lay to heart their past doings and lothe themselves {v. 43). And 4. they shall see that not according to their evil has Jehovah dealt with them all through their history and in their restoration, but has wrought for his name's sake (v. 44). 30, 31. The Lord will not give himself to be enquired of by such men. What they desire to know about others or themselves they shall be left in ignorance of; but lie has something to tell them regarding himself. 30. Are ye polluted'^ do ye pollute yourselves ? 31. For when . . .ye polliite\ Interrogatively: andwhen...do ye pollute yourselves unto this day? 32. The prophet regards the worship on the high-places as Canaan- itish heathenism ; but probably many of the exiles to whom he spoke were drifting into complete conformity with the nations among whom tliey were. Their minds were losing hold of their distinctiveness as the people of Jehovah. This practical assimilation to the heathen the pro- phet represents as a deliberate one, which in many cases it may have been — of. the answer of the exiles in Egypt to Jeremiah, xliv. 15 — 19, also Jer. ii. 25. to serve wood and stone] The service of the heathen is a service of wood and stone, Deut. iv. 28, xxviii. 36; Is. xxxvii. 19. The images were often of wood, plated with some precious metal (Is. xl. 20; Jer. x. vv. 34—37.] EZEKIEL, XX. 147 the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you : and I will bring you out from the people, and 34 will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness 35 of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the 36 land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I 37 3; Is. XXX. 22), or of stone; often, however, of baser metal overlaiil with gold or silver. It is the dead matter in opposition to Jehovah, the living God, that gives point to the antithesis. On "cometh into your mind" cf. xi. 5; Jer. vii. 31, xix. 5; Is. x. 7. 33. This resolution of the people to sink themselves among the heathen shall not stand ; Jehovah will assert his sovereignty over them, amidst terrible manifestations of his power and anger. rule over you^ be or, become Mng over you. The mighty hand (Ex. xiii.9; Deut. V. i5)and thestretchedoutarm(Ex.vi.6; Deut.vii. i9,xi.2, &c. ), were turned at the exodus against their enemies, here partly at least they are directed upon the disobedient people themselves {v. 35). 34. the people'] peoples. Though Israel was in captivity in the Babylonian empire, this empire embraced many peoples, the world as it was then known (cf. ch. xvii.) P^ormerly Israel was entangled among the Egyptians, now it is entangled among all nations; it shall now be gathered out as it was in the former age. 35. of the people] peoples. This wilderness of the peoples is the Syro-Babylonian wilderness, adjoining the peoples among whom they were dispersed ; as that into which their fathers were brought was the wilderness of Egypt, i.e. adjoining Egypt. Is. xl. i — 11 also repre- sents Jehovah as marching at the head of his people, redeemed from exile, through the wilderness from Babylon to Jerusalem. Ezek. may follow Hos. ii. 14, 15, but cf Jer. xxxi. 2 seq. plead. . .face to face\ With no intermediaries, no heathen people on whose fellowship they could stay themselves, absolutely cut off from men and alone with their God (Hos. ii. 14). Jehovah's" pleading "or litigating is sometimes in terrible deeds (ch. xvii. 20), sometimes in words of reason (Is. i. 18; Mic. vi. 2 seq). Gathered out from the nations and far from their seductive influences Israel will respond to the discipline of her God as in former days (Hos. ii. 15). 37. to pass under the rod] According to the usage of the language (Lev. xxvii. 32, cf. Jer. xxxiii. 13) the rod or staff here is that of the shepherd, which he uses in counting his flock. "The shepherds carried a staff (Ps. xxiii. 4; Mic. vii. 14; Zech. xi. 7) and used it in counting when they brought the beasts forth from the place where they were kept or made them go into it. It was customary to count the lieasls every 10 — 2 148 EZEKIEL, XX. [vv. 38-41. 38 will bring you into the bond of the covenant : and I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that trans- gress against me : I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land 39 of Israel : and ye shall know that I am the Lord. As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter a/so, if ye will not hearken unto me : but pollute ye my holy name ^o no more with your gifts, and with your idols. For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith 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 require your offerings, and the firstfruits 41 of your oblations, with all your holy things. I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the day (Jcr. xxxiii. 13), usually at evening when they came home (Theocr. viii. 16; Virg. Georg. iv. 436), sometimes twice, morning and evening (Virg. Ed. III. 34)," Dillm. on Lev. xxvii. 32. bond of the covena7ii\ The word "bond" is otherwise miknown. LXX. reads: and I will cause you to go in by number, i.e. probably in special or precise tale (Is. xl. ■26; i Chr. ix. 28; Ezr. viii. 34). This carries on the figure of ]iassing under the staff, and is amplified in V. 38. The word "covenant" is possibly a duplicate of the next word "purge" {v. 38). The expression ''^by or, in niivibcr" hardly of itself means yiw(cf. cli. v. 3), neither is the idea of fewness suitable here. Cf. Jer. iii. 14. 38. Describes the other side of the process from v. 37, the separating of the unworthy from among the people, ch. xxxiv. 17, 20. and they shall not enter] But they. They shall be brought out but shall fall in the wilderness of the peoples as the rebellious generation aforetime fell in the wilderness of Egypt. 39. The present text must read : Go, serve ye every one his idols ; but hereafter surely ye shall hearken unto me, and no more profane my holy name with your gifts (cf. v. 26), cf. xxiii. 38, 39. The ironical advice or concession refers to vt'. 32, 33, cf. Am. iv. 4. 40. Resumes vv. 34 — 38, and carries these verses a step further — to the restoration (v. 41). your offerings] Always rendered oblations in Ezek., except ch. xlviii. 8. The idea expressed by the word appears in ch. xlv. and xlviii., where it is used of the portion of the land devoted to special and sacred uses. "Firstfruits," marg. chief, i.e. the best of your offerings. 41. yon with your S7i-(;w the seas. cause their terror] Rather: caused. A.V. " all that haunt it " has taken the ref. to be to the sea, which is almost necessary, though the present text is literally all her inhabitants, referring to the city. The phrase "caused their terror to be" occurs several times in ch. xxxii. 17 seq. with a different construction (b for /), but the sense here can hardly be different, viz., made their terror felt. To say, however, vv. 19, 20.] EZEKIEL, XXVI. 189 tremble in the day of thy fall ; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure. For thus saith the '9 Lord God; When I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited ; when / shall bring up the '--o deep upon thee, and great waters shall cover thee; when I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit, with the people of old time, and shall set thee in the low that Tyre and her inhabitants made their terror felt by all her inhal^iit- ants is very unnatural. The pronoun must refer to the "seas." The phrase "inhabited from the seas" is also peculiar; " inhabited" means having inhabitants, not, drawing inhabitants. 18. the isles\ See on v. 15. The form of plur. nowhere else occurs, and appears to be adopted in order to gain a parallelism to "isles" (ordinary form) in the next clause. The phrase "at thy departure," lit. oittgoing is strange ; but might have a parallel Ps. cxliv. 14. The elegy seems confined to v. 17, but probably through explana- tory amplifications that have crept into the text, v. iS has also been drawn into it. LXX. reads in a shorter form : 17. How art thou destroyed from the sea — the renowned city! She that brought her terror — on all her inhabitants. 18. And the isles shall be terrified— at the day of thy fall. V. \% can hardly refer to the memory of Tyre's fall, but to the fall itself, xxvii. 27 (xxxii. 10), which being represented as future, is unsuitable to the dirge in the mouth of the princes. The verse hardly belongs to the dirge but forms the transition to the next strophe, vv. 19 — 21. In the phrase "all her inhabitants" it seems necessary with A.V. (Ew.) to refer "her" to the sea, or with Corn, to alter the pro- noun in order to gain this sense. 19. Tyre shall be overwhelmed in the great waters, and brought down to the pit, with them dead from of old ; she shall never be inhabited nor found any more. 20. Tu/uit I shall bring] Rather in connexion with v. 19 : when I shall make thee a desolate city... then I shall bring thee down. The prophet regards Tyre's sinking beneath the waters as her entrance upon the descent into the pit, the place of the dead, just as frequently else- where (ch. xxxii.) he makes the grave the entrance into the underworld of the dead. Cf. Is. xiv. 11, 19. that descend into the pit] Rather : them that are gone down into the pit, unto the people. The common phrase "they that go down to the pit" should be rendered: that are gone do7vn (past). Ezek. always says zoith them that are gone down, xxviii. 8, xxxi. 14: cf. Is. xiv. 19, xxxviii. 18. The "people of old time" are those dead from of old, xxxii. 27; Lam. iii. 6; Ps. cxliii. 3; hardly with more definite ref. to the Flood, Job xxii. 15. low parts of the earth] the nether parts, i.e. in the underworld of igo EZEKIEL, XXVI. [v. 21. parts of the earth, in places desolate of old, with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited ; and I shall 21 set glory in the land of the living ; I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more : though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord God. the dead (xxxi. 14, xxxii. 18 — 24; Lam. iii. 55; Ps. Ixiii. 9), which was held to be situated in the bowels of the earth or under the earth. in places desolate of old] According to the textual tradition (Baer, Ezek.) the true reading is like places..., so LXX., Vulg. The prophet gives Tyre a personality ; when buried under the sea she goes down into the abode of the dead, and possibly he regards the "places deso- late of old " as also gone down and gathered in the underworld. For "that go down," that are gone dotvn. and I shall set glory] Such an antithesis is entirely unnatural; something further must be said of Tyre in continuation of "thou shalt not be inhabited." Either: nor set (thy) glory, (reading a fem., with final _y otiose), a phrase, however, nowhere else occurring ; or else the reading presumably before LXX. must be accepted: nor arise (stand forth) in the land of the living (tithya99ebi). 21. make thee a terroi-] lit., terrors or destructions — I will utterly destroy thee, xxvii. 36, xxviii. 19; cf. Ps. Ixxiii. 19. On "make" cf. xvi. 38. The passage xxix. 17 — 21 states that Nebuchadnezzar received no adequate reward for the sei-vice against Tyre which he served for Jeho- vah. History records his thirteen years' siege of Tyre, but is silent as to the issue of it. It is not known (i) whether he took the city, or (2) whether it capitulated, or (3) whether he retired from it. On the whole the second supposition may be most probable. At any rate neither the king nor his army received wages for his service. The prophecy was not literally fulfilled. Now 1. All prophecy is moral, is based on moral considerations. What the prophet aims his threats against is not the prosperity of Tyre, but its pride of heart, which was rebellion against Jehovah, God over all. The humiliation of Tyre was morally as good as its ruin, in so far as it shewed that there were higher forces in the world than itself. 2. Prophecy is always ideal in its delineations. Its threats and promises are alike hyperbolical whether they concern Israel or the nations. And in regard to fulfilment the same general principles must be applied to all prophecies, those of redemption and those of cala- mity alike. The former are not fulfilled at once, nor at all literally, neither need we expect immediate or literal fulfilment of the latter. At the same time in regard to both it must be maintained that the prophets imagined the fulfilment as they describe it. This, however, is part of their idealism ; the moral element is always the main thing in their prophecies. What they predict is the exhibition of Jehovah's moral rule of the world ; the form in which they clothe this exhibition may not be quite that given in history. vv. 1—5.] EZEKIEL, XXVII. 191 The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Now, 27 thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyrus ; and say ^ unto Tyrus, O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, ivhich art a merchant of the people for many isles, Thus saith the Lord God ; O Tyrus, thou hast said, I am of perfect beauty. Thy borders are in the midst of the seas, 4 thy builders have perfected thy beauty. They have made 5 all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir : they have taken Ch. XXVII. Dirge over the downfall of Tyre. The lament represents Tyre under the figure of a gallant, richly- laden ship, steered by her pilots into dangerous waters and suffering shipwreck. The passage has three main divisions: (i) vv. I — II. The ship, her timbers, furnishings and manning. (2) vv. 12 — 25. The wares and merchandise with which the na- tions lade her. (3) vv. 26 — 36. Her shipwreck : consternation of seafaring men i^vv. 26 — 31); their lament over her (z'v. 32 — 36). vv. 1 — 11. Tyre as a gallant ship. 2. For the phrase "take up a lamentation" cf. xix. i, xxvi. 17, xxviii. 12, xxxii. 2. The word is technical for the dirge. 3. entry of the sea\ lit. entries, reference possibly being to the two harbours of Tyre, one of which was to the N.-E. of the island, called the Sidonian harbour, because looking towards Sidon ; and the other on the S. or S.-E. of the island, the exact position of which is uncer- tain owing to the silting which has taken place. See plate in Rawlin- son, Phaiiicia, p. 71. people for many isles\ peoples unto many coasts, or, countries, cf. vv. 3, 6, 15. Her traffic with the peoples extended to many and dis- tant coastlands. 4. borders... midst of the seas'\ lit. heart of the seas, a phrase which appears to mean not "far out at sea," but, in the deep waters of the sea, ch. xxviii. 2, 8; Ex. xv. 8; Jon. ii. 3; Ps. xlvi. 2. The term "borders" seems to mean station, moorings {v. 25). The proud ship was conscious of her beauty. The ship is a figure for the maritime city, the mistress of trade, built upon an ocean rock, as if moored in the sea. The city was without doubt beautiful (ch. xxviii. 12); a simi- lar phrase is used of Jerusalem, Ps. 1. 2 (Ps. xlviii. 2); Lam. ii. 15. vv. 5, 6 the ship's timbers. 7nade thy ship boards'\ built thy planks. The word is dual, referring to the two ribs of the ship, corresponding to one another. fir trees of Senir'] Or, cypresses. The tree is mentioned as furnish- ing, along with the cedar, the principal material for building the Temple, i Kings v. 8. Senir was the Amorite name of Hermon, which the Sidonians called Sirion (Deut. iii. 9). According to Schrader {KAT. on Deut. iii. 9 ; i Kings v. 13) both names were used by the 192 EZEKIEL, XXVII. [vv. 6— 8. 6 cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee. Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars ; the company of the Ashurites have made thy benches ^ ivory, brought out of the 7 isles of Chittim. Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered 8 thee. The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were thy mariners : thy wise f/ien, O Tyrus, that were in thee, tvere Assyrians. The name Hermon possibly signifies "sacred" mountain, being due to its ancient sanctuary. Senir, and Sirion, is supposed to mean "coat of mail." On "mast" cf. Is. xxxiii. 23, Whether an actual cedar was ever used to be the mast of "some great ammiral" may be uncertain ; the prophet, though more exact than most prophets, is also a poet. 6. The oars of the great ship were made of oaks of Bashan ; cf. Is. ii. 13; Zech. xi. 2. The term "oars" occurs in another form, V. 27, but probably with no difference of meaning. The rest of v. 6 should read : thy deck they made of ivory (inlaid) in sherbin wood from the isles of Chittim (the words bath teasshur should no doubt be read bitheasshur, in theasshur). This tree is mentioned as growing in Lebanon, Is. xli. 19, Ix. 13; it is usually considered to be the tree called in Arabic sheibin, a species of cedar. Others contend for box or larch. The term " deck" is literally " board," e.g. of the boards of the sanctuary, Ex. xxvi. 15 seq. Chittim is Cyprus, called after the town Kition (Larnaka), but probably the name embraced the coasts of Asia Minor and Greece or perhaps even of Italy (Dan. xi. 30; i Mace. i. I, viii. 5). 7. The rigging and furnishing of the ship. Her sail (ancient ships usually had but one) was embroidered byssus, fine linen, out of Egypt (xvi. 10). Render : broidered byssus of Egypt was thy sail, to serve to thee for a pennon. The flag proper seems not to have been used in ancient navigation, its purpose was served by the sail, as for example at the battle of Actium the ship of Antony was distinguished by its purple sail. The word seems to mean sail, Is. xxxiii. 23. On "broidered" cf. ch. xvi. 10, 13, 18. that which covered thee'[ lit. thy ccroering (in Is. xiv. 11 a coverlet, cf. Is. xxiii. 18), either an awning, or more probably a cabin, the sides and roof of which were of the fine stuffs named. the isles of Elishah] In Gen. x. 4 Elishah is one of the sons of Javan, i.e. Ionia or Grecian Asia. The Targ. renders "country of Italy." Ges. combines the name with Elis, and understands the Peloponnesus in general, which was certainly noted for the dyes referred to in the verse. 8 seq. The manning of the ship. The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were her rowers, and her own wise men her steersmen. thy »ia?iners] rowers. Sidon lay to the N. of Tyre, about half way between it and Beirut, and was probably the oldest Phoenician town, Tyre being a colony. Sidon is the firstborn of Canaan (Gen. x. 15), and vv. 9, lo.] EZEKIEL, XXVII. 193 thy pilots. The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof 9 were in thcc thy calkers : all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee lo occupy thy merchandise. They 10 of Persia and of Lud and of Phut were in thine army, thy men of war : they hanged the shield and helmet in thee ; is called Great Sidon in Josh. xix. 28. It is frequently referred to in Homer (e.g. //. 7. 290), who does not mention Tyre. At a later time Tyre eclipsed her mother in power and wealth. Arvad (Aradus) lay greatly more to the N. It was built on a small island, over two miles from the mainland, and, being without natural harbours, piers were laboriously constructed of huge blocks of stone, 16 feet long by 7 broad, quarried on the island. It was dependent for water upon the mainland, but when its supply was cut off recourse was had to a powerful spring of fresh water which was known to rise under the sea in the channel between the town and the mainland. This spring was isolated and the water brought by a tube to the surface. The spring is said still to exist. Arvad, now Ruwad, or, Ruweideh, is often mentioned in the Assyrian Annals. Tiglath-pileser I. (c. 1 100) embarked on ships of Arvad and sailed out into "the great sea," Del., Parad. p. 281 (the same expression is used by another king of himself, Schrader, A'/i 7". p. 184, on 1 K. v, 13, cf. p. 104). See chart of Arvad, Rawl., Fkan. p. 74. 9. ancients of Gflhil] The elders, a title of honour or office, the magistrates. Probably also the "wise men thereof" is a semi-olficial title (cf. V. 8). The power of Tyre was exerted over all her dependen- cies (xxvi. 17), in which men of the highest position entered all ranks of her service. Gebal (the classical Byblos, now Jubeil) is situated not far from the river Adonis (Ibrahim) somewhat over 20 miles N. of Beirut (Josh. xiii. 5; I Kings v. 18, R.V.). The town was devoted to the worship of Beltis (Astarte) and Adonis, cf. on ch. viii. 14. The name appears in the Assyrian inscriptions, Del., Parad. p. 283. thy calkers'] Marg. stoppers of chinks, carpenters. to occupy thy jncrchandisc] to handle thy wares. The representation is that the great ship was attended on by all the ships of the sea with their sailors, who served her and delivered her wares to her, or were occupied about them {v. 11). 10. Her men of war. Her mercenaries were drawn from all quarters of the world. The people called here "they of Persia" appears along with Cush and Phut, African peoples, in the army of Gog, ch. xxxviii. 5, in which, however, northern nations as Gomer and Togarmah are also mustered. The host of Gog includes the nations lying on the outskirts of the known world, and Persia might be named among them, though the first certain men- tion of that country is in Ezr. iv. 5, ix. 9, &c. Others have thought here of some African people. Lud is named, ch. xxx. 5, along with Cush and Phut, as allies of Egypt (Jer. xlvi. 9); and in Gen. x. 13 Ludim is the firstborn of Mizraim (Egypt). In Is. Ixvi. 19 Lud is named after Tarshish, and probably some people lying on the African coast, W. of Egypt, is referred to. Phut (Gen. x. 6) is son of Ham, EZEKIEL 13 194 EZEKIEL, XXVII. [v. ii. they set forth thy comeUness. The men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadims were in thy towers: they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect. and brother of Cush (Ethiopia), Mizraim (Egypt) and Canaan (Phoenicia). In Ez. XXX. 5 (Jer. xlvi. 9; Nah. iii. 9) the people is an ally of Egypt. LXX. renders Lybians. The inhabitants of western Egypt, or those on its western border may be referred to. they hanged the shield] The great ship is still spoken of. A figure of a ship so adorned and dressed with weapons hung on its sides is given in Layard, Nineveh, li. p. 388. The practice of hanging weapons on buildings was not unknown in Israel, Song iv. 4 (i iSlacc. iv. 57). 11. with thine army] It is scarcely possible to render: f?ien of Arvad, they were thine army. Some proper name seems required: the menof Arvad and of... Cornill conjectures Hethlon (xlvii. 15, xlviii. i), others, Cilicia. the Gammadims] A proper name is certainly to be expected, but no place, Gammad, is known. Some have suggested "they of Gomer, ' but an adj. is not formed from Gomer; Corn., Zemarites, Gen. x. 18. Others take the word as an appellative: brave warriors. 12 — 25. The market of Tyre. Several things are to be observed in this passage: i. The representa- tion is not that Tyre is traded with by the nations, though this is the fact lying under the figures employed. The nations are not custoniers of Tyre. Tyre neither buys nor sells, nor does she exchange one article for another. The nations are her merchants, who bring to her wares from every land ; or they are her dependents, and the merchandise which they bring is a tribute which they render her {v. 15). They are her subjects, ministering to her luxury, bringing wares to her, and enriching her. The counterpart to this idea is that she enriches many peoples by bestowing her wealth upon them {v. 33). 2. The passage is artistic. Two words are employed for "to trade," "to be a merchant." The words have little difference of sense and are generally used alternately, e.g. one word in w. 12, 15, 16, 18, 21, the other in vv. 13, 15, 17, 20, 22 seq. Two words also are used in the sense of wares or goods, though hardly differing in meaning. These also are used alternately so as to diversify the phraseology, e.g. the one in w. 12, 14, 16, 18, 22, the other in vv. 13 (15), 17, 19, with other variants of the same sense. Gesen. attributed various senses to these words, as: i, traffic, trading, 2, fair, market-place, and 3, gain, wealth. The words do not appear to differ in meaning, and neither of the two probably has any other sense than the general one of wares. 3. Again, the language is diversified by the adoption of a variety of constructions. The word "give," which receives an extraordinary extension of usage in Ez. and in later Heb. in general (cf. its use in the Apocalypse), is employed in the sense of put, bring, render, &c. That it ever means to "sell" (Ges.) is without evi- dence. The various constructions employed are seen in w. 12, 22 (ace. vv. 12—14.] EZEKIEL, XXVII. 195 Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all 12 kind of riches ; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs. Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy 13 merchants : they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market. They of the house of Togarmah 14 and prep, b, cf. zrv. 13, 17); in vv. 16, 18 (double prep. l>), and in v. 14 (double accus.). These different constructions probably all express the same general meaning. There is much uncertainty in the text, e.g. for "sons of Dedan," v. 15, LXX. reads, sons of the Rhodians, and for Aram (Syria) v. 16, Syriac reads Edom (so LXX. "man"), in both cases by interchange of the similar letters (/and r. V. 19 is certainly out of order, and v. 24 ex- ceedingly obscure. Owing to these obscurities the precise order followed in the enumeration of the nations is involved in some uncertainty, i. w. 12 — 14, the prophet names the nations lying in the widest circle around Tyre, beginning with the furthest west, Tarshish (Spain), and pursuing a line along the north, Javan (Ionia), Tubal (N.of Asia Minor), and Togarmah (Armenia). 1. If Rhodians be read in v. 15, a narrower circle of the Mediterranean coasts would be described. 3. vv. 16 — 19, if Edom be read for Aram, the line traced is from S. to N., along the eastern trade route, Edom, Judah, Damascus. 4. \rvv. 19 Uzal seems certainly to be the name of a place (A. V. "going to and fro") in the S. of Arabia, the other names are Arabian, Dedan, Kedar, Sheba and Raamah. 5. The names in v. 23 seq. are more obscure, and it is not certain whether this be the previous line carried further N. or a new line. 12. The name Tarshish (Tartessus) was given to the district of country lying outside the Straits of Gibraltar on the lower Baetis, the Guadalquiver (Wadi el Keblr, great river). with silver... in thy fair s\ Rather apparently: sil ver... they br ought as thy wares. There is no evidence that the word means "fairs;" in vv. 27, 34 the things so named fall into the waters of the sea. The representation is that all things brought to Tyre were hers, the nations offered them to her as tribute {v. 15). Spain was famous for the metals mentioned ; cf. for silver, Jer. x. 9. Probably Tarshish served as an entrepot for such products found further north, as in the Cassiterides (Scilly Islands) and Cornwall. 13. These three countries, Javan, Tubal and Meshech are usually named together. Gen. x. 2 ; Ezek. xxxii. 26, xxxviii, 2, xxxix. i ; Is. Ixvi. 19. The first is the lonians, the Greeks of Asia Minor, and the two last have usually been identified with the Moschi and Tibareni, lying to the S. and S.E. of the Black Sea. Copper and "souls of men" i.e. slaves, form the contribution of these countries. That Javan traded in slaves appears from Joel iv. 6 ; cf. Am. i. 6, 9. they traded... in thy market^ they brought as thy wares souls of men, &c. The nations are the servants of Tyre, and what they bring is her wares. 14. house of Togarmah^ Usually supposed to be Armenia or part of it. Togarmah lay in the extreme N. of the world known to the 13 — 2 196 EZEKIEL, XXVII. [vv. 15, 16. traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules. x5 The men of Dedan were thy merchants ; many isles were the merchandise of thine hand : they brought thee for a 16 present horns of ivory and ebeny. Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making : they prophet, and the people appears in the army of Gog with other nations from the ends of the earth (ch. xxxviii. 6; cf. Gen. x. 2). Others think of Phrygia or Cappadocia. All these countries were noted for breeding horses. traded in thy fairs with horses'] brought as thy wares, or, com- modities, horses, &c. Horsemen can hardly have been an article of traffic; if the word be original war horses may be intended; 2 Sam. i. 6. The ancients did not use the horse for labour. LXX. omits vizdes, a somewhat similar word, and possibly (as Corn, conjectures) only two words should be read : horses and mules. 15. men of Dedan] lit. sons of Dedan ; LXX. sons of the Rhodians (r being read for d, as often). Dedan occurs again v, 20, in connexion with Arabian tribes, and in xxv. 13 it appears to be placed S. of Edom, being either part of that country or bordering on it (cf. Jer. xlix. 8, xxv. 23; Is. xxi. 13). Here, however, Dedan is connected with coast lands and must be another. Hence it has usually been placed on the Persian Gulf. Ivory and ebony, the articles in which it traded, might be Indian products. On the other hand the Phoenicians certainly had colonies in Rhodes; and if Rhodians were the true reading the "isles" would be the coasts of the Mediterranean. merchandise of thitie hand] If "merchandise" be the right reading the abstract term is used for "merchants." The phrase "of thy hand" means under thee, doing thy service, cf. v. 21. horns of ivory] Tusks of elephants, so called from their resemblance to horns. Ebony, the other article referred to, was brought from India and Ethiopia. The African ebony was most esteemed. If Rhodians be read reference would be to the traffic between Phoenicia and the interior of Africa, the intermediaries of which were Rhodes and the sea-coasts of the Mediterranean. Rawlin. (Phwiiicia, p. 287) mentions that many objects in ivory have been found in Cyprus. brought thee for a present. Rather: horns Of ivory... they rendered to thee as tribute, lit. rendered as thy tribute. Tyre is the mistress to whom the nations are subject, and the merchandise they bring is a tribute which they render to her. 16. For Syria (Aram) the Syr. reads Edom, and so in effect LXX. (interchange old and r as v. 15). If Edom be read the line pursued would be from S. to N., Edom, v. 16, Judah, v. 17, Damascus, v. 18. The verse is otherwise peculiar in beginning with a precious stone, then passing on to stuffs and ending with precious stones. wares of thy making] Rather ; by reason of the multitude of thy works, i.e. not those wrought by Tyre, but those which the nations wrought and brought to her, all of which are considered hers. vv. 17—19.] EZEKIEL, XXVII. 197 occupied in thy fairs with emeralds, purple, and broidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate. Judah, and the 17 land of Israel, they were thy merchants : they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm. Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude is of the wares of thy making, for the multitude of all riches ; in the wine of Helbon, and white wool. Dan also and 19 Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs : bright iron, occupied in thy fair s\ Rather: emeralds... they brought as thy wares. The "emerald" according to others is the carbuncle. "Coral" may be "pearls." The two things may have been confused; both were fished in the Persian Gulf. The "agate" may be the ruby. The precious stones might seem in favour of Edom, but the fine linen is more naturally the Syrian byssus. LXX. omits all the textile fabrics with the exception of broidered work ; and the text must be held uncertain. 17. Judah and the land of Israel furnished Tyre with wheat, honey, oil and balsam. traded in thy market wheaiX they brought as thy wares wheat. Minnith is supposed to be the Ammonitish place of that name (Judg. xi. 33). There is something unnatural, however, in Judah and Israel bringing an Ammonitish product to Tyre. It is their own productions th\t the nations bring, or at least the articles are assumed to be their own. LXX. renders "ointments;" and Corn, conjectures "spices" (Gen. xliii. 11; Is. xxxix. 2; 1 Kings xx. 13). The term "pannag" is otherwise unknown; R.V. marg. suggests a kind of confection (Targ.), while Corn, conjectures "wax" (donag). The "honey" re- ferred to is no doubt that of bees, not grape honey. The "balm" mentioned, a product of Gilead (Jer. viii. 22), and of Palestine (Gen, xliii. 11), was not the genuine balm, which was peculiar to Arabia, but an odoriferous resin (LXX. Vulg.) exuding from the mastix tree (Pistaccia lentiscus). 18. wares of thy making\ the multitude of thy works, i.e. the works done for Tyre, all of which are hers. vmltitiide of all riches'] or, because of every kind of riches. wine of Helbon'] This is repeatedly mentioned as a choice wine in the Assyrian inscriptions (Schrad. KAT. p. 425). The Persian kings also preferred it on their table. Cf. Hos. xiv. 7, Song viii. 11. The place is identified with Chalbun, N.E. of Damascus. 7vliite wool] Possibly, wool of Zachar, though a place of this name is unknown. 19. Dan also and Javan] This is certainly incorrect ; none of the verses begins with and or also, and any reference to Dan is out of the question. The word rendered "going to and fro" was translated by Ges. "spun," i.e. yai-n (and so R.V.): Wedau and Javan brought as thy wares yarn. The word is more probably a proper name and to be rendered from Uzal. Uzal (Gen. x. 27) is supposed to be 198 EZEKIEL, XXVII. [vv. 20—23. 20 cassia, and calamus, were in thy market. Dedan was thy 21 merchant in precious clothes for chariots. Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they occupied with thee in laml)s, and 22 rams, and goats : in these 7iiere they thy merchants. The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants : they occupied in thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with 23 all precious stones, and gold, Haran, and Canneh, and identical with San'aa, the capital of Yemen in S. Arabia. LXX. omits wedan and for Javan reads "wine" (a similar word). The text is probably in disorder. In all other cases the phrase "brought as thy wares" ends the verse, and possibly the first words of v. 19 should be attached to v. 18. So LXX. which reads v. 19, "from Uzal (Azel) came wrought-iron" &c. Corn, follows LXX., supplying all the words after Helbon out of the Assyrian wine lists : wine of Helbon and Zimin and Arnaban they brought to thy market. From Uzal came wrought iron &c. As the verse stands it may read : "Wedan and Javan of Uzal furnished thy wares; bright iron, cassia and calamus were among thy goods" — though the most serious objections occur to the rendering. The "bright iron" may refer to sword blades, for which Yemen was famous. The calamus or sweet cane (Jer. vi. 20 ; Is. xliii. 24) supplied one of the ingredients of the holy oil for anointing the priests (Ex. xxx. 23, 24), and so did the cassia. 20. On Dedan cf. v. 15; Gen. xxv. 3; Ezek. xxv. 13. precious clothes for chariots'] Or, saddle cloths for riding. 21. occupied with thee] Lit. 'were the meirhauts of thy hand, i.e. serving thee. Cf. Is. Ix. 7, "all the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered unto thee." The Arab nomads were rich in flocks. Kedar (Gen. xxv. 13, second son of Ishmael) was an important people toward the N. of Arabia. In Is. Ix. 7 they are named along with the Naba- theans; in Jer. xlix. 28 they are threatened with destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, as they were threatened at an earlier time with an attack from the Assyrians (Is. xxi. 16). Outside of scripture they are mentioned first in the inscriptions of Assurbanipal (667 — 626 B.C.), where they are represented as dwelling between the gulf of Akaba and Babylon. Cf. the ref. Jer. ii. 10. 22. merchants of S helm] The abode of this people was in the S.W. of Arabia, the ruins of their capital Marib still remain, six days' journey E. of San'aa, the capital of Yemen. Their caravans (Job vi. 19) traded to Syria and other countries with gold, precious stones and aromatics (i Kings x. 2, 10; Is. Ix. 6; Jer. vi. 20; Ps. Ixxii. 10, 15). occupied in thy fairs] they brought chief of all spices... as thy wares. Raamah was son of Cush and father of Sheba and Dedan (Gen. X. 7). Raamah probably lay on the Persian Gulf. 23. The places named may be regarded as an extension of the line from S. to N. in w. 19 — 22, though the names are given rather in the order W. to E. Harran in Mesopotamia, two days' journey S.E. of Edessa, on a branch of the Euphrates, was a sacred city and V. 24.] EZEKIEL, XXVII. 199 Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, a7id Chilmad, were thy merchants. These were thy merchants in all sorts oi-^A things, in blue clothes, and broidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords, and made of cedar, place of pilgrimage, and also an emporium of trade. The defeat of Crassus by the Parthians took place there. Canneh may be Calneh (Gen. X. 10; Am. vi. 2), otherwise Calno {Is. x. 9), a city in Babylonia. Its site has not been identified. Von Gutschmidt (Ency. Brit., art. Phoenicia) identifies Canneh with Csense. Eden, spelled somewhat differently from the Eden of Paradise, is elsewhere named in connexion with Haran, Is. xxxvii. 12 (2 Kings xix. 12), and said to be in Telassar (Tel Asshur). the ?nerchanis of Sheba] It is strange that these should be men- tioned again {v. 22). For "Eden. ..Sheba" LXX. reads: these were thy merchants, i.e. Haran and Canneh. It has been supposed that the merchants of Sheba frequented the fairs of Haran and thence made their way westward along the trade route to Phenicia. Asshtir and Chilmad] LXX. reads aW between the words. Asshur if taken in its usual sense would be Assyria. Others think of Sura, or Essurieh, on the Euphrates. G. Smith conjectured that Chilmad was Kalwadha near Bagdad. LXX. renders Charman, which suggests Caramania. The rendering: "Asshur was as thine apprentice in traffic" (Hitz. Corn.), besides being a conceit, misses the whole idea of the chapter. 24. The first half of the verse may read : These were thy merchants with splendid apparel, cloaks of purple and broidered work. The second half is obscure owing to the occurrence of some words not found elsewhere. in chests of rich apparel] The term rendered "chests" occurs Esth. iii. 9, iv. 7 in the sense of "treasures," from root to hide, lay up, a sense common to all the dialects. In Eth. it means to wind in grave- clothes for purposes of burial, but has no special reference to clothing or textile fabrics. The sense "chests" is without evidence. A term virtually the same as that rendered "rich apparel" occurs in Assyrian of stuffs for clothing (Schr. KAT. pp. 213 — 16); and a similar word is used of the night heavens, according to Jensen {Babylonian Cosmog. p. 6 seq.) from the mixed colour, blue-gray. It appears used of fabrics woven of differently coloured materials. bound with cords] This would refer to the " chests," but this is not probable. More likely: with cords twined and durable, the "cords" themselves being the article of commerce. "Cords" can hardly be thread. The rendering "made of cedar" is altogether unhkely, some sense like strong, firm or durable is more probable. The cords were probably of wool as well as of flax, of divers colours, and used for fastening hangings or other purposes. Est. i. 6. The Babylonian weav- ing was very celebrated, cf. xvi. 10, xxiii. 6, also the "Babylonish garment," Josh. vii. 21. 200 EZEKIEL, XXVII. [vv. 25— 28. 25 among thy merchandise. The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market : and thou wast replenished, and made 26 very glorious in the midst of the seas. Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters : the east wind hath broken 27 "thee in the midst of the seas. Thy riches, and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy calkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war, that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day 28 of thy ruin. The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the 25. The "ships of Tarshish" here are deep-sea ships, great ships trading to the most distant coasts, Is. ii. 16; Ps. xlviii. 7. did sing of thee\ For this Ges. suggested "were thy caravans" from a verb signifying to travel (Is. Ivii. 9). The camel has been called the ship of the desert, but conversely to call an east indiaman a caravan is too brilliant for the prophet. Probably by a slight change of reading : the ships of Tarshish did serve thee with (in) thy wares {^v. 13, 17 &c.), cf. Is. Ix. 9, 10, and above v. 9. So Aquila (Field). made very gloriousl Rather : and wast heavily laden. The figure of a mistress served by all nations, who bring wares and riches to her from all lands, passes here again into the idea of the vessel deeply laden with cargo, and therefore more easily shipwrecked and broken in dangerous waters. 26 — 31. The vessel steered by her pilots into dangerous WATERS, IS shipwrecked AND HER CARGO AND CREW CAST INTO THE SEA (vv. 26, 27). DlSMAV AND LAMENTATION OF ALL SEAFARING MEN (w. 28— 3 1). 26. The allegory does not need interpretation. How far her states- men precipitated the fall of Tyre is unknown ; it was the east-wind that broke her in the heart of the sea— a force above that of men (Ps. xlviii. 7). 27. and thy fairs'] thy wares. The verse is interesting for the enu- meration which it gives both of the crew and cargo. The cargo is de- scribed in three words : riches, wares and merchandise — the last two words meaning the same thing virtually, though differing in shade of idea. The verse shews that any such rendering as "fair," "market" for these terms cannot be sustained, the things are here said to fall into the heart of the seas, cf. vv. 33, 34. The crew consists of (i) sailors, (2) pilots, (3) calkers (carpenters), (4) handlers of the wares, and (5) men of war. and in all thy company'] even all th.y. 28. the stdmrbs] According to tradition (Baer, Ezek.) the term here is differently pointed from that rendered "suburbs," e.g. ch. xlv. 2. The latter term means the free space surrounding a city or building. If the sense of the present word were the same reference would be to vv. 29— 36. EZEKIEL, XXVII. 201 cry of thy pilots. And all that handle the oar, the mariners, 29 and all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships, they shall stand upon the land ; and shall cause their 30 voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust upon their heads, they shall wallow them- selves in the ashes : and they shall make themselves utterly 31 bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart a?id bitter wailing. And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for 32 thee, and lament over thee, sayitig, What city is like Tyrus, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea ? When thy wares 33 went forth out of the seas, thou filledst many people ; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise. /// the time when thou shalt 34 be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall. All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished 35 at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid, they shall be troubled in their countenance. The merchants among the 36 the lands or coasts in the vicinity of Tyre, a sense far from natural. Jerome conjectured "fleets" (Ew.). In Is. Ivii. 20 the verb describes the violent action of the waters of the sea (Am. viii. 8), and A. V. marg. suggests waves here — tlie waves shall quake at the cry of thy pilots, 29. All seafaring men raise a lamentation over the shipwreck of the gallant vessel. 30. heard against f/iee] over thee. On first sign of sorrow cf. Job ii. 12, and on second Jer. vi. 26; Mic. i. 10; Est. iv. i. ' 31. For these signs of grief cf. ch. vii. 18; Is. xv. 2, xxii. 12 ; Jer. xvi. 16, xlvii. 5 ; Mic. i. 16. 32 — 36. Lament over Tyre. The lament appears to be in elegiac metre. The word "wailing" is a contracted form (ni — nehi). JV/iai city] Rather : who is like Tyre. l/i'e the destroyed^ The form is very obscure, but nothing better has been proposed. 33. thy wares went forth'] i.e. when they were landed from the sea on many shores many peoples were filled, cf. Is. xxiii. 3 (R.V.). 34. the time when thou shalt be] Rather : what time thou art broken ; or with further change of points : now art thou brokoi from the seas. ..thy merchandise. ..are fallen. The reading "time" is diffi- cult, though cf. Jer. ii. 17. 36. among the people] peoples. "Hiss" here is hardly the expres- 202 EZEKIEL, XXVIII. [vv. i, 2. people shall hiss at thee ; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more. 28 The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son "^ of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God ; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas ; sion of malicious joy, rather of astonishment and dismay, or other vivid emotion, i Kings ix. 8. shalt be a terror\ lit. terrors, i.e. destructions — thou shalt be utterly destroyed, cf. xxvi. 21. Ch. XXVIII. The fall ok the prince of Tyre. The chapter has three parts : (i) vv. I — 10. The sinful pride of the prince of Tyre and his destruction. (2) w. 11 — 19. Lament over his fall and expulsion from the garden of God. (3) vv. 20 — 26. To this is added a prophecy against Sidon. 1 — 10. The sin of the prince of Tyre (jw. r — 5), and his DESTRUCTION {vV. 6 — lo). The prince of Tyre of the time was probably Ithobal II. It is not, however, any individual prince that the prophet threatens, but the ruler of Tyre, who is the embodiment of the spirit of the proud com- mercial city. The sin with which the prophet charges the prince is pride of heart and self-deification. The prince — who is but the im- personation of the spirit of the community — was very wise, wiser than Daniel {v. 3). His wisdom expressed itself and found scope in his commerce and manufactures and in his arts. These produced wealth and splendour, which led to ungodly arrogance (z/f. 4, 5) : the prince said, I am God, I dwell in the abode of God {v. 2). For this deifying of himself in his own mind he shall be brought down. Strangers, the most terrible of the nations, shall assail him, and he shall die the death of the uncircumcised — those whose bodies are unburied or unhonoured in their burial. 2. am a God\ I am God. Ezekiel speaks from his own point of view, which recognizes but one God, not from that of polytheism. The prince set his heart as the heart of God ; he felt and acted as if divine. There is not the slightest allusion, of course, to actual worship being paid to the prince ; it is his own feeling alone, his pride and self- exaltation, that is referred to. / sit in the scat of God\ Naturally the prince speaks of his own abode. Tyre ; but he regards it as divine. He is God and it is the seat of God. There is no doubt allusion to the idea that there was a seat of God or the gods ; the prince identified Tyre with it. The beauty and splendour of the place, its richness and renown, possibly vv. 3— 9] EZEKIEL, XXVIII. 203 yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God : behold, thou art wiser than 3 Daniel ; there is no secret that they can hide from thee : with thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast ^ gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasures : by thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou 5 increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches : therefore thus saith the Lord God ; Because 6 thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God ; behold there- 7 fore, I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations : and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. They 8 shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths oi them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Wilt 9 thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God? but also its isolation, make it something not of the earth. In Is. xiv. the king of Babylon affects to seat himself beside the Most High, here the prince of Tyre identifies himself with God. 3. wiser than Daniel] Cf. on ch. xiv. 14. The language appears ironical. It does not follow from the allusion that the story of Daniel was known in Tyre. no secret... hide] Or, no secret is hidden. In xxxi. 8 the word seems to mean "be equal to," "come up to." This sense would require a personal subject, which might be got if the term " no secret," lit. no closed, could be taken as Numb. xxiv. 3, 5 closed of eyes, i.e. inspired. The versions differ widely from one anotlier. V. 4 seq. The wisdom of the prince, who is but the incarnation of the spirit of the city, displayed itself in his commercial enterprise, in his skill in arts and manufactures, for which the Tyrians were famous, and thus he amassed such riches and surrounded himself with such splendour that he deemed himself God [v. 6). Already Homer calls the Sidonians poluddidaloi {II. 23. 743). V. 7 seq. His chastisement because of his self-deification. As Nebu- chadnezzar affected to set himself in the sides of the North but was brought down to the sides of the pit, the prince of Tyre shall die an ignominious death. The "terrible" i.e. most terrible of the nations are the Chaldeans, cf. the prophet's contemporary Hab. i. 6—10. See ch. vii. 21, 24, XXX. II, xxxi. 12, xxxii. 12. the beauty of t/iy wisdom] The beauty is not regarded as the product of his wisdom, but rather as the expression of it, that in which it clothes itself. Cf. V. 12. defile tiiy brightness] profane, cf. 2/. 17. The term "profane "is used on account of the prince's assumption of divinity. 8. deaths of ...slain] The deatb. 204 EZEKIEL, XXVIII. [v. lo. thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hand of him that lo sla) eth thee. Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised 9. but thou shalt be] Rather : whUst thou art man, and not God. The last clause "in the hand," &c. is wanting in LXX. 10. _ deaths of the uncircumcised] the death. The term uncircum- cised is employed by the prophet not in its usual sense but in reference to the dead, who suffer death from the sword, and whose bodies either lie unburied and dishonoured or are flung indiscriminately into the earth with no funeral honours. Deprivation of burial did not hinder the dead persons from descending into Sheol, the place of the dead, but the dishonour done them here followed them there, and they were sub- ject to reproach. Cf. tlie same representation Is. xiv. 19, 20, where it is an entne misconception to consider "stones of the pit" to refer to a paved mausoleum, and thus a sumptuous burial. The stones of the pit are the lowest pit. 12 — 19. Lament over the fall of the prince of Tyre. The passage is of extreme difficulty partly from the obscurity of several expressions in it, which do not occur again, and partly from allusions not now intelligible. The general drift of the passage is plain. (\) w. 12 — 15- T'le prince of Tyre is represented as a glorious being placed in Eden the garden of God. He was the perfection of beauty, was set on the mountain of God, and was perfect in his ways from the day he was created till iniquity was found in him. (2) z>z<. 16 — 19. He fell from his high place through pride because of the multitude of his riches, and was therefore expelled from the garden of God. — Towards the end of the passage the allegory of a being in paradise is departed from and the actual circumstances of the prince and his city are more literally referred to. The text of LXX. diverges in important particu- lars from the Heb. Particular difficulties, however, are numerous, i. The expression "sealest up the sum," v. 11 is very obscure. For the participle "seal- est " the ancient versions read signet or ring. That there is reference to a ring seems plain from v. 13. 2. Again the cherub is referred to. There can be no doubt that the prophet has in his mind the story of Paradise (Gen. ii. iii.). The chemb naturally belongs to the Paradise of God. In the Heb. text, as at present pointed (though the pointing is very anomalous) the prince is compared to the cherub, or said to be or have been the cherul). The text, however, permits the reading ^oitk or beside the cherub (v. 14, so LXX.). The prince sinned and was expelled from the garden of God where he was placed. The idea of the prophet is that pride and self-deification was the sin of the prince and caused his expulsion. This, however, in Ezek. is the sin of all the foreign princes or nations, Egypt no less than Tyre, and cannot be held part of a tradition of the Fall, or of paradise. That the prophet does refer to a fall and expulsion from paradise or destruction of the trans- gressor seems plain [w. 16, 17). But any fall of the cherub is not hinted at anywhere in the Old Test. ; on the contrary the cherubs are vv. II— 13.] EZEKIEL, XXVIII. 205 by the hand of strangers : for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God ; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God ; every precious stone represented as watchers and protectors of the garden of God against men (Gen. iii. 24). There are references in the Old Test, to the sin of higher beings (eg. Gen. vi. i; Is. xxiv. 21), but the prophet's allusions to the chenibs in other places make it very improbable that he should think of them as sinning. 3. It is probable, therefore, that it is the history of the first man that floats before his mind. The term "created" applied to the prince would hardly be used of the cherub. It is not unlikely, however, that Ezek. is in possession of tra- ditions regarding Paradise more ample than those in Gen. or difilercnt from them. At the same time the divergences may be due to his own tendency to idealize. The prince of Tyre is represented as wiser than all men, even than Daniel ; and in Job xv. 7, 8 the first man born is spoken of as possessing supernatural wisdom. The prophet might have before his mind that Wisdom which was the first of God's works of old (I'rov. viii.), and his architect in creation, and who realized herself in the symmetry of the universe. 12. king of Tyriis\ The prophet appears to use the terms king and prince (nagid, or nasi') indifferently. LXX. of Ezek. reserves the term "king" for the rulers of Babylon and Egypt, except in general expres- sions like "kings of the earth," or, of the nations (xxvii. 33, 35, xxxii. 10). sealest up the sii7n'\ The term "sum' only again ch. xliii. 10 of the construction or idea of the temple, there rendered "pattern." The verb is used of the work of God in ordering creation by weight and measure, Job xxviii. 25; Is. xl. 12, 13. The phrase "thou sealest" is pointed as part, art the sealer of, but some MSS. and the ancient Versions read art the sealring of. To "seal" has always the natural sense, or means to close up, fasten up ; it seems nowhere to mean to round off, com- plete or consummate. LXX. omits "full of wisdom," and the first words are in parallelism to "the perfection of beauty." This would suggest that the first words describe what the prince is or was, not what he did. The term rendered "sum" may mean symmetry (perfection), and the whole : thou wast the sealring of symmetry (perfection), and the perfection of beauty. In this case the prince is compared to a seal- ring of exquisite workmanship. On the other hand if part, be read, " thou wast the sealer of symmetry," the conception of something im- pressing symmetry (upon all things) seems expressed. There might then be an allusion to the Wisdom ; cf. the comparison of light to a seal Job xxxviii. 14. 13. Thou hast l>een] thou wast in Eden. The term rendered "cover- 's 2o6 EZEKIEL, XXVIII. [v. 14. was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold : the workmanship of thy tabi ets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that 14 thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth ; and I have set thee so : thou wast upon the holy ing" does not occur again. Possibly "emerald" and "carbuncle" should be transposed. These precious stones are mentioned in sets of three, being nine in number, to which LXX. adds three more, the ligure, the agate and the amethyst, as in the high-priest's breastplate (Ex. xxviii. 19), while Syr. redu'^es the number to eight. Possibly the original number may have been very much smaller. thy tabrets and of thy pipes] It is obvious that timbrels and pipes are out of place here. It is also probable that the preceding words and go/ (i showlil be disjoined from the list of jirecious stones. Render: and of gold was the workmanship of thy sockets and grooves. Refer- ence is unmistakeably to the setting of precious stones, and while possi- bly a person might be supposed to be covered or clotiied with the jewels mentioned, the phrase "thy sockets" seems to recall the figure of the ring. The phrase "was prepared" is wanting in LXX. and the last words "in the day that thou wast created" should probably go to the next verse. 14. Tho2( art the anointed\ The word " thou" is pointed here ano- malously as Num. xi. 15; Deut. v. ■24. It may more naturally be read tuith or beside. The terms rendered "anointed" and "that covereth" are wanting in LXX. (also in v. 16). No meaning can be attached to anointed cherub, probably: cherub with spreading wings. The other phrase " that covereth" is used to describe the cheruljim over the mercy- seat whose wings covered it and (at least in the temple of Solomon) extended from wall to wall of the most holy place (Ex. xxv. 20, xxxvii. 9; I Chr. xxviii. 18). In these passages LXX. renders the word rightly " overshadowing." / have set thce\ I set thee. holy 7noiintain of Cod] Different representations of the abode of God were current ; it was sometimes spoken of as a mountain and sometimes as a garden. The mountain here is the same as the garden of z'. 13, cf. V. 16. It is the abode of God, where the cherub was and where the prince was placed on the day when he was created. The allusion to the mount of assembly in Is. xiv. 13 is obscure. The combinations of Del. {Parad.) and Jeremias (Bab. Assyr. Vorstelliingen votn Leben tiach dem Tode) are controverted by Jensen, who makes it probable that Aralu, the " mountain of the countries," is not a special mountain on the earth, but the earth itself conceived as a mountain, under which lay the pri- mary ocean. Neither is there the slightest foundation for the supposi- tion that the prophet compares the prince of Tyre to a Gryph guarding treasure upon the mountain of God. vv. 15—17.] EZEKIEL, XXVIII. 207 mountain of God ; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways 15 from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have 16 filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned : therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God : and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up be- 17 hast walked up and dorvn'] didst walk in the midst of (the) stones of fire. The "stones of fire" might be flashing precious stones (Assyr. aban ishdti, precious stone, Frd. Del.,/'ar. p. 118); more probably there is some reference to the phenomena attending the divine presence and manifestation, ch. i. 13, x. 6, cf. Is. vi. 6; Ps. xviii. 14. Among the JVIuhammedans the shooting stars are held to be thunderbolts hurled at the eavesdropping demons who pry into the divine secrets. 16. The sin and fall of the prince. The terms " the day when thou wast created" are very unsuitable if applied to the cherub. The sons of God existed before creation, Job xxxviii. 7. 16. By the nmltitude] Or, in the multitude. they have filled] Or, thy midst (heart) was filled with wrong, and thou didst sin. LXX., thou didst fill. therefore I will cast] therefore have I cast. The destruction of the prince is described as completed, lit. therefore have I profaned thee (casting thee) out of the mountain. aitd I will destroy thee] More probably: and the (covering) cherub hath destroyed thee (driving thee) from the midst of the stones of fire. The construction as ist pers. I have destroyed is possible, but quite im- probable. The cherub is rather regarded as active in the expulsion from Paradise; in Gen. iii. 24, he is represented as barring the return of those whom God had expelled. With the words wanting in LXX. put in square brackets the verses would read : " Thou art the (a) seal of symmetry, [full of wisdom], and the perfection of beauty. 13 Thou wast in Eden the garden of God ; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, the topaz and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx and the jaspar, the sapphire, the carbuncle and the emerald ; and gold was the workmanship of thy sockets and grooves in thee in the day that thou wast created" [they were prepared]. Or, drawing the last words to the beginning of v. 14. — 14 "In the day that thou wast created I set thee with the [outspread, the covering] cherub, thou wast in the holy mountain of God, in the midst of the stones of fire [thou didst walk]. 1 5 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16 In the multitude of thy traffic thy midst was filled with wrong [LXX, thou didst fill], and thou didst sin : therefore I have profaned thee (and cast thee) from the mountain of God ; and the [covering] cherub hath de- stroyed thee (driving thee) from the midst of the stones of fire." 17. The prince's sin was self-exaltation because of his beauty and 2o8 EZEKIEL, XXVIII. [vv. i8, 19. cause of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness : I will cast thee to the ground, I 18 will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine ini- quities, by the iniquity of thy traffick ; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all 19 them that behold thee. All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee : thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more. wisdom. The prince is but the representative of the city and its inhabitants ; the beauty of the one (xxvii. 3) and the wisdom of the other (xxvii. 8, 9) are attributed to him. The prophet's own deep humihty before Jehovah makes him recoil from the self-exaltation of men elsewhere. corrupted thy wisdom} i.e. lost thy wisdom over, or amidst, thy splendour. The tenses "I will cast" &c. are all perfects, the threat taking the form of an accomplished judgment. that they may behold tlice\ i.e. as a spectacle to feast their eyes upon. 18. defiled thy sanctuaries'] profaned. The phrase occurs ch. vii. 24 ; here, however, where the prince is spoken of, " sanctity" or per- sonal sacredness rather than "sanctuary" seems the sense required. It is doubtful if the word can bear this meaning. LXX. reads : be- cause of the multitude of thine iniquities in the wrong of thy traffic / have profaned thy sanctuaries, and I have brought forth a fire. The tenses are all in the perfect of threatening, and the threats here pass away from the prince and apply more to the city. On "fire" cf. ch. xix. I4. bring thee to ashes] have brought, perf. of threatening. Any refer- ence to the Phenix, consumed in a self-kindled fire, has little probabi- lity. The idea of the city, of the spirit and activity of which the king is the embodiment, tends more and more to take the place of the idea of the king. This is evident from the closing words v. 19, whicli are identical with those referring to the city, ch. xxvii. 36. For people read peoples as usual. 19. shalt be a terror] Cf. xxvi, 21, xxvii. 36. 20 — 26. Prophecy against Sidon. See on ch. xxv. i. The passage has three parts : (i) w. 20 — 23. The Lord shall send great judgments on Zidon, by which means he shall get his greatness and holiness recognised, and they shall know that he is God. (2) v. 24. Thus shall all that vex Israel round about come to an end and cease. (3) vv. 25, 26. Israel when restored shall thus dwell securely, all that were hostile to her having lieen removed ; and she shall know Jehovah her God to be God alone. These words suggest the explanation both of the judg- vv. 20— 26.] EZEKIEL, XXVIII. 209 20 21 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Zidon, and prophesy against it, and say, Thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I am against 22 thee, O Zidon ; and I will be glorified in the midst of thee : and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have executed judgments in her, and shall be sanctified in her. For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her 23 streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side ; and they shall know that I am the Lord. And there shall be no more a 24 pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them ; and they shall know that I am the Lord God. Thus saith 25 the Lord God ; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build 26 houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with con- mt-nts upon the nations and of the position which they occupy in the prophet's Book. See introd. to ch. xxv. 21. In Gen. x. 15 Zidon is the firstborn of Canaan, and it was pro- bably the parent city of Tyre, which lies twenty miles further south. The modern town bears the name Saida. See chart of Sidon in Rawl. Phenic. p. 66. 22. be glorified^ Or, get me glory (honour). So for " be sanc- tified " get me sanctifying, or shew myself holy. To get sanctifying for himself is to get recognition as God alone, and that which God alone is. To " get glory" is a part of to get sanctifying. 23. wounded... be judged\ Rather: shall fall, or, fall thick, if the word be read as an intensive. The judgments on Zidon shall bring home to her that there is a great God and that He has sent them. This God is Jehovah God of Israel, God alone. The prophet speaks from his own belief. 24. "Brier" is "thorn" ch. ii. 6 (slightly different form). The term "pricking" is used of the leprosy (Lev. xiii. 51, fretting). 25. Read peoples for people. sa7ictified in them] i.e. through them, in their restoration. Jehovah is sanctified through the chastisement of the nations who distress His people, and He is sanctified through His people's restoration. On "sanctify" cf. v. 22. my servant Jcuob] Cf. ch. xxxvii. 25 ; the phrase already in Jer. XXX. 10, and frequently in Is. xl. — Ixvi. 26. dwell safely] Or, with confidence, feelittg secure, Jer. xxiii. 6 ; EZEKIEL 14 2IO EZEKIEL, XXVIII. [v. 26. fidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them ; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God. Am. ix. 14; Is. Ixv. 21; Ezek. xxxiv. 27, xxxviii. 8, xxxix. 26. An illustration of the promise is seen in ch. xxxviii. — ix. kno'cv that I am the Lord] This oft-repeated phrase is not a mere formula. The prophet's idea is that Jehovah does all, brings all cala- mities, causes all catastrophes and revolutions in states, and guides the fortunes of Israel in the sight of the nations, with one great design in view — to make himself, the true and only God, known to all mankind. Ch. XXIX.— XXXII. Prophecy against Egypt. With the exception of the passage ch. xxix. 17—21 the prophecies again.st Egypt belong to a time shortly anterior to the fall of Jerusalem or shortly after it. Ch. xxix. is dated about seven months before the capture of the city; ch. xxx. 20 seq. about four months, and ch. xxxi. about two months before that event, while ch. xxxii. falls somewhat more than a year and a half later than the destruction. The active participation of Egypt in the affairs of Israel all this time, the hopes reposed in her by the people (Lam. iv. 17), and the disappointments caused by her, explain the large space devoted by the prophet to her character and her destinies in the purposes of Jehovah. The general thought prevailing in the prophecy is the same as that in other parts of Ezekiel's book, viz. that Jehovah, God of Israel, is the one true God, and that all the movements among the nations, the overthrow of some and the triumphs of others, are his operations, and that they are but parts of a general rule and direction of the world, the design of which is to make himself known to all the nations as the one livin'g and true God. The two sins for which Egypt, represented by Pharaoh, is chastised are, first, pride of heart which recognizes no God above it, which says. My River is mine, I have made it (xxix. 3) ; and second, the deceptive fascination which the imposing and pretentious power of the Nile valley exerted on the people of God, seducing them away from trust in Jehovah alone (cf. Is. xxx. 1—5, xxxi. i — 3), and proving always a delusive support (xxix. 6, 7). This reed which, so far from supporting, pierced the hand that leant on it, must be broken for ever, that in the future (the new age about to dawn) the people of Jehovah may no more be tempted to trust in it. Egypt, however, is a different kind of power both from the petty peoples like Edom and Moab, and from Tyre the great commercial mart of the nations. The smaller nations suffer because of their despite against Israel, and in suffering they learn what Jehovah is. Tyre did not affect to be a conqueror. She was the lady at whose feet the nations laid their tribute of precious ores and jewels, rich cloths and sweet perfumes. The prince of Tyre prided himself upon his wisdom, his skill in seamanship and commerce, his brilliant ingenuity in the arts, and on his beauty and splendour. Tfie sin of Tyre was EZEKIEL, XXVIII. 211 this ungodly pride of mind, and this wholly secular devotion to trade. But Egypt is a world power. It rules nations (xxix. 15). It is a great cedar, envied by the trees in the garden of God (xxxi. 9), in the branches of which all the fowls of heaven nest, and under the shadow of which all the beasts of the field bring forth (xxxi. 6). It aspires to universal dominion. Hence in treating of it the prophet's mind takes a wider sweep. He thinks of Jehovah as God over all, and of his operations as embracing the world. The judgment of Egypt is the day of the Lord (xxx. 3); it is the time of the Gentiles. Hence its overthrow is felt over the world (xxxii. 10). Creation shudders; the waters stand motionless (xxxi. 15). Jehovah is known to the ends of the earth (xxx. 19, 26). Each of the four chapters is formed in the main upon the same model, containing first, a general threat of destruction upon Egypt, represented by the Pharaoh, under some allegorical designation (e.g. the crocodile) ; secondly, a more particular detail of the instrument whom Jehovah shall use (the king of Babylon), the destruction of the country and the dispersion of its inhal)itants; to which, thirdly, in several of the chapters a description is added of the effect on the nations and all creation which these terrible convulsions shall produce. These events shall be done on the stage of the world, with mankind as spectators ; Jehovah shall brandish his sword in the eyes of the nations, and nature and men will shudder (xxxii. 10). Ch. xxxii. ends with a dirge chanted over the interment of Pharaoh, which is one of the most weird passages in literature. Ch. xxix. General threat of Judgment on Pharaoh AND HIS people. (i) w. I — 7. Pharaoh is presented under the allegory of a great crocodile inhabiting the wateis of the land, and the population as fishes. Jehovah with his hook shall draw him out of his waters, with his fishes cleaving to his scales, and shall cast his carcase upon the desert, where the fowls and the beasts shall batten on him. The causes of this judgment on Pharaoh and his people are, his ungodly pride (v. 3), and the fact that he has always proved a delusive confidence to Israel, seducing them from their single trust in Jehovah {vv. 6, 7). (2) vv. 8^12. Explanation of the allegory. A great conqueror, stirred up by Jehovah, will overthrow Pharaoh, destroy his people and desolate his land. The inhabitants shall be scattered into all countries, and Egypt shall remain utterly desolate, trodden by the foot neither of man nor beast, for the space of forty years. (3) vv. 13 — 16. At the end of forty years Egypt shall be restored, but only to attain the rank of a mean power, meaner than all the kingdoms of the earth. It shall no more rule over nations, and no more from its imposing greatness be a temptation to the people of Jehovah to put their trust in it. The term of forty years is considered by the prophet the time of Chaldean supremacy. At the end of this period the world shall be revolutionised. (4) vv. 17 — 21. A passage of date 570 B.C., probably inserted after 14 2 212 EZEKIEL, XXIX. [vv. 1—5. 29 In the tenth year, in the tenth month, in the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, 3 and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt : speak, and say, Thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said. My river is mine 4 own, and I have made it for myself. But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy 5 scales. And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers : thou shalt fall upon the open fields; thou shalt not be brought together, nor the prophecies against Egypt had been I'educed to writing — hardly after the book had been published — and suggested by the termination of Nebuchadnezzar's thirteen years' siege of Tyre. It consists of a promise to Nebuchadnezzar that Egypt shall be given him as a recom- pense for the service which he served in Jehovah's behalf against Tyre, for which service he failed at Tyre to obtain the adequate reward. 1 — 7. Pharaoh under the allegory of the crocodile, and the popu- lation as fishes. Jehovah draws him out of the waters with his hook and flings him on the land. 3. the great dragon] i.e. the crocodile. Conversely the present Arabs with some humour name the crocodile "Pharaoh." viidst of his rivers] The Nile arms and canals. Afy river is 7iiine] The Nile. The prophet is well aware what the Nile is to Egypt, and he represents Pharaoh, who, just like the prince of Tyre, is the impersonation of the spirit and disposition of the people of Egypt, as equally well aware. The Nile is the life and the wealth of the land. And Pharaoh in his pride claims to be the creator, the author of it. To the prophet's profoundly religious mind this is blasphemous arrogance. made it for myself] A peculiar construction, but not impossible, of Zech. vii. 5. 4. with hooks. This is suggested by the monster inhabiting the waters. Possibly the crocodile was occasionally caught with hooks, as Herodotus affirms (cf. ch. xxxii. 3), although Job xli. i seems to doubt the practicability of it. On "hooks," ch. xxxviii. 4; Is. xxxvii. 29. fisk of thy rivers] A figure for the population of the country of rivers; hardly merely for the army of Pharaoh. 5. 7vill leave thee thrown] I will tlirow thee dovm upon. brought together] does not differ from "gathered," meaning "buried," cf. Jer. viii. 2, xvi. 4, xxv. 33. The great dragon's carcase shall be vv. 6-IO.] EZEKIEL, XXIX. 213 gathered : I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven. And all the in- 6 habitants of Egypt shall know that I «;« the Lord, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. When ^ they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break, and rent all their shoulder : and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand. Therefore thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I tvill bring a 8 sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee. And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste ; and 9 they shall know that I am the Lord : because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made //. Behold therefore, I 10 a/n against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of flung upon the fields, which means death to the water monster; and the fowls and beasts shall feed on it. It is not necessary to allegorize the fowls and beasts, they belong to the figure of the carcase, ch. xxxix. 17 seq.; Is. xviii. 6; Jer. vii. 33, xxxiv. 20. 6. The people of Egypt shall learn as of old who it is that sends such judgments upon them. staff of reed] A staff or stay which was but a reed, and broke when leant upon (v. 7). Cf. Is. xxxvi. 6; 2 Kings xviii. ■zi. The figure of the reed was natural when speaking of Egypt. 7. took hold... by thy hand] Rather: take hold of thee with the hand, as Heb. marg. All the verbs are better put in the present: take hold... dost break., dost rend, &c. madest... to be at a stand] Rather: makest all loins to shake (reading him'adta for ha'amadta, Ps. Ixix. 24). 8—12. For this irreligious self-exaltation Egypt shall be made a desolation from Migdol to Syene, even to the border of Ethiopia. 8. The name of the conqueror of Egypt is not indicated in this preliminary threatening. The sword that comes on Egypt is the sword of the Lord, cf. xiv. 17, xxxii. 11, 12, 13. The land shall be utterly desolated, man and beast swept away. It need not be said that these prophetic threatenings have always an element of the ideal in them. 9. The ungodly overweening pride of Egypt is chiefly mentioned as the cause of its humiliation. It is a common idea that pride draws forth the judgment of Jehovah, who is alone exalted (Is. ii. iii. ). The prophet assumes that this pride is irreligious and an offence against Jehovah. However sedulously devoted the Egyptians might be in serving their own gods, their religion did not prevent this self-dei- fication, which was an offence against him who was God alone. 10. the tower of Syene] Rather: from Migdol unto Syene — from Lower Egypt to the southern border of Upper Egypt. Migdol is said to have been situated 12 miles S. of Pelusium, upon the N. border of Lower Egypt (Ex. xiv. 2; Jer. xliv. i, xlvi. 14; Num. xxxiii. 7). 214 EZEKIEL, XXIX. [vv. 11-16. 11 Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia. No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, 12 neither shall it be inhabited forty years. And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years : and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through 13 the countries. Yet thus saith the Lord God; At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people 14 whither they were scattered : and I will bring again the captivity of Egypt, and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation ; and they 15 shall be there a base kingdom. It shall be the basest of the kingdoms ; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations : for I will diminish them, that they shall no 16 more rule over the nations. And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel, which bringeth their Syene (ch. xxx. 6), the modern Assouan, on the S. border of Upper Egypt. Cush or Ethiopia lay to the south of Pathros or Upper Egypt ; its capital lay near the 4th Cataract, between Abu Hamed and old Dongola. 11. No foot of man'] See xxxii. 13, of. xxxiii. 28, xxxv. 7; Jer. ii. 6. The desolation of Egypt shall continue forty years, the period of Chaldean supremacy (ci". iv. 6). 12. Cf. xii. 15, xxvi. 19, xxx. 7. 13. After forty years of desolation Egypt shall be restored, though only to the rank of a humble kingdom. It shall no more rule over the nations [v. 15); and no more be a confidence to the house of Israel, seducing them away from trust in Jehovah alone. Yet thus saitli\ For thus. Ezekiel considers forty years — a general expression like Jeremiah's seventy years — to be the period of Baby- lonian supremacy in the world. At the end of this period a change in the aspect of the world shall supervene under Jehovah's guidance; Israel will l)e restored (ch. iv. 6), and the other nations subject to Babylon shall be reinstated. Egypt shall be restored though only to be a humble state in comparison of her former greatness. For people peoples. 14. land of Pathros\ i.e. Upper Egypt or the Thebaid, ch. xxx. 14; Is. xi. II ; Jer. xliv. 15. The name is said to mean "south land." their habitation'\ their origin, or birth, cf. xvi. 3. For the phrase "bring again the captivity" i.e. probably tur)i the fortunes, cf. xvi. 53. a base kijigdoiJi\ i.e. a low Dr humble state, ch. xvii. 6, 14. 16. the co)ifidencc\ Cf. Is. xxx. 2, 3, xxxvi. 4, 6. bringeth iniquity to reme/nbranee] The phrase occurs again Num. V. 15; I Kings xvii. 18; Ezek. xxi. 23, 24, and appears to mean to V. 17.] EZEKIEL, XXIX. 215 iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them : but they shall know that I am the Lord God. And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in 17 aff«j^ before God. The phrase here is scarcely in apposition to "cuii- fidence," but is rather parallel to that word and a further description of Egypt — 710 more a confidence and a reminder of iniquity. Egypt was a seduction to Israel, leading them to trust in it and distrust Je- liovah; it was an accuser of Israel before Jehovah, calling Israel's iniquity to his mind. The iniquity lay primarily in trusting in Egypt, but it might be wider and more general (i Kings xvii. 18). when they shall look'] Rather : in their turning after them — in Israel's turning to the Egyptians for help. Cf. xxiii. 27, and on x. 11. In the happy time of Israel's restoration not only shall attack and enmity on the part of the surrounding nations be removed, but all temptation also to look to any for salvation but their God alone. they shall know] seems said of Israel. See last note. That Ezekiel names a term of forty years as the period of Chaldean supremacy, and looks for the turn of the world's affairs in Jehovah's hand in so short a space of time is in conformity with the manner of representation in all the prophets. To all the day of the Lord is near (Joel ii. I ; Zeph. i. i ; Is. vii.). In Is. xxiii. seventy years are named as the period of Tyre's humiliation, at the end of which time she shall be remembered and dedicate her hire to the Lord. In Jeremiah this period is the duration of the captivity of Judah. Such numliers as forty, seventy are general. They imply however that the prophets conceived of the time as comparatively short. It is less easy to sug- gest an explanation of this mode of conception. What has been named "perspective" in prophecy ofters no explanation, for this so-called perspective is but another name for the thing to be explained. The explanation is to be sought rather on these lines: i. The pro- phets deal with principles, with what might be called absolute con- ceptions. Such conceptions are good and evil, Jehovah and the false gods, true religion and idolatry, the kingdom of Jehovah and the power of the heathen world. What the prophets depict is usually a conflict of these principles, and every conflict which they percei\e seems to them the absolute and final one, because it is a conflict of principles. True religion comes out of the struggle victorious — the Kingdom is the Lord's. 2. Moving thus among principles the mind of the prophets either took no note of time, or else as they deal in general with great movements of their own day, these present or imminent movements assume an absolute moral and religious meaning. They appear the embodiment of the principles which fill the prophetic mind. Consequently their issue is the final decision, which therefore appears at hand. When the prophets embody their general concep- tion of the nearness of the final crisis in numbers, tliese numbers are usually round, and express merely a powerful religious presentiment. vv. 17 — 21. A later passage of date 570, sixteen years after the fall of Jerusalem, written prol)al)ly after Nebuchadnezzar's thirteen 2i6 EZEKIEL, XXIX. [vv. 18—21. the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of 18 the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, Nebuchad- rezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyrus : every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled : yet had he no wages, nor his army, for Tyrus, for the service that he had served against 19 it : therefore thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon ; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army. 20 I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour where- with he served against it, because they wrought for me, 2. saith the Lord God. In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the years' siege of Tyre had come to an end, and inserted among the prophecies relating to Egypt already collected. Nebuchadnezzar had served a great service for Jehovah against Tyre, for which neither he nor his army had received wages. Jehovah will recompense him for his service against Tyre by giving him the land of Egypt. 18. On spelling of Nebuchadnezzar cf. xxvi. 7, xxx. 10. every head made bald] Not by the length of time but by the hard service, the nibbing of the armour or the burdens borne on head and shoulder. Arabic poets refer to the baldness caused by the head- pieces. The siege of Tyre lasted thirteen years, but while this is well attested history is silent as to the issue of the siege. Whatever the issue was Neb. and his army did not reap adequate reward from it — he had no wages for his service done for Jehovah. 19. take her multitude'] i.e. carry away. Others: her wealth, or abundance, but wrongly, cf. xxx. 4, 10, 15, xxxi. 2, 18. The words rather disturb the vigorous "spoil her spoil" (xxxviii. 12, 13), and are wanting in LXX. 20. for his laboiirl Rather: as his recompense for which he served. because they wrought] Or, for that 7vhich they wrought for me. The subject is still Neb. and his army ; it was Jehovah's work in which they served against Tyre. 21. The passage concludes with a promise to Israel. In that day] An indefinite term common in all the prophets. The ref. is to the general time when Neb. shall have humbled Egypt. After that shall the time of Israel's prosperity come in. Cf. Is. iv. 2, xi. 10, xix. 18, 19. the horn of the house] I will cause a horn to bud forth to the house of Israel. The "horn" is the symbol of power (Lam. iv. 3); with the budding of the horn power waxes or is exhibited. The ref. is general, to the restoration of Israel to prosperity and influence, vv. 1—3.] EZEKIEL, XXX. 217 opening of the mouth in the midst of them ; and they shall know that I am the Lord. The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son 30 of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord God ; Howl ^ ye, Woe worth the day ! For the day is near, even the day 3 hardly particularly to the raising up of the personal Messiah (Ps. cxxxii. 17). On figure cf. i Kings xxii. 11; Am. vi. 13; Jer. xlviii. 25; I Sam. ii. i. the opening] opening of. The prophet felt his mouth closed by the incredulity of the people, and the improl)al)ility, as it seemed to them, of his predictions. His mouth was opened and he had boldness of speech when his anticipations were verified. It is the causing of a horn to bud to Israel that will give the prophet opening of the mouth. All his prophecies since the exile had been prophecies of Israel's restoration, and Israel's restored felicity will fulfil them. The phrase give thee opening of the mouth means little more than give verifica- tion to thy words. The idea of the prophet's own presence when this occurs is hardly to be pressed. Ch. XXX. Further prophecies against Egypt. Ch. XXX. consists of two prophecies, the first of which, 7'v. i — rg, in all probability belongs to the same date as xxix. i — 16, that is, about seven months before the fall of Jerusalem; and the second, vv. 10 — 26, is dated four months before the capture of the city. The second prophecy seems to have been suggested by some actual reverse inflicted on Pharaoh, called "breaking his arm" [w. 21, 22), and fur- ther disaster is threatened against him. Unlike the petty nations lying around Israel Egypt is a world power. Its influence is felt over all nations, and its history and destinies interest and affect the world. When Jehovah interposes to deal with it man- kind and nature feel his presence. His interposition is the day of the Lord, a day of darkness and terror over all. When Egypt is judged creation wraps herself in a pall. — Like the other prophecies in Ezekiel the chapter is filled up with details within its general frame. The main ideas, however, are these : i. Egypt with her many allied nations, whose troops compose her vast and many-coloured army, shall be overthrown. 2. Her great cities, the centres of her life and restless activity, shall be cast to the ground, and her teeming population scattered among all the nations. 3. Her idols and all her idolatries shall cease, and her native princes (closely connected with her priest- hood and worship) shall be cut off. And Jehovah shall be known. 2. Howl ye] The day of the Lord is one of terror and lamentation. Am. v. 20 ; Is. xiii. 6 ; Zeph. i. 7, 14 ; Joel ii. i secj. 3. the day is near] The "day" of the Lord is never in the pro- phets a mere calamity or judgment from God. It is the time of Jeho- vah's final interposition in the world to do judgment, to chastise evil, and give the crowning victory to his own cause. This day has a 2i8 EZEKIEL, XXX. [vv. 4-6. of the Lord is near, a cloudy day ; it shall be the time of 4 the heathen. And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia, when the slain shall fall in Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and her 5 foundations shall be broken down. Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by 6 the sword. Thus saith the Lord ; They also that uphold universal bearing: particularly, it falls in terror and calamity upon the heathen, the foes of Jehovah's kingdom, but also upon the sinners in Zion, those who are at ease and settled on their lees (Zeph. i. 12), on the proud and the oppressors of the poor (Is. ii. 12). The pre- sentiment of this day is common to all the prophets, and the know- ledge of it exists among the people (Am. v. 18). The feeling of its nearness, however, was awakened in various ways : either by great convulsions among the nations or calamities, in which Jehovah was so visi'nly operating that his final interposition seemed at hand (Is. xiii. ; Zeph. i. 7; Joel ii. i); or, by a moral condition of the world which it was felt he nmst intervene to chastise and put an end to (Is. ii., iii.). Naturally the convulsions or calamities which awakened the presentiment of the nearness of the day passed over and the day was deferred, but this does not justify the supposition that the prophets mean merely a great calamity or judgment by the day of the Lord. i/ie time of the heathen'] the nations, the foes of Jehovah's kingdom and people, when Jehovah shall be revealed to them and they shall be judged. Is. ii., iii., xiii. 22; Jer. xxvii. 7; Ezek. vii. 7, xxii. 3. 4. great pain] anguish, a late word, cf. v. 9. her multitude] Ch. xxix. 19; cf. vv. 10, 15, ch. xxxi. 2. Her "foundations" is suggested by the idea of a building overthrown. Reference is hardly to the allies and mercenaries on whom Egypt relied in war, rather to the classes and institutions in which the strength of the state lay. 5. See on xxvii. 10; Heb. is Cush and Phut and Lud. For Cush LXX. reads Persians as xxvii. 10, for Phut Cretans, and for Luil Lydians. the mingled people] perhaps foreigners. In Jer. xxv. 24 these so named (ereb) are represented as having kings and dwelling in the desert (cf. i Kings x. 15), and in v. 20 they are named next to the kings of Uz. On the other hand in Jer. 1. 37 they are spoken of as being in the midst of Babylon. Plence the sense of "mercenaries" has been suggested. In the present passage some distinct people seems intended. the land that is in league] Lit. , children of the land of the covenant. Reference can hardly be to the land of Israel, or to refugees from Israel in Egypt. Either some definite country is meant, the name of which would be suggested by the prophet's description, or "land" is used collectively — all allied lands. The name Chub does not occur vv. 7—13] EZEKIEL, XXX. 219 Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down : from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord God. And they shall be desolate in 7 the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted. And 8 they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and whe/i all her helpers shall be destroyed. In that day shall messengers go forth from me in ships to 9 make the careless Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as ni the day of Egypt : for lo, it cometh. Thus saith the Lord God ; I will also make the multitude 10 of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon. He and his people with him, the terrible of the n nations, shall be brought to destroy the land ; and they shall draw their swords against Egypt, and fill the land ivith the slain. And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land 12 into the hand of the wicked : and I will make the land waste, and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers : I the Lord have spoken //. Thus saith the Lord God ; I 13 will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to again ; LXX. Libyans, and in Nah. iii. 9 the Lubim appear beside Cush, Egypt and Phut. 6. the tower of Sy en el from Migdol to Syene; cf. xxix. 10. 7. A frequently recurring expression; cf. xxix. 12. 8. "Fire" is a frequent figure for war and its desolations, 7^'. 14, 16, eh. XV. 5, XX. 47, xxxix. 6. 9. 7>iessengers...in s/u'J>s] Cf. Is. xviii. 2. The word "ships" again Numb. xxiv. 24; Is. xxxiii. 21. go forth from me] This means more than that messengers go in ships from Kgypt, where Jehovah is present. He sends them ; his intervention in Egypt is designed to alarm the world, and bring him- self to its knowledge. i7s in the . 17 — 33. A funeral dirge over the interment of him and his multitude. The line of thought in inj. i — 16 resembles that in the other chapters : (i) vv. I — 6. Pharaoh, represented as a dragon in the waters, is dragged out by the net of Jehovah, and flung upon the land, where all fowls and beasts feed on him. His carcase fills the land and his blood the water-courses. (2) vv. 7 — 10. Shock of nature and commotion among the nations, even the most distant and unknown to Egypt, over his fall. (3) vv. 1 1 — 16. The instrument of his destruction is the king of Baby- lon. The overthrow of Pharaoh and his people shall be complete. The land shall be desolate and life shall cease in it ; no foot of living creature, man or beast, shall trouble its waters, which shall run smooth and dead. 1. The prophecy is dated the first of the twelfth month of the twelfth year, nearly a year and seven months after the fall of Jerusalem. Syr. reads eleventh year. 2. art like a young lioit] Perhaps : wast likened to, though the con- struction is exceedingly hard (cf. xxxi. 18). So far as the form ofwords goes the meaning might rather be : O lion of the nations thou art undone (Is. vi. 5; Hos. X. 15), the root being another. The prophet has a fondness, however, for using the Niph. (Cf. xiv. 4, 7, xix. 5, xxxiii. 30, xxxvi. 3.) The words can hardly mean : thou thoughtest thyself a young lion. Cf. xxxviii. 13. a)td thou art] whereas thou wast as a dragon (monster) in the rivers, lit. seas ; cf. Is. xix. 5, xxvii. i ; Job xli. 23. The construction seems to imply an antithesis between this clause and the previous one. vv. 3—7.] KZEKIEL, XXXII. seas : and thou earnest forth with thy rivers, and troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst their rivers. Thus 3 saith the Lord God; I will therefore spread out my net over thee with a company of many people ; and they shall bring thee up in my net. Then will I leave thee upon the 4 land, I will cast thee forth upon the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee. And 5 I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys 7ViyA thy height. I will also water with thy blood the land « wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains ; and the rivers shall be full of thee. And when / shall put thee out, 7 I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark ; 1 will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not earnest forth witli\ didst break forth in thy rivers. The term " break forth" is used of coming forth out of the \voml)(Ps. xxii. 9; cf. Job xxxviii. 8), and also of those in ambush breaking out of their hiding-place (Judg. XX. 33). The term describes not the origin of the monster but his activity; cf. "didst foul." Ew. conjectured for "in thy rivers," 7vith thy nostrils — thou didst spout (cause spray) with thy nostrils ; cf. Job xli. J 8— 20. The object of the verb is wanting here, however, and the verb though used of Jordan (Job xl. 23) is employed intransitively. Cf. however, Mic. iv. 10. their rivers'\ Or, streams — those of the waters. The vitality of the monster and his violent activity are suggested by his troubling the waters and fouling the streams. Cf. the opposite idea, vv. 13, 14. 3. Jehovah shall drag him out with his net by means of many peoples (ot'. II, 12). On figure, cf. xii. 13, xvii. 20; Hos. vii. 12. For people read peoples. 4. will leave thee\ Will cast thee down; cf. xxix. 5. See xxxi. 13, xxxix. 17 seq. 5. Cf. xxxi. 12. Other suggestions for "height" have little proba- bility. 6. land zvherein thou szuiininest] Probably: and I will water the earth with the outflow of thy blood, lit. with thy outflow from thy blood. It is possible that "from thy blood" is an explanatory gloss to "with thy outflow." Cf. Is. xxxiv. 3. 7. put thee out} i.e. extinguish thee. Pharaoh is regarded as a brilli- ant luminary; cf. Is. xiv. 12, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O shining one, morning star!" It is doubtful if there is any ref. to the constellation of the dragon. The dragon (Job iii. 8, ix. 13, xxvi. 12) is not a constellation but a purely ideal representation of the eclipse or the storm-cloud which swallows up the lights of heaven. The phenomena in the verse are those usually characteristic of the dissolution of nature on the day of the Lord (Is. xiii. 10; Joel ii. 31, iii. 15; Am. viii. 9); 230 E2EKIEL, XXXII. [vv. 8-15. 8 give her light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the 9 Lord God. I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the 10 countries which thou hast not known. Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee, wlien I shall brandish my sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall. 11 For thus saith the Lord God; The sword of the king of 12 Babylon shall come upon thee. By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them : and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and 13 all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed. I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from besides the great waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor 14 the hoofs of beasts trouble them. Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the 15 Lord God. When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate, but here they express rather the shock which creation receives when one so great meets with destruction. 8. htight lights\ Lit. himinaries of lifjht. 7ipo>t thy land} Possibly with LXX.: upon i/ie earlli. The ex- tinction of the lights in heaven referred to in the previous clause suggests a more general darkness than one over Pharaoh's own land. 9. vex the /leai'ts] Or, trouble. The precise feeling is not grief, and certainly not anger (A. V. marg.) ; in v. 10 it is dismay, and then terror for themselves. For people peoples. brittg thy destruction anion:;] Hardly means "bring the ne\\-s " of thy • destruction ; the destruction itself occurs among the nations, they observe it; cf. "brandish my sword before them," v. 10. into the countries'] unto countries. The effect of Pharaoh's fall shall be felt by nations lying beyond the horizon of his knowledge ; cf. Is. Iv. 5. 10. Read peoples, as always. Cf. xxvi. 16, xxvii. 35. 11. It is the king of Babylon who shall execute the Lord's judgment upon Egypt. 12. terrible of the nations'] Cf. on xxviii. 7, xxix. 19. 13. The desolation of Egypt shall be complete, man and beast swept away; cf. Zeph. i. 3. These pictures both of desolation and felicity are always ideal; cf. xxix. 11. 14. The waters of Egypt, no more troubled by the foot of man or beast, shall run smooth like oil. make their -abaters dcej>] Rather : make to settle, become clear ; cf. noun, xx.xiv. 18. No more trampled they shall settle and run smooth. V. i6.] EZEKIEL, XXXII. 231 and the counti-y shall be destitute of that whereof it was fiiU, when I shall smite all them that dwell therein, then shall they know that I am the Lord. This is the lamentation 16 wherewith they shall lament her: the daughters of the nations shall lament her : they shall lament for her, even for Egypt, and for all her multitude, saith the Lord God. 15. The end of this desolating judgment shall be that Jehovah shall be known. This is the purpose and the effect of all his interpositions among the nations. Ex. vii. 5, xiv. 4, 18. 16. Lit. It is a larnintation and tluy shall chant it (LXX. thou shalt chant it); the daughters of the nations shall chant it; over Egypt and over all her mnltitude shall they chant it. The daughters of the nations, in V. 18 the daughters of the famous nations, chant the dirge because professional wallers were chiefly women; cf. Jer. ix. 17, "call for the mourning women... and let them take up a wailing for us." 17—32. Dirge sung at the interment of Egypt and its multitude. Several things are observable in this remarkable passage: I. It is a funeral dirge primarily over the multitude or nation of Egypt; and so in the case of the other nations referred to, Asshur, Elam and the rest. These peoples are all gone down to Sheol, uncircum- cised, slain with the sword. There in the world of the dead each people has an abode to itself. Around one chief grave the graves of the general mass are gathered. The chief grave is probably that of the prince, though the prince is considered the genius, the embodiment of the spirit and being of the nation. The prophet regards the nations, even when no more existing on earth, as still having a subsistence in the world of the dead (cf. on Sodom, ch. xvi.). They are beings, who, having once lived, continue throughout all time. Though passed from the stage of history they still subsist in Sheol. This idea of the continued existence, not of individuals only but of nationalities, suggests a conception of the meaning of history upon the earth which is not only weird but almost disturbing. 1. The prophet uses two words for tlie world of the dead, "the pit" and Sheol. The former name seems suggested by the grave, which is regarded as the entrance to Sheol, and indicates what kind of place Sheol is. It is a vast burying-place, deep in the earth, and full of graves. The nationalities spoken of have, like Egypt, all fallen by the sword, and the scene on earth is transferred to the world below. The nation and its prince are represented as slain on the battle-field, and the graves that crowd the field, the prince or genius of the nation in the midst, and those of the multitude around, are let down so to speak into Sheol beneath, where they abide. This scene of overthrow, the final experi- ence of the nation on earth, expresses the meaning of the nation's history and the verdict of God upon it, and it is consequently transferred to the 232 EZEKIEL, XXXII. world ofthe dead and made eternal. In this respect the idea of the prophet in regard to nations coincides with the general view of the Old Testament regarding individuals ; the judgment of God regarding a man s life becomes manifest at the close of it on earth, and the state of death but perpetuates the manner of the end of life. _ 3. For, of course, the prophet desires to express by his representa- tion a moral truth. The nations which he mentions are those that have come mto conflict with Israel, although their sin is regarded as more general than this. They are chiefly the contemporary peoples whom Nebuchadnezzar, under commission from Jehovah, was to desUoy, though Asshur belongs to an earlier time. Although, therefore, the nations can hardly be supposed to fall under a common judgment, the day of the Lord, the effect is the same. Their fate is the judgment of Jehovah upon them, his verdict in regard to their life as nations. Their common sin is violence: they put their terror in the land of the living. And their fate is but the nemesis of their conduct : taking the sword tliey perish by it. The history of nations is the judgment of nations. But the nations like individuals continue to subsist, they bear their shame in Sheol for ever. 4. The text of the passage is in considerable disorder. The LXX. offers a briefer and smoother text, though it is also marked by singular blunders (cf. vv. 29, 30). It can hardly be doubted that the Hebrew is to some extent overgrown with glosses. The meaning too is in some parts_ obscure. The passage has affinities with Is. xiv., but the representations there are in some respects different, and care must be taken to allow each passage to speak for itself. It is doubtful if any ideas to be called specially Babylonian be found in either of the pro- phets. There are two points in the interpretation of some difiiculty : I. There are two names for the world of the dead, "the pit" and Sheol; are they different in meaning? or, do they indicate, if not strictly a different locality in the underworld, a different condition? The usage of other passages appears decidedly against any distinction. The term "pit" is used of what we so call, e.g. of the pit into which Joseph was cast (Gen.xxxvii.24), of the "dungeon" into which Jeremiah was thrown (Jer. xxxviii. 6 seq.), and the like (Jer. xli. 7). The ideas of the people regarding the world of the dead were formed by looking into the grave and from the condition of the body in death. The world of the dead was created by the shuddering imagination out of these things. Apparently the name "pit" was given to the under- world because the grave was the mouth of it. The "pit" is used in parallelism with Sheol, and in the same sense, e.g. Ps. xxx. 3, Ixxxviii. 3, 4. 2. Another question closely connected is this. Certain persons called the mighty ones (vv. 21, 27) are referred to and spoken of as being in Sheol (A. V. hell), and the question is, are these persons, though in Sheol, in a condition in some measure different from those like Pharaoh and his multitude, slain by the sword ? Unfortunately in both verses the Heb. and Greek disagree. In v. 27 Heb. reads : they (Meshech and Tubal) shall 7iot lie with the mighty ones, while LXX. omits the not, making their destiny the same. vv. 17-21.] EZEKIEL, XXXII. 233 It came to pass also in the twelfth year, in the fifteenth 17 day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and i3 cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth, with them that go down into the pit. Whom dost thou pass in beauty ? go 19 down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised. They shall 20 fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword : she is delivered to the sword : draw her and all her multitudes. The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the 21 17. The month is not specified, but presumably the same month as that named in v. i is intended, the twelfth. The present passage would in that case date a fortnight later than vv. i — 16. LXX. reads first month of twelfth year; if this reading were followed the year in V. I must be read eleventh (with Syr.). 18. The lament is primarily over the multitude or nationality of Egypt. fast thcin do-nt, even herl Probably: and sink them down, thou and the daughters of famous nations. In r-. 16 the daughters of the nations were spoken of as chanting the dirge over Pharaoh and his multitude. The prophet (LXX. v. :6) and these daughters together chant the lament. They are said to "sink the multitude down" because in their lament they describe their sinking down. The reading "thou" for "her" implies no change in the consonantal text, and the "daughters of famous nations" cannot be those that are interred, but those who inter. It is Pharaoh and his multitude who are let down into the pit (cf. v. 31). than that go (fo7t»i] that are gone down, xxvi. 10, xxxi. 16. 19. lVtiom...pass in licaiity] i.e. surpass; Ew., pass in fortune. Probably the meaning is very much, To whom art (wast) thou supe- rior? The multitude of Egypt or the Pharaoh as the genius of the nation is addressed, hardly his dead body (Sm. ). go do7o;i] i.e. to the grave, or pit. "Uncircumcised" has in all the passage the sense of dishonoured, profaned in death, and differs little from slain with the sword, vv. 21, 24. The pass, imper. "be thou laid" is very rare, Jer. xlix. 8. 20. s/ie is delivered to the sword\ Rather : the sword is put forth, lit. given, a peculiar phrase and wanting in LXX. draw her] i.e. Egypt down into the pit. The simple "draw" leaves rather much to be understood, and LXX. reads the clause differ- ently: and all his multitude shall lie. 21. The Pharaoh and his multitude are supposed here to have descended into .She61, and the "mighty ones" already there address them (Is. xiv. 8, 10) or speak of them. The strong among the n/ightj'] lit. the strong of the mighty, where "strong" is not a class among the mighty, but identical with them — 234 E2EKIEL, XXXII. [w. 22— 24. midst of hell with them that help him : they are gone down, 22 they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword, Asshur is there and all her company : his graves are about him : all of them 23 slain, fallen by the sword : whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave : all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in 24 the land of the living. There is Elam and all her multitude the strong mighty ones (gen. ofappos.). In LXX. "strong" is want- ing as in V. 27. The word "strong" is that rendered mighty one of the nations, xxxi. 11. It is probably entirely different (though the same in spelling) from the word God, xxviii. 1, and from the phrase "mighty God," Is. ix. 6, x. 21. speak to him\ Or, of him. The words that follow seem spoken in regard to Pharaoh — though such a meaning is rather flat. that help him] his helpers, auxiliary nations. The meaning must be that the mighty speak to (of) Pharaoh and his helpers, hardly that Pharaoh's helpers already gone down join the mighty in mocking Pharaoh. In LXX. these three verses stand in a different order, viz. vv. 10 a, 70 b (read differently), 21 a, 19, and the first three words of v. 20 again,— "They shall fall with him in the midst of them that are slain with the sword, and all his multitude (strength) shall lie down. And the mighty (lit. giants, v. 27) shall say unto thee: Be thou in the dei:ith of the pit; to whom art thou superior? go down, and lie with the uncircumcised, in the midst of them that are slain with the sword." Probably neither text presents the original, though the general mean- ing of both is the same. It is in favour of Heb. that it begins with the interrogation, and rather against the LXX. that it makes the address rather prolix. The "mighty" who speak are in any case those already in Sheol, and not persons upon the earth such as the Babylonians (Hitz.). 22, 23. Asshur. her companyl In ref. to the other peoples "multitude" is used. The term "company" may be used of the many nationalities in the Assyrian empire, cf. xxiii. 24. his graves... him] The gender varies as the country (fem.) or king, as representative of the people, is thought of. The ref. here is to the king. LXX. uses the mas. pron. throughout. The text here is shorter in LXX., but no difference of sense arises. 23, sides of the pit] i.e. the depths or bottom of the pit. caused terror] Cf. xxvi. 17, 20. This phrase must mean that Asshur inspired terror into the nations by his might ; to suppose that the meaning is that the fate of Asshur by the judgment of God caused terror (Hitz.) is altogether false, cf. tt'. 24, 25, 26, 27, 32. 24, 25. Elam. Elam, said to mean Highlands, lay E. of the Tigris, and touched Assyria and Media on the N., Media and Persia on the E., and on the vv. 25— 27.] E2EKIEL, XXXII. 233 round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, which caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit. They have set her a bed in the midst of the 25 slain Avith all her multitude : her graves are round about him : all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword : though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit : he is put in the midst of them that be slain. There is 26 Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude : her graves are round about him : all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living. And they shall not lie with the mighty thai are 27 fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell S. the Persian Gulf. An early expedition of Elatn into the land of the Jordan is referred to Gen. xiv. i seq. The country was incorporated into the Assyrian empire, in the armies of which it served (Is. xxii. 6, of. xi. 11), and on the fall of this empire it probably asserted its inde- pendence. It appears independent in the time of Jeremiah, who threatens it with destruction at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. xlix. 34, 39). yet have they I'onic-] and have toorne. Their shame is that which adheres to them as slain with the sword and unhonoured. The con- sequences of their life shewed themselves in the manner of their death, and abode upon them. Cf. xxxvi. 6, 7. them that go do'uii] that are gone down. 25. though their terror] for their terror... and they have borne, &c. The verse is greatly a repetition of -'. 24, and is wanting in LXX., except the words "in the midst of the slain," which are attached to v. 24. The words "that are gone down to the pit" usually close the verse, vv. 18, 24, 29, 30; and if the verse be retained the last clause should probably be omitted as an accidental repetition of the first clause, due to the copyist's eye straying from "pit" in 25 to "pit" in 24. The three words retained in LXX. cannot stand by themselves. 26. Meshecii and Tubal. See on xxvii. 13; cf. xxxviii. 2. her graves... him] On genders cf. v. 22. though they caused] for they caused. 27. they shall not lie] LXX. Syr. omit the ncg. : and they are laid with the giants. Ew. would retain the ncg., reading as an interroga- tion with an affirmative sense: and shall they not lie \\ith...?, which is not very natural. fallen of the uncireu/niised] LXX. fallen if old. This reading has considerable probability, although the other reading might stand. Some scholars would also alter "fallen" (nophelim) into Nephilim 236 E2EKIEL, XXXII. [v. 28. with their weapons of war : and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land 23 of the living. Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with (cf. R. V. Gen. vi. 4); an unnecessary change. For "hell" read Slie6l. they have laid their s'voi-ds\ they laid (indeterminate subj.) — equiva- lent to the passive: and their sivords were laid. but their... shall be\ and their iniquities were. The reference is still to the "mighty;" to change the subject spoken of, making the clause refer to Mesiiech and Tubal, is most unnatural. though they were the terror] because the terror of the mighty was in the land. The clause explains the preceding, as for ex. why their iniquities were upon their bones, and would certainly be easier if the reading had been : because the terror of their might was, as the Syr. reads, precisely as in vv. 29, 30. So Hitz. Corn. (Possibly geburam should be read; cf. IIos. xiii. 2, and often with fern, nouns. ) Verse 27 is difficult. The reading "they shall not lie with the mighty" suggests the idea that the miglily who fell of old, and went down to Sheol in full armour, and had their swords laid under their heads, occupy amorehonourable place in Sheol than such a rout as Meshech and Tubal, who are counted unworthy to lie beside them. This idea is not pro- bable in itself, and cannot be reconciled with other parts of the verse. Tiie last clause "because the terror of the mighty (or, of their might) was in the land of the living" ascribes the same sin to these mighty as is charged against Asshur and the rest {iw. 23, 24, &c.), and for which they bear their shame. Again, the phrase "their iniquities were upon their bones" can have no other meaning than that their evil and violence were interred with their bones, and continued to cleave to them — that they went down unhouselled, disappointed, unaneled, cut off in the blossom of their sin. The conjecture of Corn, "their shields were upon their bones" is altogether destitute of probability. LXX. renders "giants," as it does Gen. vi. 4, and possibly it thought of the antedilu- vian race. The prophet may have had this race in his mind, but more probably his reference is a wider one (cf. xxxii. 12, xxxix. 18, 20). I'vven if he referred to the giants before the Flood, it is anything but likely, with Gen. vi. before him and with his moral temper, that he would assign an honourable place in Sheol to those violent desperadoes. The weird touch " went down to Sheol in their weapons of war, and had their swords laid under their heads," probably means that the manner of their death and burial was in keeping with the violence and bloodshed which was the occupation of their life. The usages and sentiments of chivalry were not yet known to Ezekiel, The clause should, therefore, probably be read positively. 28. Yea, thou shall] thou also shalt. The Pharaoh is addressed. The phrase "shalt be broken" is wanting in LXX. — "thou also shalt vv. 29— 32-] EZEKIEL, XXXII. 237 the sword. There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, 29 which with their might are laid by them that ivere slain by the sword : they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit. There be the princes of the 30 north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, which are gone down with the slain ; with their terror they are ashamed of their might; and they lie uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit. Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be 3> comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord God. For I have 32 caused my terror in the land of the living : and he shall be lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that have been slain with the sword." 29. Edom, Cf. xxv. 12. ivith their might] Possibly, because of—\.\\e words might and mighty being used in a bad sense. Otherwise the words might signify : not- tvithstandiiig their might. are laid by them] i.e. with, or, beside them. The term "laid," lit. given, means rather put, consigned. them that go dotun] that are gone down. 30. The princes of the North and the Sidonians. The former are probably those of the Syrian states, and the Sidonians represent the Phoenician principalities in general. with their terror] Rather, in close connexion with the preceding, gone down with the slain, because of (notwithstanding) their terror (coming) from their might (they are) ashamed. The term "ashamed" is wanting in LXX., and it occurs only here. 31. comforted over all his multitude] The Heb. order is : over all his multitude, slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his army, saith, &c. The words "slain with... his army" are wanting in LXX. On "comforted," cf. xiv. 12, xxxi. 16. Pharaoh will be "comforted" by the sight of all these nations in the pit, suffering the same humilia- tion as himself and his multitude. 32. I have caused my terror] So Heb. marg., Heb. text, his terror, as all the versions except Vulg. Throughout the passage "to cause terror" is uniformly employed of the conduct of the various nations when on the stage of history. If used of Jehovah here it would be intended to express a vivid contrast — it is he who ultimately puts his terror on the world when he interposes to overthrow these tyrannical and violent nations; cf. Is. viii. 13. This somewhat sensational antithesis is not natural, and does not harmonise with the next clause. If his terror be read, the power of Pharaoh and the terror he caused would be attributed to Jehovah. But this is an idea out of harmony with the whole repre- sentation, which ascribes the supremacy of the peoples named to their own violence or to the gifts of nature. It is just the point insisted on in 238 EZEKIEL, XXXII. laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord God. all these chapters on the nations that their power was a self-exaltation and rebellion against Jehovah, and for this they perish by the sword and are doomed to eternal dishonour. It seems almost imperative to retain his terror, and alter the verb to the 3rd pers.— /^r he caused his terror... therefore he shall be laid, &c. So probably Targ., which paraphrases as in vv. 23, 24, 25, 26. Similarly Jer. in his Comm. on Ezek.; and so in copies of the Lat. Second Section. Ch. XXXIII.— XXXIX. Prophecies of Israel's Restoration and Eternal Peace. Only one date appears in connexion with these prophecies, that in xxxiii. 11. Thougli this date does not stand at the beginning of ch. xxxiii. seq., it may be held to indicate the time generally to which the whole seven chapters are to be assigned. There is something suspicious, however, in the date of the arrival of the fugitives — fifth day of tenth month of twelfth year — nearly, a year and a half after the fall of the city. The Syr. read or suggested eleventh year, which would leave about six months for the news of the city's fall to be carried by messengers to the exiles in Babylon, and this date is now veiy generally accepted. The various chapters may not all belong to the same period. The dates throughout the book are little else than rubrics of a very general kind, under which, in default of more precise details, a number of dis- courses, extending over considerable periods, have been grouped. The occupation of part of the country by Edom (xxxv. 36) would not take place just close upon the fall of the kingdom; and perhaps the state of despondency of the people and their sense of sinfulness (xxxiii. 10) was one which the fall of the country and the confirmation of the predictions of the prophet took some time to create in their minds. The precise dates are of little consequence, it is the general situation alone that is important. The fall of the city is presupposed (xxxiii. 21), the over- throw of the royal house (xxxiv.), the extinction of the nationality (xxxvii.), the dispersion of the people among all nations (xxxvi. 16 seq.), the occu- pation of part of the country by Edom and the neighbouring tribes (xxxv. ; cf. Jer. xli.), and the complete prostration of men's minds under their calamities and the unbearable burden of the sin that had occasioned judgments so unparalleled (Lam. i. 12, ii. 13, 20, &c.). Only the pro- phet stood erect, while all others were overwhelmed in despair. The greatness of the blow had stunned them, and, as the prophet had fore- shewn (xxiv. 23), a stupor had fallen on them. Yet tlie Lord had not made a full end of Israel. The old era was closed, but a new era was about to open, and a new Israel about to arise. It is of this new era that the prophet has now to speak, and of the hopes of the new Israel and of the conditions of being embraced in it. It is in these chapters that the prophet's contributions to Old Testament theology are chiefly to be found. The passage contains these general conceptions : — EZEKIEL, XXXIII. 239 First, ch. xxxlii. The function of the prophet in preparation for the new age. It is to awaken the moral mind, to create the sense of indi- vidual worth and responsibility, and to shew that the conditions of belonging to the new Israel are moral only. This chapter defines the place of the individual human mind, and its duties; the following chapters describe rather the divine operations in bringing in the new and perfect kingdom of the Lord. Second, ch. xxxiv. The royal house, the shepherds of the people, had destroyed alike themselves and the flock (xvii., xix. 14). The Lord himself will take in hand the gathering of his scattered sheep together, and the feeding of them henceforth ; he will appoint his servant David to lead them. Third, ch. xxxv.— vi. The land, the mountains of Israel, usurped by aliens, shall be rescued from their grasp and given again to the people as of old. The reproach of barrenness shall no longer cleave to it ; the mountains of Israel shall shoot forth their branches and yield their fruit to the people, and man and beast shall be multiplied. Fourth, ch. xxxvii. The nation is dead and its bones bleached, but there shall be a resurrection of the dead people and a restoration of them to their own land. Two kingdoms shall no more exist there, but the Lord's people shall be one, and his servant David shall be prince over them for ever. Fifth, ch. xxxviii.— ix. The peace of his people shall be perpetual. The Lord shall be their everlasting defence. When the armies of Gog come up from the uttermost regions of the earth, with all the nations which have not heard Jehovah's fame nor seen his glory, to assail his people, drawn by the hope of boundless jilunder, they shall be destroyed by fire out of heaven. Cir. XXXIII. The function of the Prophet. Though the prophet seems the chief figiue in the chapter, he is really but the medium through whom the principles of the new kingdom of God and the conditions of entering it are enunciated. These prin- ciples are: (i) that God desires that men should live. (2) The new Israel shall be composed of members who enter it individually. (3) The condition of entering on man's part is repentance. (4) Man is free to repent — to do good or do evil. The righteous may fall from his righteousness and sin; and the sinner may turn from his evil and do righteousness. He that doeth righteousness shall live ; and the soul that sinneth shall die. These principles of the worth and freedom of the individual man, though latent in many parts of the Old Testament, had never been stated so explicitly before. They are no more than what all men will now allow. If pressed indeed and regarded as exhaustive (as everything in this prophet is pressed to his disadvantage), they might seem to ascribe more power to man than he possesses. But in subsequent chapters the prophet lays sufficient emphasis upon the operation of God in regenerating the individual mind and in founding the new kingdom. It would be a novelty indeed if an Old Testament writer were found ascribing too much to man and too 240 EZEKIEL, XXXIII. [vv. 1—3. 33 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 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 3 watchman : z/'when he seeth the sword come upon the land, little to God. There is a certain vagueness in the prophet's delineation. It is evident that he is moving among religious principles, and that the enunciation of them is his chief interest ; the time and circumstances in which they shall operate are left indefinite. When he says that the righteous shall live and the sinner die, the question, When? naturally occurs. No precise answer is given. But there floats before his view an approaching crisis. The advent of the new era presents itself as a moment of trial and decision; it is like the approach of war upon a people {vv. 1 — 6). The remarkable passage ch. xx. 33 — 44 may be compared in supplement of the present chapter. The chapter contains these parts: (i) vv. 1 — 6. Illustration taken from life — the part of the watchman in war. It is his duty to blow the trumpet when danger is coming. If he does so, the fate of those who hear will lie at their own door. If he fails, the blood of those that perish will be on his head. (2) vv. 7 — 9. Such is the place of the prophet: the same his duties and responsibilities. (3) vv. 10—20. This is the place of the prophet, but the state of the people's mind is such that his warnings may be addressed to deaf ears. Their calamities have stunned and paralysed the people; they feel lying under an irrevocable doom, entailed upon them by their past history — our sins be upon us, we pine away in them ; how, then, shall we live? Nothing is reserved for them but to bear the inexhaustible penalty of their past evil, until, like those in the wil- derness, they fall prostrated beneath it. In answer to this stupor of despair comes the voice from heaven with two consoling words : first, that Jehovah has no pleasure in the death of the sinner, but desires that all should turn and live; and secondly, it is not by that which men have been that they shall be judged, but by that which they shall become. The past writes no irrevocable doom over men. (4) vv. 21 — 29. Fugitives from Judaea arrive among the exiles saying, the city is smitten. This confirmation of all the prophet's past predictions opens his mouth and gives him boldness to address his countrymen. He proceeds to pass judgment on those left in the land, and to state anew that the conditions of inheriting the land are only moral. (5) ^^. 30 — 33. The confirmation which the fall of the city gave to the prophet's past predictions awakened the interest of his fellow exiles in him and his words. 1 — 6. The illustration — duty of the watchman in war. 2. 0/ their coasls\ of tbeir number, from among them, cf. 1 Kings ix. 17. vv. 4--IO.] EZEKIEL, XXXIir. 241 he blow the trumpet, and warn the people ; then whosoever 4 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. He heard the sound of the trumpet, 5 and took not warning; his blood sliall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the 6 watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take ojiy person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. 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. When I say unto 3 the wicked, O wicked ma>i, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked vian shall die in his iniquity ; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the 9 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. Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of 10 Israel ; Thus ye speak, saying. If our transgressions and our 3. The trumpet was the signal of danger, IIos. viii. i; Am. iii. 6; Jer. vi. I. 4, 5. He that heareth the trumpet and taketh not warning, his blood shall be on his own head; he is responsible for his own death, which shall not be laid at the door of the watchman. 6. Although in z'. 1 Jehovah is said to bring the sword upon the people (xiv. 17), and presumably for their sin, the language of the present verse leads over from the illustration to the thing meant to be illustrated. 7 — 9. Similar to the part of the watchman is that of the prophet. Cf. ch. iii, 17 sc(j. The evil, corresponding to the gwoid in the illus- tration, in regard to which the prophet is to warn the people, is left undefined. As in the case of all the prophets, however, the turning point in the fortunes of the exiles appeared to Ezek. of the nature of a divine interposition and judgment, and it is this general idea that colours his language. Except in the two or three passages, xiii. 5, XXX. 3, cf. xxxviii. 19, the day of the Lord is not referred to in Ezek. 10 — 20. Despondency of the people, making the prophet's appeals to them of none effect. Removal of the despair by two gracious words from the Lord. 10. 1/ our transgrcssiaits] Better, direct: our transgressions... are EZEKIEL 1 5 242 EZEKIEL, XXXllI. [vv. ii, I2. sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we 11 then Hve? Say unto them, As I Uve, 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? 12 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 able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. upon us. The people had come to regard their calamities as due to their sins and evidence of them. They had come round to the prophet's view of their history, for they saw his predictions ful- tilled. But the new view came with a crushing weight upon them. Tire calamities of their country were unparalleled (Lam. i. 12, ii. 13, 20, iii. I, iv. 6, 9), and equally unparalleled must have been their guilt (Lam. i. 9, 14, ii. 14, iv. 13, v. 7). And their calamities seemed final, their sin was expiable only lay their complete destruction. 'we pine aivayi\ Or, waste away. The word expresses not mental but physical wasting away, ending in complete dissolution. See the very similar figures, Is. x. 18, xvii. 4; cf. Ezek. iv. 17, xxiv. 23; Lev. xxvi. 39. H. Jehovah's answer to the people's despondency and despair of "life." These verses must be estimated from the point of view of the people's despair of life, to which they are an answer. The passage is not directly an affirmation of the rectitude of God, although this is indirectly affirmed in answer to the people's objection, founded on traditional ways of thinking, that the Lord's ways are not equal. The divine rectitude is not the point of view from which the prophet looks; he speaks in answer to the people's despondency. And his answer is twofold: first, God's desire is that men should live; and secondly, the past is not irrevocable. Not according to what men have been but according to what they shall be or become, will God judge them. 12, It would have been enough to illustrate the earnest exhortation, Turn ye, why will ye die? (i'. 11) by the assurance that if the wicked turns his past sins will not be remembered against him (v. 16). But the prophet states the truth in a more general fomi. His purpose is to teach also the general truth that the past of one's life does not of necessity determine the future either in itself or in the judgment of God, This, next to the assurance of God's gracious will regarding men {v. 11), was the truth most needed to comfort the people and awaken them out of the stupor which lay on them into a moral life and activity again. It is merely to distort the prophet's words to say that he teaches vv. 13—15.] EZEKIEL, XXXIII. 243 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live ; 13 if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered ; but for his iniciuity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. Again, 14 when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die ; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; {/"13 the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity ; he that a man's past life goes for nothing, and that he will be judged merely aecording to what he is found doing "at the moment" of the judgment. The prophet is not speaking of moments. He speaks to men overwhelmed by a judgment of God which seemed to leave no hope for the future, and he lays down the principle needful for the moral awakening of the people that the past is not irrevocable, that a future of possibility lies before them. It is too true that the evil of a man's past life prolongs itself into the future and that sin cannot at once be done with. Yet we "believe in the forgiveness of sins;" and this is the truth which the prophet desires to teach his countrymen, overwhelmed with the thought of their own evil past. When he says the righteous shall "live" he means by living the complex thing, having the favour of God and having an external felicity corresponding to this. Old Testament prophets and saints were hardly able to conceive the first of these two things existing apart from the second. And the prophet probably still considers them inseparably connected. And hence, when teaching that the son shall not suffer for the sins of the father, and that the righteous shall "live" and the wicked "die," he has been charged with inculcating a doctrine more false to reality than the old one which it was designed to supersede. But here again a certain injustice is done to the prophet. No doubt when he uses the word "live" he employs it in the pregnant sense, viz. to enjoy the favour of God and to have this favour reflected in outward felicity. But just as Jeremiah relegates the principle that the children shall not suffer for the sins of the father to the new era about to dawn, so Ezck. agrees with him. Neither prophet is laying down a new principle which is to obtain in the world, the w^orld going on as it had done before. Ezek. feels himself, as all the prophets do, on the threshold of a new Epoch, the era of the perfect kingdom of God, and it is in this new era that the principle which he enunciates shall prevail. Sec at the end of ch. xviii. 13. Cf. iii. 20, xviii. 24. 14. Cf. iii. 18, xviii. 27. that -which is la-vful] Lit. as niarg., (just) judgment and justice. 15. Instances of a return to righteousness on the part of the wicked, cf. xviii. 7; Ex. xxii. i, 4; Num. v. 6, 7. the statutes of life\ By walking in which a man shall live, ch. xiii. 21, XX. 11; Lev. xviii. 5. As elsewhere "life" is used in the preg- 16 — 2 S44 EZEKIEL, XXXIIl. [vv. 16—22. 16 shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him : he hath done 17 that which is lawful and right ; he shall surely live. Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: 18 but as for them, their way is not equal. When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he I? shall even die thereby. But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall 20 live thereby. 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. 21 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, 22 The city is smitten. Now the hand of the Lord was upon nant sense of enjoyment of the favour of God and the external pros- perity which is the reflection and seal of it. 16. Cf. xviii. 11. shall be mcntioucd'\ Or, remembered against hiin, as v. 13. 17. Cf. xviii. 25, 29. 18. 19. These verses sum up the whole principles of the passage) cf. xviii. 26, 27. On t'. 20 cf. xviii. 25, ^9. 21, 22. P'ugitives from Judaea arrive among the exiles announcing that the city had fallen. This confirmation of all the prophet's anti' cipations, which the exiles had received with so much incredulity, opened his mouth, gave him confidence to speak before his fellow exiles. And he announces what shall be the fate of those left in the land (zf. 23 — 29). 21. The date here given is about a year and a half after the city's fall. Considering the constant intercourse between the mother coun- try and the exiles this period is very long. Some MSS. as well as tlie Syr. read eleventh year, leaving about six months for the news to travel by messenger. (Eleven and twelve are easily confused in Heb.). our captivity'] That of Jehoiachin, ch. i. 2. "One that had escaped," lit. i\\c furtive, may refer to one or more, cf. xxiv. 26. 22. Though the date is inserted here, it is probably to be under- stood as applicable to the whole chapter, for vv. i, 2 the prophet is commanded to speak publicly to the children of his people. In the evening he felt the hand of the Lord upon him, he fell into an exci- tation. Thoughts such as those in vv. i — 20 of the new Israel that God would create and of the conditions of belonging to it filled his mind. He was well aware that the city's fall was inevitable, to him it was as good as fallen. And full of the new thoughts of the future he felt himself standing before his fellow exiles with an impulse strong upon him to speak to them of this future in the name of the Lord. In the 23 24 vv. 23-25.] EZEKIEL, XXXIII. 245 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. Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 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. Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Ye 25 morning the fugitives arriveil with the confirmation of all his past predictions. //;//// he came to vte\ should come : against his coming, Ex. vii. 15. 710 more dunth'\ i.e. silent, Ps. xxxix. 2 ; Is. liii. 7. 23- -29. The confirmation by the fugitives of all his previous pre- dictions gave the prophet boldness to speak anew, and what he says is but a continuation of that which he had said before, and had been so literally confirmed. He had predicted the city's fall because of its sins, and his prophecy had been verified ; those remaining in the land continue in the sins for which tlie city fell, and its fate shall certainly overtake them. The judgment must be carried out till the ofiences cease. But the teaching of these verses is the natural sup- plement also to that in vv. i — 20. Those remaining in the land presume that they shall inherit the land because they are in it, not- withstanding their evil conduct : the inheritance of the land will be given on different conditions (zv. i — 20, cf. xxxvi. 25 — 38, xxxvii. 23). 24. Regarding those remaining in the land even before the fall of the city, cf xi. 5 — 12, 14 — 21; Jer. xxiv. Those remaining in the land express their confident hopes. Though reduced in numbers they are still many in comparison of the single individual Abraham. Yet he was multiplied in such a way as to take possession of the land ; much more may they hope yet to assert their claims to it. They perhaps hardly argued on mere natural probabilities ; they felt them- selves the heirs of the promises made to Abraham, and in spite of disasters hoped that Jehovah would fulfil them to them. They display the same temper as the people had always shewn ; they have a faith in Jehovah but no knowledge of what Jehovah is (Am. v. 14 ; IIos. iv. I ; Jer. iv. 22, v. 2, 4). Another prophet of this age applies the strange history of Abraham and his multiplication to com- fort "the few men of Israel" who followed after righteousness, Is. li. 1. inhabit those wasles'X The ruined cities chiefly, v. 27 ; but cf. xxxvi. 4. the land is given iis'\ Words of confident anticipation. 25. The claim of the remnant is repudiated by Ezek. with indig- nation. They persist in the sins for which their country fell, and the same judgment shall overtake theni. 246 EZEKIEL, XXXIII. [vv. 26—28. eat with the blood, and Hft up your eyes toward your idols, 26 and shed blood : and shall ye possess the land ? Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land? c7 Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ; As I live, surely //le}' 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 i/iey that l^e in the forts and in 23 the caves shall die of the pestilence. 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 ;j'if eai 7L'ith the bloocf] i.e. eat flesh slaughtered in such a way that the blood remains in it. According to the law animals had to be slaughtered in such a way as to drain away the blood, which was poured into the ground, where not dashed upon the altar. An ex- ample of a prohibited way of slaughtering was breaking the neck, Is. Ixvi. 3. Cf. Lev. xvii. 10, xix. 26; Deut. xii. 16; i Sam. xiv. 32. See on xviii. 6, 11, 15, xxii. 9. //// up your ej'iTs] See xviii. 6. On "shed blood" xxii. 6, 9. 26. stand upon your siuord\ Hardly means, the footing on which ye deal with men is the sword; but probably, ye occupy yourselves with the sword, cf, xliv. 24. loork abomination^ The term is mostly applied to religious practices contrary to the pure religion of Jehovah. On the other sin named cf. xviii. 6, xxii. ir. Verses 25, 26 are wanting in LXX. The passage is vigorous and apart from the anomalous form "ye work" (where fern, n is due to following t) altogether unsuspicious. The omission in LXX. may have arisen from the eye of the translator straying from the words "Lord God" v. 25 to the same words v. 27. 27. The "wastes" are the desolate cities; those that still hover about these ruins shall be slain by the enemy. The "open field" is the country, now depopulated and "the possession of wild beasts;" and the "forts," coupled with caves, are the natural fastnesses of the land. Those taking refuge there shall die of the pestilence, due to crowding and famine. The remnant shall be exterminated from the land. 28. Cf. vii. 24, xxiv. 21, xxx. 6, 7. The "mountains of Israel" are the mountain laud of Israel. 30—33. Demeanour of the people towards the prophet. The confirmation which the fall of the city gave to the prophet's past predictions awakened the interest of his fellow exiles in him and his words. They congregated together in knots under the shadow of the walls and in the doors of the houses discussing his sayings. Recent fvents had given him a more prominent place in their thoughts. There vv. 29-33.] EZEKIEL, XXXIII. 247 ixone shall pass through. Then shall they know that I am 2) the Lord, when 1 have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed. Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still 30 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. And they come unto thee as 31 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, l>ut their heart goeth after their covetousness. And lo, thou art unto them as a 32 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. And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it 33 will come) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them. was something also in the new truths he was ulteiing, in his outlook into the future and in his appeals to the individual mind, causing each to turn his eyes inward upon liimself, that touched them and awakened a certain reality of concern. Still it was in the main curiosity rather than genuine seriousness that led them to listen to him. There was a certain charm, more perhaps in the kind of future presented by the prophet than in his manner of presenting it, which was like sweet music; but though they listened the drift of their minds was too steadily set in another direction to be changed. 30. are talking against thec\ the children of thy people who talk of thee. Tire construction has a certain inconsequence in it. On "talk" cf. Mai. iii. 16. The "walls" afforded a shade, under which men gathered for conversation. one to anot/ier'] The form "one" is Chaldee rather than Heh. The clause says the same thing as next clause and is wanting in LXX. 31. On "come unto thee" cf. viii. i, xiv. i, xx. i. as my people] The construction is very hard. LXX. omits. taith their mouth. ..love\ The language is peculiar, but can hardly have any other sense. LXX. Syr. read : for falsehood is in their month and their heart &^c. The term "covetousness" or gain has, especially in later books, the general sense of advantage, self-advance- ment, Is. Ivi. II. 32. lovely song of one] lit. a lovely song; one that hath. The comparison "like a lovely song" is as usual inexact; "like" merely indicates the circumstances — as when there is a lovely song. The prophet is compared to the singer as A. V. 33. 7C'he/i this cometh] but when it cometh to pass. The general it (fem. as usual in general references) is the judgment or crisis, the 248 EZEKIEL, XXXIV. [vv. 1—4. 3^ And the word of the Lord came imto me, saying, Son of * man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shep- herds ; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed them- 3 selves ! should not the shepherds feed the flocks ? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that 4 are fed : bttt ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, idea of which undeilies all the prophet's words and is presupposed in tliem. Cf. ii. 5. Ch. XXXIV. The former selfish sHEruERDs of the flock, AND THE FUTURE GOOD SHEPHERD. The past history of the people and their future is presented under the common allegory of a flock. The shepherds are the rulers. (i) w. I — 10. The evil shepherds of Israel fed themselves and not the flock. And thus the sheep were scattered over all the earth. The Lord will rid his sheep out of the hand of these shepherds. (2) vv. II — 16. Jehovali himself will undertake tlie care of his sheep. He will seek them out and gather them from all the nations, and will bring them again to the mountains of Israel, where they shall feed in plentiful pasture. (3) vv. 17 — 22. He will judge also between sheep and sheep, between the strong and the weak. The strong shall no more push with the horn and thrust with the shoulder; neither shall they alone eat the good pasture and drink the clear water. These pushing rams and he-goats are the magnates, whose oppression of the common people is so common a theme in the early prophets. (4) w. 23 — 31. The Lord will raise up a good shepherd to rule his flock, even his servant David. And in those days to come the earth shall be transfigured : showers shall bless the land and the earth shall yield her increase. And the peace of the people shall be per- petual : they shall no more fear the heathen abroad, and no more suffer from scarcity at home. 2. the shephcrds\ i.e. the rulers. The term is chiefly used in later writings (Jer. ii. 8, iii. 15); it occurs, however, in Zech. ix.— xi., the date of which is disputed. On Zedekiah cf. ch. xvii., and on his immediate predecessors, Jer. xxii. 10 — 30. In general, Jer. xxiii., xxv. 32 scq. unto the shepherds'] Possibly this is a marginal heading which has crept into the text, cf. Jer. xxiii. 9, and the reading may be, thus saith the Lord God, JVoe l>e to... For flocks, flock. 3. Ye cat the fat] LXX. the milk (the consonants are the same). Cf. Is. vii. 22; Zech. xi. 16. 4. Five classes are here mentioned, in v. 16 only four, the "diseased" vv. 5— 13-] EZEKIEL, XXXIV. 249 neither have ye brouglit again that which was driven away, neither liave ye sought that which was lost ; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were 5 scattered, because there is no shepherd : and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon 6 every high hill : yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. I'herefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord ; As \ I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there ivas no shepherd, neither did my shep- herds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock ; therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the 9 word of the Lord ; Thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I 10 am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock ; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more ; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be neat for them. For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both n search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd u seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered ; so will I seek out my sheep, and will de- liver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out 13 from the people, and gather them from the countries, and being wanting, and "strengthen" used here of the diseased is said there of the sick. The "broken" is the hurt or bruised; the "lost" that which has wandered away of itself, in distinction from that "driven away" by violence. 5. The allegory is simple enough. Owing to the evil and selfish government of the rulers the people became the prey of all the nations round about them. The figure of the flock indicates, however, the affection of Jeho\ah for his people and his compassion over their sufferings. 11 — 16. jEHOVAn HIMSELF WILL UNDERTAKE THE CARE OF HIS FLOCK. 11. scarcJi my sJici:p\ i.e. search for, or, search out. 13. Read peoples as usual. 2SO EZEKIEL, XXXIV. [vv. 14—19. will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the in- 14 habited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be : there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, 16 saith the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and v/ill bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick : but I will destroy the fat and the strong ; I will feed 17 them with judgment. And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I judge between cattle and 18 cattle, between the rams and the he goats. Seemdh it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pas- ture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, 19 but ye must foul the residue with your feet? And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet ; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. 14. Jehovah first seeks out his sheep {v. 11), then he delivers them out of the places where they are scattered {v. 12), then he leads theni into their own land (z'. 13), where he feeds them upon the mountain heights of Israel {vv. 14, 15). 16. The Lord's treatment of his flock will be in all things the reverse of the treatment given them by the evil shepherds. icith jiidgiiteiit\ i.e. just judgment; in rectitude and justice. Cf. such demands as those in Is. i. 17, iii. 15, v. 8; Mic. ii. i — 2, iii. 1—4. 17. Not only shall the cruel shepherds be removed and the flock delivered out of their hands and fed by the Lord himself, the injuries inflicted by members of the flock on each other shall no more prevail. The strong shall no more push the weak or drive them from the good pasture. bet'cveen cattle and cattle] between sheep and sheep, even the rams and the he-goats. The "rams" and "he-goats" explain the second word "sheep." Jehovah will judge between one class (the poor and weak) and another (the rams). Cf. .\xii. 27, 29; Am. ii. 7, iii. 9, IV. r. 18. The words are addressed to the rams and he-goats — the mag- nates and ruling classes. deep 7vaters] clear (lit. settled) waters, cf. xxxii. 14. vv. 20—24.] EZEKIEL, XXXIV. o 21 84 Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them ; Behold, ? I, cre/i I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. IBecause ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pusht all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad ; therefore will I save my 22 flock, and they shall no more be a prey ; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. And I will set up one shepherd 23 over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David ; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince 23—28. Instead of the many worthless shepherds of old there shall in the future be one good shepherd, even David, and Jeliovah shall in tuuh be God of Israel. 23. ?//)' scmaut David] The meaning cannot be that David would in person revive and reappear. It is more doubtful whether the prophet means that the line or family of David would again occupy the throne or that a single person would be king. It is possible that this question was not strictly before his mind ; it is the character of the ruler that he thinks of. The oriental mind hardly distinguishes between an ancient personage and one who appears in his power and spirit ; when it com- p:ires it identifies. The new prince over the people will be David, the .servant of the Lord. Both the person and the reign of David were idealized. He was not in general terms but in truth the man after God's own heart. His rule was not merely extensive, it was uni- versal. He gave the people victory and secured them peace — he was a leader and commander of the peoples (Is. Iv. 4 ; Ps. .wiii. 43). Such shall be the king of the restored community when Jehovah is indeed the God of Israel. For it is to be noted that in Messianic prophecy it is Jehovah who saves the people (v. 22 and preceding verses); then he appoints a shepherd over the restored community, who feeds them in righteousness and peace. The Messiah is the king of the saved community, whom he rules in the fear of the Lord with all royal and godly qualities ; and the virtues of his character, fruit of the spirit of the Lord, communicate themselves to those whom he rules (Is. xi.). It is possible that the phrase "one shepherd" is to be interpreted as in xxxvii. 24, with the meaning that the two kingdoms shall be one, and that this is part of the meaning of the term "David," cf. Hos. i. 11, iii. 5; Am. ix. 11. See more fully ch. xxxvii. 24. / ihd Lord... their God] This is the goal towards which all movements strive ; when this is reached perfection is attained and the covenant with its aims fully realized, cf. xxxvii. 27; Jer. xxxi. 31; Ex. xxix. 45. The meaning of the words is very profound, implying closer fellowship and deeper feelings accompanying it than can well be expressed. David a prince] David is here called " prince"; in xxxvii. 32, 24 he 252 EZEKIEL, XXXIV. [vv. 25—29. 25 among them ; I the Lord have spoken //. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land : and they shall dwell 16 safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing ; and I will cause the shower to come down in his 27 season ; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those 28 that served themselves of them. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall 29 make them afraid. And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any is named "king" (though LXX. avoids the term). The term "prince" is common in Ezek., and does not imply a dignity inferior to that of royahy. 25. a covenant of peace] a covenant securing everlasting peace and therefore implying the removal of all that would injure or disturb them. In IIos. ii. 20 the sense is somewhat different: Jehovah makes a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, that they shall not hurt. In IIos. "beasts" is used literally (cf. Is. xi. 6), here figuratively, meaning foes, heathen assailants, though the figure of the Hock is still maintained (Lev. xxvi. 6). The "wilderness" is the uncultivated pasture land as distinguished from that under tillage, covered with crops or fruit-trees (Carmel). Even in the "woods," the parts covered with bush, the haunts of wild beasts, the flock shall sleep safely. 26. make them. ..a blessing] i.e. altogether blessed, Gen. xii. 2; Is. xix. 34, as the last words of the verse imply. Cf. construction xvi. 38, xxvii. 36, xxviii. 19, xxxiii. 28. The language of the clause is not very natural; LXX. reads: and I will set them round about my hill (the word "blessing" wanting). shcnvers of blessing] i.e. bringing blessing, not, composed of blessing, V. 27, Joel ii. 23 — 27 ; Lev. xxvi. 4. 27. bands of their yoke] i.e. the yoke bound upon them, Lev. xxvi. 13; Jer. ii. 20, where read "thou hast broken." 29. a plant of 7-enown] a plantation of renown, lit. for a name, i.e. a plantation which shall be (or, so as to be) renowned ; cf. for the phrase xxxix. 13; Is. Iv. 13. The ref. is not to the person of the Messiah, but to the luxuriant fertility and vegetation of the earth in the Messianic age, Comp. Ps, Ixvii., Ixxii, }6; Am. ix. 13; Hos, ii, vv. 30, 31; r, 2,] EZEKIEL, XXXV. 253 more. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God 30 am with them, and t/iai they, even the house of Israel, arc my people, saith the Lord God. And ye my flock, the 31 flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 35 Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy 2 21', Joel ii. 23 sc^j. The land of Israel was subject to c]rouj;lils and famine (xxxvi. 15, 30; t Kings xvii. seq.; Jer. xiv. i — 6, 18; Joel i.). In the regeneration this reproach shall no more fall on it, ch. xxxvi. 3, 6, 15. 30. am 'with tJu-ni'] I.XX. omits -with tliciit, reading: that I the Lord am their God, and they... my people — the usual antithesis. The people's consciousness of salvation shall be, so to speak, a double one, that Jehovah is their God and that they are his people. The two things might seem identical, but the second suggests a feeling regarding themselves which belongs to the perfect enjoyment of salva- tion. 31. ye my /7ord will give them {v. 26), they shall loathe themselves because of all their former impurity and evil, for it is not for what they have been that Jehovah does this to them {vv. 31, 32). (6) Thus when Israel's captivity is brought back the nations shall learn the true meaning of their dispersion, and the nature of Jehovah their God, who disperses and restores (vv. 33—36). 16—23. Israel's past history and the trixciples which IT illustrates. 17. When in their own land the people defiled it with their doings. The land was "holy" being sanctified by Jehovah's presence in it. The sins of the people, idolatry and bloodshed, desecrated it and made it unclean. Holy embraces "clean" under it, as the general does a particular, Jer. ii. 7; Lev. xviii. 25. Ezek., however, seems to call all sins "uncleanness." This way of speaking and thinking could hardly have arisen except under the influence of a law of cere- monial defilements (which were real defilements) and purifications. Jinckanness of a removed^ the uncleanness of a woman's impurity. Lev. XV. 19. The comparison expresses the extreme of loathing, ch. vii. 20. 18. The eft'ect of these sins was to awaken the fury of Jehovah. The "blood" may be murder from violence or judicial murder, so often reprobated in the earlier prophets, or it may be the sacrifice of children, xvi. 36, xxiii. 37. 19. The consequences of Jehovah's wrath — the people were scat- tered by him among all the nations, vii. 3, xviii, 30. 20. These disasters which the people of Jehovah brought on them- selves led to the desecration of his name among the heathen. The nations judged him weak and unable to protect his people. In the eyes of the nations the interests of the god and his people were one ; if a people was subdued by another it was because its god was too feeble to protect it. Naturally the idea of a god exercising a moral 262 EZEKIEL, XXXVI. [vv. 21—23. whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and CI are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among :2 the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God ; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither 23 ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them ; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified rule over his own people would not yet occur to them. That Jehovah so rules is the lesson which the history of Israel, its dispersion and restoration, is intended to read to the nations of the earth. This lesson was one which Israel itself was slow to learn, and when Amos (iii. 2) read it to them, it was perhaps as strange to some as it might be to the heathen. they profaned^ i.e. Israel. Israel by bringing their dispersion upon themselves led to the desecration of Jehovah's name by the nations, and hence they are said directly to have profaned his name (v. i\). ivhcn they said to thci>t\ when it was said of them, These are... and they are gone forth..., i.e. though the people of Jehovah, they have been driven into exile out of the land — he has not been able to protect them. 21. Cf. XX. 9, 14. 22. do not this for your sahes\ Not for what Israel has been or deserved. The ref. is to Israel's past history; such a meaning as that it is not for any interest which he has in Israel or in order to benefit them that Jehovah delivers them, but only to magnify his own name, is entirely extraneous to the passage and a distortion of its sense. Cf. Is. xliii. 22 — 28, xlviii. 9 — 11. "Name" is not equivalent to person, but is a reflection or expression of the person; hence all that is due to the person or can be said of it, is due to the name and can be employed of it. 23. sanctify my great nawe] To sanctify is the opposite of to pro- fane. As the latter term means to detract from the power, majesty or purity of Jehovah, or from any of those attributes which belong to his godhead, to sanctify is to manifest or make these attributes con- spicuous. Hence the effect of Jehovah's sanctifying his name is that the heathen know him to be Jehovah— God alone and all that which he is who is God alone. In v. 22 "holy name," here "great name"; "greatness" is an element in "holiness." de sanctified in yon] Or reflexive: shew myself holy — where "holy" embraces the attributes of Deity as a whole. Israel is the vv. 24—27.] EZEKIEL, XXXVI. 263 in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among 24 the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and yc shall 25 be clean : from all your filthiness, and irom all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a 26 new spirit will I put within you : and I will take away the stony heart out of your llesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you 27 subject through which Jehovah shews himself to be God, i.e. by his operations in Israel in the sight of the nations. 24 seq. These operations are his restoration and regeneration of Israel. It is certainly possible that the more internal operations of Jehovah on Israel {v. 25 seq.) — his washing them with clean water and putting a new spirit within them that they shall \\-alk in his statutes, are considered part of Jehovah's sanctifying of himself in the sight of the nations. They do express better what Jehovah is than a mere exhibition of power, cf. xxxix. 23, 24 ; Is. Ixi. 3, Ixii. 2. At the same time this more general idea seems to pass from the prophet's mind in the delight with which he dwells on Israel's religious regenera- tion. The wider idea is at any rate returned to in v. 33 seq. 25. Dogmatically, sprinkling with clean water might seem merely to express the idea of the forgiveness of past sins. The figure is taken from the washings by which ceremonial defilement was removed, and the figure is part of the idea. By their relation to the idols and service of them the people contracted uncleanness. And when the kind of service which this was is considered, the debasing forms which it took, and the immoralities which accompanied it or formed part of it (Hos. iv. 13, 14), the depth of defilement will be understood and the strong figure V, 1 7 will not appear too strong. 26. A iieiv hcart\ The "heart" is used here generally of the nature. Formerly their heart was strong, obdurate, unimpressible ind rebellious (ii. 4, iii. 7); now they shall receive a "heart of flesh," impressible and soft, sensitive to the divine admonitions and will. The phrase shews that in the Old Testament no idea of corrupt inclination attaches to the term "flesh" (xi. 19). According to usage "spirit" expresses the ruling principle in the mind, the force that gives direction and motion to the current of thought and conduct, or that prevailing current itself. The heart is more passive and receptive and but re- sponds to influences, the spirit is active and regulative. Jer. xxxii. 37 — 39* 27. put my spirU'\ This great promise is one which does not appear prominently in the prophets till the exile. In Is. xi. the Messianic king has the spirit of Jehovah in all the manifoldness of his operation, and in xxxii. 15 the hope is expressed that "the spirit shall be poured on us from on high" (though the passage is held by some to be later than Is.) ; but it is in exile and post-exile times that the idea is first 264 EZEKIEL, XXXVI. [vv. 28—31. to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, 28 and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers ; and ye shall be my people, and I will be 29 your God. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses : and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no 30 famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more 31 reproach of famine among the heathen. Then shall ye expressed M-ith great certainty, e.g. Ezek. xxxvi. 27, xxxvii. 14; Joel ii. 28 ; Zech. iv. 6 (xii. 10). Jeremiah does not use the expression, though his promise that Jehovah will write his law on men's hearts seems to have much the same sense, or at least it expresses the "new spirit" of Ezek., and in the New Testament this new spirit is the spirit of God. There always attaches to "spirit" the idea of power in operation, the spirit of God is God exerting power. to ivalk in viy statutes'] Being endowed with the spirit of God they will walk in his statutes, for tliese are expressions of his spirit. The spirit of God will appear both as an inward impulse to fulfil God's will, and as a power to do it. In the Old Testament the spirit of God, even the prophetic spirit, is usually a dynamic influence, an elevation of the natural human faculties. The "statutes and judgments" are not the mere external enactments of the law; they embrace all the moral laws to which Ezek. so often refers (e.g. ch. xviii., xxii., xxxiii.), and it is doubtful if the prophet refers specially to written laws at all. 28. Again, the consequence of walking in Jehovah's statutes will be that they shall inherit the land for ever, cf. xxviii. 25, xxxvii. 25. The promise attached to the fifth commandment — the first command- ment with promise — belongs to the commandments given to Israel as a whole. The keeping of them was the condition of remaining in the land. When the people disregarded them they were driven out, and only when their former sins were forgiven could they be restored (Is. xl. 2). It may be a question whether there be now any con- nexion between Israel and the land of Canaan. If there be, the condition of restoration to it is faith and obedience on the part of the people. A restoration of Jews still in unbelief to Canaan, even if it should occur, could have no meaning so far as the redemptive providence of God is concerned, and would not enter into any relation with the Old Testament scriptures. Comp. the order stated v. 33. 29. save you from... uncleannesses'] Or, I will save (deliver) you out of your... The phrase "save out of" is pregnant, meaning "save you by purifying you from"..., hardly, save you from the consequences of... Cf. xxxvii. 23, and reading there. call for the corn] Cf. xxxiv. 27, 29; Hos. ii. 21; Jer. xxxi. 12 (cf. 1 Kings viii. i). 30. Cf. xxxiv. 27 seq. 31. Cf. vi, 9, xvi. 61, 6^,. Omit the words "in your own sight," ch. XX. 43. vv. 32—37.] E2EKIEL, XXXVl. 265 remember your own evil ways, and your doings that luere not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. Not for your 3^ sakes do I fhis, saith the Lord Gou, be it known unto you : be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord God ; In the day that I shall 33 have cleansed you from all your iniquities, I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate 34 in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This 35 land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden ; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left 3^ round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined //rt'a'j", and plant that that was desolate : I the Lord have spoken //, and I will do it. Thus saith the Lord God; 37 32. The verse is closely connected with the preceding : ye shall remember your former evil, for not for your sakes do I this — not because of your good deserving {v. 22); on the contrary their own ways when thought upon could only cause them sliame. In Lev. xxvi. 45 "for their sakes" means "to their benefit," on their behalf. 33—36. The prophet returns to the lessons which Israel's history, the author of which is their God, will i-ead to the nations of the world. When they behold the desolated land of Israel become like the garden of Eden they shall form another judgment regarding Jehovah, and know that which he is, and the meaning of the history of his people. 33. The order stated here is of course a necessity: as the sins of the people caused them to be cast out of their land, their forgiveness must precede their restoration to it. In the prophets events are not events merely, they are exhibitions of moral principles. So in Is. xl. — Ixvi. the restoration of Israel to Canaan is preceded by the atone- ment of their sins by the servant of the Lord (Is. xl. ■2). 36. I. ..build.. .plant] Perhaps; have builded... planted. The words hardly express a general characteristic of Jehovah, but refer to the fact that it is he who has i^estored Israel — comp. last words of the verse. Reflecting on Jehovah's restoration of the people the nations will recognise not merely his power, but also the deeper principles which underlie his government of his people. 37, 38. A single point in the Lord's restoration of Israel is made prominent, the multiplication of the people. The terrible threats of the diminution of their numbers (v. 12), and of the destruction both of those remaining in the land and those going into exile, were no doubt to a great extent fulfilled (Lam. v.). The scanty population of Jerasalem is referred to by Nehemiah nearly a century after the first exiles returned (vii. 4). The old promise that they should be as the 266 EZEKIEL, XXXVI. [v. 38. I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them ; I will increase them with men like a flock, 33 As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts ; so shall the waste cities be filled loith flocks of men : and they shall know that I am the Lord. sand of the sea is here repeated, of. vv. 10, 11, 33; Jer. xxxi. 27; Hos. i. 10; Zech. ii. 4. ■ , r 37. yd... be inquired of] Ahuost: / w/// /c-/ tnysel/ l)e inquired of, which embraces not merely the enquiry or request on the part of the people, but the response to it on the part of the Lord. Cf. xiv. 3, XX. 3, 31. As usual "this" refers to what follows— the multiplication of the people. 38. the holy Jlock\ i.e. the sacrificial sheep. The solemn feasts (where solemn has its proper sense of "customary," appointed) may be the three great yearly festivals, though in point of fact Ezek. does not refer to Pentecost, or the feast of weeks, in his concluding chapters. The comparison shews that already in pre-exilc times enormous num- bers of sacrificial animals were brought to Jerusalem for offerings at the feasts. flocks of men'\ lit. sheep flocks in men. The word "flock" in Heb. is not generalized so as to express a great number— it means a sheep- flock, and is explained by "men."' Probably no passage in the Old Testament of the same extent ofifers so complete a parallel to New Testament doctrine, particularly to that of St Paul. It is doubtful if the Apostle quotes Ezek. anywhere, but his line of thought entirely coincides with his. The same conceptions ■ and in the same order belong to both— forgiveness (-■. 25) ; regeneration, a new heart and spirit [v. 26) ; the spirit of God as the ruling power in the new life (j*. 27); the issue of this, the keeping of the requirements of God's law {v. 27; Rom. viii. 4); the effect of being "under grace" in softening the human heart and leading to obedience (p. 31; Rom. vi., vii.); and the organic connexion of Israel's history with Jehovah's revelation of himself to the nations {vv. 33—36; Rom. xi.). The prophet's idea of the divine pedagogic is not precisely the same as that of the Apostle, and the present passage has in some particulars to be supplemented from ch. xvi. As put here it is Israel's historical experiences, their dispersion and restoration, with the thoughts which these suggest, that impress the nations and teach them what Jehovah is. y Ch. XXXVII. The teople. The last step in the reconstruction of the new Israel is the resurrec- tion of the people. The nation is dead, and its bones scattered and diy. But it shall rise from the dead; the bones shall come together and the spirit of life from Jehovah shall enter into them and they shall live. The passage has two parts: — vv. 1—3.] EZEKIEL, XXXVII. 267 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out 37 in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass 2 by them round about : and behold, there ivcrc very many in the open valley ; and lo, they tvere very dry. And he said 3 unto me, Son of man, can these bones live ? And I answered. First, vv. t — 14 the resurrection of the people Israel from death, and restoration to their own land. Second, vv. 15 — 28 the union of the two houses of Israel, Judah and Ephraim, when restored under one head, even David. 1 — 14. The vision of Israel's resurrection from the dead. The vision seems suggested by the saying current among the people, "our bones are dried, our hope is lost; we are wholly cut off." This idea and feeling of the people takes form in the vision which the pro- phet saw in the valley. The language of the people is figurative : they speak of the nationality, which is no more, — it is dead and its bones scattered and dry. And this idea regarding the nationality, figura- tively expressed by the people, is embodied to the prophet in a vision. Hence the passage is not a literal prophecy of the resurrection of indi- vidual persons of the nation, dead or slain ; it is a prophecy of the resurrection of the nation, whose condition is figm^atively expressed by the people when they represent its bones as long scattered and dry. Perfect consistency is not maintained by the proj)het : in vv. i, 2 the dry bones are I'epresented as lying on the face of the valley, very many and very dry; in v. 12 they are represented as buried and brought up out of their graves. Hosea had already used the figure of resurrection for the resuscitation of the nation (vi. 1, xiii. 14); but, though the language used both here and by Hosea shews familiarity with the idea of the raising again of individuals, this is not what is prophesied. In Is. xxvi. 19; Dan. xii. the actual resurrection of individual members of Israel is predicted, cf. Job xiv. 13 seq. 1. T/ie hand of the Loi\I\ The prophetic ecstasy from the Lord, ch. i. 3. On "spirit" of the Lord cf. iii. 14, viii. 3, xi. 24. The "valley" is probably that mentioned early in the Book, iii. 22. 2. the open valley'] lit. on the face of the valley. The bones were strewed over the valley in vast numbers, and they appeared bleached and dry. Their great number no doubt was suggested by the actual fact that vast multitudes of the people had been slain with the sword or had otherwise perished; and their "dryness" expresses at least the utter deadness of the nation and the apparent hopelessness of its revi- val, if not that it had been long dead {v. 1 1). 3. To the question, Can these bones live ? the prophet, looking at them, could not answer Yea (even to the Apostle attainment unto the resurrection of the dead was something ineffably lofty, Phil. iii. 11), and yet in the presence of him who put the question he could not answer No (Rom. iv. 17—21; Heb. xi. 19). With reverence he answers, Thou knowest (Rev. vii. 14). 268 EZEKIEL, XXXVII. [vv. 4- lo. 4 O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry 5 bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones ; Behold, I will cause breath to enter 6 into you, and ye shall live : and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live ; and ye shall know 7 that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, 8 and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above : but there zvas no breath 9 in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind. Thus saith the Lord God ; Come from the four winds, O breath, and 10 breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied vv. 4 — 6. The prophet is bidden prophesy to the bones and pro- mise them life from Jehovah. 6. The act of putting breath within them, being the main and final step of giving them life, is mentioned first as if it embraced all. 6. Then follow the details of their becoming actual men of flesh and blood. vz: 7 — 10. As the prophet spoke there was a great sound and the bones came together, bone to his bone, and they became clothed with flesh ; but as yet there was no breath of life in them. 7. behold a shaking] The word is rendered "rushing" (iii. 11). The noise is that occasioned by the rising and rushing of the Ijones together. The previous word "noise" is wanting in LXX., which reads simply : and it came to pass as I prophesied that behold a rushing. 9. The order described in the creation of man (Gen. ii.) is ob- served here : first the body was formed and then the breath of life was breathed into it. Prophesy unto the idnd] Or, breath. In Heb. the same word means wind, breath and spirit. The sign of life, the breath, is seen to be identical with the wind or air, and by an intensification of meaning common to many languages the "breath" becomes the principle of life, or the living principle itself, the spirit. The poet truly says (ety- mologically) the spirit does but mean the breath; but though the words be identical the ideas are different. The breath needful to be life in the vast multitude now created must be furnished by wind coming from all quarters of the heavens. upon these slain} Or, into the slain. What is needful to make living men of them is breath in their nostrils. That which God did himself to the individual man when created, even breathe into his nos- vv. II— 14-] EZEKIEL, XXXVII. 269 as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they hved, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are n the whole house of Israel : behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost : we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say u:ito them, Thus saith the 12 Lord God ; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the ij Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, and shall put my spirit m in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land : then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken //, and performed //, saith the Lord. trils the breath of life, is here accomplished by the wind from the four quarters of the heavens at his command breathing into the innu- merable multitude. The wind from the four corners of the heavens is but a symbol of the universal life-giving spirit of God (z'. 14). vv. II — 14. Explanation of the vision. 11. The wliole house of Israel^ viz. Judah and Ephraim. our hope is lost\ Those who speak are the living members of the nation, and it is of the nationality that they speak. The destruction and dissolution of the nation appeared to them final. It could no more be revived than the dry bones could be made to live. This feeling often appears in exile writings, e.g. Is. xl. — Ixvi. (xlix. 14 &c.) cf. the singular struggling against the idea, Lam. iii. 20 scq. for our pa7-is\ A rendering of the ethical dat., which merely gives vividness to the words "we are cut off," or expresses the feeling of those who speak by reflecting the action back upon the subject. The term "cut off" (otherwise uncommon) is used also of the servant of the Lord, Is. liii. 8. 12. The figure is varied here, the people are regarded as dead and buried and their revival is an opening of their graves. The phrase "bring you into the land of Israel" shews, however, that the lan- guage is still used figuratively of the resuscitation of the dead nation and not literally of the resurrection of deceased individuals. 14. The symbol of the wind breathing into the slain is here ex- plained : it is the spirit of Jehovah that gives life, Ps. civ. 30. The connexion shews that the spirit of the Lord here is merely the life- giving spirit, and not the regenerating spirit, as in xxxvi. 27 — though the distinction is merely part of the figiue. The resuscitation of the dead nation could come about only through their moral regeneration, and hence in Is. xl. — Ixvi. this is part of the work of the Servant of the Lord (Is. xlix. 8 — 12, Ixi. i). The passage is of great interest, apart from its own beauty, as casting light upon the condition of the people's mind. The prophet 270 EZEKIEL, XXXVII. [vv. 15—18. 15 The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, 16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his com- panions : then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and/or all the house of Israel 17 his companions : and join them one to another into one i3 stick ; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, is fond of quoting expressions from the mouth of the people (e.g. xi. 3, xii. 22, 27, xvi. 44, xviii. 2, 25, 29, cf. xxxiii. 17, 20, xx. 49, xxxvi. 20 &c.), and probably the words here used were actually heard. They shew a state of despondency quite natural and one no doubt greatly prevalent. Indeed in all the prophets of this age the hope that exists is hope only in Jehovah, which believes that in spite of past disasters their God will yet save the people. It is only by giving moral signifi- cance to Israel's calamities on the one hand, and on the other by ani- mating the revolutions and commotions among the nations with Jeho- vah's purpose, that the faith of the prophets themselves is sustained. The prophetic hopes of this period are based on dogmatic presuppo- sitions, e.g. that Jehovah is the true and living God and that there is none else ; that Israel is his people and has his true revelation among them, which is imperishable and which must accomplish the purpose for which it was given and become effectual in making a true people of the Lord (Is. Iv.) ; and that the purpose of the one God must embrace all the nations of the earth, between whom and Jehovah Israel is the link of communication. The prophetic views as to how Jehovah shall use Israel to give the nations the knowledge of himself difter. In Is. xl. seg. Israel becomes the light of the nations — having the time knowledge of God it imparts it to the heathen. In Ezekiel it is their o^vn observa- tion and reflection on Israel's history that reveals to the nations Jeho- vah's true nature. In all, however, the work of redemption is the work of Jehovah. Here his restoration of Israel is reanimation of the dead through his life-giving spirit. 15—28. Prophecy of the reunion of the restored Israel INTO ONE KINCnOM, RULED BY ONE KING, EVEN DaVID. (i) VV. 15 — 23. Symbol of the union of Judah and Israel into one kingdom, with its explanation. (2) vv. 24 — 25. There shall be one king over the new nation, even David. (3) z-z'. 26 — 28. Jehov.ah's covenant with the people shall be ever- lasting, and his presence will sanctify them. 16. o>ie stif/;] i.e. staff, or rod, equivalent to sceptre, Numb. xvii. 2; so vv. 17, 19, 20. children of Israel] After the fall of the northern kingdom the name Israel was often used of Judah, the only remaining part of it. Here Israel of the north is called Joseph or Ephraim. vv. 19—23.] EZEKIEL, XXXVII. 271 saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these ? say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I ivill 19 take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the sticks where- 20 on thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, 1 21 will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land : and I will make them 22 one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel ; and one king shall be king to them all : and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all : neither shall they defile them- 23 selves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions : but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them : so shall they be my people, 19, Explanation of the symbolical action. put them with hii){\ lit. join them icnto it, even itnto the stick of jfudah. The construction is rather unnatural (for eth, cf. xiv. 22, xliii. 17, others would read el). in mine hand] Vulg. reads in his hand (so E\v.), i.e. Judah's, and LXX. actually in the hand of yudah. LXX. either read his hand and interpreted it of Judah, or toolc the final y of my hand as an abbrevia- tion for Yehudah. On the one hand the united staff or sceptre might be given into the hand of Judah as the ruler of the one kingdom was to be David (Am. ix. 11; Hos. iii. 5). On the other hand there is no trace in the passage of any preeminence of Judah over Israel of the north. 20. This symbolical action may have been actually performed, though the supposition is scarcely necessary, cf. xii. 3. 22. This promise runs throughout all prophecy. The disruption of the state was felt even by Hosea, a native of the north, to have intro- duced a schism into the one kingdom of Jehovah, and to have broken the unity of the consciousness of the community, to which the con- sciousness of the one God corresponded. Hos. i. 11, viii. 3, 4; Is. xi. 13; Jer. iii. 18. The one God, the husband of the community, required that the community should also be one, with a single affection and service. Cf. xxxiv. 23, 24. 23. Cf. xxxvi. 25. all their divellins; places'] More probably : out of all their back- Blidings. So LXX., cf. xxxvi. 29. 272 EZEKIEL, XXXVII. [vv. 24—27. 24 and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them ; and they all shall have one shepherd : they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, 13 and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my 26 servant David sliall be their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them : and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of 27 them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: 24. David my serva7it\ Cf. xxxiv. 23, 24. Here the term "king" is applied to the ruler of the future (v. •22); in other places "prince." The words seem used indifferently, cf. xix. i, xxii. 25. Cf. xxxvi. 27. 25. Cf. xxxvi. 28. Jacob my servaiif\ Jacob is here the patriarch himself, not as in Is. xl. seq. a name for the people. He is referred to as the ancestor cf Israel in Hos. xii. 12, as Abraham in Is. xxix. 32. Cf. ch. xxxiii. 24; Is. xli. 8, li. 2, Ixiii. i6. their prince for ever] It is not at all probable that "David my servant" means either the Davidic house or a line of kings. But possibly the point whether the king would be one person living for ever is not before the prophet's mind. It is the quality of the new people and the new ruler that he specially refers to ; the point whether generation after generation of the people shall dwell in the land and prince succeed prince is hardly in his mind. The unity of the people and the unity of the ruler, one such as David; the character of the people (v, 24) and their perpetual possession of the land — these are the elements of the prophet's idea, and further questions are not touched. In xliii. 7, xlv. 8, a succession of princes appears pre- supposed, but the idea hardly belongs to the present passage. 28. a cdveiiant of peace'] Cf. xxxiv. 25 ; Is. Iv. 3 ; Jer. xxxii. 40. my sanciitary] The name given by the prophet to the temple as the dwelling place of Jehovah {v. 27) and specially sanctified or made holy by his presence. 27. My tabernacle also} And my dweUing place... and I ■will toe. The words repeat the idea in v. 26. The last words of the Book are, "The Lord is there." The phrase zaith them, i.e. by or beside them (cf. ii. 6), might mean over them, reference being to the situation of the temple, high above the city (xl. 2), but this has little proba- bility. It would be more natural to take over in the ideal sense of a "protection" to them. The sanctuary, however, does not protect, it sanctifies, although being sanctified Jehovah will protect them (ch. xxxviii. — xxxix.). The expression "I will be their God" varies the idea of his dwelling place being with them, xi. 20, xiv. 11, xxxvi. 28. V. 28.] EZEKIEL, XXXVII. 273 yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And 28 the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for ever- more. 28. The presence of Jehovah makes the house wherein he dwells a sanctuary (holy place), and the presence of his sanctuary (he being there, xlviii. 35) among the people sanctifies them or makes them "holy" — a term which expresses two things: being the possession of Jehovah, and being in disposition and Hfe all that the people of Je- hovah must be. The idea that Jehovah's presence "sanctifies" the people is common. Jehovah's dwelling-place being among the people for ever the nations shall know that he "sanctifies" them. To sanctify is not to protect, it is to make the people his own and worthy of him, but this implies protection. Jer. ii. 3, "Israel was a holy thing to the Tord, the first fruit of his increase, all that ate him up incurred guilt." The ideas in this verse lead naturally over to the episode of Gog's invasion, the issues of which so remarkably illustrate them. The restoration of Israel includes the tribes of the north as well as Judah. All the prophets of this age regard the northern exiles as still existing, cf Jer. iii. 12 — 15: Is. xlix. 5, 6, and the strong passage Is. xliii. 5 — 7 "every one called by my name," i.e. every member of the people of the Lord. Cf the present prophet's disposition of all the tribes in the holy land, ch. xlviii. Ch. XXXVIIL, XXXIX. Invasion of the Restored Israel IN THE LATTER DAYS BY GOG AND ALL THE NATIONS LYING IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE WORLD, AND IsRAEL'S PROTECTION BY Jehovah. These two chapters are closely connected with ch. xxxviii. 28, "the nations shall know that I Jehovah do sanctify" Israel. This recalls to the prophet's mind the invasion of Gog, a great and final attack on Israel by the nations, and he introduces the description of it here, as it illustrates so conspicuously what is said in xxxvii. 21 — 28. For the invasion of Gog is an episode out of connexion with the restoration of the people, which has formed the theme of the preceding chapters (xxxiii. — xxxvii). It lies far in the future (?'. 8, i6), long after Israel has been restored, and when it has dwelt long in peace in its own land (v. 8, 11). The sedulous care with which the land is purified from the carcases of Gog's host, every bone being carefully collected and the whole buried beyond the Jordan, is sufficient evidence of the holiness of Israel and the land at the time of Gog's attack (xxxix. 11-16). The prophet is not the author of the idea of this invasion. It has been predicted of old by the prophets of Israel, prophesying over long periods (xxxviii. 17, xxxix. 8). Neither is it probable that the idea was one read out of certain prophecies merely by Ezekiel. More likely it w^as an idea widely entertained. The fomier prophecies on which the belief was founded are not to be supposed to have contained the EZEKIEL 1 3 274 EZEKIEL, XXXVIII. name of Gog, any more than the prophecies applied by the author of Is. xl. seq. to the career of Cyrus need have referred to him by name. The conception is rather shadowy and vague. The time is indefinite, it is far into the years to come; tlie nations who cluster around the .standard of Gog, himself a somewhat nebulous personage, are those lying in the uttermost regions of the world, which had been heard of but never seen. The most distant north and the most distant south send their contingents to swell the innumerable host, and the far- off commercial peoples .Sheba and Dedan and Tarshish follow his camp {vv. 3, 5, 6, 13). The description seems almost a creation, the embodiment of an idea — the idea of the irreconcilable hostility of the nations of the world to the religion of Jehovah, and the presentiment that this must yet be manifested on a grander scale than has ever yet been. Hence the supernatural magnitude of the outlines of the picture (ot'. 9, 16, 20). The main idea of the prophet, however, is quite perspicuous. With the exception of Ethiopia, a somewhat general name for the most distant south, none of the historical nations appear under Gog's banner. These nations that came into connexion with Israel during her history have already learned to know Jehovah (ch. XXV. — xxxii.). They have not been exterminated, but his glory has been revealed to them and they no more trouble the peace of the restored Israel (xxxvi. 36). But the nations lying in the outskirts of the earth, as another prophet expresses it, "have not heard Jehovah's fame neither have seen his glory" (Is. Ixvi. 19), and he who is God alone must reveal himself to all flesh, for he has sworn by himself that to him every knee shall bow (Is. xlv. 23). Such is the meaning of this last act in the drama of the world's history. As it is Jehovah's final revelation of himself to all the nations of the earth, it is accom- panied by all those terrors and convulsions in nature which in earlier prophets usually signalize the day of the Lord (xxxviii. 19 — 23). This indeed is peculiar in Ezek. that he places Jehovah's great and last revelation of himself after the restoration of his people to peace and felicity, while in the earlier prophets it precedes or accompanies their restoration; as it does even in prophets after him (Is. xl. 5; Ps. cii. 16). In this order he is followed by the Apocalypse (Rev. xix. 11, xx. 7). Besides the display of Jehovah's might in the overthrow of Gog and in the terrible convulsions of nature, his moral being and rule is also revealed through his people, for his protection of them now that they are holy and true casts light to the nations on his former dispersion of them (xxxix. 23). Gog is styled prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, nations lying in the extremities of the north {v. 15). Other nations are joined to these, lying in the furthest south (v. 5). And in the train of these warriors come the hosts of far-off commercial peoples, camp followers intent on gain (j'. 13). It is, therefore, self-evident that the Chaldeans are not represented under the name of Gog. The Chaldeans are Je- hovah's mandatories, commissioned to chastise his people, and humble the ungodly pride of such nations as Egypt and Phenicia, and Ezekiel's prophecies contain no threats against Babylon. He intimates indeed that the supremacy of that power is but temporary, naming 40 years vv. I, 2.] EZEKIEL, XXXVIIi. 275 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of 38 man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief'' prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, as the term wlien a new condilion of the world will arise, which presupposes her decline and fall. But the invasion of Gog appears to him to be far away in the indcfmite future, long after the promises of the Lord to his people have been fulfilled, and this fulfilment must be preceded by the overthrow of the Chaldean power. The passage extends to ch. xxxix. 24, where the prophet resumes the point of view occupied in ch. xxxiii. — vii. prior to the Restoration of Israel. Ch. XXXVIII. The invasion of Gog, and his destruction. (i) vv. I — 9. Gog's enterprise regarded as the purpose and ope- ration of Jehovah. The Lord will bring Gog forth with all his allies. He is commanded to hold himself in readiness to go up against Israel. (2) vv. 10 — 13. Gog's enterprise regarded as due to his own evil purposes. Evil thoughts shall come into his mind, and he will resolve to invade Israel, to spoil a spoil and to get him much prey. The merchant nations shall follow his camp intent on gain. (3) vv. 14 — 19. Gog's coming up and his bringing up have the same result or purpose eventually: Jehovah shall be "sanctified" in (ihrough) him, and the nations shall know that he is God. (4) vv. 17 — 23. Gog's attack had long been predicted by fonner prophets. On that day Jehovah will reveal himself in all his majesty and shake terribly the earth. All creation shall be terror-stricken before him, and all that is lofty on the earth shall be thrown down (Is. ii. iii.). He will bring destruction on Gog, causing a supernatural panic in his host and turning the sword of the confederates against one another, and overwhelming them in tempests of hail and fire from heaven. Thus will the nations fear his holy name. 1—6. The great array of Gog which Jehovah shall lead FORTH. 2. set thy face against Gog] Cf. xxxv. 2, 3. The meaning of the word Gog is obscure. Schrader {KA T. on the passage) refers to the name of the T^ydian king Gyges, given as Gu-gu in the Assyr. inscrip- tions, on the one hand, and on the other to Gagi, name of the ruler of a country in the east, the situation of which is tmcertain. This land apparently lay north of Assyria (Fid. Del. Par. p. 246 — 7). Gog, the land of Magog\ i.e. in sense: Gog in (of) the land of Ma- gog. Gog is the prince and Magog his country (xxxix. 6). (In con- struction Magog is ace. of direction or in loose apposition to Gog, hardly ^jvv;. after the proper name). the chief priiicel More probably : the prince Of Rosb, Meshech kc, although a people or country Rosh may be impossible to identify. Of course any connexion between the name and Russian is to be rejected. Eld. Del. {Par. p. 322) refers to the land of Rash (mat Ra-a-shi) of 18—2 276 EZEKIEL, XXXVIII. [vv. 3— 8. 3 and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, 4 O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal : and I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company 7iC. 294 EZEKIEL, XL. [v. 7. every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad ; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the Read v. 6 thus: and he measured tbe threshold of the gate one reed. 7. The guardrooms. Fig. i di. every iiUle chamber was] And the guardroom was— sing, used collectively. These chambers were used as sentry-boxes or guard- Re. 2. Temple House. Rq. I. Outer Gateway. „„„„„„„„„A rO Uoo rooms (i Kings xiv. 28), where the temple officers were stationed to preserve order and keep the house. Of these guardrooms there were three on each side of the gateway {v. 10). They were without doors towards the gateway inside, being merely protected on that side by a barrier or fence (v. 12), this allowing the keepers full view of the gateway. They were provided with windows (v. 16), and possibly at the back with doors leading into the outer court (cf. v. 13). The measurements 6 cubits long and broad refer to the inner area. Ihtii'Ctu the little chambers] Between the guardrooms was five QttWts. Between two guardrooms a wall-front of five cubits faced w. 8— II.] EZEKIEL, XL. 295 threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed. He measured also the porch of the gate within, 8 one reed. Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight 9 cubits ; and the posts thereof, two cubits ; and the porch of the gate was inward. And the little chambers of the gate 10 eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side. And he measured n the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits ; a/id the the gateway. Of these wall-fronts there were only two, because the guardrooms were but three. Fig. i , gk, ik. threshold of the gate] Beyond the three guardrooms and the two intervening wall-fronts there was another space called a threshold, of the same dimensions as the first (v. 6), leading into the large apart- ment called the porch (v. 9). Fig. i, c. porch of the gate withiri] Or, to^vard the inside, R.V., toward the house, though the correction is hardly necessary in syntax (xli. 25). The sense is the same in either case: the porch, fig. i, d, of the outer gate lay at the inner end of the building, looking into the court, while the porch of the inner gates lay at the outer end of the gate-building. 8, 9. These verses should read: And he measured tlie porcli of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, &c. — the words "within (v. 8). ..gate" {v. 9) being omitted. The copyist's eye when he came to the word gate v. 8 went back to the same word v. 7, the clause following which he repeated. Some MSS. and all the ancient Ver- sions, except Targ., omit. Fig. i, fun. the posts thereof] Possibly : the post — sing, used collectively. The posts are the projecting wall-fronts or jambs on either side of the exit or door from the porch into the outer court, Fig. i, 710. The thickness of this jamb was two cubits. was inward] Or, toioard the inside (v. 7), i.e. on the end of the gateway building toward the interior, and looking into the outer court. This is specially mentioned because in the inner gateway buildings the porch was on the side away from the house. 10. The measurer, having passed through the whole length of the gateway E. to W., and named each particular thing on one side of it, viz. threshold {v. 6), guardroom {v. 7), wall space between guard- rooms (v. 7), inner threshold to porch (v. 7), porch and its posts (v. 8, 9), with their dimensions, now states that there were three guardrooms on each side, all of the same size, and also some other points. For little chambers, guardrooms. the posts had one measure] Probably the "posts" here are not the jambs of the door of the porch {v. 9), but the wall-fronts or spaces between the guardrooms {v. 7), Fig, i, gh, ik. There were two of these on each side of the passage, each measuring five cubits. 11. breadth oj the entry] The "breadth" — the measure from N. to S, — of the outside entrance was 10 cubits, Fig. i, ee,ff; and this was 296 EZEKIEL, XL. [vv. 12—14. 12 length of the gate, thirteen cubits. The space also before the little chambers laas one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side : and the little chambers were 13 six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side. He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another : the breadth was five and twenty 14 cubits, door against door. He made also posts of three- the breadth of the passage all along, except perhaps before the guard- rooms, the barrier in front of which on both sides contracted it from 10 to 8 cubits (v. 12). length of the gate] the gateway. This statement that the length of the gateway was 13 cubits is very obscure. The length of the gateway was 50 cubits (v. 15). "Length" is a measurement from E. to W., and cannot be taken in the sense of "height." It has been suggested that possibly the whole gateway of 50 cubits was not covered ; that it consisted of a covered portion at each end, with an unroofed space in the middle, and that this covered portion is here referred to. But no ground appears for calling one part of the passage the gateway ; and further the guardrooms and intermediate spaces were provided with windows, a fact which suggests that the whole was roofed over. LXX. read or perhaps interpreted "breadth," which is equally obscure. 12. space... before the little chambers] A barrier before the guard- rooms, one cubit, Fig. i,fg, hi, kl. The meaning appears to be that the barrier took away a cubit on each side from the passage, reducing it from 10 to 8 cubits opposite the guardchambers. The height of the barrier would probably not be very great. The measure of "a cubit" can hardly be the height, as all the measurements refer here to breadth. 13. The gate building was 25 cubits across, i.e. from the outside N. to the outside S. The measurement is made from roof to roof of the guardrooms. LXX. read or substituted "wall" for roof. The meaning is clear. The measurement inside was three cubits less, viz. passage 10, a guardroom on each side 6-\-(), in all 22, leaving for each back wall i\ cubits, vv. 21, 25, 29. door against door] Or, opposite to door. Possibly each guardroom on both sides of the gateway had a door in the back wall opening into the outer court. Others less naturally suggest three doors of the gate lengthways, viz. that before first threshold, that before inner thresh- old, and the exit out of the porch. 14. Verse 14 is obscure. In the first place "he made" is sus- picious, everywhere else it is "he measured." In the second place the number 60 cubits is incomprehensible. The idea that the "posts" were prolonged into pillars of such a height is altogether improbable. Besides, the "posts" are accurately distinguished from pillars, for which another word is employed {v. 49). It is to be observed that the measurer first passes in from E. to W. along one side of the gateway, mentioning the different things with their dimensions of which it was composed. Having reached the porch at the inner end he returns, vv. 15, 16.] EZEKIEL, XL. 297 score cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate. And from the face of the gate of the entrance 's unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits. And there were narrow windows to the httle chambers, and »6 to their posts within the gate round about, and hkewise to noting that the two sides of the gateway were in all respects alike. Then from v. 11 onwards he gives measurements of the breadth of various parts of the gateway, the entrance {;v. 1 1 ), the contraction opposite the guardrooms {v. 12), and finally the breadth of the whole gate building {v. 13). While, however, the breadth of all other parts of the gateway has been given, that of the "porch" at the inner end has not been mentioned, though its length from E. to W., Fig. I, mn, was stated to be 8 cubits (z'. 8, 9). It is probable, therefore, that V. 14 supplies this measurement. Render: and he measured tlie porcli, 20 cubits— reading porch (ailam), for posts (ailim), and 20 for 60, in both cases with LXX. The 20 are inside measurement, N. to S. ; 22 might have been expected, for the back wall of the guardrooms was \\ cubits, but a chamber like the porch used for assemblies and feasts (xliv. 3) might well have a wall of 2^ cubits thick, as in point of fact the wall to the W. was two cubits {v. 9). even tinto the post... gate'] At any rate with present pointing: and unto (touching on) the post was the court... gate. It is probable, how- ever, that "post" is either repetition of nnto, and should be struck out, or else that it is a consequence of the false reading "posts" in first clause, and should be read "porch" as there (so in v. 37). The latter is more probable : and unto (adjoining) the porch was the court, round about the gate. The omission of prep, before "gate" is difficult, but cf. ace. I Kings vi. 5, and the more remarkable case Ezek. xliii. 17. LXX. read differently, and Syr. wants the clause. 15. Measurement of the whole length of the gate-building, 50 cubits. the/ace of the gate] i.e. the outside front. face of the porch of the inner gate] i.e the front of the porch at the inner end of the gate. Either "inner gate" means inner part of the gate, or "inner" means (lying) towards the inside, as LXX. From the outside front of the gate to the inner front, lying on the court, was 50 cubits. The sense is clear though the text may need slight emen- dation. 16. The description of the gateway building concludes with a ref to the way in which it was lighted. narroiv ivindoivs] Heb. closed, i.e. fastened, not capable of being opened like ordinary windows (2 Kings xiii. 17). Windows were usually openings with lattice-work. Here they may have been loop- holed, widening out toward the inside. For little chambers, guard- rooms. to their posts] i.e. those of the guardrooms. The ref. is to the 5 cubit thick wall fronts between the guardrooms, Cf v. 10. 298 EZEKIEL, XL. [v. 17. the arches : and windows were round about inward : and upon each post were palm trees. 17 Then brought he me into the outward court, and lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court to the arches'] Probably : and to the porch thereof, i.e. of the gate. There are three words in this chapter which need to be dis- tinguished: (i) "post" (ail), the meaning of which is certain from v. 9. It means the front face (thickness) of a wall that projects forward {v. 9), especially the jamb (on each side) of an entrance, e.g. xl. 48, of the entrance to the porch of the house, and xli. 3 of the entrance to the house itself, cf. i Kings vi. 31, It seems also certainly used of the front (thickness) of any wall that springs forward, the side of which bounds a space, and so of the fronts of the walls which bounded the guardrooms (previous note and v. 10). (2) The second is "porch" (ulam), the meaning of which is also clear. It refers to the large apartment which lay at the inner end of the outer gate {v. 8, 9), and at the outer end of the inner gate, and also to the apartment which formed the outmost of the three divisions of the house (z/. 48). (3) The third word is that rendered "arch" (ailam), R.V. marg., colonnade. The term occurs only in this chapter. The punctuators always make it plur., though the text appears to make it sing.: except xl. 16, 30 (fem. plur. ; in xli. 15 mas. pi. of ulam). These plurals are of doubtful authenticity. In regard to the word it appears, (i) that it is clearly distinguished from "post" (ail), xl. 11, 24, 29, 33, 36. (2) The LXX. does not know the pronunciation itiam, uniformly transliterating ailain. (3) Even Heb. uses ailam in the sense of ulam (porch), e.g. certainly xl. 31, 34, 37 (and probably xl. 23, 26), where it is said that the "porch" (ailam) was towards the outer court. There is no evidence that the word has any other sense than "porch." The pronunciation ailam (elam) is Assyr. also, the word meaning "anything in front" (Frd. Del., Baer Ezek.). and windows] Probably : and the windows. each post were /lalm trees] The "post" here is that of v. 9, viz. the wall front or jamb on each side of the egress from the porch into the outer court, Fig. i, no. This alone was decorated with palm trees. 17 — 27. Measurements of the outer court and remaining GATES. 17. outboard court] outer court. The prophet passed out of the pathway, where he had hitherto been, into the outer court. Round about on the inside of the surrounding wall of this court (v. 5) was a pavement, probably of stone, Fig. 3, B, and on the pavement chambers, thirty in number, Fig 3, C. The chambers ran round the wall on three sides, the W. being occupied with other buildings (xli. 12). The chambers were probably used for meetings and feasts; the ancient high places had such a feast chamber (i Sam. ix. 22), cf. Jer. xxxv. 4 (xxxvi. 10). It is not stated how the chambers were disposed, whether singly or in blocks. They were apparently of several stories (xlii. 6), vv. 1 8, 19.] EZEKIEL, XL. 299 round about : thirty chambers 7vere upon the pavement. And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the iS length of the gates was the lower pavement. Then he 19 measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northzvard. but did not occupy the corners of the wall, in which kitchens were situated (xlvi. 21 — 24). 18. Render: and the pavement was by the side of the gates, along the length of the gates, to wit, the lower pavement. The FiQ. 3. Temple Courts. 1-0 10 20 30 40 -50 •GO 70 80 90 '100 JB M •aWfMim w//M///^^////m/^/M>ywjM^2^ mMM'mM2xyw/m i. pm .1 \B L {> rnrn^^ 3 // }^LSf- II in E' k M Kl ^MmZ. mP M ■m" A' 3/ B T^r P I B\ C \JZZ B\ M MmA^mMm/^mM/jA pavement is called "lower" because the outer court lay below the level of the inner {v. 34) ; it extended into the court along the whole length of the gateway, and was therefore (the outer wall being sub- tracted) 44 cubits broad. 19. The "lower" gate is the outer gate (on v. 18). From the inner front of this gate to the outer front of the gate of the inner court facing it was 100 cubits. m^^ward and ttortlmzx^l Or, on the cast and on the north. The 300 EZEKIEL, XL. [vv. 20—27. zo And the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof, and the breadth 21 thereof. And the little chambers thereof tuere three on this side and three on that side ; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate : the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and 22 twenty cubits. And their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure of the gate that looketh towards the east; and they went up unto it by seven 23 steps ; and the arches thereof were before them. And the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate an hundred cubits. 24 After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south : and he measured the posts thereof 25 and the arches thereof according to these measures. And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows : the length was fifty cubits, and 26 the breadth five and twenty cubits. And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them : and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another 27 on that side, upon the posts thereof. And there was a gate words are loosely appended, the points being stated from which the measurements were taken, viz. E. and N. (v. 23). 20. The dimensions of the N. gate were as those of the E. gate. 21. the little chambers'] guardrooms. and the arches thereof] the porcli thereof. Probably all the words, guardroom, post, porch, should be read in the sing, as collectives (Heb. text). The difference is unimportant except in regard to " porch." 22. The outer gate was elevated above the ground outside, and reached by a flight of seven steps. arches thereof were before them] Probably : and the porch thereof was to the inside, i.e. at the inner end of the gate, looking toward the interior of the whole temple-buildings, cf vv. 31, 34, 37. 23. Render: and there was a gate in the inner court, as v. 27, lit. the inner court had a gate, &c. For "and toward the east" LXX. reads: just as the gate looking toward the east [v. 19). 24. aud the arches] the porch. LXX. more fully: he measured the guardrooms thereof and the posts &c. , as vv. 29, 33, 36. 25. arches thereof] in the porch thereof. 26. arches... before them] the porch thereof was to the inside, cf. V. 11. The palm trees belong exclusively to the "posts," i.e. the jambs of the egress from the porch into the court. vv. 28—34.] EZEKIEL, XL. 301 in the inner court toward the south : and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits. And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate : 28 and he measured the south gate according to these measures; and the httle chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and 29 the arches thereof, according to these measures : and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about : // tvas fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad. And the arches round about tvere five and twenty cubits 30 long, and five cubits broad. And the arches thereof were 31 toward the utter court ; and palm trees zvere upon the posts thereof: and the going up to it //rt-^ eight steps. And he brought me into the inner court toward the east : 32 and he measured the gate according to these measures. And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and zi the arches thereof, were according to these measures : and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about : it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad. And the arches thereof ivere toward the outward 34 court ; and palm, trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side : and the going up to it had eight steps. 28—37. The inner court and its gateways. The measurement of the outer court was finished at the S. gate. Opposite to this was the S. gate of the inner court at a distance of 100 cubits {v. 27), and the measurement of the inner court naturally begins with the S. gate. The gates of the inner court were similar in all respects to those of the outer court, except that in the former the "porch" lay at the outer end of the gateway, looking into the outer court (pv. II, 34, 37). 29. arches thereof^ porcli thereof. 30. The verse is wanting in LXX. and some MSS., and in others deleted. No object belonging to the gateways has hitherto been men- tioned to which the measurements can apply. The verse may have arisen from an inaccurate repetition of the measurements given in pre- vious verse. 31. Render : and the porch thereof was toward the outer court, cf. vv. 34, 37. palm trees... posts] C(. vv. 16, 26. 33. //tt/e cha)>!hcrs...arcJics'\ guardroom... porch, the last at least in the sing. 34. arches thereof] porch. 302 EZEKIEL, XL. [w. 35—40. 35 And he brought me to the north gate, and measured // 36 according to these measures ; the Uttle chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about : the length 7vas fifty cubits, and the 37 breadth five and twenty cubits. And the posts thereof were toward the utter court ; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side : and the going up to 38 it had eight steps. And the chambers and the entries there- of were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering. 39 And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offer- 40 ing and the sin offering and the trespass offering. And at 36. As before for little chambers... arches, read guardroom... porch. 37. the posts... utter court} Probably: and the porch thereof was toward the outer court, cf. vv. 31, 34. So LXX. The "posts" are mentioned immediately after, and said to be decorated with palm trees, vv. 16, 26, 31. 38 — 43. Sacrificial appointments connected with the inner gate. The verses are in some respects obscure. The text of LXX. differs in some points, but is hardly consistent with itself. The arrangements for slaughtering spoken of are of course connected with the inner gate- way, but points not clear are: (i) which gateway, the N. or the E.? And (2) the position of the tables, v. 40; were they situated in the inner court at the long sides of the gateway, or in the outer court in front of the gateway, on either side of the steps leading up to it? 38. Read : and a chamber, and the entry thereof (was) in the porch of the gate. The plur. gates can hardly be right. It is not probable that slaughtering took place at more than one gate. LXX. reads gate (sing.) and also porch for posts, cf. v. 37. The chamber whose entry was from the porch must have been contiguous to the porch, but is not further described. where they rvashed.] Not the usual word Lev. i. 9. Both words Is. iv. 4; 2 Chr. iv. 6. LXX. thinks here of a drain or runnel for canying off the sacrificial blood. 39. The verse states what was in the porch, in antithesis to v. 38. Possibly the words "to slay thereon" are used generally, not of the actual slaughtering, but of the manipulation of the flesh of the victims. In V. 41 it is said that there were eight tables on which they slew, four of which were certainly outside the porch. If the burnt, sin and tres- pass offerings (LXX. omits burnt offerings here) were slain jm the porch, there would remain only the peace offerings to slay outside. 40. at the side without] Side, lit. shoulder, is used generally of the side of the gate projecting lengthways into the court (j/. i8), or of the side lengthways of a wall (xli. 2). According to this interpretation the vv. 41—43] EZEKIEL, XL. 303 the side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the north gate, were two tables ; and on the other side, wliich was at the porch of the gate, were two tables. Four tables were 41 on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate ; eight tables, whereupon they slew their sacrifices. And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt 42 offering, of a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high ; whereupon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice. And within were hooks, a hand broad, fastened 43 tables would be at the sides of the gate in the inner court. Others think that the "shoulders" might be the front parts of the gate-building on either side of the steps leading up to it, and that thus the tables would stand in the outer court, two at each angle formed by the steps and the front of the gate. This use of "shoulder" is less natural, but of. xlvii. I, 2; I Kings vii. 39. as one goeth up... 7iorth gate'] For as one goeth up (oleh) might be read at the stairs (olah, as R.V. mar.). The difficulty lies in the word north or northwards. A.V. renders "the north gate" which is most natural. Others think of the E. gate and render: and on the side without, on the N. as 07ie goeth up to the entry of the gate, i.e. on the left hand of the person going up. But this is extremely improbable. Such a designa- tion of the left hand of a. person has no examples, besides that here the word "north" is too far distant from the other word "one going up." A possible rendering would be : by the stair, at the entry to the gate northwards, i.e. on the N. side of the entry (Lev. 1. 11). On the whole "the N. gate" of A.V. is most probable, but the language hardly decides which gate is meant. See after v. 43. side zahich was at the porch] side of the porcli, lit. belonging to the porch. 42. Read : and there were four tables for the burnt offering, of hewn stone. The phrase "for the burnt offering" is very indefinite. These stone tables seem too small to slay the offerings upon, and the end of the verse intimates that instruments for slaughtering were laid on the stone tables. wheretipon also they laid] whereupon they laid. The construction is peculiar. 43. within were hooks] The word rendered hooks occurs in the sense of cattlepens (Ps. Ixviii. 14), a meaning precluded here by the dimen- sion, a handbreadth. Such hooks fitted up "within," i.e. in the porch, might be used for hanging the carcases upon in order to flay them (Targ.). The meaning "hooks" is not certain. LXX. assumes that the stone tables are still referred to and points differently, reading lip or border for "hooks:" "and they shall have a border of hewn stone inwards round about of a span broad." Cf. xliii. 13, 17. 304 EZEKIEL, XL. [vv. 44, 45. round about: and upon the tables 7c>as the flesh of the offering. 44 And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which 7vas at the side of the north gate ; and their prospect was toward the south : one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north. 45 And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge flesh of the offering] Except in a clause of xx. 28 (wanting in LXX.) the word "offering" is not used by Ezek. The present clause seems to say little. LXX. reads: "and over the tables above (they shall have) coverings, to protect them from the wet and from the heat" — which has a suspicious resemblance to Is. iv. 6. The verses 38 — 43 are no doubt in some disorder. They suggest several questions not easily settled. Upon the whole it is improbable that slaughtering took place at more than one gate. The word "north- wards" indeed {v. 40) seems decisive of this point. Either the N. gate is intended, or the N. side of the E. gate, no other gate having a N. side. There are several things in favour of the N. gate : (i) In vv. 35 — 37 the prophet was at the N. inner gate, and no inti- mation is given that he was transported to another gate in v. 38. (2) In the Law slaughtering is ordered to be performed on the N. side of the altar in the case of the burnt, sin and trespass offerings (Lev. i. 11, iv. 24, 29, 33, vi. 25, vii. 2, xiv. 13); no injunction is given in the case of the peace-offering (iii. 2, 8, 13). It is probable that the prophet's legislation and that of the Levitical books will be in harmony. (3) In ch. viii. 5 the "altar-gate" is certainly the N. gate. (4) The E. gate, both inner and outer, was to be kept shut except on sabbaths and new moons (xlvi. i), or on other occasions when the prince wished to offer a freewill offering (xlvi. 12). In favour of the E. gate there is the sup- posed meaning of z'. 40; but the rendering, "on the N. of one going up to the entry," is hardly tenable {v. 40). Ew. indeed for "gates" v. 38 would read "east gate" — a purely arbitraiy amendment. And alto- gether unhappy is his proposal to read for luithout (michu9ah), v. 40, "runnel" (meru9ah) — the verb to "run" being never used of the run- ning of water or fluids. 44 — 46. Chambers for the priests who keep the house and serve the altar. Fig. 3, D. 44. This V. must be corrected according to vv. 45, 46 as follows: and without the inner gate were two chambers in the inner court, one at the side of the N. gate, and its prospect was toward the S. ; and one at the side of the S. gate, having its prospect towards the N. So LXX. The phrase "without the inner gate" means that the chambers were in the inner court, not in the gateway itself. 45. charge of the house] "House" is used generally of the whole temple buildings. Here those having the charge of the house are called "priests," elsewhere the charge of the house is assigned to the Levites, vv. 46— 49-] EZEKIEL, XL. 305 of the house. And the chamber whose prospect is toward 46 the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar : these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the Lord to minister unto him. So he 47 measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare ; and the altar that was before the house. And he brought me to the porch of the house, and 48 measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side : and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side. The length of the porch 7*:'^'^ twenty cubits, and the breadth 49 cf. ch. xliv. 15 — 31. This charge embraced several duties: e.g. that of keeping the gates (xliv. 11); and that of slaying the sacrifices (xliv. 11) and preparing the sacrificial meal for the people (xlvi. 24). 46. The other chamber was for the ministrants at the altar; these were the sons of Zadok, xliv. 15 — 31. 47. Measurements of the inner court. Lines drawn along the inner fronts of the inner gates, and along the front of the house, gave a square of 100 cubits. In this space stood the altar in front of the house, and being high it could be seen through the gates. The place between the temple and the altar was especially sacred. On altar cf. xliii. 13 — 17. The square, Fig. 3, iklm; the altar, Fig. 3, F. XL. 48 — XLI. 4. Measuremp;nts of the Temple house, in its THREE PARTS, PORCH, HOLY PLACE AND MOST HOLY PLACE. 48. 49. The porch. Fig. 2, A. 48. post of the porchi The "post" is as before the front or jamb of the advancing wall on each side of the entrance. This wall was 5 cubits thick. Fig. 2, ab. breadth 0/ the gate was three cubits] The "gate" here means the two bits of wall (N. to S.) on either side, the fronts of which formed the posts or jambs of the entrance, Fig. 2, bh. The language is brief; LXX. either read or judged that the reading should be: and the breadth of the entrance was fourteen cubits, and the side pieces of the entrance of the porch were th^-ee cubits on one side and three cubits, &c. These measures are correct and probably original, for 14 (entrance. Fig. 2, aa, bb) + 6 (3 + 3) = 20, the extent of the porch N. to S. (z/. 49). 49. Here "length" is the larger dimension N. to S. (i Kings vi. 3), Fig. 2, hh ; and breadth the smaller E. to W. ; Fig. 2, be. breadth eleven cubits'] twelve cubits, as LXX. The number eleven cannot be reconciled with the other measurements. The length of the house E. to W. was 100 cubits, i.e. 5 (wall, v. 48)+ 12 (porch, here) + 6 (wall of holy place, xli. 1)4-40 (holy place) + 2 (wall of holiest, xli. 3) + 20 (holiest, V. 4)4-6 (wall, v. 5)-^ 4 (annexe, v. 5) 4- 5 (outer wall of annexe, v. 9)= 100. EZEKIEL 20 3o6 EZEKIEL, XLI. [vv. 1—4. eleven cubits ; and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it : and there ivere pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side. 41 Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the 2 tabernacle. And the breadth of the door was ten cubits ; and the sides of the door tvere five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side : and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits : and the breadth, twenty cubits. 3 Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits ; and the door, six cubits ; and the breadth of 4 the door, seven cubits. So he measured the length thereof, and... by the steps whereby'] and by ten steps they went up to it; so LXX. Beside the posts stood two pillars, one on either side of the entrance. These would narrow in some measure the entrance of 14 cubits. These pillars correspond to the Jachin and Boaz of Solomon's temple (i Kings vii. 21). XLI. 1, 2. Measurement of the "temple," the holy place, Fig. 2, B. 1. The "posts" or jambs of the entrance wall were 6 cubits thick, Fig. 2, cd. breadth of the tabernacle'] Heb. tent. The word does not occur in the prophet except in the compounds Oholah and Oholibah. Read : other side : the breadth of the posts. 2. The entrance way between the posts N. to S. was 10 cubits. Fig. 2, cc, dd. sides of the door] i.e. the pieces of wall running N. to S. on each side of the entrance, Fig. 2, di, that is, 10+5 + 5 = 20, breadth of the house. The length (E. to W.) of the "temple" or holy place was 40 cubits. 3, 4. The most holy place, Fig. 2, C. 3. The wall was 2 cubits thick. Fig. 2, ef breadth of the door, seven cubits] The actual door or entrance Fig. 2, ee, Jf was 6 cubits (preceding clause) ; the present statement, therefore, refers to the walls on either side of the entrance (N. to S.). LXX. read or rightly interpreted : and the entrance six cubits ; and the side pieces of the entrance seven cubits on one side and seven cubits on the other. Fig. 2, fk. That is 6 + 7 + 7 = 20, breadth of the house as before (v. 4). It is to be observed that while Ez., being a priest, enters the holy place along with the guide he refrains from entering the most holy place, which the angel alone enters. 4. The most holy place was a square of 20 cubits. 307 V. 5-] EZEKIEL, XLI. twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple : and he said unto me, This is the most holy p/ace. After he measured the wall of the house, six cubits ; and 5 the breadth of every side chamber, four cubits, round about before (he temple\ in front of. The "temple" is the holy place, I Kings vi. 3, 5. Ch. XLI. 5—11. The side chambers or annexe to the house. The text in some places is confused, but the general meaning is clear. Round about the wall of the house on three sides (N., W. and S.) were built side-chambers in three stories, thirty chambers in each story, Fig. 2, D. The chamber on the ground floor was 4 cubits wide (N. to S.), but in the second story the width was greater than in the first, and in the third story greater than in the second. The reason of this greater wideness of the upper stories was that the wall of the house on which the chambers were built diminished in thickness as it ascended. This wall was 6 cubits thick at the base {v. 5), but it was let in at two points as it ascended. The same arrangement had place in Solomon's temple — "on the outside he made rebatements in the wall of the house round about" (i Kings vi. 6). The effect of this decrease in the thickness of the wall (in Solomon's temple a cubit each time) was that the chambers in the second and third stories became so much broader. In consequence of this narrowing of the wall of the house at two points two ledges ran round the wall on three sides, and on these ledges the beams that supported the second and third stories of the side-chambers rested, without being let into the wall {v. 6). The wall of the side- chambers was thus on one side the wall of the house ; on the other side they had a wall of their own, 5 cubits thick (v. 9). The whole structure, house and side chambers, was built upon a raised platform, 6 cubits higher than the level of the inner court {v. 8). The buildings, however (temple and side-chambers), did not quite cover the platform: a margin of 5 cubits ("that which was left," vu. 9, 11) remained free outside the side-chambers, on two sides (N. and S.), Fig. 2, E; and from this free space the doors into the side-chambers opened, one on the N. and another on the S., Fig. 1, g {v. 11). Further, on the walls of the inner court, N. and S., were chambers for the priests. Fig. 3, GG', and between the temple-platform and these cells ran a passage or court of 20 cubits ("the separate place," v. \i). This court ran round the house-platform on three sides (N. W. S.), Fig. 3, II. The way in which one story of the side-chambers communicated with another is described only generally [v. 7); in Solomon's temple the communica- tion is supposed to have been by a spiral staircase, or more probably by a ladder and trap-doors. It is evident that the prophet reproduces in the main the arrangements of the temple, hence he refers to the several things, even when first mentioning them, as the so and so, assuming that they are well known. 5. The wall of the house at its base was 6 cubits thick, and the breadth (N. to S.) of the side-chambers on the basement was 4 cubits. 20 2 3o8 EZEKIEL, XLI. [vv. 6, 7. 6 the house on every side. And the side chambers were three, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which was of the house for the side chambers round about, that they might have hold, but they 7 had not hold in the wall of the house. And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers : for the windmg about of the house went still If the rebatements in the wall of the house were the same here as in Solomon's temple, the second story would be a cubit broader than the ground floor, and the third a cubit broader than the second (i K. vi. 6), i. e. 4, 5 and 6 cubits. In Solomon's temple the side-chambers were larger, measuring 5, 6 and 7 cubits. 6. The Heb. would naturally read: "and the side-chambers were side-chamber against side-chamber three and thirty times " — which would give 33 chambers. Apart from syntax this is not probable. LXX. and some other versions give a different order: "and the side- chambers, side-chamber against side-chamber, were thirty, three times" (cf. I K. vii. 4, 5). It is probable that the chambers were thirty; those in the outer court were also thirty (xl. 17), and Josephus is cited as witness for this number (Boett., Corn.). wall. . .of the house for the side chambers'] It must not of course be sup- posed that the house had two walls, — a separate one for the chambers. The word "entered into" must either be taken as a noun: and there were intakes in the wall of the house for the side chambers ; or it must be altered into some other word having this sense (i K. vi, 6, LXX. uses the same word here as there) — and there were rebatements &c. ; or some word of this meaning has fallen out before "entered into." LXX. has rendered the word "times," doubly, "thrice" "twice." If the word "times," lit. steps, could have the required meaning of intakes, it might be supposed that being written twice it had fallen out. But this is doubtful. might have hold] It is self-evident that the second and third stories must have been supported in some way by the wall of the house, which was their own wall on one side, and mere contact with a perpendicular wall could be no support. The beams had support on the wall, but were not let into the wall in holes. 7. What the verse means to say is that the side-chambers widened in the second and third stones through the retreating of the wall of the house. The present text being assumed it might read : "and there was a widening of the side-chambers and an encompassing (by them) ever upwards; for the encompassing of the house was (the more) ever up- wards, round about the house " — the meaning being that the higher the three story building rose the broader it grew and the closer it encom- passed the house, i.e. appeared to encroach upon the house owing to the retreat of the wall. Another sense of the present reading would be got if the word rendered "encompass" could be supposed to be some- thing which the house did, viz. "turn," turn in, retreat. The sense vv. 8, 9.] EZEKIEL, XLI. 309 upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house was still upward, and so increased /ro7n the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst. I saw also the height s of the house round about : the foundations of the side chambers tvere a full reed of six great cubits. The thickness 9 would remain the same. LXX. omits "encompassing" after "widen- ing" and instead of "for the encompassing" &c. it reads: according to the appendage (projection, i. e. the ledge) out of the wall — giving the same general meaning. the breadth of the house'] The words mean : the house became broader upwards — an impossible sense. Either "house" must be omitted with LXX., or the clause read : and it broadened toward the house (or, in- wards) ever upward. Subject is the side building. and so increased] The words state how the various stories com- municated with one another, according to the clear statement, i K. vi. 8. Read : and from the lowest one went up to the highest and to the middle story, or possibly with R.V., by the middle story. LXX. per- spicuously : that they might go up from the chambers below to the upper chambers, and from the middle chambers to the third story. Syr. is equally distinct. 8—11. The raised platform upon which the house and the side-chambers stood. The house and the annexe stood on a platform raised a full reed, or 6 cubits above the level of the inner court (v. 8). The platform was reached in front of the house by a flight of 10 steps (xl. 49) from the court. The outside wall of the annexe was 5 cubits thick [v. 9k A space of 5 cubits of the platform remained unoccupied by the buildings {v. 11), Fig. 2, E. Then came a free space of 20 cubits running round the platform (v. 10), Fig. 3, H. Finally came other buildings in the inner court, one behind the house on the W. {v. 15), Fig. 3, K; and others on both sides of it, N. and S. (xlii. i seg.). Fig. 3, GG'. 8. / saw also] An uncommon form ; usually it is said, and there appeared, which LXX. probably read here'. For "height" (gobah) probably "raised pavement" (gabbah, Gabbatha, John xix. 13) should lie read (cf footnote) — and the house appeared as having a raised pavement round about, lit. there appeared (belonging) to the house &c., cf. ch. X. 8. All that was seen of the platform was the passage of 5 cubits round about the building (v. 11). "House" includes both the temple proper and the side-chambers. This is supplemented by saying that the foundations of the side-chambers were 6 cubits high — of course house and side-chambers were on the same level. six great cubits] as R.V., marg., six cubits to the joint, or angle, i.e. ' The curious word in LXX. xal to ©paeA appears a transliteration of this reading with following prep. / attached, 7) XTHI (fern. apoc. impf. niph.); cf. for form and construction ch. x. 8 ; and for short final vowel the spelling Abimael, Gen. x. 28. Therefore a fern, noun should be read as subj. (gabbah). 3IO EZEKIEL, XLI. [vv. lo, ii. of the wall, which was for the side chamber without, was five cubits : and that which was left was the place of ' the side chambers that were within. And between the chambers was the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side. And the doors of the side chambers were toward the place that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south : and the breadth of the place that was left 7vas five cubits round about. probably to the point where the vertical line of the height of the plat- form cut the level of the court. The words cannot be a description of the kind of cubit, nor, since the foundations are being described, can there be any reference to the height within of the side-chambers or to the point of junction of one story with another. 9. The outside wall of the side-chambers was 5 cubits; and there was left a part of the raised platform not covered by buildings {v. 11). that which was left was] This clause is in some disorder; and must be connected with v. 10. The text clearly distinguishes between "that which was left" (munnach), i.e. the outer margin of the raised platform left free of buildings, which was 5 cubits broad (v. 11), Fig. 2, E, and the "separate place" (gizrah), Fig. 3, H, i.e. the court running round the whole house buildings or the raised platform on which they stood, which was 20 cubits broad {vv. 10, 13, 14) — although LXX. renders both by the same word. In v. 9, "that which was left" cannot differ from the same in v. 1 1, where it is undoubtedly the remainder of the raised platform. Some words have fallen out in v. 9. It is easiest perhaps to supply the words "five cubits" from Syr. and read: and that which 7uas left was 5 cubits ; and bctiveen (beth for ben) the side-chambers , sg), and 90 long (N. to S. Fig. 3, rs, pq) — breadth being the smaller and length the larger dimension here. The wall of the building all round was 5 cubits thick. The measurements 70 and 90 are inside. The uses which this building served are not specified, they were probably general. before the separate placed i.e. the court of 20 cubits broad (Fig. 3, H), which ran round the house. " Before " is opposite to or facing. 13 — 15. General measurements of length and breadth of buildings. — These measurements form three squares of 100 cubits. First, the inner court forms a square of 100 cubits when lines are drawn along the front of the house and in front of the inner ends of the gates, Fig. 3, iklm. Secondly, the house buildings form a square of 100 cubits, when the ■20 cubits of "separate place" N. and S. of them are included, Fig. 3, Imno. And thirdly, the building W. of the house buildings forms a square of 100 cubits when the twenty cubits of "separate place" are added to its dimensions from E. to W., Fig. 3, nopq. 13. Two MEASUREMENTS OF lOO CUBITS E. TO W. house an hundred cubits long] namely, 5 (wall of porch, xl, 48) + 12 (porch, xl. 49) + 6 (wall of holy place, xli. i) + 40 (length of holy place, xli. 2) + 2 (wall of holiest, xli. 3) + 20 (length of holiest, xli. 4) +6 (wall of house, xli. 5) + 4 (side-chambers, v. 5) + 5 (wall of side-chambers, xli. 9)= 100. Here it is evident that on the W. of the house the margin or "that which was left" of the raised basement does not appear. It existed only on two sides N. and S., where the doors of the side- chambers opened from it; on the W. the "separate place" skirted the wall of the side-chambers. separate place, and the buildutg] The "building "here (though spelled differently) can be no other than that mentioned v. 1 2, Fig. 3, K. The ♦'separate place" or court of 20 cubits. Fig. 3, H, being added to this building formed a length of 100 cubits, viz. 20 (separate place) -h 5 -i- 5 (two walls of building) -I- 70 (interior of building) = 100, Fig. 3, np. 14. Two measurements of 100 cubits from N. to S. The front of the house buildings, the "separate place" on each side of them being included, gives 100 cubits, namely, 20 (breadth of house) -}-6-(-6 (side walls) 4- 4 + 4 (side-chambers) + 5 + 5 (walls of side-cham- bers) -f 5 -f 5 (remainder of raised basement) -H 20 + 20 (separate place) = 100, Fig. 3, Im. 312 EZEKIEL, XLI. [v. 15. he measured the length of the building over against the separate place which was behind it, and the galleries thereof on the one side and on the other side, an hundred cubits, 15. The "length" here is reckoned from N. to S. which \\^% behind it\ Rather: behind whicli it was. The building, while lying "over against" the "separate place," was behind it, i.e. to the W. of it. If this construction be not adopted the meaning is, which (building) was behind it (the separate place) — an independent clause. The length of the building as it lay along the "separate place" N. to S. was 100 cubits, i.e. 90 (interior, v. 12)4-5 + 5 (side walls, ^- i2)=ioo. Fig. 3, rs. The term rendered "galleries" is of uncertain meaning. It occurs only xli. 15, 16 and xlii. 3, 5. If the reading be right here it can mean nothing else but walls, or something equivalent to walls and occu- pying the same space, according to v. \i. Syriac uses a term by which it also renders the "walls" of the altar, v. 22. — The verse should end at the word cubits. 15 b seq. Description of the inside of the house, with its ORNAMENTATION. The details of measurement were exhausted in v. 15 a. The prophet proceeds now to describe the interior of the house in two particular points: (i) the woodwork with which the house in its walls, &c., was covered, 15 (5 — •16 a; and (2) the ornamentation of this woodwork, \()b seq. The text is in some disorder, and the unknown term rendered "galleries" causes perplexity, though two general statements are plainly made, viz. that the whole interior of the house was covered with wood, and that this woodwork from floor to roof was ornamented in the holy place and in the holiest with cherubs and palms (in the porch perhaps with palms only). With no more changes than are absolutely necessary vv. \^b — id a might read: "and the temple (i.e. holy place), and the inner house (holiest), and the porch of the court (more probably, and its outer porch), 16 and the thresholds, and the closed windows and the galleries round about the three of them, opposite the threshold (i.e. towards the interior) were veneered with wood (or, were polished wood) round about." This would state generally that the whole interior w.is wainscotted. But the jump from "thresholds" (A.V. door-posts) to "closed windows" in v. 16 is unnatural. It is probable that "thres- holds" should be read with LXX. cieled (ot, wainscotted). It is cer- tainly probable that the roofing is described ; the word read by LXX. (saphan) is always used of the roof-work in the description of Solomon's temple (i Kings vi. vii., unless vii. 7 be an exception, a clause wanting in LXX.); and LXX. understood it so here {v. 20). Further the men- tion of the closed windows, which must have been toward the roof, in immediate connexion, is in favour of the roof- work. What the "galle- ries" were is obscure. LXX. either did not read the word or rendered it "narrow openings" (slit windows). A.V. "on their three stories" should be to the three of them (the holy place, holiest and porch, v. 15), Pointed thus the reading is: and the temple and the inner ;^(»«j'^ (holiest) and the porch of the court (or, and its outer porch) luere covered with a vv. 16—20.] E2EKIEL, XLI. 313 with the inner temple, and the porches of the court ; the 16 door posts, and the narrow windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the door, cieled with wood round about, and frotn the ground up to the windows, and the windows were covered ; to that above 17 the door, even unto the inner house, and without, and by all the wall round about within and without, by measure. And it was made 7vith cherubims and palm trees, so that a 18 palm tree tvas between a cherub and a cherub ; and every cherub had two faces ; so that the face of a man was 19 toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side : it was made through all the house round about. From the ground 20 roof-work, and they three had their closed ■windotvs and their galleries round about. 16. over aqainst the door] the threshold. It looks as if some words had fallen out of the text here. LXX. reads: and the house and the adjoining parts were wainscotted with wood round about (and the floor). The present Heb. text, even if read, and over against the threshold was a tvainscotting of 7uood, is too short to give the necessary sense — "over at;ainst the threshold " would be rather obscure as an expression for the whole interior of the house. The words "over against the threshold" can hardly be regarded as a definition of the locality of the "galleries," as if these were borders or gangs (dado) going round the foot of the walls (Sm.). vv. i6bsey. The ornamentation of the interior. Here also there is some obscurity: and from the floor unto the windows (and the windows were covered), 17 atid unto above the door, and unto the inner house and without, and on all the walls round about in the inner (house) and the outer [were measures and], 18 there were made cherubs and palm-trees, so that, &c. The words in parenthesis "and the windows," &c., may not be original. The phrase "and without" hardly refers to the porch, rather to the outer house or holy place ; because it does not appear that cherubs were carved on the wall of the porch. The word "measures" is wanting in LXX. If genuine the term "measures" might possibly imply that the wall was panelled into compartments, and that in each of these was carved a cherub and palm. The term is used once of gar- ments (Ps. cxxxiii. 1) from the meaning to spread out or cover, but could hardly be used of a casing or wainscotting of wood. Boettcher suggested "carvings," a sense which would add nothing to the general meaning. V. 20 is rather in favour of the omission of the word. vv. 18, 19. Only the two chief faces of the cherub were represented, that of a man and of a lion. 20. The prophet is to be conceived as standing in the holy place, and when he speaks of the "door" he evidently refers to the end walls and 314 EZEKIEL, XLI. [vv. 21, 22. unto above the door were cherubims and palm trees made, and on the wall of the temple. The posts of the temple ivere squared, and the face of the sanctuary; the appearance of the one as the appearance of the other. The altar of wood tuas three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits ; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood : and not to the side walls. It remains obscure whether it be the "door" of the hoHest or that of the holy place to which he refers. and on the ■wall...tetnple\ The word "temple" is marked as suspi- cious by dots over it, and is omitted in some MSS. and in the ancient versions. The clause is to be connected with v. i\. 21. the posts... squared^ The text is very uncertain, the versions deviating from Heb. and from one another. The word " temple" {v. 20) being omitted the words read: and the wall, 21 of t lie temple was square door-posts — a construction scarcely possible to express the idea that the wall had square door-posts. Syriac read : and the wall of the temple was four-square— omitting "door-posts." LXX. : and the holy place (holiest) and the temple opened (spread out) four-square— reading "holy place" for wall, and "opened" for door-posts. It is probable that something is said of the holiest, because the next clause refers to an article that stood in front of it. It is also probable that the "door" referred to v. 20 is that from the holy place into the holiest. But the witnesses leave us uncertain whether something be said about the wall or about the door-posts. If of the first the reading may be : ajid tlie wall of the lioliest was fotir-sqttare (Hitz., Corn.). Reference, however, might be to the door-posts. In Solomon's temple those of the holy place appear to have been four-cornered, and those of the holiest five- cornered (i Kings vi. 31, 33). face of the sanctuary... the other] This has no probability. The clause is rather to be connected with v. 11. Perhaps: and in front of the sanctuary (the holiest) was the appearance as the appearance 22 of an altar of wood, three cubits the height thereof, &c. So LXX. and partly Syr. In the holy place in front of the holiest there stood an object having the appearance of an altar of wood. The pre- sent text might read : " and (as for) the front of the sanctuary, the ap- pearance was as the appearance," i.e. it had the appearance which is well known and does not need further description — a form of speech common enough in Shemitic, but quite improbable here. 22. The altar was 3 cubits high and 2 long. LXX. adds that it was 2 broad. the length t hereof... oi 7uood'\ and the toase thereof, a simple emenda- tion, after LXX.; cf Ex. xxvi. 19 seq. The altar had corners, pro- bably somewhat raised, but not horns. It was wholly of wood, and is called the table which is befoi^e the Lord. The term table is applied to the altar of burnt-oftering xliv. 16 (cf. Mai. i. 7, 12). This is quite natural, as the flesh was the bread of Jehovah (xliv. 7). Ezek. does not vv. 23— 26.J EZEKIEL, XLI. 315 he said unto me, This is the table that is before the Lord. And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors. And \\ the doors had two leaves apiece, two turning leaves ; two leaves for the one door, and two leaves for the other door. And there 7vere made on them, on the doors of the temple, 25 cherubims and palm trees, like as were made upon the walls ; and there were thick planks upon the face of the porch without. And there were narrow windows and palm 26 trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch, and upon the side chambers of the house, and thick planks. name any other object in the holy place besides this table, and it is pro- bable that he refers here to the altar-like table of shewbread, the cakes on which would also be considered an offering of bread for the Lord. 23 — 26. The doors of the holy place and the holiest. The temple or holy place and the holiest had each a two-leaved door; and each of the leaves was again divided into two leaves. 23. two doors'] i.e. each had a double or two-leaved door. 24. And the doors'] i.e. the leaves of the door had again two leaves, so that the doors as a whqle of the holy place and holiest were each com- posed of four small leaves, like a screen. 25. The doors of the holy place were carved with cherubs and palm trees just as the walls (v. 1 7 seq.). thick planks upon the face] The word rendered "thick planks" ('«/') occurs again i Kings vii. 6 in connexion with a porch, but is of uncer- tain meaning. Here it is said to lie outside the porch and in front of it, and might be the "landing" at the top of the flight of steps. Others think of an overhanging on the front of the roof, to protect the entrance. But in I Kings vii. 7 the 'ab fronts the pillars, as here it faces the porch. Therefore perhaps : "and a landing of wood in front of the porch on the outside." No doubt "without" might describe the lie of the porch in reference to the house and not the lie of the ^ab in reference to the porch; in which case the ^ab would be something between the holy place and the porch, and in fact the description in v. 16 refers to the i)tside of the porch. Still this is less probable. 26. For narrow windows, closed. The "sides" (lit. shoulders) are the side walls of the porch, but whether the walls on both sides of the entrance be meant, or the end-walls (N. and S.), cannot be decided. There should be a full stop at porch. The next statement is incomplete : and the side-chambers of the house and the landings.... Ch. XLII. Other buildings of the inner court. The Chapter has three divisions : First, vv. I — 12. The chambers in the inner court. Secondly, vv. 13, 14. The uses of these chambers for the priests. 3i6 EZEKIEL, XLII. [v. i. 42 Then he brought me forth into the utter court, the way toward the north : and he brought me into the chamber Thirdly, vv. 15 — 20. Measurements of the outer wall and area of the whole temple buildings. 1 — 12. The chambers in the inner court. In the inner court on the two sides N. and S. of the house or temple proper were erected blocks of cells for the use of the priests, where they ate the holy things and deposited their sacred garments. They are those referred to xli. 10. The block on the N. side is fully described [pv. I — 9), and that on the S. of the house is said to be similar in all respects {vv. 10 — 12). The block on the N. extended from the "sepa- rate place" to the N. wall of the inner court, a breadth of 50 cubits, all the space available. The block of cells had two wings, one 100 cubits long running along the "separate place," Fig. 3, G, the other 50 cubits long, Fig. 3, G', running along the N. wall of the inner court — both measurements E. to W. Between the two wings of the block ran a walk of 10 cubits broad and 100 cubits long, i.e. the whole length of the longer wing, Fig. 3, O, and on this walk the doors into the chambers opened, i.e. looked to the N. (at least in the longer wing). The chambers were built in three stories, but those of the third story were narrower than those of the other two, because a " gallery " in the uppermost story took up some space. The chambers had no pillars like those in the outer court. There was an entrance-way leading to the chambers from the outer court, through the wall of the inner court, but its precise situa- tion is not indicated. 1 — 3. These verses may read consecutively: "And he brought me forth into the inner court, the way toward the north; and he brought me unto the chambers that were over against the separate place, and that were over against the (wall-) building toward the north, 2 (even) in front of the length of 100 cubits with the doors toward the north; and the breadth was 50 cubits, 3 over against the 20 cubits belonging to the inner court, and over against the pavement belonging to the outer court, gallery (being) over against gallery in the third story." 1. thi utter court] LXX. the niner court. Something may be said for both. On the one hand the entrance-way to the chambers was from the outer court, and the prophet might have been, first brought to the outer court and then by this way to the chambers in the inner court. This, however, is rather a complicated movement, and is not indicated ; and perhaps the "inner" of LXX. has most probability. The position of the prophet is pretty clear, it was on the E. of the chambers, to the N. of the longer wing and facing it, Fig. 3, Q. LXX. reads "east- ward" for "the way." info the chamber-] unto the chambers. The woixl is sing, as collective. The "separate place" is the 20 cubits broad court running round the house on its three sides, Fig. 3, H. The longer wing of the block of cells ran along this "separate" place its whole length of 100 cubits, Fig" 3> G. The "building toward the N." is the wall of the outer court with its blocks of cells (xl. 5), Fig. 3, B, C. As there was nothing vv. 2-4.] EZEKIEL, XLII. 317 that 7C'as over against the separate place, and which 7vas before the building toward the north. Before the length of 2 an hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits. Over against the twenty cubits which 7(.iere 3 for the inner court, and over against the pavement which 7vas for the utter court, tvas gallery against gallery in three stories. And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits 4 between the wing of chambers on the N. wall of the inner court and this "building" or wall ol the outer court with its cells, except the mere level of the court, the one is said to be over against the other. 2. V. 2 states the precise place where the prophet was brought to^ it was in front of, or so as to face, the longer wing of chambers, or the walk of 100 cubits before them, i.e. he was slightly to the N. of this longer wing, and to the E. of the whole block. This seems more natural than to suppose the "length of 100 cubits" to be the separate place. Probably, Fig. 3, Q. was the north door] As above : witli the doors toward the north (v. 4). This is rather hard in construction, and for "with the doors" might be read : on the side toward the N. (peath for pethah). So LXX. The breadth N. to S. of the whole block of chambers was 50 cubits (cf V. ^). 3. The breadth of the block having been mentioned in v. 2, v. 3 adds in what directions this breadth extended or lay on either hand (N. and S.), viz. towards the 20 cubits of the separate place (Fig. 3, H) on the S., and toward the pavement running round the wall of the outer court (xl. 17) on the N. (cf v. i), Fig. 3, B. The term "gallery" is obscure, but here it seems to mean a passage running round the chambers, in front of them, and so taking away from their area. in three stories] More naturally : in the third story, lit. in the thirds, i.e. third chambers (Gen. vi. 16). What is meant by "gallery over against gallery" is rather obscure. Most naturally the galleries or gang- ways round the highest story would be supposed to lie towards the interior of both wings, i.e. on the "walk" of 10 cubits running between the wings (Fig. 3, O), because if they lay toward the outside of the wings respectively it is difficult to see how they could be said to lie "over against" or to face one another, for in that case both wings of the chambers in the third story would lie between them. It is altogether unnatural to suppose that by the second "gallery" any galleries in the chambers of the outer court on the one side, or any galleries in the structure of the house proper on the other, are referred to. 4—6 may be read : "And before the chambers was a walk of 10 cubits breadth inward, with a length of 100 cubits; and their doors were toward the north. 5 Now the upper chambers were shorter; for the galleries took away from them compared with the lower and middle (chambers) in room. 6 For they were in three stories, and they had not pillars like the pillars of those in the outer court; therefore" &c. 3i8 EZEKIEL, XLII. [vv. 5—8. breadth inward, a way of one cubit ; and their doors toward 5 the north. Now the upper chambers were shorter : for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than 6 the middlemost of the building. For they zvere in three stories, but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts : therefore the building was straitened more than the lowest 7 and the middlemost from the ground. And the wall that was without over against the chambers, towards the utter court on the forepart of the chambers, the length thereof 8 ivas fifty cubits. For the length of the chambsrs that were 4. inward'\ i.e. between the two wings (Fig. 3, O). Or possibly: (leading) inio the inner cottrl. a way of one cubit\ A mere error of transcription for ; a length of 100 cubits. So LXX., Syr. In v. 16 "cubit" and "hundred" (botli having the same three letters) have again been confused. The doors of the chambers were to the N., i.e. opened upon this passage of 10 cubits, between the wings. 5. The uppermost story was contracted by the gallery, so that its area was smaller than that of the other two stories. 6. the pillars of the courts] LXX. reads: \>\\\3.xs oi the outer ones, i.e. the chambers in the outer court. Probably there is a transcriptional error here, cf. xli. 15. was straitened^ lit. the7-e was (room) taken away from the lowest .. from the ground. The last words seem in apposition with "lowest," and refer to the ground area. The verse indicates that the chambers in the outer court had pillars, and that the three stories were all of the same dimensions. 7 — 9. The shorter wing of chambers. Read together the verses run : "And the wall that was without, beside the chambers which were toward the outer court, facing the (other?) chambers, the length thereof was 50 cubits. 8 For the length of the chambers that were toward the outer court was 50 cubits; but those toward the temple were 100 cubits. 9 And below these chambers was the entrance-way on the east when one goeth to them from the outer court, at the beginning of the wall of the court" — the first words oiv. 10 being connected with v. 9. 7. wall... without] i.e. not forming part of the block of cells, but ex- tending eastward from the end of the shorter wing, and therefore said to be beside the cells that lay towards the outer court. Fig. 3, vw. on the forepart] in front of ox facing — still said of the wall (Fig. 3, vu>). The "chambers" seem to be those of the longer wing. The piece of wall would face them; but the words might be (though less likely) a second specification of the position of the piece of wall referred to in regard to the shorter wing (cf. v. 2). The length of this piece of wall was 50 cubits. The reason is stated in v. 8. 8. The shorter wing of chambers lying toward the outer court was 50 cubits long. Fig. 3, nv. vv. 9, lo.] EZEKIEL, XLII. 319 in the utter court was fifty cubits : and lo, before the temple 7C'ere an hundred cubits. And from under these 9 chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the utter court. The chambers were in the 10 thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, over against the separate place, and over against the building. and lo,... the tern plc\ The exclamation and lo! is rather unnatural, a slight change of punctuation gives, but those. The expression "before the temple" is difficult. Usually "temple" means merely the holy place. The phrase "before" the temple makes no difficulty, "before" means merely "facing," and does not imply the "front" of the temple in the technical sense. The LXX. (so Ew. Corn.) reads differently: and these (the shorter wing, Fig. 3, G') faced the others (the longer, Fig. 3, G), together 100 cubits — "together" referring to the shorter wing and wall (Fig. 3, iiv^vw). 9. under these chambers'\ i.e. the shorter wing. 10. thickness of the wall] Probably : at the beginning (or, head) of the wall (cf. v. 12). The "wall" is that piece of wall referred to v. 7, and the "beginning of it" is the point where the way enters from the outer court, Y'lg. 3, P. In xlvi. 19 this is stated to have been at the shoulder (the long side) of the N. gate. It is said that the doors into the chambers were from the "walk" of roo cubits long fronting the longer wing (Fig. 3, O), and possibly also that this walk led into the inner court [v. 4), consequently the entrance-way from the outer court must have lain as far east as the end of this "walk," which it led to and so reached the chambers. The area of loo x 50 on which the cells stood, though not wholly covered by the cells, must have been in some way marked off from the general level of the court, and the entrance-way from the outer court was on the east front of it ; and it was probably in this entrance-way that the prophet had his position (vv. 1—9), Fig. 3. Q. 10 — 12. The corresponding chambers on the south side of the temple- house. The text is undoubtedly in great confusion; and has been amended in various ways. Taken as nearly as possible as it stands it reads: "Towards the south, over against the separate place and over against the (wall-) building, there were chambers, 1 1 with a way before them, like the appearance of the chambers which were towards the north, as long as they and as broad as they, and according to all their goings out, and according to their fashions. And according to their doors, 12 so were the doors of the chambers that were toward the south; there was a door at the beginning of the way, to wit the way before the corresponding (?) wall, on the east as one entereth into them." 10. For "east" must be read south, according to vv. 12, 13 and the whole scope; cf. xliv. 44. The "building" as in v. 1 is the wall of the outer court with its stories of cells. Fig. 3, B, C. On the one side the chambers faced the separate place, and on the other side the shorter wing looked towards the buildings in the outer court. 320 EZEKIEL, XLII. [w. ii— 13. 11 And the way before them was hke the appearance of the chambers which were toward the north, as long as they, atid as broad as they : and all their goings out were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors. 12 And according to the doors of the chambers that 7vere toward the south was a door in the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them. 13 Then said he unto me, The north chambers a?id the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the Lord shall eat the most holy ihi/igs : there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering ; for the place is holy. 11. way before i/unt] The term "way" here seems used of the 10 cubits broad walk running between the two wings of the block of chambers (v. 4), Fig. 3, O. LXX. renders "walk" as there. For "appearance" LXX. reads measures. The "they" and "their" refer to the chambers on the north side of the court {z>v. i — 9) ; those on the south side were like them in all particulars. 12. As the text reads it is easiest to attach the last words of z'. 11 to V. 12. The sense resulting from this change is not very natural. Possibly V. II should end as A.V., in which case v. 12 must be amended: and the doors of the cha7nbers were to%vard the south. In this point they differed from the other chambers, the doors of which were towards the north {v. 4). The term rendered "corresponding" is quite unknown. In the Targ. and post-biblical Heb. a similar word appears to mean suitable, excellent — the appropriate wall. The word is no doubt corrupt. LXX. "reed." 13. 14. IJses to which the chambers were put. These cells serve two purposes : the priests shall eat in them the most holy things ; and they shall deposit there the sacred garments when they put them off to go into the outer court among the people. The "most holy things" were the portion of the meal-offering not consumed on the altar (Lev. ii. 3, 10, vii. 9 — 11, x. 12), and the flesh of the sin and trespass offerings, except the flesh of the sin-offering for the high-priest and congregation, which was burnt outside the sacred buildings (Lev. vi. 30, vii. 6). before the separate place\ over against, as vv. 1,10, i.e. the longer wing on the N. and on the S. Nothing specially is said as to the uses of the shorter wing. lay the most holy things] Naturally the meal-offering had to be baked before being eaten, and the flesh of the sacrifices boiled. Being most holy things they must be kept in a holy place. vv. 14—16.] EZEKIEL, XLII. 321 When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out m of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister ; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people. Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner 15 house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about. He 16 measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hun- 14:. the priests enter therein] Omit therein. The ref. is not to the holy cells, but to the house or more probably the inner court, in which the altar stood. go out of the holy place] probably the whole inner court is meant, with its contents, house and chambers, seeing it is contrasted with the outer court. thing?,... for the people'] Or, that which is for the people — the outer court. 15 — 20. Measurements of the whole complex of the temple buildings on the outside. The measuring angel began by measuring the height and thickness of the outside surrounding wall (xl. 5) ; then he entered the outer gate, passing into the outer court, the measurements of which were made (xl. 6 — 27); then he entered the inner court, containing the house and cells, all of which he measured (xl. 28 — xlii, 14). These measures being completed, the angel now returns to the outside by the way he entered, the eastern gate, and finishes by measuring the compass of the whole temple buildings outside. This building, its surrounding wall being measured, forms a square of 500 cubits. 15. measured it] i.e. whole building, along the outer wall. 16. five hundred reeds] Rather : cubits. Five hundred reeds, the reed being 6 cubits, would give a measurement of 3000 cubits. No allusion is made to such a space surrounding the house buildings any- where else. On the contrary in xlv. 2 the area of the temple buildings is said to be 500 cubits square, and the free place about it 50 cubits. LXX. omits the word "reeds" everywhere in these verses, expressly giving "cubits" in v. 17. In v. 20 (Heb.) allusion is made to the %vall, and "reeds" is omitted. That the outer wall of the temple buildings formed a square of 500 cubits appears from measurements given else- where. Taking the direction N. to S. we have 50 (outer gate, xl. 21) -)- lOO (gate to gate, xl. 23)4-50 (inner gate, xl. 36) + 100 (inner court, xl. 47)4-50 (inner gate) + 100 (gate to gate) + 50 (outer gate) = 500. Or going from E. to W. the result is the same: 50 (outer gate) -h 100 (gate to gate) -t- 50 (inner gate)-f 100 (inner court) + 100 (house, xli. 13) -f 100 (building behind house, xli. 13) = 500. EZEKIEL 21 322 EZEKIEL, XLII. XLIII. [vv. 17—2. 17 dred reeds, with the measuring reed round about. He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the 18 measuring reed round about. He measured the south side, 19 five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed. He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds 20 with the measuring reed. He measured it by the four sides : it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the "^xoizxiQ place. 43 Afterward he brought me to the gate, eiten the gate that 2 looketh toward the east : and behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east : and his voice was round about'] The word is wanting in v. 18, and v. 19 reads: he turned about and measured. LXX. reads in the latter way in all the verses 16, 17, 18, attaching the word to the beginning of the following verse, no doubt rightly, cf. a similar case i S. xiv. 21. In LXX. also vv. 18 and 19 are transposed, the natural order round the wall being followed. 20. sanctuary... profane place] Rather: between that whicli was holy and that which was profane (common). Holy and profane are used here relatively, just as c. 13 the inner court is relatively holy in contrast with the outer to which the people had access. Cf. xliii. 12, where the limits of the house are said to be "most holy." In xlv. 4 the priests' land surrounding the temple is called holy, and in xlviii. 12 most holy. Ch. xliii. Entry of Jehovah into the house. The measurements of the whole temple buildings being completed, the prophet sees Jehovah return to it by the E. gate, by which he had seen him leave it (ch. xi. ). The vision of the glory of the Lord was like that seen on former occasions (ch. i. and x.). The chapter has three divisions: — (i) vv. 1 — 12. Entry of Jehovah into his house. (2) vv. 13 — 17. Measurements of the altar of burnt-offering. (3) w. 18 — 27. Sacrifices and ceremonies to be employed in dedi- cating the altar. 1 — 12. The glory of Jehovah enters the house by the E. gate. The sound of his chariot was as the sound of many waters, and his glory lightened the earth {vv. i — 4). The prophet hears one speaking to him from the house and saying that the defilements to which the house had been exposed through idolatries and the burial of kings near it shall henceforth cease {vv. 6 — 9). The prophet is commanded to make known the fashion and ordinances of the house to the people {vv. 10 — 12). 2. and his voice] and the sound of him was like the sound. Reference is to the sound made by the cherubim in their llight. vv. s—7.] EZEKIEL, XLIII. 323 like a noise of many waters : and the earth shined with his glory. And // 7i/as according to the appearance of the 3 vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city : and the visions «wr like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar ; and I fell upon my face. And the glory of the Lord came into the house 4 by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner 5 court ; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. And I heard /lim speaking unto me out of the house ; and 6 f/ie man stood by me. And he said unto me, Son of man, 7 the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my 3. Atid it was according to\ And the appearance which I saw was like the appearance which I saw when I came — the word "appearance" at the beginning of the verse being omitted. I came to destroy\ Reference is to ch. viii. — xi. and the destruction of the city there seen in vision by the prophet. He was carried to Jeru- salem to witness the destruction, and he calls this his coming to destroy it. Vulg., when he (Jehovah) came. the visions were like the visioii] like the appearance. The words "and the visions" are rather unnatural; LXX. reads: and the vision of the chariot which I saw was like &c. The "chariot," i.e. the whole theophany of cherubim and wheels is often spoken of in later times (e.g. Ecclesus. xlix. 8), but is nowhere named in the Bible (cf. i Chr. xxviii. i8). The reading of LXX. is probably a gloss in explanation of the Heb., which is awkward. Possibly the word "visions" should be omitted : . . . the city, and like the appearance that I saw by the river Chebar. Cf. iii. 23, where LXX. interpolates ''according to the vision." 4. The glory of the Lord enters the house by the E. gate, by which he had departed from it, x. 19, xi. 22, 23. 5. The prophet, who hitherto was at the E. gate outside {v. i), is brought by the spirit into the inner court, from which he perceived the house to be filled with the glory of the Lord. 6. heard him speaking\ One speaking. and the man'] Possibly : and a man. No doubt the same man is meant as before. The prophet was transported into the inner court by the spirit, not led as in other instances by the man, who, however, reappears at his side. The man is merely the divine voice and word personified and interposed between the Lord and the prophet, hence though Ezekiel appears to hear one speaking from the house, the voice immediately takes the shape of a man beside him. 7. the place of my throne'X this is the place Of my throne... for ever: and the house of Israel shall no more defile. No change of reading is implied but the emphatic position of "the place" &c. requires to be expressed by some such word as "this is," or, "Behold." On "soles 21 2 324 EZEKIEL, XLin. [w. 8— il. feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whore- dom, nor by the carcases of their kings m their high places. 8 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed : wherefore I have consumed 9 them in mine anger. Now let them put away their whore- dom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever. JO Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities ; and let them " measure the pattern. And if they be ashamed of all that of my feet" cf. Is. Ix. 13, Ixvi. i; Lam. ii. i; Ps. cxxxii. 7; i Chr. xxviii. 2. by their whoredoiii] Their idolatries, cf. ch. viii. in t/ieir high places'^ Probably : in their deatli, i.e. when dead, Lev. xi. 31, 32. So some MSS., Targ., by change of one vowel. The ref. is to the burial of the kings in the vicinity of the temple. The passages Lev. xxvi. 30; Jer. xvi. 18, to which appeal is made, do not sustain the idea that "carcase" could be used as a mere name of opprobrium for idols (Ps. cvi. 28 is of doubtful meaning). In the former passage the hewn down idol is a carcase just as the slain man is; and in Jer. xvi. 18 the use of the word "dead body" is not figurative. It is true that there is no record of kings being buried close to the temple, but their sepulchres were in such vicinity that in comparison with the new ideal of holiness they could not but be held to bring defilement to the dwelling-place of Jehovah, the living God. V. 9 seems conclusive for this rendering. 8. Ref. is to the fact that the royal palace and the first temple stood virtually within the same enclosure and were one ensemble of edifice. See the sketch in W. R. Smith's Art. Temple, Encyc. Brit. and the 7vall between'] with but the wall between me and them; and they defiled.... 10 — 12. The prophet is commanded to shew to Israel the fashion and ordinances of the house that they may observe them. 10. ashamed of their iniquities] i.e. in disregarding the ordinances of the Lord's house, in defiling it {v. 7, 8), and in committing its services to the hands of uncircumcised aliens (xliv. 7), and the like. measure the pattern] LXX. has, "and its appearance and its pattern." Cf. xlii. II, where "measures" and "appearance" were also inter- changed. 11. The verse seems overgrown with amplifications or repetitions. LXX. omits: "and the comings in thereof and all the forms thereof." The second "and all the forms thereof" seems an accidental misreading w. 12, 13.] EZEKIEL, XLIII. 325 they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof : and write // in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain 12 the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house. And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits : 13 The cubit is a cubit and a hand breadth ; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span : and consequent duplication of the following "and all the laws thereof." Cf, xliv. 5, where the "ordinances" and "laws" of the house again come together. 12. Upon the top... »iountaut\ Add: shall it be; the whole &c. 13 — 17. The altar of burnt-offering in the inner court. The altar was a large structure, built of stone, and rose in terraces, contracting by means of two inlets towards the top. It consisted: (i) of a basement, with a border or moulding on the top or edge of it. (2) Two cubits above this basement or socket, in which the altar proper stood, was the first inlet, a cubit broad, so that there ran a ledge of a cubit round about the altar on its four sides [vv. 13, 14). (3) Four cubits above this first inlet came the second inlet or contraction, also a cubit broad, so as to form in like manner a ledge of a cubit round about the altar {v. 14). (4) Then four cubits upwards from this ledge was the altar area or platform proper, the "hearth of God," having horns rising up at the four corners {v. 15). The area of this altar-hearth was a square of 12 cubits (v. 16). At the higher inlet the area was 14 cubits square (i;. 17). Probably, therefore, at the lower inlet the area was 16 cubits square and the basement 18 cubits. Thus the structure had the ap- pearance of four square blocks, each narrower in area than the one below it, and each thus appearing set into the one under it as into a socket. Such structures built in stages were common in the archi- tecture of the East; see examples in Rawlin. Phcnicia, p. 166 seq. 13. The basement of the altar. 13. bottom shall be a cubit] lit. its bottom a cubit, i.e. in depth or height, and so in breadth. The bottom, lit. bosom, appears to be the basement in which the altar proper was set; it was a cubit high and extended a cubit in breadth beyond the first block or stage of the altar proper. The idea that the "bosom" means a drain or gutter running round the foot of the altar to carry away the blood seems without any 326 EZEKIEL, XLIII. [w. 14—17. 14 and this shall be the higher place of the altar. And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit ; and from the lesser settle eve7i to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the 15 breadth one cubit. So the altar shall be four cubits ; and 16 from the altar and upward shall be four horns. And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the 17 four squares thereof. And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof ; and the border about it shall be half a cubit ; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about ; and his stairs shall look toward the east. support. This basement extended a cubit all round beyond the lowest stage of the altar proper, and on the outer edge of this space of a cubit there was a border of a span, probably, in height. This border may have been a moulding, or possibly a very low parapet or close screen, running round the outer edge of the ledge of one cubit. Either would suggest the idea of a bosom in which the altar proper was placed. higher place of the altar'] the elevation. The word is that rendered "eminent place" xvi. 24, 31, 39 (see notes), and refers to the basement on which the altar proper stood. Cf. xli. 8. LXX. divides the letters differently, reading : this is the height of the altar, and attaching the clause to the following verse. This appears to be unnecessary. 14. Two cubits up from the basement the fabric underwent the first contraction, being let in a cubit. Thus a ledge of a cubit broad was formed running all round the altar. A.V. appears to call this bench or ledge a "settle." The altar narrowed in dimension not gradually like an obelisk, but at two places. Cf. the similar way in which the wall of the house retreated, xli. 6. At a height of four cubits above the first inlet came another, of the same breadth of a cubit, so that a second ledge of a cubit broad was formed round the altar on its four sides. 15. So the altar\ And the altar, lit. the hearth of God (Is. xxix. i). The word here is spelled harel (mount of God?), and in the next clause ariel (hearth of God). LXX. spells both alike, and probably they do not differ. The form ariel is also Moabite (Mesha inscr. 1. 12, 17). From the second ledge up to the altar-hearth or platform was a distance of four cubits, and from the altar area rose four horns, one at each corner. LXX. for "four" reads "a cubit" — as the height of the horns. 16. The preceding measurements have referred to height. Those referring to breadth or area are now given. The altar-hearth or plat- form was 12 cubits square. four squares thereo/'} fovir sides thereof. So v. 17. 17. The "settle" referred to here is the higher or greater one (v. 14). Its area was a square of 14 cubits. The verse appears to say that this uppermost ledge had a border and an "enclosure" or setting just as the vv. 18—20.] EZEKIEL, XLIII. 327 And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord 'S God ; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon. And thou shalt give to the priests 19 the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord God, a young bullock for a sin offering. And thou shalt take of the blood 20 basement had. If so the "setting" or bosom was that for the Harel arising out of the block, and its size, a cubit, is simply the ledge itself. There is no ground at least to suppose that the "border" and setting refer to the altar-hearth — from which the measurer has descended and come down at any rate as far as the uppermost ledge. It may be made a question whether in the last half of z'. 17 he has not descended to the foot of the edifice, and whether the "border" and "bosom" be not those already referred to in connection with the basement {v. 13). For (i) the measurements are the same — a span (z'. 13) being equivalent to half a cubit {^v. 17). (2) Immediately after mention of the "border" and bosom or setting the " steps" are referred to by which the altar as a whole was ascended, which seems to imply that the speaker conceived himself upon the ground (z/. 17.) (3) Further in v. 10 blood is to be put upon the horns of the altar-hearth, upon the four corners of the upper ledge ^settle) and upon the "border" round about; and it is certainly natural that the blood should be put on all the stages of the altar, the top, the middle and the basement. For squares read sides; for bottom basement; and by stairs is meant steps. The whole height of the altar was probably 12 cubits and the basement a square of 18. Thus height of basement i (z'. 13) + 2 (lowest block) + 4 (liigher block) +4 (block of altar-hearth) + i (horn)= 12. On breadth see preliminary remarlc to vv. 13—17. 18—27. Sacrifices and ceremonies by which the altar was consecrated and inaugurated. The general purpose of the altar is to offer burnt-offerings upon and to sprinkle blood thereon. The statement in vv. 19, 20 is somewhat elliptical, the writer's object being to advert specially to the difference between the sin-offering on the first day and that on the following days. Hence he describes the ritual of the sin-offering on the first day fully, omitting to refer to the burnt-offering, which he mentions only in con- nexion with the second and following days. And when in v. 25 it is said that a goat for sin-offering and a young bullock and a ram were offered for seven days, the difference between the sin-offering on the first day (a bullock) and that for the following six days (a goat) is not adverted to, the burnt-offering being the same all the seven days. 18. The general purpose of the altar. The burnt-offering was wholly consumed on the altar, of the other offerings only the fat. 19. The phrase "saith the Lord" adds solemnity to the statement that only the sons of Zadok shall minister at the altar (xliv. 15 seq.). 328 EZEKIEL, XLIII. [vv. 21—26. thereof, and put // on the four horns of it, and bn the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: 21 thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it. Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary. 22 And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse 23 the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock. When thou hast made an end of cleansing //, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock 24 without blemish. And thou shalt offer them before the Lord, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the Lord. 25 Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin offering : they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a 26 ram out of the flock, without blemish. Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it ; and they shall consecrate 20. Blood was to be put on the four horns of the altar hearth, on the four corners of the (upper) settle, and on the border; see on v. 17. To "cleanse" is to purify from sin, to "un-sin," if such a word could be formed; and to "purge" is usually rendered "to make atonement for." 21. The sin-offering was burnt wholly in a place outside the whole temple area, i.e. outside the space enclosed by the 500 cubits square wall (xlii. i6 seq.), possibly in the space of 50 cubits (xlv. 2) lying round the outer wall. Cf. Ex. xxix. 14; Lev. iv. 11, vi. 23, xvi. 27; Heb. xiii. 11. 22. The sin-offering for the second and following days was a he-goat — so read for "kid of the goats." On "cleanse" cf. v. 20. The ceremonies with the blood and the burning outside were no doubt the same as those on the first day, vv. 20, 21. 23. The burnt-offering, following the sin-offering, was a young bullock and a ram. 24. The burnt-offering was wholly consumed on the altar, salt being sprinkled on the flesh, Lev. ii. 13 ; Mark ix. 49. 25. The statement is somewhat general ; strictly the he-goat was offered only on six days {v. 19), but the burnt-offering was the same all the seven. 26. The ceremonial of consecrating the altar lasts seven days. On to "purge" cf. V. 20. consecrate themselves] consecrate it, i.e. the altar, lit. fill its hand (or, hands). The phrase is properly said of the priests, to install; here of the altar, to inaugurate it. Originally the expression had probably a literal meaning, to put the things to be offered into the hands of the priests (Lev. viii. 25 scq.), but later it came to be used vv. 27—1.] EZEKIEL, XLIII. XLIV. 329 themselves. And when these days are expired, it shall be, 27 that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings ; and I will accept you, saith the Lord God. Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the 44 outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east ; and it generally in the sense of initiate, consecrate (Ex. xxviii. 41, xxix. 9, 29' 111 35; Lev. vii. 37; Num. iii. 3; Judg. xvii. 5, 12), cf. Ex. xxxii. 29. Wellh. Hist. p. 152, argues that the priest's hand was originally "filled" with money (Jud. xvii.). The phrase "fill the hand" of one appears also in the general meaning "to invest with office" in Assyrian; Fd. Del. Heh. Lang. p. 20, Prolegomena, p. 48. In all the above passage it is the altar not the priests that is conse- crated. The consecration of the altar appears to carry with it that of the whole sanctuary. The altar needs atonement not because it is a work of human hands, but because it belongs to the things of the world. The sin of the world has defiled all things, penetrating even to the precincts of that where Jehovah abides as he is in himself (Heb. ix. 23). The passage can scarcely be compared with Ex. xxix. and Lev. viii. because there the ceremonies refer to the consecration of the priests chiefly and little to the altar. Cf. Ex. xxix. 36 ; Lev. viii. ii> 15' 33- In these passages the altar is said to have been anointed w ith oil, a ceremony wanting in Ezek. ; the sin-offering was a young bullock each day and the burnt-offering simply a ram each day. Ch. XLIV. — XLVI. Ordinances regarding the Temple. These ordinances define who shall minister in it, priests and Levites (ch. xliv.) ; the revenue of the priests, the Levites and the prince, with the duties devolving on the prince in upholding the ritual (xlv. i — 17) ; the special and daily services in the temple, and the special offerings of the prince (xlv. 18 — xlvi.). Ch. XLIV. Those who shall minister in the Temple. The passage contains these parts : (i) vv. I — 3. An ordinance regarding the eastern gate: it shall be kept shut because by it the Lord entered into the house. (2) vv. 4 — 14. Precepts regarding the subordinate ministrants, who keep the gates of the house and perform such offices as slaughtering the victims. These subordinate services shall no more be performed, as they have been to the desecration of them, by uncircumcised fo- reigners {tjv. 4 — 9). But the Levites, who ministered as priests at the high-places when Israel went astray from Jehovah, shall perform such services. For their former sin they shall bear their iniquity and be excluded from the holy functions of the priesthood proper, though permitted to take part in the service of the house in a subordinate place (,vv. 10 — 14). (3) vv, 15 — 31. Precepts regarding the priests (i.e. those who 330 EZEKIEL, XLIV. [w. 2—6. 2 was shut. Then said the Lord unto me ; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it ; because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in 3 by it, therefore it shall be shut. // is for the prince ; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord ; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. 4 Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house : and I looked, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord : and I fell upon my face. 5 And the Lord said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the 6 sanctuary. And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God ; O ye house minister at the altar), e.g. that they shall be the sons of Zadok alone {zn). 15, 16); regarding their garments in their ministrations {v. 17 seq.); their marriage (v. 22); their functions as teachers of the people and judges (w. 23, 24); their preservation from defilement by contact with the dead {z>v. 25 — 27), and their maintenance {v. 28 seq.). zn). I — 3. The prophet is brought to the outside of the outer gate, which he observes to be shut. It must be kept shut because the glory of the Lord entered by it into the house. None shall enter by it. 3. The only exception is in favour of the prince. He shall eat bread in this gate, i.e. partake of the sacrificial meal there. Though not expressly stated it is implied that the meal shall be partaken of in the porch of the gate, which looked into the outer court. The statements in ch. xlvi. make it probable that even the prince did not enter through the E. gate from the outside, but passed into the outer court through some other gate, and entered the porch from the court. vv. 4 — 9. The former practice of employing uncircumcised foreigners to minister and to keep the charge of the house shall absolutely cease. 4. The prophet is brought by way of the N. gate into the inner court before the house. From his position in front of the house he beholds the glory of the Lord filling the house, and falls on his face. 5. He is commanded to give heed to all the ordinances and laws regulating the future service of the house. entering in of the ko/ise] The phrase to the end of the verse is a general designation for all the functions of the house, those who shall be permitted to enter it (vv. 10 — 14), with the manner of their going in and coming out (w. 17 — 21). 6. The "rebellious," lit. rebellion, a term frequently used in ch. i. — xxiv. (e.g. ii. 5, iii. 9, xii. 2, xvii. 12, xxiv. 3), but dropped since w. 7— lo.] EZEKIEL, XLIV. 33i of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, in 7 that ye have brought into viy sanctuary strangers, uncircuni- cised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations. And ye have 8 not kept the charge of mine holy things : but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves. Thus saith the Lord God ; No stranger, uncircumcised 9 in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel. And the Levites that are gone away far from me, .0 the fall of the city. Recollection of the former abominations practised in the sanctuary again brings it to the prophet's lips. 7. into my sanctuary strangers\ i.e. foreigners. What is reprobated is not of course allowing foreigners to present sacrifices to Jehovah, which they might do (Lev. xvii. 10, 12; Numb. xv. 14), but allowing them to officiate in the offering, and in general in the ministry of the sanctuary. It is not ascertainable to what extent these uncircumcised heathen were permitted to fill the subordinate offices about the house, such as those of keepers of the gates and assistants to the priests, but just as the kings employed foreign mercenaries as guards (who were employed even in the temple, 2 Kings xi. 7), it appears that persons not Israelites and not incorporated in Israel by the necessary rites, ■were employed in the house. They were probably captives taken in war and the like (Josh. ix. 27; i Sam. ii. 13; Zech. xiv. 21; cf. Ezr. viii. 20, ii. 58). This is regarded by the prophet as a profanation of the house and an infraction of the covenant between Jehovah and Israel. It is the latter from the nature of the case. Israel was the people of the Lord and his service must be performed by Israel. These heathen were uncircumcised both in flesh and heart, their service was purely mercenary, and without religious reality. For "and they have broken" LXX. reads, and jt? have broken, which is more exact. because of alt] Perhaps : in addition to all your abominations. 8. ye have set keepers] Some would read : ye have set them keepers. This of course is the meaning. The change is hardly supported by LXX (as Well. p. 122). 9 — 14. Such services shall not be performed by foreigners any more, but by the Levites who formerly ministered at the high-places. Because of their sin in leading the house of Israel astray they shall bear their iniquity and be excluded from the priesthood. 10. And the Levites] But the Levites wMcli went away far from me... after their idols, they shall hear their iniquity, 11 and shall he ministers &c. The clause "they shall be ministers" explains how these Levites shall bear their iniquity — they shall be degraded from the priestly office and reduced to the place of subordinate servants. To 332 EZEKIEL, XLIV. [vv. ii— 15. when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me 11 after their idols ; they shall even bear their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, havifig charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house : they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. 12 Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lift up mine hand against them, saith the Lord God, 13 and they shall bear their iniquity. And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most \io\y place : but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations 14 which they have committed. But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and 15 for all that shall be done therein. But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my "bear iniquity" is to bear the penalty of it, ch. iv. 4. On "idols," ch. vi. 4. which tvent astray\ Most naturally refers to Israel, cf. z'. 15 ; though it might refer to the Levites, cf. xlviii. 11. 11. The verse is closely connected with v. 10 (note on v. 10). The services which the Levites shall be allowed to perform are such as having charge of the gates, slaying the burnt-offering, and the peace- offering for the people and in general ministering to them, e.g. cooking the sacrificial flesh for their meals (xlvi. 24). To "stand before" is to serve, Numb. xvi. 9. 12. caused .. .to fall .. .iniquity\ lit. as marg. : were a stumbling-block of iniquity unto. Ch. vii. 19, xiv. 3, 4, xviii. 30. On "idols," v. 10. lift up mine hand\ i.e. sworn, xx. 5. 13. z'. 13 is closely connected with v. 12... bear their iniquity, and they shall not come near unto me. in the tnost holy place] Rather: unto the things that are most holy. The words are in apposition with "my holy things." 14. But I will make'] And I will. The prophet as was na- tural to him takes a severe view of the conduct of the priests of the high-places, laying much of the blame of Israel's defection upon them (v. 12). 15. 16. The priests of the family of Zadok alone shall be priests in the new Temple. These continued faithful to Jehovah when the pro- vincial priests went far from him. The judgment of the prophet may be to some extent a comparative one. The worship at Jerusalem never sank to the level of the licentiousness and corruption prevailing at the rural sanctuaries, though undoubtedly the record of the reform of Josiah reveals great corruptions at Jerusalem also (2 Kings xxiii.). vv. 16—20.] EZEKIEL, XLIV. 333 sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God : they shall enter into my ,6 sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the 17 gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments ; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. They is shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins ; they shall not gird them- selves with any thing that causeth sweat. And when they 19 go forth into the utter court, eve7i into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments ; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments. Neither shall they shave 20 How far these were introduced by the kings, such as Manasseh, despite the opposition of the priests, cannot be ascertained. The reforms of Hezekiah most probably, and certainly those of Josiah, were promoted by the priests (2 Kings xxii.). The family of Zaclok dates from Solo- mon, who deposed Abiathar on account of liis favouring the pretensions of Adonijah and installed Zadok in his place. Since those remote times the Zadokites had served in the temple, and upon the whole the prophet's favourable judgment of them is no doubt justified (cf. 1 Kings xi. ; Is. viii. 2). 16. near to my table\ The altar of burnt-offering is no doubt meant, cf. on xli. 22. V7). 17 — 19. The garments of the priests. — In the service of the sanctuary they shall wear only linen clothing, drawers and head-dresses. In Ex. xxviii. 39, 42, xxxix. 27; Lev. xvi. 4, the coats and bonnets of the priests are byssus (possibly cotton). 18. Sweat is regarded as uncleanness. 19. The sacred garments shall be worn only in the inner court, and in service. Before going out into the outer court the priests shall put them off and deposit them in the sacred cells, xhi. 13, 14. sanctify the people'] i.e. by bringing that which is holy in contact with them. The enactment is not a precaution against defilement of the holy garments, at least in form, though it may be a precaution against confusion of the sacred and the common. Cf. xlvi. 20; Ex. xxix. 37, xxx. 29; Lev. vi. 27. The words "even into the titter cotcrt''^ are probably an accidental repetition. LXX. omits. 20. The priests shall poll or cut the hair of their heads, and neither shave their heads bald nor let the hair flow loose. Shaving the head 334 EZEKIEL, XLIV. [w. 21—25. their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long ; they shall 21 only poll their heads. Neither shall any priest drink wine, 22 when they enter into the inner court. Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away : but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, 23 or a widow that had a priest before. And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 And in controversy they shall stand in judgment ; and they shall judge it according to my judgments : and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assembhes ; and 25 they shall hallow my sabbaths. And they shall come at no dead person to defile the?nselves : but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister bald was a sign of mourning (Lev. xxi. 5, 10, cf. Ezek. xxiv. 17), and forbidden both to priests and people as a practice of the heathen (Deut. xiv. i); though the prophets frequently refer to it as a token of disaster and mourning; Is. iii. 24, xxii. 12; Jer. xvi. 6; Am. viii. 10; Mic. i. 16. Lev. x. 6 indicates that letting the hair flow loose and dishevelled was also a sign of grief. The phrase appears used both of this practice and of the Nazirite custom of allowing the hair to remain uncut (Numb. vi. 5, cf. Numb. v. 18). 21. On this prohibition cf. the narrative Lev. x. i — 9. 22. The marriage of the priests. They shall marry only virgins, or the widows of former priests. In Lev. xxi. 14 marrying a widow of any kind is forbidden to the high-priest, but no restriction is imposed on the priests (v. 7). Ezek. makes no allusion anywhere to a high- priest. 23. 24. General duties of the priests towards the people. They shall teach the people to distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean, cf. xxii. 26; Lev. x. 10; Hag. ii. 11; Mai. ii. 7. 24. They shall also act as judges in causes that arise among the people. It is not certain that Ezek. commits the office of judge to the priests exclusively, cf. xlv. 9. In Deut. xvii. 8 seq., xix. 17, xxi. 5 the priests sit in difficult cases along with the judges who shall be in those days (cf. Deut. xxi. 19, xxii. 15; Ex. xviii. 21, 22). In Ezekiel's final state of the kingdom of the Lord, however, only cases of misunder- standing, not of wrong, would arise. Finally it is the duty of the priests to see that the laws and statutes of the Lord be observed at all the appointed seasons (A.V. assemblies), or sacred occasions (xlv. 17 seq.), and that the sabbath be sanctified, cf. xxii. 26. 25 — 27. Regulations for their necessary contact with the dead. They shall approach the dead bodies only of their nearest relatives, father, mother, son, daughter, brother and unmarried sister. From the defilement caused by this contact they must purify themselves vv. 26—30.] EZEKIEL, XLIV. 335 that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves. And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven 26 days. And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, 27 unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord God. And it shall be 28 unto them for an inheritance : I ajn their inheritance : and ye shall give them no possession in Israel : I am their possession. They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin 29 offering, and the trespass offering ; and every dedicate thing in Israel shall be theirs. And the first of all the firstfruits 3° of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priests' : ye shall also give unto the before resuming their service in the inner court. It is curious that no reference is made to the priest's wife among the relatives with whose dead bodies they may defile themselves. The same omission occurs Lev. xxi. I — 3. In Ez. xxiv. 15 it is understood that he would natu- rally shew tokens of mourning for his wife. The two things, however, are not identical, and Ezek. was not an acting priest. According to Lev. xxi. 1 1 the high-priest was not to defile himself by going near any dead body whatever. How defilement was contracted is explained Numb. xix. 14. 26. after he is cleansed~\ i.e. the priest. The length of time during which he shall remain unclean is not stated. In ordinary cases he who touched a dead body was unclean seven days (Numb. xix. n). After his cleansing the priest must count seven days, which would imply exclusion from his official duties for 14 days. 27. Before resuming his functions the priest presents a sin-offering. 28 — 31. The maintenance of the priest. He shall have no inherit- ance among the people: the Lord is his inheritance. He shall eat the meat-offering, the sin- and trespass-offering; everything put to the ban shall be his, and the best of all the fii-st-fruits and of all the dues. 28. it shall be... inheritance] This cannot refer to the sin-offering {v. 27), which was burnt entire outside the sanctuary. To translate : This shall be their inheritance (viz.) / am their inheritance, making the words "I am" &c. subject is too artificial. The balance of sentence seems to require, they shall have no inheritance, I am &c., correspond- ing to the second half of the verse. So Vulg., cf Numb, xviii. 20; Deut. X. 9, xviii. i, 2; Josh. xiii. 14 &c. 29. Cf. Lev. ii. 3, vii. 9 — 11, for the meat-offering; Lev. vi. 18, vii. 6, 7; Num. xviii. 9, 10, for the sin- and trespass-offerings; and for that put to the ban or "devoted" to Jehovah, Lev. xxvii. 28; Num. xviii. 14. For "dedicated" as marg. devoted. 30. And the first] Or, the best. Cf. Ex. xxiii. 19, xxxiv. 26 ; Numb, xviii. 13; Deut. xviii. 4. and every oblation] The word sometimes rendered heave offering: Numb. XV. 19, xviii. 19. It means a part taken from a larger whole, 336 EZEKIEL, XLIV. XLV [vv. 31— i. priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the bless- 31 ing to rest in thine house. The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast. 45 Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for in- heritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto the Lord, a holy cf. xlv. I, &c. , where the portion of land dedicated to the use of the priests and Levites is so called. of your dough'] The term occurs again only Numb. xv. 20, 11; Neh. X. 37, and is of doubtful meaning. LXX., dough; Targ. Syr., baking trough; others, coarse meal. On the "blessing," Mai. iii. 10; Prov. iii. 9, 10. 31. On this prohibition Ex. xxii. 31 ; Lev. xxii. 8. Cf. Lev. xvii. 15. The injunctions in v. 30 are very general. The prophet presupposes former customs familiar to the people, which he desires to continue. Everywhere in these chapters his directions are in the main a reproduc- tion of a past customary and understood practice. Ch. xlv. 1 — 17. The portions of land assigned for mainten- ance TO THE PRIESTS, LEVITES AND PRINCE RESPECTIVELY; WITH THE DUES WHICH THE PEOPLE SHALL PAY THE PRINCE, IN RETURN FOR WHICH HE SHALL PROVIDE THE RITUAL. (i) VV. I — 8. The oblation (terumah) of land for maintenance of priests, Levites and prince, and for the city. (2) vv. 9 — 12. Regulations as to just standards of weight, measure and coinage. {3) vv. 13 — 17. Dues to be paid the prince in respect of his being at the charge of providing the materials of ritual. In the centre of the country a portion of land shall be measured oft 25,000 long and 20,000 broad. The measure is no doubt cubits, not reeds, though this is stated only in regard to the free place around the sanctuary (v. 2). Length is the measure E. to W., and breadth that from N. to S. This region is to be divided into two parallel strips E. to W., one of 25,000 long and 10,000 broad, which shall be for the priests (v. 4), and another N. of this, of the same length and breadth, which shall be for the Levites [v. 5). Parallel to this on the S. side of the priests' domain, of the same length (25,000) with it and 5000 broad, there shall be a portion of land for the possession of the city. In the midst of it the city shall be situated {v. 6). These three portions thus form a square of 25,000. Finally the land from the E. side of this square to the Jordan, and from the W. side of it to the sea shall be for a possession to the prince (vv. 7, 8). 1. divide by lot] So the phrase originally signified, but probably it came to mean merely ''divide" or assign portions to. Ezek. definitely fixes the positions of the tribes, and each tribe appears to have the same extent of territory assigned to it. offer an oblation] Cf. xliv. 30. holy portion of the land] i.e. oiit of, ox from the land. vv. 2—5.] EZEKIEL, XLV. i^J portion of the land : the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about. Of this there shall be for the sanctuary five 2 hundred in length, with five hundred in breadth, square round about; and fifty cubits round dihout for the suburbs thereof And of this measure shalt thou measure the length 3 of five and twenty thousand, and the breadth of ten thou- sand : and in it shall be the sanctuary and the most holy place. The holy portion of the land shall be for the priests 4 the ministers of the sanctuary, which shall come near to minister unto the Lord : and it shall be a place for their houses, and a holy place for the sanctuary. And the five 5 and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of breadth, shall also the Levites, the ministers of the house, have for themselves, for a possession /^r twenty chambers. breadth... ten thoitsa7td\ Grammar as well as context seems to require twenty thousand, cf. vv. 3, 5, xlviii. 10, 18. In v. 3 this "measure" is divided into two portions each 10,000 broad. So LXX. For reeds, nn doubt, cubits. 2. In this sacred territory, more particularly, in the half of it as- signed to the priests {vv. 3, 4), shall the sanctuary be situated, a square of 500, surrounded by a free space of 50 cubits on all sides. The 500 are certainly cubits, cf. xlii. 20. the suburbs thereof^ What the "suburbs" are appears from Numb. XXXV. 4 ; it is an open space around the walls of an enclosure, a city or building, held to belong to the building or city, but not occupied by it. It is the liberties of a city or the precincts of an edifice, xlviii. 15, 17. 3. The portion of the sacred land assigned to the priests shall con- sist of a tract 25,000 long by 10,000 broad. sanctuary and the most holy\ sanctuary, (even) the most holy thing. The whole area of land is holy, the sanctuary most holy. 4. Read : An holy portion of the land is it, it shall be for, &c. holy place for the sanctTiary\ Lit. a sanctuary for the sanctuary. The use of "sanctuary" in the sense of sacred territory can hardly be supported by evidence, though the idea of a sacred territory around a sacred house or locality is a common one in the East. LXX. reads: a place for houses set apart for their sanctity, i.e. possibly: houses set apart for them (the priests), they being holy. No satisfactory emenda- tion has been proposed. 6. Read: and five..., and ten... shall the Levites have. (The Keri is unnecessary). for twenty chambers^ Probably with LXX. : tor cities to dwell in. Cf. same words Numb. xxxv. 2; Josh. xiv. 4. In v. 6 Jerusalem, with EZEKIEI 22 338 EZEKIEL, XLV. [vv. 6—9. 6 And ye shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad, and five and twenty thousand long, over against the oblation of the holy portion : it shall be for the whole house 7 of Israel. And a portion shall be for the prince on the one side and on the other side of the oblation of the holy portion, and of the possession of the city, before the oblation of the holy portion, and before the possession of the city, from the west side westward, and from the east side east- ward : and the length shall be over against one of the 8 portions, from the west border unto the east border. In the land shall be his possession in Israel : and my princes shall no more oppress my people ; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according to their tribes. 9 Thus saith the Lord God ; Let it suffice you, O princes its suburbs, is assigned a tract of land only half of this given to the Levites. 6. The city possesses a strip of land 5000 cubits broad and 25,000 long, running parallel to the portion of the priests, cf. xlviii. 15. The city shall stand in the midst of this tract, which it entirely covers N. to S., cf. xlviii. 16, 17. 7. The domain of the prince. A portion of land shall fall to the prince equal in breadth (N. to S.) to the whole square assigned to the priests, Levites and city (viz. 25,000), and extending on both sides of this square to the borders of the country, to the Jordan on the E., and the sea on the W. and the length... portions'] and In length answerable to one of the portions, as R.V. The "portions" here are the tracts of land assigned to the tribes respectively (ch. xlviii.). These stretched across the country from the Jordan to the sea. The portion of the prince in like manner stretches across the whole country, only it is interrupted in the middle by the 25,000 square tract assigned to priests, Levites and city. Cf. xlviii. 21. 8. In the land. . .possession'] In the land it shall be to him for a pos- session, lit. in respect of the land. Others : for a domain it shall be..., for a possession. The art. must then be omitted, and the use of "land" in this sense is unnatural. my princes] The language my is unusual. In v. 9, "princes of Israel," and so LXX. here. It is possible that Israel was represented in MS. merely by the initial letter, which is the same as the last letter of "princes" (cons.), and that one of the letters fell out. the rest of the land] Read : oppress my people, but shall give the land to the house. On the oppressions of the princes, cf. xxii. 25, icxxiv. ; Jer. xxii. 17. vv. 10—13.] EZEKIEL, XLV. 339 of Israel : remove violence and spoil, and execute judg- ment and justice, take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord God. Ye shall have just balances, and a 10 just ephah, and a just bath. The ephah and the bath shall n be of one measure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of a homer, and the ephah the tenth /^r/ of a homer: the measure thereof shall be after the homer. And the shekel 12 shall be twenty gerahs : twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh. This is the 13 oblation that ye shall off'er; the sixth /«r/ of an ephah of a 9 — 17. The dues to be given the prince, and his obligations to pro- vide the materials for the ritual. V. 9 seq. The former unjust and irregular exactions of the princes shall cease. These exactions had not only been oppressive in their nature, but unjust and arbitrary from want of a fixed standard in weights, measures and currency. 9. take aiuay your exactions\ Lit. remove your expulsions from my people. Ref. probably to unjust extrusion of persons from their posses- sions, of which the early prophets often complain. Is. v. 8 ; Mic. ii. 9, iii. 2, 3, and the story of Naboth, i Kings xxi. 10. Cf. Lev. xix. 35, 36; Deut. xxv. 13 — 15; Mic. vi. 10, 11 (the accursed scanty ephah); Prov. xi. i, xvi. 11, xx. 10. From this it appears that the words of Am. viii. 5 "making the ephah small and the shekel large" are more than a figure. 11. The homer is assumed as the standard both for liquid and dry measures. The ephah was a tenth of the homer, dry measure; and the bath a tenth of the homer, liquid measure, Is. v. 10. 12. Cf. Ex. XXX. 13; Lev. xxvii. 25; Numb. iii. 47, xviii. 16. The verse at present is without meaning. Read after LXX. (cod. Alex.): and the shekel shall be twenty gerahs ; five (shekels) shall he five, and ten shekels ten, and fifty shekels shall he your maneh (mina). The text is grammatically suspicious, and the way in which " fifteen " is supposed to be expressed, viz. "ten and five" is without parallel. The statement that "five shekels shall be five," &c., does not imply that there were five and ten shekel pieces, but means that just weighing of money shall prevail, and five go for five, no more and no less. The passage has been fully discussed by Bertheau {Zur Gesch. der Israelitcn, pp. 8 — 14), whose table of money weights may be given (p. 14) : Talent i Maneh 60 1 Shekel 3,000 50 i Beka 6,000 100 2 i Gera 60,000 1000 20 10 i. Cf. Ex. xxxviii. 25; Lev. xxvii. 3, 16; Josh. vii. 21; i Kings x. 17; Ezr. ii. 69; Neh. vii. 71. 13. oblation... offer'] The people are addressed. The due which 22 — 2 340 EZEKIEL, XLV. [vv. 14—17. homer of wheat, and ye shall give the sixth part of an 14 ephah of a homer of barley : concerning the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil, ye shall offer the tenth part of a bath out of the cor, which is a homer of ten baths ; for ten baths are 15 a homer : and one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures of Israel ; for a meat offering, and for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to 16 make reconciliation for them, saith the Lord God. All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in 17 Israel. And it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel : he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel. they shall pay the prince is one sixtieth in grain. For, of an homer, rather : out of an homer. 14. The cor was another name for the homer, i Kings v. 2, 25; 2 Chr. ii. 9, xxvii. 5. which is a homer... baths\ ten baths are an homer. The words are wanting in LXX. The due in oil was one-hundredth part. 15. The due out of the flock was one in two hundred. the fat pastures'] lit. the 'watered \2ind. of Israel (Gen. xiii. 10). LXX. reads, out of all the fajiiilies of Israel. These dues from the flock and from the soil were for purposes of sacrifice and offering {v. 17). 16. A.V. margins on this verse ought to be deleted. The words "all the people of the land "are anomalous grammatically; LXX. omits "of the land." 17. In return for these dues paid him by the people the prince shall be charged with providing the sacrifices for public worship. he shall prepare] provide. The "feasts" were the three great festivals, passover or unleavened bread (easter), the feast of weeks, or pentecost, and the feast of in- gathering or tabernacles at the end of the vintage. Ezekiel, however, .seems to give no place to pentecost. all solemnities] i.e. stated seasons. A reconciling or "atoning" efficacy appears attributed by the prophet to all the various kinds of sacrifices. Ch. XLV. 18— XLVI. 24. The offerings to be made at the FEASTS AND OTHER APPOINTED SEASONS. (i) xlv. 18 — 25. Offerings at the feasts. (2) xlvi. I— 1 1. Offerings for the sabbaths and new moons. (3) V. 12. Voluntary offerings of the prince. vv. 18—21.] EZEKIEL, XLV. 341 Thus saith the Lord God ; In the first month, in the first is day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish, and cleanse the sanctuary : and the priest shall 19 take of the blood of the sin offering, and put // upon the posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court. And so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month 20 for every one that erreth, and for hbn that is simple : so shall ye reconcile the house. In the first inonth, in the 21 (4) vv. 13 — 15. The daily burnt-offering. (5) zni. 16 — 18. Case of the prince ahenating any part of his landed estate to his children or servants. (6) vv. 19 — 24. Kitchens for boiling the offerings eaten by the priests, and those partaken of by the people. XLV. 18 — 25. Offerings at the feasts. 18 — 20. The stated atonement for the sanctuary twice in the year — on the first day of the first month {v. 18); and on the first day of the seventh month (v. 20). The sin-offering on both occasions shall be a young bullock to cleanse, better: to make atonement for the sanctuary (xliii. 20). 19. Ceremonial with the blood. The blood shall be put on the door-posts of the house (xli. 21), on the four corners of the great "settle" of the altar (xliii. 20), and upon the door-posts of the gateway of the inner court — which gateway is not specified, probably that at which the victims were slaughtered. Gateway, however, might be used collectively. 20. seventh day of the tnont/i] The text can hardly be so rendered. Probably : in the seventh month, on the new moon (i.e. the first day). LXX. fully: in the seventh month, on the first day of the month. An atonement was made for the sanctuary, purifying it from the defilements of the people, at the beginning of each half-year. No mention is made of burnt-offerings, but cf. xlvi. 6, 7. every otie that erreth'\ i.e. not for any particular person had in view, but for the people on account of there being among them persons who have erred unwittingly or through simplicity, i.e. natural slowness which may not have apprehended the exact requirements of duty. Ezekiel is speaking of the people in their perfect condition, when, of course, only such mistakes will be committed as are due to inadvertence and the limitations to which the mind of man is subject. reconcile the hoiise\ make atonement for. Cf. Lev. xvi. 16, 18. 21. The feasts. The passover on the fourteenth of the first month. feast of seven days^ So no doubt Heb. should be read, with the ancient versions. At present it reads : a feast of weeks of days. Ezekiel 342 EZEKIEL, XLV. XLVI. [vv. 22—2. fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days ; unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22 And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering. 23 And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the Lord, seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days ; and a kid of the 24 goats daily /^ir a sin offering. And he shall prepare a meat offering <7/"an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, 25 and a hin of oil for an ephah. In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like in the feast ^the seven days, according to the sin offering, according to the burnt offering, and according to the meat offering, and according to the oil. 46 Thus saith the Lord God ; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the 2 day of the new moon it shall be opened. And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, omits all ref. to the so-called feast of weeks, i.e. pentecost, seven weeks after the unleavened bread, when the sickle was put into the grain. 22. prepare for himself^ provide, v. 17. 23. kid of the goats'] a lie goat. For prepare, provide, so v. 24. 25. Feast of tabernacles on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Render: in the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month, in the feast, shall he do the like, the seven days. The "feast" is that of tabernacles, the feast /ar excellence of the year, concluding the yearly round of festivals (Is. xxix. i). For this feast the prince makes the same provision as for the feast of unleavened bread (v. 23). XLVI. 1 — 7. Offerings for the Sabbath and new moon. The prince was under obligation, besides providing for the great festivals of unleavened bread or passover and tabernacles (xlv. 21, 25), and for the special new moons in the first and seventh months (xlv. 18, 20), to furnish offerings also for the sabbaths and the ordinary new moons. The east gate of the inner court was kept shut six days of the week (the outer was always shut), but opened on the sabbaths and also on the new moons (v. i). On these days the prince came by way of the porch and advanced as far as the door-posts of the inner gate, where he worshipped while the priests were offering the burnt and peace- offerings [v. 2). The gate remained open till the evening. While the prince could come as far as the threshold of the inner gate the people stood without before the inner east gate to worship (v. 3). 2. porch of that gate without} porch of the gate without. It is vv. 3—8.] EZEKIEL, XLVI. 343 and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate : then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of 3 this gate before the Lord in the sabbaths and in the new moons. And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer 4 unto the Lord in the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish. And the meat offer- 5 ing shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and a hin of oil to an ephah. And in the day of the new moon // shall be a young 6 bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram : they shall be without blemish. And he shall prepare a meat 7 offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and a hin of oil to an ephah. And when the prince shall 8 enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof. difficult to decide whether "without" describes porch or gate. If porch, then the porch of the inner gate is meant, which lay "without," i.e. towards the outer court (xl. 31, 34, 37). If "without" refers to gate, then the porch of the outer gate is meant. In the latter case the prince would cross the outer court from the porch of the outer gate and enter the inner gate, cf. xliv. 3. Neither is it certain whether the "posts" and "threshold" are those at the outer end of the inner gate, or those at the end opening into the inner court. The technical "threshold" lay at the inner end, inasmuch as the inner gate was the outer gate re- versed (xl. 6). It is possible that the prince was allowed to enter the inner gateway and advance to the inner end of it so as to have a full view of the operations of the priests at the altar, without, however, being permitted to set his foot in the inner court. In this case "porch" would be that of the inner gate (as A.V.). 4_6. On the sabbath the burnt-offering shall be six lambs and a ram, and the meal-offering an ephah of flour for the ram and what the prince thinks good for the lambs ; and the libation a hin of oil. 7. For the new moons the burnt-offering shall be a young bullock, and the same meal-offering and libation as for the sabbath. 8, 9. The gates by which prince and people shall come in and go out. The prince shall come in by way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out the same way, i.e. probably the porch of the inner east gate, and he shall go back as he entered, without passing into the inner court. The people shall not go out by the gate at which they came in, but by the opposite gate— those entering by the N. gate shall leave by the S. and conversely. 344 EZEKIEL, XLVl. [w. 9—12. 9 But when the people of the land shall come before the Lord in the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate ; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate : he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but 10 shall go forth over against it. And the prince in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in ; and when they go 11 forth, shall go forth. And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offering shall be an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and 12 a hin of oil to an ephah. Now when the prince shall prepare a voluntary burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily unto the Lord, one shall then open him the gate that looketh toward the east, and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, as he did on the sabbath day : then he shall go forth ; and after his going forth one the solemn feasts'] appointed seasons. 10. shall go forth] So must be read, the prince being subject. Heb. text reads : %vhen they go forth they shall go forth (i.e. prince and people; R.V. to make this plain supplies together). This is a very unnatural reading. Read in either way the words mean that the prince and people come in and go out simultaneously. This would suggest that the worshipping of the prince and people was contem- poraneous with the act of the priests in offering, and that when this act was over the people dispersed and the prince departed. The Syr. followed by Corn, reads : but the prince in their midst, by the gate at -which he came in shall he go out — finding a repetition of v. 8, giving a freedom to the prince denied to the people (v. 9). 11. General regulation in regard to the meal-offering, it shall be the same both at the feasts proper (xlv. 21, 25) and at the solemnities or stated seasons, such as new moons, &c. 12. Regulation when the prince presents a free-will offering. The east (inner) gate shall be opened for him on such occasions as on the sabbaths and new moons. Cf. Lev. vii. 16, xxxiii. 28; Numb, xv, 3, xxix. 39; Deut. xii. 6; Am. iv. 5. 13 — 15. The daily offering. There shall be a daily offering, a lamb for a burnt-offering, with one- sixth of an ephah of flour and the third part of a hin of oil for a meal- offering. This shall be presented every morning. In earlier times the daily offering in practice appears to have been a burnt-offering in the morning and a meal-offering in the evening (2 Kings xvi. 15, cf. I Kings xviii. 29, 36). In Numb, xxviii. 3, 8 the daily offering is a lamb morning and evening, with one-tenth of an ephah of flour vv. 13—18.] EZEKIEL, XLVI. 345 shall shut the gate. Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt 13 offering unto the Lord of a lamb of the first year without blemish : thou shalt prepare it every morning. And thou 14 shalt prepare a meat offering for it every morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of a hin of oil, to temper with the fine flour; a meat offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto the Lord. Thus shall they 15 prepare the lamb, and the meat offering, and the oil, every morning /^r a continual burnt offering. Thus saith the Lord God ; If the prince give a gift unto 16 any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons' ; it shall be their possession by inheritance. But if he give a 17 gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after, it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons' for them. Moreover 18 the prince shall not take the people's inheritance, by oppression to thrust them out of their possession; but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession : that my people be not scattered every man from his possession. and one-fourth of a hin of oil morning and evening for meal-offering; to which is to be added one-fourth of a hin of wine for drinlc-offering. Ezek. nowhere refers to wine in the offerings. 13. thou shalt... prepare'] LXX. /le shall prepare; so v. 14. Cf. xlv. 17. 14. to temper] Probably as R.V. to moisten, or, besprinkle the fine flour. Song v. 1, drops of the night. 16 — 18. Case of the prince alienating any part of his landed property to his sons or servants. If given to his sons the gift shall remain with them as their in- heritance [v. 16); if given to any of his servants it shall revert to the prince at the year of liberty {v. 17). 17. year of liberty] In Jer. xxxiv. 14 the year of liberty is that of the freeing of the bondservant in the seventh year ; and this year may be meant here. Cf. Is. Ixi. i. Otherwise the year of Jubilee, the fiftieth year, is referred to, when all landed property that had been alienated reverted to its original owner, Lev. xxv. 10, xxvii. 24. but his inheritance .. .them] lit. but (or, only as for) his inheritance, his sons, it shall be theirs, i.e. the portion of his inheritance which the prince may bestow on his sons shall remain theirs, without reverting to the prince {v. 16). LXX., Syr. more clearly: the inheritance of his sons, it shall be theirs. 346 EZEKIEL, XLVI. [vv. 19—23. 19 After, he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests, which looked toward the north : and behold, there was 20 a place on the two sides westward. Then said he unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meat offering ; that they bear them not out into the utter court, to 21 sanctify the people. Then he brought me forth into the utter court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and behold, in every corner of the court there 22 was a court. In the four corners of the court there 7vere courts joined of forty cubits long and thirty broad : these 23 four corners were of one measure. And there was a row of 19-24. The KITCHENS FOR THE PRIESTS {w. 19, 2o), AND PEOPLE (w. 21 — 24). The kitchens for cooking the sin and trespass offering and baking the meal-offering, the holy things to be consumed by the priests (xliv. 29), were situated in the inner court at the furthest part of the court westward, to the west of the holy cells (xlii. i — 14), and on both sides of the erection called the "building" (xli. 12, 13) which lay behind the house, Fig. 3, L. The inner court on the west reached back to the boundary wall of the outer court, which on that side was the wall of the inner court, and in the two corners, N. and S. , the priests' kitchens were placed. The prophet is brought to those on the N. side ; those on the S. were similar. 19. through the entry\ the entrance way, viz. that mentioned xlii. 9. Since xliv. 4 the prophet had been before the house. The holy chambers are those described, xlii. i — -14. a place on the two sides'] a place in the innermost part westward ; i.e. at the western extremity of the court. In Fig. 3 the kitchens, LL, should probably be extended back to the wall. to sanctify the people] Cf xliv. 19. 21 — 24. The kitchens for cooking the sacrificial meals of the people. These were situated in the four corners of the outer court. In each of the four corners was a small enclosure or court 40 cubits long and 30 broad {v. 21, 22); and in these were situated the kitchens, where the "ministers of the house," the subordinate officials (xliv. 10 — 14), boiled the people's offering for their sacrificial meal (v. 23, 24), Fig. 3 M. 22. courts joi/ted] The term "joined" is obscure, not occurring elsewhere. Possibly : enclosed courts. LXX. appears to have read : swall (the words differ in one letter). these four corners] lit. the four of than had one measure, they being in the corners. The word in the corners, or, cornered, is deleted in the Heb. tradition by points over it, and not rendered in LXX. and Vulg. vv. 24— 2.J EZEKIEL, XLVI. XLVII. 347 building round about in them, round about them four, and // was made zvith boiling places under the rows round about. Then said he unto me, These are the places of 24 them that boil, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people. Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the 47 house; and behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward : for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate 2 23. The description is brief. The "row" is probably not a series of separate buildings running round the court, but a continuous course of building, in which at the bottom ("under" the row) were recesses in which were the hearths where the pots were set in which the sacrifices were cooked. The hearth usually consisted of some stones within which the fire was put and upon which the pot was set. 20. The "ministers" are the subordinate officials— the Levites. Ch. XLVII. The stream that issued from the temple. The chapter contains two parts : — (i) vv. I — 12. The stream issuing from the temple, that fertilized the desert and sweetened the waters of the Dead Sea. (2) vv. 13 — 23. The boundaries of the holy land ; and the privileges of strangers attaching themselves to the tribes. 1 — 12. The river issuing from the temple. The prophet saw a stream issuing from beneath the threshold of the house, which pursued its way eastward, passing the altar on the south side and emerging into the open on the right hand of the outer east gate. A thousand cubits from the gate the waters were ankle deep, but speedily they became a river so deep that it could be crossed only by swimming (;vv, 3 — 5). A luxuriant nature attended the course of the stream ; trees grew on every side, ever green and with unfailing fruit, the leaves of which possessed a healing virtue {vv. 7, 12). The desert place to the east became trans- formed, and the bitter waters of the Dead Sea into which the river flowed were made sweet, and swarmed with life like the great sea on the west. Fishermen peopled the shores from En-gedi to En-eglaim ; only the marshes by the seaside remained salt {vv. 6 — 12). 1. From the outer court (xlvi. 23) the prophet was brought again to the door of the house. There he saw waters issuing from beneath the threshold on the right, that is the south side, which flowed east, pass- ing the altar on the south side. 2. The eastern gates being shut (xliv. 2, xlvi. i) the prophet is led out by the N. gate, round to the outer E. gate, at which he beheld the stream emerge into the open at the S. side of the gate. 348 EZEKIEL, XLVII. [vv. 3—9. northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh o.'xsXivard ; and behold, 3 there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through 4 the waters ; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters ; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through ; the waters were to the 5 loins. Afterward he measured a thousand ; and it was a river that I could not pass over : for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. 6 And he said unto me. Son of man, hast thou seen t/n's ? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink 7 of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and 8 on the other. Then said he unto me. These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea : which being brought forth into the sea, 9 the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that by the way that looketh^ wMch looketh, viz. the gate. 3. A thousand cubits from the place of emergence the waters were ankle deep. 4, 5. Successive measurements shewed a depth to the knees, the loins, and finally an impassable river. The word rendered "river" is the usual one for "brook" or wady, viz. a stream with its valley or gorge. 6. to the brinfi\ Perhaps : along the brink. River is brook or wady as z'. 5. 7. Both banks of the wady, as is everywhere seen, were covered with trees. 8. The direction of the stream was eastward, towards the region which is desert, and towards the Dead Sea. the east coiintry\ lit. circle, or, district, the same word as Galilee (Is. ix. 1). Cf. Joshua xxii. 10, 11, " the circuits of the Jordan." unto the desertl the Arabah, what is now called the Ghor, the de- pression of the Jordan valley, the Dead Sea, and southward as far as the gulf of Akaba; Deut. i. i, iii. 17; Josh, xviii. 18. The "sea" into which the waters flow is the Dead Sea. brotight forth ittto the seal The construction is difficult. For "into the sea" LXX. read "the waters." This would necessitate a further change : into the sea, unto the bitter waters, and the waters, &c. ; so Com. after Syr., putrid waters. vv. lo— 12.] EZEKIEL, XLVII. 349 every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live : and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither : for they shall be healed ; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the 10 fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof n and the marishes thereof shall not be healed ; they shall be given to salt. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on 12 this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: 9. every tkitig. . . movet}i\ every living creature whicli swarmeth (or, creepeth). The word is used of the smaller animals, particularly the smaller aquatic creatures — these shall come to life and swarm in the waters of the Dead Sea. This sea is entirely destitute of life. the rivers shall come^ lit. the tivo rivers. The dual is difficult to explain; LXX. sing. The representation is different in Zech. xiv. 8, where one stream goes to the Dead Sea and another to the western sea. because these waters'] with different interpunction : multitude of fish ; for when these waters come thither they (the waters of the sea) shall be healed and there shaU be life, whithersoever the river cometh. 10. En-gedi, the modern Ain Jidy, kid's well, situated about the middle of the west shore of the Dead Sea. En-eglaim has not been identified ; it probably lay N. toward the mouth of the Jordan. It has been supposed to be Ain Feshkah, Robinson ii. 489. The word differs in spelling from Eglaim, Is. xv. 8, which probably lay to the south of the sea. 11. The marshes around the sea shall not be sweetened, but left as beds for digging salt. The saltness of the Dead Sea is due to the strata of salt rocks which surround it. 12. accor(ting to his months] every month. For issued, issue. The fruit of these trees shall not "be consumed" i.e. fail; it shall renew itself every month, and the leaves shall be ever green and possess a healing virtue. Ps. i. 3; Rev. xxii. 2. This beautifiil representation of the healing stream, issuing from the temple and fertilizing the desert as well as changing the bitter waters of the Dead Sea into sweet, so that they yield abundant sustenance to men, rests on some natural and some spiritual conceptions common in Ezekiel's days. One natural fact was this, that there was a fountain connected with the temple-hill, the waters of which fell into the valley east of the city and made their way towards the sea ; and long ere 3SO EZEKIEL, XLVII. [v. 13. and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. 13 Thus saith the Lord God; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve this time the gentle waters of this brook, that flowed fast by the oracle of God, had furnished symbols to the prophets (Is. viii. 6). Such waters in the east are the source of eveiy blessing to men. The reli- gious conceptions are such as these : that Jehovah himself is the giver of all blessings to men, and from his presence all blessings flow. He was now present in his fulness and for ever in his temple. Hence the prophet sees the life-giving stream issue from the sanctuary. Another current idea was that in the regeneration of men, when the tabernacle of God was with them, external nature would also be transfigured. Then every good would be enjoyed and there would be no more evil nor curse. The desert would blossom like the rose, and the field that aforetime was thought fruitful should be accounted no better than bush. The barren land toward the east and the bitter waters of the sea were a contradiction to the ideal of an external nature subservient in all her parts to man in the fellowship of God. Therefore the desert shall be fertilized and the waters of the sea healed, and all things minister to man's good. But "good" to the Israelite was not exclusively spiri- tual, it was also material. It would be an error to regard this fertiliz- ing, healing stream in the light of a mere symbol for blessings which we call "spiritual." It is well fitted in other connexions to be such a symbol ; but to take it so here would be to overstep the limits of the Old Testament and anticipate a later revelation. As yet the Isra- elite had no conception of a transcendent sphere of existence for men in the fellowship of God, such as we name heaven. Man's final abode even in his perfect state was considered to be still on the earth. God came down and dwelt with men ; men were not translated to abide with God. But God's presence with men on earth gave to earth the attributes of heaven. Yet man's needs remained, and God's presence was the source of all things necessary to supply them. When he had the needful blessings the Israelite saw in them the tokens and the sacraments of God's favour and presence with him ; and conversely when God was near him he was assured that he should want no good thing (Ps. xxxiv. 9). 13 — 21. The boundaries of the new holy land. On the east the boundary shall be the Jordan from Hazar Enon on the north to the salt sea on the south, for in the time of restitution the promised land shall be confined to Palestine west of the Jordan, ac- cording to the oath sworn by God unto the fathers (Gen. xii. 7, xiii. 15, xvii, 8, xxviii. 13). On the west the boundary shall be the Mediterra- nean sea. The boundaries on the N. and S. are particularly defined, the towns being mentioned by which they run, but the places named are mostly unknown. The boundaries are in the main the same as those laid down in Num. xxxiv. vv. 14—16.] EZEKIEL, XLVII. 351 tribes of Israel : Joseph shall have two portions. And ye 14 shall inherit it, one as well as another : co/icerning the which I hfted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers : and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance. And this shall 15 be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as tnen go to Zedad ; Hamath, i6 13. The tribe of Joseph, being composed of two great families, shall have "portions," i.e. two lots (perhaps dual should be read). There still remained twelve tribes, therefore, even when Levi was provided for by the sacred Terumah or oblation. 15. The northern border. The two ends of the line of delimitation on the N. are the great sea on the west and Hazar Enon on the east. The line passes from west to east, bending, towards its termination at least, towards S.E. In its way it skirts the territory of Hamath and that of Damascus. as men go io Zedad] In v. 20 and xlviii. i the reading is "as one goeth to Hamath," a frequent phrase, sometimes rendered "the entering into Hamath" (Josh.xiii. 5), or "the entering in of Hamath" (Jud.iii. 3; I K. viii. 65), or "the entrance of Hamath" (Numb, xxxiv. 8). In I K. viii. 65 the phrase seems to mean the southern boundary of Hamath. Unfortunately the point on the western sea from which the line starts is not specified, as the situation of Hethlon is unknown. The entrance to Hamath must be either the mouth of the Buka', the great plain between the Libanus on the W. and the Anti-libanus on the E., by which one goes N. to Hamath, or it must be the plain between the North end of the Libanus and the Nusairiyeh mountains, opening from the sea and running east. This would throw the boundary-line north of Tripoli, and south of Arvad. In Josh. xiii. 5, the land of the Giblites, i.e. Gebal (Byblus) to the N. of Beirut, is regarded as part of Israel's possession. In Numb, xxxiv. 8, where the northern boundary is described, the reading is the "entrance of Hamath," Zedad being mentioned afterwards. Except in i Chron. v. 9 the phrase is only used of Hamath. Following xlviii. i, and Numb, xxxiv. 8, the place of Zedad and Hamath may be changed, as LXX. also seems to have read Hamath before Zedad. — 15 "And this shall be the boundary of the land : on the N. side, from the great sea by the way of Hethlon, where the way goeth unto Hamath, by Zedad, 16 Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath, even unto Hazar-hattikon, which is by the border of Hauran." If we could sup- pose the entry to Hamath not the southern one by the plain of Ccele Syria, but the western one from the sea to the N. of Tripoli, Hethlon might be the modern Heitela (Robinson's Map, 1852). Zedad has been supposed to be Sadad, S. of Emesa (Homs) and not far from Riblah. With Berotha, cf. Berothai, 2 Sam. viii. 8. In Numb, xxxiv. 9 Ziphran seems to occupy the place of Sibraim here. In Numb, the line appears to run E. as far as Zedad, and then to change its direction to the S. till it ends at Hazar Enan. 352 EZEKIEL, XLVII. [vv. 17, 18. Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath ; Hazar-hatticon, which is by the 17 coast of Hauran. And the border from the sea shall be Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus, and the north north- ward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north 18 side. And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of 17. The verse repeats and sums up vv. 15, 16, with special reference to the countries lying on the N. of the northern border of Israel. In V. \i Hazar Enon is named as the extremity of the Northern boundary, \r\v. 16 Hazar hattikon (the middle Hazar). The places must be iden- tical, whether hattikon be a misreading or not. LXX. reads Saunan, Cod. Alex. Eunan, and in xlviii. i, Numb, xxxiv. 9, Enon here is spelled Enan. In z'. 16 the place is said to be on the border of Hauran. K. 17 may read : "and so the border shall be from the sea to Hazar Enon on the border of Damascus, and north northwards the border of Hamath : this is the north side " (reading this as v. 20 and possibly with omission of and before "border of Hamath," words wanting in LXX.). The boundary is first stated generally as going from the sea to Hazar Enan, and then in the contrary direction north, Hamath being the country to the N. It is not certain that Hauran is the district now so called, but it is probable. Wetzstein (Del. Psalms iii. 439, Eaton's Trans.), identi- fies the village of Hadar at the East foot of Hermon with Hazar Enan. In all likelihood the end of the boundary line is hereabouts ; in Deut. iii. 8 Hermon is the northernmost point of conquest, and Ezek. would probably follow this. The northern boundaiy followed an easterly course from the sea, Hamath lying on the N., then a southerly course having Damascus on the E., till it terminated at Hazar Enon between Damascus and Hauran. But at what point of the sea it started, and in what latitude the line to the east ran is obscure. The identifications of Hethlon with Heitela and of Zedad with Sadad would give the lati- tude of Emesa (Horns), which is very far north; see Porter, Five Years ill Damascus, II. 354 seq. and map. More likely the prophet fancied the starting-point on the W. to be about Tyre. 18. The eastern border. In 7/. 16 the eastmost point of the north border was said to be Hazar Enon on the border of Hauran. The E. boundary will therefore start from this point. The verse may read: "and the east side: from be- tween Hauran and Damascus, between Gilead and the land of Israel shall be the Jordan, from the (north) boundary to the eastern sea, even unto Tamar; this is the east side." The line starts from Hazar Enon, a place lying where Damascus and Hauran adjoin one another (v. 16). Instead of Hazar Enon, however, the point of contact between Damas- cus and Hauran is named as the starting-point (for the last two umibben read ben and uben). From this point the line runs south; its course is the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel. The order Hauran, Damascus, Gilead is entirely incomprehensible (for Hauran lay S. of vv. 19—23; I.] EZEKIEL, XLVII, XLVIII. 353 Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side. And the south side southward, from 19 Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward. The 20 west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side. So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes 21 of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for 22 an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you : and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. And it shall come to pass, 23 that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord God. Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north 48 end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as otie goeth to Damascus) if R.V. be followed. The phrase "ye shall measure" is no doubt a misspelling for "unto Tamar" (LXX. Syr., d for ;■), from which the southern border starts in v. 19. Tamar probably lay S. of the Dead Sea. The Onomasticon (Ed. Lagarde, p. 85) says: one day's journey from Mampsis as you go to Aelia (PElath) from Hebron. Robinson identifies Mampsis with Malatha, in his view el Milh. 19. The southern boundary. Read: "and the southside southward : from Tamar on to the waters of Meriboth-Kadesh, to the brook (of Egypt), and unto the great sea; this is the south side southward." The delimitation on the S. is more fully described Numb, xxxiv. 3 — 5; Josh. XV. I — 4. There Kadesh is called Kadesh-Barnea, here Meri- both Kadesh (elsewhere Meribah), i.e. waters ^,y//-^/£ of Kadesh, Numb, xxvii. 14. The brook of Egypt is the Wady el Arish. The line striking this brook follows its course to the sea. 20. The western boundary — "and the west side : the great sea, from the (south) border as far as over against where one goeth unto Hamath; this is the west side." 21 — 23. The land so bounded shall be divided equally among the tribes; and strangers sojourning in Israel shall inherit just as those born in the land. The stranger shall have his inheritance among the mem- bers of the tribe in which he sojourns. Ch. XLVIII. The disposition of the tribes in the land. (i) vv, \ — 7. The tribes north of the sacred oblation of land. (2) vv. 8 — 22. The oblation in its various divisions: for the priests, the Levites, the city and the prince. EZEKIEL 23 354 EZEKIEL, XLVIII. [vv. 2—4. Hamath, Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and 2 west ; a portmifor Dan. And by the border of Dan, from 3 the east side unto the west side, a portion for Asher. And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the 4 west side, a portion for Naphtali. And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, a (3) z/z*. 23 — 29. The tribes situated south of the oblation. (4) vv. 30 — 35. The gates of the city. All the tribes are now settled on the West of the Jordan. The land is divided into zones running from E. to W. of the country, one of which falls to the lot of each tribe. The dimensions of the zone are not men- tioned, neither is there any indication whether the greater or less breadth of the country from the Jordan to the sea was taken into account. The oblation of land given to the priests and Levites lay not strictly in the middle of the country, but in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, and there- fore more toward the south ; hence seven tribes are located to the north of the oblation and five to the south of it. Of the tribes beyond Jordan the half of Manasseh is now united with the other half, forming one tribe, and receiving one portion; while Gad and Reuben are provided with new settlements, the former in the extreme south, and the latter in the northern half of the country. Judah and Benjamin change places, the former lying to the north of the oblation and the city, and the latter to the south. In other respects the position of the tribes remains nearly what it was, except that Issachar and Zebulun have to be pro- vided for in the south. It is perhaps accidental that the children of Leah and Rachel occupy the centre, while the sons of the handmaids are placed at the extremities. 1 — 7. The tribes to the north of the sacred oblation. 1. Dan on the furthest north. The verse as it stands has probably some confusion of text. It may read : " now these are the names of the tribes : on the furthest north, along side of the way to Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, as far as Hazar Enan on the border of Damascus, even on the north along side of (the land of) Hamath — he shall have the east side (and) the west side : Dan one (portion)." First the boundary line W. to E. is specified from the sea to Hazar Enan (xlvii. 16, 17), and then is mentioned the country bounding the portion on the north, viz. Hamath. The he in "he shall have" is Dan, already in the writer's mind. We might have expected "he shall have the east side even unto the west side," or from the east side, &c., as in the following verses. The former in LXX. 2^7. After Dan in the furthest North bordering on the land of Hamath comes Asher (v. 2), Naphtali {v. 3), the whole reunited tribe of Manasseh {v. 4), Ephraim {v. 5), Reuben transferred from the other side of the Jordan (e/. 6), and finally Judah (v. 7). 2. a portion for Asher\ Asher one portion. And so in each of the following verses. Dan Asher Naphtali Manasseh Ephraim Reuben Judah Prince's portion Domain of Levites Priests' ■-, e domain ° Sanctuary City land City City land Prince's portion Benjamin Simeon Issachar Zebulun Gad 23—2 356 EZEKIEL, XLVIII. [vv. 5—10. b portion for Manasseh. And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for 6 Ephraim. And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Reuben. 7 And by the border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side, z. portion for Judah. 8 And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the west side : 9 and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. The oblation that ye shall offer unto the Lord shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in 10 breadth. And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation ; toward the north five and twenty thousand /;/ length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the 8 — 22. The oblation or Terumah in the centre of the country. This oblation is a tract of 25,000 cubits broad, N. to S., and in length equal to the portions of the tribes E. to W. This oblation is first specified in its whole extent (z^. 8) ; then the portion of it to be assigned to the priests is described {vv. 9 — 12) ; then the portion of the Levites (z/z/. 13, 14); then the part of the oblation belonging to the city iyv. 15 — 20); and finally the portion of the oblation which shall constitute the inherit- ance of the prince {vv. 21, 22). 8. the offering... xetds in breadth] The Oblation (xlv. i)... cubits in breadth, i.e. N. to S. This is the breadth of the whole part subtracted from the territory of the country, and devoted to the priests, the Levites, the city and the prince. In length it goes from the Jordan to the sea, just "as one of the other parts," i.e. the portions of the tribes. The sanctuary shall be situated in the centre of this oblation, viz. in the portion assigned to the priests — that assigned to the Levites being on the north and that assigned to the city on the south. 9 — 12. The domain assigned to the priests. This is mentioned first, not because it actually borders on Judah — the Levites border on Judah — but because it is most important. 9. ten thousand in breadth] LXX. twenty thousand. This reading assumes that v, 9 refers to the portion assigned to priests and Levites together. So z'. 13 end. The length E. to W. is 25,000, because the prince's domain lies between it and the Jordan on the one side, and between it and the sea on the other. 10. And for them . . .priests] And for these shall be the holy oblation, even for the priests: on the north... and on the west... and on the east. . .and on the south. vv. II— 17.] EZEKIEL, XLVIII. 357 south five and twenty thousand in length : and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in the midst thereof. // shall be for n the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok ; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray. And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto iz them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites. And 13 over against the border of the priests, the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand iti breadth : all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand. And they shall not sell of it, 14 neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land : for // is holy unto the Lord. And the five thousand, that are left in the breadth over 15 against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for dwelling, and for suburbs : and the city shall be in the midst thereof. And these shall be the 16 measures thereof; the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred. And the 17 suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred 11. that are sanctijied of the so>is'] Lit. the priests, the sanctified thing, from the sons. Possibly the words should be divided differently ; it shall be for the priests that aj-e sanctijied, the sons of Zadok. On the erring of the Levites, cf. xliv. 10. 12. Read : And it shall toe to them as an otolation out of the otola- tion of the land, a thing most holy, by, &c. Cf. xlv. 3 seq. 13. The portion of the oblation of land assigned to the Levites. — The portion of the Levites is of the same extent as that of the priests, 25,000 long (E. to W.) by 10,000 broad (N. to S.). It runs "over against," i.e. along side of the priests' domain, and lies to the north of it. 14. Seems to apply to the united domain of priests and Levites. the firstfi-2iits'\ Possibly : this first-fruits, or, best — the term being applied to the holy oblation in distinction from the rest of the land. 15 — 20. The portion of the oblation assignable to the city. — The remaining 5000 in breadth (N. to S.) shall belong to the city, with the same length as the portions of the priests and Levites, viz. 25,000, as it is said "over against (i.e. in length) the 25,000." On " suburbs," cf. xlv. 2 — they are the free place round the city. 16. The city shall be a square of 4500 cubits. 17. The "suburbs" or free space round the city shall be 250 cubits on all the four sides. Adding the 250 on the N. and on the S. of the 358 EZEKIEL, XLVIII. [vv. 18—21, and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west 18 two hundred and fifty. And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward : and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion ; and the increase 19 thereof shall be for food unto them that serve the city. And they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of 20 Israel. All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand : ye shall offer the holy 21 oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city. And city to the 4500 it appears that the whole breadth of the 5000 assigned to the city was occupied by it and its suburbs from N. to S. 18. As the city with its suburbs was a square of 5000 cubits, there remained of the 25,000 in length assigned to it a portion 10,000 long on the E. and another equally long on the W. In their length these por- tions lay "over against," i.e. along, the holy portion of the priests. that serve the city'] The words are vei7 difficult. It is plain that the 10,000 cubits of land E. and W. of the city serve to supply the inhabitants of the city with food. The restored land is a land of hus- bandmen, and those who dwell in the city live from the city's domain. Either "serve" or "cultivate," must be taken in the sense of inhabit and the words be read: for food to them that inhabit the city, 19 and they that inhabit the city &c. ; though such a usage has no parallel. Or, the word "city" must be taken in a general sense of the city and its domain of land: for food to the tillers of the city, 19 a7id they that till the city &c. 19. that serve the city] Those who render inhabit (Hitz.) consider that the verse states directly who the inhabitants of the city shall be : "and as for the inhabitants of the city, they shall inhabit it (reading fern.) out of all the tribes of Israel." On the other supposition: "and they that till the city shall till it (the domain of land) out of all the tribes of Israel." This rendering also states, though indirectly, that the city shall be common to all the tribes of Israel, and that whoever comes to sojourn there shall live by the land belonging to the city. However the words be translated there is no ref. to two classes of persons — citizens and labourers. 20. The verse means that the holy oblation when the possession of the city is included forms a square of 25,000 by 25,000. 21. 22. The domain of the prince. The domain of the Levites, priests and city formed a square of 25,000 cubits in the heart of the country. The portion of the prince shall be the land from the E. of this square to the Jordan, and from the W. of it to the sea. The " five and twenty thousand " here is the breadth N. to S. ; the prince's domain shall be of the same breadth and be "over against" the square on the E. and W. vv. 22— 28.] EZEKIEL, XLVIir 359 the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border, over against the portions for the prince ; and it shall be the holy oblation ; and the sanctuary of the house shall be in _ the midst thereof. Moreover from the possession of the Levites, 22 and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince's, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince. _ As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side unto the 23 west side, Benjamin shall have a ;portion. And by the 24 border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon shall have 2l portion. And by the border of Simeon, 25 from the east side unto the west side, Issachar a portion. And by the border of Issachar, from the east side unto the 26 west side, Zebulun a portion. And by the border of =7 Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side. Gad a portion. And by the border of Gad, at the south side 28 over against the portions'] Or, by tlie side of the portions, it shall be for the prince ; and the holy oblation, and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof. The "portions" here are those of the tribes, which run from the Jordan to the sea ; the prince's domain shall run alongside of them, i.e. Judah's on the N. and Benja- min's on the S. And the holy oblation lies between the two halves of the prince's domain. 22. Moreover from the possessio7i\ And from. The verse gives again the breadth of the prince's possession, by stating the two limits N. (the Levites) and S. (the city) of the central oblation. All the land lying between these limits, in other words between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, shall belong to the prince. being ifi the tnidst] i.e. lying between the two halves of the prince's portion. 23 — 29. The tribes lying south of the oblation. First, Benjamin, which changes places with Judah, and bounds the oblation on the south {v. 23). The two tribes that formed the ancient kingdom of Judah still have the prerogative of lying nearest the sanc- tuary. Then Simeon, formerly located in the south {v. 24). Then successively Issachar {v. i~), Zebulun (v. 26), and finally Gad [v. 27). The two foriner are brought down from the north, and Gad from beyond the Jordan. 36o EZEKIEL, XLVIII. [vv. 29—35, southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great 29 sea. This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord God. 30 And these are the goings out of the city : on the north 31 side, four thousand and five hundred measures. And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel : three gates northward ; one gate of Reuben, one 32 gate of Judah, one gate of Levi. And at the east side four thousand and five hundred : and three gates ; and one gate 33 of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan. And a/ the south side four thousand and five hundred measures : and three gates ; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, 34 one gate of Zebulun. At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates ; one gate of Gad, one 35 gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali. // was round about 28. The southern border is again given as stated in xlvii. 19. and to the river\ to tlie brook (of Egypt), unto the great sea. Cf. xlvii. 19. 30 — 35. The city with its twelve gates, named after the TRIBES. Cf. Rev. xxi. 12 seq. 30. goings Old of the city\ i.e. the extensions on all sides. measures\ in measure, i.e. extent. The 4500 are naturally cubits. The city lies foursquare, each side being 4500. But on each side is a free place of 250 cubits, so that the city forms a square of 5000 cubits. 31. The measurement proceeds from W. to E. The gate Reuben was thus the westmost on the north of the city; Judah in the centre and Levi towards the east. 32. Of the three gates on the east side Benjamin's was in the centre, Joseph's to the north and Dan's to the south. 33. Those on the south were Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun, tribes now all located in the south of the country. For " measures," in mea- sure or extent. 34. The gates on the west were those of Gad, Asher and Naph- tali. 35. The whole circumference of the city was 18,000 cubits, or some- what under six miles. Josephus {Bell. yud. v. 4, 3) reckoned the bounds of Jerusalem in his day at 33 stadia, or about four miles. For measures, cubits. V. 35-] EZEKIEL, XLVIII. 361 eighteen thousand measures : and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there. The Lord is there\ Cf. Rev. xxi. 3, "And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them and they shall be his people, and God him- self shall be with them and be their God. " The prophet beheld the Lord forsake his temple (xi.), and he beheld him again enter it (xliii.) ; now he abides in it among his people for ever. The covenant ran that he should be their God and they his people ; this is perfectly fulfilled in his presence among them. The end in view from the beginning has been reached. INDEX. Abarim, valley of, 283 Abraham, 245 Adonis, meaning of name, 58 ; worship of, 58, 193 Almighty, 11 allegory, of the crocodile, 211 ; of the cedar-tree, 222, 223; of the shepherd and flock, 248, 249 ; of the foundling child, loi ; of the history of Israel, 105 ; of the lions, 134, 135 ; of the rusted caldron, 174; of the fall of Tyre, -200; of the prince of Tyre, 204 altar, gate of, 55 ; the brazen, 62 ; of burnt offering, description of, 325 — 327 amber, 4 Ammon, prophecy of Ezekiel against, 158, 180 Amorites, the, 102 annexe of the Temple, 307 apparel, rich, 199 Arabs, 183 arrows, 156; divination by, 156 Asher, portion of the tribe of, 354 Ashera, the, 54 Asshur, 199, 234 Assurbanipal, inscriptions of, 198 Assyria, alliances of Israel with, 108 ; intrigues of Samaria with, 166; infi- delities of Judah with, 167 Astarte, worship of, 193 atonement, 117 authors referred to, Iv Baal, worship of, 143 Babylon, 72, 80, 96, 119, 147: infidelities of Judah with, 167 badger's skin, 104 baldness, 216; a sign of mourning, 49, 334> 335 balm, 197 barber's razor, symbol of, 36 Bashan, 285 bath = tenth of a homer, 340 battering-rams, 29, 156, 187 beasts, definition of term, 56 Beirut, 351 Beltis = Astarte, 193 Benjamin, portion of the tribe of, 359 beryl, 8, 67, 207 Beth-Jeshimoth, 183 Beth-meon, 183 birth, loi block-gods, XX, 5, 42, 56 blood, 97, 104, 261 Blumenlese of Dukes, quoted, 46 bond, 148 bones, vision of the valley of, 267 ; ex- planation of the vision, 269 bosom of the altar, 325 brazen altar, the, 62 breath = principle of life, 268 brier, 209 broken, 43 bulls, winged, in Assyrian temples, 67 burden, 79 burial, 204 buriers, 284 burnt-offerings, liv; details of, 327; de- scription of altar of, 325 — 7 Buzi, father of Ezekiel, xvii Byblos, centre of Adonis worship, 58 byssus, the, 104, 192, 197 caldron, 71 ; allegory of, 174 Calvin quoted, xxix camels, 200 Canaan, land of, loi Canneh = Caenae, 199 Cappadocia, 196 captains and rulers, 167, 169 carbuncle, 207 carrion, 34 cedar- tree, Pharaoh compared to a, 222, 223 ; allegory of, 222, 223 ceremonial, 291 chains, 51 364 INDEX. Chaldea, alliances of Israel with, 108, no; duration of the supremacy of, 214, 215. 274. 275 Chaldean robbers, 51 chambers for the priests in the Temple, 315. 316 _ chambers of imagery, 57 chariots, 285, 323 chastening rod, 152 Chebar, river of, xx, i, 2, 24 Chemosh, 256 Cherethites, the^ 184 cherubim, description of, 65 ; derivation of word, 69 ; faces of, 67 ; vision of, xxix, 65 — 69 chests, 199 child, allegory of the foundling, loi child of man, xxv, xlii, 15, 292 children, sacrifice of, 107, 144, 171 Chilmad, igg Chittim = Cyprus, 192 Cleopatra's needle, 220 cor= homer, 340 cords, an article of commerce, igg conduits, 224 courts of the Temple, plan of, 299 covenant of peace, 252, 272 Creatures, the four living, 5 crocodile, allegory of the, 211 crown of glory, 104 Cush, situation of, 214 cypresses=fir-trees of Senir, 191 daily offering, directions concerning, 344, 345 Damascus, 351, 352 Dan, tribe of, portion of, 354 Daniel, 96, 203 David, xxxvi, 248, 251, 272 dawn, 46 day of the Lord, 83, 217, 218 Dead Sea, the, 347, 348, 349 Dedan, 1S4, 196 detestable things, 75 diadem, 157 diamond, 207 dirge, on the downfall of Jerusalem, 45 ; on the princes of Judah, 134 ; on the downfall of Tyre, 185, 186, 191 ; on the fall of Egypt, 231 dissolution of the kingdom, picture of, 48 divination, 83; by arrows, 156 door, 185; of the inner gate, 54, 314 door-posts of the Temple, 314 dough, 336_ drink offerings, 145 dry bones, vision of the, xxix ; 267 Dukes quoted, 46 dumbness, 27, 28 dyed attire, 167 eagle, riddle of the great, 119 earthquakes, accompany the revelation of Jehovah, 280 ebony, 196 ecclesiastical year, 292 Eden, 227 Edessa, 198 Edom, prophecy of Ezekiel against, 183 ; relations to Israel, 183 ; threat against, 254 Egypt, alliances of Israel with, 108 ; idolatry of, 109 ; infidelities of Judah with, 167; prophecy against, 210; dirge on the fall of, 231 Elam, 234 elders, xx, xxii — iii, 57,63,92; of Judah, 53 ; idolatry of, 55 Elisha, isles of, 192 emerald, 207 En-gedi, 347 =Ain Jidy, 349 engines of war, 187 En-eglaim, 347, 349 ephah, 339 Ephraim, portion of the tribe of, 354 Ethiopia, 274 evil counsel, 71 Ewald quoted, xxvii eyes, practice of painting, 171 Ezekiel, general characteristics of Book of, ix ; themes of, ix ; divisions of, ix — xvi ; descent of, xvii ; supposed de- scendant of Jeremiah, xvii; date of prophecies of, xvii ; style of, xxv ; tra- dition of the death of, xxx ; his con- ception of Jehovah, xxxi — ii ; compared with Jeremiah, xliv ; attitude towards Israel, xliv; points of contact with ritual Law, liii ; meaning of the name, 3 ; trance of, 53 ; prophecies against the nations, 178, 179; against Moab, 182 ; against Edom, 183 ; against Am- mon, 158, 180; prophecy against Tyre, 185 ; parallelisms between S. Paul and, 266 false prophets, xxi, 85 fear, 9 feasts, of passover, 340; of weeks, or pentecost, 340; of tabernacles, 340 feet, of the four living creatures, 5 fire, 4, 37, S3, 208, 219; passing through the, 108, 143 firmament, the, 10, 65 first-fruits, 148, 356 food, unclean, 34 foolish prophets, 85 forts, 29, 187, 246 foundling-child, allegory of, loi foxes, 86 free-will oflFering, directions concerning, 344 full end, a, 74 Gabbatha = raised pavement, 309 Gad, portion of the tribe of, 358 gallery in the Temple, 316, 317 Gammadims, the, X94 INDEX. 365 gate, of the altar, 55; the upper, 61 gates of the Temple, named after the twelve tribes, 360 Gebal, centre of Adonis worship, 58, 193 Geiger, quoted, xxx gerah, 339 girdles, 167 glory of the Lord, 21, 55, 60, 64, 68, 322, 330 ; glory, crown of, 104 God, meaning of word, xxxix ; visions of, xxxi, 1, 3, 12—14, 54, 59 Gog, prince of Rosh, 274; invasion and destruction of, 275 ; armies of, 277 ; burial-place of, 283 Guadalquiver, the, 195 guard-rooms of the Temple, 294, 300 Hamath, 351 Hamonah, city of, 285 Hamon-Gog, valley of, 284, 285 Hananiah ben Hezekiah, xxxi handstaves, 283 Hauran, 352 Hazar-enan, 350, 351 healing stream, 347 heart = nature, 263 hearth of God, 325 heathen, 15, 51, 218, 258; permitted in the Temple, 331 Helbon, wine of, 197 ; =Chalbun, 197 Heliopolis, 220 Hermon, meaning of name, 192 Hi. thlon, 351 Hezekiah, reforms of, 333 high places, 41, 108, 112, 118, 127, 257 hin, 33 Hittites, the, 102 Hitzig quoted, 21 hole, 56 Holy of holies, measurements of, 306 Holy land, boundaries of the new, 350, 351 . . . holy, meaning of word, xxxix ; sense in which used, 273, 279 holy place, measurements of, 305, 306 homer, 339 honey, 197 hooks, 212, 303 horn, the symbol of power, 216 horses, 196 house, 63; = Temple buildings, 304, 309 human sacrifices, 107, 144, 171 idolatry, of the elders, 55; of Israel, 105, 107 ; of Egypt, 109 idols, XXV, 42, 56, 75, 92, 219, 332 imagery, chambers of, 57 images, of men, 107 inner-gate, of the Temple, 297, 342 interior of the Temple, description of, 312—314 isles, 189; of Elishah, 192 Israel, sin of, xlviii; necessity for de- struction of, 76; idolatry of, 105, 108, 109, no Issachar, portion of the tribe of, 358 Ithobal, ii, 202 ivory, 196 Jaazaniah, son of Shaphan, leader of the elders, 57 Jacob, 272 Javan = Ionia, 195 jealousy, 40, 54, 169, 258 Jehoahaz, xviii; captivity of, 134, 13s Jehoiachin, xviii, xxii, 2 ; captivity of, '35 Jehovah, 16; Ezekiel's conception of, xxxi — ii, 55 ; attributes of, xxxiii ; wor- ship of, in Egypt, 139; life-giving spirit of, 269; earthquakes accompany the presence of, 280; voice of, 322; His entry into the Temple, 322, 323 Jehu, 256 Jeremiah, supposed descent of Ezekiel from, xvii; influence of, on character of Ezekiel, xix ; compared with Eze- kiel, xliv Jerome, quoted, 7, 11, 107 Jerusalem, capture of, xx; attitude of Ezekiel toward, xlv, xlvi; symbolical siege of, 29; judgment on, 40; vision of fall of, 52; compared to the vine, 100 ; further predictions regarding fall of, 137 Jewish history, its influence on Ezekiel's character, xviii Job, 96 Joseph, tribe of, portion of, 351 Josephus quoted, xvii, xxx Josiah, xviii jubilee year, 345 Judah, dirge on the princes of, 134; por- tion of the tribe of, 359 Kedar, people of, 198; flocks of, 198 keepers of the gate, 331 kerchiefs, 90 Kiiiah, or Lament, xxv kindred, 73 kings, burial of, in the Temple, 324 Kirjathaim = El Kureyat, 183 kitchens in the temple for the priests and people, 346, 347 Klostermann, quoted, xxviii knees, weakness of, 49 Kuenen, quoted, xxxvii Lament, or Kt'nah, xxv lands, allotted to the priests, 336 Law, the ritual, points of contact between Ezekiel and, liii Lebanon, 120, 226, 227; cedars of, 223, 224 Levites, 329, 347; ordinances concern- _ ing, 331 ; portion of the, 357 lions, allegory of the, 134, 133 366 INDEX. Lord, xxxii Lud, site of, 193 Luzzatto quoted, 21 Magog, country of, 275 Manasseh, 333; portion of the tribe of, 354 , ^ . J. . marriages of the priests, directions as to, 334 Mattaniah, son of Josiah, 120 Matthes, J^ C, quoted, xxxvi meal offering, 320 ; directions concern- ing, 344 measurements, of the Temple, 295, 296 measures = appearance, 313, 320, 324 Memphis, situation of, 220 men of the east, 159 mercenaries of Tyre, 193; of Egypt, 218 merchandise, ig6 Meshech, 235 Messiah, the, prophecy concerning, 158, 252 Messianic kingdom, promise of, 123, 157 Migdol, 213, 219; situation of, 213 Milton quoted, 58 ministers = Levites, 347 Minnith, 197 Moab, prophecy of Ezekiel against, 182 Molech, worship of, 143 money-weight, table of, 339 morning, 46 mount, 29 Mount of Olives, 4, 70, 76 Mount Seir, 182 mountain of God, 206 mountains of Israel, 246, 257, 258, 278 mourning, 49; baldness a sign of, 334, 335 Naphtali, portion of the tribe of, 354 nations, 15, 19, 218, 225; prophecies of Ezekiel against the, 178, 179 Nebuchadnezzar, xx, 32, 80, 119, 156, 185; destroyer of Tyre, 186, 187; com- pared to an eagle, 121, 190, 203, 212, 216, 222 Nebuchadrezzar= Nebuchadnezzar, 186 Nile, the, 210, 212; its importance to Egypt, 212 Noah, 96 No = Thebes, 220 Noph = Memphis, 220 nose, 59 oars, 192 oblations, 148, 290, 335, 353, 356 offerings, liv, 145, 148, 304; details of burnt, 327, 328; trespass, 335; general directions as to, 340, 341 ; for the Sab- bath and new moon, 342, 343 ; free will, directions, concerning, 344 Oholah, 164 Oholibah, 164 ointment, 197 Olives, mount of, 4, 70, 76 On= Heliopolis, 220 onyx, 207 ordinances, of the Temple, 329 Ovid, quoted, 106 painting the eyes, practice of, 171 pannag, 197 Passover, feast of, 340 Pathros = Upper Egypt, 214, 220 Paul, S., parallelisms between Ezekiel and, 266 peace, 88 ; covenant of, 252, 272 peace-offerings, liv, 145, 304 Pelatiah, 71, 73 peoples, IS, 19, 147, 181, 201, 225, 259 Pharaoh-Hophra, 221 Pharaoh-Necho, 135 Pharaoh, prophecy against, 210; allegory of the crocodile representing, 211, 212; likened to a cedar tree, 222 Phi-beseth, site of, 220 Philistines, 109, 112; prophecy against, 184 _ Phoenix, the, 208 Phrygia, 196 phylacteries, 90 plan, of the Temple, 294 ; of the Temple Courts, 299 planks, 315 porch, of the Temple, 298 portions, 338 ; of the tribes, 334, 359 precious stones, 206, 207 priests, chambers for, in the Temple, 315, 316; ordinances concerning, 329 — 336; garments of, 333; diicctionsas to mar- riage, 334 ; duties towards the people, 334; contact with the dead, 334 ; main- tenance of, 335; purification of, 335; land allotted to, 336; kitchens in the Temple for, 346, 347 prince, domain of, 337, 358 prison-houses, xx prophecy, against Israel's idolatry, 40; warning against despising, 82 ; against Ammon, 158; of Israel's restoration, 238 prophetesses, 89; chastisements of, 91 prophets, date of canonising, xxxi ; fool- ish, 8s Raamah, 198 Rabbah, site of, 181 Rabbath-Ammon, 155 rainbow, the, 12 raised pavement of the Temple, 309 ravines, 41 razor, symbol of, 36 rebellious house, xxv, xliv, 15 reed = 6 cubits, 321, 337 reed, Egypt compared to a, 213 reprover, 26 resurrection from the dead, 267 Reuben, portion of the tribe of, 354 INDEX. 367 Reuss, quoted, xvii, xxiii Rhodians, the, 195, 196 Riblah, wilderness of, 44, 351 rich apparel, 199 riddle of the great eagle, iig; interpreta- tion of, 122 righteousness, 127, 173 ritual Law, points of contact between Ezekiel and, liii robber, 12S; Chaldean, 51 Robertson-Smith, quoted, 58, 324 rod, blossoming, 47 ; passing under the, 147; chastening, 152 Rosh, situation of, 276 rulers, 167, 169 rusted caldron, allegory of the, 174 Sabbath, the, 141 ; a symbol of religion, 141 Sabeans = drunkards, 172 sacrifice, of children, 107, 144, 171 ; to Jehovah, 285 sacrifices, method and details of, 327 sacrificial appointments in the Temple, 302, 303 sails, 192 Saida = Sidon, 209 sales, nature of, 48 Samaria, fall of, 32 ; abominations of, 117; intrigues with Assyria, 166 sanctification, 273 sanctuary, 74, 151, 208, 272, 322, 337 Siipphire, 207 sapphire throne, the, 11, 12 sardius, 207 Saul, xxxvi Scythians, 280 searchers, 284 Seinecke quoted, xxx Seir, mount, 182, 254 Senir, fir-trees of, 191 settle, of the altar, 326, 341 seven days, 22 Sheba, merchants of, 198 sheep, 248; sacrificial, 266 shekel, 339 Shemaiah, 88 Sheol = place of the dead, 226, 236; ex- planation of the name, 231, 232 shepherds, 248 shepherd and flock, allegory of, 248, ships of Tarshish, 200 side-chambers of the Temple, 308 Sidon, prophecy against, 208 sign, 78 silver, 162, 195 Simeon, portion of the tribe of, 359 sin-offerings, 328 Sin = Pelusium, 220 Sion, hill of, 292 Sodom, abominations of, 117 sour grapes, 124, 125 spirit, 7, 9, 86; = ruling principle, 263 Stade quoted, 288 staff of bread, 34, 96 stafr= sceptre, 270 statutes of life, lii statutes and judgments, 140, 143, 264 stibium, 171 stiff-necked, 16 stream flowing from the Temple, 347 stumbling-block of iniquity, xxv, 23, 24, 50, 92, 154 suburbs, 200; of the Temple, 337, 358 sun-worshippers, 58, 59 Suweimeh= Beth-Jeshimoth, 183 sweat, regarded as uncleanness, 333 sweet savour, 44, 107, 145, 148 sword, of the Lord, 150, 151; of Babylon, Syene, tower of, 213, 219 symbol, of siege of Jerusalem, 28; of ini- quity of Israel, 30, 31 ; of scarcity during siege, 32 ; of the fate of the people, 36, 37 ; of the beard and razor, 36; of the judgments of God, 61 symbolical actions, characteristics of Book, xxv; representing siege of Jeru- salem, 28 symbolical figures, characteristics of Book, xxv Syria, connection with Israel, ii6 tabernacles, feast of, 340 table of money- weight, 339 Tamar, situation of, 353 Tammuz, identical with Adonis, 58 Tarshish, situation of, 195 ; ships of, 200 Tehaphnehes, site of, 221 Tel-abib, xx, 14, 20; meaning of name, 21 Teman; 184 Temple, the, Ezekiel's reconstruction of, liii; sun-worshippers in, 59; particulars of worship in, 290; description of the new, 291; threshold of, 293, 313; plan of, 294 ; measurements of, 295, 296 ; inner gate of, 297 ; porch of, 298 ; arches of, 298 ; plan of the courts of, 299; guardrooms of, 294, 300; outer court of, 298 ; inner court of, 301 ; sacrificial appointments of, 302, 303 ; measurements of holy place and holy of holies, 305, 306 ; annexe of, 307 ; side-chambers of, 308; raised pavement of, 309; description of interior of, 312 — 314; door-posts of, 314; chambers for the priests in, 315, 316; walk in front of, 319; entry of Jehovah into, 322, 323 ; burial of kings in, 324 ; kitchens in, 346, 347 ; stream flowing from, 347 ; gates of, named after the tribes, 360 teraphim, 156 Thebes, 220 Theophany, the, 3 ; general description of, 12, 13, 14 thorn, 209 368 INDEX. thorns and briars, i6 threshold, of the Temple, 293, 313, 343 throne, the sapphire, 11, 12 thunder, the voice of Jehovah, 66 Tiglath-Pileser, 193 tire, the, 176 Togarmah = Armenia, 195 topaz, 207 trance of Ezekiel, 53 trespass offering, 335 tribes, portions of, 351, 354 — 361 Tubal, 195, 235 turbans, 167 Tyre, xxvi; prophecy against, 185; dirge on downfall of, 185, 186, 191 ; market of, 194; allegory of the fall of, 200; allegory of the prince of Tyre, 204 uncircumclsed, 233 unclean food, 34 upper gate, the, 61 Urijah, xix usury, 127 Uzal, 198 valley, of Abarim, 283 ; of Hamon-Gog, 284, 285 vetches, 33 vine-tree, the, 98, 99; Jerusalem com- pared to, 100 vision of the dry bones, xxix, 267, 269; of the Cherubim, xxix, 65 — J69; of the new Temple, xxix, 290 — 322 ; of God, 3; general description of, 12 — 14; of the destruction of Jerusalem, 52 ; of the valley of dry bones, 267 ; of God, _ xxxi. 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THE CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. General Editor, J. J. S. Perowne, Bishop of Worcester. (Z^piniong oi tl)t presfsJ* "// is difficult to commend too highly this excellent series." — Guardian. " The modesty of the general title of this series has, we believe, led many to misunderstand its character and underrate its value. The books are well suited for study in the upper forms of our best schools, but not the less are they adapted to the wafits of all Bible students who are not specialists. We doubt, indeed, whether any of the numerous popular commentaries recently issued in this country will be found more service- able for general use." — Academy. " Otte of the most popidar and useful literary enterprises of the nineteenth century.'" — Baptist Magazine. " Of great value. The whole series of comments for schools is highly esteemed by students capable of forming a judgment. The books are scholarly without being pretentious : and information is so given as to be easily understood." — Sword and Trowel. ' ' The notes possess a rare advantage of being scholarly, and at the same time within the cornprehe^ision of the average reader. For the Sunday- School Teacher we do not know of a more valuable work." — Sunday- School Chronicle. The Book of Judges. J. J. Lias, M.A. " His introduction is clear and concise, full of the information which young students require." — Baptist Magazine. II. Samuel. A. F. Kirkpatrick, M.A. "Small as this work is in mere dimensions, it is every way the best on its subject and for its purpose that we know of. The opening sections at once prove the thorough competence of the writer for dealing with questions of criti- cism in an earnest, faithful and devout spirit ; and the appendices discuss a few special difficulties with a full knowledge of the data, and a judicial reserve, which contrast most favourably with the superficial dogmatism which has too often made the exegesis of the Old Testament a field for the play of unlimited paradox and the ostentation of personal infalli- bility. The notes are always clear and suggestive; never trifling or irrelevant ; and they everywhere demonstrate the great difference in value between the work of a commentator who is also a Hebraist, and that of one who has to depend for his Hebrew upon secondhand sources. " — Academy. I. Kings and Ephesians. " With great heartiness we commend these most valuable little commentaries. We had rather purchase these than nine out of ten of the big blown up expositions. Quality is far better than quantity, and we have it here." — Sword and Trcavel. II. Kings. "The Introduction is scholarly and wholly admirable, the notes must be of incalculable value to students." — Glasgow Herald. "It would be difficult to find a commentary better suited for genera), use." — Academy. 20,000 1 1/2/92 1 CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR SCHOOLS &> COLLEGES. The Book of Job. " Able and scholarly as the Introduction is, it is far surpassed by the detailed exegesis of the book. In this Dr Davidson's strength is at its greatest. His linguistic knowledge, his artistic habit, his scientific insight, and his literary power have full scope when he comes to exegesis " — The Spectator. " In the course of a long introduction, Dr Davidson has presented us with a very able and very interesting criticism of this wonderful book. Its contents, the nature of its composition, its idea and purpose, its integrity, and its age are all exhaustively treated of. . . . We have not space to examine fully the text and notes before us, but we can, and do heartily, recommend the book, not only for the upper forms in schools, but to Bible students and teachers generally. As we wrote of a previous volume in the same series, this one leaves nothing to be desired. The notes are full and suggestive, without being too long, and, in itself, the introduction forms a valuable addition to modern Bible literature." — The Educational Times. "Already we have frequently called attention to this exceedingly valuable work as its volumes have successively appeared. But we have never done so with greater pleasure, very seldom with so great pleasure, as we now refer to the last published volume, that on the Book of Job, byDr Davidson, of Edinburgh.. ..We cordially commend the volume to all our readers. The least instructed will understand and enjoy it ; and mature scholars will learn from it." — Methodist Recorder. Psalms. Book I. "His commentary upon the books of Samuel was good, but this is incomparably better, shewing traces of much more work and of greater independence of scholarship and judgment.... As a whole it is admirable, and we are hardly going too far in saying that it is one of the very ablest of all the volumes that have yet appeared in the 'Cambridge Bible for Schools'." — Record. "Another volume of this excellent Bible, in which the student may rely on meeting with the latest scholarship. The introduction is ad- mirable. We know of nothing in so concise a form better adapted for Sunday-School Teachers." — Sunday-School Chronicle. "It is full of instruction and interest, bringing within easy reach of the English reader the results of the latest scholarship bearing upon the study of this ever new book of the Bible. The Introduction of eighty pages is a repertory of information, not drily but interestingly given. " — Methodist Recorder. "For a masterly summary of all that is known and much that is hazarded about the history and authorship of this book of religious lyrics we can point to that with which Mr Kirkpatrick prefaces his new volume. From a perusal of this summary the student will be unimpres- sionable indeed if he rise not convinced of the vitality imparted to the Psalter by a systematic study of its literary character and historical allusions.... In conclusion, we may say that for a work which is handy, and withal complete, we know none better than this volume; and we await with considerable interest the next instalment." — Education. "It seems in every way a most valuable little book, containing a mass of information, well-assorted, and well-digested, and will be useful not only to students preparing for examinations, but to many who want OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. a handy volume of explanation to much that is difficult in the Psalter. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Professor Kirkpatrick for his scholarly and interesting volume." — Church Times. "In this volume thoughtful exegesis founded on nice critical scholar- ship and due regard for the opinions of various writers, combine, under the influence of a devout spirit, to render thi^ commentary a source of much valuable assistance. The notes are 'though deep yet clear,' for they seem to put in a concentrated form the very pith and marrow of all the best that has been hitherto said on the subject, with striking freedom from anything like pressure of personal views. Throughout the work care and pains are as conspicuous as scholarship." — Litei-ary Churchman. Job — Hosea. " It is difficult to commend too highly this excellent series, the volumes of which are now becoming numerous. The two books before us, small as they are in size, comprise almost everything that the young student can reasonably expect to find in the way of helps towards such general knowledge of their subjects as may be gained without an attempt to grapple with the Hebrew ; and even the learned scholar can hardly read without interest and benefit the very able intro- ductory matter which both these commentators have prefixed to their volumes. It is not too much to say that these works have brought within the reach of the ordinary reader resources which were until lately quite unknown for understanding some of the most difficult and obscure portions of Old Testament literature." — Guardian. Ecclesiastes ; or, the Preacher. — "Of the Notes, it is sufficient to say that they are in every respect worthy of Dr Plumptre's high repu- tation as a scholar and a critic, being at once learned, sensible, and practical. ...Commentaries are seldom attractive reading. This little volume is a notable exception." — The Scotsman. Jeremiah, by A. W. Streane. "The arrangement of the book is well treated on pp. xxx., 396, and the question of Baruch's relations with its composition on pp. xxvii., xxxiv. , 317. The illustrations from English literature, history, monuments, works on botany, topography, etc., are good and plentiful, as indeed they are in other volumes of this series." — Church Quarterly Review. MalacM. "Archdeacon Perowne has already edited Jonah and Zechariah for this series. Malachi presents comparatively few difficulties and the Editor's treatment leaves nothing to be desired. His introduction is clear and scholarly and his commentary sufficient. We may instance the notes on ii. 15 and iv. 2 as examples of careful arrangement, clear exposition and graceful expression." — Academy. " The Gospel according to St Matthew, by the Rev. A. Carr. The introduction is able, scholarly, and eminently practical, as it bears on the authorship and contents of the Gospel, and the original form in which it is supposed to have been written. It is well illustrated by two excellent maps of the Holy Land and of the Sea of Galilee." — English Churchmatt. "St Mark, with Notes by the Rev. G. F. Maclear, D.D. Into this small volume Dr Maclear, besides a clear and able Introduc- tion to the Gospel, and the text of St Mark, has compressed many CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR SCHOOLS &- COLLEGES. ■hundreds of valuable and helpful notes. In short, he has given us a capital manual of the kind required— containing all that is needed to illustrate the text, i.e. all that can be drawn from the history, geography, customs, and manners of the time. But as a handbook, giving in a ■clear and succinct form the information which a lad requires in order to stand an examination in the Gospel, it is admirable I can very heartily commend it, not only to the senior boys and girls in our High Schools, but also to Sunday-school teachers, who may get from it the very kind of knowledge they often find it hardest to get. " — Expositor. " With the help ot a book like this, an intelligent teacher may make 'Divinity' as interesting a lesson as any in the school course. The notes are of a kind that will be, for the most part, intelligible to boys of the lower forms of our public schools; but they may be read with greater profit by the fifth and sixth, in conjunction with the original text." — The Academy. "St Luke. Canon Farrar has supplied students of the Gospel with an admirable manual in this volume. It has all that copious variety of illustration, ingenuity of suggestion, and general soundness of interpretation which readers are accustomed to expect from the learned and eloquent editor. Anyone who has been accustomed to associate the idea of 'dryness' with a commentary, should go to Canon Farrar's St Luke for a more correct impression. He will find that a commen- tary may be made interesting in the highest degree, and that without losing anything of its solid value.... But, so to speak, it is too good for some of the readers for whom it is intended." — The Spectator. The Gospel according to St John. "The notes are extremely scholarly and valuable, and in most cases exhaustive, bringing to the elucidation of the text all that is best in commentaries, ancient and zaodtxn."— The English Churchman and Clerical Journal. "(i) The Acts of the Apostles. By J. Rawson Lumby, D.D. (2) The Second Epistle of the Corinthlaais, edited by Professor Lias. The introduction is pithy, and contains a mass of carefully-selected information on the authorship of the Acts, its designs, and its sources. The Second Epistle of the Corinthians is a manual beyond all praise, for the excellence of its pithy and pointed annotations, its analysis of the contents, and the fulness and value of its introduction."— £;cawm^r. "The Rev. H. C. G. Moule, M.A., has made a valuable addition to The Cambridge Bible for Schools in his brief commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. The 'Notes' are very good, and lean, as the notes of a School Bible should, to the most commonly ac- cepted and orthodox view of the inspired author's meaning ; while the Introduction, and especially the Sketch of the Life of St Paul, is a model of condensation. It is as lively and pleasant to read as if two or three facts had not been crowded into well-nigh every seni&nct."— Expositor. "The Epistle to the Romans. It is seldom we have met with a work so remarkable for the compression and condensation of all that is valuable in the smallest possible space as in the volume before us.^ Within its limited pages we have ' a sketch of the Life of St Paul,' we have further a critical account of the date of the Epistle to the Romans, of its lan£;uage, and of its genuineness. The notes are OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. numerous, full of matter, to the point, and leave no real difficulty or obscurity unexplained." — The Examiner. "Tlie First Epistle to the Corintliians. Edited by Professor LlAS. Every fresh instalment of this annotated edition of the Bible for Schools confirms the favourable opinion we formed of its value from the exami- nation of its first number. The origin and plan of the Epistle are discussed with its character and genuineness." — The Noncon/or?uist. Galatlans. "Dr Pekowne deals throughout in a very thorough manner with every real difficulty in the text, and in this respect he has faithfully followed the noble example set him in the exegetical master- piece, his indebtedness to which he frankly acknowledges." — Modern Church. "The introductory matter is very full and informing, whilst the Notes are admirable. They combine the scholarly and the practical in an unusual degree It is not the young students in 'schools and colleges' alone who will find this Commentary helpful on every page. ' ' — Record. "This little work, like all of the series, is a scholarly production; but we can also unreservedly recommend it from a doctrinal standpoint ; Dr E. H. Perowne is one who has grasped the distinctive teaching of the Epistle, and expounds it with clearness and definiteness. In an appendix, he ably maintains the correctness of the A. V. as against the R. V. in the translation of II. i6, a point of no small importance." — English Churchman. The Epistle to the Ephesians. By Rev. H. C. G. Moule, M.A. " It seems to us the model of a School and College Commentary — comprehensive, but not cumbersome; scholarly, but not pedantic" — Baptist Magazine. The Epistle to the Philippians. "There are few series more valued by theological students than ' The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges,' and there will be no number of it more esteemed than that by Mr H. C. G. Moule on the Epistle to the Philippians." — Record. Thessalonlans. "It will stand the severest scrutiny, for no volume in this admirable series exhibits more careful work, and Mr Findlay is a true expositor, who keeps in mind what he is expounding, and for whom he is expounding it." — Expository Titnes. "Mr Findlay maintains the high level of the series to which he has become contributor. Some parts of his introduction to the Epistles to the Thessalonians could scarcely be bettered. The account of Thessa- lonica, the description of the style and character of the Epistles, and the analysis of them are excellent in style and scholarly care. The notes are possibly too voluminous ; but there is so much matter in them, and the matter is arranged and handled so ably, that we are ready to forgive their fulness. ...Mr Findlay's commentaiy is a valuable addition to what has been written on the letters to the Thessalonian Church." — Academy. "Of all the volumes of this most excellent series, none is better done, and few are so well done as this small volume. ...From begin- ning to end the volume is marked by accurate grammatical scholarship, delicate appreciation of the apostle's meaning, thorough investigation 6 CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR SCHOOLS &= COLLEGES. of all matters open to doubt, extensive reading, and deep sympathy with the spiritual aim of these epistles. It is, on the whole, the best commentary on the Thessalonians which has yet appeared, and its small price puts it within reach of all. We heartily recommend it." — Methodist Recorder. "Mr FiNDLAY has fulfilled in this volume a task which Dr Moulton was compelled to decline, though he has rendered valuable aid in its pre- paration. The commentary is in its own way a model — clear, forceful, scholarly — such as young students will welcome as a really useful guide, and old ones will acknowledge as giving in brief space the substance of all that they knew. " — Baptist Magazine. Hebrews. " Like his (Canon Farrar's) commentary on Luke it possesses all the best characteristics of his writing. It is a work not only of an accomplished scholar, but of a skilled teacher." — Baptist Magazine. The Epistles of St John. By the Rev. A. Plummer, M.A., D.D. "This forms an admirable companion to the 'Commentary on the Gospel according to St John,' which was reviewed in The Churchman as soon as it appeared. Dr Plummer has some of the highest qualifica- tions for such a task ; and these two volumes, their size being considered, will bear comparison with the best Commentaries of the time." — The Churchman. Revelation. "This volume contains evidence of much careful labour. It is a scholarly production, as might be expected from the pen of the late Mr W. H. SiMCOX The notes throw light upon many passages of this difficult book, and are extremely suggestive. It is an advantage that they sometimes set before the student various interpre- tations without exactly guiding him to a choice." — Guardian. "Mr SiMCOX has treated his very difficult subject with that con- scious care,, grasp, and lucidity which characterises everything he ■wrote." — Modern Church. ©Ijc Smaller ODambriticse 33tble for ^djools. ' ' We can only repeat what we have already said of this admirable series, containing, as it does, the scholarship of the larger wo7-k. For scholars in our elder classes, and for those preparing for Scripture exami- nations, no better commentaries can be put into their hands." — Sunday- School Chronicle. ^''Despite their small size, these volumes give the substance of the admirable pieces of work on which they are founded. We can only hope that in many schools the class-teaching will proceed on the lines these com- mentators suggest. " — Record. " We should be glad to hear that this series has been introduced into many of our Sunday-Schools, for which it is so admirably adapted.'" — Christian Leader. '^ All that is necessary to be known and learned by pupils in Junior and elementary schools is to be found in this series. Itideed, much more is provided than should be required by the examiners. We do not know what ?nore could be done to provide sensible, interesting, and solid Scrip- tural instruction for boys and girls. The Syndics of the Cambridge OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. University Press are rendering great services both to teachers and to sciiolars by the publication of such a valuable series of books, in which slipshod %vork could not have a place." — Literary World. ^^ For the sttident of the sacred oracles tvho titilizes hours of travel or movtents ofwailiug in the pe?-usal of the Bible there is nothing so handv, and, at the same time, so satisfying as these little books Nor let atiyone suppose that, because these are school-books, therefore they are beneath the adult reader. They contain the very ripest results of the best Biblical scholarship, and that in the very simplest form." — Christian Leader. " Altogether one of the most perfect examples of a Shilling Nezv Tes- tament cotHDientary zvhich even this age of cheapness is likely to produce.^' — Bookseller. Samuel I. and 11. "Professor Kirkpatrick's two tiny volumes on the First and Second Books of Samuel are quite model school-books ; the notes elucidate every possible difficulty with scholarly brevity and clearness and a perfect knowledge of the subject." — Satiirday Revietu. "They consist of an introduction full of matter, clearly and succinctly given, and of notes which appear to us to be admirable, at once full and brief." — Church Times. Kings I. " We can cordially recommend this little book. The Intro- duction discusses the question of authorship and date in a plain but scholarly fashion, while the footnotes throughout are brief, pointed, and helpful." — Reviezv of Reviews. Matthew. "The notes are terse, clear, and helpful, and teachers and students cannot fail to find the volume of great service." — Publishers' Circular. Mark. Luke. " We have received the volumes of St Mark and St Luke in this series.... The two volumes seem, on the whole, well adapted for school use, are well and carefully printed, and have maps and good, though necessarily brief, introductions. There is little doubt that this series will be found as popular and useful as the well-known larger series, of which they are abbreviated editions." — Gtiardian. Luke. "We cannot too highly commend this handy little book to all teachers." — VVesleyan Methodist Sunday-School Record. John. " We have been especially interested in Mr Plummer's treat- ment of the Gospel which has been entrusted to his charge. He is concise, comprehensive, interesting, and simple. Young students of this inimit- able book, as well as elder students, even ministers and teachers, may use it with advantage as a very serviceable handbook." — Literary World. John. "A model of condensation, losing nothing of its clearness and force from its condensation into a small compass. Many who have long since completed their college curriculum will find it an invaluable hand- book." — Methodist Times. Acts. "The notes are very brief, but exceedingly comprehensive, comprising as much detail in the way of explanation as would be needed by young students of the Scriptures preparing for examination. We again give the opinion that this series furnishes as much real help as would usually satisfy students for the Christian ministry, or even minis- ters themselves." — Literary World. THE CAMBRIDGE GREEK TESTAMENT FOR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES with a Revised Text, based on the most recent critical authorities, and English Notes, prepared under the direction of the General Editor, The Bishop of Worcester. " Has achieved an excellence which puts it above criticism.'''' — Expositor. St Matthew. "Copious illustrations, gathered from a great variety of sources, make his notes a very valuable aid to the student. They are indeed remarkably interesting, while all explanations on meanings, applications, and the like are distinguished by their lucidity and good sense." — Pall Mall Gazette. St Mark. "Dr Maclear's introduction contains all that is known of St Mark's life; an account of the circumstances in which the Gospel was composed, with an estimate of the influence of St Peter's teaching upon St Mark; an excellent sketch of the special characteristics of this Gospel ; an analysis, and a chapter on the text of the New Testament generally. " — Saturday Review. St Luke. "Of this second series we have a new volume by Archdeacon Farrar on St Luke, completing the four Gospels It gives us in clear and beautiful language the best results of modern scholarship. We have a most attractive Introduction. Then follows a sort of composite Greek text, representing fairly and in very beautiful type the consensus of modem textual critics. At the beginning of the exposition of each chapter of the Gospel are a few short critical notes giving the manuscript evidence for such various readings as seem to deserve mention. The expository notes are short, but clear and helpful. For young students and those who are not disposed to buy or to study the much more costly work of Godet, this seems to us to be the best book on the Greek Text of the Third Gospel." — Methodist Recorder. St John. "We take this opportunity of recommending to ministers on probation, the very excellent volume of the same series on this part of the New Testament. We hope that most or all of our young ministers will prefer to study the volume in the Cambridge Greek Testa nunt for Schools." — Methodist Recorder, The Acts of the Apostles. "Professor Lumby has performed his laborious task well, and supplied us with a commentary the fulness and freshness of which Bible students will not be slow to appreciate. The volume is enriched with the usual copious indexes and four coloured maps." — Glasgow Herald. I. Corinthians. "Mr Lias is no novice in New Testament exposi- tion, and the present series of essays and notes is an able and helpful addition to the existing books." — Guardian. The Epistles of St John. "In the very useful and well annotated series of the Cambridge Greek Testament the volume on the Epistles of St John must hold a high position ... The notes are brief, well informed and intelligent." — Scotsman. ca.mbriduk: printed by c. j clav, m.a, and sons, at the university frbss. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. M^ |o<«»n OlSCHARGE-Uf I MAR 15138 35m-8,'71(P6347s4)-C-120 • 3 1158 00669 0506 UC SOUTHERN RFGIOrjAL I IBR/^RY FACILITY AA 000 621 554 5