EZEKIEL, BOOK OF
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EZEKIEL, BOOK OF
the other predictions chronologically. All such hy- potheses belong, as Hiivernick remarks, to a former age of criticism.
Tlie arrangement, by whomsoever made, is very evi- dentl}' intentional, and it seems on many accounts most probable that it was made by Ezekiel himself. This is maintained liy Ilaveriiick on the following grounds : (1.) The arrangement proceeds throughout on a plan corresponding with the subjects of the predictions. In those against foreign nations chronological is united with material order, whilst in those which relate to Is- rael the order of time is stricth' followed. (2.) The predictions stand in such connection with each other that every part has reference to what has preceded it. (.3.) Historical notices are occasionally appended to the predictions, which would scarcelj' be done by a trans- criber; e. g. tlie notice respecting himself in chaps. xi, xxiv, XXV, and the close of ch. xix, which Haver- nick translates "This is a lamentation and was for a lamentation." Tiie whole book is divided by Hiiver- nick into nine sections, as follows :
1. Ezekiel's call to the prophetic office (ch. i-iii, 15).
2. The general carrying out of the commission, in a series of symbolical representations and particular pre- dictions foretelling the approaching destruction of Ju- dah and Jerusalem (ch. iii, 16-vii).
3. The rejection of the people because of their idol- atrous worship ; a series of visions presented to the prophet a year and two months later than the former, ill which he is shown the Temple polluted bj' the wor- ship of Adonis, the consequent judgment on the in- habitants of Jerusalem and on the priests, and closing with promises of happier times and a purer 'wosrhip (ch. viii-xi).
4. The sins of the people rebuked in detail ; a series of reproofs and warnings directed especiall}' against the particular errors and prejudices then prevalent amongst his contemporaries (ch. xii-xix).
5. The nature of the judgment, and the guilt which caused it ; another series of warnings delivered about a A-ear later, announcing the coming judgments to be yet nearer (ch. xx-xxiii).
(3. The meaning of the now commencing punish- ment ; predictions uttered two j'ears and five months later, when Jerusalem was besieged, announcing to the captives that very daj' as the commencement of the siege (comp. 2 Kings xxv, 1), and assuring them of the complete overthrow of the citj' (ch. xxiv).
7. God's judgment denounced on seven heathen na- tions (Amnion, xxv, 1-7; iMoab, 8-11; Edom, 12-14; the Philistines, 15-17 ; Tyre, xxvi-xxviii, 19 ; Sidon, 20-24 ; Egj'pt, xxix-xxxii).
8. After the destruction of Jerusalem a prophetic representation of the triumph of Israel and of the king- dom of God on earth (ch. xxxiii-xxxix).
9. The glorious consummation; a sj'mbolic repre- sentation of Messianic times, and of the establishment and prosperity of the kingdom of God (ch. xl-xlviii). See § 3 below.
II. Genu'neness and Completeness. — According to Jew- ish tradition, doubts were entertained as to the canon- icity of the book on the ground of its containing some apparent contradictions to the law, as well as because of the obscurity of many of its visions. These, how- ever, were removed, it is said, by IJabbi Hananias, who wrote a commentary on the book, in which all these difliculties were satisfactorily solved {Mischnn, ed. Surenhusius, Prcef. ad Part, iv ; Carjizov, Introd. pt. iii, p. 215) ; but still, on account of their obscuritj', the visions at the beginning and close of the book were forbidden to be read by those who were under thirty years of age (Carpzov, p. 212). Some Continental crit- ics of the last century have impugned the canonicity of the last nine chapters, and have att,rihuted theni to some Samaritan or Hebrew who had returnt^d in later times to the land of Juda;a (Oeder, Freye Untcrsuchun;/ uber einiffo Backer dcs A. T., Hal. Sax. 1771; Yogej,
in his remarks on the above ; and CoiTodi, Beleuchtung des Jiidisc/i. imd Clnistl. Bibdhanons, pt. i, p. 105, quoted by Kosenmiiller, Schol. in Ezech. ad c. xl). These ob- jections have been fulh^ answered by Eichhorn (^Eiv^ leiiunrj, iii, 203), Jahn (^Introd. in Lib. Sac. V. T.. p. 356), and others. Jahn has also taken notice of and an- swered some objections raised by an anonymous writer in the Monthly Magazine (1798), to the canonicity of chaps, xxv-xxxii, xxxv, xxxvi, xxxviii, xxxix. A translation of Jahn's arguments will be found in Home's Introd. iv, 222, old ed. These and similar ob- jections have so little weight or probability that we shall content ourselves with quoting the general re- mark of Gesenius in reference to the whole of Ezekiel's writings : "This book belongs to that not very numer- ous class, which, from beginning to end, maintains, by means of favtrite expressions and peculiar phrases, such a oneness of tone as by that circumstance alone to prevent any suspicion that separate portions of it are not genuine" {Geschichte der Heh. Spr. p. 35). The canonicitj' of the book of Ezekiel in general is satis- factorily established bj' Jewish and Christian authori- ties. There is, indeed, no explicit reference to it, or quotation from it, in the New Testament. Eichhorn {^Einleitung, p. 218) mentions the following passages as having apparently a reference to this book : Rom. ii, 24 ; comp. Ezek. xxxvi, 21 : IJoni. x, 5 ; Gal. iii, 12 ; comp. Ezek. xx, 11 : 2 Pet. iii, 4 ; comp. Ezek. xii, 22 ; but none of these are quotations. The closing visions of Ezekiel arc clearly referred to, though not quoted, in the last chapters of the Apocalypse. The prophet Ezekiel is distinctly refeiTcd to b}' the son of Sirach (Ecclus. xlix, 8), and b}' Josephus (^Ant. x, 5, 1 ; C, 3 ; 7, 2 ; 8, 2). The book of Ezekiel is also mentioned as forming part of the canon in the catalogues of Melito (Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. iv, 20), Origeii (apud Euseb. I. c. vi, 25), Jerome {Prolcgus Galeatus), and the Talmud (Eichhorn, iii, 218 ; i, 12G-137).