The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 1 — Section 98

need not expect numerical exactness) we.s to the noun translated ''tumult" in 1 Sam. iv. perish in the city of pestilence e.nd famine, 14; Pa. lxv. 7; Isa. xxxiii. 3, thou.!sh it is another to fall by the sword in their e.ttempts more commonly rendered "multitude." It to escape, yet another third we.a to be scat- is not (e.s stated by Currey and Gardiner) the tered to the fe.r-off land of their exile, e.nd verb rendered "rage" in Ps. ii. L 'fhe for- even there tho sword we.s to follow them. mer meaning fits in fairly here, but soma 'fhe words, in the midst of the city, e.nd the critics (Smend) suppose that the text is cor- days of the siege, find their most nature.I rupt. A co,:ijectural emendation gives, "ye exple.ne.tion in eh. iv. 1, 5, 6. were counted with the nations." Neither Vera. 3, 4.-Thou shalt e.lso take, etc. The he.ve done according to the jndgments; words may point (1) either to those in Jeru- better, with the Revised Version, cndinances. salem who he.d escaped the famine e.nd •the Taking the words as they stand, the worda sword, and were left in the le.ud (2 Kings find their explanation in Jer. ii. 10, ll. In xxv. 22; Jer. xl. 6; lii. 16); or (2) to those doing as the nations (eh, xi. 12; xvi. 47), who should go into exile, e.nd yet even there Jemse.lem had not done as they did, for they suffer from the "fire" of God's chastening were at least true to the gods whom they judgments. They were, if saved e.t all, to worshipped, and she had rebelled against be saved •• so e.s by fire" (1 Cor. iii. 15), to her God. Some Hebrew manuscripts and be e.s " brands plucked from the burning" some versions omit the negative, but this is (Amos iv. 11 ; Zech. iii. 2). Isaiah's thought probably a correction made iu order to bring of the "remnant" (Isa. x. 20-22; xi. l l - about e. verbal agreement with eh. xi. 12. 16) seems hardly to come in here. The Ver. 8.-Therefore, etc. The conjunction whole utterance is one of denunciation. The is emphatic. It we.s because Jerusalem, in e.ct of " binding in the skirts " implies only her high estate, had sinned so conspicuously a limited protection, Omit "for," and for the.t her punishment we.s to be equally con- "thereof" ree.d '' therefrom," a.c. from the spicuous ( comp. Lam. iv. 6; Amos iii. 2). fire (Revised Version). Ver. 9.-1 will do in thee, etc. 'l'he like Ver. 5.-This is 1erusalem, etc. The words were spoken by our Lord of the de- strange acted parables cease, and we have struction of the city that was then future the unfigurative interpretation. The words (Matt. xxiv. 21); but the words of Ezekiel that follow point to the central position of manifestly refer to that which was within Jerusalem in the geography, and therefore the horizon of his vision, and find their in the history, of the ancient East: Egypt parallel in Dan, ix. 12; Lam. i. 12: ii. 13. to the south, Assyria. e.nd Babylon to the Ver. 10.-The fathers shall ee.t their sons, north, e.nd in the nearer distance Moa.bites etc. An echo from Lev. xxvi. 29 and Dent. and Ammonites, e.nd Edomites, e.nd Pha:mi- xxviii. 53. The words of Jer. xix. 9 and cie.ns, and Philistines ; to all of these J eruse.- Le.m. iv. 10 imply that horrors such as these lt,m might have been as e. city set on a hill, occurred during the siege of the city hy the as the light of the Gentiles. That had been Chaldee.ns, as they had occurred before in her ideal position from the first, a.a in the the siege of Samaria (2 K inga vi. 28, 29), visions of Micah iv. 1 e.nd Isa, ii. 1 it was to e.nd were to occur afterwards in tha\; by the be in its idea.I future. The words a.re not Romans (Josephus, •Bell Juel.,' vi. 4. § 4). without interest, as probably having sug- The whole remnant, etc. (comp. ver. 2). gested the thought, prominent in medireval Ver. 11.-Beca.use thon hast defiled my geography (Dante, 'lnf.,' xxxiv. 115, e.nd sanctne.ry, etc. For the full account of the the Hereford• Mappa. Mundi '), that Jerusa- nature of the abominations which are thus lem was physice.lly the centre.I point of the spoken of, see notes on eh. viii. This was, ee.rth's sU1fa.ce. So Moslems believe Meece. after all, the root-evil of all other evils. to be the earth's centre, a.ud the Greek Pollution of worship, the degrade.tiou of the word omphalos was applied to Delphi e.s highest element in man's nature, p,issecl into implying the same belief. pollution e.nd degradation of his wholo life. Ver. 6.-She bath ohe.nged, etc. To the.t Even in our Lord's acted teaching, iu John calling Jerusalem had been unfaithful. Cor- ii. 15, 16 e.nd Matt. xxi. 12, we have the ruptio optimi peaaima, and sht, he.d sunk to so.me principle impli,id. Therefore will I also a lower level than the nations round about diminish thee, eto. The italics show tha.l her. For changed my judgments into the last word is n,.,.,. iu the Hebrew. The wiokedness, read, with the Revis'3d Ver- Revised Version - gin suggests two other sion, hath ,-ebelled againBt my judgments in I renderings. (1) n,erefore will I also 1cith- doing ·wicl,ednesB. The pronoun refers, not draw mine eye that it shall not spare; and to the nations, but to the inhabitants of Je- (2) Therefore tcill I he10 thee dou:n. 'fo these rusalem, and so in the next ole.use. we me.y add the LXX. I 1cill reject, aml tho Ver._7.-Beoauae ye multiplied, etc.; bet- Vulge.te I will break in pieces, which uppe.- ter, with the Revised Version, because ye rently, like (2), imply a <lifferent reading. a,-e tu,-bulent. The verb is cognate with Most recent critLcs suggest conjectuml ~m, 11-  S6 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [on. v. 1-17,