The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 1 — Section 132

Ver. 18.-They shall also gird, eta. The his own "secret place" (secret trea~ure in words become more genernl, and include margin of Revised Version), tho.t over which those who should remain in the city ns well ho had watched, sc. the sanctuary of his e.s the fugitives. For both there should be temple, to the hands of the spoiler. In Ps. the inward feelings of horror and shame, lxxxiii. 4 the snme adjective is used of and their outward symbols of sackcloth persous, the " hidden" or protected onea of (Gen. xxnii. 34; 2 Sam. iii. 31, 32; 2 Kings God. In the name of Daal-zephon, "Lord vi. 30; Ise.. xv. 3; Jer. iv. 8, et al.) and of the secret ple.ce," we have possibly a baldness (Isa. iii. 24 ; xv. 2; xxii. 12 ; Amos kindred thought. In Ps. xvii. 14 we have viii. 10). "hid treasure." Ver. 19.-They shall cast their silver, eto. Ver. 23.-Make a ohain; better, the chain. The words remind us of Isa. ii. 20 and m. The word is not found elsewhere, but a 22, with the difference that here it is the kindred form is thus translated in 1 Kinas sil rnr and gold as such, and not the idols vi. 21. Looking to the force of the verge made of th.em, that are to be flung away. from which it is formed, its special mean- They had made the actual metal their idol, ing is that of a coupling-oho.in, such as and their confidence in it should be power- would be used iu the case of captives marched less to deliver them (Zepb. i. 18). Their off to their place of exile (N ah. iii. 10). All gold shall be removed; better, with the Re- previous sufferings were to culminate in vised Version, as an unclean thing. The this. The ,pvpµ.ov of the LXX. and the word implies the kind of impurity of eh. Jae conclU8ionem of the Vulgate show that xvi ii. 6; xxii. 10; xxxvi. 17; Isa. x:u:. 22. the word perplexed them. Full of bloody Instead of gloating, as they had done, over orimes. The only passage in the Authorized their money, men•. should shrink from it, as Version of the Old Testament in which the though its ..-ery touch brought pollution. English noun occurs. Literally, judgments The Vulgate gives in sterquilinium, "to the of blood. The words may be equivalent dunghill." They sha.Il not satisfy their souls. either (1) to "blood-guiltiness" ( compare In the horrors of the siege, with everything the "judgment" in Jer. li. 9), or (2) to e.t famine prices (2 Kings vi. 25), and little judgment perverted into judicial murder. or nothing to be had for them, their The latter finds support in eh. ix. 9. In money would not stop the cravings of either case it is noticeable that Ezekiel hunger. It is characteristic that he applies points not only to idolatry, but to violence t.o riches as such the very same epithet, and wrong, as the sins that had cried for stumbling-block of their iniquity, as he had punishment (comp. Jer. :u:ii. 17 as a oon- applied before (eh. iii. 20) to actual idolatry temporary witness). ( comp. Col. iii. 5). Ver. 24.-The worst of the heathen; Ver. 20.-As for the beauty of his orna- literally, evil ones o.f the na!ions-with the ment. The latter word is commonly used superlative implied rather than expressed. of the necklaces, armlets, etc., of women For the thought, comp. Deut. xxviii. 50; (Exod. xxxiii. 4-6; Isa. xlix. 18; J er. ii. Lam. v.11-13; Jer. vi. 23. The Chaldeans 32; iv. 30). So again in eh. xvi. 7, 11; xxiii. were probably most prominent in the 40. The singular is used of the people prophet's thoughts, but eh. xxxv. 5 and collectively, or of each man individually,like Ps. cx:u:vii. 7 suggest that there was a German man or French on. He set it in side glance at the Edomites. The pomp of majesty; better, he-or to give the sense the strong, etc. Another echo of Lev. xxvi. they-turned it to pride. Wealth and art had (ver. 31). The "pomp" is that of Judah ministered, as in Isa. ii. 16, first to mere trusting in her strength. The" holy places" pride and pomp; iban they made out of find their chief representative in the temple, their ornamentB the idols which they wor- but, e.s the word is used also of a non- i;hipped, and which were now, the same J ehovistic worship (eh. xxviii. 18; Amos emphatic word being repeated, as a pollution vii. 9), may include whatever the people to them. looked on as sanctuaries-the" high places" Ver. 21.-I will give it. The'' it" refers and the like. The Vulgate gives possidebunt to the silver and gold, the "beauty of the sanctuaria ; the Revised Version margin, ornaments" thus desecrated in their use. they that sanctify them; but the Authorized 'fhe strangers, i.e. the Chaldean invaders, Version is probably right in both cases. shoulcl iu their turn pollute (better, with the Luther renders ihre lcirchen, which reminds Revi•ed Version, profane it) by making it us of Acts xix. 37. their prey. For them the idols which Israel Ver. 25.-They shall seek peaoe, etc. The had worshipped would be simply e.s booty noun is probably to be taken in its wider to be plundered. sense as including safety and prosperity, Ver. 22.-My seoret place. The work of but may also include specific overtures for the spoiler would not stop at the idols of peace made to the Chaldean genernls. 1ilver und gold. Jehovah would surrender Ver. 26,-1llillchief . , , rumour, The oi:t. vn. 1-27.J THE BOOK OF THE i'ROPRET EZEKIEL. 121