The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 1 — Section 275

with the Rcnsecl. Version, &o c1eam,e. The of the plural we he.ve the du11l. Hitzig ia prnctice still met with in tJ10 ERSt of rub- perhnps, right in taking the phrnse to refe: bing the new-bom chilcl. with snlt mitv have to the beauty of the cheeks, which are rest.eel. partly on se.nitan· grounds (Jerome, th~mselvos the ornaments of the golden ;,. loe.; Ga.Jen, • De San.;• i. 7), pitrtly on its prune of youth. The LXX., following symbolic meaning (Numb. xviii. 19). When either B different readinJ or piiraphrneing this was done, the ohild was wra.pt in swad- gives, "to oities of oities.' The two clnuse~ dling-olothes (Luke ii. 7), but these too that follow point to the most obvious signs were wanting in the picture which Ezekiel of female puberty. For whereas, reo.d, with draws. The whole scene may ha.ve been the Revised Version, yet, eto., e.s describing painted from the life. Such a. birth ma.y well not as the Authorized Version seems to do ~ ila.ve been witnessed during the march of state which had passed awny, but one whi~h the exiles, when the brutality of their Chal- still continued even when full-grown girl- dean dri'l"ers allowed no he.It, and the child hood would have demanded olothing. was left to perish of neglect, and the thought Ver. 8.-The words point to the time of ma'I" then have flashed a.cross Ezekiel's mind the love of the espousals of J er. ii. 2, inter- that the pity which he felt for the deserted preting the parable, when Israel had grown infant was a faint shadow of that which to the maturity of e. nation's life, and gave J eho.ail had felt for Israel in the degrada- promise, in spite of previous degradation, tion of their heathen bondage. of co.po.cities that would render it worthy of Ver. 5.-For to the loathing of thy person, the love of the Di vine Bridegroom. I s11read read, with the Revised Version,/or that thy my skirt over thee. Garments were often person wa.6 abhorred. used e.s coverlets, and the a.et described was Ver. 6.-For polluted, read, with the Re- therefore, as in Ruth iii. 9, the received vised Y,;rsion, weltering, the primary symbol of e. completed marriage (comp. meaning of the verb being that of stamping Deut. xxii. 30; xxvii. 20). The historical or treading, and omit "when thou wast," as fact represented by the symbol here was weakening the condensed force of the origi- probably the formal covenant between Jeho- nal. The marvel of that unlooked-for pity vah and Israel (Exod. xxiv. 6, 7). It was is empha.sized by the iteration of the word then that he became her God, and that she of mercy, Live. The commentary of the became his people. Cha.ldee Ta.rgum is sufficiently curious to be Ver. 9.-The "washing" e.nd "anoint- quoted: "And the memory of my covenant ing" were pa.rt of the customary prepara- with your fathers ea.me into my mind, and tions for the marriage union (Ruth iii. 3; I was revealed that I might redeem you, Esth. ii. 12; Judith x. 3). The mention of because it was manifest to me that ye were blood receives its explanation, not in the fe.cts afflicted in your bondage, and I said unto of ver. 6, but in the ceremonial rules of :l"OU, • I will have compassion on you in the Lev. xv. 19-24. blood of circumcision,' and I said unto you, Yer. 10.-Broidered work; the "raiment • I will redeem you by the blood of the Pass- of needlework" of Ps. xlv. 14; Judg. v. 30; over"' (Rosenmiiller). The thought under- Exod. xxxv. 35; xx.xviii. 23. The word lying this stmnge interpretation is.that blood meets us age.in in eh. xxvii. 24, as among might be the means of life as well as of pol- the imports of Tyre from Egypt. Curiously lution, and in that thonght there is a signifi• enough, the Hebrew verb (ral,am) has cance e.t once poetical and profound, a.I.most, passed through Arabic into the languages as it were, anticipating the la.ter thoughts of Western Europe, and we have the Italian that the blood of Jesus cleanseth from e.11 ricamare, the Spanish recamare, the French sin (1 John i 7; Rev. i 5), that we me.ke recamer, for" embroidering." Badgers' skin. our robes white in the blood of the Lamb Elsewhere in the Old Testament the word is (Rev. vii.14). There is no reason, however, found only in the Pente.teuch (Exod. xxviii. for believing that such thoughts were pre- 5; xxvi. 14; Numb. iv. 6, 8, 10, et al.). It sent to the prophet's mind. has been commonly taken e.s meaning the Ver. 7.-The tenses shonld be in the skin of some e.ni.me.l-badger, dolphin, or simple h.istoric past: I caused; thou didst porpoise, or, as in the Revised Version, seal, increase e.nd we.x gree.t ; thou e.tte.inedst, which was used for sandals. All the older and so on (Revised Version). In the word versions, however, take it as e. word of colour, "ruultiply" (Exod. i 7) the figure passes tbe LXX. giving va.,dvBov (" dark reel"); into historical reality. To excellent orna- Aquila., Symmachus, and Vulge.te, ianthino ments; Hebrew, to ornament of ornament,. ("violet"), Possibly the two meanings me.y The word is commonly used of jewels, coalesce, one giving the material, the other trinkets, and the like (Exod. xx.xiii. 4 ; 2 the tint which met the eye. Fine linen. The fiaw. i. 24; Ise.. xlix. 18). So Vulgate, mun- byssus of Egyptian me.nufe.oture (Exod. xxv. dus muliebris. Here, however, the external 4; xxvi. 1; xx.xix, 3, et al.), Silk. The udorning comes iu vers, 10, 11, a.nd instead Hebrew word (here and in ver. 13) does 011. xvr. 1-63.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 273