The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 1 — Section 276

not occur elsewhere. The wortl so trnnslated the phrase," perfection of beauty," in Ps. I. in Prov. xxxi. 22 is that which we find here 2; Lam. ii. 15, as applied to ,Jernsalem). and elsewhere for "fine linen." Silk, in the 'fhe prophet, in the words, my comelinees- strict sense of the term, hatl its birthplace in maje~ty (Revised Version}-lays stress on China, and there is no evidence that even the fact that that " perfection" was iteelf the commerce of Tyre extended so for; the gift of God. but the context points to some fine texture Ver. 15.-We enter on the history of tbe of the lawn or muslin kind, like the Coan apostasy, and the root-evil was that th0 vestments of the Greeks. So the LXX. bride of Jehovah had been unfaithful to gives .,-p,xa:rr.,-&v, as though it were made of her Lord. She looked on her glory as her fine hair; the Vulgate, subtilia. It is signi- own, and did not recognize that every- ficant that three out of the four articles thing in it was the gift of God (Hos. ii. 8). specified are prominent (as the references The words obviouely point to the policy show) in the description of the tabernacle which Solomon had initiated, of alliances and the priestly dress, in Exod. xxviii., with the heathen and the consequent adop- xxxix. The dress of the bride symbolized tion of their worship. This, as from the the ritual and cultus of Judaism. earliest days of Israel, was the "whoredom" Ver.11.-0maments. Same word as in ver. (Revised Version) of the unfaithful wife 7, but here taken in its more usual sense. (Exod. xx.xiv. 15, 16; Lev. xvii. 7; Dent. (For bracelets, see eh. xxiii. 42; Gen. xxiv. xxxi.16; Jndg. ii.17; Isa. i. 21; Jer.ii. 20; 22, 30; Numb. xxxi. 50. For chain, Gen. Hos. i.,ii.). And it was, so to speak, a promis- xii. 42). cuous whoredom. Every passer-by was ad- Ver. 12.-A jewel on thy forehead ; better, mitted to her embraces, every nation that with the Revised Version, a ring upon thy offered its alliance had its worship recog- nose, 'fhe word has the same meaning in nized and adopted. In the closing words of Gen. x.xiv. 47 ("ear-ring" in the Authorized extremest scorn, the prophet adds, his it was. Version); Isa. iii. 21 (where the Authorized Jerusalem was, as I have said, the Messa.- Version gives "nose jewels"); Prov. xi. 22. lino. of the nations. Jerome, however, notes (in loc.) that the Ver. 16.-(For high places, eee note on Syrian women of his time wore pendants or eh. vi. 6.) The words imply that the shrines lockets that hung from the forehead to the upon them were decked with hangings of nostrils. The crown, or diadem (LXX., <TT<· many-coloured tapestry, presenting an ,pavos ,cauxfiueo,s), the thin circlet of gold con- appearance like that of a Persian carpet, a.a fining the hair, completed the catalogue of in 2 Kings xxiii. 7, of the image of the ornaments. The Chaldee Targum continues Aaherah. Those hangings were, as in Prov. its spiritual interpretation: "I gave the ark vii. 16, the ornaments of the adulterous bed. of my covenant to be among you, and the The " high places" are named first, as the cloud of my glory overshadowed you, and the earliest form of idolatry. The like things angel of my presence led you in the way." shall not come. The words are obscure, e.nd And, if we assume, as we legitimately may the text probably corrupt. As they stand, assume, that Ezekiel, above all others, the they seem to say that the world would prophet of symbolism, did not fill up his never again witness so shameful an O.!)"::tasv. picture with details which were only meo.nt The Vulgo.te, Sicut non est factum neque to fill it up, this seems 11 not unfitting inter- futurwn est, extends the comparison to the pretation. past. Possibly, though it is a strain upon Ver. 13.-Thou didst eat fine fiour, e.nd the grammar, the words may be rendered, honey, and oil. From the dress of the bride "such things should not come, should not be." we pass to her luxuries in the way of food. Ver. 17.-Images of men, etc. ; Hebrew, as The things no.med might, of coul'se, be only falling in with the symbolism of the history. chosen as the delicacies for which the land "male images." The words point to the of Israel was famous (Dent. xxxii. 13, 14), teraphim, the penates, or household gods, which in the prophet's own time were iu of which we read in Gen. xxxi. 19; Judg. demo.nd in tile markets of Tyre (eh. xxvii.17). xviii. 14; 1 Sam. xix. 13; Hos. iii. 4: e.nd Cakes of flour e.nd honey were in common which, like the statues of Baal-pear, may use in various forms of Greek ritual, and are have exhibited the phallio type of idolatry. prob11bly referred to in Jer. xliv. 19, but in Vere. 18, 19.-Mine oil and mine incense. that of the Jews (Lev. ii. 11) honey takes This, 11s afterwards in oh. xxiii. 41, was the its place, side by side with leaven, as a crownin"' aggmvatiun of the guilt. The vecy thing forbidden. Thou didst grow into a girls of God, designed for his worship, were kingdom. History crops out through the prostituted to that of his rivals. The" oil" is parable, and points to the stage which it that of Exod. xxx. ~3-25, perfumed and has now reached, i.e. that of the magnificence set ape.rt for sacred uses. The aot of cover- of the kingdom under Solomon. in"' the idol was, as in ver. 8, the symbol ot Ver. 14.-It w11s perfeot1 eta. (oompBre th~ marriage union. In the sweet savour EZEKlEL. T  274 THE DOOK OF THE PROPHET EZfj;KlEL. [on. xvi. 1-63,