THE
PULPIT COMMENTARY, EDITED BY THE
VERY REV. H. D. M. SPENCE, D.D., DEAN OF GLOUCESTER;
AND BY TijE
REV. JOSEPH S, EXELL, M.A.
INTRODUCTIONS BY THE
VERY REV. F. W. FARRAR, D.D., F.R.S., DE.A,N OF CANTERBURY. RIGHT REV. H. COTTERILL, D.D., F.R.S.E. VERY REV. PRINCIPAL J. TULLOCH, D.D. REV. CANON G. RAWLINSON, M.A. REV. A. PLUMMER, M.A., D.D.
NEW EDITION.
FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY LONDON AND NEW YORK 1907 PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCl.ES.
(The r;,AtJ oftra,ulation tzntl reproduction are ,.,,e,wd.) PULPIT COMMENTARY, EDITED BT THB
VERY REV. H. D. M. SPENCE, D.D., l>EAN OJ' GLOUOJJ:Bl'.IDB;
.um BY Tll"8
REV. JOSEPH S. EXELL, M.A.
EZEKIEL. @xposftfon BY VERY REV. E. H. PLUMPTRE, D.D., LATE DEAN OJ' WIILU i
AliD BY
REV. T. WHITELA.W, D.D. 11,omiletfcs BY REV. PROFESSOR W. F . .A.DENEY, M.A.
IlF.V. PROF.J. B. THOMBON,M.A. REV. W. JONES. liEV. J. D. DAVIES, M.A. REV. W. CLARKSON, D.A..
YOL. II.
NEW EDITION,
FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY LONDON AND NEW YORK 1907 THE
BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. -- EXPOSITION.
OHAPTER XXII. disorder as the consequence or its guilt (comp. Amos iii. 9; Dent. vii. 23; Zech. Vere. 1, 2.-Moreover, etc. The word xiv. 13, where the same word is rendered by connects what follows with the word of the " tumults " and "destruction "). Lord which began in eh. xx. 2. That con- Ver. 6.-Behold, the princes of 1uda.h, etc. nection is, indeed, sufficientlJ indicated by For the "bloodshed," which wes con- the recurrence of the formula, "Wilt thou spicuous e.mong the sins, comp. eh. ix. 9 ; judge?" (see note on eh. :u:. 4). In obedi- xvi. 38; xxiii. 37, 45; and for specie.I in- ence to the commands which that question stances of the.t sin e.mong its princes, those implied, Ezekiel has once more to go through ofllfonasseh (2 Kings xxi. 16) and J ehoiakim the catalogue of the sins of Judah nnd (2 Kiugs xxiv. 4). To their power; Hebrew, Jerusalem. It is not without significance each man according to hi.a arm, i.e. his that he applies the very epithet of bloody strength. There was no restraint upon the oity (Hebrew, city of bloods) which Nahum doer of evil other tho.n the limitation of his (iii. 1) bad applied to Nineveh. ce.pe.oity. Ver. 3.-The oity sheddeth blood, eto. As· Ver. 7.-We pass to sins of another kind. in the great indictment of Isaiah (i. 15, 21 ; The fifth commandment wo.s trampled under- iv. 4), the sins of murder and idolatry a.re foot e.s well as the sixth, and the blessing of grouped together. She sins as if with the continued ne.tione.l existence (Exod. xx. 12) purpose " that her time " (i.e. the time of was thereby forfeited. The widow e.nd the her punishment)" way come." orphan and the stranger (we note in that Ver. 4.-Thou hast oe.used thy de.ya to last word the width of Ezekiel's sympathies) draw near, etc. As in ver. a, the days and were oppressed (compare the same grouping the yea!'s are those of God's judgments. in Deut. xxvii. 16, HI). The people bad made no effort to e.vert Ver. 8.-Mine holy things, etc. The word~ their doom by repentance. They had, as it take iu the whole range of Divine ordinances were, rushed upon their appointed fate. So, us affecting both things and persons. (For though in another sense, the righteous lives "profaning sabbaths," see ob. :u:. 16.) of the faithful are said, in 2 Pet. iii. 12, to Ver. 9.-Men thatosrrytales, etc. Hebrew, " hasten the coming of the day of God." men of slanders (comp. Exod. xxiii. 1; Lev. Exceptional evil e.nd exceptional good nlilrn :r.ix. 16). The sin of the informers, ever hasten the approach of the day which is to ready to lend themselves to plots against decide between the two. the life or chare.oter of the innocent, was Ver. 5.-Those that be near, etc. The then, as at all times, the besetting evil of Hebrew words are both feminine, e.nd refer corrupt government in the East. CompMe to the neighbouring 11nd distant cities which the story of Naboth (1 Kings xxi. 10) and of took up their proverbs of reproach against Jeremiah (Jar. xxxvii. 13). (For eating on the city, once holy e.nd faithful, now the mountains, see note on eh. xviii. 6 ; and infamous (Hebrew, defiled in name) and for lewdneBB, that on eh. xvi. 43.) What much vexed. The lust words point to the lewdness consisted in is stated in th8 nnother form of punishment. Jerusalem is following verses. described us in a state of moral tumult and Ver, 10.-This, well-nigh the vilest of all .EZEKlEL-lL B 2 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHE'l' EZEKIEL. [on. xxu. 1-31,