The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 61

Yers. 8-11.-The si'.n and punislwumt of the Moabites, "Thus saith the Lord Goel• Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all th; heathen," etc. 'l'he Moabites were the descendants of Moab, the son of Lot by his elder daughter. They occupied the fertile district east of the Dead Sea, and south of the territory of the .Ammonites. The condition of the Moabites may be gatherecl. from Isa. xv., xvi., and Jer. xlviii. The latter prophecy was pronounced about" ten or twelve years before the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar by which Jerusalem was destroyed;" so that it may be taken as setting forth their condition in the time of·our prophet. That condition is well stated by Sir George Grove, in Dr. Smith's 'Dictionary of the Bible:' " The nation appears in them as high-spirited, wealthy, populous, and even to a certain extent civilized., enjoying a wide reputation and popularity. With a metaphor which well expresses at once the pastoral wealth of the country and its commandina almost regal, position, but which cannot be conveyed in a translation, Moab is depict~d as the strong sceptre, the beautiful staff, whose fracture will be bewailed by all about him, a.nd by all who know him. In his cities we discern a' great multitude' of people living in' glory,' and in the enjoyment of great 'treasure,' crowding the public squares, the honse-tops, and the ascents and descents of the numerous high places and sanctu- aries where the 'priests and princes' of Chemosh or Baal-peor minister to the anxious devotees. Outside the towns lie the 'plentiful fields,' luxuriant as the renowned Carmel-the vineyards and gardens of 'summer fruits;' the harvest is being reaped, and the 'hay stored in its abundance,' the vineyards and the presses arti crowded with peasants, gathering and treading the grapes, the land resounds with the clamour of the vintagers. These characteristics contrast very favourably with any traits recorded of Ammon, Edom, Midian, .Amalek, the Philistines, or the Canaanite tribes. And since the descriptions we are considering are adopted by certainly two, and probably three, prophets-Jeremiah, Isaiah, and the older seer-extending over" period of nearly two hundred years, we may safely conclude that they are not merely temporary circum- stances, but were the enduring characteristics of the people, In this case there can be no doubt that., amongst the pastoral people of Syria, Moab stood next to Israel in all matters of material wealth and civilization." Our text presents to our notice- I. A BIN SEEMINGLY BLIGHT, BUT ESSENTIALLY HEINOUS. "Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen." In these words we have: L .A denial of the superiority of the Jews over their heathen neighbours. In many respects they were their superiors. God had granted to them the clearest revelation of his character and will, his temple also, and the ordinances of his worship, His mighty hand had frequently been stretched out in glorious deeds on their behalf. He had assured them of many blessings and of a bright future. Jerusalem "was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces." But now that Nebuchadnezzar has quite vanquished them, taken their famous city, and destroyed their holy and beautiful temple, the Moabites say," The house of Judah is like unto all the nations." By this they probably meant: (1) They are no better in their character. Dy their idolatries and idolatrous customs, and by their political treacheries, the Jews bad given their enemies too much occasion to eay this. Yet the religion which was prescribed to them was incomparably superior to those of their heathen neighbours; and there was at least a email remnant that was faithful to that religion. (2) They are no better in their condition. When the Chaldeans came against them, they were no more able to resist them than any heathen people would have been. And these things were said by the Moabites, not s01rowfully, but scornfully. Like the Ammonites, they rejoiced over the miseries of the people of Israel and Judah (Zeph. ii, 8). Hence the Prophet Jeremiah cries, "Moab shall be in deri8ion. For was not Israel a derision unto tl.tee? . , . for as ofren as thou speakest of him thou waggest the head" (Jer. xlviii, DB, xxv.1-17.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 63