Ver. 10.-Beca.use thou hast aaid. The Israel (vcr. 12), and had rer.koned these as second ground of Edom's punishment lo.y in blasphemies uttered against himself ( ver. this, that she had presumptuously ae well 13). ·as confidently exclaimed, not concerning Ver. 14.-When the whole ee.rth rejoiceth, Idumea and Judah, e.e Jerome conjectured, I will make thee desolate. By" the whole but concerning Israel and Judah when earth," Fairbairn, Hii.vemick, an:l Schroder 1!he saw them stripped of their inho.bitants, understand "the whole land of Edom." In Theae two nations and theae two oountriea this case the sense is that, as the whole land 11hall be mine, and we will po1se11 it; "it" of Edom had previously exulted with joy, meaning either the region over which the so should it in tha future be made com• two countries extended, or, e.e Schroder pletely desolate. Ewald, Hen~Btenberg, suggests, Jeruse.lem their common capital Keil, Kliefoth, Smend, and Plum~tre, how- .(ate eh. Xllvi. 2; and comp. Pa. Ixxxiii. ever, more correctly interpret the phrase os 4-12). .And what constituted the grave.- signifying the whole human race, with the men of Edom's offence we.e that she had so exception of Edom. Accordingly, the thought -spoken, whereas (or, tJwugh) the Lord we.a seems to be, not that of Ewald aud Smend, there. It is not necessary, with the LXX. that Jehovah would make Edom'sdeve.etation and Kliefoth, to read "is there," to guard a sport or comedy (freudespiel) to the whole -against the supposition that Ezekiel de- world; or that of Kliefoth and B .;.zig, that signed to snggi:st that, though Jehovah had God would make Edom deaolatm, whilst all formerly been m the land, he was there no the earth rejoiced over her downfall; but longer. But, in point of fact, Jehovah had that of Keil, Plumptre, aud others, that just ,for a time withdrawn his Yisible presence as Jeho,ah was preparing for the whole from the temple and the city (see eh. x. 18; earth of redeemed humanity a glorious ii. 22, 23), though he had by no means future of joy, so certainly would Edom and ~enounced his right to the land; and Edom's all whom E<.lom represented be excluded -error lay in not regarding this, but in acting from participation in that joy. as if Jehovah had departed from Israel for Ver. 15.-As thou did■t rejoioe. •;, i■ ever (Hii.vernick); or (better, "and ") in here a particle of comparison ; and the thinking he conld appropriate to himself import of the passage is that precisely BS what really belonged to Jehovah, viz. the Edom exulted over the desolation of Israel's .territory out of which Israel and Judah had inheritance, so would Jehovah cause others been oast (Hengstenberg). to rejoice over the downfall and desolation Vere. 11-13.-I will make my■elf known of Edom. All ldumea. Instead of this -among them-Israel and Jndah; not to thee Greek term, the Revised Version properly (LXX., Hitzig, Ewald)--when I have substitutes the usual word Edom. Note: judged thee. Edom's wickedness should be Thn.t the prediction here uttered ooncem- Yequited by his being made to suft"er the ing Edom received literal fulfilment, the indignities he Jeaigned to heap on Israel. following extract relative to the present In Lim the Zez talionu should have full state of the country will show: "Idumea, .sway. Edom's misconception as to Jehovah's once so rich in flocks, so strong in its refotion to the land and people should be fortresses o.ud rook-hewn cities, BO extensive corrected when Jehovah should rise up in in its commercial relations, so renowned for judgment against him. Those judgments the architectural splendour of its palaces, is should in the first instance be o. revelation now a deserted and desolate wildemees. to Israel and J utloh, who should discern Its whole populo.tion is conto.i'l.ed in therefrom that th~y hnd not been utterly some three or four miserable villages. No o.bandoned by Jehovo.h (ver. 11; of. oh. xx. merchant would now do.re to enter its 5) ; and in the second instance should open borders; its highways are untrocltlen, its Edom'■ eyes to perceive that Jt>hovah had oi ties a.re all in ruins " ~ J. L. Porter, in been a silent listener to all the blasphemies Kitto'a • Cyclop1Bdi1,' art. 1 Idumea "'). .she had uttered against the mountains of
HOMILETICS. Vere. 1-4.-The desolation of Mount Seir. I. AN AFTER-THOUGHT OF JUDOHENT. ·This is a distressing and disappointing passage. We seemed to he.ve done with the weary recital of successive judgments against tho several heathen nations. Passing from these painful scenes, we had come to the cheerful picture of the restoration of Israel, Now that picture is rudely tom, and a description of the desolation of Mount Seir inserted in the midst of it. The darkness of this unexpected scene of judgment u the more appalling inasmuch_ as it is in startling contrast with the preoeding an~ 228 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [orr. xxxv.1-15,