The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 233

nn,l tarnished by the words of the heathen, the present or immediate future. The Israel- and inasmuch RS this result had been brought of Ezekiel's time had not been scattered nbout by Israel's sin, on Israel properly the among and could not be gathered from all, bhme lRy. countries; yet in the years that he.ve passed Yer. 21.-I had pity for mine holy Name. since then Ezekiel's language as to Israel's Ila 1·ernick, after the LXX., wrongly renders, dispersion has been literally fulfilled. Where- •· I spa.red (them, i.e. Israel) for my holy fore the inferenoe is reasonable that the re- Name's sake;" but the preposition "for" assembling to which Ezekiel refers is an. or" upon" following the verb usually ma.rks event that has not yet occurred, at least in the object upon which the action of the verb its fullest measure and degree, but will only terminates (see eh. xvi. 5). Gesenius trans- then be realized completely and finally lates, "I will be sparing of my holy Name;" when the scattered members of the house of: i.e. I will care for its honour. Israel shall have been received into the· Ver. 22.-Not for your sakes . . . but for Christian Church (Rom. xi. 25, 26). mine holy Name's sake. ThUB Jehovah Ver. 25.-Then (literally, and) I will repudiates the cl.aim of merit ou Israel's sprinkle olsan water upon you. The second part (comp. ver. 82); and if Israel had no step in these.notification of Jehovah's Name.- claim on Jehovah for deliverance from the and one absolutely necesaary to render the Babylonish exile any more than she had at preceding either permanent or valuable, we.s first to be put in possession of Cu.naan (Deut. the moral renovation of the people; and in ix. 6), much less has fallen man a claim on this the firdt stage was the forgiveness of theo God for salvation from the condemnation people's sins. The image under which this- and dominion of sin (Rom. xi. 6; Eph. ii is set forth, "sprinkling with clean water," 8-10). As the essential holiness e.nd would naturally present itself to e. priest- righteousness of God were the real reason prophet such as Ezekiel. Jarchi, Rosen- of Israel's exile e.nd dispersion among the miiller, Hengstenberg, and others suppose nations, so were th':lse qualities in God the the o.!lusion to be to the water of purification. nlti.mate grounds to whioh Israel's recovery prepared by mixing running water with the and restoration should be traced. ashes of a red heifer (Numb. :d.x. 17-19), Ver. 23.-I will sanctify my great Name; and in the account given of this rite the i.e. the name of my holiness (Dent. x.xviii. verb for "sprinkle" is that used by Ezekiel.- 58; Ps. viii I; Me.I. i. 11). As Israel's dis- viz. p:,i:. Haverniok prefers the rite per- pe?Eion had caused the.t Name to be pro- formed in the oonsecration of the Levites. faned, so Israel's restoration would secure (Numb. viii. 7, 21). Smend, who holds the the.t it should be me.gnified among the priest-code had no existence in Ezekiel'& heathen (eh. xxxviii. 23), who should learn day, traces the image to Zech. xiiL I or Ps. from this event that their previous ideas of Ii. 2, though he also cites Numb. viii. 19. Jehovah, as a feeble and local divinity, hnd Hilzig, Kliefoth, and Currey think of the been wrong. The question whether your lustrations of the Law in general ; and per- eyes, as in the Hebrew text, or "their. eyes,'' haps this best explains the prophet's lan- as in many ancient versions, should be read gunge, since the element sprinkled is not is debated. The latter reading appears to "blood" or "water mixed with ashes," but be demanded by the u,ua loquendi of Ezekiel "cleo.n water," "the best known means of (see eh. XL 41; xnm. 25; xx.xviii. ~6; purification" (Sohrotler). As to whother xx.xix. 27), aud is adopted by both Enghsh legal or moral cleansing were intended by versions as well as by interpreters of emi- the prophet, possibly Ezekiel drew no sharp nence; but other expositors of equal name distinction between the two, such ns the adhere to the former reading on the ground New Testament draws between justification that the sanctifying of Jehovah's Name in and sanctification ; if he did, then tbe figure the eyes of Israel was e.n indispensable pre- in the text must be ta.ken as alluding rather liminary to its sanctification in the eyes of to the former than to the latter-rather to the heathen. Havemick regards "their the forgiveness of Israel's sin than to the eyes" as "an obvious emendation to relieve regeneration of Israel's heo.rt, which is next a difficulty," to which in no ce.se_ shoul? referred to. criticism accord the preference; while Keli Vera. 26, 27.-A new heart also will I gives it 1he preference, though admitting give you, and a new 1pirit will I put within that "your eyes" can be jllBtified. you. The third step in the progress of Ver. 24.-1 will take you from among the sanctifying Jehovah's Name (comp. oh. heathen; or, nation,. The first step in the xi. 19, where a similar promise is made, aud sauctilication of Jehovah's Name. A promise eh. xviii. 31, whore the new heart is repre- "lreacly given (eh. xi. 17; :n. 41, 42), and sented as a thing Isro.ol must make for her- ,,ft.enva.rde repeated (eh. xxxvii. 21). The self). This nntinomy frequeutly occurs in mention of "all countries" shows the pro- Scripture, which never shrinks from holding 1,itet's go.zc to have been directed beyond man l"csponsiblo for the production of that, on. xuvL 1---38.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 241