The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 259

our hope, i.e., of ever again returning to Olll' NoTB.--On the above nine verses (6-14) own le.nd or regaining natione.l existence- Plumptre writes," We can soaroely fail to and we are out off for our pa.rta; literally, toe ar-e oul off for- oursel11es; which Gesenius find, in our Lord's words in John v., some- explains to mean, "We are lost," taking thing like an echo of Ezekiel's te1Lching. 1-l~ as a dati11us p"leonasticUB; Hitzig, "We There e.lso, though the truth of the general are reduced to ourselves;" Delitzsch and resurrection is decle.rcd more clearly, the Keil, "We are cut off from the land of the primary thought is that of a spiritual living," i.e. it is all over with us; Hcng- resurrection. Further, we may note that stenberg, "We are cut off-a sad fact for the complement of Ezekiel's message is us;" Revised Version, "We are clean cut off;" any one of which renders the force of found in the language of Dan. xii. 2. the words (comp. Lam. iii. 54). Taking the two together, we find both reproduced in the tee.ching of John v." Vera. 12-14.-I will open your graves. That this is not exact interpretation of the (manuscript notes). foregoing symbol may be argued from the Vers. 15-28.-The "word" embodied in fact that in the vision no mention is made this section was probably communicated t.o of grav<>-S; yet the discrepe.ncy to which it the prophet at the close of the preceding is supposed t.o point is more appe.rent the.n vision. Its connection with this is o.pparent, real. If the prophet was to see the bones, treating as it does of the union of the then it was requisite that these should be a.hove ground re.ther the.n benee.th. On the other severed bre.nches of the house of Israel, and he.nd, when one spee.ks of a grave, it is not of the subsequent prosperity whioh should needful to e.lwe.ys think of e.n underground attend united Isre.el under the role of the tomb. To ell intents e.nd purposes a person Messianic King of the future. That this is in his grave when, life being extinct, his or1Lcle, like the former, had only a tem- body has returned to the dust. Bo, the opening of graves promised in Scripture is porary and partial accomplishment in the not so mnch, or always, the cleaving asunder retnm from ca.ptivity is so obvious as t.o of material sepulchres, as the bringing back stand in no need of demonstration. Its to life of those whose bodies have returned true fulfilment must be sought in the future to the dust. Hence the opening of Iare.el's ingathering of Isre.el to the Christian graves could only signify the reawakening of the politice.lly and religiously dead Church. people to natione.l and spiritual life. This Ver. 16.-Take thee one stiok, and write. was the first step in the restoration of the The symbolic action thus prescribed to the future held up before the minds of the prophet was manifestly based on the well- deepe.iring people. The second, indicated known historical fa.et that the tribes of by the clause, and shall put my Spirit in Israel, in Mosaio times, had been repre- yon, pointed, as in eh. mvi. 26, 27, to sented by a rod, on which was inscribed the their future endowment with higher morel ne.me of the tribe (Numb. xvii. 2); bnt and spiritual life than they had previously whether the stick Ezekiel was instructed possessed, and not merely, as in vers. 5, 6, t.o take was a staff, ~d.fJBor (LXX., H'ii.ver- to their politice.l e.nd ne.tional resuscitation nick, Hilzig, Kliefoth, and Smend), or e. (Smend). The last step, the re-establish- blook (Ewald), or simply a piece (Keil, ment of the reconstructed nation in Pales- Schroder) of wood on which e. few words tine, was guaranteed by the word, I will might be traced, cannot be decided. On place you in your own land. The circum- the first stick the prophet was directed to stance that this is twice repeated (vers. 12, write, For Judah, and the house of Israel 14) shows that whatever view be entertained his companions; i.e. for the southern king- of the ultimate occupation of Canaan by dom and those of the northern tribes who Israel, this was the goal towards which the adhered to it, as e.g. Benje.min, Levi, and vision looked. That it received partial, pa.rt of Simeon, with those devout Jehovah- limited, and temporary fulfilment of a litere.l worshippers who from time to time emi- kind in the restoration under Zernbbabel and grated from other tribes and settled in the Ezra, is undeniable; that it will ever obtain land of Judo.h (2 Ohron. xi. 12-16; xv. 9; hist.orical realize.tion of a permanent sort xxx. 11, 18, 31; xxxi. I; though by Well- is doubtful ; that it will eventually find its hausen, Smend, and others, suoh passages highest significance when God's spiritual are pronounced unhistorical). On the second Israel, the Church of Christ, takes posses- stick also the prophet we.a directed to sion of the heavenly Oan.aan, is one of the write; but whether For Joseph, the atiok of cleanist and ~ announcements of Scrip- Ephraim and for (or, of) all the hon■e of ture. hl'Ml hie companiou (Authorized e.nd cm. xxxvn. 1-28.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 267