The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 353

80; and J er. xvi. IS) was 11, contemptuous to be the necessary consequence of J ehovah's and satirical designation of the idols ther, abiding in the midst of Israel is uowenjoined had formerly served, that the word" kings ' upon Israel as an indispense.ble prerequisite is frequently employed in this sense in of J ehovah's taking up his residence amongst Scripture (see Isa. viii. 21 ; Amos v. 26 ; them. Ezekiel's theology in this respect Zeph. i. 5), and that the special sin com- harmonizes with that of Old and New plnined of, that of building altars for de.ad Testament writers generally, who invariably idols in the very temple court, had been postulate purity of heart and life as a practised by more lings than one in Judah necessary condition of God's abiding in the (comp. 2 Kings xvi. 11; ni. 4, 5-7); and heart, while asserting that such Di vine in- in sqpport of this view may be urged first dwelling in the heart is the only certain that it is favoured by the u:se of the term creator of suoh purity (comp. oh. xviii. 31; bamoth, or "high places," in ver. 7, an,l xxxvi. 26; Isa. i. 16, 25; xxvi. 12; John xiv. secondly by the exposition offered in ver. 8 23; 2 Cor. vi. 17; Jas. iv. 8). of the nature of the sin. Ewe.lit, Hitzig, Ver. 10.-Show (or, make known, i.e. Kliofoth, and Smend, on the other hand, publish the revelation concerning) the house regard the sin spoken of in the second clause to the house of Israel. lt'or this purpose the as different from that indicated in the first, vision had been imparted to the prophet. maintaining that while this was the practice That they may be ashamed of their iniquities. of defiling Jehovab's sanctuary by idolatry, This told the reason why the vision of the that was the desecration of the same by the house should be made known to Israel. And interment in its courts of their dead kings. let them measure the pattern; sum, number, or Against this, however, st.ands the fact that well-proportioned building. This explained no authentic instance ca.n be produced of a how, by beholding the house,Israel would be Jndroan sovereign's corpse having been led to repent, and be ashamed of her iui- interred in the t.emple area. David, quities. There is no ground for thinking Solomon, Jehoshaphnt, and others were the ultimate object Jehovah had in view, in buried in the city of David (1 Kings ii. 10; recommending the house of Israel to note ii. 43 ; xxii. 50), and a place of sepulchres the proportions of the visionary edifice, was, existed on the south-west comer of Zion in as Wellhausen, Smend, and others a.Hege, the days of Nehemiah (iii. 16); but these that they might reproduce these in the post- prove notliing nnless the temple hill be e:rilic building ; if they were to measure, i.e. taken, e.s no doubt it sometimes was, in an scan and medit.ate upon the fair dimensions extended sense e.s inclu.sive of Mount Zion. of the '' house," it was the.t they might Similarly, the st.atement that Manasseh had understand its religious or moral and a burial-place in the garden of Uzzah (2 spiritual significance, both BB e. whole and Kings :a:L IS, 26) cannot be adduced in in dete.il. snpport of this view, unless it can be shown Ver. 11.-And if they be ashamed of all that the garden of Uzzah was situated on that they have done. This cannot signify ihe temple hill. On the whole, therefore, the the.t Ezekiel was not to show the house balance of argument inclines in fe.vour of the until they had evinced e. sincere penitence first view, though it does involve the intro- for po.et wickedness, since the converse has duction of a figura.tive sense into the words. just been stated, that their repentance Ver. 8.-In their setting of their threshold should flow from e. disclosure to them of by my thresholds, etc. The first "their" the house: but that in the event of the pre• cau only refer to "the house of Israel sente.tion to them of the "well-measured" and their kings;" the second ••their" may building awaking in them any disposition also allude to these, but is best taken as of regret and sorrow, then the prophet pointing to the "idols," whose thresholds or should proceed to unfold to them its dete.ils. temples,· according to the view adopted of He should show them first the form of the the preceding verse, were set up in the court house, i.e. the external shape of the building, of Jehove.b's ternple, and so close to the and the fashion thereof, or its well-pro- latter that nothing stood between them portioned and harmonious arrangements: except the temple wall. Smend, who favours the goings out thereof, and the oominga in the second view of the preceding verse, thereof, i.e. its exits and entre.noes (oh. xliv. considers this verse ns a complaint age.inst 5)1 and all the forms thereof, which can only the kings for having erected their royal resi- meanjthe shapes of its several parts ; and all dence oo Mount Zion, in the immediate the ordinanoea thereof, or regulations con• vicinity of the temple; but as David's palace oeming its use in worship, and all the forms was older than the temple, it is not likely thereof-the same words as e.bove, and there- Ezekiel was guilty of perverting history in fore omitted by the LXX. as well as some the manner tuis hypothesis would imply. Hebrew manuscripts, and, e.fter their example, VGr. 9.-l!fow let them put away their by Dathe, Hitzig, Ewald, Bmend, and others, whoredom, etc. What he.s just been decle.red though Keil, Kliefoth, Sohroder, and others cu. nur.1-27.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 367