(Matt. xxiii. 37.) The mirror of human perversity is at the same time the mirror of divine grace, Rom. v. 20.

ing to Cocc., the message is meant for the heathen, that these might not ascribe the fate of the Jews to their Bel, inasmuch as Jehovah has caused it to be represented three years before by 2. "If any one is so far enlightened that he is Ezekiel.-Comp. besides ver. 10. The inhabitable to see and understand what is necessary, then ants of Jerusalem may possibly be (in accord- it may be said that he has eyes to see, etc. The dance with ch. xi. 15) those who at the time natural (unregenerate) man perceiveth not, etc. were still there, although in the condition during (1 Cor. ii. 14). But any one may also be so far the impending siege (so Hengst.). But in con- enlightened that he sees much, and by this means nection with the preceding sign they are rather he may be brought to see what is necessary to be the poorest remnants of the people still remain-seen; and especially that he recognises the word ing on the soil of Israel (7, comp. on ch. vii. 2) after the flight of the king and the leading captive of the people, Jer. xxxix. 10, lii. 16. And such an explanation corresponds also with (ch. iv. 17) is meant (according to Hitzig) to be a particle assigning the reason: because their land, stripped of its fulness, will become stiff; that is to say, their torpid amazement mirrors forth the motionless stiffening of the land. Certainly with more correctness, and more in accordance with the context: their

what follows.

misery will cause the land's also (N, .e. Jerusalem's), which is the design of Jehovah; they will in their anxiety and anguish content themselves with mere necessaries (bread and water), and not cultivate its fruitfulness, etc. According to the other explanation, the invasion of the enemy will leave the land waste behind them. Comp. besides ch. vii. 23, viii. 17.Ver. 20. Ch. vi. 6.-Cocc. (comp. above) refers the clause: "and ye know," etc., to the heathen, the Chaldeans, just as in ver. 16.

DOCTRINAL REFLECTIONS.

which contains the true wisdom as being God's word. Those who have come this length may, however, neither see nor hear what is necessary to be seen and heard, in so far as they cannot rightly judge of what they see and hear, through the opposition of their fleshly wisdom, which perverts God's words. Such parties no longer err in the usual way, but are hardened, so that they fancy their error is God's word. They are also difficult to cure.

God's word is disobedience. For fleshly wisdom The cause of one's not understanding and the love of it is in truth disobedience" (Cocc.).

The

the history of the Jews, in a good as well as a bad
3. From the importance which is attached in
sense, yea, in the highest sense (i.e. the Messi-
anic), to the king, in asking whom (1 Sam.) the
people at first expressed their wish to be "like
the other nations," we can understand the express
symbolical representation, in this special and pre-
eminent way, of the fate of Zedekiah.
mass of mischief is concentrated first of all in the
king," for which Hävernick adduces as a farther
reason "the existing circumstances," among which
"the political faithlessness and dishonesty of the
king, as well as his anti-theocratic conduct, his
idolatry, his mockery of all prophetic warnings
and threatenings,' were prominent, "although
he was in Jerusalem and aniong the exiles the idol
of trust." Hengst. in this connection designates
the king as "the centre of their dreams of the
future, which were preventing repentance."

1. When Stephen (according to Acts vii. 51) brings the charge against the Jews, that they were always resisting (TTTT-using this strong and, in the New Testament, unusual expression) the Holy Ghost, that they, like their fathers, were 4. The prediction in our chapter-of which stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, Tholuck (The Prophets and their Predictions, p. we need not, with the expositors since Hävernick, 108) gives the following estimate, that " against fall back upon Deut. xxix. 3 [4]; and this the less, the prophetic character of the passage no critical as the meaning is certainly somewhat different in objection is raised from any quarter; the genuinethis so-called fundamental passage. In Isa. vi. ness of the book and the integrity of the passage 9, 10 it may be made use of as a text; Ezekiel, are beyond a doubt; that divergent interpretations like Jeremiah (ch. v. 21 sq.), has to do with the bad found no place; and that reference is made merely national character of the Jewish people. The to its fulfilment according to the authentic testi'perverse will" is brought into special promi- mony of history "-ought properly to have been nence by both prophets, as Hävernick remarks, removed from all the attempts at half or wholly continuing as follows: "a feature which runs naturalistic interpretation, by the repeated divine through their whole history, down to the appear explanation that it is a "mopheth" (see the exance of the Redeemer." But who will be able to planation of the word at ver. 6). Nevertheless, deny that in this way, in the bad character of the while Eichhorn and Hitzig decree simply a proJews as a nation, the corrupt nature of fallen phecy after the event, and while Ewald makes it humanity as a whole is portrayed? This people out that the prophet had happy presages, correct have merely exhibited it carried to its farthest foresight, Umbreit attempts as far as possible to consequences, inasmuch as they were placed in a keep the text free from what might press us to position, by means of the law and the prophets, the acceptance of a supernatural prediction. and lastly God's Son, where they must either let the other hand, Josephus even (Ântiq. x. 10. 11) their wills be broken or ruin themselves. But has in his mind our prophetic testimony when then, farther, as the Jews are a standing historical he tells us how Zedekiah may not have been able decision with respect to natural men, so, on the to give credence to Ezekiel, because he said that other hand, in contrast with their national cha- the king would not see Babylon, whereas Jeremiah racter (here also: "perhaps they will see?"), we had prophesied to him that he would be carried have mirrored forth all the riches of divine long-captive thither. To Nitzsch, the prediction of suffering and patience. "Ye would not, "-this on the one hand; but on the other: "how often would I have gathered thy children together!"

On

occurrences resting on divine communication is neither so impossible as Cicero asserted it, nor so useless or even hurtful as Kant attempted to

show. The prediction sustains interest in this ofttimes squeeze themselves through the most way, by announcing a result which could not miserable wretched hole" (STCK.).-Ver. 6. The have been known beforehand by any human earthly mind will see only the earth-nay, such means. Even in the case where the foreknowledge an one will at length become earth; yet, when is of no use, it may yet awaken a wholesome the eye is darkened, and the gloom of death covers attention, and, confirmed by the result, it may, everything, he will no longer see even the earth. by producing a testimony for persons and affairs, -Ver. 7. "Such things would call to mind the come to serve important ends in other directions. days of Noah and Lot" (CALV.). J. D. Michaelis holds the view that the exact announcement beforehand was of service against the communis sensus of polytheism at the time, when even among the Jews the faith in one God alone kept its ground only in a sickly way, as being to every one an easily understood and irrefragable confirmation of the true religion. One may have recourse to the genius of great minds, their far-reaching historical glance in certain cases; may lay stress upon the secret power of divination in the human mind, the connection of the human conscience with the judicial steps of the moral order of the world (HERZOG, Realencycl. xvii. 640 sq.); but what Ezekiel here expresses in symbol, he knows he has received from Jehovah's mouth, and every criticism of this consciousness runs the risk either of accusing the prophet of self-deception, or even of making him a hypocritical deceiver, especially where a chapter like the 13th follows.

HOMILETIC HINTS.

Ver. 8. God's grace is new every morning. They who seek Him early find Him; and those who ask after Him will be answered by Him.Ver. 9. There is something precious about a right question.-Ver. 10. "Princes are called exalted, but certainly not because they are to exalt themselves; for He that is enthroned in heaven knows how to humble princes even" (STCK.).-"Every ruler, prince, or king, however little he may have taken up upon his shoulders, will at least be compelled to bear the burden of his sins and the wrath of God, which will fall heavily enough upon him, provided the burden of his duties has been sitting easily upon him (BERL. BIB.)." God does not overlook the mighty even when they sin, but makes them feel His heavy hand" (STARKE).

"

God's judgment on a land embraces prince and people alike, although a people may also have God's judgment already in their prince, and a prince may have it in his people.-Ver. 12. "The ungodly walk about with a bold countenance, but in the judgment they will conceal it " (STCK.). Ver. 1 sq.: "We ought not, therefore, to allow-Ver. 13. First the net of pleasure and vanity, ourselves to be deterred either by the view that we then the net of death and hell.-"He that lives ourselves and the doctrine which we teach would wildly is hunted and taken like the wild beasts" be rejected, or even by the impression that we (STCK.).-God a fisher and hunter.-Ver. 14. would be engaged in something ridiculous" Of what avail to the sinner all his imagined (CALV.).—"Rebelliousness does not spring from succours and pretended helpers?" (STCK.)-We weakness, but from wickedness" (STCK.)."How will by and by withdraw our confidence from all many there are who are sharpsighted in earthly and creatures.--The Eternal blew, and the Armada temporal things, and who know how to turn every- was scattered to all the winds of heaven.—“If thing prudently to their own advantage, but who, God is our enemy, we have no friend in heaven on the other hand, in what is spiritual, are found to or upon earth" (STCK.).-Ver. 15. Alas that we the last degree blind and stupid, as well as incap- should become wise only by injury, and should able of faith! Hence they have ears likewise to come to know God only from experience of punhearken to what pleases the flesh, and to the talk ishment, instead of tasting and thus seeing how and lies of the false prophets, but they have no ears good the Lord is! - Ver. 16. Thus it is that to hear God's voice. They hear and hear, but not God receives honour because of His righteousness, with obedience and faith" (BERL. BIB.).-"They when His grace is despised.-"God blesses the had ears to hear, because from youth up they were chastisements which He sends forth upon His instructed in the law of God, and the threatenings people to unbelievers also" (STARKE). were held up before them by the prophets (CALV.). The natural blindness and deafness of man in spiritual things causing God to proclaim His word. The wilful blindness and intentional deafness of him who yields to God with suffering and affliction. The blindness and deafness which God hangs as punishment over the hardened sinner. Ver. 19. "That one is able to eat and drink -Ver. 3 sq. "Perhaps they will see?' Thus in rest and peace is a great benefit from God, but God leaves nothing untried: this is the exercise one that is not known by the thousandth part of of His long-suffering and patience." When we men" (STARKE). -"Jerusalem and her inhabitsee that others are falling into misfortune, trouble, ants are eloquent orators, and preach with uncadversity, we ought to reflect: This is a sign to tion" (STCK.).-Ver. 20. "If one will not learn me, and ought to apply it to our own improvement, to know God from His benefits, then he must Luke xiii. 2, 3 (WÜRTEMB. BIB.).-Ver. 5. often do so in the midst of punishment, Dan. iv. "What fear can do! For it no door was high 30, 31" (STARKE). Thus the wilderness was nough or broad enough; in their flight they | Israel's school, and became Israel's judgment.

Ver. 18. "Only those who have their standing in grace can eat their bread without fear and carefulness" (STARKE).-It is not in vain that Christ has taught us the petition: Give us this day our daily bread.-"A verse which we may read with profit in the midst of plenty" (STCK.).

21, 22

3. THE NEAR EXECUTION OF THE PUNISHMENT (CH. XII. 21-XXIV. 27).

1. The Repeated Preliminary Announcement (ch. xii. 21-28).

And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, what [meaneth] this proverb of yours upon the land of Israel, saying, The days are pro23 longed; and every vision comes to nought? Say unto them therefore, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel: but speak unto them, The days are at 24 hand, and the word of every vision. For there shall be no more any vision 25 of deceit nor flattering divination in the midst of the house of Israel. For I, Jehovah, will speak whatever word I will speak, and it will [shall] come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged, for [but] in your days, O house of rebelliousness, I will speak a word, and perform it: sentence of the Lord Jehovah. 26, 27 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, behold the house of Israel, who say, The vision that he seeth is for many days, and he 28 prophesieth for [of] times afar off. Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: There shall none of my words be prolonged any more; the word which I shall speak shall be done: sentence of the Lord Jehovah.

Ver. 24. Sept.:
. . . και μαντευομενος τα προς χάριν.-(Another read:
, all the versions.)

EXEGETICAL REMARKS.

חדל

.and divination shall cease ,ומקסם

the days in which every predicted word shall be Announcement of the end as one that is near, realized. (HENGST: "as against a merely parand that repeated (ver. 26 sq.). For after the tial fulfilment, as if the prophets had exaggerated wind-up, as it were, which precedes, with the somewhat," etc.)-Ver. 24. As there is also a misery coming upon land and people, there re- false (2 Pet. ii. 1) prophecy (N), - -mere divinamained only the announcement of the same, pretion (pp), which deceives in the way of flatliminary to its near occurrence. Hitherto it has been a going back upon ch. vi., now we have a return to what was said in ch. vii.

: T

tery with its smoothness, the divinely inspired prophecy is distinguished first of all from it, as Ver. 22. Derived as it is from a verb meaning: the following contrast shows, and as will, of course. to go before, to lead, to preside,-to represent some- be shown still more in ch. xiii. There shall be thing, to signify, -to pronounce a sentence, etc., no more, etc., is parallel with: "and they shall Sip is equivalent to "maxim," the form being no more use it as a proverb in Israel" (ver. 23): that mocking proverb had taken shape with the always that of similitude, proverb, derisive verse help of the false prophecy in Israel. Hence in (Isa. xiv. 4). Here also not without the derisive Ver. 25 a co-ordinate or resumed. The diselement. The common saying, in which the current sentiment among those still dwelling in junctive accent (rebi) over nin makes "I Jethe land of Israel (ver. 19) had found for itself suitable expression (beati possidentes), derided the of true prophecy sets Himself face to face with a sentence by itself, so that the Author Eternal in His prophets by means of the comfort of the time, that the time is passing away, and In like manner, pashta at the end of what was alleged to be seen in vision is passing acts as a disjunctive, while the conjunctive away with it; as nothing is coming out of it, so telisha-kethannah with connects what folneither shall there be anything in it. The days

hovah

the false.

that are being prolonged may refer to Jeremiah's lows. Jehovah reserves for Himself uncontrolled
long ago uttered prediction of ruin; comp. too on power to speak, and almighty power to make it
ch. xi. 3.- combines the prophet with the good. And with this is joined the statement
that there will be no farther delay, no longer
mockers, as being his people. On such fellow-postponement (with reference to that proverb):
ship of the servants of God with their people is
based at last in a pre-eminent sense the relation of
the incarnate Son of God to the human race (Ex.
xvi. 28).—Ver. 23. a, prophetic preterite:
"to bring to rest; after the trouble they give
themselves, their inventive labours, comes the
Sabbath of Jehovah (Gen. ii. 1 sq.).-Are at hand
(ch. ix. 1, xi. 3), in contrast with the preceding:
"are prolonged."— 77, the verbal con-

tents of every vision of His prophets,-the word, and the thing meant i y the word. Keil rightly:

in your days (Matt. xvi. 28, xxiv. 34), there-
fore with a subjective, personal application. Such
a fulfilment of the divine prediction will at the
same time be the end of the false divination,
which by this very means is covered with dis-
grace. In some sense also the I Jehovah, as
being Messianic, is contrasted with preceding pro-
phecy in general. Comp. besides on ver. 2, ch.
xi. 8.

In Ver. 27 there follows the more objective
application, referring to the matter itself. The
statement that if there is a prophecy at all that
will yet be fulfilled, it at all events refers to times

that are far off (Dan. viii. 26, 17), is rejected by resisted the sinful consciousness and life of unbethe Lord as regards Ezekiel. Before it was a mock-lief, and was resisted by it (Amos vi. 3). It is the ery of Jehovah, here we have a mockery of His nature of sin to reckon itself to be no sin, and prophet rather in the words quoted.-Ver. 28. hence as far as possible to break up the connecSee as to the feminine en here, as in ver. 25, tion and separate between sin and punishment" (Häv.). EWALD, Gram. § 295a.

they only who are taught of God, and kept by the power of His Spirit, can expect to resist the swelling tide of delusion, and maintain even the appearance of godliness."-FAIRBAIRN's Ezekiel, pp. 124-126.-W. F.]

HOMILETIC HINTS.

Ver. 22. "God spares the ungodly, and thereby invites them to repentance. But what is it they do? They scoff at the servants of God, and reckon their words to be idle tales" (HEIMHOFF.).—“Thus they despised the riches of divine goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, and instead of allowing themselves to be led thereby to repentance, after their hardness and impenitent heart they treasured up unto themselves wrath, etc., Rom. ii. 4, 5; 2 Pet. iii.

spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Then, along with a prevailing ignorance or forgetfulness of this great truth, there is the fascinating influence which is apt to be wielded over men's minds by the onward movements of society in knowledge and civilisation. Here they find an attractive contrast to the stationary character of the ground and objects of faith. For everything in this lower field seems constantly in progress, and big with hope for the future. It is deemed incredible, that while such vital powers are at work, and such a career of advancement is in prospect, God should lay a sudden arrest on the vast machinery, and wind up the affairs of the world by bringing in the fixed and final issues of eternity. Nay, the belief of a personal God, separate from the workmanship of his own hands, and capable of suddenly introducing a state of things altogether new, is, in many quarters, fast giving way. In a new and peculiarly subtle form, the old carnal and idolatrous tendencies are reviving, impiously commingling the divine and human, identifying the creature with the Creator. And, judging from present appearances, there is too much reason to conclude that, precisely as before Christ came to execute judgment upon Jerusalem, a rage for worldly saviours was one of the reigning delusions of the time, so, as the period draws on for His coming to execute judgment upon the world, a like rage will prevail for a worldly gospel, ---one that will seek to confound heaven and earth, God and man, and, in a manner, possibly even more daring and presumptuous than in the Papacy, will dispose man to 'exalt himself in the temple of God, and show himself that he is God.' What need, then, for those who would escape the condemnation of the wicked, to look-Vers. 27, 28: "What God says we are not to well to the foundation of their faith, and to see that this stands not in the wisdom of man, but in the word of God! How careful should each be to dwell beside the fountain of Israel! For times of trial manifestly are coming, in which

1, 2

(Cocc.).-Ver. 23. The Sabbath which awaits the proverbs of the world, when every tongue which has not suffered itself to be hallowed to the Lord shall be hallowed to the Lord by the judgment of condemnation. To be compelled to confess that Jesus is Lord is indeed a terrible Sabbath, if one has not otherwise hallowed Him. -The lying mouths which God's word cannot stop are removed by God's deeds.-Ver. 24. Prophecy and roughness, these go hand in hand among a sinful people" (HENGST.). — “If Jesus, who came after the Babylonian captivity, had been a false prophet, or His disciples, as the Jews assert, then must the promise of this verse have been false" (Cocc.).-"And so also shall all flattering representations of a flourishing state of the Church, which have sprung from reason and fleshly learning, come to an end" (BERL. BIB.).

separate from its fulfilment, because God who speaks is not in Himself divided; when He opens His mouth, He stretches out His hand at the same time to the work, so that the hand itself is in a manner included in the word” (CALV.).

2. The Discourses against the False Prophets and Prophetesses (ch. xiii.).

And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy unto the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say unto the prophets out of 3 their own heart, Hear ye the word of Jehovah; Thus saith the Lord Jehovah : Woe unto the foolish prophets, who walk after their own spirit, and that they 4 have not seen! Like foxes in the ruins have thy prophets become, O Israel. 5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps [breaches], nor built a wall round the house of 6 Israel, to make a stand in the war in the day of Jehovah. They beheld deceit and lying divination who say, Sentence of Jehovah,-and Jehovah sent them 7 not, and expect confirmation of a word. Saw ye not a deceitful vision, and spake ye not a lying divination, and [that while] saying, Sentence of Jehovah, and 8 I have not spoken? Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah : Because ye speak deceit, and see a lie, therefore, behold, I am upon you: sentence of the Lord 9 Jehovah. And Mine hand is [comes] upon the prophets that see deceit, and that divine a lie in the assembly of My people shall they not be, and in the register of the house of Israel they shall not be registered, and into the land of Israel 10 shall they not come; and ye know that I am the Lord Jehovah. Because, even because they seduced My people, saying, Peace [salvation], and there is no peace; and they [.e. the people] build a wall, and, lo, they [i.e. the false prophets] daub it with 11 a coating. Say unto them which daub with a coating: And it shall fall: there comes a pouring rain; and ye, O hailstones, shall fall, and stormy wind shall 12 [thou, O stormy wind, shalt] break forth. And, lo, the wall falls; shall not one say unto