The desolation of A. M. 3417. Anno Ol. XLVIII. 2. Tarquinii Prisci, R. Roman., 30. in the land of the living. EZEKIEL. u different states. A. M. 3417. Anno OL. XLVIII. 2. Tarquinii Prisci, R. Roman., 30. multitude her graves are round lie with the uncircumcised, and 27 And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living. 28 Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword. 29. There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall o Ver. 19, 20, &c.- -P Ver. 21; Isa. xiv. 18, 19.- - Heb. with weapons of their war. Chap. xxv. 12, &c. Verse 27. Gone down to hell with their weapons of war] Are buried in their armour, and with their weapons lying by their sides. It was a very ancient practice, in different nations, to bury a warrior's weapons in the same grave with himself. Verse 29. There is Edom] All the glory and pomp of the Idumean kings, who also helped to oppress the Israelites, are gone down into the grave. Their kings, princes, and all their mighty men lie mingled with the uncircumcised, not distinguished from the common dead: "Where they an equal honour share, Verse 30. There be the princes of the north] The kings of Media and Assyria, and all the Zidonians the kings of Tyre, Sidon, and Damascus. See Calmet. 32 For I have caused my terror in the land of the living and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his mul titude, saith the Lord GOD. Heb. given, or put. Chap. xxxviii. 6, 15; xxxix. 2.xxviii. 21. Chap. xxxi. 16. Ch. Verse 31. Pharaoh shall see them] Pharaoh also, who said he was a god, shall be found among the vulgar dead. And shall be comforted] Shall console himself, on finding that all other proud boasters are in the same circumstances with himself. Here is a reference to a consciousness after death. Verse 32. I have caused my terror in the land of the living] I have spread dismay, through Judea, the land of the living God, where the living oracles were delivered, and where the upright live by faith. When Pharaoh-necho came against Josiah, defeated, and slew him at Megiddo, fear and terror were spread through all the land of Judea; and the allusion here is probably to that circumstance. But even he is now laid with the uncircumcised, and is no more to be distinguished from the common dead. Much of the phraseology of this chapter may be illustrated by comparing it with Isa. xiv., where see the notes, which the intelligent reader will do well to consult. CHAPTER XXXIII. The prophet, after having addressed several other nations, returns now to his own; previously to which he is told, as on a former occasion, the duty of a watchman, the salvation or ruin of whose soul depends on the manner in which he discharges it. An awful passage indeed; full of important instruction both to such as speak, and to such as hear, the word of God, 1-9. The prophet is then directed what answer to make to the cavils of infidelity and impiety; and to vindicate the equity of the Divine government by declaring the general terms of acceptance with God to be (as told before, chap. xviii.) without respect of persons; so that the ruin of the finally impenitent must be entirely owing to themselves, 10-20. The prophet receives the news of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, about a year and four months after it happened, according to the opinion of some, who have been led to this conjecture by the date given to this prophecy in the twenty-first verse, as it stands in our common Version: but some of the manuscripts of this prophet consulted by Dr. Kennicott have in this place the ELEVENTH year, which is probably the genuine reading. To check the vain confidence of those who expected to hold out by possessing themselves of its other fastnesses, the utter désolation of all Judea is foretold, 21–29. of the watchman. Ezekiel is informed that among those that attended his instructions were a great number of hypocrites, against whom he delivers a most awful message. When the Lord is destroying these hypocrites, then shall they know that there hath been a prophet among them, 30-33. - Ol. XLVIII. 1. Tarquinii Prisci, R. Roman., cir. annum 29. b came unto me, saying, C d a 2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. e 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. 7h So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of a Chap. iii. 11.- Chap. xiv. 17. Heb. A land when I bring a sword upon her. — d 2 Sam. xviii. 24, 25; 2 Kings ix. 17; ver. 7; Hos. ix, 8. e Heb. he that hearing heareth. Chap. xviii. 13.— Ver. 8. Chap. iii. 17, &c. Chap. xxiv. 23. So Isa. xlix. 14; chap. xxxvii. 11.-12 Sam. xiv. 14; NOTES ON CHAP. XXXIII. Verse 2. Son of man-if the people of the land take a man] The first ten verses of this chapter are the same with chap. iii. 17-22; and to what is said there on this most important and awful subject I must refer the reader. Here the PEOPLE choose the watch man; there, the Lord appoints him. When God chooses, the people should approve. Verse 10. If our transgressions and our sins be upon us] They are upon us, as a grievous burden, too weighty for us to bear: how then can we live under such a load? We pine away in them] In such circumstances how 10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we i pine away in them, how should we then live? n k 11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, 1I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for m why will ye die, O house of Israel? 12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. 13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. 14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 15 If the wicked restore the pledge, t give again that he had robbed, walk in the stachap. xviii. 23, 32; 2 Pet. iii. 9.- Chap. xviii. 31. Chap. iii. 20; xviii. 24, 26, 27.- -o 2 Chron. vii. 14.- —P Chap. iii. 20; xviii. 24.4 Chap. iii. 18, 19; xviii. 27. Heb. judgment and justice.—s Chap. xviii. 7. Exod. xxii. 1, 4; Lev. vi. 2, 4, 5; Num. v. 6, 7; Luke xix. 8. consoling is that word: Lev. xviii. 5; chap. xx. 11, 13, 21. "Come unto me, all ye who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!” Verse 11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked] From this to the twentieth verse inclusive is nearly the same with chap. xviii., on which I wish the reader to consult the notes. 1 Verse 13. If he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity] If he trust in his acting according to the statutes and ordinances of religion, and according to the laws relative to rights and wrongs among men, and in other respects commit iniquity, he shall die for it. 16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live. 17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. 18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. of the watchman, 23 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, e A. M. 3416. B. C. 588." Ol. XLVIII. 1. Anno 24 Son of man, they that in- Tarquinii Prisci, habit those f wastes of the land R. Roman., 29. of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance. 25 Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and * lift up your eyes towards your idols, and 1 shed blood and shall ye possess the land? : 1 26 m Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye " defile every one his 19 But if the wicked turn from his wicked-neighbour's wife and shall ye possess the ness, and do that which is lawful and right, he land? shall live thereby. 20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways. 21 And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, a that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten. b 22 Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; d and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb. W Chap. xviii. 22.- Ver. 20; chap. xviii. 25, 29.- Chap. xviii. 26, 27. -y Ver. 17; chap. xviii. 25, 29.-z Chap. i. 2. a Chap. xxiv. 26.-2 Kings xxv. 4. Chap. i. 3.-d Chap. xxiv: 27. Chap. xxxiv. 2.- Ver. 27; chap. xxxvi. 4. 8 Isa. li. 2; Acts vii. 5.- See Mic. iii. 11; Matt. iii. 9; John viii. 39. Verse 19. He shall live thereby] "The wages of sin is death;" the "gift of God is eternal life." It is a miserable trade by which a man cannot live; such a trade is sin. Verse 21. In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month] Instead of the twelfth year, the eleventh is the reading of seven of Kennicott's MSS., one of De Rossi's, and the Syriac. My own, mentioned in the preceding chapter, reads with the present text. This was on Wednesday, Jan. 25, A. M. 3416 or 3417. One that had escaped out of Jerusalem] After it had been taken by the Chaldeans. Came unto me, saying, THE CITY IS SMITTEN.] This very message God had promised to the prophet, chap. χχίν. 26. Verse 22. My mouth was opened] They had now the fullest evidence that I had spoken from the Lord. I therefore spoke freely and fully what God delivered to me, chap. xxiv. 27. 27 Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts 9 to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. 8 28 and the For I will lay the land most desolate, u pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. 29 Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed. iGen. ix. 4; Lev. iii. 17; vii. 26; xvii. 10; xix. 26; Deut. xii. 16.- Chap. xviii. 6.- Chap. xxii. 6, 9.- Wisd. ii. 11. n Chap. xviii. 6; xxii. 11. Ver. 24.P Chap. xxxix. 4. 9 Heb. to devour him. Judg. vi. 2; 1 Sam. xiii. 6. Jer. xliv. 2, 6, 22; chap. xxxvi. 34, 35.- - Heb. desolation and desolaChap. vii. 24; xxiv. 21; xxx. 6, 7.- Chap. vi. 2, 3, 6. tion. inherit the land when he was alone, and had the whole to himself, why may we not expect to be established here, who are his posterity, and are many? They wished to remain in the land and be happy after the Chaldeans had carried the rest away captives. Verse 25. Ye eat with the blood] Abraham was righteous, ye are unrighteous. Eating of blood, in any way dressed, or of flesh from which the blood had not been extracted, was and is in the sight of God abominable. All such practices he has absolutely and for ever forbidden. Let the vile blood-eaters hear and tremble. See the note on Acts xv. 20, and the passages in the margin. Verse 26. Ye stand upon your sword] Ye live by plunder, rapine, and murder. Ye are every way impure; and shall ye possess the land? No. Verse 27. They that are in the wastes] He seems to speak of those Jews who had fled to rocks, caves, and fortresses, in the mountains; whose death he predicts, partly by the sword, partly by wild beasts, and Verse 24. Abraham was one] If he was called to partly by famine. 514 ( 33* ) Judgments against the A. M. 3416. B. C. 588. W 30 Also, thou son of man, the not do them: for with their Ol. XLVIII. children of thy people still are mouth they show much love, Tarquinii Prisci, talking against thee by the but their heart goeth after their R. Roman, 29. walls and in the doors of the covetousness. houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. W w Or, of thee. Isa. xxix. 13. -y Chap. xiv. 1; xx. 1, &c. Heb. according to the coming of the people.- — Or, my people set before thee. Verse 30. The people still are talking against thee] bach should be rather translated, "concerning thee," than "against thee;" for the following verses show that the prophet was much respected. The Vulgate translates, de te; the Septuagint, Tepi dov, "concerning thee;" both right. 32 And, lo, thou art unto them as fa a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. 33 And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then 1 shall they know that a prophet hath been among them. -d Heb Heb. a song of bChap. viii. 1.- e Psa. Ixxviii. 36, 37; Isa. xxix. 13.- e Matt. xiii. 22. With their mouth they show much love] They respected the prophet, but would not bend themselves to follow his precepts. They loved earthly things, and did not relish those of heaven. Verse 32. As a very lovely song] They admired the fine voice and correct delivery of the prophet; this was their religion, and this is the whole of the religion of thousands to the present day; for never were itching ears so multiplied as now, Talking by the walls and in the doors of the houses is not a custom peculiar to the Copts, mentioned by Bp. Pococke; it is a practice among idle people, and among those who are resting from their work, in every Verse 33. When this cometh to pass then shall they country, when the weather permits. Gossiping in the know that a prophet hath been among them.] What I inside of the house is not less frequent, and much more have predicted, (and it is even now at the doors,) then blamable. they will be convinced that there was a prophet among Verse 31. As the people cometh] As they are accus- them, by whose ministry they did not profit as they tomed to come on public days, Sabbaths, &c. ought. CHAPTER XXXIV. The prophet is commanded to declare the dreadful judgments of God against the covetous shepherds of Israel, who feed themselves, and not their flocks; by which emblem the priests and Levites are intended, who in Ezekiel's time were very corrupt, and the chief cause of Israel's apostasy and ruin, 1-10. From this gloomy subject the prophet passes to the blessedness of the true Israel of God under the reign of DàVID, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ being named after this prince by a figure exceedingly frequent in the sacred oracles, of putting the type for the antitype, 11-31. A. M. cir. 3417. the word of the LORD herds of Israel that do feed them- Ol. XLVIII. 2. Tarquinii Prisci, R. Roman., 2 Son of man, prophesy against cir. annum 30. the a shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds, Wo be to the shep a Chap. xxxiii. 24. b b Jer. xxiii. I; Zech. xi. 17.- ———c Isa. lvi. NOTES ON CHAP. XXXIV. Verse 2. Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel] The shepherds include, first, the priests and Levites; secondly, the kings, princes, and magistrates. The flock means the whole of the people. The fat and the wool, the tithes and offerings, the taxes and imposts. The reprehensible feeding and clothing with these, as to the priests and Levites, the using these tithes and offerings, not to enable them the better to fulfil the work of the ministry, but to pamper their own bodies, The unfaithfulness of A. M. cir. 3417. Ol. XLVIII. 2. e 4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye ed, because there is no shep 1 healed that which was sick, herd and they became meat cir. annum 30. neither have ye bound up that to all the beasts of the field, which was broken, neither have ye brought when they were scattered. again that which was driven away, neither have yef sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. Ver. 16; Zech. xi. 16.- Luke xv. 4.- 1 Pet. v. 3. h Chap. xxxiii. 21, 28. A. M. cir. 3417. O1. XLVIII. 2. cir. annum 30. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, 1 Kings xxii. 17; Matt. ix. 36. Or, without a shepherd; and so ver. 8.- Isa. lvi. 9; Jer. xii. 9; ver. 8. ungodly feelings; and with cruelty of disposition that proved it was the fat and the wool they sought, and not the safety or comfort of the flock. Verse 5. And they were scattered] There was no discipline kept up; and the flock, the Church, became disorganized, and separated from each other, both in affection and fellowship. And the consequence was, ers, seized on and made a prey of them. Of the communion of saints such shepherds know nothing, farther than that it makes a part of the common creed. first-fruits, and the offerings of the people; the princes ́ ́received the tributes and imposts; and instead of instructing and protecting them, the latter took away their lives by the cruelties they practised against them : the former destroyed their souls by the poison of their doctrine, and by their bad example. The fat sheep point out the rich, to whom these pastors often disguised the truth, by a cruel condescension and complaisance." the grievous wolves, false and worldly interested teachVerse 4. The diseased have ye not strengthened] No person is fit for the office of a shepherd, who does not well understand the diseases to which sheep are incident, and the mode of cure. And is any man fit for the pastoral office, or to be a shepherd of souls, who is not well acquainted with the disease of sin in all its varieties, and the remedy for this disease, and the proper mode of administering it, in those various cases? He who does not know Jesus Christ as his own Saviour, never can recommend him to others. He who is not saved, will not save. Neither have ye healed that which was sick] The prophet first speaks of the general disease; next, of the different kinds of spiritual infirmity. Neither have ye bound up that which was broken] If a sheep have broken a leg, a proper shepherd knows how to set the bones, and splint and bind it till the bones knit and become strong. And the skilful spiritual pastor knows, if one of the flock be overtaken in a fault, how to restore such. Those sudden falls, where there was not a strong propensity to sin, are, to the soul, as a broken bone to the body, Neither have ye brought again] A proper shepherd loves his sheep: he feels interested for their welfare; he acquaints himself with them all, so that he knows and can distinguish each. He knows also their number, and frequently counts to see that none is missing; if one be lost or strayed, he goes immediately and seeks it; and as he is constantly on the watch, it cannot have strayed far before he is apprised of its absence from the flock; and the less it has strayed, the sooner it is found and brought back to the fold. The shepherds of Israel knew nothing about their flock; they might have been diseased, infirm, bruised, maimed, their limbs broken, strayed, and lost; for they watched not over them. When they got fat sheep and wool for their table and their clothing, they regarded nothing else; as they considered the flock given them -for their own use, and scarcely ever supposed that they were to give any thing in return for the milk and the wool. But with force and with cruelty] Exacting tithes and dues by the strong arm of the law, with the most Verse 6. My sheep wandered through all the mountains] They all became idolaters, and lost the knowledge of the true God. And could it be otherwise while they had such pastors? "Himself a wanderer from the narrow way, His silly sheep, no wonder that they stray !" Reader, if thou be a minister, a preacher, or a person in holy orders, or pretended holy orders, or art one pretending to holy orders, look at the qualifications of a good shepherd as laid down by the prophet. 1. He professes to be a shepherd, and to be qualified for the office. 2. In consequence he undertakes the care of a flock. This supposes that he believes the great Bishop of souls has called him to the pastoral office; and that office implies that he is to give all diligence to save the souls of them that hear him. HIS QUALIFICATIONS. 1. He is skilful; he knows the disease of sin and its consequences; for the Eternal Spirit, by whom he is called, has convinced him of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. 2. He knows well the great remedy for this disease, the passion and sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ. 3. He is skilful, and knows how to apply this remedy. 4. The flock over which he watches is, in its individuals, either,-1. Healthy and sound. 2. Or, in a state of convalescence, returning to health. 3. Or, still under the whole power of the general disease. 4. Or, some are dying in a state of spiritual weakness. 5. Or, some are fallen into sin, and sorely bruised and broken in their souls by that fall. 6. Or, some have been driven away by some sore temptation or cruel usage. 7. Or, some have wandered from the flock, are got into strange pastures, and are perverted by erroneous doctrines. Or, 8. Some wolf has got among |