Ezekiel 12:4 Komentář

Though the vision of God's glory had gone up from the prophet, yet his word comes to him still, and is by him sent to the people, and to the same purport with that which was discovered to him in the vision, namely, to set forth the terrible judgments that were coming upon Jerusalem, by which the city and temple should be entirely laid waste. In this chapter, I. The prophet, by removing his stuff, and quitting his lodgings, must be a sign to set forth Zedekiah's flight out of Jerusalem in the utmost confusion when the Chaldeans took the city (v. 1-16). II. The prophet, by eating his meat with trembling, must be a sign to set forth the famine in the city during the siege, and the consternation that the inhabitants should be in (Eze 12:17-20). III. A message is sent from God to the people, to assure them that all these predictions should have their accomplishment very shortly, and not be deferred, as they flattered themselves they would be (Eze 12:21-28).

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 12 In this chapter, under the sign of the prophet's removing household goods, is represented the removal of the king of Judah and his people from their own land into captivity; and under another sign, of the prophet's eating and drinking with quaking, and trembling, and carefulness, is set forth, either the famine that should be during the siege of Jerusalem, or the desolations following the taking of it; and the chapter is concluded with a reproof of the Jews flattering themselves that these prophecies respected times a great way off, and therefore hoped they would never be accomplished. The preface to the first sign is in Eze 12:1; which describes the people of the Jews as rebellious, and given up to judicial blindness and hardness; and suggests the cause of all their calamities: the order to prepare goods for removing, to show to the people; for digging a wall; carrying the stuff out in their sight, on his shoulders, at twilight; and covering his face when he did it, is in Eze 12:3; the execution of this order, which is declared in part for the whole, is in Eze 12:7; then follows the explication of this sign, Eze 12:8; and the application of it, first to King Zedekiah, in whom should be fulfilled several of the particulars mentioned, Eze 12:12; and to the people about him, and his army that should be scattered and fall by the sword, Eze 12:14; the end of which should be, that the Lord should be known, his power, truth, and righteousness, by a few that should escape the famine, pestilence, and sword, Eze 12:15. The second sign, with the explication and application of it, is in Eze 12:17; and the chapter is closed with a reproof of the Jews; the proverbial expression they used, and which the Lord resented, is cited Eze 12:21; and the prophet is bid to assure them that it should cease, or there should be no room for it; and also every vain vision and flattering divination, Eze 12:23; and that the word of the Lord should not be prolonged, but should quickly and certainly be accomplished; and that their hopes of the contrary were in vain, Eze 12:25.

Dig thou through the wall in their sight,.... The wall of the house where he was, as an emblem of the city of Jerusalem closely besieged, from whence there was no escape but by digging through the wall this showed the manner in which Zedekiah made his escape, by the way of the gate, between the two walls which was by the king's garden, Jer 52:7; and carry out thereby; not his stuff, as before; but provisions for himself, necessary for his journey or flight; as no doubt Zedekiah and those with him did.

(Ver. 4 seqq.) And you shall bring out your baggage like the baggage of an exile by day in their sight. And you shall go out in the evening before them, as one goes out into exile before their eyes. Dig through the wall for yourself, and you shall go out through it in their sight. You shall bear your baggage on your shoulders (Vulgate: you shall be carried): you shall escape in darkness (Vulgate: you shall be brought out). You shall cover your face, and you shall not see the ground: for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel. LXX: And you shall bring out your vessels of captivity by day in their sight. And you shall go out in the evening in their sight, as a captive goes out. Dig for yourself through the wall, and you shall pass through it in their sight. You shall be carried on your shoulders and go out in hiding. You shall cover your face, and you shall not see the ground, for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel. The prophet is commanded to act in a manner that Sedecias will do in truth. Gather, he says, your belongings (for these are the vessels of the one who is crossing over), while they are watching. And after they have seen what you are going to do, you will go out in the evening in the likeness of the one who is crossing over. We read that Zedekiah, with the wall secretly pierced, fled during the night to the deserts of the Jordan, and there he was captured by the Babylonians, and this signifies the wall being pierced. But when he says, 'you will carry on your shoulders,' your belongings are understood, and whatever they are accustomed to carry as a solace on the journey while fleeing. In the darkness you will escape ((or: you will lead out)); may you not be seen by anyone. You will cover your face, or by the blindness that befell him, the eyes will be plucked out by Nebuchadnezzar; or so that it is not recognized that he himself is the king, and the concern of the servants will be greater. And what follows: And you will not see the land, that signifies that he who is blind is led into Babylon, and will not see it. For I have given you as a portent to the house of Israel: for both the words and the deeds of the prophets have been spoken and fulfilled as a sign and a figure. And in Zechariah, extraordinary men are called, because they foreshadow the future (Zech. III). And in Hosea, God says: I have been compared to the hands of the prophets (Hosea XII, 10). But those who want to understand Christ in the person of Ezekiel, take the vessels of captivity to mean the human body, and the pierced wall through which he broke the bars of hell, and rising, he appeared to the believers alone; carried on their shoulders when he ascended as the victor to heaven with the angelic powers, and he came forth in concealment and veiled his face, so that the divine majesty might not be seen in mortal flesh, and he does not see the earth, lest the earth shine in his eyes, which does not deserve to see him. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the just (Ps. XXXIII, 16), and his face is turned away from the wicked. But they say that all these things were done in order to convert the hard hearts of the Israelite people to faith through the likeness of a man. And it is given as a sign to the house of Israel; according to what is written: Behold this child is set for the fall, and for the resurrection of many, and for a sign which shall be contradicted (Luke II, 24).

The prophet proceeds, by a variety of types and parables, to convince those of the captivity that their brethren who were left behind to sustain the miseries of a siege and the insults of a conqueror, would be in a much worse condition than they who were already settled in a foreign land. In the beginning of this chapter he foretells the approaching captivity of Judah by action instead of words, Eze 12:1-7. He predicts particularly the flight, capture, captivity, and sufferings of Zedekiah and his followers, Eze 12:8-16, compared with Jer 52:11. He is to eat his food with trembling and signs of terror, as an emblem of the consternation of the Jews when surrounded by their enemies, Eze 12:17-20; and then he answers the objections and bywords of scoffers and infidels, who either disbelieved his threatening or supposed the accomplishment of them very distant, Eze 12:21-28. Josephus (Antiq. 11:10) tells us that Zedekiah thought the prophecy of Ezekiel in the thirteenth verse inconsistent with that of Jeremiah, (Jer 34:3), and resolved to believe neither. Both, however, were literary fulfilled; and the event convinced him that they were not irreconcilable. Thus, blinded by infidelity, sinners rush on to that destruction against which they are sufficiently warned.

EZEKIEL'S TYPICAL MOVING TO EXILE: PROPHECY OF ZEDEKIAH'S CAPTIVITY AND PRIVATION OF SIGHT: THE JEWS' UNBELIEVING SURMISE AS TO THE DISTANCE OF THE EVENT REPROVED. (Eze. 12:1-28) eyes to see, and see not, . . . ears to hear, and hear not--fulfilling the prophecy of Deu 29:4, here quoted by Ezekiel (compare Isa 6:9; Jer 5:21). Ezekiel needed often to be reminded of the people's perversity, lest he should be discouraged by the little effect produced by his prophecies. Their "not seeing" is the result of perversity, not incapacity. They are wilfully blind. The persons most interested in this prophecy were those dwelling at Jerusalem; and it is among them that Ezekiel was transported in spirit, and performed in vision, not outwardly, the typical acts. At the same time, the symbolical prophecy was designed to warn the exiles at Chebar against cherishing hopes, as many did in opposition to God's revealed word, of returning to Jerusalem, as if that city was to stand; externally living afar off, their hearts dwelt in that corrupt and doomed capital.

by day--in broad daylight, when all can see thee. at even--not contradicting the words "by day." The baggage was to be sent before by day, and Ezekiel was to follow at nightfall [GROTIUS]; or, the preparations were to be made by day, the actual departure was to be effected at night [HENDERSON]. as they that go forth into captivity--literally, "as the goings forth of the captivity," that is, of the captive band of exiles, namely, amid the silent darkness: typifying Zedekiah's flight by night on the taking of the city (Jer 39:4; Jer 52:7).