Ezekiel 16:56 Komentář

Still God is justifying himself in the desolations he is about to bring upon Jerusalem; and very largely, in this chapter, he shows the prophet, and orders him to show the people, that he did but punish them as their sins deserved. In the foregoing chapter he had compared Jerusalem to an unfruitful vine, that was fit for nothing but the fire; in this chapter he compares it to an adulteress, that, in justice, ought to be abandoned and exposed, and he must therefore show the people their abominations, that they might see how little reason they had to complain of the judgments they were under. In this long discourse are set forth, I. The despicable and deplorable beginnings of that church and nation (Eze 16:3-5). II. The many honours and favours God had bestowed upon them (Eze 16:6-14). III. Their treacherous and ungrateful departures from him to the services and worship of idols, here represented by the most impudent whoredom (v. 15-34). IV. A threatening of terrible destroying judgments, which God would bring upon them for this sin (Eze 16:35-43). V. An aggravation both of their sin and of their punishment, by comparison with Sodom and Samaria (v. 44-59). VI. A promise of mercy in the close, which God would show to a penitent remnant (Eze 16:60-63). And this is designed for admonition to us.

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 16 In this chapter the Jewish nation is represented under the simile of a female infant, whose birth, breeding, marriage, grandeur, and conduct, are described, in order to show the wickedness and ingratitude of, his people; who, on account thereof, are threatened with judgments; though mercy is promised to a remnant that should repent. The prophet is directed to make known to Jerusalem her abominable sins, Eze 16:1; and, in order to this, is bid to take up the following parable of a female infant; whose descent, birth, and wretched condition, at the time of it, are pointed at, Eze 16:3; which are expressive of the low and forlorn estate of the Jews originally; and then follow the benefits and blessings of God bestowed upon them, both in their infant and adult state; the preserving them alive in Egypt, and their multiplication there; and afterwards the covenant made with them, when brought out from thence; and the Lord's espousal of them to himself, as his own people, having a strong affection for them, Eze 16:6; the large provision of good things he made for them, both in the wilderness, and especially in the land of Canaan; the riches he bestowed upon them, and the flourishing and prosperous kingdom he raised them to, which made them famous among all the nations round about them, Eze 16:9; and yet, after all this, such was the ingratitude of this people, as to commit spiritual whoredom, that is, idolatry, to a very great degree, Eze 16:15; which is aggravated by their converting and applying the good things which the Lord gave them to idolatrous uses, Eze 16:16; by sacrificing their sons and daughters to idols, which were the Lord's, Eze 16:20; by not calling to mind the former wretched estate out of which they were brought, Eze 16:22; by building high places in every street and way, and there committing idolatries, Eze 16:23; by the various nations, whose examples they followed, and with whom they joined, as the Egyptians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans, Eze 16:26; and by the great difference between them and all other harlots, whom they exceeded, Eze 16:30; wherefore, on account of all this, they are threatened to be dealt with as an adulterous woman; made a spectacle of; condemned to die, to be stripped, stoned, and burned, Eze 16:35; and, that the Lord might appear to be just in executing such judgments on them, they are declared to be as bad as the Hittites and Amorites their parents; and worse than their sisters Samaria and Sodom; and therefore could expect to fare no better than they; and should become proverb and a byword, and bear their sins, shame, and punishment, in the sight of their neighbours, and be despised by them, Eze 16:44; nevertheless, the covenant of grace made with his chosen people among them should stand firm; which being manifested to them, would be a means of bringing them to a sense of sin, shame for it, and an acknowledgment of the Lord's grace and goodness to them Eze 16:60.

Before thy wickedness was discovered,.... By the punishment of it, by the judgments of God brought upon them; then they were humbled, who before were proud and haughty; and might speak and think of the vengeance of God on Sodom, which before they made no mention of. It is a sad thing only to know sin, and to have it discovered only by the punishment of it: as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria, and all that are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines; this seems to refer to the times of Ahaz, when the Syrians smote the men of Judah; and carried many of them captive; and the Philistines invaded the cities of the low country, and southern parts of Judah, and took many of them, Ch2 28:5; at which time the wickedness of the Jews was discovered; and it was a plain case they had sinned against the Lord, by his suffering their enemies to come upon them, and prevail over them; which was to their reproach. The Syrians reproached them, and so did the Philistines: which despise thee round about; they spoiled and plundered them on all sides; and treated them with scorn and contempt, who before were formidable and terrible to them: thus it is with a people when they are left of God, they are despised by men.

(Verse 56 and following) However, your sister Sodom was not heard in your mouth on the day of your pride before your wickedness was revealed, like it is now with the disgrace of the daughters of Syria, and all the daughters of Philistia around you who surround you. You carried your own wickedness and disgrace, says the Lord God. LXX: If your sister Sodom had not been heard in your mouth on the days of your pride before your wickedness was revealed, like it is now with the daughters of Syria, and if this had not been so, what would have happened to you and all the foreign daughters around you who surround you? You carry your impieties and your iniquities. Symmachus interpreted this passage as follows: Because your sister Sodom was not heard through your mouth on the day of your pride, before your disgrace was revealed, like the time of reproach of the daughters of Syria and all the daughters of Palestine around you, who surround you in a circle. You will bear your crime and your wickedness. Theodotus interpreted it as follows: And your sister Sodom was not heard through your mouth on the day of your pride, before your evil was revealed: like the time of reproach of the daughters of Syria and all the daughters of foreign nations around it, who abhor you in a circle. Your fornication and your contaminations, you have borne, says the Lord Adonai. Our translation agrees with the Aquila edition; all of which I have placed, so that from the comparison of all, we may find some trace of meaning, and in the meantime without prejudice from others, it seems to us that the order of the reading must be restored as follows: In the days of your pride, when you were sinning, you did not remember the overthrow of your sister Sodom, before your wickedness was revealed to such an extent that you became a reproach to all the cities of Syria and Palestine which are around you. Therefore, because you have overcome in the crime against your sister, and you were not terrified by her example, so as not to endure similar things, and you did not refrain from stepping forward: now, however, your disgrace has been revealed, listen to the sentence of God. Either you have carried, according to the Septuagint: or you have carried, according to Aquila and Theodotion: or you will carry, according to Symmachus, your crime and disgrace, so that after you have endured punishment for sacrilege, you may obtain forgiveness not by your own terms, but by my clemency. Syria is said to be called Aram in the Hebrew language, which means 'sublimity'. And according to the explanation of that passage of the prophet Isaiah, in which Aram and Ephraim conspire against Judah and Jerusalem, the clever wisdom of the nations and the claim of sublimity in knowledge, joined with the malice of heretics, attacks Judah, in which there is true confession and cannot be overcome. Here also the same arrogance of Syria, that is, of the philosophers with the daughters of foreigners, in which the manifold errors of various doctrines are shown among nations, mocks Jerusalem and reproaches her, though she is overcome by her own vices.

In this chapter the mercy of God to Jerusalem, (or the Jewish Church and nation), is set forth by the emblem of a person that should take up an exposed infant, bring her up with great tenderness, and afterwards marry her, Eze 16:1-14. She is then upbraided with her monstrous ingratitude in departing from the worship of God, and polluting herself with the idolatries of the nations around her, under the figure of a woman that proves false to a tender and indulgent husband, vv. 15-52. But, notwithstanding these her heinous provocations, God promises, after she should suffer due correction, to restore her again to his favor, Eze 16:53-63. The mode of describing apostasy from the true religion to the worship of idols under the emblem of adultery, (a figure very frequent in the sacred canon), is pursued with great force, and at considerable length, both in this and the twenty-third chapter; and is excellently calculated to excite in the Church of God the highest detestation of all false worship.

DETAILED APPLICATION OF THE PARABOLICAL DELINEATION OF THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER TO JERUSALEM PERSONIFIED AS A DAUGHTER. (Eze. 16:1-63) cause Jerusalem to know--Men often are so blind as not to perceive their guilt which is patent to all. "Jerusalem" represents the whole kingdom of Judah.

Sodom was not mentioned--literally, "was not for a report." Thou didst not deign to mention her name as if her case could possibly apply as a warning to thee, but it did apply (Pe2 2:6).