Ezekiel 7:19 Komentář

In this chapter the approaching ruin of the land of Israel is most particularly foretold in affecting expressions often repeated, that if possible they might be awakened by repentance to prevent it. The prophet must tell them, I. That it will be a final ruin, a complete utter destruction, which would make an end of them, a miserable end (Eze 7:1-6). II. That it is an approaching ruin, just at the door (Eze 7:7-10). III. That it is an unavoidable ruin, because they had by sin brought it upon themselves (Eze 7:10-15). IV. That their strength and wealth should be no fence against it (Eze 7:16-19). V. That the temple, which they trusted in, should itself be ruined (Eze 7:20-22). VI. That it should be a universal ruin, the sin that brought it having been universal (Eze 7:23-27).

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 7 This chapter contains a prophecy of the speedy destruction of the Jews, as being just at hand; of the particular judgments that should come upon them; of the horror that should seize them, and the distress that all ranks of men among them should be in, a few only escaping, who are described as in mournful circumstances. The destruction in general is denounced as being very near; the end being come, which is often repeated; and as it is represented as sudden, so without mercy; which is declared, Eze 7:1; the particular judgments, sword, pestilence, and famine, are mentioned in Eze 7:15, and the few that should escape are compared to mourning doves, Eze 7:16; the trembling, horror, and shame that should be upon all, are intimated in Eze 7:17; the unprofitableness of their gold and silver to deliver them, and the unsatisfying nature of these things, are expressed, Eze 7:19; the profanation and destruction of their temple are prophesied of, Eze 7:20; and for their murder, rapine, and oppression, it is threatened that their houses should be possessed by the worst of Heathens, and their holy places defiled; and one calamity should come upon another; when their application to prophets, priests, and ancient men for counsel, would be in, vain, Eze 7:23; and king, prince, and people, should be in the most melancholy and distressed circumstances, Eze 7:27.

As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty,.... Or, "for pride" (i). The gold, silver, jewels, riches, and treasure, which the Lord gave to this people, they made a bad use of; and instead of contributing to the support of his worship and interest, and of giving liberally to the poor, they converted it to their own pride and luxury: or rather the temple, as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it, is meant; which was a beautiful structure, and adorned with gifts, and set for glory, majesty, and excellency by the Lord; yea, where his excellent Majesty dwelt himself: but they made the images of their abominations and of their detestable things therein; or, "of it" (k); that is, of their gold and silver, which is another bad use they put their riches to: or rather "in it" (l); that is, the temple; where, having made their idols, they placed them; see Jer 7:30; therefore have I set it far from them; that being destroyed, and they being carried away captive into a strange land, far from that. (i) "in superbiam", V. L. Calvin, Starckius. (k) "ex eo", Tigurine version. (l) "In eo". Pagninus, Montanus, Polanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Starckius.

(Verse 19.) Their silver will be thrown away in the streets, and their gold will be like garbage. Septuagint: Their silver will be thrown away in the streets, and their gold will be despised. In the midst of flight and captivity, they will throw away their riches and the weight of gold and silver on the streets, only seeking to save their own lives, so that they are not burdened by what was once luxury. Otherwise, according to the anagoge, all the silver of the captives and fugitives from Jerusalem will be thrown away in the streets, on the wide and spacious road that leads to death, because they have abandoned the narrow path of salvation. But all gold will be considered worthless, even esteemed as dung and filth. For one cannot have purity who is outside the Church of the Lord. Their silver and gold will not be able to save them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. And this is not found in the Septuagint. Without a doubt, during times of siege and famine, it does not free those hungry for gold and silver, and their teeth are blunted like the hardest stone. Finally, it follows: They will not satisfy their souls, and their bellies will not be filled. In the presence of evil, we have learned that many rich people, depleted by poverty, have had the end of beggars, among silk, gems, and weights of gold and silver. But the silver and gold of those who are outside the Church cannot free the souls of the possessors on the day of the Lord's wrath; instead, it shows that they will have eternal hunger and be tormented with an empty stomach. This testimony confirms it, saying: The redemption of a man's soul is his own wealth (Prov. XIII, 8). Our true riches are those which Christ's truth has taught us (Luke 16), who commanded us to make for ourselves friends with unrighteous wealth, who will receive us into eternal dwellings. Because a scandal of iniquity has occurred among them. Therefore, he says, the possessors of gold and silver will not be satisfied, nor will their stomachs be filled, because this very gold and silver has become a scandal of their crimes. But it signifies idols, which are made of gold and silver, condemn their own creators. For this reason, the Seventy translated it: because the torments of their iniquities were such that they would be tormented in their own iniquity and understand that they have turned the gifts of God into blasphemy.

This chapter, which also forms a distinct prophecy, foretells the dreadful destruction of the land of Israel, or Judah, (for after the captivity of the ten tribes these terms are often used indiscriminately for the Jews in general), on account of the heinous sins of its inhabitants, Eze 7:1-15; and the great distress of the small remnant that should escape, Eze 7:16-19. The temple itself, which they had polluted with idolatry, is devoted to destruction, Eze 7:20-22; and the prophet is directed to make a chain, as a type of that captivity, in which both king and people should be led in bonds to Babylon, Eze 7:23-27. The whole chapter abounds in bold and beautiful figures, flowing in an easy and forcible language.

They shall cast their silver in the streets - Their riches can be of no use; as in a time of famine there is no necessary of life to be purchased, and gold and silver cannot fill their bowels. It is the stumbling-block of their iniquity - They loved riches, and placed in the possession of them their supreme happiness. Now they find a pound of gold not worth an ounce of bread.

LAMENTATION OVER THE COMING RUIN OF ISRAEL; THE PENITENT REFORMATION OF A REMNANT; THE CHAIN SYMBOLIZING THE CAPTIVITY. (Eze. 7:1-27) An end, the end--The indefinite "an" expresses the general fact of God bringing His long-suffering towards the whole of Judea to an end; "the," following, marks it as more definitely fixed (Amo 8:2).

cast . . . silver in . . . streets--just retribution; they had abused their silver and gold by converting them into idols, "the stumbling-block of their iniquity" (Eze 14:3-4, that is, an occasion of sinning); so these silver and gold idols, so far from "being able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath" (see Pro 11:4), shall, in despair, be cast by them into the streets as a prey to the foe, by whom they shall be "removed" (GROTIUS translates as the Margin, "shall be despised as an unclean thing"); or rather, as suits the parallelism, "shall be put away from them" by the Jews [CALVIN]. "They (the silver and gold) shall not satisfy their souls," that is, their cravings of appetite and other needs.