Ezekiel 7:8 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.

And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity,.... This verse is the same with Eze 7:4; only instead of "I will recompense thy ways upon thee", here it is, I will recompense thee according to thy ways upon thee and thine abominations that are in the midst of thee; which have both the same sense, showing the equity and justice of the divine proceedings: and to the clause, it is added, and ye shall know that I am the Lord that smiteth; with the rod of his anger, inflicts punishment for sin. The Syriac version is, "that smiteth them"; the Jews, by suffering them to be carried captive: and so the Targum, "I am the Lord that bringeth upon you a smiting,'' or the blow; the sense is, that when it came, they should be sensible that it was the Lord's doing. See Gill on Eze 7:4.

(Verse 8) Now I will pour out my anger upon you and vent my fury against you; I will judge you according to your ways and bring upon you all your abominations. If we calculate from the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin to the ninth year of the reign of King Zedekiah, when Nebuchadnezzar came and besieged Jerusalem, it will be three years in total. Therefore, it is rightly said: Now I will pour out my anger upon you. I will by no means foretell to you what is to come, nor will I threaten you with things that are far off in the future: now I will unleash my fury upon you. This fury and anger is by no means without judgment: but it is to return your ways upon your own head, and to make you feel all your abominations. Moreover, we can also speak of the ultimate captivity, that after the killing of Christ, when their end came and sin awoke against them, that was fulfilled which was written: Now the wrath of God has come upon them to the end (1 Thess. 1:16). When Titus and Vespasian surrounded Jerusalem, and its desolation arrived, and it was fulfilled: Behold, your house will be left abandoned to you (Matthew 23:38). Then they were judged according to their ways and the blasphemies with which they denied the Lord; and they felt the fury of God, and all His indignation was poured out upon them, and they received their crimes, so that the destruction of the temple might endure until the end.

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.

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).

Repetition of Eze 7:3-4; sadly expressive of accumulated woes by the monotonous sameness.