Ezekiel 6:3 Kommentar

In this chapter we have, I. A threatening of the destruction of Israel for their idolatry, and the destruction of their idols with them (Eze 6:1-7). II. A promise of the gracious return of a remnant of them to God, by true repentance and reformation (Eze 6:8-10). III. Directions given to the prophet and others, the Lord's servants, to lament both the iniquities and the calamities of Israel (Eze 6:11-14).

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 6 This chapter contains a prophecy of the desolation of the whole land of Israel, and a promise that a remnant should escape, with a lamentation for the sad destruction, signified by some gestures of the prophet. The order to the prophet to deliver out the prophecy is in Eze 6:1; the several parts of the land of Israel or Judea, to which the prophecy is directed, are signified by mountains, hills, rivers, and valleys, on which the sword should be brought, Eze 6:3; the desolation is described, and the cause of it suggested, the idolatry of the people, Eze 6:4; the promise of a remnant that should escape, who should remember the Lord, loath themselves for their sins, acknowledge him, and that his word was not in vain, is in Eze 6:8; the lamentation, signified by the prophet's smiting with his hand, and stamping with his foot, for the sins of the people, and the judgments that should come upon them, is in Eze 6:11; a particular enumeration of these judgments follows, and of the places where they should be executed, Eze 6:12; the end of them was to bring them to the knowledge and acknowledgment of the Lord, against whom they had sinned and offended by their idolatry, as the places where their slain fell would show, Eze 6:13; and the chapter is concluded with a resolution to bring this desolation on them, Eze 6:14.

And your altars shall be desolate,.... Being pulled down; or because the priests and worshippers would now be slain, and there would be none to attend them: and your images shall be broken; the "images of the sun" (b). The word for images has its derivation from heat; and were so called, either from the heat of the sun, to whose worship they were devoted, or from the heat of the love and affections of their worshippers: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols; before your dung, or your "dunghill gods" (c); for the word used has the signification of dung, Eze 4:12. The Targum renders it, "before the carcass of your idols;'' where they committed idolatry, there they should be slain; which points at the cause of their punishment. (b) "simulacra vestra solis", Pagninus; "solaria vestra", Vatablus; "subdiales statuae vestrae", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus. (c) "coram stercoreis diis vestris", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus; "coram stercoribus vestris", Cocceius.

(Chapter 6, Verses 1 onwards) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, turn your face towards the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them. And you shall say: Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and hills, to the cliffs and valleys. That which is often said in this Prophet as 'Adonai Dominus' seems to be briefly explained for the Greeks and Latins who do not have knowledge of the Hebrew language. Adonai is one name from the ten names of God, and it signifies Lord, which we often use in reference to God. Finally, when Sarah called Abraham her lord, she used this name (Gen. XVIII). And when it is said 'O Lord, my king', it is written Adonai (Exod. XXVIII). Therefore, when the two names, Lord and Lord, are joined together, the first name is common, the second properly belongs to God, which is called ἄῤῥητον (ineffable), which was also written on the golden plate that was on the high priest's forehead. But the mountains of Israel, which were occupied by the idols of demons, hear and understand their Creator not with their ears, but with the command and power of the one who made them. Just as the sea saw and fled, the Jordan river turned back (Ps. CXIII): not, of course, with the eyes of flesh which it lacked. And it is said to the sea: Be silent, be calm (Mark IV, 39). And the winds are commanded by his breath; and the worm is commanded, which struck the shade of Jonah (Jonah IV). And from the same land it is written: Who looks at the earth and makes it tremble (Ps. CIII, 32). The Prophet speaks to those indicating that idols are to be destroyed and altars, and all the ceremonies they previously served to be crushed. We can understand the mountains of Israel and the leaders as those who excelled in power, wisdom, knowledge, and wealth. And it should be noted that the face is indeed hardened, and it is set against the mountains: but it does not speak only to the mountains, but also to the hills, rocks, and valleys, where inferior dignity and degrees of prudence and knowledge are known. They seem to me to be tropologically mountains, those who have reached perfect knowledge; hills, who are slightly lower; rocks, who have no knowledge and only rely on conversation, presuming something about the interpretation of the Scriptures, having zeal for God according to the Apostle, but not according to knowledge (Rom. X; James III); valleys, on the other hand, are called the lowest in the Church, who are inferior in both life and knowledge, yet do not depart from the gathering of the Lord's family. Those who are commanded to hear the word of God, so that each one may understand according to their own measure and understanding what the Lord commands.

In this chapter, which forms a distinct section, the prophet denounces the judgments of God against the Jews for their idolatry, Eze 6:1-7; but tells them that a remnant shall be saved, and brought to a sense of their sins by their severe afflictions, Eze 6:8-14.

CONTINUATION OF THE SAME SUBJECT. (Eze 6:1-14) mountains of Israel--that is, of Palestine in general. The mountains are addressed by personification; implying that the Israelites themselves are incurable and unworthy of any more appeals; so the prophet sent to Jeroboam did not deign to address the king, but addressed the altar (Kg1 13:2). The mountains are specified as being the scene of Jewish idolatries on "the high places" (Eze 6:3; Lev 26:30).

rivers--literally, the "channels" of torrents. Rivers were often the scene and objects of idolatrous worship.