Ezekiel 7:11 Kommentar

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.

The time is come, the day draweth near,.... According to the Targum, the time of the recompence of iniquities, and the day of punishment of sins; of the sins of the Jews, by the Chaldean army, which no doubt is true; but it seems chiefly to refer to what follows: and the sense is, the time was coming on, in which let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn; it is usual for the buyer of houses or lands to rejoice, because an addition is made to his estate, and especially when he has made, as he thinks, a good purchase; and the seller, he mourns because he is obliged to part with his estate to pay his debts, and so is reduced in his circumstances; but now the time was coming when the one would have no occasion to rejoice, nor the other to mourn; not the buyer rejoice, because, being carried captive, he cannot enjoy his possessions; nor the seller mourn, because, if he had not sold his house or field, he must have left it: for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof; upon the whole body of the Jewish nation, high and low, rich and poor, bond and free, buyer and seller; those that are in good circumstances, and those that are in bad ones; so that hereby they were all upon a level, in the same case and condition.

(Vers. 10, 11.) Behold the day, behold it comes, the contraction has gone forth: the rod has blossomed, pride has sprouted. Iniquity has risen in the rod of wickedness, not from them, and not from the people, nor from their noise: and there will be no rest for them. LXX: Behold the day brings forth, behold the end comes, the complex has gone forth, and the rod has blossomed, pride has sprouted, injury has been awakened, and it will crush the strength of the wicked, and not with disturbance nor with haste, and they are not from them, nor is there beauty in them. The day has been contracted, says [someone], and shortened. And approaching is a neighboring captivity. The rod that threatened you for a long time has blossomed, and from the flower of its bloom it has given birth to the fruit of punishments. Your pride has sprouted what you deserved, so that the injustice, which is not from a pitiable people, nor from those who are led like dumb animals by their masters, nor from the shouting and noise with which they vociferated in vain, deceived by the priests and pharisees, may rise up with a united voice and say: 'Crucify, crucify such a one.' (John 19:6) Where there will be no rest for them, but eternal captivity. Furthermore, the Seventy interpreted it in the sense in which it is written: 'For you do not know what the coming day may bring' (Prov. 27:1), saying: 'Behold, the day brings forth what was conceived long before: and the end has come, and the fulfillment has gone forth, which embraces all your evils and holds them, or as Symmachus interpreted, inspection, so that God may see all that you have done and consider your works, and render to each one what he deserves.' And in that which they have likewise transferred, the rod flourished, as we can use that testimony: Do not take the rod away from your son (Prov. XIII, 13). And the Apostle: What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and the spirit of gentleness (I Cor. IV, 21)? But even God speaks through the mouth of the Psalmist: I will punish their iniquities with the rod, and their sins with scourges: but I will not take away my mercy from them (Psalm LXXXVIII, 33, 34). Therefore the Lord visits and strikes, so that every pride which was long hidden and enclosed may arise and be revealed; and injury is aroused against the arising and budding pride, and the strength of the wicked is crushed, not with disturbance or haste. For the end of a flourishing rod is health and correction, which comes not by merit to those who are reproved, nor by beauty which they do not possess in themselves, but by the mercy of the Lord. A difficult passage, and one that differs greatly between the Hebrew and the Septuagint, to which many additions have been made from Theodotion's edition, in order to make it seem to have some consistency.

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.

Violence is risen, up into a rod of wickedness - The prophet continues his metaphor: "Pride has budded." - And what has it brought forth? Violence and iniquity. To meet these, the rod of God cometh. There is such a vast rapidity of succession in the ideas of the prophet that he cannot wait to find language to clothe each. Hence we have broken sentences; and, consequently, obscurity. Something must be supplied to get the sense, and most critics alter words in the text. Houbigant, who rarely acknowledges himself to be puzzled, appears here completely nonplussed. He has given a meaning; it is this: "Violence hath burst forth from the rod; salvation shall not proceed from them, nor from their riches, nor from their turbulence: there shall be no respite for them." Calmet has given no less than five interpretations to this verse. The simple meaning seems to be, that such and so great is their wickedness that it must be punished; and from this punishment, neither their multitude nor struggles shall set them free. They may strive to evade the threatened stroke; but they shall not succeed, nor shall they have any respite. Our Version is to be understood as saying, - None of the people shall be left; all shall be slain, or carried into captivity: nor shall any of theirs, their princes, priests, wives, or children, escape. And so deserved shall their desolation appear, that none shall lament them. This may be as good a sense as any, and it is nearest to the letter.

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).

Violence (that is, the violent foe) is risen up as a rod of (that is, to punish the Jews') wickedness (Zac 5:8). theirs--their possessions, or all that belongs to them, whether children or goods. GROTIUS translates from a different Hebrew root, "their nobles," literally, "their tumultuous trains" (Margin) which usually escorted the nobles. Thus "nobles" will form a contrast to the general "multitude." neither . . . wailing-- (Jer 16:4-7; Jer 25:33). GESENIUS translates, "nor shall there be left any beauty among them." English Version is supported by the old Jewish interpreters. So general shall be the slaughter, none shall be left to mourn the dead.