Ezechiele 21:6 Commento

In this chapter we have, I. An explication of the prophecy in the close of the foregoing chapter concerning the fire in the forest, which the people complained they could not understand (Eze 21:1-5), with directions to the prophet to show himself deeply affected with it (Eze 21:6, Eze 21:7). II. A further prediction of the sword that was coming upon the land, by which all should be laid waste; and this expressed very emphatically (Eze 21:8-17). III. A prospect given of the king of Babylon's approach to Jerusalem, to which he was determined by divination (Eze 21:18-24). IV. Sentence passed upon Zedekiah king of Judah (Eze 21:25-27). V. The destruction of the Ammonites by the sword foretold (Eze 21:28-32). Thus is this chapter all threatenings.

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 21 This chapter contains an explanation of a prophecy in the latter part of the preceding chapter; and a new one, concerning the sword of the Chaldeans, and the destruction of the Jews and Ammonites by it. The prophecy of the fire in the forest is explained, Eze 21:1, upon which the prophet is directed to show his concern at it by sighing, in order to awaken the attention of the people to it, Eze 21:6, then follows a prophecy of a very sharp and bright sword, which should do great execution upon the people and princes of Israel; and therefore the prophet, in order to affect them, with it, is bid to howl and cry, and smite on his thigh; and smite his hands together, and the Lord says he would do so; all which is designed to set forth the greatness of the calamity and the distress, Eze 21:8, next the prophet is ordered to represent the king of Babylon as at a place where two ways met, and as at a loss which way to take, and as determined by divination to go to Jerusalem first, Eze 21:18, and then Zedekiah, the then reigning prince of Israel, has his doom pronounced on him, and he is ordered to be stripped of his regalia; and an intimation is given that there should be no more king over Israel of the house of David until the Messiah came, Eze 21:26 and the chapter is concluded with a prophecy of the destruction of the Ammonites in their own land, which should certainly be, though their diviners might, say the contrary, Eze 21:28.

And it shall be, when they say unto thee, wherefore sighest thou?.... Which he was to do that purpose, that they might be put upon asking him the reason of it; whether it was on his own personal amount, or on account of his family or particular friends; or whether on a public account, either because of what should befall the captives there, or their countrymen in Judea and Jerusalem: that thou shalt answer, for the tidings, or, the "report" (p), because it cometh; the report of the Chaldean army approaching and invading Judea, and besieging Jerusalem, which he had from the Lord; and the thing itself was just at hand, and would shortly and certainly be; and that was the thing that affected him, and caused such sorrow and sighing: and every heart shall melt; like wax, for fear of the enemy; even such who then disbelieved the report, and laughed at it as an idle story: and all hands shall be feeble; and not able to hold a sword, or strike a stroke: and every spirit shall faint; yea, such who had the greatest spirits, and were the most bold and undaunted, shall be quite dispirited, no heart nor courage to defend themselves or their country: and all knees shall be weak as water; they shall not be able to stand upon their legs, and fight like men in their own defence; nor even be able to flee away, and make their escape: or, shall flow with water (q); either with sweat, or with urine, through fear of the enemy: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought pass, saith the Lord God; let no man therefore put this evil day far from him, or treat this report as an idle tale, or a thing at a distance, and which may never come to pass; for it is now a coming, and in a very little time will be accomplished; for the Lord has said it, who cannot lie, whose counsel shall stand, and will do all his pleasure. (p) , , Sept.; "propter rumorem", Vatablus, Cocceius; "propter vel ad auditum", Paginus, Montanus. (q) "fluent aquis", Munster, Tigurine version, so Ben Melech; "manabunt ut aqua" Cocceius.

(Vers. 6, 7.) And you, son of man, groan in the breaking of your loins, and groan bitterly before them. And when they say to you, 'Why do you groan?' you shall say, 'Because of the news, for it is coming, and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be loosened, and every spirit shall faint, and water shall flow from all knees. Behold, it is coming, and it shall be,' says the Lord (Vulgate adds 'God'). LXX: And you, son of man, groan in the breaking of your loins, and groan in pains before them. And it shall come to pass, if they shall say unto thee: Wherefore dost thou mourn? and thou shalt say: Because of the tidings, for it cometh, and every heart shall be taken and all hands shall be weakened, and every spirit shall faint, and all thighs shall be filled with moisture. Behold it cometh, and it shall be, saith the Lord God. First he had said: prophesy, or pour out upon the South, the African and the South wind, and upon the southern leap. And because it seemed obscure, and the people knew not the words of the prophet, it is set down more plainly the southern leap to be Jerusalem, and all unfruitful trees, by the roots of which the axe is laid (Matt. III, Luke III), are understood to be its inhabitants: and the sword is interpreted as fire. Thirdly, the prophet is commanded, while they are silent and not questioning, to do those things by which he may be interrogated, and to respond what the Lord has spoken. 'Groan,' he says, 'lament, not with a slight voice, nor with moderate pain, but with contrition of the loins, so that your groaning may come forth from the depths of your bowels and the bitterness of your soul. And you shall do this before them: that when they have asked you why you are broken by such groaning, and what evil has befallen you that you groan in this way, you may respond to them in my words: 'Therefore, I lament, and I am unable to hide the pain of my heart, because the prophecy that had always resounded in my ears is being fulfilled by deed and is coming to pass: namely, the impending army of the raging Babylonians.' When he comes and surrounds Jerusalem, then every heart will melt, and all hands will be dissolved, so that, with the fear of men overwhelming their minds, no one will dare to resist. For the spirit of all warriors will weaken, and such great trembling and fear will seize everyone, that limbs and organs will dissolve under the pressure of fear, and the bladder will not be able to hold urine: so that urine will soil the knees. For it is natural, when fear presses, for the bladder to relax, and for moisture to flow against the will of man. Indeed, this often happens in the severity of illnesses, that after the strength of the sick people has diminished, not only their knees, but also their beds are soiled. Look, he says, it is coming, which I have often predicted, and it is being accomplished and will happen, not by me, but the Lord has spoken. I know someone who, in the contrition of his loins and with flowing waters, has repeated many testimonies, so that the chastity of the prophets may be fulfilled, and the bitterness of his soul and the internal pain of his mind, which the waters of his seed pollute his knees. But this explanation does not pertain to the current place.

The prophet goes on to denounce the fate of Jerusalem and Judea; using signs of vehement grief, to denote the greatness of the calamity, Eze 21:2-7. He then changes the emblem to that of a sharp and bright sword, still denoting the same sad event, Eze 21:8-17; and, becoming yet more explicit, he represents the king of Babylon, who was to be employed by God in this work, as setting out to take vengeance on both the Jews and the Ammonites, for joining with Egypt in a confederacy against him. He is described as standing at the parting of the roads leading to the respective capitals of the Jews and Ammonites; and doubting which to attack first, he commits the decision of the matter to his arts of divination, performed by mingling arrows inscribed with the names of the different nations or cities, and then marching against that whose name was written on the arrow first drawn from the quiver. In this case the name Jerusalem comes forward; and therefore he proceeds against it, Eze 21:18-24. History itself could scarcely be more explicit than this prophecy. The profane prince Zedekiah as then declared to be given up by God, and his kingdom devoted to utter destruction, for that breach of oath of which the prophet foretells he should be guilty, Eze 21:25-27. The remaining verses form a distinct prophecy relating to the destruction of the Ammonites, which was fulfilled about five years after the destruction of Jerusalem, Eze 21:28-32.

Sigh - with the breaking of thy loins - Let thy mourning for this sore calamity be like that of a woman in the pains of travail.

PROPHECY AGAINST ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM, AND AGAINST AMMON. (Eze. 21:1-32) the holy places--the three parts of the temple: the courts, the holy place, and the holiest. If "synagogues" existed before the Babylonian captivity, as Psa 74:8 seems to imply, they and the proseuchÃ&brvbr, or oratories, may be included in the "holy places" here.

with the breaking of thy loins--as one afflicted with pleurisy; or as a woman, in labor-throes, clasps her loins in pain, and heaves and sighs till the girdle of the loins is broken by the violent action of the body (Jer 30:6).