57 Before thy wickedness H7451 was discovered, H1540 as at the time H6256 of thy reproach H2781 of the daughters H1323 of Syria, H758 and all that are round about H5439 her, the daughters H1323 of the Philistines, H6430 which despise H7590 thee round about. H5439
Then Rezin H7526 king H4428 of Syria H758 and Pekah H6492 son H1121 of Remaliah H7425 king H4428 of Israel H3478 came up H5927 to Jerusalem H3389 to war: H4421 and they besieged H6696 Ahaz, H271 but could H3201 not overcome H3898 him. At that time H6256 Rezin H7526 king H4428 of Syria H758 recovered H7725 Elath H359 to Syria, H758 H130 and drave H5394 the Jews H3064 from Elath: H359 and the Syrians H726 came H935 to Elath, H359 and dwelt H3427 there unto this day. H3117 So Ahaz H271 sent H7971 messengers H4397 to Tiglathpileser H8407 king H4428 of Assyria, H804 saying, H559 I am thy servant H5650 and thy son: H1121 come up, H5927 and save H3467 me out of the hand H3709 of the king H4428 of Syria, H758 and out of the hand H3709 of the king H4428 of Israel, H3478 which rise up H6965 against me.
Wherefore the LORD H3068 his God H430 delivered H5414 him into the hand H3027 of the king H4428 of Syria; H758 and they smote H5221 him, and carried away H7617 a great multitude H1419 of them captives, H7633 and brought H935 them to Damascus. H1834 And he was also delivered H5414 into the hand H3027 of the king H4428 of Israel, H3478 who smote H5221 him with a great H1419 slaughter. H4347 For Pekah H6492 the son H1121 of Remaliah H7425 slew H2026 in Judah H3063 an hundred H3967 and twenty H6242 thousand H505 in one H259 day, H3117 which were all valiant H2428 men; H1121 because they had forsaken H5800 the LORD H3068 God H430 of their fathers. H1
The Philistines H6430 also had invaded H6584 the cities H5892 of the low country, H8219 and of the south H5045 of Judah, H3063 and had taken H3920 Bethshemesh, H1053 and Ajalon, H357 and Gederoth, H1450 and Shocho H7755 with the villages H1323 thereof, and Timnah H8553 with the villages H1323 thereof, Gimzo H1579 also and the villages H1323 thereof: and they dwelt H3427 there. For the LORD H3068 brought H3665 Judah H3063 low H3665 because of Ahaz H271 king H4428 of Israel; H3478 for he made H6544 Judah H3063 naked, H6544 and transgressed H4603 sore H4604 against the LORD. H3068 And Tilgathpilneser H8407 king H4428 of Assyria H804 came H935 unto him, and distressed H6696 him, but strengthened H2388 him not. For Ahaz H271 took away a portion H2505 out of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and out of the house H1004 of the king, H4428 and of the princes, H8269 and gave H5414 it unto the king H4428 of Assyria: H804 but he helped H5833 him not. And in the time H6256 of his distress H6887 did he trespass H4603 yet more H3254 against the LORD: H3068 this is that king H4428 Ahaz. H271 For he sacrificed H2076 unto the gods H430 of Damascus, H1834 which smote H5221 him: and he said, H559 Because the gods H430 of the kings H4428 of Syria H758 help H5826 them, therefore will I sacrifice H2076 to them, that they may help H5826 me. But they were the ruin H3782 of him, and of all Israel. H3478
And it came to pass in the days H3117 of Ahaz H271 the son H1121 of Jotham, H3147 the son H1121 of Uzziah, H5818 king H4428 of Judah, H3063 that Rezin H7526 the king H4428 of Syria, H758 and Pekah H6492 the son H1121 of Remaliah, H7425 king H4428 of Israel, H3478 went up H5927 toward Jerusalem H3389 to war H4421 against it, but could H3201 not prevail H3898 against it.
Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Because thy filthiness H5178 was poured out, H8210 and thy nakedness H6172 discovered H1540 through thy whoredoms H8457 with thy lovers, H157 and with all the idols H1544 of thy abominations, H8441 and by the blood H1818 of thy children, H1121 which thou didst give H5414 unto them; Behold, therefore I will gather H6908 all thy lovers, H157 with whom thou hast taken pleasure, H6149 and all them that thou hast loved, H157 with all them that thou hast hated; H8130 I will even gather H6908 them round about H5439 against thee, and will discover H1540 thy nakedness H6172 unto them, that they may see H7200 all thy nakedness. H6172
And he took up H5375 his parable, H4912 and said, H559 Balak H1111 the king H4428 of Moab H4124 hath brought H5148 me from Aram, H758 out of the mountains H2042 of the east, H6924 saying, Come, H3212 curse H779 me Jacob, H3290 and come, H3212 defy H2194 Israel. H3478
Considerest H7200 thou not what this people H5971 have spoken, H1696 saying, H559 The two H8147 families H4940 which the LORD H3068 hath chosen, H977 he hath even cast them off? H3988 thus they have despised H5006 my people, H5971 that they should be no more a nation H1471 before H6440 them.
The punishment of thine iniquity H5771 is accomplished, H8552 O daughter H1323 of Zion; H6726 he will no more H3254 carry thee away into captivity: H1540 he will visit H6485 thine iniquity, H5771 O daughter H1323 of Edom; H123 he will discover H1540 thy sins. H2403
Therefore thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Because ye have made your iniquity H5771 to be remembered, H2142 in that your transgressions H6588 are discovered, H1540 so that in all your doings H5949 your sins H2403 do appear; H7200 because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, H2142 ye shall be taken H8610 with the hand. H3709
So she discovered H1540 her whoredoms, H8457 and discovered H1540 her nakedness: H6172 then my mind H5315 was alienated H3363 from her, like as my mind H5315 was alienated H5361 from her sister. H269 Yet she multiplied H7235 her whoredoms, H8457 in calling to remembrance H2142 the days H3117 of her youth, H5271 wherein she had played the harlot H2181 in the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
And now will I discover H1540 her lewdness H5040 in the sight H5869 of her lovers, H157 and none H376 shall deliver H5337 her out of mine hand. H3027
When I would have healed H7495 Israel, H3478 then the iniquity H5771 of Ephraim H669 was discovered, H1540 and the wickedness H7451 of Samaria: H8111 for they commit H6466 falsehood; H8267 and the thief H1590 cometh in, H935 and the troop H1416 of robbers spoileth H6584 without. H2351
Therefore G5620 judge G2919 nothing G3361 G5100 before G4253 the time, G2540 until G2193 G302 the Lord G2962 come, G2064 who G3739 both G2532 will bring to light G5461 the hidden things G2927 of darkness, G4655 and G2532 will make manifest G5319 the counsels G1012 of the hearts: G2588 and G2532 then G5119 shall every man G1538 have G1096 praise G1868 of G575 God. G2316
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 16
Commentary on Ezekiel 16 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 16
Still God is justifying himself in the desolations he is about to bring upon Jerusalem; and very largely, in this chapter, he shows the prophet, and orders him to show the people, that he did but punish them as their sins deserved. In the foregoing chapter he had compared Jerusalem to an unfruitful vine, that was fit for nothing but the fire; in this chapter he compares it to an adulteress, that, in justice, ought to be abandoned and exposed, and he must therefore show the people their abominations, that they might see how little reason they had to complain of the judgments they were under. In this long discourse are set forth,
Eze 16:1-5
Ezekiel is now among the captives in Babylon; but, as Jeremiah at Jerusalem wrote for the use of the captives though they had Ezekiel upon the spot with them (ch. 29), so Ezekiel wrote for the use of Jerusalem, though Jeremiah himself was resident there; and yet they were far from looking upon it as an affront to one another's help both by preaching and writing. Jeremiah wrote to the captives for their consolation, which was the thing they needed; Ezekiel here is directed to write to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for their conviction and humiliation, which was the thing they needed.
Eze 16:6-14
In there verses we have an account of the great things which God did for the Jewish nation in raising them up by degrees to be very considerable.
Eze 16:15-34
In these verses we have an account of the great wickedness of the people of Israel, especially in worshipping idols, notwithstanding the great favours that God had conferred upon them, by which, one would think, they should have been for ever engaged to him. This wickedness of theirs is here represented by the lewd and scandalous conversation of that beautiful maid which was rescued from ruin, brought up and well provided for by a kind friend and benefactor, that had been in all respects as a father and a husband to her. Their idolatry was the great provoking sin that they were guilty of; it began in the latter end of Solomon's time (for from Samuel's till then I do not remember that we read any thing of it), and thenceforward continued more or less the crying sin of that nation till the captivity; and, though it now and then met with some check from the reforming kings, yet it was never totally suppressed, and for the most part appeared to a high degree impudent and barefaced. They not only worshipped the true God by images, as the ten tribes by the calves at Dan and Bethel, but they worshipped false gods, Baal and Moloch, and all the senseless rabble of the pagan deities.
This is that which is here all along represented (as often elsewhere) under the similitude of whoredom and adultery,
And now is not Jerusalem in all this made to know her abominations? For what greater abominations could she be guilty of than these? Here we may see with wonder and horror what the corrupt nature of men is when God leaves them to themselves, yea, though they have the greatest advantages to be better and do better. And the way of sin is down-hill. Nitimur in vetitum-We incline to what is forbidden.
Eze 16:35-43
Adultery was by the law of Moses made a capital crime. This notorious adulteress, the criminal at the bar, being in the foregoing verses found guilty, here has sentence passed upon her. It is ushered in with solemnity, v. 35. The prophet, as the judge, in God's name calls to her, O harlot! hear the word of the Lord. Our Saviour preached to harlots, for their conversion, to bring them into the kingdom of God, not as the prophet here, to expel them out of it. Note, An apostate church is a harlot. Jerusalem is so if she become idolatrous. How has the faithful city become a harlot! Rome is so represented in the Revelation, when it is marked for ruin, as Jerusalem here. Rev. 17:1, Come, and I will show thee the judgments of the great whore. Those who will not hear the commanding word of the Lord and obey it shall be made to hear the condemning word of the Lord and shall tremble at it. Let us attend while judgment is given.
Eze 16:44-59
The prophet here further shows Jerusalem her abominations, by comparing her with those places that had gone before her, and showing that she was worse than any of them, and therefore should, like them, be utterly and irreparably ruined. We are all apt to judge of ourselves by comparison, and to imagine that we are sufficiently good if we are but as good as such and such, who are thought passable; or that we are not dangerously bad if we are no worse than such and such, who, though bad, are not of the worst. Now God by the prophet shows Jerusalem,
Eze 16:60-63
Here, in the close of the chapter, after a most shameful conviction of sin and a most dreadful denunciation of judgments, mercy is remembered, mercy is reserved, for those who shall come after. As was when God swore in his wrath concerning those who came out of Egypt that they should not enter Canaan, "Yet' (says God) "your little ones shall;' so here. And some think that what is said of the return of Sodom and Samaria (v. 53, 55), and of Jerusalem with them, is a promise; it may be understood so, if by Sodom we understand (as Grotius and some of the Jewish writers do) the Moabites and Ammonites, the posterity of Lot, who once dwelt in Sodom; their captivity was returned (Jer. 48:47; 49:6), as was that of many of the ten tribes, and Judah's with them. But these closing verses are, without doubt, a previous promise, which was in part fulfilled at the return of the penitent and reformed Jews out of Babylon, but was to have its full accomplishment in gospel-times, and in that repentance and that remission of sins which should then be preached with success to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Now observe here,