60 Nevertheless I will remember H2142 my covenant H1285 with thee in the days H3117 of thy youth, H5271 and I will establish H6965 unto thee an everlasting H5769 covenant. H1285
And G2532 to Jesus G2424 the mediator G3316 of the new G3501 covenant, G1242 and G2532 to the blood G129 of sprinkling, G4473 that speaketh G2980 better things G2909 than G3844 that of Abel. G6
And I will betroth H781 thee unto me for ever; H5769 yea, I will betroth H781 thee unto me in righteousness, H6664 and in judgment, H4941 and in lovingkindness, H2617 and in mercies. H7356 I will even betroth H781 thee unto me in faithfulness: H530 and thou shalt know H3045 the LORD. H3068
Now when I passed H5674 by thee, and looked H7200 upon thee, behold, thy time H6256 was the time H6256 of love; H1730 and I spread H6566 my skirt H3671 over thee, and covered H3680 thy nakedness: H6172 yea, I sware H7650 unto thee, and entered H935 into a covenant H1285 with thee, saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD, H3069 and thou becamest mine.
They shall ask H7592 the way H1870 to Zion H6726 with their faces H6440 thitherward, H2008 saying, Come, H935 and let us join H3867 ourselves to the LORD H3068 in a perpetual H5769 covenant H1285 that shall not be forgotten. H7911
And they shall be my people, H5971 and I will be their God: H430 And I will give H5414 them one H259 heart, H3820 and one H259 way, H1870 that they may fear H3372 me for ever, H3117 for the good H2896 of them, and of their children H1121 after H310 them: And I will make H3772 an everlasting H5769 covenant H1285 with them, that I will not turn away H7725 from them, H310 to do them good; H3190 but I will put H5414 my fear H3374 in their hearts, H3824 that they shall not depart H5493 from me. Yea, I will rejoice H7797 over them to do them good, H2895 and I will plant H5193 them in this land H776 assuredly H571 with my whole heart H3820 and with my whole soul. H5315
Behold, the days H3117 come, H935 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 that I will make H3772 a new H2319 covenant H1285 with the house H1004 of Israel, H3478 and with the house H1004 of Judah: H3063 Not according to the covenant H1285 that I made H3772 with their fathers H1 in the day H3117 that I took H2388 them by the hand H3027 to bring them out H3318 of the land H776 of Egypt; H4714 which my covenant H1285 they brake, H6565 although I was an husband H1166 unto them, saith H5002 the LORD: H3068 But this shall be the covenant H1285 that I will make H3772 with the house H1004 of Israel; H3478 After H310 those days, H3117 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 I will put H5414 my law H8451 in their inward parts, H7130 and write H3789 it in their hearts; H3820 and will be their God, H430 and they shall be my people. H5971 And they shall teach H3925 no more every man H376 his neighbour, H7453 and every man H376 his brother, H251 saying, H559 Know H3045 the LORD: H3068 for they shall all know H3045 me, from the least H6996 of them unto the greatest H1419 of them, saith H5002 the LORD: H3068 for I will forgive H5545 their iniquity, H5771 and I will remember H2142 their sin H2403 no more.
Incline H5186 your ear, H241 and come H3212 unto me: hear, H8085 and your soul H5315 shall live; H2421 and I will make H3772 an everlasting H5769 covenant H1285 with you, even the sure H539 mercies H2617 of David. H1732
Now G1161 the God G2316 of peace, G1515 that brought again G321 from G1537 the dead G3498 our G2257 Lord G2962 Jesus, G2424 that great G3173 shepherd G4166 of the sheep, G4263 through G1722 the blood G129 of the everlasting G166 covenant, G1242
But I will for their sakes remember H2142 the covenant H1285 of their ancestors, H7223 whom I brought forth H3318 out of the land H776 of Egypt H4714 in the sight H5869 of the heathen, H1471 that I might be their God: H430 I am the LORD. H3068
For G3754 this G3778 is the covenant G1242 that G3739 I will make G1303 with the house G3624 of Israel G2474 after G3326 those G1565 days, G2250 saith G3004 the Lord; G2962 I will put G1325 my G3450 laws G3551 into G1519 their G846 mind, G1271 and G2532 write G1924 them G846 in G1909 their G846 hearts: G2588 and G2532 I will be G2071 to G1519 them G846 a God, G2316 and G2532 they G846 shall be G2071 to G1519 me G3427 a people: G2992
To perform G4160 the mercy G1656 promised to G3326 our G2257 fathers, G3962 and G2532 to remember G3415 his G846 holy G40 covenant; G1242
And I will give H5414 her her vineyards H3754 from thence, and the valley H6010 of Achor H5911 for a door H6607 of hope: H8615 and she shall sing H6030 there, as in the days H3117 of her youth, H5271 and as in the day H3117 when she came up H5927 out of the land H776 of Egypt. H4714
Moreover I will make H3772 a covenant H1285 of peace H7965 with them; it shall be an everlasting H5769 covenant H1285 with them: and I will place H5414 them, and multiply H7235 them, and will set H5414 my sanctuary H4720 in the midst H8432 of them for evermore. H5769 My tabernacle H4908 also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, H430 and they shall be my people. H5971
Thus saith H559 the LORD; H3068 If ye can break H6565 my covenant H1285 of the day, H3117 and my covenant H1285 of the night, H3915 and that there should not be day H3119 and night H3915 in their season; H6256 Then may also my covenant H1285 be broken H6565 with David H1732 my servant, H5650 that he should not have a son H1121 to reign H4427 upon his throne; H3678 and with the Levites H3881 the priests, H3548 my ministers. H8334 As the host H6635 of heaven H8064 cannot be numbered, H5608 neither the sand H2344 of the sea H3220 measured: H4058 so will I multiply H7235 the seed H2233 of David H1732 my servant, H5650 and the Levites H3881 that minister H8334 unto me. Moreover the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came to Jeremiah, H3414 saying, H559 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. Thus saith H559 the LORD; H3068 If my covenant H1285 be not with day H3119 and night, H3915 and if I have not appointed H7760 the ordinances H2708 of heaven H8064 and earth; H776 Then H1571 will I cast away H3988 the seed H2233 of Jacob, H3290 and David H1732 my servant, H5650 so that I will not take H3947 any of his seed H2233 to be rulers H4910 over the seed H2233 of Abraham, H85 Isaac, H3446 and Jacob: H3290 for I will cause their captivity H7622 to return, H7725 H7725 and have mercy H7355 on them.
Go H1980 and cry H7121 in the ears H241 of Jerusalem, H3389 saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD; H3068 I remember H2142 thee, the kindness H2617 of thy youth, H5271 the love H160 of thine espousals, H3623 when thou wentest H3212 after H310 me in the wilderness, H4057 in a land H776 that was not sown. H2232
And said, H559 I beseech H577 thee, O LORD H3068 God H430 of heaven, H8064 the great H1419 and terrible H3372 God, H410 that keepeth H8104 covenant H1285 and mercy H2617 for them that love H157 him and observe H8104 his commandments: H4687 Let thine ear H241 now be attentive, H7183 and thine eyes H5869 open, H6605 that thou mayest hear H8085 the prayer H8605 of thy servant, H5650 which I pray H6419 before H6440 thee now, H3117 day H3119 and night, H3915 for the children H1121 of Israel H3478 thy servants, H5650 and confess H3034 the sins H2403 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 which we have sinned H2398 against thee: both I and my father's H1 house H1004 have sinned. H2398 We have dealt very H2254 corruptly H2254 against thee, and have not kept H8104 the commandments, H4687 nor the statutes, H2706 nor the judgments, H4941 which thou commandedst H6680 thy servant H5650 Moses. H4872 Remember, H2142 I beseech thee, the word H1697 that thou commandedst H6680 thy servant H5650 Moses, H4872 saying, H559 If ye transgress, H4603 I will scatter you abroad H6327 among the nations: H5971 But if ye turn H7725 unto me, and keep H8104 my commandments, H4687 and do H6213 them; though there were of you cast out H5080 unto the uttermost part H7097 of the heaven, H8064 yet will I gather H6908 them from thence, and will bring H935 them unto the place H4725 that I have chosen H977 to set H7931 my name H8034 there. Now these are thy servants H5650 and thy people, H5971 whom thou hast redeemed H6299 by thy great H1419 power, H3581 and by thy strong H2389 hand. H3027 O Lord, H136 I beseech H577 thee, let now thine ear H241 be attentive H7183 to the prayer H8605 of thy servant, H5650 and to the prayer H8605 of thy servants, H5650 who desire H2655 to fear H3372 thy name: H8034 and prosper, H6743 I pray thee, thy servant H5650 this day, H3117 and grant H5414 him mercy H7356 in the sight H6440 of this man. H376 For I was the king's H4428 cupbearer. H8248
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,