46 Son H1121 of man, H120 set H7760 thy face H6440 toward H1870 the south, H8486 and drop H5197 thy word toward the south, H1864 and prophesy H5012 against the forest H3293 of the south H5045 field; H7704
Son H1121 of man, H120 set H7760 thy face H6440 toward Jerusalem, H3389 and drop H5197 thy word toward the holy places, H4720 and prophesy H5012 against the land H127 of Israel, H3478
My doctrine H3948 shall drop H6201 as the rain, H4306 my speech H565 shall distil H5140 as the dew, H2919 as the small rain H8164 upon the tender herb, H1877 and as the showers H7241 upon the grass: H6212
After H310 my words H1697 they spake not again; H8138 and my speech H4405 dropped H5197 upon them.
The burden H4853 of the beasts H929 of the south: H5045 into the land H776 of trouble H6869 and anguish, H6695 from whence come the young H3833 and old lion, H3918 the viper H660 and fiery H8314 flying H5774 serpent, H8314 they will carry H5375 their riches H2428 upon the shoulders H3802 of young asses, H5895 and their treasures H214 upon the bunches H1707 of camels, H1581 to a people H5971 that shall not profit H3276 them.
And I will prepare H6942 destroyers H7843 against thee, every one H376 with his weapons: H3627 and they shall cut down H3772 thy choice H4005 cedars, H730 and cast H5307 them into the fire. H784
Prophesy H5197 ye not, say they to them that prophesy: H5197 they shall not prophesy H5197 to them, that they shall not take H5253 shame. H3639
Open H6605 thy doors, H1817 O Lebanon, H3844 that the fire H784 may devour H398 thy cedars. H730 Howl, H3213 fir tree; H1265 for the cedar H730 is fallen; H5307 because the mighty H117 are spoiled: H7703 howl, H3213 O ye oaks H437 of Bashan; H1316 for the forest H3293 of the vintage H1208 H1219 is come down. H3381
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 20
Commentary on Ezekiel 20 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 20
In this chapter,
Eze 20:1-4
Here is,
Eze 20:5-9
The history of the ingratitude and rebellion of the people of Israel here begins as early as their beginning; so does the history of man's apostasy from his Maker. No sooner have we read the story of our first parents' creation than we immediately meet with that of their rebellion; so we see here it was with Israel, a people designed to represent the body of mankind both in their dealings with God and in his with them. Here is,
Eze 20:10-26
The history of the struggle between the sins of Israel, by which they endeavoured to ruin themselves, and the mercies of God, by which he endeavoured to save them and make them happy, is here continued: and the instances of that struggle in these verses have reference to what passed between God and them in the wilderness, in which God honoured himself and they shamed themselves. The story of Israel in the wilderness is referred to in the New Testament (1 Co. 10 and Heb. 3), as well as often in the Old, for warning to us Christians; and therefore we are particularly concerned in these verses. Observe,
Eze 20:27-32
Here the prophet goes on with the story of their rebellions, for their further humiliation, and shows,
Eze 20:33-44
The design which was now on foot among the elders of Israel was that the people of Israel, being scattered among the nations, should lay aside all their peculiarities and conform to those among whom they lived; but God had told them that the design should not take effect, v. 32. Now, in these verses, he shows particularly how it should be frustrated. They aimed at the mingling of the families of Israel with the families of the countries; but it will prove in the issue that the wicked Israelites, notwithstanding their compliances, shall not mingle with them in their prosperity, but shall be distinguished from them for destruction; for idolatrous Israelites, that are apostates from God, shall be sooner and more sorely punished than idolatrous Babylonians that never knew the way of righteousness. Read and tremble at the doom here passed upon them; it is backed with an oath not to be reversed: As I live, saith the Lord God, thus and thus will I deal with you. They think to make both Jerusalem and Babylon their friends by halting between two; but God threatens that neither of them shall serve for a rest or refuge for them.
Eze 20:45-49
We have here a prophecy of wrath against Judah and Jerusalem, which would more fitly have begun the next chapter than conclude this; for it has no dependence on what goes before, but that which follows in the beginning of the next chapter is the explication of it, when the people complained that this was a parable which they understood not. In this parable,
Now observe,