3 If when he seeth H7200 the sword H2719 come H935 upon the land, H776 he blow H8628 the trumpet, H7782 and warn H2094 the people; H5971
4 Then whosoever H8085 heareth H8085 the sound H6963 of the trumpet, H7782 and taketh not warning; H2094 if the sword H2719 come, H935 and take him away, H3947 his blood H1818 shall be upon his own head. H7218
5 He heard H8085 the sound H6963 of the trumpet, H7782 and took not warning; H2094 his blood H1818 shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning H2094 shall deliver H4422 his soul. H5315
6 But if the watchman H6822 see H7200 the sword H2719 come, H935 and blow H8628 not the trumpet, H7782 and the people H5971 be not warned; H2094 if the sword H2719 come, H935 and take H3947 any person H5315 from among them, he is taken away H3947 in his iniquity; H5771 but his blood H1818 will I require H1875 at the watchman's H6822 hand. H3027
7 So thou, O son H1121 of man, H120 I have set H5414 thee a watchman H6822 unto the house H1004 of Israel; H3478 therefore thou shalt hear H8085 the word H1697 at my mouth, H6310 and warn H2094 them from me.
8 When I say H559 unto the wicked, H7563 O wicked H7563 man, thou shalt surely H4191 die; H4191 if thou dost not speak H1696 to warn H2094 the wicked H7563 from his way, H1870 that wicked H7563 man shall die H4191 in his iniquity; H5771 but his blood H1818 will I require H1245 at thine hand. H3027
9 Nevertheless, if thou warn H2094 the wicked H7563 of his way H1870 to turn H7725 from it; if he do not turn H7725 from his way, H1870 he shall die H4191 in his iniquity; H5771 but thou hast delivered H5337 thy soul. H5315
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 33
Commentary on Ezekiel 33 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 33
The prophet has now come off his circuit, which he went as judge, in God's name, to try and pass sentence upon the neighbouring nations, and, having finished with them, and read them all their doom, in the eight chapters foregoing, he now returns to the children of his people, and receives further instructions what to say to them.
Eze 33:1-9
The prophet had been, by express order from God, taken off from prophesying to the Jews, just then when the news came that Jerusalem was invested, and close siege laid to it, ch. 24:27. But now that Jerusalem is taken, two years after, he is appointed again to direct his speech to them; and there his commission is renewed. If God had abandoned them quite, he would not have sent prophets to them; nor, if he had not had mercy in store for them, would he have shown them such things as these. In these verses we have,
Eze 33:10-20
These verses are the substance of what we had before (ch. 18:20, etc.) and they are so full and express a declaration of the terms on which people stand with God (as the former were of the terms on which ministers stand) that it is no wonder that they are here repeated, as those were, though we had the substance of them before. Observe here,
Now lay all this together, and then judge whether the way of the Lord be not equal, whether this will not justify God in the destruction of sinners and glorify him in the salvation of penitents. The conclusion of the whole matter is (v. 20): "O you house of Israel, though you are all involved now in the common calamity, yet there shall be a distinction of persons made in the spiritual and eternal state, and I will judge you every one after his ways.' Though they were sent into captivity by the lump, good fish and bad enclosed in the same net, yet there he will separate between the precious and the vile and will render to every man according to his works. Therefore God's way is equal and unexceptionable; but, as for the children of thy people, God turns them over to the prophet, as he did to Moses (Ex. 32:7): "They are thy people; I can scarcely own them for mine.' As for them, their way is unequal; this way which they have got of quarrelling with God and his prophets is absurd and unreasonable. In all disputes between God and his creatures it will certainly be found that he is in the right and they are in the wrong.
Eze 33:21-29
Here we have,
Eze 33:30-33
The foregoing verses spoke conviction to the Jews who remained in the land of Israel, who were monuments of sparing mercy and yet returned not to the Lord; in these verses those are reproved who were now in captivity in Babylon, under divine rebukes, and yet were not reformed by them. They are not indeed charged with the same gross enormities that the others are charged with. They made some show of religion and devotion; but their hearts were not right with God. The thing they are here accused of is mocking the messengers of the lord, one of their measure-filling sins, which brought this ruin upon them, and yet they were not cured of it. Two ways they mocked the prophet Ezekiel:-