--- title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible" author: "Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown" languages: [en] shelf: "Commentaries" section: 445 of 927 url: https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/445/ cite: "Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, section 445. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/445/" --- # Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible *Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown* The Victorian standard commentary, critical and practical, from Genesis to Revelation. ## 445. Ezekiel · 6 of 41 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/445/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/445/#p-N [¶0] 16. ([Eze 6:6]). [¶1] like doves--which, though usually frequenting the valleys, mount up to the mountains when fearing the bird-catcher ([Psa 11:1]). So Israel, once dwelling in its peaceful valleys, shall flee from the foe to the mountains, which, as being the scene of its idolatries, were justly to be made the scene of its flight and shame. The plaintive note of the dove ([Is 59:11]) represents the mournful repentance of Israel hereafter ([Zec 12:10-12]). [¶2] 17. shall be weak as water--literally, "shall go (as) waters"; incapable of resistance ([Jos 7:5]; [Psa 22:14]; [Is 13:7]). [¶3] 18. cover them--as a garment. [¶4] baldness--a sign of mourning ([Is 3:24]; [Jr 48:37]; [Mi 1:16]). [¶5] 19. cast ... silver in ... streets--just retribution; they had abused their silver and gold by converting them into idols, "the stumbling-block of their iniquity" ([Eze 14:3], , that is, an occasion of sinning); so these silver and gold idols, so far from "being able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath" (see [Pr 11:4]), shall, in despair, be cast by them into the streets as a prey to the foe, by whom they shall be "removed" (Grotius translates as the Margin, "shall be despised as an unclean thing"); or rather, as suits the parallelism, "shall be put away from them" by the Jews [Calvin]. "They (the silver and gold) shall not satisfy their souls," that is, their cravings of appetite and other needs. [¶6] 20. beauty of his ornament--the temple of Jehovah, the especial glory of the Jews, as a bride glories in her ornaments (the very imagery used by God as to the temple, [Eze 16:10], ). Compare [Eze 24:21]: "My sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes." [¶7] images ... therein--namely, in the temple ([Eze 8:3-17]). [¶8] set it far from them--God had "set" the temple (their "beauty of ornament") "for His majesty"; but they had set up "abominations therein"; therefore God, in just retribution, "set it far from them," (that is, removed them far from it, or took it away from them [Vatablus]). The Margin translates, "Made it unto them an unclean thing" (compare Margin on [Eze 7:19], "removed"); what I designed for their glory they turned to their shame, therefore I will make it turn to their ignominy and ruin. [¶9] 21. strangers--barbarous and savage nations. [¶10] 22. pollute my secret place--just retribution for the Jews' pollution of the temple. "Robbers shall enter and defile" the holy of holies, the place of God's manifested presence, entrance into which was denied even to the Levites and priests and was permitted to the high priest only once a year on the great day of atonement. [¶11] 23. chain--symbol of the captivity (compare [Jr 27:2]). As they enchained the land with violence, so shall they be chained themselves. It was customary to lead away captives in a row with a chain passed from the neck of one to the other. Therefore translate as the Hebrew requires, "the chain," namely, that usually employed on such occasions. Calvin explains it, that the Jews should be dragged, whether they would or no, before God's tribunal to be tried as culprits in chains. The next words favor this: "bloody crimes," rather, "judgment of bloods," that is, with blood sheddings deserving the extreme judicial penalty. Compare [Jr 51:9]: "Her judgment reacheth unto heaven." [¶12] 24. worst of the heathen--literally, "wicked of the nations"; the giving up of Israel to their power will convince the Jews that this is a final overthrow. [¶13] pomp of ... strong--the pride wherewith men "stiff of forehead" despise the prophet. [¶14] holy places--the sacred compartments of the temple ([Psa 68:35]; [Jr 51:51]) [Calvin]. God calls it "their holy places," because they had so defiled it that He regarded it no longer as His. However, as the defilement of the temple has already been mentioned ([Eze 7:20], ), and "their sacred places" are introduced as a new subject, it seems better to understand this of the places dedicated to their idols. As they defiled God's sanctuary, He will defile their self-constituted "sacred places." [¶15] 25. peace, and ... none--([1Th 5:3]). [¶16] 26. Mischief ... upon ... mischief--([De 32:23]; [Jr 4:20]). This is said because the Jews were apt to fancy, at every abatement of suffering, that their calamities were about to cease; but God will accumulate woe on woe. [¶17] rumour--of the advance of the foe, and of his cruelty ([Mt 24:6]). [¶18] seek a vision--to find some way of escape from their difficulties ([Is 26:9]). So Zedekiah consulted Jeremiah ([Jr 37:17]; ). [¶19] law shall perish--fulfilled ([Eze 20:1], ; [Psa 74:9]; [La 2:9]; compare [Am 8:11]); God will thus set aside the idle boast, "The law shall not perish from the priest" ([Jr 18:18]). [¶20] ancients--the ecclesiastical rulers of the people. [¶21] 27. people of the land--the general multitude, as distinguished from the "king" and the "prince." The consternation shall pervade all ranks. The king, whose duty it was to animate others and find a remedy for existing evils, shall himself be in the utmost anxiety; a mark of the desperate state of affairs. [¶22] clothed with desolation--Clothing is designed to keep off shame; but in this case shame shall be the clothing. [¶23] after their way--because of their wicked ways. [¶24] deserts--literally, "judgments," that is, what just judgment awards to them; used to imply the exact correspondence of God's judgment with the judicial penalties they had incurred: they oppressed the poor and deprived them of liberty; therefore they shall be oppressed and lose their own liberty. ### Chapter 8 [¶26] [Eze 8:1-18]. [¶27] This eighth chapter begins a new stage of Ezekiel's prophecies and continues to the end of the eleventh chapter. The connected visions at Eze 3:12-7:27 comprehended Judah and Israel; but the visions (Eze 8:[1-11:25]) refer immediately to Jerusalem and the remnant of Judah under Zedekiah, as distinguished from the Babylonian exiles. [¶28] 1. sixth year--namely, of the captivity of Jehoiachin, as in [Eze 1:2], the "fifth year" is specified. The lying on his sides three hundred ninety and forty days ([Eze 4:5], ) had by this time been completed, at least in vision. That event was naturally a memorable epoch to the exiles; and the computation of years from it was to humble the Jews, as well as to show their perversity in not having repented, though so long and severely chastised. [¶29] elders--namely, those carried away with Jehoiachin, and now at the Chebar. [¶30] sat before me--to hear the word of God from me, in the absence of the temple and other public places of Sabbath worship, during the exile ([Eze 33:30], ). It was so ordered that they were present at the giving of the prophecy, and so left without excuse. [¶31] hand of ... Lord God fell ... upon me--God's mighty operation fell, like a thunderbolt, upon me (in [Eze 1:3], it is less forcible, "was upon him"); whatever, therefore, he is to utter is not his own, for he has put off the mere man, while the power of God reigns in him [Calvin]. [¶32] 2. likeness--understand, "of a man," that is, of Messiah, the Angel of the covenant, in the person of whom alone God manifests Himself ([Eze 1:26]; [Joh 1:18]). The "fire," from "His loins downward," betokens the vengeance of God kindled against the wicked Jews, while searching and purifying the remnant to be spared. The "brightness ... upward" betokens His unapproachable majesty ([1Ti 6:16]). For Hebrew, eesh, "fire," the Septuagint, &c., read ish, "a man." [¶33] colour of amber--the glitter of chasmal [Fairbairn], (see on [Eze 1:4], "polished brass"). [¶34] 3. Instead of prompting him to address directly the elders before him, the Spirit carried him away in vision (not in person bodily) to the temple at Jerusalem; he proceeds to report to them what he witnessed: his message thus falls into two parts: (1) The abominations reported in Eze 8:1-18. (2) The dealings of judgment and mercy to be adopted towards the impenitent and penitent Israelites respectively (Eze 9:[1-11:25]). The exiles looked hopefully towards Jerusalem and, so far from believing things there to be on the verge of ruin, expected a return in peace; while those left in Jerusalem eyed the exiles with contempt, as if cast away from the Lord, whereas they themselves were near God and ensured in the possessions of the land ([Eze 11:15]). Hence the vision here of what affected those in Jerusalem immediately was a seasonable communication to the exiles away from it. [¶35] door of the inner gate--facing the north, the direction in which he came from Chebar, called the "altar-gate" ([Eze 8:5]); it opened into the inner court, wherein stood the altar of burnt offering; the inner court ([1Ki 6:36]) was that of the priests; the outer court ([Eze 10:5]), that of the people, where they assembled. [¶36] seat--the pedestal of the image. [¶37] image of jealousy--Astarte, or Asheera (as the Hebrew for "grove" ought to be translated, [2Ki 21:3], ; , ), set up by Manasseh as a rival to Jehovah in His temple, and arresting the attention of all worshippers as they entered; it was the Syrian Venus, worshipped with licentious rites; the "queen of heaven," wife of Phoenician Baal. Havernick thinks all the scenes of idolatry in the chapter are successive portions of the festival held in honor of Tammuz or Adonis ([Eze 8:14]). Probably, however, the scenes are separate proofs of Jewish idolatry, rather than restricted to one idol. [¶38] provoketh to jealousy--calleth for a visitation in wrath of the "jealous God," who will not give His honor to another (compare the second commandment, [Ex 20:5]). Jerome refers this verse to a statue of Baal, which Josiah had overthrown and his successors had replaced. [¶39] 4. The Shekinah cloud of Jehovah's glory, notwithstanding the provocation of the idol, still remains in the temple, like that which Ezekiel saw "in the plain" ([Eze 3:22], ); not till [Eze 10:4], did it leave the temple at Jerusalem, showing the long-suffering of God, which ought to move the Jews to repentance. [¶40] 5. gate of ... altar--the principal avenue to the altar of burnt offering; as to the northern position, see [2Ki 16:14]. Ahaz had removed the brazen altar from the front of the Lord's house to the north of the altar which he had himself erected. The locality of the idol before God's own altar enhances the heinousness of the sin. [¶41] 6. that I should go far off from my sanctuary--"that I should (be compelled by their sin to) go far off from my sanctuary"--([Eze 10:18]); the sure precursor of its destruction. [¶42] 7. door of the court--that is, of the inner court ([Eze 8:3]); the court of the priests and Levites, into which now others were admitted in violation of the law [Grotius]. [¶43] hole in ... wall--that is, an aperture or window in the wall of the priests' chambers, through which he could see into the various apartments, wherein was the idolatrous shrine. [¶44] 8. dig--for it had been blocked up during Josiah's reformation. Or rather, the vision is not of an actual scene, but an ideal pictorial representation of the Egyptian idolatries into which the covenant-people had relapsed, practising them in secret places where they shrank from the light of day [Fairbairn], ([Joh 3:20]). But compare, as to the literal introduction of idolatries into the temple, [Eze 5:11]; [Jr 7:30]; .