Exposition of Ezekiel 14-19, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 16 · Verses 35-38
VERS. 35, 36, 37, 38.
Wherefore O Harlot, heare the word of the Lord.
Thus ſaith the Lord God, becauſe thy filthineſſe was powred out, and thy nakedneſſe diſcovered through thy whoredomes with thy lovers, and with all the idolls of thy abhominations, and by the blood of thy children which thou didſt give unto them.
Behold therefore I will gather all thy lovers with whom thou haſt taken pleaſure, and all them that thou haſt loved, with all them that thou haſt hated, I will even gather them round about againſt thee, and will diſcover thy nakedneſſe unto them, that they may ſee all thy nakedneſſe.
And I will judge thee as women that breake wedlocke, and ſhedde blood are judged, and I will give thee blood in fury and jealouſie, &c. to 44.
HEre begins the fifth generall part of the Capter, viz. a Commination of grievous judgements, together with the aggravation of their ſinnes, the cauſe of thoſe judgements, and this extends to the 60. verſ.
In the words from the 35. to the 44. you ſhall find,
1. An introduction to the judgements threatned, verſ. 35.
2. A ſpecification of the cauſes moving God to bring ſuch judgments upon this woman, namely, her Idolatry, murthering of her children, and forgetfulneſſe of her low condition, and Gods dealing with her in it, v. 36.43.
3. The enumeration of the judgements threatned, which are,
1. The gathering together of her lovers and enemies, and ſetting them againſt her, v. 37.
2. Publication of her nakedneſſe and ſhame, ibid.
3. Condemnation to dye, v. 38.
4. Rendition into the hands of her Enemies, verſ. 39.
5. Plundering, ſpoiling, and laying all waſt, ibid.
6. Death it ſelfe by ſtones and ſwords, v. 40.
7. Burning their houſes, v. 41.
4. The conſequents hereupon, which are two.
1. The ceſſation of this woman from her idolatries, v. 41. laſt part of it.
2. Ceſſation of Gods anger, v. 42.
Verſ. 35. O harlot.
The Lord calls her not wife, but harlot, he would not vouchſafe her that name, it carries honour in it; but gives her a diſgracefull name, Harlot, the Jewiſh Nation he calls a harlot.
Obſer.
Sinne brings reproachful names and tearms upon people and perſons. Iſa. 1.10. Rulers of Sodome, and people of Gomorrah: It cauſes God to faſten diſgracing titles and Epithites upon them. Deut. 32.5. A perverſe and crooked generation. Iſa. 57.4. Children of tranſgreſſion, a ſeede of falſhood. Jerem. 6.28. Grievous revolters, corrupters. Jer. 2.21. Degenerate plants. Iſa. 10.6. An hypocriticall nation. Iſa. 65.2. A rebellious people. Iſa. 16.4. Outcaſts. Chap. 1.4. A people laden with iniquities. Jer. 6.30. Reprobate ſilver. Iſa. 57.3. Sons of the Sorcereſſe, the ſeed of the adulterer, and the whore. Iſa. 21.2. Treacherous dealers.
Formerly this people were very deare to God, and hee gave them honourable Titles.
Exod. 4.22. Iſrael my ſonne, my firſt borne. 19.6. A kingdome of Prieſts, an holy nation. Deut 32.9. The Lords portion, and inheritance. Pſalm 135.4. His peculiar treaſure. Iſa. 5.7. The Lords vineyard. Jer. 2.21. A noble vine. Iſa. 4.5. The glory. 6.13. The holy ſeede. Jer. 18.13. The Virgin of Iſrael.
Its true you ſee what Solomon gave out long ſince; Righteousneſſe exalts a nation, but ſin is a reproach to any people.
Obſer. 2.
From theſe words, heare the word of the LORD; They will not heare the word of the Lord for their conſolation, ſhall heare it for their condemnation. God had often ſpoken to this metaphoricall woman, this Jewiſh eſtate by his Prophets, and ſhe would not heare. Iſa. 65.2. I have ſpread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people. God had ſent Prophets at the 3. 6. 9. houre, and yet ſhe would not heare: he had dealt like a loving Husband by her, invited her to repent and turne, as you may read, Jer. 3. and 4. and in divers other places promiſed merciemercy and forgiveneſs, and nothing would prevail; here therefore the Lord ſpeaks like a juſt Judge, giving out a ſentence of death. Heare the word of the Lord O harlot: ſeeing thou wouldſt not hearken to my l…ving intreaties, gracious invitations, wholſome counſels, the word of grace and merciemercy; now thou muſt heare & hearken to my threats, my words of wrath, of condemnation, and deſtruction.
Verſ. 36. Thy filthineſſe.
Heb. foreign which Montanus renders, aes tuum, thy money; ſhewing how laviſh and profuſe ſhee was in ſpending her eſtate to hire lovers to come in unto her. Sept. hath it foreign as thy braſſe, or money. Vulg. aes tuum: but others interpret the word otherwiſe.Calv. in finum. Pagn. turpitudo tua. Shindl. ſaith, the word foreign ſignifies inferiorem portem faeminae pudendum. Buxtorf. virus ſeu virulentae ſordes ex aſſidua ſcortatione profluentes; Aecol. inferiora tuavas.ut aerugo ex aere. Jun. virus tuum: ſo Polan. Piſc. Fr. Tes baſſes parties. Prado nomine aeris non vei fed ſemen potius ſignificatum fuiſſe videtur.
Thy lovers.
Theſe lovers were the Aſſyrians, Babylonians, Chaldeans, Ezek. 23.12. Shee doted upon the Aſſyrians, verſ. 16. Shee ſent meſſengers unto them into Chaldaea. Verſ. 17. The Babylonians came to her into the bedde of love: And in the 19, 20, 21. you ſhall find that the Aegyptians were her lovers. So Jer. 2.36. and Jer. 3.1. Thou haſt played the harlot with many lovers. Shee had lovers out of moſt Nations.
Verſ. 37. Thou haſt taken pleaſure.
Heb. is foreign dulcuiſti, or jocundataes; the word foreign is of the largeſt ſignification amongſt the Heb. words, the primitive and chiefe ſignification of it is to mingle: and ſo here notes that pleaſure, delight, comes upon mixture; this woman mingled her ſelfe with ſtrangers, all commers, eſpecially Aſſyrians, Babylonians, Aegyptians, in bodily and ſpirituall whoredomes.Vulg. quibus commiſta es. Sept. foreign. Caſt. oblectaſti. Jun. with whom thou haſt ſweetly been converſant. Piſc. ſuaviter affecta fuiſti.
God would gather together her lovers, and thoſe ſhe hated, having fallen off from her loves, and they ſhould be againſt her, and beſiege her:
Obſer. 1.
When God threatens, or brings judgements upon a people, it is upon conſiderable and juſt grounds: becauſe thy filthineſſe was poured out, &c. behold, therefore I wil, &c.
2. That when God by the ſinne of man is provoked, he will ſet his friends and lovers aginſt him. The Aſſyrians and Chaldaeans had been Jeruſalems lovers; but becauſe ſhe ſinned againſt God, he turnes them to be her enemies. Lam. 1.2. All her friends have dealt treacherouſly with her, they are become her enemies. Ahitophel was a choiſe friend and Councellor to David: and becauſe he offended the Lord in the matter of Ʋ riah, and Bathſheba, therefore hee turned the heart and head of Ahitophel againſt David, which went very neare to him, and troubled his heart ſorely: hee ſpeakes of it twice in the Pſalms; once in the 41. verſ. 9. Mine owne familiar friend in whom I truſted, who did eate of my bread, hath lift up his heele againſt me, i. e. hath dealt injuriouſly with mee, and like a bruit creature, kickt at his Maſter who feeds him; or thus, he hath look'd at me as one downe, and lift up his heele to tread me under. Againe, he mentions it in the 55. Pſalm. 12, 13, 14. Vaſthi refuſed to come at the Kings call, and God ſet Ahaſuerus and all the Princes againſt her, Eſth. 1. So Obad. 7. The men that were at peace with thee, have deceived thee; th…y that eate thy bread have laid a wound under thee. See Math. 10.36.
3. God in his infinite wiſdome and juſtice doth oft times make them inſtruments of his wrath, to puniſh us, with whom wee have ſinn'd. The Jewes had pleaſed themſelves in making Covenants with the Aſſyrians, Chaldaeans, and Aegyptians, in fetching in their gods, formes of worſhip, in following their manners, and practiſes: and what ſaith the Lord here? I will even gather them round about againſt thee, they ſhall beſiege thee, and lay thee waſt. Rev. 17.16. The tenne horns which thou ſaweſt upon the Beaſt, and ſo did ſin by the counſell and power of the beaſt: thoſe horns being ſo many Kings, ſhall hate the whore with whom they had committed fornication. Verſ. 2. And ſhall make her deſolate and naked, and ſhall eate her fleſh, and burne her with fire. As they had ſinn'd with her, ſo God would uſe them to execute his wrath upon her.
Martia the Concubine of Commodus the Emperour, having eſpyed her owne name in a Catalogue of chiefe perſons, intended to be made away by him, conſulting with others, ſhe poiſoned him in a cup of wine.
4. In what kind people ſinne, in that kind ſometimes God doth puniſh them. Jeruſalem ſinn'd in diſcovering her nakedneſſe to others, v. 36. and God doth puniſh her by diſcovering her nakedneſſe to others, v. 37. I will diſcover thy nakedneſs unto them, that they may ſee all thy nakedneſs. Lam. 1.8. All that honoured her deſpiſe her, becauſe they have ſeen her nakedneſs. Shee committed ſinne in a ſhameful manner, and God would puniſh her ſhamefully. Adonibezech cut off thumbs and toes of 70. Kings, and his thumbs & toes were cut off, Judg. 1.6, 7. Agag he had ſlaine many by the ſword, and himſelfe ſuffers by it. 1 Sam. 15.33. As thy ſword hath made women childleſſe, ſo ſhall thy mother be childleſſe among women. Obad. 15. As thou haſt done, it ſhall be done unto thee. Rev. 13.10. He that leadeth into captivity, ſhall goe into captivity; he that killeth with the ſword, muſt be kill'd with the ſword. Iſa. 33.1. When thou ſhalt ceaſe to ſpoile, thou ſhalt be ſpoiled: and when thou ſhalt make an end to deale treacherouſly, they ſhall deale treacherouſly with thee.
This diſcovering of nakedneſs which was the puniſhment here threatned, was a grievous judgement, and ſhould have cauſed this woman to have given over her whoredome and filthineſſe, as once it did the Mileſian Virgins, their murthers; for they being troubled and perplexed in their minds, were ſet upon it to make away themſelves, no teares or intreaties of friends could prevail with them; many did make away themſelves, notwithſtanding all meanes uſed to prevent the ſame: At the laſt, one amongſt them, wiſer then the reſt, made a law; that if they did make away themſelves, they ſhould be drawn naked through the Market; this ſo prevailed with them, that they gave over that wretched practiſe; the thought of the ſhame of having their nakedneſs diſcovered, kept them from that bloody ſinne of ſelfe-murther.
Verſ. 38. I will judge thee as women that breake wedlocke.
The Heb. is, I will judge thee with the judgements of adultereſſes. What the judgements of whores and adultereſſes were, we ſhall find in Levit. 20.10. Deut. 22.22. The Adulterer and Adultereſſe were both to be put to death, but what death, is not ſpecified. The Jewes had foure capitall puniſhments or deaths.
1. Chenek, ſtrangling: and this was the death they affirme that the Adulterer and the Adultereſſe were to ſuffer; for where the kind of Death is not expreſſed, their rule is, it's ſtrangling, becauſe that is the eaſieſt.
2. Is Hereg, beheading.
3. Sheriphah, burning: ſo Judah judged Tamar, when ſhe had played the whore, to be burnt, Gen. 28.24. The Prieſts daughter, if ſhe played the whore was to be burnt with fire, Levit. 21.9.
4. Sekilah, ſtoning; ſo the Phariſees tell Chriſt, John 8.5. Adultereſſes ſhould be ſton'd by the law of Moſes, yet there is no expreſſe law in him for it, only thoſe committed ſinnes of like nature were to be ſton'd, as Deut. 22.24. And its evident from our Prophet, who in the 40. verſ. tells this adultereſſe woman ſhe ſhall be ſton'd with ſtones.
The manner of ſtoning was to lead the offender bound to a place without the gates, where one of the witneſſes ſtrook him behind upon the loines; then they tooke a very great and heavy ſtone and threw upon him: and if that did not kill him, then all the people threw ſtones upon him, according to Deutr. 17.7. This death was counted the moſt grievous.
Among the Romans, Adulterers were beheaded by the Julian law.
Tacitus relates, that among the old Germans, that the Adultereſſe being found out by her Husband, ſhe was ſtript, and ſet naked in the ſight of her kindred: and afterward her hair being cut off, her husband with rods drave her through the ſtreet ſo.
Diodorus Siculus tells that the Aegyptians did cut off and maim the noſtrils of the Adultereſſe, that ſo they might deforme the face which had pleaſed: and the adulterer had 1000. ſtripes, with which he was almoſt beaten to death. Vid. Pet. Mart. upon 2 Sam. 12.
And ſhedde blood.
Their judgement was to have their blood ſhed, Gen. 1.6. Exod. 21.12. No ſatisfaction was to be taken for the life of a Murtherer, but he was abſolutely to be put to death, Num. 35.31, 32. What ever friends he could make, what ever ranſome he could give, what ever quality he were of, theſe were not to be reſpected, but die he muſt. So here, Jeruſalem had ſhedde blood, even the blood of her infants, verſ. 20, 21. and now her blood ſhould be ſhedde, ſhee ſhould be thruſt through with ſwords, verſ. 40.
In fury and jealouſie.
Heb. runs thus: I will give thee the blood of wrath and jealouſie. Sept. foreign. I will put thee in the blood of wrath and zeale. Junius, reponam tibi ſanguinem excandeſcentiae & zeloipiae. The words ſhew how ſeverely the Lord will deale with her, even like a Husband, whoſe rage and jealouſie is up, and nothing will pacifie it but the blood of the adulterer and adultereſſe, Prov. 6.34. Jealouſie is the rage of a man; nothing exaſperates him more then the falſehood of his wife; and ſomething exaſperates God more then the falſehood and whoredome of his Spouſe. Pſalm 79.5. Shall thy jealouſie burne like fire? yea it burnes like the hotteſt fire, and cannot be quenched. His fury and jealouſie conſum'd Jeruſalem before they ceas'd. Theſe words agree with thoſe in Chap. 5.11. Mine eye ſhall not ſpare, neither will I have any pity. God would give her blood without any mercy; no ſacrifices, no teares, no prayers, no meanes ſhould prevaile with him.
Obſerv. 1.
Adultery and Blood-ſhed are ſinnes which the Lord puniſheth ſeverely, he propounds the puniſhment of theſe ſins to be the pattern for Jeruſalems puniſhment: I will judg thee with the judgements of adultereſſes, and of thoſe that ſhed blood. Their puniſhments are exemplary. Jer. 29.22. Zedekiah & Ahab are ſaid to be roaſted in the fire, which was a terrible judgement, a grievous torture: and what was the reaſon of it? becauſe they have committed villany in Iſrael, & have committed adultery with their neighbours wives. Mal. 3.5. I will be a ſwift witneſſe againſt the adulterers: That's ſo provoking a ſin, and deſerves ſuch heavy judgment, that God wil make haſt to puniſh them. Heb. 13.4. Whoremongers & adulterers God wil judge; that is, puniſh with emphaticall puniſhments. Sodomes great ſinne was uncleanneſſe, and God judg'd and puniſh'd them with fire and brimſtone from heaven. The forcing of the Levites Concubine coſt the blood of 60000. men, Judg. 20. there uncleanneſſe and murther were puniſht with ſeverity. Pſalm 9.12. God makes inquiſition for blood. He is ſo ſtirr'd at this ſinne, that he will up, ſearch out the authors, contrivers, and Commiſſioners of this ſcarlet ſin: hee will avenge for blood. Hoſ. 1.4. I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the houſe of Jehu. Ezek. 35.5, 6. Becauſe Mount-Seir had ſhed blood, therefore as I live ſaith the Lord God, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood ſhall purſue thee. See how the ſpirit of the Lord is up, he ſweares to it, that he would prepare them unto blood, and that blood ſhould purſue them. Chap. 36.18. I powred my fury upon them for the blood that they had ſhed upon the land, and for their Idols wherewith they had polluted it.
2. Note, there is difference of ſinnes and puniſhments; women that breake wedlocke and ſhed blood, they ſin more grievouſly then others doe, and their puniſhments are greater then others; their ſinnes are ſcarlet, and crying ſinnes, abominations; and their puniſhments are anſwerable; they are judged otherwiſe then lyers, ſlanderers, drunkards, thieves, &c. God puniſheth ſome ſinnes without blood; but theſe ſinnes, Adultery, Murther, Idolatry, with blood, and not only with blood, but with blood in fury and jealouſie.