Exposition of Ezekiel 14-19, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 17 · Verses 16-21
VERS. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.
As I live ſaith the Lord God, ſurely in the place where the King dwelleth that made him King, whoſe oath hee deſpiſed, and whoſe covenant he brake, even with him in the middeſt of Babylon he ſhall dye.
Neither ſhall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the warre, by caſting up mounts, and building forts to cut off many perſons.
Seeing he deſpiſed the oath by breaking the covenant, (when loe, he had given his hand) and hath done all theſe things, he ſhall not eſcape.
Therefore thus ſaith the Lord God, as I live, ſurely mine oath that he hath deſpiſed, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompence upon his own head.
And I will ſpread my net upon him, and he ſhall be taken in my ſnare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his treſpaſſe that he hath treſpaſſed againſt me.
And all his fugitives with all his bands ſhall fall by the ſword, and they that remain ſhall be ſcattered towards all winds, and yee ſhall know that I the Lord have ſpoken it.
THeſe verſes comprehend Zedekiah's ſin, with ſome aggravation thereof, and the puniſhments threatned for the ſame, and theſe ratifie them.
His ſin is deſpiſing the Oath, and breaking the Covenant of Nebuchadnezar, verſ. 16.18. which God calls his Oath & Covenant, v. 19. and the treſpaſſe treſpaſſed againſt him, verſ. 20.
The aggravations are two,
1. Is from Nebuchadnezar's kindneſſe and bounty towards him, verſ. 16. that made him King, whoſe oath he deſpiſed.
2. Is from his own act, verſ. 18. when loe, he had given his owne hand.
The puniſhments threatned are,
1. Death, verſ. 16. he ſhall dye, and that in Babylon.
2. Diſappointment by the Aegyptian Army, verſ. 17. Neither ſhall Pharaoh, &c.
3. Obſtructing all wayes of eſcaping, verſ. 18. hee ſhall not eſcape. Verſ. 19. I will recompence it, viz. his perjury upon his owne head. Verſ. 20. I will ſpread my net upon him, and he ſhall be taken in my ſnare.
4. The execution of his fugitives; they ſhall fall by the ſword, verſ. 21.
5. The diſperſion of thoſe ſhould be left: they ſhall be ſcattered into all winds, ibid.
The ratification of them is by an oath, verſ. 16. & 19. As I live ſaith the Lord.
For the words they need not much opening.
Verſ. 16. As I live.
As ſure as I am God, and live, it ſhall ſo come to paſſe, he ſhall dye in Babylon. Of this oath was ſpoken, Chap. 5.11.14.16. and 16.48.
Whoſe oath he deſpiſed.
foreignThe word in Hebrew for deſpiſed, notes deſpiſing, ex faſtu quodam, out of pride and diſdaine. Zedekiah thought, what ſhould I that am an Iſraelite keep an oath made to an Heathen? Should I that am of Sion, be ſubject to Babylon? No, no, I wil be in bondage no longer. It's true, I have made an oath, but that's no great matter, it will be more advantage for me to break with that Heathniſh King, then to keep the oath; thus did he deſpiſe the oath.
In the midſt of Babylon he ſhall dye.
Zedekiah had his eyes put out that he never ſaw Babylon, and yet he was carryed captive thither, and kept in priſon there till his death, Jer. 52.11. Ezek. 12.13. He ſhall not ſee it, though he ſhall dye there.
17. Neither ſhall Pharaoh, &c.
The firſt Pharaoh the Scripture mentions was in Abrahams dayes, Gen. 12.15. And the laſt was this here mentioned, who is cal'd Pharaoh Hophra, King of Aegypt, and was delivered into the hands of Nebuchadnezar King of Babylon, Jer. 44.30. From the firſt to the laſt was 1336. years, all which time this name was common to all the Kings of Aegypt, Rivet in Genfin.but afterwards ceaſed. Some have thought this word Pharaoh to be taken from an Iſland ſo cal'd. Others fetch it from the Hebr. word Pharah, which ſignifies to be free from bondage, foreignwhence A lapide derives the word baro, a Baron. Kings, ſaith he, are cal'd Pharaones quaſi barones, free Princes.In Geneſ. But its moſt probable that Pharaoh was an Aegyptian name or title, noting Soveraignty. Gen. 41.44. Pharaoh ſaid unto Joſeph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee ſhall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Aegypt. Joſephus ſaith,Libr. Oct. Antiq. Pharaoh was a name of honour and Principality.
Make for him.
Hebr. with him: let Pharaoh come with never ſo great an Army, it will not make with him, he ſhall never accompliſh what he intends thereby. Pharaoh with all his power ſhall not be able to free him from the King of Babylon, and make him great. The vulgar and French read it againſt him, and then it's to be underſtood of the King of Babylon, all the Aegyptian forces ſhall doe nothing to hinder him from taking Jeruſalem, and carrying away Zedekiah into Babylon. Pharaoh came forth with his Army, but was forced to returne, Jer. 37.7.
Building Forts.
The word for Forts ſignifies a woodden tower. foreignIn thoſe times they made great Engines of wood like Towers, out of which they threw ſtones or darts into the Towns or Cities they war'd againſt, and ſo weakned them. Whether the caſting up Mounts, and building of Forts were the work of the Babyloniſh, or Aegyptian King, is queſtioned among Expoſitors, but to me it ſeems evident by the words that it was the Aegyptian King.
18. When loe, he had given his hand.
To give the hand imports,
1. Society, equality, as Gal. 2.9. Cephas and John gave Paul and Barnabas the right hand of fellowſhip.
2. Subjection, as 2 Chron. 30.8. Be not ſtiffe-necked as your fathers were, but yeeld your ſelves unto the Lord: the Heb. is, give the hand unto the Lord, and ſerve him. So 1 Chron. 29.24. They ſubmitted themſelves to Solomon the King. Heb. is, They gave the hand under him, or to him.
3. Confirmation of a Promiſe, Covenant, or Oath, Ezra. 10.19. They gave their hands that they would put away their wives. They promiſed it, and they confirmed it, by giving their hands to Ezra. Lam. 5.6. We have given the hand to the Aſſyrians and Aegyptians to be ſatisfied with bread. We have covenanted to be theirs for bread, and have impawned our fidelity and honeſty by giving our hands. So here Zedekiah had made a Covenant with Nebuchadnezar, and confirmed it, not only with an oath, but alſo with his hand, that he would be ſubject unto him. If he forgat his oath, yet how could he look upon his owne ha…nd and not remember how it was engaged.
19. It will I recompence upon his owne head.
The Lord would bring his perjury upon him. Of recompencing upon the head hath been ſpoken, Chap. 9.10: 11.21:16.43.
Verſ. 20. And I will ſpread my net upon him, and he ſhall be taken in my ſnare, and I will b…ing him to Babylon.
Theſe very words you have had opened in the 12. Chap. Verſ. 13.VVild beaſts to be taken. The net and ſnare were the Babyloniſh Army; the Jewes the fiſhes, &c.
And I will plead with him there.
Heb. is, I will be judged with him; ſo Montanus reads it.foreign Judicaber cum eo. That I may be judged with him; ſo Vatablus: and the ſenſe is this; I will ſo cleare my juſtice in puniſhing this perfidious King, that I will be judged even by Heathens, whither he hath not deſerved what I ſhall inflict, and whither I be not righteous in inflicting the ſame, I know they will juſtifie me, and condemne him: But others render the word actively, I will judge, or plead with; as here, that is, I will puniſh him. After the City was taken, his Sons, Princes, and Nobles ſlain, his eyes put out, he was carryed into Babylon, where he was put into priſon, and impriſoned till his death, Jer. 52.11.
21. All his fugitives.
When Jeruſalem was beſieged, and began to be broken up, Zedekiah and many with him fled, who are threatned here all to fall by the ſword; yet preſently it's added, they that remaine ſhall be ſcattered. How are theſe words to be taken, ſo as to make truth out of them?
Anſw. Univerſall notes are not alwayes to be taken univerſally. All, that is the greateſt part, ſo it's to be taken, Jer. 13.19: 44.12. Math. 2.3: 3.5.
Obſerv. 1.
Judgements threatned are not readily and eaſily believed; if ſo, there need no ſwearing to confirme the certainty of them; but man as he is backward to believe what ſhould do him good; ſo what is threaten'd and tends unto his ruine, therefore God ſweares, as I live Zedekiah ſhall dye. Jeremiah had often told Zedekiah that he ſhould be taken and carried to Babylon, Chap. 32.45: 34.23. but he believed it not, 2 Chron. 36.12. He humbled not himſelfe before Jeremiah the Prophet, ſpeaking from the mouth of the Lord, verſ. 16. he and others mocked the Meſſengers of God, deſpiſed his word, and miſuſed his Prophets, untill the wrath of the Lord aroſe againſt his people, till there was no remedy. Much was given out by the Prophets anent the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, but none would believe that the enemie ſhould ever have entered into the gates of it, Lam. 4.12. What, God deſtroy his own City? his own people? how can this be? Judgements are ſowr things to the ſpirits of men, very unwelcom, and therefore they ſhift them off with ſome pretence or other. God is a mercifull God, and will not doe ſuch ſevere things; or if he doe, it will not be in our dayes, as they in Ezek. 12.22. The dayes are prolonged: or if not, yet we ſhall eſcape.
2. Ingratitude to thoſe inſtruments God hath uſed to do us good by, he takes ſpeciall notice of, and will puniſh. Nebuchadnezar was the man whom God uſed to make Zedekiah King: and he being exalted by him, and having tyed himſelf by the ſtrongeſt bonds to be grateful and ſerviceable to him, forgets his Benefactors kindneſſe, and breaks with him; here was helliſh ingratitude: hereupon the Lord ſaith, In the place where he dwelleth that made him King, even in Babylon, he ſhall dye. His ingratitude ſo provoked God, that he would puniſh him exemplarily in that place, where the King of Babylon and all the Babylonians might ſee how greatly the God of Iſrael abhor'd ingratitude.
Jehoiadah was the hand of God to ſet Joaſh in the Throne, 2 Chron. 23. And after the death of Jehoiadah, Joaſh ſlew his ſonne becauſe hee dealt faithfully with him and the Princes in reproving them for falling to idolatry. This the Lord tooke ſpeciall notice of, for it's ſaid, Thus Joaſh the King remembred not the kindnes which Jehoiadah his father had done unto him, but ſlew his ſonne, who dying, ſaid, the Lord looke upon it, and require it, 2 Chron. 24.20, 21, 22. And it was not long ere God did require it; for ſhortly after an Army of the Syrians ſpoiled him, and his own ſervants ſlew him for his ingratitude towards Jehoiadah in ſlaying his ſonnes, verſ. 25.
Ahitophel was advanced by David to be his Counſellor, hee fell in with Abſalom's conſpiracy againſt David, the Lord was offended at this wretched ingratitude, and left him to lay hands upon himſelf, and become a monument and warning-piece to poſterity to take heed of the like ſin: ſo Judas. Gideon was a man God uſed to do Iſrael much good by: and though the people ſoon forgate it, yet God did not forget their ingratitude. Judg. 8.35. They ſhewed not kindneſs to the houſe of Gideon, according to all the goodneſſe which hee had ſhewed unto Iſrael. God expects men ſhould be thankful unto thoſe men he hath employed to doe them good; if they be not thankfull to men whom they ſee, they will not be thankfull unto God whom they ſee not.
3. God is ſo reſolv'd upon the puniſhing of perfidiouſneſſe, that he ſweares unto it: As I live ſaith the Lord, ſeeing hee hath deſpiſed the oath, and broken the covenant, he ſhall dye. And againe, As I live I will recompence it upon his owne head. Himſelfe, his Princes, falſe Prophets, may think, hope, ſay, ſweare it will be otherwiſe; but as ſure as I live, as I am God, he & they ſhall feel the weight of my diſpleaſure for their perfidiouſneſſe & perjury. Kings on the Earth take oaths & little regard them, but the K. of heaven doth not ſo. If the Lord once ſweare, he will perform, and there is no poſſibility of eſcaping. Perjury is a ſinne which violates the name of God exceedingly, and evidences that men have no feare of God in them, that they make an Idoll of him to ſerve their own turns; That ſuch men are neither for God nor man to truſt; not only Religion, but even common honeſty ſuffers by them. No marvail then that the Lord ſwears, and ſwears again, that he will recompence ſuch ſinnes upon mens heads.
4. Such is the condition of humane affaires, that even Kings and great men may fall into the hands, and dye in the hands of forreign enemies. Zedekiah fell into the hands of Nebuchadnezar, and even with him in the midſt of Babylon hee ſhall dye. He made no account of meeting with ſuch a condition, and dying in that place, but his ſins brought thoſe evils upon him. Jehoahaz fell into the hands of Pharaoh Necho, and was carryed to Aegypt, 2 Chron. 36.4. Jehoiachin with his Princes, Officers, and mighty men was a captive in Babylon, 2 King. 24.15, 16. God had told them by Moſes, that if they did provoke him by their ſins, they ſhould be removed into their enemies land, Levit. 26.34.41. And Solomon was jealous of it, 1 K. 8.46. As it's a mercy to live and dye in ones own Land, ſo it's a judgment to be driven or carryed out of it, and to dye in a ſtrange Land.
From the 17. verſ.
1. Men looke for help from an arme of fleſh when in ſtreights. Zedekiah expected that Pharaoh's mighty Armie, and great company, his Chariots and Horſes ſhould make for him. It's very incident to us to looke unto ſecond cauſes and creature-help more then Gods. Aſa being in diſtreſſe did ſo: he relyed ſaith the Text on the King of Syria, and not on the Lord his God, 2 Chron. 16.7. And in his diſeaſe he ſought not to the Lord, but to the Phyſitians, verſ. 12. Confidence in man is a common practice of the ſons of men. Ahaz he ſent to the King of Aſſyria to help him, 2 Chron. 28.16. So Ephraim when he ſaw his ſickneſſe, hee went to the Aſſyrian, and ſent to Jareb, Hoſ. 5.13. Mens ſpirits looke any way, tunne any whither for reliefe rather then unto God; the arme of fleſh is more to them then the arme of God. Pſal. 20.7. Some truſt in chariots, ſome in horſes, ſome in riches, Pſal. 52.7. Some in falſhood, Jer. 23.25. Some in ſtrong holds, Zech. 9.3. Some in men, Iſa. 2.22. But it argues Atheiſme, Ignorance, Pride, Unbeliefe, that men looke not unto God at ſuch times; yea, it proclaims the baſeneſſe of our ſpirits, that wee fall upon what is viſible, weake, unfaithfull, at diſtance, and neglect God who is ſtrong, all-ſufficient, neare; and all becauſe inviſible, not ſeene of us.
2. Divine providence over-rules and orders things ſo, that wicked men are fruſtrated and diſappointed of their hopes and expectations. Zedekiah hoped and expected that Pharaoh with his great Forces ſhould make much for him; but neither ſhall Pharaoh with his mighty Army and great company make for him: It is not Kings, Armies, Counſellours, and Counſells will doe it. Pharaoh's Armie came forth of Aegypt, raiſed the ſiege when Nebuchadnezar was before Jeruſalem, Jer. 37.11. Yet it did not make for him; the Chaldeans returned againe, ſate down before the City, tooke it, Zedekiah, the Princes, and others. Ahaz expected help from the King of Aſſyria; Tilgath-Pilneſer comes, and what then? he diſtreſſed him, but ſtrengthened him not, 2 Chron. 28.20. Abſolom expected much from the counſell and advice of Ahitophel, but God turned it into fooliſhneſſe, 2 Sam. 17.14. and all the ſtrength he had, made not for him, Chap. 18. Job 5.12. He diſappointeth the devices of the crafty, ſo that their hands cannot perform their enterprize. Haman could not perform his enterprize. Herod could not accompliſh his deſign to murther Chriſt when he ſlew the Infants, Matth. 2. Kings and People imagine vaine things, and the Lord laughs them to ſcorn, Pſal. 2.1.4. The Lord ſees what fools they are to project, plot, expect help from arms of fleſh, and makes them to ſee, find and feele it in time. He brings the counſell of the heathen to nought, and makes the devices of people, Princes, Armies of none effect, and eſtabliſheth his owne thoughts and counſels, Pſal. 33.10, 11. and that to all generations. God ſerved his owne will upon Pharaoh and his Armie. Zedekiah was fruſtrated, hee looked for light, and met with darkneſſe: He lean'd upon Pharaoh a broken reed, that ran into his hand, and pierced him, 2 King. 18.21. The Armies and Forces raiſed in this Land have not made for the King, nor had the Scots that aſſiſtance they looked for,1648. when they ſo lately came in. Gods providence works in all by all, and over-rules all, and he brings to paſſe his owne ſacred purpoſes by Kings Armies, by mens wits, wills, policies and powers.
Obſer. from verſ. 18.
The Lord takes notice of the Circumſtances and aggravations are in mens ſins, eſpecially Kings. He deſpiſed the oath in breaking the covenant (when loe, hee had given his hand.) I ſaw him ſaith God reach out his hand, give it as a pawne and pledge of his fidelity to Nebuchadnezar, hee engaged himſelfe thereby to be ſubject and tributary unto him. This aggravated his ſin much; it was againſt light of nature, ſpeciall mercy; for he had made it a royall hand, the ſtrongeſt ingagement, done upon d…liberation: It was againſt his Superiour Nebuchadnezar, the greateſt King then on earth, it was againſt the good of the whole Jewiſh State, for it brought Warre, Famine, Plague, Captivity upon them all: Yea, more then all theſe, it was an high offence againſt God and his Attributes, and therefore the Lord ſaith, verſ. 20. It was a treſpaſſe, he treſpaſſed againſt him. God minds with what circumſtances mens ſins are cloath'd; he noted not only Ahaz ſin, but the time when he ſinned. In the time of his diſtreſſe, when he ſhould have conſidered his ſins, and repented of them, even then did he ſin more, 2 Chron. 28.22. So Solomons ſin hath the aggravation nail'd to it, 1 King. 11.9. His heart was turned from the Lord God, which had appeared to him twice.
Obſer. from verſ. 19.
Oaths and Covenants made with men are divine things, and not to be ſlighted. Mine oath that he hath deſpiſed, and my covenant that he hath broken. It was made with Nebuchadnezar an Heathen king, an Idolater, yet God ownes it as made with himſelf, becauſe his ſacred and dreadful name was uſed therein, and judges the breach and violation thereof as bad as if it had been formally made with himſelfe. If Zedekiah had ſworn to God, and covenanted with him, and given him his hand that he would have been faithfull to him, obedient to any thing propounded by his Divine Majeſtie, it had not been worſe.
Oaths made between man and man are cal'd in Scripture the oaths of God, Eccleſ. 8.2. And the Covenant made between Jonathan and David is cal'd the Lords Oath, 2 Sam. 21.7. Let not men therefore ſlight Covenants and Oaths they have made with men, but remember they have to doe with God, who is faithfull; performing what he ſweares, and keeping Covenant for ever. It's good to be like unto God, as in other things, ſo in this. When Joſhuah had made a league with the Gibeonites, and the Princes had ſworn unto them; though they were fallaciouſly brought thereunto by the Gibeonites craft, yet they durſt not violate the league made and ſworn, and ſo put them to the ſword as they did others; but ſaid, Wee will let them live, leſt wrath be upon us becauſe of the oath, Joſh. 9.15.20. You know what great wrath of God hath fallen upon thoſe invaded us, breaking the Covenant, and deſpiſing the Oath.
Obſer. from the 20. verſ.
The Lord hath nets and ſnares to catch and take perfidious Princes and people in. I will ſpread my net upon him, and he ſhall be taken in my ſnare. There is no evaſion when God fiſhes for, and hunts after ſinners; if he throw the net it ſhall encompaſſe the greateſt Leviathan; if he ſet the ſnare, it ſhall take the ſtouteſt Lyon.
God had a net for Pharaoh, and caught that great Leviathan in the Sea. An Oake was the net he caught Abſalom in, 2 Sam. 18.9. The earth was his net to take Corah, Dathan, and Abiram. A heape of ſtones was his net thrown upon Achan. A cave was the ſnare he tooke five kings in, Joſh. 10.16, 17, 18. The kings of Sodome & Gomorrha were ſnared in ſlime-pits, Gen. 14.10. Herod could not eſcape the wormes, they were Gods net and ſnare to catch him. The Babyloniſh Armies were his nets and ſnares to take Hoſheah, 2 King. 17. Manaſſes, 2 Chron. 33. Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah who were all Kings, 2 Chron. 36. Zedekiah had thoughts he ſhould eſcape, but he did not eſcape beſieging, taking, carrying into Babylon. When the City was taken, he fled by night, Jer. 39.4. But God ſpread his net ſo, that it fell upon him, and all with him.
Let men take heed of offending the great God of Heaven and Earth, he hath nets and ſnares to take them withall; if once he throw his net, and ſet his ſnare, hee will take them, and being taken, you may ſtruggle, but ſhall never get out. Nets and ſnares are hidden things, they catch ſuddenly, and hold certainly.
Obſer. from verſ. 22.
Not only Princes, but Counſellors and Co-partners in wickedneſſe ſhall be puniſhed. All his fugitives with all his bands ſhall fall by the ſword. The King was not alone in this defection from Nebuchadnezar; his Princes, Nobles, Counſellors joyn'd with him in ſending to Aegypt, they and the Militia in oppoſing Nebuchadnezar who had given them their lives and power, but they all fell by the ſword, or were ſcattered.
2. Events declare the truth of threatning, and cauſe men to ſee their follies. Zedekiah and others would not believe what was threatned againſt them and Jeruſalem; but when things came to paſſe, they were convinced, and made to ſee their errours: They ſhall know that I the Lord have ſpoken it.