Exposition of Ezekiel 14-19, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 18 · Verses 10-13
VERS. 10, 11, 12, 13.
If he beget a ſonne that is a robber, a ſhedder of blood, and that doth the like to any one of theſe things.
And doth not any of theſe duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountaines, and defiled his neighbours wife.
Hath oppreſſed the poore and needy, hath ſpoiled by violence, hath not reſtored the pledge, and hath lift up his eyes to the idols, hath commmtied abhomination.
Hath given forth upon uſury, and hath taken encreaſe: ſhall he then live? he ſhall not live: he hath done all theſe abominations, he ſhall ſurely dye, his blood ſhall be upon him.
THe Prophet having freed the Lord from that aſperſion laid upon him that the fathers did eate ſowre grapes, and the childrens teeth were ſet on edge; they ſin'd, and the children ſuffered for it, and that both in generall, verſ. 4. and by particular inſtance of his dealing with a juſt man, v. 9. He comes in theſe verſes to another inſtance, which is the ſonne of this juſt man. What if he ſhould have a lewd ſon, will the ſons lewdneſſe prejudice the fathers righteouſneſſe, or the fathers righteouſneſſe advantage the ſons lewdneſſe? Neither the one nor the other; the father ſhall not be damnified by the ſonne, nor the ſonne benefited by the Father, but the one ſhall live in his righteouſneſſe, and the other ſhal dye in his wickedneſſe, and my juſtice ſhall appeare to all men.
Of the Fathers righteouſneſſe, and his living in it hath bin ſpoken in the former verſes: now we are to come unto his ſons wickedneſſe.
Verſ. 10. If he beget a ſonne that is a Robber.
The Hebr. word for robber is foreign from paratz to break, and to breake by violence; to breake through, or over, as water doth in a flood, through and over the banks: tranſire terminum, Pagnin. Montanus renders the word Robber effractorem, a breaker: Robbers doe break wals, windows, doores, lawes, and all bounds of juſtice to accompliſh their ſinfull deſires. The word is tranſlated Robber, Ezek. 7.22. (where ſomething was ſpoken of it) Dan. 11.14. Jer. 7.11. But in Pſal. 17.4. it's rendred deſtroyer. I have kept me from the paths of the deſtroyer, or robber. Becauſe, where robberies are committed, there is great deſtroying, yea even of mens lives ſometimes. The Sept. is, foreign a peſtilent ſonne, one that is a plague to his Parents and Country; foreign, Aquila. foreign. Symmachus, a ſinner, a tranſgreſſor in a tranſcendent manner. Vul. latronem, a Thiefe. Caſtal. perditum, a loſt, forlorn o…. Chald. impium, a wicked one. Qui ferro facit viam.
A ſhedder of blood.
Hebrew is, foreign effudentem ſanguinem, a man that ſpils the blood of another; not that only draws blood, but drawes and ſheds blood, that death follows upon it. So the phraſe imports, Deut. 21.7. When a mans was found ſlain, the Elders of the Citie next to him muſt waſh their hands, and ſay, our hands have not ſhed this blood, we have not murthered this man. So it ſignifies in Gen. 9.6. Pſal. 79.10. 1 Sam. 25.32. Prov. 1.16. Gen. 37.22. This ſhedder of blood is a murtherer, foreign Num. 35.16, 17. And murther is a crying ſin, Gen. 4.10. it defaces Gods image, Gen. 9.6. it makes a land mourn, Hoſ. 4.2.3. It takes away the life of a man, for which no recompence can be made, Job 2.4. A man's life is better then all that ever the blood-ſhedder or all his friends can return, it's a ſinne for which he muſt dye. Num. 35.31. They ſhall take no ſatisfaction for the life of a murtherer which is guilty of death, but he ſhall be ſurely put to death.
The Jewiſh Doctors ſay; though the murtherer could give all the riches in the world, and though the avenger of blood were willing to free him, yet he muſt be put to death, becauſe the ſoule or life of the party murthered is not the poſſeſſion of the Avenger of blood,Vid. Ainſw. Gen. 6.9. but the poſſeſſion of the moſt holy God. It's a ſin that excludes men from the Kingdome of heaven, Gal. 5.21. Revel. 22.15. Such God abhors, Pſ. 5.6. If men be bloody, God who is love, abhors them, and will cut ſhort their dayes, Pſal. 55.23. They ſhall not live out halfe their dayes.
Of the 11, 12. and former part of the 13. verſ. was ſpoken in the 6, 7, and 8. verſes; the words poore and needy were opened in the 16. Ch. the 49. verſ. ſo that there remains nothing to open but a little in the 13.
Verſ. 13. Shall he then live? he ſhall not live.
He thinks to live, thrive, proſper in the world; but ſhall he live? what, ſuch a man live? no, he ſhall not live. The words are a queſtion and an anſwer, and connote or indigitate a vehemency of ſpirit in the ſpeaker. The ſonne may flatter himſelfe becauſe his father is juſt, doth that is lawfull and right, that it ſhall be well with him notwithſtanding all his lewd and villanous practices, that he ſhall live as happily as ever he did; what, live ſaith the Lord? ſhall hee live? he ſhall not live.
This interrogation and anſwer is like that in Ch. 17.10. Shall it proſper? ſhall it not utterly wither when the Eaſt-wind toucheth it? it ſhall wither.
He ſhall ſurely dye.
Hebrew is, moriendo morietur, he ſhall dye in or by dying. This manner of ſpeaking is frequent in the bookes of God, Gen. 20.7: 26.11. Exod. 21.12.15, 16, 17. Four times in that Chap. and as many in Numb. 35.16, 17, 18 21. Sept. is foreign, he ſhall dye by death. Piſc. Jun. Omnino afficietur morte, he ſhall certainly dye, he ſhall not eſcape the jawes, teeth, and ſting of death; the famine, plague, ſword, or ſome ſpecial hand of God ſhall be upon him, cut him off: it's oppoſed to what we had in the 9. verſ. he is juſt, he ſhall ſurely live: and this man is unjuſt, and he ſhall ſurely dye; his comforts, hopes ſhall ceaſe, his ruine and deſtruction haſtens.
His blood ſhall be upon him.
Heb. is, his bloods ſhall be in him: a ſubſtantive plurall with a verb ſingular: foreign the cauſe of his death ſhall be in himſelfe, he ſhall anſwer for all the blood he hath ſhed, with his owne bloud; he hath ſhed the bloud of others, and his bloud ſhal be ſhed for it; the Chaldie is, reatus mortis ejus in ipſo erit, he ſhall be found guilty of his owne death, juſt matter and ground for his death ſhall be found in himſelfe. Or thus, his bloud ſhall be againſt him, his bloudy and cruel dealings ſhall come againſt hi…: the Hebrew prepoſition ב or Beth ſignifies againſt, and upon: againſt, Gen. 16.12. foreign his hand will be againſt every man, and every mans hand againſt him. Here Beth is againſt, and ſo it may be rendred here, his bloud ſhall be againſt him: it ſignifies alſo upon, Ezek. 33.4. His blood ſhall be foreign upon his owne head; & ſo it is in this place, his bloud ſhall be upon him; he is the cauſe of his own death, his ſinfull acts have brought death upon himſelf.
Obſervation 1.
That a juſt man may have a wicked ſon; if he beget a ſon that is a robber, a ſhedder of bloud, &c. he ſpeaks of the juſt man who may have ſuch a ſon. If we ſearch into the bowels of the Word, we ſhall find frequent examples hereof; Jacob, had Simeon and Levi, who ſlew the Shechemites, troubled him and made him to ſtink among the inhabitants of the land, Gen. 34.25, 26.30. and therefore he cal'd them inſtruments of cruelty, and laid a curſe upon them at his death, Gen. 49.5.7. Abraham had a ſcoffing Iſhmael, Gen. 21.9. Iſaac a prophane Eſau, Gen. 25.32.34. Old Eli had ſonnes who were ſons of Belial, 1 Sam. 2.12. David had his Abſhalom, who ſhed the bloud of his brother Ammon, 2 Sam. 13.28. Solomon had his Rhehaboam, who prov'd tyrannicall, 1 King. 12. Hezekiah, Manaſſes, who fil'd Jeruſalem with innocent blood, 2 King. 20.21:21.16. Joſiah his Jehoahaz who did evill in the ſight of the Lord, 2 K. 23.30.32. It is a great affliction when a good man hath a wicked ſonne. Prov. 17.25. A fooliſh ſonne is a griefe to his father, and bitterneſſe to her that bare him. If a fooliſh ſonne be ſo, what is that ſonne that is a robber, a bloud-ſhedder, an idolater, an oppreſſor? Juſt men have had ſuch ſons, and you muſt not think it ſtrange, if any of yours be ſuch.
2. The righteouſneſſe of the Father neither priviledgeth, patronizeth, nor protects a wicked child from the ſtroak of juſtice. If he, viz. the juſt man, beget a ſonne that is a robber, a ſhedder of blood, &c. ſhall he live? hee ſhall not live. Though his Father be juſt, his righteouſneſſe great, yet it doth not reach to his ſon being guilty of ſuch things; the Lord had ſaid, verſ. 4. The ſoule that ſinnes it ſhall dye. The fathers righteouſneſſe cannot expiate the ſons ſin: As the life of the childe cannot anſwer for the ſins of the father, nor profit him at all upon that account, Mic. 6.7. So neither can the righteouſneſſe of the father anſwer for the ſinne of the child, or advantage it at all in that reſpect: What Solomon ſaith of a wiſe man, Prov. 9.12. If thou be wiſe, thou ſhalt be wiſe for thy ſelfe; that I may ſay of a righteous man, if thou be righteous, thou art righteous for thy ſelfe, and not for another, no not for thy own child. David's righteouſneſſe did not priviledge Abſolom; he ſin'd, and he ſuffered.
Qu. Is it not ſaid, Prov. 11.21. The ſeede of the righteous ſhall be delivered?
Anſw. 1. Not for the righteouſneſſe of the Father, that deſerves nothing at Gods hands, Job 22.3. Is it any pleaſure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it gaine to him that thou makeſt thy wayes perfect?
2. It is for the promiſe and Covenant-ſake which God hath made, Gen. 17.7. Pſal. 112.1, 2:89.28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34.
3. It ſuppoſes continuance in the ſteps of their Fathers, elſe not; for mark the whole verſ. Though hand joyne in hand, the wicked ſhall not be unpuniſhed; let them plot, act, uſe all means and wayes themſelves, their friends or parties can make, yet they ſhall be puniſhed, the juſt God will bring it about one way or other; now if the ſeed of the righteous prove wicked, they muſt be puniſhed.
4. Outward calamities and affliction …l …ke unto all; but God will deliver the righteous and their ſeed out of the evill of them, Pſal. 34.19. but wicked men are left to ſinke in them.
Let not children then preſume upon the righteouſneſſe of their Parents, and live looſely; if they fall into vitious and lewd courſes, they may periſh notwithſtanding their righteouſneſſe.
3. The ſins here ſpecified, howſoever they may ſeeme to men, they are abomination unto God: robbery, blood-ſhedding, idolatry, adultery, oppreſſion, violence, with-holding the pledge, going in to a menſtruous woman, which is meant by committing abomination in the 12. verſ. Ʋſury and taking encreaſe, he hath done all theſe abominations. The Lord calls them all abhominations, things to be abhor'd, loathed, rejected, offenſive to all the ſenſes. One ſinne here among the reſt I deſire may be taken notice of, and that is uſury and encreaſe; hee diſtinguiſheth them here from oppreſſing the needy and the poore in the 12. verſ. If it were therefore meant of biting uſury, as many would have it, that is comprehended in thoſe words of oppreſſing the poore and needy, which is abomination. Now beſides that, he addes giving forth upon uſury, and taking encreaſe, and this he calls an abomination.
Let men take heed how they meddle and pleaſe themſelves with that which ſo farre diſpleaſes, yea provokes the Lord, that he brands it with the title of an abomination: If in the judgement of the infinite and only wiſe God, it be abominable, let not the groundleſſe diſtinctions and vain pretences of men prevail with thee to judge it warranable or lawfull.
4. Great and notorious ſinners bring, haſten woes, judgments, deaths upon themſelves; ſhall he then live? he ſhall not live; he hath done all theſe abominations, he ſhall ſurely dye, either metaphorically, or ſome violent death: God will turn ſuch ſinners proſperity into adverſity, their light into darkneſſe, their comforts into croſſes and curſes. Jer. 9.13, 14, 15, 16. They have forſaken my law, walked after the imaginations of their owne hearts: Therefore ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, the God of Iſrael, Behold, I will feed them, even this people with worm-wood, and give them water of gall to drinke. They ſhould have ſad and bitter afflictions: and what then? I will ſcatter them alſo among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will ſend a ſword after them till I have conſumed them. To be fed with wormwood, and drink gall, is a death; to be ſcattered among ſtrangers is a death; to have a ſword purſuing is a death. Wicked ones have many deaths, they are dying and pining away under threats, fears, ſtroaks, or guilt continually: they may ſay as it is, Ezek. 33.10. Our tranſgreſſions and our ſinnes are upon us, we pine away in them, how ſhould we then live. The thought of their ſins and wayes baniſhed all ſound comfort from their lives, and oft ſuch ſinners are ſnatch'd away, cut off by ſome ſodain hand of God: and when it is ſo, it's moſt juſt, their bloud is upon their heads, nothing befals them but what is due and deſerved; their ſinnes call for death, and bring the evill upon them, ſee Levit. 20.9.11, 12, 13, 16.27. 2 Sam. 1.16. where you may find that it was their own ſin brought death upon them.