Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 33 · Verses 1-6
Verſ. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Again the word of the Lord came unto me, ſaying, Son of man, Speak to the children of thy people, and ſay unto them, when I bring the ſword upon a Land, if the people of the Land take a man of their Coaſts, and ſet him for their watchman:
If when he ſeeth the ſword come upon the Land, he blow the Trumpet, and warn the people.
Then whoſoever heareth the ſound of the Trumpet, and taketh not warning, if the ſword come and take him away, his bloud ſhall be upon his own head.
He heard the ſound of the Trumpet, and took not warning, his bloud ſhall be upon him: but he that taketh warning, ſhall deliver his ſoul.
But if the watchman ſee the ſword come, and blow not the Trumpet, and the people be not warned: if the ſword come and take any perſon from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity: but his bloud will I require at the watchmans hand.
OUR Prophet having finiſhed his propheſie againſt the Nations in eight Chapters, from the 24. to this 33. which was the ſecond Generall part of his whole propheſie; comes here again to propheſie unto the Jews, and begins the third General part of his propheſie, which extends to the end of the 39. Chapter.
In this Chapter are theſe things laid down:
1. A Renovation of the Prophets call to his Office, with the Deſcription thereof, from the 1. verſe to the 10.
2. A Confirmation of the Prophet againſt the calumnies of the Jews, from the 10. to the 21.
3. A Denunciation of judgement againſt thoſe that were not ſmitten at the taking of Jeruſalem, from the 21. to the 30.
4. A Reproof of thoſe that were captives in Babylon for their hypocriſie and covetouſneſs, from the 30. verſ. to the end.
Verſ. 1. Again the word of the Lord came unto me, ſaying,
Verſ. 2. Son of man, ſpeak unto the children of thy people.
Ezekiel being taken off by the Lord from propheſying to the Jews, Ch 24.27. he was imployed two years & upwards in propheſying to other Nations, as appears by comparing Ch: 24.1. with Ch. 32.1. & having done with them, here he is Cōmiſſion'd again to propheſie to the Jews; Son of man, ſpeak unto thy people; ceaſe now to ſpeak any more to the Nations which are ſtrangers to thee, & ſpeak to thine own people, to the Jews which are of the ſame root, ſtock and kinred with thy ſelf. The Hebrew is to the ſons of thy people. Its obſervable God ſaith not to the children of my people, or to the Jews, but to thy people; God did diſown them, they were ſo ſtubborn and diſobedient that he would not acknowledge them for his: Oft in this propheſie they are call'd Ezekiels people, Chap: 3.11. Chap: 13.17. and four times in this Chapter, in this 2. verſ. the 12.17. & 30. in all theſe verſes its the children of thy people. When the Jews ſinned that grievous ſin in making the Calf, God diſown'd them, and ſaid to Moſes, Go get thee down, for thy people have corrupted themſelves, Exod: 32.7. Sin makes breaches between the neareſt relations, and cauſes God to diſown his own people, and his own inſtitutions, Iſa. 1.14. The new Moons, and the appointed Feaſts my ſoul hateth.
When I bring the ſword upon a Land.
By ſword is meant war and the evils do attend it, as Chap. 6.3. & 14.17. & 29.8. & 30.4. & 32.11. The Hebrew is thus, A Land when I ſhall bring upon it the ſword; here is a Nominative Caſe, viz: Erez put abſolute; and Sanctius ſaith, when a Pronoun follows, that Nominative muſt be put in the place and Caſe of the Pronoun, as our tranſlation hath done, ſaying, I will bring a ſword (not upon it, but) upon the Land. Land is not put for Judaea, but indefinitely for any Land.
If the people of the Land take a man of their Coaſts, and ſet him for their watchman.
When a Land is in danger of being invaded, the peoples care is to choſe out one or other to ſet him in ſome eminent place for a watchman. Montanus and the Vulgar render the word Mikzehem, de noviſſimis ſuis, They take one of the loweſt and meaneſt rank; but Katzah notes the border and extream part of a Land, or any other thing: Its better as our tranſlation hath it, a man of their Coaſts or borders, where the enemy was like to make his firſt approach.
A watchman.
Tzopheh is from Tzaphah, which is accurately to obſerve, to open the eyes, and fixedly to behold an object, and take ſpecial notice thereof; ſo is a watchman to do: 2 Sam. 13.34. The young man that kept the watch, lift up his eyes and looked, and behold there came much people. He did not barely look, but lift up his eyes and looked, he made an accurate obſervation. So 2 Sam. 18.24. The watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lift up his eyes, and looked, and behold, a man running alone; he put forth himſelf to the utmoſt to make a diſcovery, his eyes were intent upon it.
Verſ. 3. If when he ſeeth the ſword come upon the Land, &c.
This verſe ſets out the office of the watchman; which is,
1. To look diligently about him, whether there be any danger approaching, any enemy neer at hand, coming to invade or make attempts againſt the Land.
2. If ſo, he is to blow the Trumpet preſently, and to give warning thereof, ſtirring up all to procure publique ſafety.
He blow the Trumpet.
The Hebrew word to blow, is foreign Takah, which ſignifies to faſten, but when its joyn'd with the word Manus, it notes to ſtrike the hand or ſtrike hands, when with the word Shophar, a Trumpet, it ſignifies to blow, as 2 Sam: 2.28. Joab blew a Trumpet; ſo 1 Sam. 13.3. Saul blew the Trumpet, and Joel 2.1. Blow the Trumpet in Zion. Trumpets of old were made of the horns of Beaſts, of Braſſe, and Silver.
And warn the people.
The blowing of the Trumpet was a warning to the people to look to themſelves; but this warning was not only by the voice of the Trumpet, but alſo by the voice of the watchman; for having blown the Trumpet upon the diſcovery and approach of an enemy, the watchman was to ſhift for his life and liberty, by returning to his people, and ſo to call upon them to provide for publique ſafety. The word in Hebrew for warning, is Zahar, which ſignifies to ſhine, illuminate, and metaphorically to warn; becauſe when a man is warned, he is inſtructed, and hath light given in unto him.
Verſ. 4. Then whoſoever heareth the ſound of the Trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the ſword come and take him away.
Many are ſo taken up with the world, that though they hear of danger at hand, yet they will not hear, but venture ſo long that they are caught, the ſword comes and takes them away. The Hebrew is, he that hearing heareth.
His bloud ſhall be upon his own head.
He hath no cauſe to blame the watchman, he blew the Trumpet and warned him, the fault is in himſelf, that he took not the warning, that he made not haſte to ſecure his own life, he is guilty of his own death, and hath voluntarily brought it upon himſelf, the whole fault is his own; that is the meaning of this phraſe, His bloud ſhall be upon him, or, upon his own head, which is frequent in Scripture, Joſh. 2.19. It ſhall be, that whoſoever goeth out of the doors of thy houſe into the ſtreet, his bloud ſhall be upon his head, and we will be guiltleſſe; that is, he ſhall be guilty of his own death, not we; 1 Kings 2.37. On the day thou goeſt out, and paſſeſt over the Brook Kidron, thou ſhalt ſurely dye; thy bloud ſhall be upon thine own head, thou ſhalt be the cauſe of thine own death, not I, ſaid Solomon to Shimei.
Verſ. 5. He heard the ſound of the Trumpet, and took not warning; his bloud ſhall be upon him.
Here the reaſon is given why he is guilty of his own death; becauſe he was within the ſound of the Trumpet, he heard it, that proclaimed the danger was at hand; but he was ſecure minding his profit or pleaſure, and took not warning.
But he that taketh warning ſhall deliver his ſoul.
He that gives heed to the blowing of the Trumpet, and preſently haſtens into the City, or flyes for his life, he ſhall deliver his ſoul from the hands of the enemies coming, he ſhall be ſafe; the word for to deliver, is from Malat, which ſignifies fuga ſibi Conſulere, to provide for ones ſelf by flight, ſaith Avenarius; he doth ſo deliver his ſoul, that is himſelf, for ſoul here is put by a Synecdoche for a mans ſelfe.
Verſ. 6. But if the watchman ſee the ſword come, and blow not the Trumpet, and the people be not warned.
All watchmen are not faithfuil, ſome are ſleepy and careleſs, they ſee not the ſword coming; ſome are perfidious, they ſee it coming but blow not the Trumpet, they warn not the people; and what then?
If the ſword come and take away any perſon from among them.
That is, if any man being not warned by the watchman ſhall be ſurprized and cut off, as frequently in ſuch caſes it is, his bloud will lye upon the watchman. The Hebrew for any perſon, is a ſoul, if the ſword come and take a ſoul from them.
He is taken away in his iniquity.
He is found in his ſin and is cut off for his ſin; moſt Interpreters render the words propter iniquitatem ſuam, for his iniquity: He was wicked, and for his wickedneſſe juſtly cut off.
But his bloud will I require at the watchmans hand.
Here is the puniſhment laid down of an unfaithfull watchman; through his ſleepineſſe, negligence, or treachery, a ſoul is taken away, a man is ſlain by the adverſary, who if the watchman had given warning, might have lived, and therefore becauſe he did not, he is guilty of the mans bloud, and muſt anſwer for it, at his hands will God require it.