Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 36 · Verses 8-15
Verſes 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.
But ye, O mountains of Iſrael, ye ſhall ſhoot forth your branches, and yeeld your fruit to my people of Iſrael, for they are at hand to come.
For behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye ſhall be tilled and ſown.
And I will multiply men upon you, all the houſe of Iſrael, even all of it, and the Cityes ſhall be inhabited, and the waſtes ſhall be builded.
And I will multiply upon you man and beaſt, and they ſhall increaſe, and bring fruit, and I will ſettle you after your old eſtates, and will do better unto you then at your beginnings, and ye ſhall know that I am the Lord.
Yea, I will cauſe men to walk upon you, even my people Iſrael, and they ſhall poſſeſſe thee, and thou ſhalt be their inheritance, and thou ſhalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.
Thus ſaith the Lord God, Becauſe they ſay unto you, Thou Land devoureſt up men, and haſt bereaved thy Nations;
Therefore thou ſhalt devoure men no more, neither bereave thy Nations any more, ſaith the Lord God.
Neither will I cauſe men to hear in thee the ſhame of the heathen any more, neither ſhalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither ſhalt thou cauſe thy Nations to fall any more, ſaith the Lord God.
THeſe eight verſes are the 2d. general part of the Chapter, containing rich promiſes of favour and mercy unto the afflicted Jews; and they are
1. Fruitfulneſs of their Countrey, verſ. 8.
2. Return into it, ibid.
3. Gods turning unto them, verſ. 9.
4. Multiplication of men and beaſts, ver. 10, 11.
5. Rebuilding of their Cityes, waſte places, and reinhabiting of them, verſ: 10, 12.
6. Setling them in a better condition then ever, verſ. 11.
7. Freedom
1. From deſtruction, verſ. 12, 13, 14.
2. From the reprochings of enemies, v: 15.
Verſ. 8. But ye, O mountains of Iſrael, ye ſhall ſhoot forth your branches.
In the time of Jeruſalems ſiedge, the Land of Iſrael was much waſted, the fruitfull and uſefull Trees cut down, and during the Captivity, it was over-run with Bryars and Thorns, Iſa: 5.6. Chap: 33.13. Yea, all the Land was ſo, Chap: 7. 24. But here Gods promiſe is, that the Mountains of Iſrael ſhould be fruitfull, they ſhould ſhoot forth their branches; Vines and other Trees full of branches ſhould be planted there, and thrive.
And yield your fruit to my people of Iſrael.
Strangers ſhall not eat your fruit as heretofore, but my people ſhall have the benefit thereof. Iſraelites ſhall eat your fruit, not Edomites or Babylonians.
For they are at hand to come.
Here is the reaſon given why the Mountains and Land of Canaan ſhould bring forth and yeeld increaſe; it was becauſe the time drew neer of the Jews returning out of captivity. In the Creation God did bid the earth bring forth, prepared a Paradice for man, and then brought man into it; ſo here he takes care that the Mountains and Countryes ſhould bring forth, for that his people were to come into it. The Chaldee hath it, Veniat dies redemptionis; and the Septuagint foreign: Seaventy years was but a little time unto God, ſome part of which was expired, and the time haſtned for their deliverance.
Verſ. 9. For behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you.
God had formerly been againſt them, as appears Ezek: 5.8. Ch: 21.3. Ch: 15.7. and they had found it ſo, being driven out of their own Land into Babylon, where God tells them to their comfort, Behold, I am for you, and for the Mountains of Iſrael which have been laid waſte; I will turn unto you, and look upon you in mercy.
Ye ſhall be tilled and ſown.
Where Buſhes, Nettles, and Bryars grew before, there ſhould be plowing, ſowing, and Corn in abundance.
Verſ. 10. And I will multiply men upon you, &c.
This verſe and the next further ſets out the effect of Gods turning to the Mountains, they ſhould abound with men and beaſts, the whole Land ſhould be poſſeſt, the waſte places builded, and the Cityes inhabited, and both men and beaſt ſhould be fruitfull.
All the houſe of Iſrael, even all of it.
When this was fulfill'd doth not appear: few of the 10 Tribes returned, and not all of the other two.
Verſ. 11. I will ſettle you after your old eſtates.
The Hebrew is, I will make you to dwell according to your antiquities, as you dwelt in Joſhuahs time, or as you were ſettled before your captivity; then you had peace, plenty, and many accommodations, which you ſhall have again, and more, for it follows;
And do better unto you then at your beginnings.
God had done great things for them formerly; they abounded ſo in riches, ſtately buildings, wiſe, holy, and ſtrong men, in famous victories, and in plenty of all good things, that they exceeded all people; yet God promiſes here to do better unto them then at the beginning. When this was made good is greatly queſtioned: Some anſwer it thus, That when they firſt came into Canaan, they were low, poor, & not in a capacity to build a Temple; but when they returned out of Babylon, they went about and built a Temple: But this Temple exceeded not the former Temple in greatneſs, richneſs, Ceremony; ſanctity, multitude of Prieſts or Prophets, Ezra. 3.12. Others ſay, That after their return from their captivity, their bounds were more inlarged then ever before, which they clear from Iſa: 49.19, 20. Zach: 2.8, 9. And therein God did better unto them then at the beginning. Others refer this promiſe to Chriſts time, wherein they had choicer mercies then ever, viz: The preſence, doctrine, and miracles of Chriſt, which made the glory of the latter Temple, greater then the former; according to what Haggai had ſaid, Chap. 2.9. But how if we could not aſſign a time of Gods doing better unto them then at the beginning, that's humane weakneſs; God is faithful, and what he ſaith he doth accompliſh, it was ſo.
Verſ. 12. And thou ſhalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.
He ſpeaks of the Land of Canaan, which the Jews ſhould poſſeſſe, inherit, and not be deprived of, that is, not for a long time. The words no more, muſt not ſignifie for ever, becauſe the Jews were after a long time deprived of their Land by the Romans.
Verſ. 13. They ſay unto you, Thou Land devoureſt up men, and haſt bereaved thy Nations.
This was a charge laid upon Canaan, that ſhe devoured men, that ſhe was deſtructive to her own children; ſhe was not ſo called becauſe of her fruitfulneſſe, which cauſed men to ſurfeit, and ſo dye; but either in regard of the civill wars were amongſt the Heathens when they poſſeſſed it, which made the ſpies (Numb: 13.32.) ſay, Its a Land eateth up the inhabitants thereof; or, becauſe that when the Jews poſſeſſed it, the Nations round about hating them made incurſions upon them often, and ſo deſtroyed multitudes of the inhabitants; and when they beſieged any place of note, as Samaria and Jeruſalem, the plague and famine conſumed many: The famine was ſo ſore, that women eat their own children, 2 Kings 6.28, 29. Lament: 4.10. Fathers eat their ſons, and ſons their fathers; Ezek: 5.10. And as it had vomited out the Heathens before, (Levit: 18.25, 28.) ſo it ſerved the ten Tribes and other two afterwards.
Verſi. 14. Therefore thou ſhalt devoure men no more, neither bereave thy Nations any more.
Here God promiſeth to take away that imputation, and to put them into ſuch a condition as that they ſhould for a long ſeaſon be free from ſword, famine, plague, and ſuch ſtraits as cauſed conſumption of men. The words bereave thy Nations any more, are in Hebrew, Nor cauſe thy Nations to fall any more; they fell by ſeverall judgements, but now God being turned unto them, would maintain them in peace, honour and ſafety.
Verſ. 15. Neither will I cauſe men to hear in thee the ſhame of the heathen any more.
They had oft times been reproached by the Heathen; and born their ſhame, verſ. 6. But now God in his wiſe providence would order things ſo, that heathens ſhould not revile them, but ſpeak honourably of them, as Pſal: 126.2. The heathen ſaid, The Lord hath done great things for them.
Neither ſhalt thou bear the reproach of the heathen any more.
They reproached one another; the people mocked at the Prophets, 2 Chron: 36.16. Jer: 20.7. and children behaved themſelves proudly and baſely againſt the ancient and the honourable, Iſa: 3.5. but God would take away this evill from them, and cauſe them to ſpeak well one of another.
Neither ſhalt thou cauſe the Nations to fall any more.
The Hebrew is, Thy Nations, Thou ſhalt not expoſe thy people to ruine and deſtruction, by famine, plague, or warre. The ſenſe of the whole verſe is, That God would turn thoſe evills and curſes they endured formerly, into bleſſings.
Firſt, Obſerve
When God poures out contempt and ſhame upon the enemies of his people, he will poure out bleſſings and mercies upon them.
The Heathens ſhall bear their ſhame, but ye, O Mountains of Iſrael, ſhall ſhoot forth your branches, and ye ſhall have the former and latter rains, and bring forth in abundance. Canaan was Gods Land, and he had a ſpecial eye to that, and would honour it, when he ſtained the glory of other Nations.
Secondly, Obſerve
The fruitfullneſſe of Mountains and Lands depends upon God; he makes them ſo at his pleaſure, by his command and bleſſing.
O Mountains of Iſrael, ye ſhall ſhoot forth your branches and yeild your fruit: Mens wickedneſſe move God to make Lands barren and deſolate, Jer: 12.4. but its his good pleaſure and free grace that moves him to make a Land fruitful, Acts. 19.17. Rain and fruitful ſeaſons are the gift of God.
Thirdly, Obſerve
God is provident for his people when he removes them from place to place, he will not have them to come into empty places.
The Mountains muſt ſhoot forth their branches, and the Land yeeld her fruit: for the Jews were at hand to come. When Jacob went down to Egypt, with his family, God provided the beſt of the Land for them, Gen: 47. When the Jews came firſt to Canaan, it flowed with Milk and Honey, it abounded with all good things needfull for them.
Fourthly, Obſerve
When God is reconciled to a people, then he multiplyes bleſſings upon them, then he makes their Land bring forth, and themſelves and their Cattel to increaſe.
I am for you, and will turn unto you, and ye ſhall be tilled and ſown; I will multiply upon you men and beaſts, and they ſhall increaſe and bring fruit. Gods favour hath all bleſſings in the womb of it, and upon what Land or people ſoever that falls, it will make them fruitful; when God is for a people, then he comes unto them as the rain, as the former and latter rain, Hoſ: 6.3. He hath various and ſeaſonable bleſſings for them, Zeph: 3.20. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you; for I will make you a name and a praiſe among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes. When God turned back their captivity he was for them, and turned unto them, they had his favour, and then he would beſtow ſuch bleſſings upon them as would make them renowned among all people: See Jerem: 31.10, 11, 12, 13, 14.
Fifthly, Obſerve
Gods dealings with his people are beſt at laſt; they may have much kindneſſe and mercy in the morning, but they ſhall have more in the evening.
I will ſettle you after your old eſtates, and will do better unto you then at your beginnings. The Jews had the beſt wine at laſt; they had Milk and Honey before, but the feaſt of fat things full of marrow, and of wines on the Lees well refined, were at the latter end of their day given in; they had Chriſt and the Goſpel at laſt. Abraham had much of the world at firſt, and his Iſaac afterward. Job 42.12. God bleſſed the latter end of Job more then his beginning. Simeon in his latter dayes ſaw Chriſt, and had him in his arms, Luke 2.
Sixthly, Obſerve
Wicked men do turn the judgements of God upon his Land and People, into a reproach unto them.
Becauſe God for the ſins of his people laid the Land waſte, and cut them off by ſore judgements, or removed them into captivity, therefore the Heathens reproached Canaan, and ſaid, Thou Land devoureſt men, and haſt bereaved thy Nations. They called Emanuels Land a curſed and bloudy Land, that did eat up her own children; this was a great reproach to Heaven and Earth. Gods judgements ſhould have cauſed fear, and taught them to have learned righteouſneſſe; For if God ſpared not the green Tree, what will become of the dry Trees?
Seventhly, Obſerve
Such is the goodneſſe of God, that he takes occaſion from the wickedneſs of his Peoples enemies, to do his People good.
Becauſe the Heathens ſaid, Thou Land devoureſt up men, and haſt bereaved thy Nations: Becauſe they reproached the Jews, and their Land thus; therefore ſaith God, Thou ſhalt devoure men no more, neither bereave thy Nations any more; I will bleſſe thee with peace, plenty and ſafety, there ſhall be no wars, no famines, no plagues, nor other judgements to devoure the people of the Land.
Eighthly, Obſerve
God in his time takes way the evills that are upon his People, and turns them into bleſſings.
Neither will I cauſe men to hear in thee the ſhame of the Heathen any more, neither ſhalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither ſhalt thou cauſe thy Nations to fall any more: Theſe evils will I take away from thee, and not only ſo, but I will bring in the contrary bleſſings; inſtead of ſhame and reproach, thou ſhalt have honour, praiſe, and renown; inſtead of deſtroying thy people and Nations, thou ſhalt multiply thy people, and have Nations to ſerve thee, Iſa: 60.12, 13, 14.