Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 36 · Verses 16-20 – Verses 21-24
Verſes 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.
Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, ſaying,
Son of man, when the houſe of Iſrael dwelt in their own Land, they defiled it by their own way, and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanneſs of a removed woman.
Wherefore I poured my fury upon them, for the blood that they had ſhed upon the Land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it.
And I ſcattered them among the heathen, and they were diſperſed through the Countreys: according to their way, and according to their doings I judged them.
And when they entred unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy Name, when they ſaid to them, Theſe are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his Land.
MEn being apt to make perverſe conſtructions of the judgments of God, and to cenſure his wayes to be unequall; here he gives account of his proceedings towards his people, and ſhews the true grounds and cauſes, why he drave them out of their Countrey; which are ſet down,
1. In generall, verſ: 17. amplified by a ſimilitude.
2. In particular, verſ. 18. Bloud and Idolatry, which are repeated in generall terms, verſ: 19.
3. After theſe he ſhews what their carriage was in their enemies Land, verſ. 20.
Verſ. 16. Moreover, the word of the Lord came unto me, ſaying,
The Prophet having declared Gods jealouſie and fury againſt the enemies of his people, comforted them being in captivity with many choice promiſes; here he is commiſſioned by the Lord to ſpeak out the cauſes which moved God to caſt them into that condition.
Verſ. 17. When the houſe of Iſrael dwelt in their own Land.
By houſe of Iſrael, underſtand not the two or ten Tribes, but the whole twelve Tribes who poſſeſſed Canaan, which is called their own Land, becauſe promiſed and given unto them by God for their inheritance, Pſal. 105.10, 11.
They defiled it by their own way, and by their doings.
The Hebrew is In their own wayes, and in their own doings; they followed their own devices, inventions, deſires, cuſtoms, manners, they did what was right in their own eyes, and ſo defiled the Land. The French is, Par leurs maeurs, & par leurs actes.
Their way was before me as the uncleanneſſe of a removed woman.
Their way was very loathſome before the Lord, he greatly abhorred their manners and practices, as man doth the filthineſs and uncleanneſs of a woman; Laborant is menſtruo ſanguine; A woman in that condition defiles all ſhe toucheth; ſee Levit: 15.19, 20, 21. and ſo to the end of the Chapter.
Verſ. 18. Wherefore I poured my fury upon them.
They had committed hainous ſins, and continued long in them without repentance, is evident from the Lords fury: he is not in fury for ſmall ſins, nor preſently furious for great ſins; but when men go on from day to day in them, his anger grows hotter and hotter, and at laſt riſeth up into fury; and this being increaſed, the Lord would not let it out in petty judgements, as it were drop by drop, but poure it out in greater judgments, like as the Sea poures out water when a breach is in the Banks, it poures out water with violence, and drowns up all the adjacent Countrey.
For the bloud that they had ſhed upon the Land.
They ſhed the bloud of the Prophets, 2 Chron: 24.21. Matth: 23.37. Of innocent ones, 2 Kings 21.16. They had unjuſt and unnatural wars, 2 Chron: 28.9. and ſo ſhed bloud in abundance, Ezek: 7.23. They poured out bloud upon the Land, and God poured out fury upon them; its the ſame word in the Hebrew for ſhedding and pouring out.
And for their idols wherewith they had polluted it.
They had many idols, the Land was full of them, Iſa: 2.8. which they worſhipping defiled the Land. The word for idols, is Gillulim, which Junius renders Dii ſtercorei, Dunghill gods; and Piſcator, ſtercora, dunghils, excrements, for that no dunghill or excrement of any creature doth ſo defile a Land, as idols and idolatry; hence idolls are called abominations, Jer: 32.34. Shames, Hoſ. 9.10. Devils, Deut. 32.17.
Verſ. 19. And I ſcattered them among the heathen.
They had learned the manners of the Heathen, got their idols and ſerved them; and for it God ſcattered them among the heathens: they had heatheniſh ſpirits, choſen heatheniſh gods, and ſo deſerved to be driven into heatheniſh Countries.
And they were diſperſed through the Countreys.
The Hebrew word for diſperſe, is Sarah, which ſignifies to diſperſe by fanning; God had fanned them out of their own Land, and diſperſed them as chaffe before the wind into divers Lands; they went from Countrey to Countrey, yea, through whole Countries into Chaldaea.
According to their way, and according to their doings, I judged them.
Men might wonder God ſhould deale ſo with his people, as to poure out his fury upon them, drive them out of their own Land, and diſperſe them amongſt heathens, who were his and their enemies; this might carry a face of cruelty, but the Lord clears himſelf, and ſhews the equity of his proceedings; I judged them, that is, I dealt with, or puniſht them according to their wayes and doings; had they not deſerved ſuch hard things at my hands, I ſhould not have executed them; they drave me out of my Sanctuary, and far from it, Ezek: 8.6. They caſt me off, Jer: 2.13. and is it not equall that I ſhould drive them out of my Land, and caſt them into forraign Lands? Let all the world judge.
Verſ. 20. And when they entred unto the heathen whither they went, they profaned my holy Name.
When the Jews came amongſt the Heathen, they profaned his holy name: which is done two wayes; either formaliter, when mens own words or actions are profane, proſtituting the name of God to diſhonour; or occaſionaliter, when occaſion is given to others by their words and actions, to profane the holy Name of God; as David by his ſinfull action with Bathſheba, gave occaſion to the enemies of God to blaſpheme, 2 Sam: 12.14. And this was the caſe here; for the Babylonians ſaid,
Theſe are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his Land.
The Jews being under ſad judgements of God, ſhould have learned righteouſneſſe; but they being neither affected with the honour of God, care of their ſalvation, nor with fear of offending the heathens, perſevered in their wicked wayes, and idolatrous practices, Ezek: 20.32. whereupon the Heathens ſaid, Theſe are the people of the Lord. They boaſt of their God to be a holy, omnipotent, and faithfull God, but you may know what their God is by their unholy practices; had he been omnipotent, as they ſay, he would have kept them out of our hands, but he could not, which ſhews our gods are ſtronger than he; or if he could, he would not; he was not faithfull unto his people, as our gods are unto us, They are gone forth out of his Land, whereas we abide in ours; had their God been ſuch as ours are, he would have protected them, and prevented their caſting out of his Land.
Firſt, Obſerve
The wicked wayes of men, eſpecially thoſe of bloud and idolatry, are loathſome unto God.
Their way was before me as the uncleanneſſe of a removed woman; that is, extream loathſome. All ſin is defiling, and ſo loathſome, abominable unto God, who is holy, yea, holineſſe it ſelf; but murther and idolatry are moſt hatefull, and moſt loathſome unto him; Pſal: 5.6. The bloudy man is abhor'd of God, and he lets him not live out halfe his dayes, Pſal: 55.23. & Jer: 44.4. The Lord calls idolatry, An abominable thing which he hates; he hates and loaths it infinitely.
Secondly, Obſerve
Men by their own ſinfull doings, do bring evills, miſchief and deſtruction upon themſelves.
When the houſe of Iſrael dwelt in their own Land, they defiled it by their own way, and by their doings; wherefore I poured my fury upon them. Had they not ſinned, nor walked in evil wayes, they had not met with fury; but becauſe their wayes were wicked, bloudy and idolatrous, therefore they had fury, and fury poured out abundantly, their own evil doings brought deſtruction upon them; Prov: 11.5. The wicked ſhall fall by his own wickedneſſe: Jer: 2.19. Thine own wickedneſſe ſhall correct thee: Jeruſalems own ſin was her ruine. And David tells us how God will deal with wicked men, Pſal: 94.23. He ſhall bring upon them their own iniquity, and ſhall cut them off in their wickedneſſe. Its ill work wicked ones are about, they make Fetters for their own feet, and build houſes for to fall upon their own heads; ſo miſchievous is the nature of ſin, that it damnifies and deſtroyes the parents of it.
Thirdly, Obſerve
What judgements ſoever God brings upon ſinners, he is juſt and righteous in ſo doing.
God poured fury upon them, he drave them out of their own Countrey, he ſcattered them up and down among heathens, whoſe language they underſtood not, who were bitter and harſh towards them; and all this was not more, no not ſo much as their ſins deſerved; According to their way, and their doings, I judged them, ſaith the Lord; I did them no wrong, they had not any cauſe to complain of me, the fault was their own. Whatever Gods proceedings are with any Nation, Family, or Perſon, he is righteous; for Pſa…: 145.17. The Lord is righteous: in all his wayes, and holy in all his works, there is no ſpot cleaves to his hand, or any action thereof.
Fourthly, Obſerve
Its a grievous provoking thing, when Gods people who profeſſe his truth and worſhip, give occaſion to the enemies thereof to blaſpheme and ſpeak reproachfully.
The Jews being among the Babylonians ſpake and did ſuch things as gave occaſion to them to blaſpheme; When they entered unto the heathen, they profaned my holy name: This was a great grief and provocation of God, that his people being afflicted for their ſins, yet ſhould carry it ſo ſinfully as to give them advantage of diſhonouring God, his Truths, Worſhip, and Servants; Iſa: 52.5. God complains that his name was blaſphemed continually every day. The Babylonians watched the Jews, and catched all advantages to profane the name of the Lord; this was their daily language, Theſe are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his Land; he could not, or would not keep them out of our hands, he is a weak, unfaithfull, unholy God, and his people are like unto him. When David gave occaſion to the enemies of the Lord to blaſpheme, it brought forth ſad effects, or rather had ſad conſequents, the death of the child, and ſword at his dore for ever, 2 Sam: 12. Thoſe therefore who profeſſe the true Religion ſhould be exceeding carefull, whereever they be come, that they walk anſwerable to the Religion they profeſs, that they avoid all ſin, and do good, that ſo the name of God may be glorified, and not profaned or blaſphemed.
Fifthly, Obſerve
Heathens and heatheniſh ſpirits are glad of occaſions and advantages againſt the true God, his wayes and people.
The Babylonians ſaid, Theſe are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his Land. They were glad they had matter to inſult and blaſpheme; what's your God better then ours? ye do the things we do; and what is his Land better then this Land? have not we Corn, Wine, and Oyl, Milk and Honey, as well and as much as you had in that Land? why is Canaan ſo cryed up, and Jeruſalem ſo magnified? our Aſſyria and our City Babylon are as good, as excellent as they, yea far beyond them.
Verſes 21, 22, 23, 24.
But I had pity for mine holy Name, which the houſe of Iſrael had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.
Therefore ſay unto the houſe of Iſrael, Thus ſaith the Lord God, I do not this for your ſakes, O houſe of Iſrael, but for mine holy Names ſake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
And I will ſanctifie my great Name which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midſt of them; and the heathen ſhall know that I am the Lord, ſaith the Lord God, when I ſhall be ſanctified in you, before their eyes.
For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all Countreys, and will bring you into your own Land.
THeſe verſes contain the ground of the Jews reſtauration, which is the fourth general part of the Chapter; they being in captivity, and ſinning there greatly, they cauſed the name of God to be profaned by the heathens, and ſo deſerving nothing but confuſion, he pityed them, and for his names ſake delivered them; which name of God is ſet out by two adjuncts, or epithites.
1. Holy.
2. Great.
Verſ. 21. But I had pity for my holy Name.
The Hebrew is, And I ſpared upon the Name of my holineſſe; that is, I ſpared them upon the account of my holy Name; I would not ſuffer that to be profaned ſo by the heathen, and therefore did deliver them. The Septuagint is foreign, I ſpared them for my holy Names ſake, I had a tender reſpect unto my Name, which being holy, I would not ſuffer to lye under heatheniſh oblequies.
Which the houſe of Iſrael had profaned among the heathen whither they went.
God is ſtiled in Scripture, The Holy One of Jacob, Iſa: 29.23. The Holy One of Iſrael, Pſal: 78.41. The Holy One, Iſa: 40.23. And the Jews above all Nations and People in the world ſhould have had a ſpecial care of the name of their God, that the holineſſe thereof might have been maintained; but they forgat God in Babylon, did wickedly, and ſo gave occaſion to the heathens to blaſpheme his holy Name.
Verſ. 22. I do not this for your ſakes, O houſe of Iſrael.
They deſerved not ſuch a mercy at the hands of God, as reduction out of Babylon into Canaan; they were defiled with bloud and idolatry, which moved God to caſt them out of their Land, and ſcatter them among the heathen, but they did nothing to incline God to ſhew them the leaſt favour; had they had according to their deſerts, they ſhould never have been ſet at liberty, but have periſhed utterly in their captivity: They might think, becauſe they were circumciſed, came of David, Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, and were the only people God had in the world, that therefore God would do much for their ſakes; but to take them off from ſuch conceits, the Lord makes open profeſſion, that what he was about to do, was not for their ſakes.
But for mine holy Names ſake.
Gods name is ſometimes put for himſelf, as Pſal. 33.21. We have truſted in his holy Name; that is, in God himſelf: Sometimes its put for his power, Prov: 18.10. The name of the Lord is a ſtrong Tower; that is, his Omnipotence is ſuch a Tower: Sometimes its put for the Attributes and divine perfections of God, Pſal. 8.1. O Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! that is, How excellent are thine Attributes! Sometimes its put for the fame and glory of God, as 2 Sam: 7.23. To make himſelf a name; that was, to make himſelf famous and glorious. The two laſt may be underſtood here by name: the heathens ſaid, God was not wiſe, not faithfull, not omnipotent, that would let his people go into captivity, and become ſervants unto us; yea, its evident by his peoples doings what a God he is; they are an unholy people, and he is an unholy God; and ſo his fame and glory were eclipſed: therefore ſaith God, For mine holy Names ſake, which ye have profaned among the Heathen, I will vindicate my name, and make heathens know, and you know that I am a wiſe, a faithfull, an Allmighty, and holy God.
Verſ. 23. And I will ſanctifie my great name.
I will vindicate my name from all aſperſions laid upon it, and make it known to Heathens, and to you O houſe of Iſrael, by puniſhing them for their idolatry and other wickedneſſes, and by bringing you out of captivity, that I am a God of power, wiſdome, faithfullneſſe and holineſſe. God ſanctifies his name when he clears it from diſgrace and reproach caſt thereupon, and makes it appear as it is in it ſelf, glorious and holy. Gods name hath many Epithites given unto it in the Word; its ſaid to be glorious, Pſ. 72.19. Excellent, Pſal. 148.13. Dreadful, Mal. 1.14. Holy, verſ. 21. of this Chapter; and here Great. God hath done great and wonderfull things in the world, whereupon he hath a great name, not only in Iſrael, Pſal. 76.1. but all the world over, Pſal: 8.9. Many men have had great names, yet nothing comparable to the name of the Lord.
Which was profaned among the Heathen, which ye have profaned in the midſt of them.
The Jews being under the Babyloniſh yoke for their ſins, did not humble themſelves before God, repent and turn from their wicked wayes, that ſo Gods name might have been ſanctified among the Heathen; but they perſiſted in their wicked wayes, and were worſe than the Heathens among whom they were ſcattered, and ſo occaſioned the Heathens to ſpeak evill of their God, their Religion, and Worſhip; and not only ſo, but themſelves profaned Gods name, they rejected the God of Iſrael and his wayes, ſaying, We will be as the Heathen, as the familyes of the Countryes, to ſerve wood and ſtone, Ezek: 20.32. They made the God of Iſrael like the heathen gods, and his wayes like theirs; which was a great profanation of him and his name.
And the heathens ſhall know that I am the Lord, ſaith the Lord God, when I ſhall be ſanctified in you, before their eyes.
When the Lord ſhould manifeſt his mercy towards them, and put forth his power to bring them out of Babylon, then was he ſanctified in the midſt of them, then he did vindicate his name from all aſperſions, and made the Jews and Babylonians know, that he was an holy, faithful, wiſe, merciful, and an Allmighty God; he would make his name honourable before them all, which had been profaned.
Verſ. 24. For I will take you from among the Heathen.
The Heathen make full account you are theirs, that you ſhall never get out of their borders, or return into your own Land; they think that their idol gods are ſtronger then I, who am the God of Iſrael; but they ſhall find it otherwiſe, for I will by a ſtrong hand take you from among the heathen,
And gather you out of all Countreys.
They were diſperſed into divers Countreys, into the 127 Provinces that were under Ahaſuerus his government, Eſther 3.8. & it ſeemed improbable that they ſhould ever be gathered out of ſo many Countreys; but the Lord tells them for their comfort, that he would gather them out of all Countreys; no diſtance of place, or difficulty in any place, ſhould impede his Congregating of them.