Exposition of Ezekiel 30-48, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 36 · Verse 36 – Verse 37
Verſ. 36.
Then the Heathen that are left round about you, ſhall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was deſolate; I the Lord have ſpoken it, and will do it.
GOd having through his grace pardoned his people, brought them to Sion, and beſtowed many bleſſings upon them; here the end of all is ſet down, and that is the glorifying of God not only by the Jews, but alſo by the very Heathens.
Then the heathen that are left round about you.
After Nebuchadnezzar had laid Jeruſalem and Judea waſte, he fell upon the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, Philiſtims, Tyrians and Egyptians, and ſpoyled them; therefore our Prophet ſaith, The Heathen that are left; ſome eſcaped and remained untill the Jews reſtauration.
Shall know that I the Lord build the ruined Places.
They ſhould be ſo convinced by the return of the Jews, and the mercies they enjoyed, that they ſhould acknowledg it to be the hand of God, that he was faithfull in making good his promiſe to his people, able to ſave, and bountiful in beſtowing ſuch mercies upon them. The word to build is Banah, which ſ…gnifies to build an houſe, diſtinguiſhed into it's ſeveral rooms and parts; the Cityes, Towns, and Houſes every where had been ruined, and God raiſed them up again.
And plant that that was deſolate.
The word foreign to plant ſignifies the putting of Trees, Vines, Shrubs, or any plants into the earth, and to cover them ſo with earth, that they remain fixt therein: The Orchards, Gardens, Vineyards, Olive-yards, Places of pleaſure and profit were laid deſolate; the Trees, Plants, Herbs and Flowers, were all cut down, or pulled up by the roots; thoſe place God did re-plant, and made as uſefull and delightfull as ever.
I the Lord have ſpoken it, and will do it.
I have purpoſed it in my ſelf, I have ſpoken it by Ezekiel, and I will do it; the Hebrew is, I have done it; a Preter Tenſe for a Future, which is frequent, as Iſa. 46.11. I have purpoſed. The Hebrew is Jatzarti, I have formed, I have created; the Preter Tenſe for the Future, as the former and following words do ſhew, I have ſpoken it, I will alſo bring it to paſſe, I will form or create it, I will alſo do it.
Firſt, Obſerve;
That though judgement begin at Gods houſe, yet it ends not there.
The Babylonians firſt fell upon the Jews and deſtroyed them, and after proceeded to the Heathens, they cut off many Nations of them. The Sword firſt did eat the fleſh of Jews, and then the fleſh of Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, &c. When the green Trees are lopped, then the Axe cuts down the dry Trees; wicked men and Nations are glad when it goes ill with the Church & People of God, but uſually when God hath corrected his own, he breaks the Horns, the Back, and Bones of their and his enemies. The Cup of Gods fury began at Jeruſalem, but it ſtayed not there, it paſſed thence to Egypt, to the mingled people, to Ʋz, Philiſtia, Aſhkelon, Azzah, Ekron, and Aſhdod, &c. To all the Kings of the North, and to all the Kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth, Jer: 25.15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. It were an unrighteous thing if God ſhould judge his friends and ſpare his enemyes, and this he acknowledgeth; verſ. 29. Lo, I begin to bring evill on the City which is called by my name; and ſhould ye (the Heathens) be utterly unpuniſhed? ye ſhall not be unpuniſhed, for I will call for a ſword upon all the Inhabitants of the earth, ſaith the Lord of Hoſts.
Secondly, Obſerve;
Some works of God are ſo convincing, that they cauſe even Heathens to ſee, and acknowledge the hand of God in them, and ſo to glorifie him.
The bringing the Jews out of Babylon, the re-planting them in Canaan, the re-building of their waſte places, peopling of them re-built, and making their Countrey like the Garden of Eden, convinced the Heathens, ſo that they ſaid and acknowledged It was the Lord had done theſe things, which was a glorifying of his name, Pſal. 126.1, 2. The Babylonians and others ſaid, The Lord hath done great things for them, when he turned their captivity. There is ſo much of Gods wiſdome, power, mercy, bounty, in ſome of his works, that they conſtrain all that behold them to acknowledge him in them; ſee Nehem: 9.16. Pſal. 98.1, 2. Iſa: 52.9, 10.
Thirdly, Obſerve;
That Architecture and Husbandry are the work of the Lord.
I build the ruined places, and plant that that was deſolate. There is no Houſe, no City built, but the Lord hath the chief hand therein; Pſal. 127.1. Except the Lord build the houſe, they labour in vain that build it. All is nothing without the counſel, aſſiſtance, and bleſſing of God; he teacheth the Carpenters and Maſons their Art, he inables them to work, and bleſſes them working. So for Husbandmen, it is God that doth inſtruct them to diſcretion, and teach them, Iſa. 28.26. they have all their ploughing, ſowing, and planting skill from him: This cometh forth from the Lord of Hoſts, who is wonderfull in counſell, and excellent in working, verſ. 29. If a Land be well built with Houſes, Cityes, Caſtles, it is the Lord that builded them; if it be well tilled and planted with Orchards, Gardens, Vineyards, and Nurſeries of young Trees, it is the Lord that hath tilled and planted them; mens Art and Induſtry are nothing without him.
Fourthly, Obſerve;
Gods purpoſes and promiſes ſhall take effect, and certainly be fullfilled; God is faithfull in what he ſaith, and will perform the ſame.
I the Lord have ſpoken it, and will do it. He will not go back from his word, change his purpoſes and counſels, or falſifie his promiſes, Iſa: 31.2. He will not call back his words; Iſa: 14.27. The Lord of Hoſts hath purpoſed, and who ſhall diſanull it? Iſa: 46.10. My counſell ſhall ſtand, and I will do all my pleaſure; Jer: 32.42. I will bring upon them all the good that I have promiſed them. There is none wiſer than God to adviſe him ſo as to alter his purpoſes or counſels, there are none ſtronger than God to hinder him from making good what he hath purpoſed and promiſed; Iſa: 43.13. I will work, and who ſhall let it? All the Babylonians could not hinder Gods ſetting his people at liberty; all the wild beaſts, bryars, and thorns in Canaan could not hinder him from bringing them in, and making the Land like Eden, plentifull and pleaſant; all the policy and power of Tobiah, Sanballat, and others could not hinder the building of the Temple and Walls of the City; God had promiſed Jeruſalem ſhould be re-built and fenced, that the Jews ſhould have their Temple to worſhip in again, and they had them.
Verſ. 37.
Thus ſaith the Lord God, I will yet for this be enquired of by the houſe of Iſrael, to do it for them: I will increaſe them with men like a flock.
THe word iddareſh, is from Daraſh, which ſignifies to make diligent and careful inquiry. The Vulgar is Adhuc in hoc invenient me domus Iſrael, moreover, in this ſhall the houſe of Iſrael find me; when they pray and ſeek me, I will be found of them, they ſhall prevail with me to do this for them. Vatablus in his Notes hath the words thus, Ero requiſitus à domo Iſrael, I will be required by the houſe of Iſrael, they ſhall come and mind me, and intreat me to do this for them. Junius is otherwiſe, Expoſitus ero domui Iſraelis, ut hoc faciam eis, I will be expoſed to the houſe of Iſrael, that I will do this for them. Piſcator is more plain, Inveniendum me exhibebo Domui Iſraelis, I will ſhew my ſelf to the houſe of Iſrael to be found of them, that I may do this for them. Lavater and the French is, I will be required, I will have the houſe of Iſrael ſue unto me for it.
What it is that God will be enquired of for, is next to be ſpoken of.
Maldonate makes it Quicquid petiverint, whatſoever they ſhall ask: Some refer it to all the promiſes mentioned before; but both theſe are too large, and the words would not have been for this, but for theſe things, or theſe promiſes will I be enquired of. Lavater makes for this to be Ʋt multiplicentur, that they may be multiplyed and increaſed again; or, For this, viz: which I have ſpoken and ſaid I will do; I have ſaid I will return, rebuild, replant them, and make their deſolate Land like the Garden of Eden, ſo that the Heathens ſhall wonder at my dealings with them, now for this will I be enquired of by the houſe of Iſrael.
I will increaſe them with men like a flock.
The Hebrew may be read thus, I will increaſe them like a flock of men. The Septuagint is, I will increaſe the men themſelves, foreign, as ſheep, I will ſo multiply them that they ſhall be like a flock. The Jews greatly deſired iſſue alwayes, and it is probable more ſtrongly after their reduction from Babylon then ever, that ſo they might plant, build, and fill the Land again.