Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Ezekiel · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
AFter all things hitherto said and done to awaken the Jews from sleeping securely in their sins, as from whom stupendious judgments were not far off, now because they were nothing moved by all this, the Lord makes his Prophet a portentum or signe portending their going into captivity, even the best of them their Prince and King Zedekiah, who he sheweth should be glad to digge through the wall in the night, and so to pass away with some of his pretious stuffe, carrying it upon his shoulders, which was a base thing for a King to do, and yet doing so, he should not escape, but be taken and his eyes being put out carryed into Babylon, which is applyed in that he saith, that he should go into the Caldeans country, and yet not see that land, which the V. 12. 13. 2 King. 25.history sheweth to have come to pass acordingly. For he was taken & brought before the King of Babylon, as he was fleeing away, and having his eyes put out he was carryed thither to end his dayes in misery, and thus he is said to have been taken in Gods snare, because the Caldees came and took him by the secret moving of them by his power so to do.
Whereas he saith, that some should yet be preserved from the famine, pestilence, and sword, being kept still alive, he addeth this should be but to their V. 16.greater misery, that they might tell of their abominations done in their own land, whereby is not meant, that they should by word of mouth speak thereof, but that their very carrying and living there should be as a telling aloud to the heathen, what abominable things they had done, because otherwise their mighty God would never have laid so heavy a judgement upon them.
After Ezekiel made a signe of their fearful fleeing, and getting some of their V. 17.goods away by stealth, here the the Lord makes him a signe of their eating and drinking in continual fear of their lives, till the City after a long siege should be taken, and he biddeth him tell the people of the land, that the inhabitants of Jerusalem should doe so, that thought themselves in better case, then those in exile in Caldea, to whom he meaneth here, that the Prophet should speak.
And finally he yieldeth a reason, why this great judgement should be executed upon the City, For the violence of them that dwell therein: That is, the harsh and unjust dealing of the rulers and wealthy with the poorer and meaner V. 19.sort.
From hence to the end of the chapter the Prophet both discovereth and consuteth V. 20. 21.that, upon which the wicked Jews did bear themselves, and so contemned all threatnings of the Prophets, viz. that either the Prophesies of Jeremiah touching destruction to come were so old, that now it was no more to be feared, or if it should come the time was so far off, before it should be, that it concerned not them, who were now living, to hear of it, but after ages. So that some were more unbeleeving then others, the one sort altogether sleighting such threatnings as vaine, but the other only being without fear of them, as not being likely to take effect in their dayes, as v. 27. In opposing the former V. 27.he saith, that every vision shall have its effect, and there shall be no more vain or flattering divinations in the land, that is, of false prophets, as hitherto V. 24.there had been, as is shewed, Jer. 28. not that false and flattering Prophets should quite cease, but their prophesies being proved lies by the contrary events, they should be no more believed, as they had been. In opposing the latter sort he saith, that the things set forth in his vision should take effect in their dayes without any further delay, v. 25. That is, whilest they were yet living, because they might otherwise haply think, that 1000. yeers with the Lord were but as a day, as it is said, Psal. 90. 2 Pet. 3. 8. and therefore that the Lords coming with these judgements might not be till many generations after, although with him speedy.