Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Ezekiel · Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
TAke thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, and say, What is thy mother? a V. 1, 2.lionness. In this Chapter under the similitude of a lionnei and her whelpes such kings as of late were in Judea are set forth, the one being Jeboaz the first son of Josiah, whom Pharaoh Necho took and carryed into Egypt, another Jehoiakim, whom he made king in his stead, that was taken and carryed into Babylon.
So that the state is set forth by the lionness, which consisted of men addicted to make preys the rich of the poor, as a lionnes makes a prey of other beasts. For the two whelps taken and brought up till they became lions, the first Jehoaz was made King by the people, after that Josiah his father was slaine by Pharaoh Necho, but when he had reigned three moneths, in which time be is said to have done evil, that is, as is here expressed, by oppressing the people, Pharaoh being displeased at their boldness to set him up for King without his 2 King. 23. 24. 2 Chron. 36consent came and took him away into Egypt, where he dyed. Then Eliakim, whom he called Jehoiakim being by him made king did evil likewise, yea more is said touching his oppressions to pay the money imposed to the King of Egypt. Then the king of Babylon coming against him he became his servant three yeers, ut thenceforth rebelled and suffered much by bands of the 2 Kin. 23. 35. 2 Kin. 24. 1. 2.Caldees, and Syrians and other Nations coming against him, so that he was taken and bound in chains to be carryed into Babylon. The cause of all 2 Chron. 36. 6.which and manner is here thus expressed, v. 6. He went up and down amongst the lions and became a lion, and learned to catch the prey and devoured men v. 7. and he knew their V. 6. V. 7. V. 8. V. 9.desolate places, and laid wast their Cities, &c. v. 8. Then the Nations set against him on every side from their provinces, and spread their net over him, he was taken, v. 9. and they put him in ward in chaines, and they brought him to the king of Babylon, &c. Whre by his going up and down amongst the lions is meant, as the Kings of Egypt and Babylon, who were like lions, whom he made a covenant for tribute and so as they exacted upon men taking their goods from them, for which he is said to have devoured them. But for the next words, v. 7. he knew their desolute places, Hebr. it is foreign his widows, Vulg. he learned to make widows, and … bring kis Cities to desoltion. Calvin following Cald. render it, he knew her palaces, turning foreign into foreign but why any should render it by desolate places, I see no reason, unless by widows desolate places be set forth metaphorically. For any change of a letter from the Hebr. copy I cannot by any means assent; besides that rendering it by palaces perverts the sense, which is that this king having devoured the men by oppressions and tyrannically cutting off them, that withstood his proceedings, whereby many widows were made, ceased not here, but found means to pill and poll them also, that had any wealth left, whereby their Cities were made desolate and without any substantial inhabitants. Then if followeth, the land was desolate and the fulness thereof by the noise of his roaring: Wherein he still goes on in the allegory of a lion, for he roareth after his prey, and this being heard the inhabitants being few, and most women, lye open to his fury, and so being destroyed the place is made desolate. But as when it is thus, the men of the Cities or towns about gather together to take this roaring and devouring lion, so by Gods just judgement 2 King. 2 4. 2.bands of the Caldees, Syrians, Ammonites and Moabites came and took 2 Chron. 36. 6.Jehoiakim, or weakened him so, that the king of babylon coming he had no power to stand against him, but soon fell into his hands, and was bound, as is aforesaid. But neither there nor here is he said to have been carryed into Babylon but only to be bound, he then haply agreeing tenceforth to live in obedence to him, whereupon he was permitted still to reign under him, and then his roaring voice was heard no more upon the mountains of Israel, which although it was not verified immediately, for he reigned after his biuding still eight yeers, or seven, that is, to the 11. yeer from his beginning to reigne, and it was in his fourth yeer, that he was taken and bound. But he was most probably so curbed, as that he had not the liberty of roaring as before, and after his death, his son coming to the crown, that is, Jehoiakin, he was carryed away into Babylon within three moneths, and his wise and children and all the principal men of Judah to the number of ten thousand, and the treasures of the Lords house, whereby both he and his Princes were disabled for ever to roare again as a lion in Israel. All this of the second Hieron.whelpe is by Jerom applyed to Jehoiakir, because not Jehoiakim, but he was carryed away by the king of Babylon, and could roare no more. So that according to his exposition Jehoaz was the first, and Jehoiakin the second, and this is favoured by the course of the history, which saith, that both these were made kings by the people, as here by the lionness, but Jehoiakim as made by the King of Egypt, and therefore I leave it to the judicious reader to be considered. Some he saith, by the one understand Johanan the son of Careah, and by the other Zedekiah, but the one of these went and was not carryed into Egypt, and Zedekiah was carryed into Babylon afer this, and the said Johanan went into Egypt after him, whereas the things here spoken of are historical relations of that which was done before and not prophetical predictions of that which should be done after. He also speaketh of some that expound these things mystically of Satan like a roaring lion, but leaveth this, as of which no good sense without much straining can be made of that which is here said. Some upon these relations enter into a common place of the shortness of the lives of Tyrants, because Jehoaz one of these was cut off soon after that he had reigned three moneths, and the other at the like time The short time of Tyrants.went from reigning into exile and bonds. And although Jehoiakim and Zedekiah lived longer yet, yet both together exceeded not twenty two yeers. Jerom in Epitaphio Nepotiani tels of Constantius a favourer of the Arrian heresie Hieron.whilst he was preparing to fight against the enemy dyed suddenly in a village called Mopsis, leaving to his great grief the Empire to the enemy; Julian the Apostata fighting against his enemy in Media perished by the hand of Christ, whom he had denyed in France; Valens also overcome in the Gothick war perished; Valentinianus being almost a childe still after the Empire recovered by much blood lot his life in a place before defiled by his brothers blood, and had his dead body to his great infamy hanged up; Procopius, Maximus, Eugenius, who whilst they stood were a terror to all men, became in this the more miserable, that they were first brought into servitude an then destroyed. But what should I reckon up more examples, of which all histories are full, seeing to mnay written of in sacred history the like miserable end befell, Saul was slaine and had his head cut off, and all ignominy done to his dead body by the Philistims; How shamefully 'did Jezabel, perish by being troaden under the feet of horses, and eaten up of dogs, and Ahab falling at Ramoth Gilead by the Aramites hands, Athaliah slaine by Jehoiadah; Joram, and Ahaziah by Jehu, and Joash by his enemies, after extremity of torments, and Amaziah by his own subjects with many others, which were too long to capitulate: which should Note. be a warning to Kings how they turn lions to their people, for so they are not likely to have any long joy of their high dignity. And to get a kingdom let no man aspire by violence and bloodshed, for he that sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, as is notably exemplified, 2 Kings 16. and in King John sometime King of England, and in Richard the third murtherer of his two Nephewes left to him in trust by their dying father Edward 4. Note. Againe note, that a man that is cruel and oppresseth others, is not a man, but a lion, a beast, as Jude speaketh, made to be taken and destroyed, he getteth enmity at all mens hands round about, making them to rise up against him as the countrey riseth against a lion, yea against a wolfe or a foxe, that kill but sheep or lambs, but much more devouring men, as it is here said, whereas contrariwise a great man doing good and being courteous to inferior persons is, as Vespasian was sometime called, delic…ae humani generis.
Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood planted by the waters; Having set forth the state of Judea by a similitude taken from a lionness, now he sets it forth by V. 10.another from a vine, which at the first grew and branched and brought forth fruit and flourished, exceedingly growing to a mighty kingdom, in setting which forth he useth many words, that her present misery might be the more aggravated to humble the Jews the more, and to make them lament their woful V. 11.condition, according both to the beginning and ending of the chapter, which are of taking up a lamentation. But what meaneth this, A vine planted in thy blood? This is said in reference to the similitude of a childe new born, and being yet in the blood, before used, Ch. 16. the meaning being, that the original of the Jewish Nation was foul and filthy, neither was there any thing in it, for which the Lord should be affected to it, but rather have loathed it, yet out of his meer mercy he took her and made her anniable by his grace.
Thus it was with Israel considered as a woman, but now shee is set forth in another consideration, viz. of a vine, that of being in her blood still retained to intimate her filthiness and unworthiness, that Gods mercy might be the more magnified in planting her as a noble vine in a fruitful place, and so his judgements next spoken of v. 12. the more justified. Some for these words in thy blood have, as the floure of a pomgranate foreign as the Sept. but thus for Septuag.foreign it most be foreign signifying a pomegranat. Lyra by the vine here spoken Lyra.of understands Zedekiah, who is said to be planted in blood, because that he was the cause of so much bloodshed. But I rest in the first, for he never flourished so, as is here said, neither is the King a mother, but the son of a mother, and lastly his planting together with the state in his time is spoken of v. 13. where this vine being pluckt up and burnt is said to have been planted in a barren place. But this question being thus resolved another ariseth, how this vine being said to be pluckt up and burnt can yet be said to be replanted in another place, and what place this barren place was? Sol. It was pluckt up and burnt as it were, when Jehoiakin and those ten thousand with him were carryed into captivity together with the rich vessels of the temple, but such as remained were replanted againe and set in a poor condition, as in a barren wilderness; although in the same land, because they were now in a servile estate, and the profit of the land rather redounded to the benefit of the Caldees, then of them the inhabitants thereof, by reason of the tribute to which they were bound. Moreover it may be called dry and barren, because as a vine planted upon such ground, although it groweth a little for a time, yet there being no moisture in the ground it soon fadeth again, as this state is also further said to have done, v. 14. even by a fire coming out of its own branches, which was verified, when V. 14.Zedekiah revolting from the obedience of the king of Babylon, to whom he had sworn, brought the Caldean army with fire and sword upon his City to the utter ruining and consuming thereof. Hence note the free grace of God in Christ, whereby he setteth his love upon his Elect, and not for any worthiness Note. in them, yea against their unworthiness and filthiness, for he planted Israel being a vine in her blood, that is defiled and filthy. 2. No people thus preferred by God standeth so sure, but there is danger of being pluckt up for sin. 3. They that after sufferings, are againe replanted as it were, by being spared from utter ruine like Sodom shall not yet stand, but come into danger again, a fire to destroy them coming out of themselves, when they break out again into soule and gross sinning.