Commentary on the Old Testament Volume 2-4, Biblical commentary 7 · Ezekiel · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
IN this chap. the prophet sets forth at Gods direction the same, that he did cha. 16. but with this difference, there he plainly without any parable laid open their sins, here by a parable of Aholah and Aholibah, to the first of which he compareth Samaria, the head City of the kingdom of Israel, and to the other the kingdom of Judah, which these names served most aptly to set forth, for Aholah signifieth a tent, and Aholibah, a tent or tabernacle in her, or the one her tabernacle, V. 4.the other my tabernacle in her, Samaria being so called, because her tabernacle, to which she resorted to worship her golden calf was at Bethel, and likewise at Dan, and in Jerus. was the tent of God where Judah worshipped. Both these are said to have fornicated in Egypt, because their idolatry had the original from thence, where both they had of old been idolaters, as hath been she wed upon Ch. 20. 7. and they learned to worship an oxe or calfe. But this was not all their sin, but first Aholah went further in committing idolatry with the Gods of the Assyrians, for which and for other foule sins she was destroyed 2 Kings 17.by the same Assyrians. Then Aholibah was so far from being amended by her punishment, that she did worse, in that she served idols and burnt her sons and daughters to them in sacrifice, and from this abominable sin came to the house of God to worship him, who abhorreth more those, that do so then such as serve idols altogether, as appeareth by the speech of Elijah, How 1 Kings 18. V. 37. 38. 39long halt yee betwixt two opinions? if the Lord be God follow him, &c. and of the H. G. I would thou wert either hot or cold.
And in speaking of Aholibah and her whoredoms with the Babylonians, and with how great love she was carryed towards them, he saith yet v. 17. that her affection was alienated from them, and likewise v. 22. whereby he meaneth her V. 17.leaving the Caldean and confederating with the Egyptian, as Zedekiah, the last King of Judah did even contrary to his oath after that he had served the King 2 Kings 25.of Babylon three yeers. For all her sins therefore and for this as a capital one Judah or Aholibah is threatened with destruction. And in amplifying this destruction, he saith, v. 25. They shall take away thy nose and thine eares, because they used to do thus to adulteresses, to cut off their noses, and to perjured persons V. 25.to cut off their ears setting them upon the pillory to their greatest disgrace. Therefore hereby is shewed, that the Jewes should not only suffer most extreamly by fire and sword, but also by being otherwise debased and most ignominiously used.
I will bring them against thee on every side, the Babylonians, Caldeans, Pekod, Shoah, V. 23.and Koa, and the Assyrians, v. 24. And they shall come against thee with chariots, waggons and wheels, &c. The Vulg. for Pekod hath noble men, tyrants and princes, and for the first of these Jerom saith, that the Latine simplicity hath ternos statores expounding it of those that were the third from the King, but the Sept. he saith, Hieron.hath it tristatas, as they were called, that were second to the King, 1 Chron. 11. it is said of some of Davids worthies, that they attained not to the first three, they were princes of horse and foot, magistrates of either Militia. But the Cald. retaines the proper names of Pekod, Shoa and Goa. And Junius saith, that Junius.they were countreys lying in Assyria, of which see before, Jer. 50. 21. That of cutting off the nose and the eares is by Pet. Damianus applyed to John an antipope, who like a thief came to the pontifical seate putting down Gregory, for which he was taken and had his nose and eares cut offand then set upon an horse with his face to his taile, being made to hold his taile instead of a bridle to his great ignominy and disgrace.
The rest of the ch. is spent in further dilating upon their punishments and the cause therof, their sins, especially idolatry, in speaking of which v. 41. he saith, V. 41.Thou hast upon a table prepared set mine incense and mine oyle, which is so spoken because that to serve their idols they robbed God, to whom such oblations properly belonged, and they had both these and all other things of his donation, which aggravated their sin against him, in that they so foully dishonored him with his own, which should have gone to the honouring of him, according to that, Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruites of all Pro. 3. 9.thine increase.
The voice of a multitude being at ease was in her, Vulg. of a multitude exulting, V. 42.whereby is shewed with what joy and mirth with singing to the honour of their idols they were in that abominable service, the word Hebr. foreign, which if it be derived from foreign signifieth, they were at ease, or in peace: but there is a radix foreign signifieth a quaile, and this word haply is here put to express their rejoycing before their idols, as quailes males and females coming together through salacity exult greatly, so they committing whoredom with idols. And with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness, Vulg they that of the multitude of men were brought and came out of the wilderness. The word foreign rendred in N. Tr. Sabeans signifieth drunkards, and therefore it is so rendred by the Sept. the Vulg. seemeth to mistake foreign here used for foreign, and so read it, as if it were foreign, which come, as if it came of foreign but it is best to keep to the Hebr. verity, which hath it, drunkards, for nothing was more common then at idolatrous feasts to drink drunken, yea idolaters are set forth as drunkards, Esa. 29. 9. and before in this chap. v. 33. it is said, thou shalt be filled with drunkenness, when their punishment is spoken of for idolatry, the idolater being compared to one that drinketh his head is intoxicated with errour, whereby he madly goeth after idols, and at last he is made to drink of the cup of Gods wrath, whereby he is so gone, as with the strongest drink that he stumbleth and falleth and riseth up no more, but perisheth for ever.
If any yet will understand Sabeans, or Ethiopians, or Tartars inhabiting the wildernesse, because it is said, that he came from the wildernesse, it may have a good sense so, the Jewes were so stupendiously addicted to this spiritual adultery of idolatry, that in this way they refused not the society, or conjunction with the basest of all others, the blacke Ethiopians, and the theevish Tartars, who ranged continually about the wilderness to rob passengers; or this of coming from the wilderness may well be applyed to drunkards, who are as rude and rugged condition'd as those that are brought up in the wilderness and void of all civility.
The righteous men shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses, that is, the V. 45.Caldees, into whose hands they should come. But how they be called righteous? Ans. for their executing of the sentence of the righteous judge upon them without any partiality, and not for any righteousness, that was in themselves, for they were wicked idolaters, as the Jewes were, and lived in all other sins, as they did, only it is probable, that they kept covenants, to which they were sworn, better then the Jews, and were more morally righteous, the great ones towards the inferiour sort under their dominion, not being so oppressive: whereunto we may also adde, that they were altogether addicted to the Religion of which they were, and were not a compound of linsie-woolsie, halting betwixt two opinions, as the Jews did, neither did they injoy such means, living in darkeness and without the light of the word, which the Jews injoyed. And therefore in comparison of them they were righteous. Whence note, that they who live under means, and yet are Note. wicked, are so wicked, that the very barbarous heathen are more righteous Matth. 11. Matth. 12.then they; Sodom and Gomorrah, then Chorazin and Bethsaida; Tyrus and Sidon, then Capernaum. And therefore whatsoever nation professeth the truth and liveth under the teaching thereof, but is wicked, may justly fear to be given over into the hands of heathens, Turkes and Infidels and Papists, to V. 47.be by them judged, as they deserve, that is, with stoning, as v. 47. as adulterers and adulteresses ought by the law of God to be served, and having their houses burnt, and others of them slaine with the sword together with their children.