EZEKIEL. Chwiii
HIS chapter contains an anfwer to an hg hd Se jection of the Yews to the dealings of God! with them in a providential way. The objection is exprefled in a proverb of common ufe among | them, and complained of as being without caufe, impudent and infolent in them, and daring and dangerous; and that they did not furely well confider what they faid. The proverb follows: aying, the fathers have eaten four grapes, and the childrens teeth are fet on edge, that is, as the Tar- y. 1, 2. however, for the future, no occafion fhould be given them to ufe it; for tho’ God could juttify his proceedings upon the foot of his fovereignty, all fouls being his; yet he was determined none but the finner himfelf fhould fuffer, ¥. 3, 4. and puts various cafes for the illuftration and vindication of his proceedings; as that a juft man, who is defcribed by his proper characters, as abftaining from feveral fins {pecified, and doing what is right and good, fhould furely live, ¥.5, 6, 7, 8,9. but that the fon of fuch a juft man, being the reverfe of his father’s character, fhould furely die, ¥. 10, 11, 12, 13. and again, the fon of fuch a wicked man, obferving the heinoufnefs of his father’s fins, and abftaining from them, tho’ his father fhould die in his iniquities, he fhould not die for them, but live, ¥. 14, 15, 16,17, 18. by which it appears, that the dealings of God with the ews were not according to the proverb ufed by them, but quite agreeable to his refolution; that the finner, be he a father or a fon, fhall die for his own fins; and that the righteous man’s righteoufnefs fhall be upon him, and the wicked man’s fin upon him, and accordingly both {hall be dealt with, ¥. 19, 20. which is’ further illuftrated by a wicked man’s turning from his finful courfe, and doing righteoufnefs, and living in that righteouinefs he has done; which is more agreeable to God that’ he fhould live, and not die in fin, ¥. 21, 22, 23. and by a righteous man turning from his righteoufnefs, and living a vicious life, and dying in it, ¥.24. from both which in- {tances this conclufion follows, that God is to be juftified; and that his ways are equal, and the “Fews ways were unequal, and their complaint unjuft, ¥. 25. and the fame inftances are repeated in a different order, and the fame conclufion formed, y. 26, 27, 28, 29. upon which the Lord determines to judge them according to their own ways, their perfonal actions, good or bad; and exhorts them to repentance and reformation; and clofes with a pathetic expoftulation with them, y¥, 30, 31, 32.
y.1. And the word of the Lord came unto me again, faying.] The word of prophecy from the Lord, as the Zargum, and its being mentioned as coming from the-Lord, is to give it weight and authority. This is a diftinét fermon or prophecy from the former, and was fent and delivered out at another time.
¥.2. What mean ye that ye ufe this proverb concerning the land of Ifrael, &c.] This is fpoken to the Fews in Babylon, who ufed the following proverb concerning the land of J/rael; not the ten tribes, but the two tribes of Fudab and Benjamin, concerning the defolation of the land, and the hardfhips the Fews laboured under, fince the captivity of ‘Yechoniah, and they became fubjeét to the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar: this expoftulation with them jugeefts, that they had no juft caufe, or true reafon, to make ufe of the proverb; that it was im- gum explains it, ‘‘ the fathers have finned, and *¢ the children are fmitten,” or punifhed, as the ten tribes for the fins of ereboam, and the two tribes of Fudab and Benjamin for the fins of Manafeh; hereby wiping themfelves clean; and, as if they were innocent perfons, and free from fin, and were only punifhed for their forefathers fins, and fo charging God-with injuftice and cruelty; whereas, tho’ the Lord threatened to vifit the iniquity of parents upon their children, and fometimes did fo, to deter parents from finning, left they fhould entail a curfe, and bring ruin upon their poiterity; yet he never did this, but when children followed their fathers practices, and committed the fame fins, or worfe; fo that this was no act of unrighteouinefs in God, but rather an inftance of his patience and long-fuffering; ite Fer. XXX. 29, 30. ¥. 3. As I live, faith the Lord, &c.] — This is a form of an oath; the Lord here fwears- by his life, by himtelf, becaufe he could fwear by no greater, Heb. vi. 13. and it exprefles how difpleafed he was with the above proverb, and how much he refented it, as well as the certainty of what follows; which it might be depended on, would be affuredly done, fince the Lord not only faid it, but fwore unto it: ye /hall not have occafion any more to ufe this proverb in Ifrael, fignitying, that he would no longer defer the execution of his judgments, but immediately bring them upon them; fo that for the future, there would be no ufe of the proverb; no occafion to make mention of it in the next generation; and moreover, that he would make it fo manifeft to themfelves and others, by his dealings with them, that it: fhould be feen, and known, and acknowledged by all, that it was for their own fins and tranfgreffions (that they were vifited and corrected.; ¥. 4. Bebold, all fouls are mine, &c.] By creation; they being the immediate produce: of his power; hence he is called she father of fpirits, or the fouls of men; thefe he has an apparent right unto; a property in; a dominion over; they are’ accountable to him, and. will be judged impartially by him: as the foul of the father; fo alfo the foul. of the fon is mine; and therefore muft be thought to have as great a refpect and affection for the one, as for the other; for the foul of a fon, as for the. foul of a father; and not deal partially in favour’ of the one, and cruelly and unrighteoufly with the’ other: the foul that finneth, it foall die > the foul that continues.in fn, wighout repentance: towards: God, and-faith in Chrift, fhall die thesdecond: death;~ fhall be. feparated: from the prefenceof— God, and endure his wrath to all eternity: or the. meaning is, that a perfon that is guilty of grofs fins, and continues in them, fhall perfonally fuifer 5 he fhall endure one calamity or another, as the famine, fword, peftilence, or be carried into captivity, which is the death all along fpoken of in this chapter; the Lord will exercife no patience —.. towards towards him, or defer punifhment to a future generation, his offspring; but fhall immediately execute it upon himéelf.
¥.5. But if a man be juft, &c.] Not legally, as to be wholly free from fin, for there is no fuch juft man, Lec. vii. 20. but evangelically, thro’ the imputation of the righteoufnefs of Chrift unto him; and who has a principle of grace and holi- | nefs wrought in him; a man of a juft principle and good confcience; who is difpofed by the grace of God to that which is juft and tight; for this feems to refer to the inward frame of the mind, as diftin¢ct from actions, and as the fource of them, as follows: and do that which is lawful and right; or judgment © and juftice; true judgment and juftice, as the Zargum; that which is juft and right by the law of God, and is fo between man and man; the particulars of which follow:
¥. 6. And hath not eaten upon the mountains, &c.] Where temples and altars were built for idols, and facrifices offered up to them; and where feafls were kept to the honour of them, and the facrifices to them eaten; feech. vi. 13. for otherwife it was not unlawful to eat common food on mountains, as well as on’other places; but here it denotes idolatrous practices; and the Targum is, ** and ** hath not ferved idols on the mountains:’’ meither hath lift up bis eyes to the idols of the houfe of Jjrael, their dunghil-gods *, as the word fignifies; as not to the idols of the Gentiles, fo not to thofe of Jjrael, as the calves at Dan and Bethel; thete he does not worfhip, nor pray unto, or invoke, nor even give a pleafant and favourable look unto; but turned from them with abhorrence and contempt: neither bath defiled his neighbour's wife, been guilty of adultery, by lying with another man’s wife; or by marrying one divorced, not having committed fornication; which divorces were common among the. Fews, and marrying fuch fo divorced, Matt. xix. g: neither hatb come near to a menfiruous woman; a woman in her monthly courfes, even his own wife; who, according to the law, was fet apart for her uncleannefs for a certain term of time; during which fhe was not to be touched, nor any thing fhe fat or lay upon; and all conjugal aéts to be abftained from, Lev. xv. 19—24. and xviii. 19. and xx. 18.
y¥. 7. And hath not oppreffed any, &c.|] By fraud or force, particularly the poor, to the great grief and hurt of them: dut bath reftored to the debtor bis pledge; which was pawned; not embezzling it, or keeping it beyond the time fixed by the law of God, Deut. xxiv. 12, 13: Exod. xxii. 26: bath Spoiled none by violence; has not committed theft and robbery, or done injury to any man’s perfon and property: bath given bis bread to the hungry; which was his own; what he had laboured for, and come by honeftly, and fo had a right to dif fe of; and being merciful, as well as juft, eats not his morfel alone, but diftributes it to the poor and hungry, J/: lviii. 7: and bath covered the naked with a garment; as Fob did, as well as the former, and for which Dorcas is commended, ‘fob xxxi. 17 —20. Ais ix. 39.
y¥. 8. He that hath not given forth upon usury, &c.] Money, victuals, or any other thing, which was forbidden the Jews to take of their brethren, tho’ they might of ftrangers, Deut. xxiii. 19, 20: neither bath taken any increafe, or interett; or rather fomething over and above the intereft-money or ufe, as a gratuity for lending it upon the faid intereft: that bath withdrawn bis hand from iniquity; not only that now mentioned, but all others; who, having inadvertently engaged in that which is finful, as foon as it appears to him to be fo, gets out of it, and abftains from it as foon as poffible: hath executed true judgment between man and man; whether in office as a judge, who fits on the bench for that purpofe; or as an arbitrator chofen to decide matters in controverfy between one man and another, and that does every thing juft and right between man and mian.
Y.9. Hath walked in my flatutes, &ce.] Re- {fpecting the worfhip of God and true religion; being obfervant of all laws and ordinances relating thereunto: and bath kept my judgments to deal truly, in things moral and civil among men; regarding all fuch laws of God as oblige to fuch things: be is jut; fuch a man is a juft man, at leaft externally; and if he does all thefe things from a right principle, without trufting to them for juftification before God, and acceptance with him, but looking to the righteoufnefs of Chrift for thefe things, he is truly, and in the fight of God, a juft man: he fhall furely live, faith the Lord God, fpiritually and comfortably here, and an eternal life hereafter; or rather, he fhall not be diftreffed with famine, fword, or plague, or go into captivity; but fhall live in his own land, and eat the good things of it; and this fhall be his cafe, let his father have been what he will, ever fo great a finner.
¥..10. If he beget a fon that is a robber, a fhedder of blood, &c.] But if this juft man beget a fon that is a thief and a murderer, as he may; for grace is not conveyed by natural generation, tho’ fin is: a good man has often bad children, even fuch as are guilty of capital crimes, as a robber, a highwayman, a breaker up, or thro’, as the words fignifies; one that breaks thro’ walls, and into houfes, and breaks thro’ all the laws of God and man; and fticks not to fhed innocent blood in committing his thefts and robberies, as thefe fins often go together; fuch an one was Barabbas, whofe name fignifies the fon of a father, and perhaps his father might be a good man: and that doth the like to any one of thefe things; or that does any one of thefe things, whether theft or murder.
v.11. And that doth not any of thofe duties, &c.] Before-mentioned, which his father did, but the reverfe of them; and fo the Septuagint and Arabic verfions render it, avd in the way of bis righteous father does not walk, does not tread in his fteps, and work righteoufnefs as he did: dut even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled bis neighbour's wife; has been guilty of idolatry and adultery; fee the note on ¥. 6.
y. 12. Hath oppreffed the poor and needy, &c.} Who are weak, and have none to help them, and ftand by them, and fo are oppreffed by fuch a man. This ferves to explain the claufe in y. 7: hath fpoiled by violence; his neighbour’s goods, taken them away from him by force: hath not reftored the pledge, to the borrower before fun-fet, but kept it for his own ufe; taking the advantage of the poverty of him that borrowed of him: and bath lift up bis eyes to the idols; whether of the Gentiles, or of the houfe of J/rael: bath committed abomination; either idolatry, the fin juft before-mentioned, which was an aborsination to the Lord;
or elfe approaching to a menftruous woman,: ince this follows the other in y. 6. and is not mentioned, unlefs it is defigned here; and-{o Kimchi interprets it; but Yarchi underftands it, of the abominable and deteftable fin of fodomy:
¥. 13. Hath given forth upon ufury, and bath taken increa/e, 8c, | Contrary to the law of God;
fee the note on y.8: fhall he then live? by virtue of his father’s righteoufnefs and. goodnefs, free from calamities, andes in the quiet pofieflion of the land of Jrael, and the good things of it:
of the good things of lite he has enjoyed; and, without repentance, fhall never have eternal life: be hath done all thefe abominations, before-mentioned; theft, murder, idolatry, adultery, oppreffion of the poor, and ufury, fins againit both tables of the law: be shall. furely die, the death of affliction, or undergo. temporal punifhment;) and not only die corporally; but eternally too, if grace prevent not: 7” dying he fhall die‘; asin the Hebrew text;-he fhall die; both the firft and fecond death; his father’s.goodnefs fhall not fave ‘him from either: 47s blood foal be up:n him, or bloods ®; the innocent, blood he has fhed, which he mutt anfwer for being guilty of, and fhall not efcape righteous judgment, and his own blood, the deftruction of himfelf; he fhall be the caufe of his own ruin, and bring juft punifhment on his own head.
y.14. Now lo, if he beget a fon, &e.] That is, the wicked man before-mentioned; if he begets a fon who proves a good man, which fometimes is the cafe, as Hezekiah. the fon of Abaz, and Fofiah the fon of Amon: that feeth all his father’s fins which he bath done; not every. particular action, but the principal of them; however, the feveral forts and kinds of fin he was addicted to, and which were done publickly enough, and obvious to view; and yet does not imitate them, as children are apt to do: aud confidereth; the evil nature and tendency of them; how abominable to:God; how contrary to his law;: how feandalous and: reproachful in themfelves, and. how pernicious “and deftructive in their effects and confequences.:. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic verfions.read, and feareth: and doth not fuch like; he fears God; and becauie the fear of God is before his. eyes, and on his, heart, which was) wanting in: his, father, thereiore lie cannot do the things he did; the fear of offending him, the fear of his goodnefs, and of his judgments, both have an influence to re-.
¥.15. That bath eqten upon the mountains, &e. ] See the note on y¥. 6. where the fame things are mentioned as here, and. in; the fame. order; only that claufe, neither hath come near tova menfiruous woman, is here omitted.
¥. 16. Neither bath oppreffed any, &ec.| See the note on ¥. 7: hath not withbolden the pledge; 3 OF, hath not pledged the pledge *. The meaning:is, not. that he had not given one, but had not taken one.
it may regard ‘any and every fin that is abominable in the fight of be foall not live; but go into captivity, and be: deftitute
; | fay fo? why do you''go on to’ affert ‘that W | not fact, or which is contrary to fat, “Cor
86 the Targum, “ the pledge he hath hot ‘taken 5”; or if he did, he did not keep it beyond the time the law direéts, but reftored it to him whof it was. The" rett of the verfe is the fame with on 196 That ‘bath taken off oh hand from the.
poor, &c.] When he perceived it lay heavy upon him, withdrew it from hurting him, and ‘forbore to do it when it was in his power, and ie or eafed him of the hard{hips his ‘father had laid wy him; which was very kind and humane * that Pop not received ufury, nor increcfe, fee the note on ¥.8: hath executed my judgnients, hath walked in my fratutes; had not only neeative, but pofitive holinefs; not only abitained from things finful, but did that which was juft and right, both with refpeét to God and man; obferved ‘the worfhip of God, and did juftice to ‘mankind: Be joall not die for the iniquity of bis father; or be punifhed for his father’s fins, with fword, famine, peftilence or captivity; fhall not diea corporal — and much lefs eternal death on that account: he foall furely ive; in his own land, and in ih enjoyment of the good things of life; and having the grace and fear of God, and acting from gracious principles, with a view to the glory of God, he fhall live eternally, tho’ the fon of a wicked man. ~ y¥. 18. As for bis father, &c.] It thall be other” wife with him: decaufe be cruelly oppreffed, or, opprefjed an opprefion; or, with an cpprefion*, opprefied the poor, and had no mercy on them, but ufed them in the moft rigorous manner: /poiled bis brother by violence;- took - -away the fpoil of his brother; fpoiled him of his fubftance; did injury to his perfon and property, and all the mifchief that lay in his power: and did that which is not good among his people; neighbours,’ citizens and countrymen; did nothing which was good, as -he ought to have done; but every thing ‘that ‘was bad, which he fhould not have déne 2 lo, even be foall die in bis iniquity; and for it; it hall: not ‘be forgiven him; he hall be punifhed for it with death, with the death of affiiction’; and with cor poral death, as a-punifhment for’ fin sand with eternal death, dying in his fins, and in a ftate ‘of impenitence. Thefe inftances put’ ‘every? ‘way, moft clearly ‘fhew the equity of God; the jt nes of his proceedings in providence; arid how ihapplicable the proverb in ¥..2. was to them }» arid: that fuch that fin, and continue therein, fhallaie? for their’ own righ and not for het fins “of thers. Es asia do ees rhich is what we feel and experience every day; to fay the children are not punifhed for their® parents thefe are the words of the’‘murmuri ing and blafpheming Yews, quarrélli prophet, and with thé Lord himfelf: fon bear the iniquity. of a of it every day we live? are not our and circumftances a full’ evidence © words may be rendered}: why’ does not the iniquity of the father? fo the Sq gate Latin, and Arabic verfions; gum, “ why is not the*fon pt “* of the father?” and. fo they ge which is forefeen ion be Tee i bon wd San pignus non pignoravit, Vatablus; pignus non acceperit in pignus, Pagninas; pignoti, Monta:
cipated, to which an anfwer is returned; and fo the Syriac verfion introduces it, Jut if they fay, &c. then adds, ‘¢e// them, as follows: when, or decaufe the fon hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept-all my fiatutes, and hath done them; this is the reafon why he fhall not bear his father’s fins, or be. punifhed for them; intimating, that they had not done thefe things that-made the complaint, or put the queftion; but had committed the, fame fins their fathers had, and. fo-were punifhed, not for their fathers fins, but their own: for otherwife, the man that does what is juft and right with God, and between man and man, Le jhall Jurely live; fee the note. on ¥. 17. ¥.20.. Zhe foul that finneth, it fhail die, &c.] This is repeated from ¥. 4..for the further confirmation ot it: the fon fhall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither fhall the father bear the iniquity of the fon; that is, as the Targum paraphrafes it, “¢ the fon fhall not be punifhed for the fins of the ‘* father, nor fhall the father be punifhed for the *¢ fins of the fon.” This is to be underftcod of adult perfons, and of actual fins; for of fuch only the prophet {peaks throughout the whole chapter, and of temporal, and not of eternal punifhment: the righteoufne/s of the righteous fhall be upon bim, he fhall be rewarded with temporal good things in this. life, according to his righteoufnefs; which, as the Targum fays, fhall. remain upon him; fee Pj. cxii..g. he fhall eat of the fruit of his own doings, //. iii. 10. this is true of a man that is evangelically righteous, or is fo thro’ the imputation of Chrift’s righteoufneis to him; which is upon him as a robe to clothe him, and will always remain on him, being an everlafting righteoufnefs, and will anfwer for him in a time to come: and the wickednefs of the wicked fball be upon him; and not another; his fin fhall remain on him unatoned for, unexpiated,. not taken away or forgiven; the punifhment of it fhall be on. him, and abide upon him. ¥. 21. But if the wicked, &c.| So far is the -Lord from punifhing the fins of one man upon another, that he will not punifh a man for his own fins: if he will turn from all his fins that he hath committed; if he truly repents of them, and thoroughly forfakes them; for it muft not be one fin only, but all;* every fin is to be loathed and mourned over, and forrow exprefled for it, and to be forfaken; not one fin is to be cherifhed and retained, but all to be relinquifhed; or the repentance and converfion may be juftly queftioned whe ther they be fincere: aud keep all my ftatutes, and do that which is lawful and right, as the repentance and turning from fin muft be general, fo alfo obedience to the commands of God, both moral and pofitive; refpect is to be had to all his ordinances, which are all of them to be efteemed, as right and lawful, and to be obferved: this is bringing, forth fruits meet for, repentance: be, foall furely live, be foall not die; he fhall live in his own land, and not go into captivity. Asmchi’s note is,, he fhall live in this world, andnot die,in the world. to come; fo Ben Melech. _,- N22. All his tranfgrefions that he hath. committed, 8cc,|., Before his, repentance, converfion sand obedience; they fhall uot. be mentioned unto him, they fhall.not:be charged: upon his confcience, or brought againft him in providence; he fhall not upbraided with them, or punifhed for them;
‘but they fhall be forgiven him, at leaft in fuch fenfe, as to prevent temporal calamity and ruin: in bis righteoufne/s that be bath done, be feall live; he fhall live im it, tho’ not for it; this will be the fruit and confequence: of his obedience. and righteoufnefs, that he fhail.live, and not die, in the fenfe that has been already given, according to the tenor of the law, Lev. xviii. 5,
¥. 23. Havel any pleafure at all that the wicked foould die, fait: the Lord God? &c.J Perith by iword, famine or peftilence, or go into captivity: this, tho’ the Lord’s will and work, yet is his {trange work; mercy is his delight: This is to be underftood not abfolutely; for the Lord does take pleafure in thefe things; as they fulfil his word, fecure the honour of his truth and holinefs, and glorify his juftice, and efpecially when they are the means of reclaiming men from the evil of their ways; but comparatively, as follows: and not that be foould return from bis ways and live 2 that is, it is more pleafing to God that a man fhould repent of his fins, and forfake his vicious courle of life, and enjoy good things, than to go on in his fins, and bring ruin on himfelf, here and_ hereafter.
¥. 24. But when the righteous turneth away from his righteoufnefs, &c.] This is to be underftood, not of a truly righteous man; for no man can be fo denominated trom his own righteoufnefs; but from the righteoufnefs and obedience of Chrift; and fuch a man can’t turn from his righteoufnels; for that is the righteoufnefs of God, and can never be loft; and is an everlafting one, and will always endure; and with which eternal life is infeparably connected; but this is to be interpreted of one that is reckoned fo from his own righteoufnefs, what he himfelf has done, and not from another, from the righteoufnefs of Chrift, which he has wrought out; he is one that is righteous in his own efteem, and in the account of others; who is outwardly righteous before men; who trufts in himfelf that he is righteous, and trufts,to his own righteoufnels; fee Ezek. xxxiii. 13. whofe righteoufnefs is not an evangelical one, but either a ceremonial righteoufnefs, or at moft.a mere moral one, confitting of fome negative holinefs, and a few moral performances, as appears from ¥. 5,.6, 7, 8, 9: and from fuch a righteoufnefs as this, a man may turn, commit iniquity, fin and die; fee 2 Pet, ii. 20,21. and is no proof or inftance of, the apo- {tacy of real faints, true believers, or truly righteous men; befides, this man is reprefented as a tranfereflor, or prevaricator, as the word fignifies; a hypocrite, a man deftitute of the truth of grace, and of true righteoufnels: aud committeth iniquity makes a trade of finning; goes into a vicious courfe of life, and continues in it; which a truly gracious man, one that is born again, and has true faith in Chrift’s righteoufnefs, by which he is juftified, can never do, 1 Fobn iii. 8,9: and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth; fuch as theft, murder, adultery, idolatry, oppreflion of the poor, and. giving upon ufury, ¥. 10, 11, 12, 13: feall be live? in his own land, in.peace and profperity, enjoying all manner of good things? he fhall not; much lefs fhall he live an eternal life, fo living and dying: all bis righteoufnels that he bath done fball not: be mentioned, or, all bis righteoufneffes *; all the good works which he has done will never come into any account, or be of any avail; as they merited nothing, they will meet with no reward; they'll not as a from prefent calamity, which his now finful life expofes him to, nor fecure him from eternal ruin; thefe may be mentioned and pleaded by himéfelf, but to no purpofe; God will not mention them, nor take any notice of them, nor the judge at the great day of account, Matt. vii. 22,23: in his trefpafs that he hath trefpaffed, and in bis fin that he hath finned, in them foall he die; or, for his hypocrify, prevarication ', and. vicious courfe of life he now lives. in, a death of affliction fhall come upon him, great calamities and diftreffes in this world; and, if grace prevent not, eternal death in the other; if he dies in his trefpafies and fins, he’ll die the fecond death.
¥.25. Yet ye fay, &c.] Notwithftanding thefe plain inftances, which fhew the equity of God in his proceedings, and vindicate his juftice in the difpenfations of his providence; yet fuch was the their ftubbornnefs,. obitinacy and impudence, that they ftill infifted: upon it, that the way of the Lerd # not equal; jutt and right, is not even, according to the rules of juftice and equity; or is not ordered aright, is not fteady, and firm, and confiftent with himielf, and the declaration of his will; a very bold and blafphemeus charge, and yet the Lord condefcends to reafon with them about it: ear} now, O boufe of L/rael, the ten tribes that were now in captivity; or the ews that were carried captive with Feconich, with thofe that were ftill in
Ferufalem and Fudea, thefe are called upon to hear{ the Lord, what he had to fay: in vindication of himfelf from this charge, as it was but juft and veafonable they fhould: és not my way equal? plain and even, con{tant and uniform, according to the obvious rules of juftice and truth? can any inftance be given to the contrary? what is to be faid to fupport the charge againft me? bring forth your ftrong reafons if you can, and prove what is afferted: are not your ways unequal? it is plain they are; your actions, your courfe of life are manifeft deviations from my law, and from all the rules of righteoufnefs and goodnefs; it is you that are in the wrong, and IJ in the right. ¥.26. When a righteous man turneth away from bis righteoufnefs, &c.] This is repeated for the further confirmation of it, and to raife their attention to it; to make it more plain and manifeft to them,. and to fix it upon their minds: and cammitteth iniquity, and dieth in them, or, be fall die for them ™; both for his turning away from his righteoufnels, and for his committing iniquity: for bis iniquity that he hath dene, fhall be die, in both refpects. This is repeated to denote the certainty.of it. ¥. 2%. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from bis wickednefs that he hath committed, &c.] Repents of his fins, and forfakes the vicious courfe of lite he has lived.: and doth that which is lawful and right, or judgment and righteoufnefs®; that “which is agreeable to the law and will of God, and is juft and right between man and man: be fhall fave his foul alive; from famine, peftilence, the fword or captivity; he fhall be preferved, and net be involved in calamities and diftrefs: or, hail quicken his own foul®; which, in a fpiritual fenfe, is only done by the Spirit and grace of God, and not by man hirafelf; nor is the enjoyment of eter- nak life by the works of men, but thro’ the grace” of God, and righteoufnefs of Chrift.
¥. 28. Becaufe he confidereth, &c.} Being come to himfelf,. and in his-right mind, he confiders the: evil of his ways; what they lead to; what they ideferve at the hand of God; and what he may expect, fhould he continue in thems fee y. 14 > and turneth away from all bis tran{greffions that be hath committed; not only repents of them, but
‘reforms from them; and that not from one, or a:
few of them,, but from them’ ai/; which fhows the truth, reality and fineerity of his repentance; there
-being a change of mind, a change of actions and _converiation tollows: he fhall furely live, be fhail ‘not dies fee the note on ¥. 25.
Ferom interprets the juft man turning from his righteoufnefs, of the ews leaving the author of righteoufnefs, denying the Son of God, and fimiting the heir; and the blindnefs and ftupidity of thefe people, or rather wicked man turning from his. wickednefs, of the
Gentiles, and of their converfion. and faith.
¥. 29. Yet faith the houfe of Lrael, the way of ‘he Lord is not equal, &c.| Tho’ the cafe was put io many ways, and the thing was made fo clear and plain, by the inftances given; as, if a man was a juft man, let his father be what he would, he fhould live; but if his fon was a wicked man, he fhould die; yet, if his fon fhould do well, he fhould not die for his father’s fins, his father only fhould fuffer for his iniquity; and then again, on the one hand, if a feemingly righteous man become an apoftate, he fhould be treated as fuch; but, on the other hand, if a wicked man repented and reformed, things would go well with him;
by all which it moft clearly appeared, that God.
did not, and would not, punifh children for the fins of their fathers, unlefs they themfelves were guilty of the fame; and that the methods of pro-
‘vidence in dealing with men in this world, as they were good or bad, were equal and right, and to. be juftified: O houfe of Ifrael, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? ‘This is an appeal to their own confciences, upon the evidence before given.
¥. 30. Therefore will I judge you, O houfe of Ijrael, &c.] The cafe being fairly ftated, the charge removed, iniftances to the contrary given; the Lord, as judge, proceeds to bring the controverfy to an iffue, and to pafs the definitive fentence, and to deal with them in the way of his providence, as they deferved: every one according to bis ways, faith the Lord God; not according to the ways of their father, but according to their own ways: this refers, not to the laft and general judgment, but to fome fore temporal punifhment, which God, as the righteous judge, would inflict
-upon them for their fins, according to the juft defert of them; but whereas, notwithftanding all, their wickednefs, infolence and blafphemy, the Lord was defirous of fhewing mercy to them, rather than proceed to ftriét juftice; he exhorts and advifes them to the following things: repent, and turn yourfelves from all your tranfgreffions; this is tos be underftood of a national repentance for national fins, to prevent national judgments, being: an addrefs to the whole houfe of J/rael; and not of evangelical repentance, which is the gift of God, and of an external reformation, as the fruit of it; and not of the firft work of internal con- verfion, which is by the powerful and efficacious of the importaricé of it} and which, thro” the ef- grace of God; tho’ were both exhorted to, it would not prove that thefe are in the power of men, only fhew the want and neceflity of them and fo be the means of God’s bringing his chofen people to them... Thesphrafe, your/elves, is not in the ' original; both..words ufed, fignify to turn; and may be rendered and» explained,. thus, turn yourfelves, and ceufe others ¢o turn? let every man turn himfelf from his evil.courfes, and do al! he can to turn his brother, or his neighbour, from the fame; fo archi, Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret them. The Zargum is,.‘* turn you to my *¢ worfhip, and. remove from: you the worfhip of ‘* idols:” fa iniquity. jhall not be your ruin. meaning temporal ruin, as it deferved, and they were threatened with; and which might be prevented by repentance and reformation: or, hall not be a ftumbling-block to you °; an hindrance, an obftruction in the way of. their enjoyment of temporal bleffings.
¥. 31. Caft away from you all your tranfgreffions, whereby ye have tranfgreffed, &c.} As unprofitabie and pernicious, to be abhorred and abftained from, and to be caft off, as loads and burdens upon them. Kimchi interprets it, of the punifhment of their fins, which might be caft off, or efcaped by repentance; perhaps it is beft to interpret it of the cafting away of their idols, by which they tran{- grefled; fee ch. xx. 7, 8: and make you a new heart, and a new fpirit; which the Lord elfewhere promifes to give, and he does give, to his own elect; fee the note on ch. xi. 19. and if here to be underftood of a regenerated heart and fpirit, in which are new principles of light, life and love, ‘grace and holinefs; it will not prove that it is in the power of man to make himfelf fuch an heart and fpirit; fince from God’s command, to man’s power, is no argument; and the defign of the exhortation is to convince men of their want of fuch an heart;
ficacious grace of God, may be a means of his people having it, feeing he has in covenant promifed it to them. ‘© heart, and a fpirit of fear” that is, an heart and {pirit to fear, ferve and worfhip the Lord, and not idols; and fo the amount of the exhortation is, yield an -hearty, reverential obedience to the living God, ‘and not to dumb idols; of that they would be hearty and fincere in their rational repenttance and reformation, they are here’ prefied unto: for why will ye die, O boufe of I/rael? which is to be underftood, not of an eternal death; fince
The Targum renders it, ‘* a fearing the death here fpoken of was now upon them, what they were complaining of, and from which they might be recovered, y. 2, 23.\but temporal calamity and affliction; as in 2° Gor: i. 10. and xi. 23. and fo in the following words.
¥. 32. For I have no pleasure in the death of bin that dieth, &c.) Which is not to be interpreted fimply and abfolutely, and with refpect to all perfons afflicted and punifhed by him; for he does take delight in the exercife of judgment and righte-
Hof. v. 6. The fenfe is, that he takes no pleafure in the afflictions, calamities and captivity of men, which are meant by death here; but rather, that they would repent and reform, and live in their own land, and enjoy the good things of it; which fhows the mercy and compaffion of God to finners: wherefore, he renews his exhortation, éurm ‘yourfelves, and live ye, or, ye foall live’; I take no delight in your prefent death, your captivity; it would be more agreeable to me, would you turn from your evil ways to the Lord your God, and behave according to the laws I have given you to walk by, and fo live in your own land, in the quiet pofleffion of your goods and eftates,