Exposition of the Whole Bible

| thalmon, becaufe in the beautiful eye-brows of wo- the wilderne/s; or, vand with men becaufe of a multitude of men's that is, with thofe men that came from feveral parts on this occafion, for the fake of a greater number, and of making a greater appearance; the Sabeans that dwelt in the defert of Arabia were fetched from thence; or their neighbours round about Afoah and Ammon, that dwelt in the wildernefs, were fent for, and brought to make the folemnity the greater; fo archi; and to this fenfe the Targum venders it, “ becaufe of’ the ** multitude of men that came round about on “* every fide from the wildernefs.” Some render it, drunkards from the wildernefs*;. a parcel of drunken fellows that lived in the wildernefs, ruftic, brutifh people; thefe were’ brought as fit perfons to drink healths, and roar on this occafion: which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their beads; that is, the Fews put thefe ornaments upon the hands and heads of thefe men of the common fort, and the Sabeans with them, and thefe poor country drunken fellows too, that they might make the better appearance when they. met and huzza’d the embaffadors at their entry; or which Sadeans and other foreigners put thefe ornaments on Abolab and Abolibab, and enticed them to the worfhip of their idols, and taught them idolatry.

¥. 43. Then faid I unto her that was old\in adulteries, &c.] That ‘had been an old adulterer or idolater; meaning either Abolah the ten tribes, who from Feroboam’s time had been guilty of ido- Jatry; or Abolibab the iwo tribes; who had re-

} | mained. longer in therr own country, and had been The allufion is to.an harlot fitting on a | long given to idolatry; or both of them, as fome bed decked out by her to allure men to lie with | think, the whole body of the people of J/rael, wha had. been addicted to idolatry ever fince they came out of Egypt, and fo was like an old harlot indeed: now the Lord faid unto ber, or concerning ber '5 in his’ownmind, after the manner of men. So the Targum, ‘* I faid.concerning the congregation “of J/rael, whofe people are old in fins:” will they now commit whoredoms with ber, and foe with ther?: will they commit adultery with fuch an old harlot? are they not weary of her? and will they not rather loath and defpife her? as it is common when {uch proftitutes grow old and what pleafure ican: fhe take thus ‘advanced in.years in fuch impurities? fugecfting, that alliances) and: confederacies between the ‘ews and the nations of the world could not be agreeable on either: fide, efpecially to the formers but fo it was, and fo were their idolatries likewife. The Targum is, ‘* now ‘¢ fhe will leave her idols, and return to thy wor- <¢ fhips7but, fhe returned not.” ¥. 44. Yet they went in unto ber, &c.] Made a league with one another, and joined in idolatrous worfhip: as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot; with the-fame heat of luft, with the fame greedinefs and eager defire as young men do, when they go into a brothel-houfe where a beautiful harlot lives: fo went they in unto Abolab, and unto Abolibab, the lewd women; the tén tribes of Tfrael, and the two tribes of Fudab and Benjamin, which apoftatized from God, and committed idolatry; withthefe, the Sabeans before-mentioned, and other nations joined, in idolatrous worfhip.

multi homines, Munfter; pre multitudine hominum, Tigurine verfion,-Cocceius, Starckius; propter multiplicare homines, y. 45. And the righteous men, &c.) Some underftand this of the prophets, who were really righteotts men; and foretold the righteous judgments of God that fhould come upon the idolatrous Fews, which was a judging them: others, of righteous men in general, who will one and all agree that perfons guilty of fuch crimes ought to fuffer the punifhment adequate to them, and ufually inflicted on fuch; but rather the Babylonians are here meant; who, tho’ not righteous in themfelves, or truly fo, yet were fo in comparifon of the wicked ews, who had a divine revelation, and knew better than to commit fuch idolatries; whereas thefe were Gentiles that knew not God, nor his will. So the Targum, ‘* and righteous men in re- ‘* fpet (or comparifon) of them;” that is, of Jrvael and Judah; and they may be alfo called fo, becaufe they were the executioners of juftice, the inftruments of inflicting God’s righteous judgments on the ‘Fews; and, among other things, for their perfidy and treachery to them; fo that they would appear juft in the eyes of other nations, for treating them as they did: shey fhall judge them after the manner of adultereffes, and after the manner of women that fhed blood, that is, according to the law concerning fuch perfons; and shall condemn them to fuffer the punifhment denounced on fuch, and fhall execute it on them: becaufe they are adultereffes, the blood is in their hands; are guilty, not only of corporal uncleannefs, but of jpiritual adultery; that is, idolatry; and of the murder of their prophets and righteous men, and even of their own children facrificed to idols; than which nothing can be more unnatural and barbarous for women to do.

y. 46. For thus faith the Lord God, I will bring up a company upon them, 8c.] Or, do thou bring up a company upon them ™, or againft them. The Targum reprefents it, as fpoken to the prophet thus, “* prophefy that armies fhall come up againft “¢ them.” Kimchi interprets it as we do, J will bring up, &c. and fo others". By this company is to be underftood the Chaldean army, whom God in his providence, and in righteous judgment, would bring up againft the ews; ftiled a convocation °, aflembly or congregation, in allufion to the Sanhedrim, or court of judicature, that took cognizance of fuch crimes, and judged, and condemned for them: and will give them to be removed and {poiled, or, for a removing, and a /poil®; that is, he would give the ews into the hands of the

Chaldean army; their perfons to be carried captive into other lands; and their fubftance to be and plundered.

¥.47. And the company fall ftone them with ftones, &c.| Which was. the punifhment of adulterers and idolaters, Dewt. xiii. 10. and xxii. 24. this feems to refer to the Cha/dean army cafting out {tones from their flings and engines into the city of Ferufalem, when they befieged it, by which they killed fome, and beat down the houfes which fell upon others, and deftroyed them. So the Zargum, “* and the army fhall {tone them with the ** ftones of a fling:” and difpatch them with their words, cat them in pieces with them, fuch «as fallied out of the city upon them, or they found without, or by any means fell into their hands= they foall flay their fons and their daughters; when they broke into the city, and took it; or when they found them making their efcape, and hiding themfelves in fecret places: and burn up their houfes with fire; as they did; the temple, the king’s palace, the houfes of noblemen, and all the houfes in Ferufalem, fee Fer. lii. 13. j

¥. 48. Thus will I caufe to ceafe lewdnefs out of the land, &c.] There being no opportunity for it, nor any to commit it, what were not deftroyed by famine, fword and peftilence during the fege, were carried captive; and when they:returried, were never more given to idolatry; fee yw. 27: that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdnefs; that is, that all provinces, as the Targum, all kingdoms, ftates, churches and people, hearing and reading the judgments of God on this’ people for their idolatry, may learn to fhun it; it is even an inftruction to us at this diftance, not to commit idolatry, as they did, 1 Cor..x. 7, 11. The church of Rome ought to obferve this.

¥. 49. And they ball recompenje your lewdnefs upon you, &c.] Or, give your lewdnefs %; the punithment of it; the juft recompence of reward for their idolatry: aud ye shall bear the fins of your idols, the fhame, and guilt, and punifhment of their fins committed in worfhipping idols; and ye foall know that I am the Lord. God; the oniy Lord God who is to be worfhipped, and: not idols; jealous of my honour and glory, and true to my word; who can and will accomplifh all I have faid; this the ews knew and acknowledged when in captivity, and returned from it, as they will more fully when they fhall be converted in the latter day.:

N this chapter the deftru€tion of the city and temple of Ferufalem is prophefied of; the former under the parable of a boiling pot; the latter is reprefented by the fudden death of Ezekiel’s wife. The time of this prophecy was that very day the ~king of Babylon began the fiege of Ferufalem, ¥. 1,2. the parable of the boiling pot, ¥. 3, 4, 5. the explanation and application of it to the city of Ferufalem, ¥.6—14. the prophet is told of the death of his wife, and bid not to mourn on that account, which accordingly came to pafs, ¥. 15, 16, 17, 18.

upon the peoples enquiring what thefe things meant, he informs them, that hereby was fignified the profanation of the temple; and that their diftrefs fhould be fo great, that they fhould°not ufe any fet forms of mourning, ‘but pine’ away and die, y¥.1g—24. and the chapter is clofed with affuring the prophet, that the day thefe things fhould come to pafs, a meffenger fhould be fent him, to whom he fhould open his mouth, and be ¥) 526,27.

adduc fuper eas ccetum, Vulg, Lat. afcendere, fac contra eas,

W. 1. Again, in the ninth year, &c.]) Of Feoiachin’s captivity, from which the dates of Exekiel are, and of Zedekiah’s reign, which commenced together: in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month; the month TZedet, which anfwers to part of our December, and part of Fanuary; fo that it was at the latter end of December when this prophecy was given out; at which time Yeru/alem was befieged by the king of Badylon, even in the winter-feafon: the word of the Lord came unto me, faying; as follows:

¥.2. Son of man, write thee the name of the day, &c.] That is, what day of the week it was, as well as what day of the month; as whether the firft, or fecond, or third, &c. for the Fews had no other names for their days, as we have: even of this fame day; according to bifhop Ufher *, it was the 30th of Yanuary, and the fifth day of the week (Thurfday); in the year of the Fulian period 4124, and 590 before Chrift. Mr. Wifton * places it in the year of the Fulian period 4123, and 591 before Chrift. The prophet is bid to obferve it punctually, and write it exactly, that there might be no miftake; to fet it down in his pocket-book; or it may be in fome public regifter, that it might not only be remembered by him, but known by the people; that fo when they fhould hear the faét afterwards related, and exactly agreeing with this prediction, they would acknowledge him to be a true prophet; fince this would be a confirmation of the word of the Lord coming to him: she king of Babylon fet bimfelf againft Ferufalem this fame day, or, drew nigh‘, brought up his army to it, and laid fiege againft it, and prepared every thing to earry it on; which he very probably did in perfon, tho’ he afterwards retired, and left’ the command of his army with his generals; and this was exactly the day before-mentioned; fee 2 Kings xxv. 1. Fer. xxxix. 1. and lii.4. The prophet Ezekiel was now in Chaldea, many miles from Fudea, and yet had this account the very felf-fame day, even from the Lord himfelf, who is omnifcient and omniprefent.

¥. 3. And utter a parable to the rebeilious boufe, &c.] The people of the Fews fo called, not fo much on account of their rebellion againft the king of Babylon, which caufed him to come againft them; as on account of their rebellion againtft ‘God, and the breach of his laws; fee ch. ii. 3, 5, 6,7, 8. The prophet is bid to reprefent to them, in a figurative and emblematic way, the miferies that were coming upon them for their wickednefs, namely under the parable of a boiling pot: and fay unto them, thus faith the Lord God; {peaking in his name, and as coming ‘from him, and clothed with his authority; that the following parable might not be thought to be a fancy and chimera of his own: fet on a pot, fet it on; fet a pot on the fire, and do it quickly. This pot is the city of Ferufalem, which was to be brought into great diftrefs and ruin; not a cauldron of brafs, wherein the inhabitants fhould be as fafe as if they had walls of brafs about them, as they vainly boafted, ‘eh. xi. 3. but a feething pot, fuch an one as Feremiab faw, to which it may ‘be, reference is here had, Yer. i. 13. in which the people fhould be de- Rtroyed: and alfo pour water into it, which, as it is fome time a boiling, may denote the length of the fiege of the city, which held two years; and of the troubles and miferies attending it; and of the greatnefs of them, which were as intolerable as boiling water. The Targum is, “ prophefy that “* armies fhall come againtt this city; and alfo there “* fhall be given unto it length of time to receive ** the fiege. ¥. 4. Gather the pieces thereof into it, &c.] A fire being: made, and the pot fet on, and water poured into it, the next thing is, to put in the pieces that are to be boiled; and thefe are to be gathered; meaning the people of the land, that were to be gathered from the feveral parts of it, for their fecurity, as they thought; but the event proved it was for their ruin: even every good piece, the thigh and the fooulder; the princes and gentry; the great and the mighty, the rich and wealthy of the people; who, upon the invafion, got together in Ferufalem, to fecure their perfons and fubftance: Jill it with the choice bones; or with thofe pieces that have the choice bones, that are full of marrow; the ftrongeft among the people; the foldiers, or fuch as were fit for war; the beft of their militia, brought hither to defend the city; but, in fact, to be flain, as they were. The Targum is, “ ga- ‘* ther the princes thereof into the midft of her, ** every terrible man and warrior; fill her with the ‘* army of the people.” ¥.5. Take the choice of the flock, &c.] King, princes, nobles, magiftrates, priefts and rulers of the people: and burn alfo the bones under it; or, put a pile of bones under it; the bones of them that are flain in it; denoting the great flaughter of them; or the bones of the innocent that had been murdered in it; which were the caufe of thefe judgments coming upon them; and caufed the wrath of God to burn the more hotly againft them; or the bones of the wicked: and make it boil well; the pot; that the water may be very hot and boiling; denoting the feverity of the judgments of God in the city, to the deftruction of many by {word, famine and peftilence: and let him feethe the bones of it therein that the ftrongeft among them may be weakened and deftroyed by the length and feverity of the fiege, and the judgments attending it. The Targum is, ‘ bring near the kings of the ‘¢ people, and even join auxiliaries with them; “¢ haften the time of it; yea, let her flain be caft *¢ in the midft of her.” ¥.6. Wherefore thus faith the Lord God, wo to the bloody city, &c.] Here the parable begins to be explained; and fhews, that by the pot is meant the city of Ferufalem, called the bloody city, becaufe of the blood of the prophets, and of righteous perfons, and of innocent babes that was {hed in it; and which was the caufe of the judgments of God coming upon her, which would iflue in her deftruction, and therefore wo unto her; fee Matt. Xxili. 37: to the pot whofe {cum is therein, and whofe fcum is not gone out of it; whena pot boils, a fcum arifes, and appears upon the top of the water, which the cook ufually takes off: this denotes the filthinefs and wickednefs of the people of the Jews, which would work up, and be feen by the judgments of God upon them; yet fhould not be removed, but continue on them, unrepented of, and unpardoned. It fignifies, that they would remain hardened pyram offiam fub ipfa, Junius & Tremellius, Pifcator, Starckius. “\])"} rogus, ftrues materi combuttibilis rocunda, Stoce hardened in their fins; and that the judgments of God would have no effect upon them to bring them to repentance; and that God would have no mercy on them, or pardon their fins: bring it out piece by piece; the people that were in ‘Ferufalem, ot every clafs and rank, of every age and fex; fuggefting, that they fhould not be all deftroyed at once, but fome at one time, and fome at another; fome in one way, and fome in another; fome by famine, others by the peftilence, and others by the fword; fome by fallying out upon the enemy; others by endeavouring to make their efcape privately, and fall into their hands: Jet no lot fall upon it, to fave fome, and deftroy others, as is often done in war; fignifying, that all were deftined to deftruétion, fome way or another; and none fhould be fpared; they that efcaped the peftilence, fhould die by famine; and they that efcaped them both, fhould die by the fword; and they that efcaped all three, fhould be carried into captivity. The Targum is, “‘ captivity upon captivity fhall << go out with her, becaufe repentance was not in <Sohers?.

¥. 7. For her blood is in the midft of her, 8c.) The blood of innocent perfons fhed in the midft of her, openly and publickly, cried for vengeance:

foe fet it upon the top of a rock; where it could not foak in, as when {pilled upon foft earth: this denotes her opennefs and impudence in fhedding blood, as not being afhamed of it, or afraid of punifhment for it, but as rather glorying in it; perhaps there may be fome allufion to the tops of hills and mountains, where idolatry was committed, attended with fhedding human blood: /he poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with duft; fhe did not take any methods to hide her fin; having no fenfe of the heinoufnefs of it, nor any confcioufnefs of guilt, or any remorfe or repentance; refpeét is had to a law which obliged to cover blood fhed with duft, Lev. xvii. 13. ‘The Targum of the whole is, ‘* becaufe innocent. blood which is fhed << in the midft of her; with pride, and with an «¢ high arm fhe fhed it; fhe fhed it not thro’ ig- «¢ norance, that fhe might repent of it.”

¥. 8. That it might caufe fury to come up to take vengeance, &c.}] Into the heart and mind of God, into his face, fpeaking after the manner of men; obferving fuch grofs and open wickednefs, he determined within himfelf to fhew his refentment, manifeft his wrath and difpleafure, and. take vengeance on fuch capital and impudent offenders: J have fet ber blood upon the top of a rock, that it might not be covered, by way of juft retaliation, that as her fin was publickly committed, and no repentance {hewn for it, fo her punifhment fhould be open and manifeft to all the world, and no forgivenefs fhould be granted her, The Targum is, «< J have revealed their fins, becaufe they have << fhed innocent blood openly, that it might not “© be forgiven.” _ ¥.9. Therefore thus faith the Lord God, wo te the bloody city, &c.| See the note on ¥.6: J will even make the pile for fire great, a large pile of wood, a great quantity of fuel to maintain the fire, and keep the pot boiling; meaning the vatt army of the Chaldeans, which the Lord would bring againft Ferufalem, which fhould clofely befiege it, and vigoroufly attack it, until it had executed the fury of the wrath of God, comparable to fire, and of his judgments upon it.. The Targum is, “ even] will multiply her deftruction.”

y¥. 10. Heap on wood, kindle the fire, &c.J This is faid either to the prophet, to do this in’an emblematic way; or to the Chaldean army, to. prepare for the fiege, encompafs the city, begin their attacks, and throw in their ftones out of their flings and engines, and arrows from their bows > confume the flefh, not entirely, fince it is afterwards to be fpiced; but thoroughly boil it; denoting the fevere {fufferings the inhabitants fhould undergo be~ fore their utter ruin: /pice it well; pepper them off; batter their walls, beat down theirhoufes, diftrefs them by all manner of ways and means;

fignifying, that this would be grateful to the Lord; as his juftice would be glorified in the deftruction of this people; and as the plunder of them would be like a fpiced and {weet morfel to the enemy 5 whofe appetites would hereby be fharpened and become keen, and to whom the facking and-plundering the city would be as agreeable as well-feafoned meat to an hungry man: avd let the bones be burats either under it, or rather in it; even the ftrongeft and moft powerful among the people deftroyed; who fhould hold out the longeft in the fiege. The Targum of the whole is, ‘‘ multiply kings; ‘* gather an army; order the auxiliaries, and pre- ‘¢ pare againft her warriors, and let her \mighty y¥.11. Then fet it empty upon the coals thereof, &c.] The city, when emptied of its inhabitants and fubftance, like a pot that is boiled over, and all in it boiled away, or taken out; burn it with fire, as the city of Feru/alem when taken and plundered was: that the brafs. of it may be bot, and burn, as brafs will when fet on coals: or, the bottom of it *; fo Ben Melech obferves from the Mifnab, that the lower part or bottom of a pot, cauldron or furnace, is called the brafs of it; and fo the fenfe is, make the fire burn fo fierce, as-to burn the bottom of the pot; or the eanker and ruft of it, which the following words explain: and that the filthine/s of it may be molten in it, that the fcum of it may be \confumed; the abominable wickednefs of this people; fince they were not reformed and brought to repentance for it by the admonitions and inftructions given them, and by the chaftifements and corrections laid upon them; they with their fins fhould be confumed in this terrible manner. The Targum is, ‘* I will leave the «¢ land defolate, that they may become defolate; «¢ and that the gates of her city may be con- <¢ fumed; and that thofe that work uncleannefs in

«¢ the midft of her may melt away, and her fins - y.12. She hath wearied herfelf with lies, 8c.] With ferving idols, which were lying vanities; by trufting to the alliances of neighbouring. nations, which deceived her; or by committing fin, in which there was no fatisfaction; or it may be underftood of wearying of God with her fins, and particularly with her lying promifes of repentance and reformation; and her great {cum went not forth out of her; notwithftanding her promifes; or notwithftanding the admonitions given, and the cha- {tifements infli€ted on her, yet fhe continued hardened in- her fins, impenitent and unreformed; der fcum fhall be in the fire; like a pot that boils over, — its {cum falls into the fire, and is confumed there;

and in no other way, but by the fire of divine.

judgments, or the burning of the city, could the wickednefs thereof be confumed. The Zargum is,

‘© and they fhall not go out of her that work ini-—

“© quity; in the fire fhall fhe be burnt, becaufe of infenfibility: neither fhall thy tears run down; his

** the multitude of her fins.”

¥.13. In thy filthine/s is lewdnefs, 8&c.] Confummate wickednefs joined with impudence, and an obftinate perfifting in it; tho’ her fins were fo abominable and filthy, yet fhe was not afhamed of them, nor could be reclaimed from them; but like a lewd woman, or an old harlot, was bold and impudent: becaufe I have purged thee, and thou waft not purged, made ule of means for the purgation of them, by his prophets, and by exhortations and inftruétions given by them, and by various corrections and chaftifements; but all in vain, and to no purpofe, they were all without effect: thou foalt not be purged from thy filthine/s any more, till I have caufed my fury to reft upon thee; there was no other way left to purge her from her fins, but by the fire of his wrath, and the fury of his anger, in her utter deftruction.

v.14. I the Lord have fpoken it, it fhall come to pa/s, &c.] What God has faid fhall be accomplithed; his word fhall not return void and empty, or be without effect: and I will do it; being God omnipotent and unchangeable: J will not go back; from his word, or the thing threatened and denounced; nothing flould prevail upon him to act fuch a part: neither will I fpare; fhew any mercy or compaffion, or abate of the punifhment due: neither will I repent; or change the courfe and method of providence; but abide by the decree gone forth, and the fentence pronounced, and thoroughly execute it; a-heap of words afcertaining the truth of what is predicted: according to thy ways, and according to thy doings fhall they judge thee, faith the Lord God; that is, the Chaldeans, fhall judge and condemn thee, and execute my judgments on thee, in a juft and righteous manner, as thy evil ways and works deferve.

¥. 15. Alfo the word of the Lord came unto me, faying.| Next follows the other fign, by which the Lord fhews the deftruction of the temple.

¥.16. Son of man, behold, &c.] This is faid to raife the attention of the prophet, fomething ftrange and unufual, interefting and affecting, being about to be delivered: J take away from thee the defire of thine eyes with a ftroke; meaning his wife; who very probably was of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to; however, of an amiable difpofition, and in her conjugal relation very agreeable to the prophet; and, no doubt, a truly religious woman, and upon all accounts defirable to him. This lovely object of his affection, the Lord, who is the fovereign difpofer of all perfons, fignifies he would take away from him by death unto himfelf; that is, fuddenly and at once; and fo the Syriac and Arabic verfions render it, with q fudden firoke; as fometimes perfons are ftruck with death at once with an apoplexy or palfy. ‘The Targum renders it, with the peftilence; it was what the Fews call death by the hand of heaven, by the immediate hand of God; and it may be, without any intervening difeafé,; or, however, without any train of diforders which lead on to death: yet neither fhalt thou mourn, nor weep; on account of the ‘dead; neither privately nor publickly, inwardly or outwardly, tho’ fo near and dear a relation; and tho’ it would feem {ftrange, and be charged with want of natural affection, and with a brutifh cheeks, by which vent would be given to his grief, and his mind fomewhat eafed; but all care was to be taken to prevent any gufhing of them out of» his eyes, and efpecially that they did not run down in any quantity on his cheeks; and to be feen; tho’ they might feem to be but a proper tribute to the dead. ¥.17. Forbear to cry, &c.] Groan or howl, or make any doleful noife: or, de /ilent *; which the Talmudifis ¥ interpret, of not greeting any perfon: make no mourning for the dead, wie none of thofe rites and ceremonies commonly obferved for deceafed relations and friends, particularly and efpecially for a wife; who is one of the feven perfons for whom mourning is to be made, according to the Fewi/h canons *; and which the ties of nature, nearnefs-of relation, and efpecially mutucl and cordial affection, where that has taken. places require; and tho’ a wife is not exprefsly mentioned among thofe, for whom a prieft might defile himfelf by attending their funerals, yet mutt be included among thofe a-kin to him, if not folely defigned, as Farchi thinks; whofe note on Lev, Xxi. 2. is, there are none his kin but his wite; fo that Ezekiel, tho’ a prieft, was not exempted from the obfervation of funeral rites, but obliged to them, had he not been forbid by a {pecial order from the Lord; the particulars of which follow: bind the tire of thine head upon thee; cap or turbant, wore on the head, as a covering of it, and ornament to it, as the word ufed fignifies; and the priefts bonnets were for glory and beauty, Exod. xxviii. 40. and fuch was the tire about the prophet’s head, fince he was a prieft; and which, in time of mourning was taken off, and it was cuftomary for mourners to be’ bare-headed; and tho’ the high-prieft might not uncover his head, and rend his cloaths for the dead, Lev. xxi. 10. yet other priefts might, unlefs they had a particular and fpecial prohibition, as Ezekiel here; fee Lev. x. 6. and yet it feems, by fome inftances, particularly that of David’s mourning for A/elom, that the head was covered at fuch a time, 2 Sam. xix. 5. and Kimchi on the place exprefsly fays, that it was the way and cuftom of mourners to cover themfelves; and certain it is, that in later times however, it has been the ufage of the Fews to cover their heads in mourning; for this is one of the things exprefsly forbid in the Fewi/h canons, as Maimonides * {ays, to be ufed in mourning for the dead, namely making bare the head; and covering the head is what mourners are obliged to >, this Gejerus * reconciles, by obferving, that at the firft of the mourning they ufed to take off of their heads what they wore for the fake of ornament, fuch as the tire, or bonnet here; but after a while covered themfelves with veils when they went abroad, or others came'to them. archi interprets this, of the Tephillim or phylacteries the Fews wore about their heads; and fo the Za/mud *, and the Zargum is, “let thy Totaphot or frontlets be upon thee;” of which interpretation 7erom makes mention; but thefe things don’t appear to be in ufe in Ezekiel’s time: and put on thy fooes upon thy feet; which ufed to be taken off, and perfons walked barefoot in times of mourning, 2 Sam. xv. 30. and this cuftom continues with the Fews to this day; and which which they fay is confirmed by this paflage. One, of their canons‘ runs thus, ‘* they don’t rend gar- «¢ ments, nor pluck off the fhoe for any, until he «is dead;?? which fuppofes they do, and fhould do, when he is dead: and this is one of the things, their writers ‘ fay, is forbidden a mourner for the dead, namely, to put on his fhoes; and they afk, from whence it appears that a mourner is forbid to put on his fhoes? the anfwer is, from what is {aid to Ezekiel, put on thy fhoes upon thy feet; which fhows that in common it was not right nor ufual to do it; and it is their cuftom now for mourners, when they return from the grave, to fit feven days on the ground with their feet naked *: and cover not thy lips, as the leper did in the time of his feparation and diftrefs, who put a covering upon his upper lip, Lev. xiii. 45. and as mourners did, who put a vail upon their faces: and eat not the bread of men; of other men; or of mourners", as the Targum; fach as ufed to be fent to mourners by their friends, in order to refrefh and revive their pirits;

and who, they fuppofed, thro’ their great grief, were not careful to provide food for themfelves, and this they did to comfort them, and let them know, that though they had loft a relation, there were others left, who had a cordial refpeét- for them, and heartily fympathized with them: and according to the traditions of the ews’, a mourner might not eat of his own bread; but was obliged to eat the bread of others, at leaft his firft meal, and on the firft day of his mourning; though he might on the fecond, and on the following days; and this they endeavour to eftablifh from this place of fcripture. What their friends ufed to fend them at fuch a time, were ufually hard eggs and wine. Fees, becaufe round and fpherical, and fo a proper emblem of death, and might ferve to put in mind of it, which goes round, is with one to-day, and with another to-morrow; and wine, to chear their fpirits, that they might forget their forrow “. They alfo ufed to eat at fuch times a fort of pulfe, called lentiles, to thew by what fort of food they loft their birth-right or firft-born'. And fuch like things were ufed by the Romans in their funeral feafts, as beans, parfly, lettuce, lentiles, eggs, €3c¢™, and as the Romans had their parentalia, and the Greeks their waeadsmve, fo the Fews had alfo very fumptuous feafts on fuch occafions: not only great perfonages, as kings and nobles, made them, fo Archelaus made a magnificent one for the people, on the death of his father Herod”, after the cuftom of the country; but even the common people were very profufe and lavifh in them; and which, as Fofephus ° obferves, was the caufe of great poverty among them; for fo prevalent was the cuftom, that there was a neceflity of doing it, or otherwife a man would not have been reckoned an holy man; fee Fer. Xvi. 7.

y. 18. So I fpake unto the people in the morning, &c.] Did the duty of his office as a prophet; exhorted and inftruéted the people, particularly informed them of what had been faid to him by the ‘Lord, the evening or night before, concerning the death of his wife, and how he was to behave under fuch a providence; which he told them of beforehand, that when it came to -pafs, they might have a further proof of his being a true prophet of the

Lord: and at even my wife died, fuddenly, as it was faid fhe fhould; this fhows who is meant by. the defire of his eyes, and what by the taking it away: and I did in the morning as I was commanded; neither moaned, nor fighed, nor wept, nor fhed a tear, nor ufed any of the common ceremonies of mourning, but dreffed and eat as at other times; as he was ordered to do; this was the next morning after his wife died. So the Syriac verfion, “* in the morning of the other day;” and the Arabic verfion, ** in the morning of the following. ‘“* day.” Thus, whatever the Lord commands, is to be done, though ever fo contrary to the cuftoms of men, or to natural inclinations and affections.

¥.19. And the people faid unto me, &c.} Either ferioufly, as being defirous of knowing what was meant by all this; fince they had reafon to believe that it was not out of want of affection in Ezekiel to his wife that he fo behaved; and therefore there muit be fome hidden meaning in it, which they fhould be glad to be informed of; or in a ludi¢rous manner, deriding the prophet for his conduct, and de- {pifing what he meant to inftruét them in hereby: wilt thou not tell us what thefe things are to us, that thou doeft fo? for they fufpected it was not on his own account, but to fignify fomething to them, that thefe things were done; and laughing at him, they fay, to what purpofe are thefe things done? if you don’t tell us for what reafon they are done, inftruct us by words, and not by aétions; thefe were his fellow captives in Babylon.

¥. 20. Then I anfwered them, &c.) And gave them an account of the defign of the whole, and what was fignified hereby: the word of the Lord came unto me, faying ordering him.to do all he did; for he did nothing of himfelf, but all according to the divine will; and who alfo direéted him to fay the following things to the people, by way of explanation.

WV. 21. Speak unto the boufe of Irael, &c.] By word of mouth, to thofe who were upon ‘the fpot with him in Chaldea; and by a meflenger, or a letter, to them that were in Fudea: thus faith the Lord of hofts, bebold, I will profane my fanétuarys the temple, built for him, and where he dwelt, and - was worfhipped; where duties were performed, and holy facrifices offered up formerly; this he now fays he would profane, that is, would bring the Chaldeans againtt Ferufalem, who fhould take it, and enter into the temple, and fo profane it, and make it-common, yea utterly deftroy it: the excellency of your firength, the defire of your eyes, and that which your foul pitieth; all which is faid of the temple; it was the pride and glory of the Jews, what they boafted of, and put their confidence in, and reckoned their ftrength and fecurity; it was as dear and as defirable to them, as Ezekiel’s wife was to him, the emblem of it; the deftruétion and defolation of which would be pitied by them, and would fenfibly affect them upon hearing of it, even in prophecy: and your fons, and your daughters, whom ye have left, fhall fall by the fword; whom they had left behind them in Judea, when they were carried captive with Fehoiakim, and whom they hoped to return, as their falfe pre had affured them; but fo it fhould not be, for

08,! Hieron, ad Paulam fuper obitu Blefille, b im fhould die by the fword of the Chaldeans, when the city of ‘Yerufalem fhould be taken, and the temple profaned; and this fhould be the cafe of the fons and daughters of thofe who then fhould be carried captive, that fhould be left in the land; as was the cale of Gedaliah, and thofe that were with him.

¥. 22. And ye foall do as I have done, &c.] When his wife died, and as he was ordered by the Lord; the meaning of which they were now enquiring: ye hall not cover your lips; as a token of mourning; nor ufe any other of their country-rites and ceremonies, for fear of provoking their enemies, in whofe hands they fhall be: nor eat the bread of men, or of mourners, as the Targum, there fhall be none to comfort them, or fend bread to them; they fhall all be alike mourners.

¥. 23. And your tires fhall be upon your heads, and your fooes upon your feet, &c.| As will be neceflary whilft travelling, and when carrying captive to a foreign country, as now will be their cafe: ye foall not mourn nor weep; fhall not dare to do it, becaufe of their enemies; and moreover, {fo great fhould be their miferies and calamities, that they fhould be ftruck dumb, and quite aftonifhed and ftupified with them; that they fhould not be able to vent their forrow by an outward aét of mourning: but ye fhall pine away for your iniquities; without any true fenfe of them, or godly forrow for them, but in wretched hardnefs of heart, and black defpair: and mourn one towards another not to God, confeffing their fins, being contrite and penitent; but to one another, fretting, murmuring, and complaining at the hand of God upon them: this feems to denote the private way of mourning ‘they fhould ufe for fear of the enemy, when they could get together by themfelves, as well as their difregard to God, againft whom they had finned.

y. 24. Thus Ezekiel is unto you a fign, &c.] Thefe are the words of the prophet concerning himfelf; obferving that in all the above things he was a fign to the Zews of what fhould befal them, and what fhould be their cafe: and according to all that he bath done, fhall ye do, however it might be then a matter of {corn and derifion: and when this cometh; when this prophecy comes to pafs, and all thefe calamities come upon the city and temple: ye foall know that Iam the Lord God, omnifcient, omnipotent, true and faithful.

y. 25. Alfo thou fon of man, thall it not be in the day, &c.] This queftion is to be anfwered in the affirmative: when I take from them their frength; their king and kingdom, their princes and nobles, their foldiers and men of might and war, their wealth and fubftance, their city and the inhabitants of it; or rather their temple, in which they placed their {trong confidence: fo the Targum, ‘* in the day when I fhall take from them the ** houfe of their fanctuary:” and which is called, the joy of their glory; what they rejoiced and gloried in: the defire of their eyes, and that whereupon they fet their mind, their fons and their daughters for to thefe may thofe phrafes be applied, as well as to the temple; they being defirable to them, to be fpared and continued, and on whom the affections of their hearts were fet, and for whofe welfare they were very folicitous. So fome render it, the burden or care of their fouls? 5 tho’ the Targum applies this, as the other, to the temple, paraphrafing it, ‘* and the delight of their eyes fhall ** be taken from them, and the beloved of their *¢ fouls, which is better to them than their fons “« and their daughters.”

¥. 26, That he that efcapeth in that day fhall come unto thee, &c.| That is, that one that fhould efcape the hands of the Chaldeans when the city fhould be taken, fhould directly make the beft,of his way to the prophet: to caufe thee to hear it with thine ears; all the particulars of the deftruction of the city and temple, as it had been reprefented to him in vifion,; when he would fee the exact agreement between prophecy and facts; fee ch. Xxxili. 21.

¥. 27. In that day fhall thy mouth be opened to him which is efcaped, &c.| And fhall freely converfe with him about the feveral facts and circum- {tances of taking and burning the city and temple, and of the ufage of the inhabitants: and thou shalt Jpeak, and be no'more dumb, for from this time to the taking of Yerufalem, which was about eighteen months; the prophet had nothing to fay to the people of the Yews, and fo was dumb with refpect tothem; but was employed in prophefying againit other nations, as the following chapters fhew, unto the 33d chapter, in which we have an account of the meflenger that efcaped to him; but after that his mouth was opened, and he prophefied to them again: and thou fhalt be a fign unto them, as they will then own and acknowledge: and they fall own that Iam the Lord; who have foretold thefe things, and accomplifhed them.