Ezekiel 14

Some of the eldest of the people come to the prophet as if were counsel of God ver 1 God by the prophet answereth then according to the desert of their idolatry and hypocrisie and threateneth ruine to all such enquirers and to the seducing prophets that prophesied to the enquirers according to their minds annexing a promise to the penitent vers 2 & c God sheweth that the intercessions even of the most holy men that ever were such as were Noah Daniel and Job would not be able to help Jerusalem nor any people whom he had firmly decreed to punish but that they should only deliver their own souls 12 he foretelleth that some should be left and shall also be carried to the other Jews to Babel as an example and glass of Gods justice towards them 22.

1. Then came unto me man of the eldest of Israel [that is rulers and the heads of congregation that dwelt in Chaldea see Exod 3 on vers 16 and Levit 4 on vers 15]and sate down before my face [to ask the counsel of God concerning the future condition of the people both in Jerusalem and there in Chaldea see the following third vers compare above chap 8 vers 1 and below chap 20.1.]

2. Then came the word of the Lord saying :

3. Child of man these men have set up their dung –gods in their heart [that is they have given them the highest place in their mind as they were wont also without the heart set up in high places so that they esteem and honour them on highly above all others things yea even above myself so in the sequel] and they have put the stumbling block in their iniquity here is meant their idols for when they set up these before their faces contrary to Gods commands they were an occasion unto them for sinning many ways against Gods and of falling into many abominations so in the sequel thus idols are called a snare Exodus 23:33 Deuteronomy 7:16 Judges 2:3 [am I then earnestly inquired by them ? [Heb being inquired of inquired of ;that is earnestly or uprightly required of As if he should say no These tings cannot stand together that a man should adhere unto idols and yet now withstanding ask counsel of true God .Others should I be inquired of at all by them ? that is I desire not to be inquired of by such a people The Lord was ordinarily inquired of by the high Priest being clothed with the Ephod see Numb 27.21 and the annotate Judg 1 on vers 1 or by a prophet 1 Sam 23 on vers 2 and 6 and 28 .6 2Sam 2 .1 2 Chrons 11.7.]

4. Therefore speak then and say unto them thus saith the Lord LORD every man [Heb man that is every man see Levit 15 on vers 2 so below vers 7] of the house of Israel [that is Juda see above chap 6 on vers 2 meaning the Jews that dwelt in Chaldea]that setteth up dung-gods in his heart and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity directly before his face and cometh to the prophet [to wit to ask counsel of God by him]when he cometh [others in that time] according to the multitudes of his dung-gods that is I will answer them not according to that which they would fain hear but as their great and manifold idolatry hath deserved others of or concerning the multitudes of their dung-gods that is I will answer them nothing else but that which concerneth the punishments which they have thereby deserved. ]

5. That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart [that is I will so answer them as that I will bring them to light that which was hid in their heart for they will pretend themselves to be godly people when they come to ask counsel of me but I will by my answer discover the wickedness that lurketh in their hearts] because they are all estranged from me through their dung-gods.

6. Therefore say unto the house of Israel thus saith the Lord LORD repent and turn yourselves from your dung-gods and turn your face away from all your abominations [that is nor only from your idolatry and fins committed against the first table but also from all your vallanies committed against the second table of the law understand here under the word faces the heart also without whose turning away the faces the also can hardly be turned away this is contrary to te putting of a stumbling-block before ones face above vers 3.]

7. For every man [Heb man as above vers 4] of the house of Israel and of the stranger [that is the proselyte that was become such having either before in Juda or afterwards in Chaldea embraced the Jews religion with the observation of their ceremonies see of such strangers Levit 17.8 and 25.35]that sojourneth in Israel which seperateth himself from after me and setteth up his dung-god in his heart and putteth the stumbling –block of his iniquity directly before his face [see above on vers 4] and cometh to the prophet to enquire by him of me [others to enquire of him concerning me] I am the Lord shall be answered to him by me [that is not only by the prophet whom he enquireth but by or of myself who will answer him not so much by words as by plagues and punishment as the following words shew]

8. And I will set my face against that man [see Levit 17 on vers 10]and will make him a token [to wit of my just vengeance against hypocrites for I will in the punishing such deal so fearfully and strangely with them that every one shall be frightened threat as at a public token of my vengeance propounded to everyone by me for his warning compare Deuteronomy 28:46 others I will lay him waste for a token that is that he may be a token]and for proverbs [see Deut 28 on vers 37 also Job 17 on vers 6 see also 1 Kings 9:7.8 2 Chrons 7.21 ,22 Psal 44.14 ,15 and 69.12 Jerem 24.9 Habak 2.6]and I will cut him off from the midst of my people [see Levit 20 on vers 3] and ye shall know that I am the Lord .

9. Now when a prophet shall be persuaded [to wit by the hypocrites who ask counsel of them and desire them to prophesie some good thing unto them see of Hebrew word Judges 14 on vers 15] and shall have spoken something [to wit which the enquirer would fain hear but is false] I the Lord have persuaded the prophet [to wit not by inspiring any evil into the prophet but by justly punishing the enquirers hypocrisie by the prophets lightness and covetousness that proceed from the prophet and from Satan compare 2 Sam 12.12 1 Kings 12:15 and 22 .22 Jerem 4.10 with the annotate also 2 Thessa 2.11,12] and I will stretch out mine hand against him [to wit against the prophet to punish him so Exodus 7:5, Isaiah 5:25 Jerem 15.6 below vers 13 and chap 25.7 & c] and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel .

10. And they shall bear their iniquity [the Hebrew word here signifieth the punishment which is deserved by the iniquity and offence see Levit 5 on vers 1]as the iniquity of the inquirer shall be so shall the iniquity of the prophet be :

11. That the house of Israel may go no more astray from after me and that they may no more pollute them selves with all transgression [which are frequently called pollution in scriptures as Ezra 9 .11 below chap 24.13 and 36.17 and 39.24 1 Thessa 4.7 James 1:1]then shall they be a people unto me [see Levit 26 on vers 12] and I will be a God unto them [see Genes 17 on vers 7] saith the Lord.

12. Moreover the word of the Lord came to me saying :

13. Child of man when a land shall have sinned against me transgression grievously [Heb transgression that is committing transgression] then will I stretch out mine hand against it and will break her staff of bread [see Levit 26 on vers 26] and send a famine into it to cut off men from beast from it :

14. Though these three men ,Noah ,Daniel ,and Job were in the midst of it [he nameth these three person because they amongst others were accepted of him and had received great mercies from him compare Jerem 1. 15] they should deliver only their own lives from the common destruction of the land that the word only must be here inserted may be gathered from the following 16 and 18 verses ]by their righteousness [to wit considered and valued in the mediatour Christ whose perfect righteousness taketh away the imperfection that is in the righteousness of all the godly so that it is of free grace rewarded with a blessing]saith the Lord LORD.

15. If I cause evil beast to pass through the lands [this plague is threatened to a sinful people Levit 26.22 above chap 5.17 and was actually sent upon them 2Kings 17.25]which bereave it of children so that it become desolate that no man may pass through it [Heb without goer through] because of the beasts .

16. These three man being in the midst of it as true as I live saith the Lord LORD if they should deliver sons and if they should deliver daughters [meaning that they should not deliver them as the following words shew and compare the following 18 vers]they only should deliver themselves but the land should be desolate [here is spoken of an irrevocable sentence of God passed upon the abominable obstinacy and thankfulness of the people and that according to righteous judgments see below vers 23.]

17. Or when I bring the sword [that is war see Levit 26 on vers6]upon that land and say sword go through the land so that I cut off men and beasts from it [God speaketh to the liveless and brute creatures as if they had life and understanding to shew his omnipotency and the dominion that he hath over all things and nothing cometh to pass in any things how great or small soever they may be by chance and all by his omnipresent providence compare Deut 4 on vers 26.]

18. Through those three men where in the midst of it as true as I live saith the Lord LORD they should not deliver sons nor daughters but they only shall be delivered by themselves .

19. Or when I send the pestilence into that land and pour out my fury upon it[ see above chap 7 on vers 8 with bloud [that is by killing and slaying many men and beasts as followeth for bloud is often taken for killing slaughter murder see Genes 37 on vers 26 see of the slaughter which God made by his angel 2 Samuel 24:15,16]to cut off from it men and beasts :

20. Through Noah ,Daniel and Job were in the midst of it as true as I live saith the Lord LORD if they should deliver a son or if they should deliver a daughter [implying that they shall not see above vers 16]they should deliver only their own soul by their righteousness [see above vers 14]

21. For thus saith the Lord LORD how much more when I shall have sent my four evil judgments [that is punishments or plagues see Exodus 6:5 and 7.5 and the annotate compare 2 Chrons 20 .12 they are called evil or wicked because they are grievous painful and very hurtful unto men see also of four forts of plagues called kindness though in part distinct from these in this vers Jerem 5.3]the sword and the famine and the evil beast and the pestilence against Jerusalem to cut off men and beast from it ? [the meaning is if the afore-named men being alive when I do punish a land but with one plagues should be able to save themselves alone from the punishment how much should they be able to do it for themselves alone when I shall send four plagues at once upon Jerusalem ? others how much less to wit should they be able to deliver the people when God sendeth four plagues upon them ?]

22. Yet behold therein[that is in Jerusalem] shall be left escaped ones [Heb an escaping that is such as shall escape the destruction by the four forementioned plagues from escaping from escaping ones as 2 Kings 10:30 1 Chrons 4.43 so the remnant of the remaining ones or such as are left 2Chron 36.20 captivity for captive Numb 31.12]that shall be carried forth sons and daughters behold theyshall come forth [to wit out of Jerusalem and Judea be carried hither to Babel]unto you that dwell here in Chaldean and ye shall see their way and their dealing that is their course of life and the manner of their conversation whereby ye shall be able to perceive what kind of people they are namely exceeding perverse and corrupt ]and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that shall have brought upon Jerusalem yea concerning all I shall have brought upon it [ye shall be comforted to wit not with word that ye shall hear of them but with the misery wickedness and reproach which ye shall behold for ye shall thereby perceive that God hath had very great cause punish them in the manner so that ye shall rest contented and satisfied with his judgments as followeth .]

23. So they shall comfort you when ye shall see their way and their dealings and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it [or to with or against it to wit Jerusalem]saith the Lord LORD .