Ezekiel 33

By the parable of the faithful watchmen in the land, God sheweth the Prophet his duty, and the duty of all faithfull teachers, verse 1, c. he sheweth the murmurers and hypocrites among the captivity Jews, that he dealeth well and justly with penitents and backsliders and defendeth the justice of his way’s against their calumns, 10. The prophet’s tiding concerning the taking and destruction of the city of Jerusalem and prophesieth what shall become of those that I left in the land, 21. God’s judgement upon the hypocritical flatterers and mockers of the prophet, 30.

1. And the word of the lord came unto me saying:

2. Child of man, speak unto the children of thy people, [see above chapter 3 on verse 11] and say unto them: when I bring the sword [that is, in my just judgement send war, hostile invasion, with all the consequents or concomitants thereof] upon any land; [Heb. A land, when I shall bring the sword upon, against, or, into it] and the people of the land take man out of their ends, [that is, plainly as much as out of or from among them; or out of their frontiers, uttermost borders, where the watchmen are commonly set, to heed all comings or approaches of the enemy. See the diverse use of this phrase Gens. 47.2. Judges 18:2. 1 Kings 12:31. Also Genesis 19:4. Isaiah 56:11. With the Annotat.] And set him for a watchman for them:

3. And he seeth the sword come [Heb. coming] upon the land, and bloweth with the trumpet and warneth the people:

4. And one that beareth the sound of the trumpet, heareth (indeed), but taketh no warning; and the sword cometh, and taketh him away: his blood is upon his (own) head. [That is, he is the cause of his own destruction; or is guilty of his own destruction. Compare Leviticus 20:9. With the Annotat and so in the sequel]

5. He heard the sound of the trumpet, but took no warning, his blood is upon him; but he that taketh warning, saveth his soul. [That is, life, or person, himself. See Genesis 12:5 and 19.17 with the Annotat.]

6. On the contrary, when the watchman seeth the sword come, and bloweth not will the trumpet, so that the people is not warned; and the sword cometh, and taketh away a soul [That is, a person or some one, as above] from among them: he is (indeed) taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require all the watchman’s hand. [As above chapter 3.18. I indeed by my secret providence have justly sent this punishment upon him; but that shall not excuse this unfaithful watchman]

7. Now thou, o child man, I have set thee for a watchman over the house of Israel: therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. Compare this place with above chapter 3.17, c. and see the Annotat, there]

8. When I say unto the wicked, o wicked man, thou shalt die the death, and thou speak not, to warn the wicked from his way: that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require [or, seek] at thine hand.

9. But when thou warneth the wicked from his way, that he might turn from it, and he turneth not from his way: then shall he die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul.

10. Therefore, thou child of man, say unto the house of Israel; thus ye speak, saying, seeing our transgressions and our sins are upon us, [That is, we bear the punishment thereof. Compare above chapter 32.27. And see Levit. 5 on verse 1] and we languish in them, [According to Gods threatnings. Compare above chapter 24.23. See there] how should we then live? [As thou dist promise us we shall: but (as if they should say) we find the contrary indeed. This they murmured at the plagues of God, without minding their repentance and upon condition whereof promises of life were made]

11. Say unto them, (as true as) I live, saith the Lord LORD, if I have pleasure in the death of the wicked! [An abrupt kind of speech usual in oaths. See Numb. 14. On verse 23. As ye conceive and complain, that I take delight in killing you, though ye should turn from your wickedness; as if it were all one to me, whether ye did repent, or not; ye behave your selves, whether well, or ill, ye are sure notwithstanding to suffer; as wicked murmurets and hypocrites are wont to speak. Compare above chapter 18.23. With the Annotat.] But therein (have I pleasure) that the wicked turn from his way, and live: Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways, [as if God should say, that is the thing therein ye are wanting, that ye all continue in your wickedness, and yet murmur against my plagues, whereas ye ought to repent and turn from your sins] for why should ye die, o house of Israel? [As if he should say, how is it that ye continue so sottish, as that ye bring your own destruction upon your selves by your impenitency? If ye will go on as ye have begun nothing else can betide you, but that you must needs dye and perish in your perversness; think upon this seriously, for your own good.]

12. Thou then, o child of man, say unto the children thy people, the righteousness of the righteous [see above chapter 3.20 and 18.24. with Annotat.] shall not deliver him [the aforesaid righteous man that is onely so in name and in account, but not in deed and in truth] in the day of his transgression; [or, of his backsliding] and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall [that is, perish through my judgements, whereof here is properly spoken. See Genesis 14 on verse 10] for it in the day when he turneth from his wickedness: neither shall the righteous be able to live by that (his righteousness) [mentioned verse 12] in the day when he sinneth]

13. When I say unto the righteous, that he shall surely live [Heb. Living live; [Upon condition of sincerity and perseverance unto the end] and he trusteth in his own righteousness, and committeth iniquity; then all his righteousness shall not be remembred, but in his iniquity that he committeth shall he die.

14. Also when I say unto the wicked, thou shalt dye the death: [Heb. Dying die, if thou repent not] and be turneth from his sin, and doth judgement and justice:

15. The wicked restoreth the pledge, [as above chapter 18.7. [He payeth that he had robbed, [see Exodus 22:4. Leviticus 6:1, 4. Numbers 5:6, 7.] He walketh in the statutes of life, so that he committeth no iniquity; he shall surely, [Heb. Living live. So in the next verse] he shall not die.

16. All his sins that he hath sinned shall not be remembered unto him: [see Psalms 79 on verse 8] he hath done judgement and justice, he shall surely live.

17. Ye the children of thy people say, the way of the LORD is not equal: whereas indeed their own way in not right. [Compare above chapter 18.25, 29. with the Annotat.]

18. When the right turneth away from his righteous, and doth iniquity; then he shall die in it.

19. And when the wicked turneth from his wickedness, and doth judgement and justice; then he shall live in it.

20. Yet ye say the way of the LORD is not right: I will judge you one according to his wates, O house of Israel. [This is a short and pithy divine conclusion of this whole dispute between God and his impenitent murmuring people]

21. And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captive away, [with Jojachin, or Jechonia. Compare above chapter 1.2. And 24.1 and below chapter 40.1. Jeremiah 29:10 with the Annotat.] in the tenth (month) [in the Ecclasiastical year called Tebath, answering to our December and January: after that Jerusalem was conquered by the King of Babel, on the ninth day of the fourth moneth of the former year, in the nineteenth year of his reign, and his chief captain Nebuzaradan had entered into it on the seventh day of the fifth moneth, 2 Kings 25:3,8. Jermiah 39.2.] on the fifth (day) of the moneth (that) one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, [according to God’s prediction, above chapter 24.26.] saying, the city is smitten. [Jerusalem is taken and destroyed and many of the inhabitants are slain. So 1 Samuel 30:1. 2 Sam 15.14. 2 Kings 9:13. 1 Chronicles 20:1. And below chapter 40.1. compare Jeremiah 43:11 and 46.13. And 47.1, c.]

22. Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me [see above chapter 1 on verse 3. in the evening before that escaped one came, and had opened my mouth until he [the foresaid messenger, or bringer of tidings] came to me in the morning: for my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb. [As was also foretold by God, above chapter 24.26. Compare chapter 3.26. With the Annotat.]

23. Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

24. Child of man, the inhabitants of those wast places in the land of Israel [To wit, the inhabitants left in desolate Canaan, after Jerusalem was destroyed, the greatest part of the people carried away captive, & the land laid waste by the Babylonians] speak, saying; Abraham was but a single (man), possessed this land hereditary: but we are many; the land is given to us for an hereditary possession. [as if they had said, God did not promise this land unto Abraham for himself alone, for he had no need of such a great land as this is, neither did he ever inhabit it wholly himself, but for his children and posterity, which we are: (Compare Isaiah 51:2. Job 8.33, c) and though we be now fewer in number then formerly, yet we were the right heirs, and shall indeed continue in it. So obstinate were these men, though saw the punishment hand God before their eyes]

25. Therefore, say unto them; thus saith the Lord LORD: ye eat (flesh) with the blood, [Contrary to the law, Genesis 9:4. Leviticus 7:26 and 13.10 and 19.26. Deuteronomy 12:16. Or should ye, c? Or because ye eat blood: and so in the following words] and lift up your eyes unto the dung-gods, [see above chap.18.6.] and shed blood: and should ye possess the land hereditary? [as if God should say, by no means: I have promised you the land upon condition of obedience, but your disobedience is manifest, as the foregoing and following words do shew]

26. Ye stand [Or, have stood] upon your sword, [that is, ye trust in your valour and skill in war, thinking thereby to abide in the land for ever: or you are ready with your swords, as those that intend to offer violence to their neighbour. Compare the phrase with the above chapter 31.14.] Ye commit abomination and defile [by unchastely and adultery] everyone has neighbour’s wife: and should ye possess the land hereditary?

27. Thus shalt thou say unto them, thus saith the Lord LORD: (as true as) I live, if they that are in the wast places shall not fall, by the sword, [a kind of oath, as above verse 11.] and (if) I deliver (not) him that win the open field. [Heb. Face of the field] to the wild beasts, to devour him and (if) they that are in the forts and in the caves [where they think to hide and secure themselves. See Judges 6:2. the annotate.] shal (not) die by the silence.

28. For I will make the land a desolation and terrour, [Or utter desolation, or meet desolation or astonishment: or desolation, and or yea desolation: the Hebrew or signifying to make desolate, and to be astonished, to be afraid, or affrighted. So below chapter 35.3, 7.] And the pride of her strength shall cease: and the mountains of Israel [the hilly country of Israel] shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.

29. Then shall they know that I am LORD when I shall have made the land a desolation and a terrour, for all their abominations which they have committed.

30. And thou, O child of man, the children of thy people, thy talk still of thee by the walls, and in the doors the houses: [As neighbours are wont to talk together by the walls of the houses, and at one another’s doors] and the one speaketh with the other, every man with his brother, saying, come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh from the Lord.

31. And they came unto thee as the people useth to come, [in multitude into the holy congregation to hear the word of God. Heb. As the coming of the people] and sit before thy face, [Compare above chapter 8.1 (as) my people, and hear thy words, but they do them not: for they make flatteries with their mouth, [that is, they flatter thee, commending thy prophesies with hypocritical signed gestures, because of the beauty thereof; as if they should say, oh how well and excellently doth he speak, c. Others, they make them (words) pleasant with their mouth; that is, they confess with their mouth that thy words are pleasant, but, c. the meaning being all one] but their heart walketh after their covetousness.

32. And lo, thou art unto them as a song of loves, [Or sweet love-song, that foundeth pleasantly, or s full of pleasantness] (as) one that is fair of voice, or that playeth well; [upon Musick-instruments, as Psalms 33:3.] therefore they hear thy words, but they do them not.

33. But when that cometh, [which thou hast prophesied unto them from me] (lo, it will come) then shall they know that a prophet [a true prophesie sent from God hast been in the midst of them.