Ezekiel 5

The prophet is commanded by god to shave his head and beard and to divide the hair into four parts and to deal severally with those four parts vers 1 c representing thereby the diversity and the dreadfulness of the plagues that should come upon the people of the Jews for the fins here mentioned 5 &c.

1. And thou child of man take thee a sharp knife Joshua 5:2 thou shalt take thee barbers of razor :[that is which barbers use when they shave a man this signifieth here the enemies of the Jews which God just made use of to punish his people by .compare Isaiah 7:20] which thou shalt cause to pass upon thine head and upon thine beard :[that is thou shalt cause the hair of thine head and thy beard to be shaved off therewith see the same phrase Numb 6.5 and 8.7 and compare Judg 13.5understand hereby the hair of the head and beard the citizens and inhabitants of Jerusalem which were very many in number and by the shaving off of the hair the cutting off of those citizens]then thou shalt thee a balance [as a token of Gods justice]and divide those hairs .[compare this verse with the twelfth vers following .]

2. A third part[the hair divided into three equal parts signified that the Jews should be destroyed and perish by divers forts of judgments he that escaped the one should fall into other compare Isaiah 24:18 Jerem 15.2] thou shalt burn with fire[which signifieth all the judgments whereby all the third part of the people during the siege should die into the city as namely by hunger sorrow pestilence ,shot, and the like plagues .see the word of fire taken for plagues and calamities Job 15 on vers 34 so below vers 4] in the midst of the city[to wit of the city of Jerusalem he having portrayed it upon a tile above chap 4 .1 he was now tom shew upon the said tile this sad spectacle with the interpretation thereof unto he people that dwelt unto Chaldea were the prophet was]after the days of the siege are fulfilled that is thou shalt not burn the whole third part at once but now a little and then a little till the be ended .Others when the days of the siege shall be fulfilled ] then shalt thou take a third part smiling about it [to wit the third part of the hair]with a sword [hereby is signified that another third part of the Jews without the city should be destroyed by the enemy ,to wit, when they should break out upon him or else taking flight should fall unto his hands 2 Kings 25:4]and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind ;[understand by this third part the remaining third part of the Jews which was partly scattered into the countrys round about partly carried away captive to Ribla and Babel 2 Kings 25:11,20,21] for I will draw out the sword after them [To wit the sword of enemies which shall here and there pursue after plague and devour the fugitive and captive Jews .Heb empty the sword after them so Exodus 15:9 Levit 26.33 below vers12 and chap 12 vers 14.]

3. Thou shalt also take thereof [to wit of the last third part] a few number and binde them in thy skirts [to signifie that a very small number of the poorest and meanest Jews should remain in the land, whom Nebuzaradan should leave there for vine dressers and husbandman 2 Kings 25:12 .Jerem 52.16 .]

4. And thou shalt yet take of them ,[to wit of those few that are left] and cast them into the midst of the fire and shalt burn them with fire :[which signified that yet many of them that were left under the government of Gedeliah should miserable perish and shall be feattered abroad 2 kings 25.25, 26 Jerem 41.3]there from shall a fire [meaning the fire of miseries and plague see on above vers 2 so in the sequel of this vers] come forth against all the house of Israel .[to wit a fire which shall utterly plague and destroy the whole remnant of Juda and Israel mingled among them and where so ever they be see Jerem 42.16 and 44.27 ,28 .]

5. thus saith the Lord LORD :this is Jerusalem [to wit the city which the prophet had portrayed upon the tile above chap 4 .1 it was not the city it was not the city itself that was in Juda but the token and portrasture thereof see of this phrase whereby the token beareth the name of this thing betokened Gen 17 on vers 10]which I have in the midst of the heathen [that s I have shewed her more favor then I have done to any other cities among the heathen that she might be unto them an example of virtue and honestly compare Duet 4,6,7,8. Psal 48.2,3 & and 87 .1,2,3 &c]and lands round about her .[that is heathenish lands and nations before whom she ought to have shined in goodness or ,and of the lands that are round about her.]

6. But she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the heathen and my statutes more than the lands that are round about her :[see 2 Kings 21 on vers 9 and 2 Chrons 32.9 Jerem 2.10 see also in the end of the next vers] for thy have rejected my judgment and into my statutes have they not walked [what it is to walk in the law or statutes have of the Lord see 2Chron 6 on vers 16]

7. Therefore thus faith the lord Lord ;Because ye have made it so much the more then the heathen that are round about you ,[To wit ,by finning and transgressing .Heb. for your multiplying ;&c.that is , because ye multiply, to wit ,in fin ;or are multiplied in fin .Others understand this multiplication of their great store and abundant riches ,wherein they surpassed the heathen round about ,and yet notwithstanding were unthankful to toward God ,as followeth Compare Deut .32.15.] have not walked in my statues ,and have kept my judgments ,yea have not done according to the judgments of the heathen that are round about .[Which suffered not any rashly to change their Gods and their Religion ;Jerem.2.10.This may also be understood of the natural and civil laws which are by God written in the hearts of all men ,Rom.1.32and 2.15.which many heathen better kept and observed then the Jews did .Among these laws this is one ,that a man ought to keep his word and his promise ,to wit such one may kept which the Jews did not ,2Kings 24.1.and 20.]

8. Therefore thus faith the lord Lord ;Behold ,I will be upon thee , [namely O thou city of Jerusalem ;to wit ;to destroy thee .Others ,l come against thee :as Revel.2.5,16and 3.3] yea 1:[this repetition tendeth to the assurance and aggravation of the punishment that is foretold]for l will exercise judgment in midst of thee [that is ,execute punishments upon thee .So Psal .119.84. below chap .11.9and 25.11.Compare 2chron . 20.12. and the Annotat.] before the eyes of those heathen .To wit whom thou exceedest in wickedness ,to whom thou by thy doings has given offence and who being thine enemies ,will rejoice at thy destruction.]

9. And I will do in thee that which I have not done [That is send such a punishment as I never sent heretofore] neither will do anymore the like because of all thine abominations [to wit the idolatry and other fins against the first and second table as also against the ceremonial and judicial laws .]

10. Therefore the fathers that shall eat the children in the midst of thee and the children shall eat their fathers :[to wit because their great hunger and want of victuals see the threatening of God concerning this Levit 26.29Deut 28.53 and accomplishment 2 Kings 6:29 Lament2.20 and 4.10]and I will exercise judgments in thee and I will seatter all thy remnant into all the winds [that is into all the parts of the world so Jerem 49.32,36 and below chap 12 .14 and 17.21 and 37.9 Zach 2.6 see also above on vers 2.]

11. Therefore as true as I live [compare Numb 14.28 Ruth 3:13 1 Samuel 14:39,45and 19.6. 2 Sam22.27Jerem 46.18] saith the Lord LORD because thou hast defiled my sanctuary [that is the temple wherein the services of God were performed]with all thy detestations and with all thine abominations [to wit of the grossest idolatries in the service of God and of the grossest evils in life and conversations] if I also shall not therefore diminish thee and mine eye pity thee [this word is here inserted from the following 7 chap vers4because the eyes are witnesses of the heart therefore that is ascribed unto them which properly belongeth to the heart .Thus the eye is here said not to pity ,that is to have no compassion nor to be gracious or merciful see also Deuteronomy 7:16 and 13.8 1 Samuel 24:11 below chap 7.4 and 16.5] and also shall not spare [see Numb 14 on vers 23 and Deut 1 on vers 35.]

12. A third part of thee shall die of pestilence [see a further exposition of this vers above on vers 2] and shall by famine be brought into the midst of thee [that is in your besieged city of Jerusalem]and a third part shall fall by the sword [to wit of the Chaldeans that shall be without the city and besieged it see of this phrase Levit 26 on vers 7] round about thee and I will seatter the third part into all the winds [compare above vers 10 and the annotate]and I will draw out [Heb empty as above vers 2] the sword after them [see above on vers 2.]

13. Thus shall mine anger be accomplished [That is my threatening which I in my just wrath have denounced by my prophets shall be thus accomplished compare the phrase with Isaiah 10:25 Lament 4.11 below chap 7.8and in the end of this vers] and I will cause my fury to rest upon [that wreck my spleen upon them and so satiate and satisfy my wrath upon them that I shall be quiet when I see them in a forlorn case by means of judgment that I shall not need to renew it Nahum 1:9 this is spoken of God after the manner of men so below chap 16.4 and 21.17 and 24.13]and comfort myself [that is avenge myself and wreak my spleen and delight myself the declaration of my justice is spoken of God after the manner of men so Isaiah 1:24] and they shalt know [that is find indeed and perceive to their shame and loss see Job 5 on vers 24 also below chap 6.7,10 c] that I the LORD have spoken it in my sealousie [meaning fierce and jealous wrath as of a man that is wronged by his wife so Psal79.5 Proverbs 6:34 Isaiah 59:17 below chap 16.42 and 38 .19] when I shall have accomplished my fury against them.

14. Moreover I will make thee a desolation and a reproach among the heathen that are about thee before eyes of everyone that passeth by [to wit a reproach whereby thou shalt be despised reviled and abhorred by the nation round about when they shall say that thou was worthy to be dealt with because of the great things and abominations .see Gods threatening of this judgment Levit 26.31 and the accomplishment thereof Lamentations 2:2 &c .

15. So the reproach and infamy shall be an instruction and an astonishment round about [to wit the instruction whereby the heathen may be taught what a great evil fin is and how fearful a thing it is by reason thereof to fall into the hands of God]when I shall exercise judgments [that is execute just punishments so below chap 25.11] upon thee in anger and fury and furious rebukes [Heb in rebukes of fury] I the Lord have spoken it .

16. When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine [meaning all plagues scourges whereby death and famine is occasioned .They are called evil because they should be deadly and bring destruction along with them as the words declare see Deut 32 on vers 24] which shall be for destruction which l send forth to destroy you ;so will l increase the famine upon you and break your staff of bread [See Levit 26 on vers 26 and above chap 4.16 and below chap 14.13 likewise 2 Kings 6:25 Isaiah 3:1 .]

17. Yea I will send upon you famine and evil beast [see Levit 26.22]which shall bereave thee of children and also pestilence and be loud [that is man slaughter and murders see Genes 37 on vers 26] shall pass through thee and I will bring the sword upon thee : I the Lord have spoken it .