Historical chapter commentary
Verse 1. Month: A. 3411, Aug. 27. Usher.—Ezechiel had prophesied in the fourth year; they was silent a year and two months, or 430 days. He opened his mouth again in the sixth year, (Calmet. 8:1) and now in the seventh year he is ordered not to answer. Worthington.—We know not what the ancients wanted to know; but their design was evil. Calmet.
Verse 4. Judgest them; or, if thou wilt enter into the cause, and plead against them. Challoner.—Lay before them the iniquities of their fathers, and their own, which bring on the reprobation of the greatest part. God will form his Church out of a few of them and of the Gentiles. The return of a small number from captivity is also insinuated.
Verse 6. Excelleth. Hebrew “is beauty or a desire.” Septuagint “honeycomb.” Calmet.
Verse 7. Scandals, and so forth (offensiones) that is, the abominations or idols, to the worship of which they were allured by their eyes. Challoner.—Moses found them in this condition in Egypt, and he could not entirely reclaim them. Calmet.—Many still secreted their idols. Calmet. 23:1. Acts 7:42. Bible.
Verse 8. Egypt. Their disorders called for such severity. But God was restrained by the dangers ( Calmet.) of blasphemy, and so forth to which the faithful and idolaters would thus have been exposed. Bible.—He saved them as he had promised, though they did not deserve it. Worthington.
Verse 10. Brought. Lit. “cast,” ( Bible.) as if they had been reluctant.
Verse 11. Live, and enjoy temporal felicity, which was chief promised, though the faithful observers of the law would obtain an eternal reward.
Verse 12. Sign, as also to promote piety and instruction.
Verse 13. Sabbaths. We only read of one man gathering sticks, and the people manna once on those days. Exodus 15 and 16. But Moses does not mention all. Calmet.—Sabbath often denotes the whole law, which they transgressed; and as long as they retained an affection for idols, they could not observe the sabbaths so as to please God.
Verse 14. But. Lit. “And I did for,” and so forth This motive caused me to spare them. Bible.—I punished only the most guilty adorers of the calf, and murmurers, and so forth Numbers 14:28. Calmet.—Some were always preserved for a succession. verse 9, 22. Worthington.
Verse 23. Again, or also. Bible.—Four times are specified verse 13, 15, 21 which may allude to the adoration of the calf, the graves of concupiscence, the murmuring, and commerce with the women and idols of Moab. Exodus 23. Numbers 10 and 14 and 25. Calmet.
Verse 25. Not good. The laws and ordinances of their enemies: or those imposed upon them by that cruel tyrant the devil, to whose power they were delivered up for their sins; ( Challoner.) which may be styled the statutes of your fathers, and so forth verse 18. Bible.—God is often said to do what he only permits. Calmet.—He abandoned them to their own perversity. Saint Jerome Deuteronomy 32:21. 37.—If God had spoken of the Decalogue, and so forth would he say such laws were not good, after he had testified that the observers shall live in them? verse 11. He established the ceremonial law, at the same time. See Kimchi. Menochius. and so forth Chal. “I have given them up to their foolish desires. They have established bad statutes and laws which will not give them life.” This seems the best explanation. Calmet.—Hebrew “Have I given … (26) and have I polluted them?” and so forth Manasse Ben. Israel. The precepts had also a bad effect, and were given in condescension to the weakness of the people, (Orig.) particularly the ceremonial part. S. Just. Saint John Chrysostom Saint Jerome and so forth—They did not justify, (Saint Augustine) and were not good, compared with those of the new law. Saint Gregory mor. xxviii. 9.—Thus Solon gave the Athenians “the best laws that they would receive,” (Plut.) though others more perfect might have been devised. Calmet.
Verse 26. I polluted them, and so forth That is, I gave them up to such blindness, in punishment of their offences, as to pollute themselves with the blood of all their first-born, whom they offered up to their idols in compliance with their wicked devices. Challoner. Menochius. Leviticus 18:21 and 4 Kin. 3 ultr. and 21:6. Calmet.—Offered. Prot. “caused to pass through the fire all,” and so forth Calmet. 16:21.—For their. Prot. “that I might make them desolate to the end, that,” and so forth
Verse 29. Called high. Hebrew “Bamah,” ( Bible.) out of contempt. Calmet.—The Jews were so much attached to the high places, that they called the altar of the Lord by the same name. Thus heretics are convicted by the very names they use, calling sacrifice service, and so forth Worthington.
Verse 32. Stones. This was the secret intention of the ancients, (verse 1. Bible.) and of many in captivity, who were only praise-worthy compared with those at Jerusalem. Calmet. 11:15.
Verse 33. Out. I will not allow you to follow idols with impunity. Calmet.
Verse 35. Of people. That is, a desert, in which there are no people; ( Challoner.) meaning Judea, to which they should return.
Verse 37. Covenant of the gospel, by the powerful attractions of grace. Lu. 14:24. John 6:69 and 7:46 and 2 Corinthians 10:4.
Verse 38. Israel. They shall continue in exile; or the rebel Jews who will not believe in Christ, shall be cast off. Calmet.
Verse 39. Walk, and so forth It is not an allowance, much less a commandment to serve idols; but a figure of speech, by which God would have them to understand, that if they would walk after their idols, they must not pretend to serve him at the same time: for that he would by no means suffer such a mixture of worship. Challoner. Saint Jerome—Continue, if you dare, to serve idols. I will still bring you back. Calmet.—Septuagint “take away each your devices; and then if you hear me, (Grabe’s copy adds, not) and defile not my,” and so forth Bible.—God would rather have idolaters leave him wholly, than halt between two, (3 Kennicott. 18) neither hot nor cold; (Revelation 3) for such dishonour God’s name the most. Romans 2:24. Worthington.
Verse 40. Mountain. The foregoing verse, to make the sense complete, must be understood so as to condemn and reject that mixture of worship which the Jews then followed. In this verse God promises to the true Israelites, especially to those of the Christian Church, that they should serve him in another manner in his holy mountain, the spiritual Sion, and shall be accepted of by him. Challoner.
Verse 43. Committed. This is a picture of the converts to Christianity. Calmet.
Verse 46. Of the south. Jerusalem lay towards the south of Babylon, where the prophet then was, and is here called the forest of the south field, and is threatened with utter desolation. Challoner. See Calmet. 21. Calmet.—In Jerusalem there were good and bad. Worthington.
Verse 47. Burned, with war and famine. Jeremiah 21:14. Calmet.—North, from Egypt to Mesopotamia. Theod.—Nabuchodonosor invaded those parts. Bible.
Verse 49. Parables. They were easy enough to understand, but the Jews would not comprehend them no more than our Saviour’s words. John 10:24. Calmet.
“Bamah” means “High Place”.