D U 1-4-. Sin. Idolaters seeking the Prophet.
V -4. Answer of Yahaveh.
W 5. Purpose of His answer.
U 6,7-. Sin. Idolaters seeking the Prophet.
V -7-10. Answer of Yahaveh.
W 11. Purpose of His answer.
483 B.C.
Ezekiel 14)
1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel to me (these are to be distinguished from the elders of Judah [8:1]. They had no knowledge [probably] of what was transpiring in Judea. They had traveled from Tel-abib), and sat before me.
2 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
3 "Son of man, these men have set up their manufactured idols in their heart, and put the stumbling-block of their perversity before their face (instead of God's law, according to Deut. 6:8; 11:18; and Prov. 3:21-23): should I be inquired of at all by them?
4 Therefore speak to them, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD; 'Every man of the house of Israel that sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling-block of his perverseness in front of (or, right before) his face, and comes to the prophet;
I the LORD has been replied to for him; he has come amid the multitude of his idols; (I.e. he has answered My claims by classing his idols with Me.)
5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from Me through their idols.' '
6 Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD; 'Repent, and turn you from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourns in Israel, which separates himself from Me, and sets up his idols in his heart, and puts the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me;
I the LORD will answer him by Myself:
8 And I will set my face against that man (cp. Lev. 17:10; 26:17), and will make him desolate, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people (cp. Gen. 17:14. Ex. 12:15,19; Lev. 7:20,21,25,27; 17:4,9; 19:8; 23:29. Num. 9:13,&c.); and you shall know that I am the LORD.
9 And if the prophet be deceived when he has spoken a thing, I the LORD have permitted him to be deceived (i.e. as a judicial punishment for his own deception of the People), and I will stretch out My hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel. (Cp. Ex. 3:20,&c.)
10 And they shall bear the punishment of their perversity (cp. Ex. 28:38. Lev. 5:1,17. Num. 14:34,&c.): the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeks to him;
11 That the house of Israel may go no more astray from Me, neither be polluted any more with all their rebellions; but that they may be My people, and I may be their God (Elohim), says the Lord GOD.' ' "
E X1 14:12-23. Literal. X2 15:1-8. Symbolical.
X1 n1 12,13. Famine.
o1 14. Noah, Daniel, and Job.
n2 15. Beasts.
o2 16. The 3 men.
n3 17. Sword.
o3 18. The 3 men.
n4 19. Pestilence.
o4 20. Noah, Daniel, and Job.
n5 21. The 4 sore judgments.
o5 22,23. A remnant.
12 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,
13 "Son of man, when a land sins against Me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out My hand upon it, and will break the staff that is to say the bread thereof (cp. Lev. 26:26,&c.), and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
14 Though these three men (in Jer. 15:1, we have 2 men, "Moses and Samuel", also as intercessors. All 3 prevailed in saving others. Noah [1 Pet.3:20]. Daniel [2:5,48,49]. Job [42:8-10]), Noah (prevailed in saving others [the whole human race]. Gen. 6-9), Daniel (prevailed is saving his fellow wise men [Dan. 2:24]. He is mentioned again in 28:3. While Ezekiel bears witness to Daniel [already 14 years in Babylon], Daniel bears witness to Jeremiah [Dan.9:2]), and Job, were in it (The order is to separate the true Israelite [of the nation of Israel] from the 2 who lived before the nation was formed [which is the subject of the book of Exodus. Noah and Job were both before Israel was a nation), they should deliver but their own soul by their righteousness, says the Lord GOD."
15 "If I cause annoying (or hurtful) beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: (Cp. Lev. 26:22)
16 Though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land (cp. 5;17. Lev. 26:25), and say, 'Sword, go through the land;' so that I cut off man and beast from it:
18 Though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out My fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:
20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own soul by their righteousness.
21 For" thus saith the Lord GOD; "How much more when I send My four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the hurtful beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? (Nation judgments are thus sent for nation sins. Cp. v.18.)
22 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant (this always used in a good sense) that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth to you, and you shall see their way and their doings (i.e. their good ways and doings): and you shall be comforted concerning the tumult that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.
23 And they (i.e. the remnant) shall comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings: and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, says the Lord GOD."