1And thou, sonH1121 of manH120, takeH3947 thee a sharpH2299 knifeH2719, takeH3947 thee a barber'sH1532 razorH8593, and cause it to passH5674 upon thine headH7218 and upon thy beardH2206: then takeH3947 thee balancesH3976 to weighH4948, and divideH2505 the hair. 2Thou shalt burnH1197 with fireH217 a third partH7992 in the midstH8432 of the cityH5892, when the daysH3117 of the siegeH4692 are fulfilledH4390 : and thou shalt takeH3947 a third partH7992, and smiteH5221 aboutH5439 it with a knifeH2719: and a third partH7992 thou shalt scatterH2219 in the windH7307; and I will draw outH7324 a swordH2719 afterH310 them. 3Thou shalt also takeH3947 thereof a fewH4592 in numberH4557, and bindH6696 them in thy skirtsH3671. 4Then take of them againH3947, and castH7993 them into the midstH8432 of the fireH784, and burnH8313 them in the fireH784; for thereof shall a fireH784 come forthH3318 into all the houseH1004 of IsraelH3478. 5Thus saithH559 the LordH136 GODH3069; This is JerusalemH3389: I have setH7760 it in the midstH8432 of the nationsH1471 and countriesH776 that are round aboutH5439 her. 6And she hath changedH4784 my judgmentsH4941 into wickednessH7564 more than the nationsH1471, and my statutesH2708 more than the countriesH776 that are round aboutH5439 her: for they have refusedH3988 my judgmentsH4941 and my statutesH2708, they have not walkedH1980 in them. 7Therefore thus saithH559 the LordH136 GODH3069; Because ye multipliedH1995 more than the nationsH1471 that are round aboutH5439 you, and have not walkedH1980 in my statutesH2708, neither have keptH6213 my judgmentsH4941, neither have doneH6213 according to the judgmentsH4941 of the nationsH1471 that are round aboutH5439 you; 8Therefore thus saithH559 the LordH136 GODH3069; Behold, I, even I, am against thee, and will executeH6213 judgmentsH4941 in the midstH8432 of thee in the sightH5869 of the nationsH1471. 9And I will doH6213 in thee that which I have not doneH6213, and whereunto I will not doH6213 any more the like, becauseH3282 of all thine abominationsH8441. 10Therefore the fathersH1 shall eatH398 the sonsH1121 in the midstH8432 of thee, and the sonsH1121 shall eatH398 their fathersH1; and I will executeH6213 judgmentsH8201 in thee, and the whole remnantH7611 of thee will I scatterH2219 into all the windsH7307. 11Wherefore, as I liveH2416, saithH5002 the LordH136 GODH3069; Surely, because thou hast defiledH2930 my sanctuaryH4720 with all thy detestable thingsH8251, and with all thine abominationsH8441, therefore will I also diminishH1639 thee; neither shall mine eyeH5869 spareH2347, neither will I have any pityH2550 . 12A third partH7992 of thee shall dieH4191 with the pestilenceH1698, and with famineH7458 shall they be consumedH3615 in the midstH8432 of thee: and a third partH7992 shall fallH5307 by the swordH2719 round aboutH5439 thee; and I will scatterH2219 a third partH7992 into all the windsH7307, and I will draw outH7324 a swordH2719 afterH310 them. 13Thus shall mine angerH639 be accomplishedH3615, and I will cause my furyH2534 to restH5117 upon them, and I will be comfortedH5162 : and they shall knowH3045 that I the LORDH3068 have spokenH1696 it in my zealH7068, when I have accomplishedH3615 my furyH2534 in them. 14Moreover I will makeH5414 thee wasteH2723, and a reproachH2781 among the nationsH1471 that are round aboutH5439 thee, in the sightH5869 of all that pass byH5674 . 15So it shall be a reproachH2781 and a tauntH1422, an instructionH4148 and an astonishmentH4923 unto the nationsH1471 that are round aboutH5439 thee, when I shall executeH6213 judgmentsH8201 in thee in angerH639 and in furyH2534 and in furiousH2534 rebukesH8433. I the LORDH3068 have spokenH1696 it. 16When I shall sendH7971 upon them the evilH7451 arrowsH2671 of famineH7458, which shall be for their destructionH4889, and which I will sendH7971 to destroyH7843 you: and I will increaseH3254 the famineH7458 upon you, and will breakH7665 your staffH4294 of breadH3899: 17So will I sendH7971 upon you famineH7458 and evilH7451 beastsH2416, and they shall bereaveH7921 thee; and pestilenceH1698 and bloodH1818 shall pass throughH5674 thee; and I will bringH935 the swordH2719 upon thee. I the LORDH3068 have spokenH1696 it.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 VISION OF CUTTING THE HAIRS, AND THE CALAMITIES FORESHADOWED THEREBY. (Eze. 5:1-17)
knife . . . razor--the sword of the foe (compare
Isa 7:20). This vision implies even severer judgments than the Egyptian afflictions foreshadowed in the former, for their guilt was greater than that of their forefathers.
thine head--as representative of the Jews. The whole hair being shaven off was significant of severe and humiliating (
2Sam 10:4-5) treatment. Especially in the case of a priest; for priests (
Lev 21:5) were forbidden "to make baldness on their head," their hair being the token of consecration; hereby it was intimated that the ceremonial must give place to the moral.
balances--implying the just discrimination with which Jehovah weighs out the portion of punishment "divided," that is, allotted to each: the "hairs" are the Jews: the divine scales do not allow even one hair to escape accurate weighing (compare
Matt 10:30).
2 Three classes are described. The sword was to destroy one third of the people; famine and plague another third ("fire" in
Ezek 5:2 being explained in
Ezek 5:12 to mean pestilence and famine); that which remained was to be scattered among the nations. A few only of the last portion were to escape, symbolized by the hairs bound in Ezekiel's skirts (
Ezek 5:3;
Jer 40:6;
Jer 52:16). Even of these some were to be thrown into the fiery ordeal again (
Ezek 5:4;
Jer 41:1-
Jer 41:2, &c.;
Jer 44:14, &c.). The "skirts" being able to contain but few express that extreme limit to which God's goodness can reach.
5 Explanation of the symbols:
Jerusalem--not the mere city, but the people of Israel generally, of which it was the center and representative.
in . . . midst--Jerusalem is regarded in God's point of view as center of the whole earth, designed to radiate the true light over the nations in all directions. Compare Margin ("navel"),
Ezek 38:12;
Ps 48:2;
Jer 3:17. No center in the ancient heathen world could have been selected more fitted than Canaan to be a vantage ground, whence the people of God might have acted with success upon the heathenism of the world. It lay midway between the oldest and most civilized states, Egypt and Ethiopia on one side, and Babylon, Nineveh, and India on the other, and afterwards Persia, Greece, and Rome. The Phśnician mariners were close by, through whom they might have transmitted the true religion to the remotest lands; and all around the Ishmaelites, the great inland traders in South Asia and North Africa. Israel was thus placed, not for its own selfish good, but to be the spiritual benefactor of the whole world. Compare
Ps 67:1-
Ps 67:7 throughout. Failing in this, and falling into idolatry, its guilt was far worse than that of the heathen; not that Israel literally went beyond the heathen in abominable idolatries. But "corruptio optimi pessima"; the perversion of that which in itself is the best is worse than the perversion of that which is less perfect: is in fact the worst of all kinds of perversion. Therefore their punishment was the severest. So the position of the Christian professing Church now, if it be not a light to the heathen world, its condemnation will be sorer than theirs (
Matt 5:13;
Matt 11:21-
Matt 11:24;
Heb 10:28-
Heb 10:29).
6 changed . . . into--rather, "hath resisted My judgments wickedly"; "hath rebelled against My ordinances for wickedness" [BUXTORF]. But see on
Ezek 5:7, end.
7 multiplied--rather, "have been more abundantly outrageous"; literally, "to tumultuate"; to have an extravagant rage for idols.
neither have done according to the judgments of the nations--have not been as tenacious of the true religion as the nations have been of the false. The heathen "changed" not their gods, but the Jews changed Jehovah for idols (see
Ezek 5:6, "changed My judgments into wickedness," that is, idolatry,
Jer 2:11). The Chaldean version and the Masora support the negative. Others omit it (as it is omitted in
Ezek 11:12), and translate, "but have done according to the judgments," &c. However, both
Ezek 11:12 and also this verse are true. They in one sense "did according to the heathen," namely, in all that was bad; in another, namely, in that which was good, zeal for religion, they did not.
Ezek 5:9 also proves the negative to be genuine; because in changing their religion, they have not done as the nations which have not changed theirs, "I (also) will do in thee that which I have not done."
8 I, even I--awfully emphatic. I, even I, whom thou thinkest to be asleep, but who am ever reigning as the Omnipotent Avenger of sin, will vindicate My righteous government before the nations by judgments on thee.
9 See on
Ezek 5:7.
that which I have not done--worse than any former judgments (
Lam 4:6;
Dan 9:12). The prophecy includes the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, and the final one by Antichrist (
Zech 13:8-
Zech 13:9;
Zech 14:2), as well as that by Nebuchadnezzar. Their doom of evil was not exhausted by the Chaldean conquest. There was to be a germinating evil in their destiny, because there would be, as the Lord foresaw, a germinating evil in their character. As God connected Himself peculiarly with Israel, so there was to be a peculiar manifestation of God's wrath against sin in their case [FAIRBAIRN]. The higher the privileges the greater the punishment in the case of abuse of them. When God's greatest favor, the gospel, was given, and was abused by them, then "the wrath was to come on them to the uttermost" (
1Thess 2:16).
10 fathers . . . eat . . . sons--alluding to Moses words (
Lev 26:29;
Deut 28:53), with the additional sad feature, that "the sons should eat their fathers" (see
2Kgs 6:28;
Jer 19:9;
Lam 2:20;
Lam 4:10).
11 as I five--the most solemn of oaths, pledging the self-existence of God for the certainty of the event.
defiled my sanctuary--the climax of Jewish guilt: their defiling Jehovah's temple by introducing idols.
diminish--literally "withdraw," namely, Mine "eye" (which presently follows), that is, My favors;
Job 36:7 uses the Hebrew verb in the same way. As the Jews had withdrawn from God's sanctuary its sacredness by "defiling" it, so God withdraws His countenance from them. The significance of the expression lies in the allusion to
Deut 4:2, "Ye shall not diminish aught from the word which I command you"; they had done so, therefore God diminishes them. The reading found in six manuscripts, "I will cut thee off," is not so good.
12 Statement in plain terms of what was intended by the symbols (
Ezek 5:2; see
Ezek 6:12;
Jer 15:2;
Jer 21:9).
draw out . . . sword after them-- (
Lev 26:33). Skeptics object; no such thing happened under Zedekiah, as is here foretold; namely, that a third part of the nation should die by pestilence, a third part by the sword, and a third be scattered unto all winds, and a sword sent after them. But the prophecy is not restricted to Zedekiah's time. It includes all that Israel suffered, or was still to suffer, for their sins, especially those committed at that period (
Ezek 17:21). It only received its primary fulfilment under Zedekiah: numbers then died by the pestilence and by the sword; and numbers were scattered in all quarters and not carried to Babylonia alone, as the objectors assert (compare
Ezra 1:4;
Esth 3:8;
Obad 1:14).
pestilence . . . and famine--signified by the symbol "fire" (
Ezek 5:2). Compare
Isa 13:8;
Lam 5:10; plague and famine burning and withering the countenance, as fire does.
13 cause my fury to rest upon them--as on its proper and permanent resting-place (
Isa 30:32, Margin).
I will be comforted--expressed in condescension to man's conceptions; signifying His satisfaction in the vindication of His justice by His righteous judgments (
Deut 28:63;
Pro 1:26;
Isa 1:24).
they shall how--by bitter experience.
14 reproach among the nations--They whose idolatries Israel had adopted, instead of comforting, would only exult in their calamities brought on by those idolatries (compare
Luke 15:15).
15 instruction--literally, "a corrective chastisement," that is, a striking example to warn all of the fatal consequences of sin. For "it shall be"; all ancient versions have "thou," which the connection favors.
16 arrows of famine--hail, rain, mice, locusts, mildew (see
Deut 32:23-
Deut 32:24).
increase the famine--literally, "congregate" or "collect." When ye think your harvest safe because ye have escaped drought, mildew, &c., I will find other means [CALVIN], which I will congregate as the forces of an invading army, to bring famine on you.
17 beasts--perhaps meaning destructive conquerors (
Dan 7:4). Rather, literal "beasts," which infest desolated regions such as Judea was to become (compare
Ezek 34:28;
Exod 23:29;
Deut 32:24;
2Kgs 17:25). The same threat is repeated in manifold forms to awaken the careless.
sword--civil war.
