Ezekiel 12

THE A Divine prediction of what was both sure and near to come to pass. word of the LORD also In the 6th. and 7th. years of Ieconiahs Captivity, and of Z dekiahs Reign, in the latter end of the 387 of Ezekiels lying on his side three years before the fatal siege began. came unto me, saying,

Son of man, thou The Prophet knowing the Captivity would be long, had settled his habitation, and probably found some favour with the Enemy, that he might be accommodated for his abode. dwellest in the The Jews who gave up to the Chaldeans found that kindness mentioned Ier. 29 4.5.6, 7. with 24.5, 6. and so were indifferently well placed together, and the Prophet dwells among them, in the Land of Chaldea. midst of a In their Captivity too many of them retained their stubborn murmuring and rebellious humour, and blamed, quarrell'd and condemned them who gave them counsel to yield, and themselves for yielding and 'tis likely stirred up them at Ierusalem to hold out, and save themselves and rescue their brethren, these will ridicule thy words, yet speak them for they are mine and shall be accomplisht. rebellious house, which have They have wit enough, they are of a apacity well enough fitted, if they would, to understand and consider what thou speakest, exprest by a double phrase which signifies one and the same thing. Eyes, and Ears, eyes to see, and They contemptuously refuse to see and hear, they will not consider, lay to heart, repent and reform. see not: they have They have wit enough, they are of a apacity well enough fitted, if they would, to understand and consider what thou speakest, exprest by a double phrase which signifies one and the same thing. Eyes, and Ears, ears to hear, and They contemptuously refuse to see and hear, they will not consider, lay to heart, repent and reform. hear not: for they are a rebellious house. They have conspired together, and all they will resolve or design, is to do what ever is good in their own eyes, and what ever their wild imaginations, raised by false Prophets, suggesteth.

And. Therefore, thou son of man, Make ready in the sight of some of those which live about thee, that they may tell others. prepare thee stuff Vessels or instruments, wherein thou mayst put what is portable, and you, with leave from the Conqueror, may carry for your conveniencies, pack up what thou canst that may be of use in thy Captivity. for removing, and Go thy way, leave that place wherein thou now art, and go to another, with thy pack upon thy back not on Horses or Asses. remove by At noon-tide when the most may see what thou doest, and be instructed. day in their sight, and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: It is not impossible that some may enquire what is the import and meaning of all this uncouth and obscure matter. it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.

Having made all ready, as verse 3. thou shalt proceed to bear it away. Then shalt Not employ Servants and Labourers to do it, but thou thy self shalt do it. thou bring forth thy stuff Verse 3. by day in their sight, as Verse 3. stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at This circumstance added to what was ver. 3. speaks the secresie, and shame with the danger of their coming out in the evening in the dark, when night may soon conceal them, and they gain a nights Journey before the Enemy has notice to pursue. even Before 'tis quite night, that they, who should learn by this sign, may see it and consider it. in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.

Come not through the door, but as one who knows there is a Watch and Guard upon the door, get to some back part of thy house and dig there ver. 7. thy self, either to make the greater haste, or to keep all secret; for all will be little enough for them that must act what thou dost represent. Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out Through the hole thou hast dug. thereby.

In their sight shalt thou bear it upon Verse 4. l. p. in Testimony of the servitude they shall be reduced to, who then must do what Servants or beasts were wont to be employed in. thy shoulders, and Either the stuffe or thy self, thou shalt go forth in the twilight, when there is a little light to guide thy way, but more darkness to conceal thy person and thy flight. carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt As full of shame, and exceeding unwilling to be seen or known. cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: There is good reason why thou shouldest do this, how strange, unmanly, or ridiculous so ever this may seem; the moral concerns the house of Israel and its King; I have set thee for a sign to them, and thou shalt tell them the meaning of these Hieroglyphicks in due time. for I have set thee for a sign to the house of Israel.

And I did so as I was commanded: I brought Either out of the house into some court or yard, through the wall whereof he digged. Or, else here is a transposing of his Actions, and rehearsal of that in the first place which was acted in the second place. forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with Verse 5. l. t. mine hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight.

¶ And in the In the Evening, he packt, digged through the wall, and removed in the fight of the people, next morning enquiry is made how the people resent it. morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,

Son of man, has What are none come to thee, are they all so stupid, and regardless of my word and judgments? Do none enquire that they may know, and do, what is necessary in their circumstances? Do not thy fellow Captives think these actions are significative? Do they not ask whether they in Babylon, or their Fellow Citizens at Ierusalem are concerned in what thou doest. not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What dost thou?

Though they regard not to enquire yet give them to know what I mean hereby. Say thou unto them, This to add weight and authority to the word. Thus says the Lord GOD, This dreadful prognostic, this Prophesie is a burthen which the Kingdom shall groan under and your King and the Inhabitants of Ierusalem with him. This burthen concerneth the Zedekiah. prince in Jerusalem, and None may be excepted. all the house of Israel that are among them.

Say, My Person is the emblem of yours and my actions in these cases are signs of that you shall do, and where you do not actively the like, yet the like shall be done to you, oh inhabitants of Ierusalem. I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall Change their habitations and carry away their Goods, such as the clemency of a Conqueror will permit. remove and go You to whom I tell these things shall see them come from Ierusalem unto Babylon as dejected, spoiled and naked Captives. into captivity.

And the Zedekiah. prince that is among In Ierusalem. them shall Disguised no doubt as a common ordinary Servant, in hope so to scape, but to conceal himself he flies in a disguise, and chooseth the twilight as the time that would best favour his design, so 2 King. 25.4. bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig Fulfilled when they broke down the wall to fly, as Ier. 39.4. probably they had built up some sleight wall to blind the Enemy which now they break to fly through. through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall Partly out of grief, partly out of shame, partly prefiguring Zedekiah's future losse of his eyes and his blindness which the insolency of Nebuchadnezzar afflicted him with, but Zedekiah did by this chiefly aim at concealing himself in disguise and covering his face. cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.

In the disguise this fugitive might possibly escape from the net of Nebuchadnezzar, and of his Captains. But poor Zedekiah dost thou not at last see that the Babylonians are employed of God, and that God will bring thee into his own and into Nebuchadnezzars Net. My net also will In allusion to those that take Birds or Fish in Nets, they spread it to its full extent, so will God spread his net that it shall cover Zedekiah and his followers. I spread upon him, and he Mentioned as the principal though he was not taken alone, many were taken with him. shall be taken in my snare: and I The Chaldeans carried him, and God brought him to Babylon, so second causes cowork with the first. will bring him to Which was the Metropolis of the Kingdom. Babylon to the land of the That strange Land where they were Captives whom God sent before, and whither obstinate Ierusalemites must now go. Caldeans, yet shall he not see Neither the Land nor the City, though he shall spend the rest of his days there and there die, but the Babylonish Tyrant will put out his eyes at Riblah, 2 King. 25.6. and Ier. 39.5. it, though he shall die there.

And I will scatter toward every wind all that are Either the Egyptians, who came to help him. Or, rather those that did fly with him, as the choice and flower of his valiant and trusty Servants, who would guard him through all dangers in the flight till he might rest some where in safety, This was verified 2 King. 25.4, 5. and Ier. 39.5. about him to help him, and all his Whether Auxiliaries or his own trained Souldiers. bands, and I will Send the Enemy after them with drawn Sword wherewith they shall be slain, Ier. 42.22. and 43.9, 10. draw out the sword after them.

And they shall They shall see, confesse and be sensible of my power, justice, and truth who make good my threats against obdurate sinners as well as my promises to Believers. know that I am the LORD, when I Two expressions of the same thing which is frequent in Scripture, and as it usually magnifieth the good or evil, so ensures either. shall scatter them among the nations, and distress them in the countreys.

But I will restrain the rage of the Chaldeans, and move them to some compassion towards some of the Jews, so that some, yet but few shall remain, the Sword shall not slay them for I Commission it, and twill not exceed its Commission, I send the Famine but some I will feed, and the Pestilence is my arrow and hits but where I direct it. I will leave a few Including the Women also. men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence, that they Either by relating those sins which were committed among them in Ierusalem, for which God was justly angry, and for which he punished them, though they were his own people. Or, else that though they should be silent, yet the very thing should speak it self, and their miseries should proclaim the wickednesses they had acted against God in their own Land. Or, by their wicked practices which in Captivity, and under the eye of the Heathen they commit, they will manifestly show to the Heathen that God was just in all his severity. may declare all their abominations among the heathen, whither they come, and they Either the Jews or rather here the Chaldean Heathens. shall know that I am the LORD.

He was a sign to them in digging and bearing his stuff, now he must be a sign to them in another manner. ¶ Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Son of man, eat thy bread with With commotion or shakings, as one whose apprehension of danger brings as 'twere an Earthquake upon him, and this trembling is the same thing, but in other words. quaking, and drink thy Here is no mention of the delicious and generous Wines, but Water, so low should they be reduced, and yet enjoy this very little, because of the great inward fears that shake them. water with trembling and with carefulness.

And Explain the meaning of this unusual and uncomfortable manner of eating and drinking. say unto the The common sort of people distinguisht from rulers. people of the Of the Land of Chaldea in which the Jews were Captives, tell thy Fellow Captives who grudge and repent their coming hither, where they have much sorrow yet some safety, plenty and rest. land, Thus says the Lord GOD, of the Who are yet not captivated, their sorrows are coming, and their state will be worse then yours. inhabitants of Jerusalem, and Nor will it be better with those that dwell in the Countries round about Ierusalem, they will fly for refuge into Ierusalem and there perish. of the land of Israel; They shall Their very comforts shall be uncomfortable to them. eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that Ierusalems Land so called because 'twas the head City thereof. her land Because that 'tis already or shortly shall be waste. may be desolate from all that is Emptied though twas full of Inhabitants, wealth and plenty. therein, because of the Injustice, Oppression and Tyranny of the Jews toward one another, Ier. 6.7. and 20.8. Ezekiel 7.23. and this grown an Epidemical sin, chap. 22.9, 12. from highest to lowest. violence of all them that dwell therein.

And the The lesser cities up and down the Land. cities that are Which now are and will be inhabited when Ierusalem is destroyed. inhabited shall be laid Wasted with the Sword as the word seems to imply. waste, and the land shall be desolate, and ye Then shall you, who are now in Chaldea know how the goodness of God brought you hither, that you had no real cause to complain, that your condition was worse then your Brethrens in Iudaea. You shall know the truth and severity of God against sinners. shall know that I am the LORD.

¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Son of man, After the manner of man God speaks with man, what is, Or, it is a comely transition to a new subject of discourse. what is that That short saying taken up as undoubted truth, and in a very common manner used by all. proverb that He seems to include the Prophet as being one of the body of the people though he used it not, nay showed the falshood and impiety of it ye have In, so the Prophet and those with him are reckoned as if they were in the Land of Israel, for that is their Countrey. Or, rather, concerning, as the Heb. (here used). in the land of Israel, saying, the Of severe punishments of wrath and vengeance. days are Are to come a great while hence, let them fear who are like to feel them, these Prophesies cannot be imagined to look to our times; thus Atheists, and contemners of the Prophets, hardned one another into sin and security. prolonged, and every Threatning vision which Ieremiah at Ierusalem, and Ezekiel here in Chaldea do dream of and would us. vision faileth? Comes to nothing, it is perisht or dead in the nest.

Tell Either who use the proverb, or are stumbled at it, tell the one to convince, the other to instruct them. them therefore, Thus says the Lord GOD, I will make this proverb to Thus they abuse my patience and affront my truth, and deride my justice, but when my patience at its period, calls in my justice to vindicate it, and when calamities felt, prove my truth and the presence of these sorrows, there can be no more place for such a proverb, the groundlesness of it being discovered to all. cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel: but Assure them. say unto them, the Verse 22. They draw near indeed, when within some three years and Ierusalem shall see the Enemy besieging it, and feel his Sword cutting down her chosen men. days are at hand, and the All that which the vision contained shall ere few years are over clearly appear accomplished according to what my Prophets foretold. effect of every vision.

For there shall be These Proverbialising scoffers compared the true Prophets with the false, these predict prosperity and return of the Captives from Babylon within few years, and before Ierusalem be destroyed, so they flattered the people. The true Prophets foretel long Captivity, bloody slaughters, strait siege, a burnt City and Temple. Now these scoffers bear up themselves on these flatteries, and argue against the Divine menaces, and are ready to enquire, why may not Ezekiels vision be us vain as he says theirs is, and, if one why not both; well these fools are capable of no better answer, then that which will destroy at once their doubts and their hopes, judgment executed shall convince the false Prophets of their lying divination, and these Atheists of their illogical inferences. no more any vain vision, nor flattering divination For this many years, for 70 years to come, and till wickedness shall again take root with the prosperity of the returned Captivity. within the house of Israel.

For I am the I can discover the vanity of flattering Prophets and will do it, by making good what my true Prophets have foretold. LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak No length of time shall make me forget it, no pretences of self-flattering Prophets, or people shall divert it, no power can hinder me, nor council defeat me. shall come to pass: it What Ieremiah, what Ezekiel have foretold I will now accomplish in these days, and defer no longer. shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will I will not preach to you by my Prophets the fatal sorrows of your Childrens children, who should cry out of calamities when you are past feeling them, but the same age that hears the threat, shall feel the execution; the Enemy I raise against you shall burn your City and Temple, spoil your Goods, famish you in the siege, and lead you Captives after the siege, and all this and a thousand times more shall come upon you in your days, O rebellious house! When all this comes to pass your Proverb will be sure to cease indeed. Hitherto he answers the ungodly users and abetters of this Proverb. perform it, says the Lord GOD.

¶ Again, For instructing some that were seduced by those scoffers forementioned. the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

Son of man, Some of the less judicious, and the more credulous are abused by these sort of men. behold, they of the house of Israel Think and hope and so discourse it. say, The That the Prophet is a good man and true Prophet, but surely his visions look to after times, we do not think his visions vain but we hope they are not to come on us, and in our days, now these God will have his Prophet to instruct in this matter, which he does in the next verse. vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of times that are far off.

Since 'tis an erroneous opinion they are brought into, 'tis not from contempt of my truth, but from weakness. Therefore Warn them mildly, tell them the days are very near indeed, and there will be no adjournment. Now twill be done as soon as spoken almost, and God will make a short work with them in Righteousness, and a very few days will bring his judgments to light. say unto them, Thus says the Lord GOD, There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, says the Lord God.