1.
And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.
the sixth year , &c. See table on p. 1105.
fifth. Some codices read "first".
the elders of Judah: i.e. of' the Jewish colony at Tel = Abib (Ezekiel 3:15 ).
the hand. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6 .
the Lord GOD . Hebrew Adonai Jehovah. See note on Ezekiel 2:4 .
2.
Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.
lo. Figure of speech Asteriemos. App-6 .
Fire = a man. So the Septuagint, reading "ish ( App-14 ) instead of ' esh = fire.
3.
And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
the spirit . Probably an angel. See below. Heb, ruach . App-9 .
me. Emph.: i.e. Ezekiel himself, as Philip. Compare 1 Kings 18:12 . 2 Kings 2:16 . Acts 8:39 . 2 Corinthians 12:2 , 2 Corinthians 12:4 .Revelation 1:10 ; Revelation 4:2 ; Revelation 17:3 ; Rev 17:21 , Revelation 17:10 . Compare Ezekiel 11:24 , Ezekiel 11:25 ; Ezekiel 40:2 , Ezekiel 40:3 .
the visions of God: i, e. the visions given him by God. The Genitive of Origin ( App-17 .)
God . Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
to Jerusalem: i.e. to the actual city itself, not a vision of it.
door . entrance.
jealousy . Pat by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Effect), App-6 , for the effect produced by it, as explained in the next clause. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 4:16 ). App-92 . Elsewhere only in 2 Chronicles 33:7 , 2 Chronicles 33:15 .
provoketh to jealousy . Reference to Pentateuch (Exodus 20:5 Deuteronomy 32:16 ), App-92 .
4.
And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.
behold . Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .
the glory , &c. See note on Ezekiel 1:28 .
the God of Israel . See note on Isaiah 29:23 ,
plain = valley.
Son of man . See note on Ezekiel 2:1 .
5.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
6.
He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.
seeest thou . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 .
abominations. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for the idols and the sin of idolatry which Jehovah abominated.
the house of Israel . See note on Exodus 16:31 .
I should go far off. Literally to a removal far away: i.e. that they (or I) should remove, &c.
7.
And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.
a = one: i.e. a single, or certain; as though it were mysterious or remarkable.
8.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.
9.
And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
10.
So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.
abominable. Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 7 and Leviticus 11 ). Elsewhere only in Isaiah 66:17 . App-92 .
beasts. This animal = worship was part of Egyptian idolatry.
idols = manufactured gods.
11.
And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
seventy. The number of the elders. See Numbers 11:18 . 2 Chronicles 19:8 . Jeremiah 26:17 ,
men . Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .
ancients = elders. Contrast Exodus 24:1 , &c.
Jaazaniah. His father, Shaphan, had taken part in Josiah's reformation (2 Kings 22:8 , &c.) Two of his sons were friendly to Jeremiah ( Ahikam, Jeremiah 26:24 ; and Gemariah, Ezekiel 36:10 , Ezekiel 36:25 ). Another Jaazaniah is mentioned in Ezekiel 11:1 .
12.
Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.
in the dark. This was a special feature of this animal idolatry.
The LORD seeth us not : or, there is no Jehovah seeing us. Compare Ezekiel 9:9 .
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
13.
He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
14.
Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
Tammuz. With Art. An idol personifying vegetable and animal life, worshipped in Phoenicia and Babylonia.
15.
Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
16.
And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
between the porch and the altar . The place appointed for the priests.
five and twenty. The number of the heads of the twenty-four courses of the priests.
their backs toward the temple . Because their faces were toward the sun-rising.
worshipped the sun . This form of idolatry seen as early as Job 31:26 , Job 31:27 ; and foreseen in Deuteronomy 4:19 ; adopted as early as Asa (2 Chronicles 14:5 ); abolished by Josiah (2 Kings 23:5 , 2 Kings 23:11 ).
17.
Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.
the . Some codices, with three early printed editions, read "all the".
Lo . Figure of speech Asterismce. App-6 .
the branch = the Asherah ( App-42 ), represented by a branch out to a certain shape.
their . This is one of the eighteen emendations of the Sepherim ( App-33 ), by which they record their change of'aphphi (My nostrils) of the primitive text, to' aphpham (their nostrils), in order to remove what was thought to be an indelicate and derogatory Anthropomorphism.
18.
Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
Mine eye. Mine ears . Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 13:8 ). App-92 . See Ezekiel 5:11 ; Ezekiel 7:4 , Ezekiel 7:9 ; Ezekiel 9:5 ; and compare Jeremiah 21:7 . Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6 .