49 Behold, this was the iniquity H5771 of thy sister H269 Sodom, H5467 pride, H1347 fulness H7653 of bread, H3899 and abundance H7962 of idleness H8252 was in her and in her daughters, H1323 neither did she strengthen H2388 the hand H3027 of the poor H6041 and needy. H34
Though the LORD H3068 be high, H7311 yet hath he respect H7200 unto the lowly: H8217 but the proud H1364 he knoweth H3045 afar off. H4801
And Lot H3876 lifted up H5375 his eyes, H5869 and beheld H7200 all the plain H3603 of Jordan, H3383 that it was well watered H4945 every where, before H6440 the LORD H3068 destroyed H7843 Sodom H5467 and Gomorrah, H6017 even as the garden H1588 of the LORD, H3068 like the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 as thou comest H935 unto Zoar. H6820
Son H1121 of man, H120 say H559 unto the prince H5057 of Tyrus, H6865 Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Because thine heart H3820 is lifted up, H1361 and thou hast said, H559 I am a God, H410 I sit H3427 in the seat H4186 of God, H430 in the midst H3820 of the seas; H3220 yet thou art a man, H120 and not God, H410 though thou set H5414 thine heart H3820 as the heart H3820 of God: H430
And they said, H559 Stand H5066 back. H1973 And they said H559 again, This one H259 fellow came in H935 to sojourn, H1481 and he will needs H8199 be a judge: H8199 now will we deal worse H7489 with thee, than with them. And they pressed H6484 sore H3966 upon the man, H376 even Lot, H3876 and came near H5066 to break H7665 the door. H1817
Neither hath oppressed H3238 any, H376 hath not withholden H2254 the pledge, H2258 neither hath spoiled H1497 by violence, H1500 but hath given H5414 his bread H3899 to the hungry, H7457 and hath covered H3680 the naked H5903 with a garment, H899
Wilt thou yet H559 say H559 before H6440 him that slayeth H2026 thee, I am God? H430 but thou shalt be a man, H120 and no God, H410 in the hand H3027 of him that slayeth H2490 thee.
The king H4430 spake, H6032 and said, H560 Is not H3809 this H1932 H1668 great H7229 Babylon, H895 that I H576 have built H1124 for the house H1005 of the kingdom H4437 by the might H8632 of my power, H2632 and for the honour H3367 of my majesty? H1923
Forasmuch H3282 therefore as your treading H1318 is upon the poor, H1800 and ye take H3947 from him burdens H4864 of wheat: H1250 ye have built H1129 houses H1004 of hewn stone, H1496 but ye shall not dwell H3427 in them; ye have planted H5193 pleasant H2531 vineyards, H3754 but ye shall not drink H8354 wine H3196 of them. For I know H3045 your manifold H7227 transgressions H6588 and your mighty H6099 sins: H2403 they afflict H6887 the just, H6662 they take H3947 a bribe, H3724 and they turn aside H5186 the poor H34 in the gate H8179 from their right.
And G1161 he spake G2036 a parable G3850 unto G4314 them, G846 saying, G3004 The ground G5561 of a certain G5100 rich G4145 man G444 brought forth plentifully: G2164 And G2532 he thought G1260 within G1722 himself, G1438 saying, G3004 What G5101 shall I do, G4160 because G3754 I have G2192 no G3756 room where G4226 to bestow G4863 my G3450 fruits? G2590 And G2532 he said, G2036 This G5124 will I do: G4160 I will pull down G2507 my G3450 barns, G596 and G2532 build G3618 greater; G3187 and G2532 there G1563 will I bestow G4863 all G3956 my G3450 fruits G1081 and G2532 my G3450 goods. G18 And G2532 I will say G2046 to my G3450 soul, G5590 Soul, G5590 thou hast G2192 much G4183 goods G18 laid up G2749 for G1519 many G4183 years; G2094 take thine ease, G373 eat, G5315 drink, G4095 and be merry. G2165 But G1161 God G2316 said G2036 unto him, G846 Thou fool, G878 this G5026 night G3571 thy G4675 soul G5590 shall be required G523 of G575 thee: G4675 then G1161 whose G5101 shall those things be, G2071 which G3739 thou hast provided? G2090
Who hate H8130 the good, H2896 and love H157 the evil; H7451 who pluck off H1497 their skin H5785 from off them, and their flesh H7607 from off their bones; H6106 Who also eat H398 the flesh H7607 of my people, H5971 and flay H6584 their skin H5785 from off them; and they break H6476 their bones, H6106 and chop them in pieces, H6566 as for the pot, H5518 and as flesh H1320 within H8432 the caldron. H7037 Then shall they cry H2199 unto the LORD, H3068 but he will not hear H6030 them: he will even hide H5641 his face H6440 from them at that time, H6256 as they have behaved themselves ill H7489 in their doings. H4611
Likewise, G3668 ye younger, G3501 submit yourselves G5293 unto the elder. G4245 Yea, G1161 all G3956 of you be subject G5293 one to another, G240 and be clothed G1463 with humility: G5012 for G3754 God G2316 resisteth G498 the proud, G5244 and G1161 giveth G1325 grace G5485 to the humble. G5011
And G1161 take heed G4337 to yourselves, G1438 lest at any time G3379 your G5216 hearts G2588 be overcharged G925 with G1722 surfeiting, G2897 and G2532 drunkenness, G3178 and G2532 cares G3308 of this life, G982 and G2532 so that G1565 day G2250 come G2186 upon G1909 you G5209 unawares. G160
Likewise G3668 also G2532 as G5613 it was G1096 in G1722 the days G2250 of Lot; G3091 they did eat, G2068 they drank, G4095 they bought, G59 they sold, G4453 they planted, G5452 they builded; G3618
G1161 There was G2258 a certain G5100 rich G4145 man, G444 which G2532 was clothed G1737 in purple G4209 and G2532 fine linen, G1040 and fared G2165 sumptuously G2988 every G2596 day: G2250 And G1161 there was G2258 a certain G5100 beggar G4434 named G3686 Lazarus, G2976 which G3739 was laid G906 at G4314 his G846 gate, G4440 full of sores, G1669 And G2532 desiring G1937 to be fed G5526 with G575 the crumbs G5589 which G3588 fell G4098 from G575 the rich man's G4145 table: G5132 moreover G235 G2532 the dogs G2965 came G2064 and licked G621 his G846 sores. G1668
And behold joy H8342 and gladness, H8057 slaying H2026 oxen, H1241 and killing H7819 sheep, H6629 eating H398 flesh, H1320 and drinking H8354 wine: H3196 let us eat H398 and drink; H8354 for to morrow H4279 we shall die. H4191 And it was revealed H1540 in mine ears H241 by the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 Surely this iniquity H5771 shall not be purged H3722 from you till ye die, H4191 saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 of hosts. H6635
But Jeshurun H3484 waxed fat, H8080 and kicked: H1163 thou art waxen fat, H8080 thou art grown thick, H5666 thou art covered H3780 with fatness; then he forsook H5203 God H433 which made H6213 him, and lightly esteemed H5034 the Rock H6697 of his salvation. H3444
Before H6440 destruction H7667 the heart H3820 of man H376 is haughty, H1361 and before H6440 honour H3519 is humility. H6038
The LORD H3068 will enter H935 into judgment H4941 with the ancients H2205 of his people, H5971 and the princes H8269 thereof: for ye have eaten up H1197 the vineyard; H3754 the spoil H1500 of the poor H6041 is in your houses. H1004 What mean ye that ye beat H1792 my people H5971 to pieces, H1792 and grind H2912 the faces H6440 of the poor? H6041 saith H5002 the Lord H136 GOD H3069 of hosts. H6635
And hath not oppressed H3238 any, H376 but hath restored H7725 to the debtor H2326 his pledge, H2258 hath spoiled H1497 none by violence, H1500 hath given H5414 his bread H3899 to the hungry, H7457 and hath covered H3680 the naked H5903 with a garment; H899
Speak, H1696 and say, H559 Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh H6547 king H4428 of Egypt, H4714 the great H1419 dragon H8577 that lieth H7257 in the midst H8432 of his rivers, H2975 which hath said, H559 My river H2975 is mine own, and I have made H6213 it for myself.
But hast lifted up H7313 thyself against H5922 the Lord H4756 of heaven; H8065 and they have brought H858 the vessels H3984 of his house H1005 before H6925 thee, and thou, H607 and thy lords, H7261 thy wives, H7695 and thy concubines, H3904 have drunk H8355 wine H2562 in them; and thou hast praised H7624 the gods H426 of silver, H3702 and gold, H1722 of brass, H5174 iron, H6523 wood, H636 and stone, H69 which see H2370 not, H3809 nor H3809 hear, H8086 nor H3809 know: H3046 and the God H426 in whose hand H3028 thy breath H5396 is, and whose are all H3606 thy ways, H735 hast thou not H3809 glorified: H1922
Ye that put far away H5077 the evil H7451 day, H3117 and cause the seat H7675 of violence H2555 to come near; H5066 That lie H7901 upon beds H4296 of ivory, H8127 and stretch H5628 themselves upon their couches, H6210 and eat H398 the lambs H3733 out of the flock, H6629 and the calves H5695 out of the midst H8432 of the stall; H4770 That chant H6527 to the sound H6310 of the viol, H5035 and invent H2803 to themselves instruments H3627 of musick, H7892 like David; H1732 That drink H8354 wine H3196 in bowls, H4219 and anoint H4886 themselves with the chief H7225 ointments: H8081 but they are not grieved H2470 for the affliction H7667 of Joseph. H3130
Hear H8085 this, O ye that swallow up H7602 the needy, H34 even to make H7673 the poor H6041 H6035 of the land H776 to fail, H7673 Saying, H559 When will the new moon H2320 be gone, H5674 that we may sell H7666 corn? H7668 and the sabbath, H7676 that we may set forth H6605 wheat, H1250 making the ephah H374 small, H6994 and the shekel H8255 great, H1431 and falsifying H5791 the balances H3976 by deceit? H4820 That we may buy H7069 the poor H1800 for silver, H3701 and the needy H34 for a pair of shoes; H5275 yea, and sell H7666 the refuse H4651 of the wheat? H1250
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Ezekiel 16
Commentary on Ezekiel 16 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 16
Still God is justifying himself in the desolations he is about to bring upon Jerusalem; and very largely, in this chapter, he shows the prophet, and orders him to show the people, that he did but punish them as their sins deserved. In the foregoing chapter he had compared Jerusalem to an unfruitful vine, that was fit for nothing but the fire; in this chapter he compares it to an adulteress, that, in justice, ought to be abandoned and exposed, and he must therefore show the people their abominations, that they might see how little reason they had to complain of the judgments they were under. In this long discourse are set forth,
Eze 16:1-5
Ezekiel is now among the captives in Babylon; but, as Jeremiah at Jerusalem wrote for the use of the captives though they had Ezekiel upon the spot with them (ch. 29), so Ezekiel wrote for the use of Jerusalem, though Jeremiah himself was resident there; and yet they were far from looking upon it as an affront to one another's help both by preaching and writing. Jeremiah wrote to the captives for their consolation, which was the thing they needed; Ezekiel here is directed to write to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for their conviction and humiliation, which was the thing they needed.
Eze 16:6-14
In there verses we have an account of the great things which God did for the Jewish nation in raising them up by degrees to be very considerable.
Eze 16:15-34
In these verses we have an account of the great wickedness of the people of Israel, especially in worshipping idols, notwithstanding the great favours that God had conferred upon them, by which, one would think, they should have been for ever engaged to him. This wickedness of theirs is here represented by the lewd and scandalous conversation of that beautiful maid which was rescued from ruin, brought up and well provided for by a kind friend and benefactor, that had been in all respects as a father and a husband to her. Their idolatry was the great provoking sin that they were guilty of; it began in the latter end of Solomon's time (for from Samuel's till then I do not remember that we read any thing of it), and thenceforward continued more or less the crying sin of that nation till the captivity; and, though it now and then met with some check from the reforming kings, yet it was never totally suppressed, and for the most part appeared to a high degree impudent and barefaced. They not only worshipped the true God by images, as the ten tribes by the calves at Dan and Bethel, but they worshipped false gods, Baal and Moloch, and all the senseless rabble of the pagan deities.
This is that which is here all along represented (as often elsewhere) under the similitude of whoredom and adultery,
And now is not Jerusalem in all this made to know her abominations? For what greater abominations could she be guilty of than these? Here we may see with wonder and horror what the corrupt nature of men is when God leaves them to themselves, yea, though they have the greatest advantages to be better and do better. And the way of sin is down-hill. Nitimur in vetitum-We incline to what is forbidden.
Eze 16:35-43
Adultery was by the law of Moses made a capital crime. This notorious adulteress, the criminal at the bar, being in the foregoing verses found guilty, here has sentence passed upon her. It is ushered in with solemnity, v. 35. The prophet, as the judge, in God's name calls to her, O harlot! hear the word of the Lord. Our Saviour preached to harlots, for their conversion, to bring them into the kingdom of God, not as the prophet here, to expel them out of it. Note, An apostate church is a harlot. Jerusalem is so if she become idolatrous. How has the faithful city become a harlot! Rome is so represented in the Revelation, when it is marked for ruin, as Jerusalem here. Rev. 17:1, Come, and I will show thee the judgments of the great whore. Those who will not hear the commanding word of the Lord and obey it shall be made to hear the condemning word of the Lord and shall tremble at it. Let us attend while judgment is given.
Eze 16:44-59
The prophet here further shows Jerusalem her abominations, by comparing her with those places that had gone before her, and showing that she was worse than any of them, and therefore should, like them, be utterly and irreparably ruined. We are all apt to judge of ourselves by comparison, and to imagine that we are sufficiently good if we are but as good as such and such, who are thought passable; or that we are not dangerously bad if we are no worse than such and such, who, though bad, are not of the worst. Now God by the prophet shows Jerusalem,
Eze 16:60-63
Here, in the close of the chapter, after a most shameful conviction of sin and a most dreadful denunciation of judgments, mercy is remembered, mercy is reserved, for those who shall come after. As was when God swore in his wrath concerning those who came out of Egypt that they should not enter Canaan, "Yet' (says God) "your little ones shall;' so here. And some think that what is said of the return of Sodom and Samaria (v. 53, 55), and of Jerusalem with them, is a promise; it may be understood so, if by Sodom we understand (as Grotius and some of the Jewish writers do) the Moabites and Ammonites, the posterity of Lot, who once dwelt in Sodom; their captivity was returned (Jer. 48:47; 49:6), as was that of many of the ten tribes, and Judah's with them. But these closing verses are, without doubt, a previous promise, which was in part fulfilled at the return of the penitent and reformed Jews out of Babylon, but was to have its full accomplishment in gospel-times, and in that repentance and that remission of sins which should then be preached with success to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Now observe here,