Ezekiel 15

Eze 15:1-8.

THE

WORTHLESSNESS OF THE

VINE AS

WOOD

ESPECIALLY

WHEN

BURNT,

IS THE

IMAGE OF THE

WORTHLESSNESS AND

GUILT OF THE

JEWS,

WHO

SHALL

PASS FROM

ONE

FIRE TO

ANOTHER.

This chapter represents, in the way of a brief introduction, what the

sixteenth chapter details minutely.

2, 3. What has the vine-wood to make it pre-eminent above other

forest-wood? Nothing. Nay, the reverse. Other trees yield useful

timber, but vine-wood is soft, brittle, crooked, and seldom large; not

so much as a "pin" (the large wooden peg used inside houses in the East

to hang household articles on,

Isa 22:23-25)

can be made of it. Its sole excellency is that it should bear fruit;

when it does not bear fruit, it is not only not better, but inferior to

other trees: so if God's people lose their distinctive excellency by

not bearing fruits of righteousness, they are more unprofitable than

the worldly

(De 32:32),

for they are the vine; the sole end of their being is to bear fruit to

His glory

(Ps 80:8, 9;

Isa 5:1,

&c.; Jer 2:21;

Ho 10:1;

Mt 21:33).

In all respects, except in their being planted by God, the Jews were

inferior to other nations, as Egypt, Babylon, &c., for example, in

antiquity, extent of territory, resources, military power, attainments

in arts and sciences.

or than a branch--rather, in apposition with "the vine tree." Omit

"or than." What superiority has the vine

if it be but a branch among the trees of the forest, that is, if,

as having no fruit, it lies cut down among other woods of trees?

4. cast into . . . fire--

(Joh 15:6).

both the ends--the north kingdom having been already overturned by

Assyria under Tiglath-pileser; the south being pressed on by Egypt

(2Ki 23:29-35).

midst of it is burned--rather, "is on flame"; namely, Jerusalem,

which had now caught the flame by the attack of Nebuchadnezzar.

Is it meet for any work--"it," that is, the scorched part still

remaining.

5. If useless before, much more so when almost wholly burnt.

6. So will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as being utterly

unprofitable

(Mt 21:33-41; 25:30;

Mr 11:12-14;

Lu 13:6-9)

in answering God's design that they should be witnesses for Jehovah

before the heathen

(Mt 3:10; 5:13).

7. And I will set my face against

them--(See on

Le 17:10).

from one fire . . . another--(Compare

Isa 24:18).

"Fire" means here every kind of calamity

(Ps 66:12).

The Jewish fugitives shall escape from the ruin of Jerusalem, only to

fall into some other calamity.

8. trespass--rather, "they have perversely fallen into perverse

rebellion." The Jews were not merely sinners as the other nations,

but revolters and apostates. It is one thing to neglect what we

know not, but quite another thing to despise what we profess to worship

[JEROME], as the Jews did towards God and the law.