Ezekiel 6

Eze 6:1-14.

CONTINUATION OF THE

SAME

SUBJECT.

2. mountains of Israel--that is, of Palestine in general. The

mountains are addressed by personification; implying that the

Israelites themselves are incurable and unworthy of any more appeals; so

the prophet sent to Jeroboam did not deign to address the king, but

addressed the altar

(1Ki 13:2).

The mountains are specified as being the scene of Jewish idolatries on

"the high places"

(Eze 6:3;

Le 26:30).

3. rivers--literally, the "channels" of torrents. Rivers were often

the scene and objects of idolatrous worship.

4. images--called so from a Hebrew root, "to wax hot," implying

the mad ardor of Israel after idolatry

[CALVIN]. Others translate

it, "sun images"; and so in

Eze 6:6

(see

2Ki 23:11;

2Ch 34:4;

Isa 17:8,

Margin).

cast your slain men before your idols--The foolish objects of their

trust in the day of evil should witness their ruin.

5. carcasses . . . before . . . idols--polluting thus with the dead

bones of you, the worshippers, the idols which seemed to you so

sacrosanct.

6. your works--not gods, as you supposed, but the mere work of

men's hands

(Isa 40:18-20).

7. ye shall know that I am the Lord--and not your idols, lords. Ye

shall know Me as the all-powerful Punisher of sin.

8. Mitigation of the extreme severity of their punishment; still

their life shall be a wretched one, and linked with exile

(Eze 5:2, 12; 12:16; 14:22;

Jer 44:28).

9. they that escape of you shall remember me--The object of God's

chastisements shall at last be effected by working in them true

contrition. This partially took place in the complete eradication of

idolatry from the Jews ever since the Babylonian captivity. But they

have yet to repent of their crowning sin, the crucifixion of Messiah;

their full repentance is therefore future, after the ordeal of trials

for many centuries, ending with that foretold in

Zec 10:9; 13:8, 9; 14:1-4, 11.

"They shall remember me in far countries"

(Eze 7:16;

De 30:1-8).

I am broken with their whorish heart--FAIRBAIRN

translates, actively,

"I will break" their whorish heart; English Version is better. In

their exile they shall remember how long I bore with them, but was at

last compelled to punish, after I was "broken" (My long-suffering wearied out)

(Nu 15:39)

spiritual whorishness [CALVIN],

(Ps 78:40;

Isa 7:13; 43:24; 63:10).

loathe themselves--

(Le 26:39-45;

Job 42:6).

They shall not wait for men to condemn them but shall condemn

themselves

(Eze 20:43; 36:31;

Job 42:6;

1Co 11:31).

11. Gesticulations vividly setting before the hearers the greatness

of the calamity about to be inflicted. In indignation at the

abominations of Israel extend thine hand towards Judea, as if about to

"strike," and "stamp," shaking off the dust with thy foot, in token of

how God shall "stretch out His hand upon them," and tread them down

(Eze 6:14;

Eze 21:14).

12. He that is far off--namely, from the foe; those who in a distant

exile fear no evil.

he that remaineth--he that is left in the city; not carried away

into captivity, nor having escaped into the country. Distinct from "he

that is near," namely, those outside the city who are within reach of

"the sword" of the foe, and so fall by it; not by "famine," as those

left in the city.

14. Diblath--another form of Diblathaim, a city in Moab

(Nu 33:46;

Jer 48:22),

near which, east and south of the Dead Sea, was the wilderness of

Arabia-Deserta.