The conspiracy of] CHAP. 24 Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. 25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither bave they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

27 Her princes in the midst thereof re like wolves ravening the prey, to hed blood, and to destroy souls, to get ishonest gain.

28 And her prophets have daubed em with untempered morter, seeing nity, and divining lies unto them, ing, Thus saith the Lord Gon, en the LORD hath not spoken. 29 The people of the land have used ression, and exercised robbery, and e vexed the poor and needy: yea, - have oppressed the stranger gfully.

And I sought for a man among , that should make up the hedge, stand in the gap before me for

CHAP. XXII.

[Omit in Family Reading.]· THE word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother: 3 And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity. 4 And the names of them were Aholah the elder, and Aholibah her sister: and they were mine, and they bare sons and daughters. Thus were their names; Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Abolibah. 5 And Aholah played the harlot when she was mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her 6 Which were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them deneighbours, sirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses. 7 Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols

she defiled herself. 8 Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt; for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity, and poured their whoredom upon her. Wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the

The sin and punishment of Jerusalem ilated.-The corruption is stated to -ersal, including all classes, princes, s, priests and people; and the ruin a to be no less so. Those who congether to work wickedness inust exbe classed together in their sufferen God arises to execute judgment. e of Judah appears in this instance

9

to have been worse than that of Sodom, which was destroyed for the want of ten righteous here were not half the number : "I sought for a man (says God), but I found none" for the few faithful prophets who might have interposed were persecuted and imprisoned. Her punishment was also worse than that of Sodom, Lam. iv. 6. For it is better to fall into the hand of God than into the hand of man. (2 Sam. xxiv. 14.)

XXIII. Ver. 2. Two women.-The idolamaria and Jerusalem are here compared practices of two common harlots, who and rivalled each other in wickedness. is similar to that of chap. xvi., and ur family reading for the same reason. Egypt-See chap. xx. 8. olah that is," Her tent."-Aholibah, in her." Samaria had a tabernacle of

her own; but God pitched his tabernacle in Judah, Ver. 5. When she was mine- that is, before she set up a separate form of worship.

Ver. 7. Committed her whoredoms- Heb. "Bestowed her whoredoms upon them."-The chosen men-Heb. "The choice of the sons of Ashur.""

Ver. 8. Lay with her. This is to be taken allegorically, in reference to their idolatries.

Assyrians, upon whom she doted. 10 These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her. 11 And when her sister Aholibah saw this she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms. 12 She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbours, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men. 13 Then I saw that she was defiled, that they took both one way, 14 And that she increased her whoredoms: for when she saw men pourtrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans pourtrayed with vermillion, 15 Girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, after the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their uativity: 16 And as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea. 17 And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them, 18 So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister. 19

Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. 20 For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses. 21 Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth. 22 Therefore, O Aholibah, thus saith the Lord Gov; Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee, from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side; 23 The Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekød, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them: all of them de

[and Samaria.

29

sirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses. 24 And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, which shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about: and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judg ments. 25 And I will set my jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose, and thine ears; and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sons and thy daughters; and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire. 26 They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes, and take away thy fair jewels. 27 Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom brought from the land of Egypt: so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more. 28 For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest, into the hand of them from whom thy mind is alienated: And they shall deal with thee hatefully, and shall take away all thy labour, and shall leave thee naked and bare: and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be discovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms. 30 I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols. 31 Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand. Thus saith the Lord GoD; Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup, deep and large: thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in derision; it containeth much. 33 Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sor. row, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria. 34 Thou shalt even drink it and suck it out, and thou shalt break the sherds thereof, and pluck off thine own breasts: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because thou hast forgotten me, and cast me behind thy hack, therefore bear thou

XXIII. Con.

32

35

Ver. 24. With chariots, wagons, and wheels — Newcome, "With scythed cars, chariots, and (wheel) carriages." So Boothroyd. Cars with scythes attached to their wheels, were terrible instruments of destruction in war, before the invention of gunpowder.

Ver. 25. Take away thy nose and thine ears-St. Jerome mentions this as a common punishment of adulterers. See also Martial and Virgil. Orient... Lit. No. 1024.

Ver. 27. Fair Jewels- Heb. “Instruments of thy decking."

Ver. 34. Thou shalt even drink, &c.—This is very strong language, and intimates, after drinking from the cup, that she should break the cup, and tear her breasts with its fragments.

also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms. 36 The LORD said moreover unto me; Son of man, wilt thou Judge Aholah and Aholibah? yea, declare unto them their abominations; 37 That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, to whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.

38

Moreover this they have done unto me: they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths. 39 For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house. 40 And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came, for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments, 41 And satest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set mine incense and mine oil. 42 And a voice of a mul

titude being at ease was with her: and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness, which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads. 43 Then

said I unto her that was old in adulteries, Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with them? 44 Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot: so went they in unto Aholah and unto Aholibah, the lewd women. 45 And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the maner of adulteresses, and after the manner of women that shed blood; because they re adulteresses, and blood is in their ands. 46 For thus saith the Lord on; I will bring up a company upon them, od will give them to be removed and iled.. 47 And the company shall one them with s.ones, and dispatch them th their swords; they shall slay their s and their daughters, and burn up ir houses with fire. 48 Thus will I

r. 36. Wilt thou judge.-See ch. xx. 4.

[the seething pot.

cause ewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness. 49 And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols: and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

4 Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.

5 Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it, and make it boil well, and let them seethe the bones of it therein.

6 Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.

7 For her blood is in the midst of. her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;

8 That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her

37. To devour them.-By this it appears that, h passing through the fire might be often no than an idolatrous ceremony, in other cases it ta). Comp. Expos. of 2 kings xvi., and Note on xvi. 21.

4. Paintedst thy eyes.-See Isa, iii. 16. 41. A stately bed-Heb. "Honourable," or 14. "Prepared-for an idolatrous feast. 42. Men of the common sort-Heb. Of the le of men;" that is, of the lower classes. cans from the wilderness, or desert: which elets, &c.—that is, which wore coronets and

CHAP. XXIV. Ver. 1. In the ninth year, &c.Compare Jer. lii. 4; also Ezek. xi. 3, 7, &c.

Ver. 4. Gather the pieces.-It appears from this and other texts, that a part of the sacrifices were seethed, (or boiled) in a po', or caldron. See 1 Sam. i. B. The thigh, or "leg," namely, of a sheep, or kid. Choice bones-Newcome, "Joints." Ver 5. And burn - Marg. "Heap." Newcome, "Pile" the bones. This Newcome understands of the useless bones deprived of meat, (see ver. 10.) those containing meat were to be boiled in it. Ver. 6. Whose scum, &c.-" Scum denotes wickedness." Newcome.- Let no lot, &c.—that is, let no chance screen it.

Ver. 8. I have set it (her blood) upon the top of a rock-that is, have exposed all her guilt-that it shall not be covered, or concealed.

Mercy still] fathers? and commit ye whoredom after their abominations?

:

31 For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord Gon, I will not be enquired of by you. 32 And that which cometh into your mind, shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serye wood and stone.

33 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you:

34 And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretch ed out arm, and with fury poured out.

35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.

36 Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.

37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant:

[in reserve.

39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GoD ; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.

40 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the first fruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.

41 I will accept you with your sweet savour, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.

42 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers.

43 And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.

44 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.

45 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Ver. 32. Shall not be at all-Heb. "In being shall not be;" meaning, that they should not be wholly given up to idolatry, as were the heathen; but should be severely corrected, as in the following verses, in order to their reform and restoration, ver. 33, &c.

Ver. 35. Wilderness (or desert) of the people. Michaelis says, this "refers to the desert in the neighbourhood of the Chaldeans," &c. where they were stationed in the captivity.

Ver. 35, 36. There will I plead with, or judge you, as I pleaded with, or judged, your fathers, &c. See

Note on ver. 4.

Ver. 37. Cause you to pass under the rod.—An allusion, probably, to the tithing of a flock. The tenth animal was devoted to the Lord, and may represent those who were brought into the bond (or discipline) of the covenant. See next verse, and compare Levit. xxvii. 32, and Note.

Ver. 38. I will bring them forth out of the country

where they sojourn, and (or but) they shall not enter into the land of Judah.-Newcome thinks this refers to the Jews who fled into Egypt. See Jer. xliv. 14.

Ver. 39. Go ye, &c. See Eccl. xi. 9.

Ver. 43. In mine holy mountains. Comp. Isaiah ii. 2, 3.

Ver. 46, 47. The south.-Three different words are used for the south in these verses. See next chapter, ver. 2. Ezekiel being in the north of Chaldea, the whole of Judea was in the south to him. Ver. 47. The flowing flame - Heb. "Flame of Baming. From the south to the north that is, the whole extent of Judea. Ver. 49. Doth he not speak parables--that is, they pretended not to understand his figurative style. The whole of this chapter, and all that follows, ta ver. 12 of chap. xxviii, is considered prose,

the south, and prophesy against the forest of the south field;

47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord Gon; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

48 And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.

49 Then said I, Ah Lord God! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables? (X)

AN

CHAP. XXI.

ND the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,

3 And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.

4 Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked,

[against Israel.

therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north;

5 That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.

6 Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.

7 And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? That thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord Gon.

8 Again the word of the LoRD came unto me, saying,

9 Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:

10 It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.

11 And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this

(X) 27-49. Farther threatenings to the ouse of Israel, followed with promises of estoration.-As the Lord by his judgments eaded with their fathers in the wilderness Sinai; so he promises to plead with their scendants in the wilderness of their capity. And as Manasseh in his captivity S greatly humbled, and besought the rd his God, (2 Chron. xxxiii. 12.) so there Food reason to hope did many others; there are perhaps more who learn to - God in the school of affliction than in other school. Of those Jews, however, fied to Egypt on the murder of Geda

66

liah, though many of them were afterwards carried into Chaldea, very few or none lived to go back to the land of Judah.

When the Jews are told, "Go ye, serve every one his idols," we have a happy exposition of the difficulty considered in the former part of this chapter, and we see how it is that persons may be corrected by their own wickedness, and reproved by their own backslidings. (Jer. li. 19.)

The last five verses of this chapter are evidently connected with the following, and according to Newcome and others should begin it.

AP. XXI. Ver. 2, 3. Toward Jerusalem. This seems an exposition of ver. 46, 47, of the last r. Jerusalem, the holy places, the land of Newcome thinks may correspond to the three w words used for south in ver. 46, 47, of the ng chapter. Judea may be compared to a not so much for its buildings, as the rough er of its inhabitants-" the green tree and the e righteous and the wicked. Comp. ver. 34

with ver. 47 of the preceding chapter. Ver. 7. All knees shall be weak as water-Heb. "Shall go into water." See chap. vii. 17, and Note. Ver. 10. It contemaeth the rod Newcome, "sceptre" of my son; i. e. of Israel; as Exod. iv. 22, 23. Sceptres were originally staves of office; the meaning is, the sword of judgment should no more regard the sceptre of Israel, than a stick of every (or any common) tree.