Matthew Poole and continuators on Ezekiel 14

1 THen came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sate before me.

And Heb. That we need not enquire the precise time of this Prophesie.

Men of note, that were in office and power among the Jews, called here Elders, &c.

Who were yet in Ierusalem, not the Elders who were now, and had been sometime in Babylon.

chap. 8.1.

Marginal references: chap. 20.1.; Heb. men of the elders.

3 Son of man, these men have set up their Idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

Who probably were come from Ierusalem, sent by Zedekiah and mentioned by Ieremiah, chap. 51.59. some of the Courtiers who more out of curiosity, then Religion, give a visit to this famous Prophet.

Resolved Idolaters, their heart was totally addicted to their idolatrous Worship and Ceremonies, immersed in it.

Dunghill Gods.

Their Idols so exprest, because they were both the object of their sin, and occasion of their ruin, they account these Idols to be Gods, and worship, fear, trust in, and plead for them; this is their sin, and ere long this shall bring ruine on them.

Can these men seriously consult me? Is it fit I should give counsel to obstinate, resolved sinners, who come to enquire but will not hearken? Should I help them in their distress, who depend on Idols which I hate?

Marginal references: Heb. shall I be enquired, enquir[illegible: 2 letters].

4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh, according to the multitude of his idols.

Mince not the matter, lessen not, neither vary, what I say unto thee, but declare fully and undauntedly.

Mince not the matter, lessen not, neither vary, what I say unto thee, but declare fully and undauntedly.

Though great men and who will complement with thee.

Without exception, who ever be the man among the Israelites.

That hath his heart riveted to Idols, and yet comes to the Prophet, as if 'twere to know what were best to be done, and what will be the issue of these times and things.

I will answer him, but little to his satisfaction or [illegible: 1 letter]afety, such answer shall such receive, as in seeing they shall not see, &c.

I will declare the greatness of their sin and punishment they multiplyed Idols, this their sin, I will multiply their sorrows, they first run into darkness of Idolatry, I will leave them to the darkness of misery. I will give answer but in just [illegible: 3 letters]gment, and with severe reproofs and menaces, and commands.

Marginal references: Heb. man ma[illegible: 1 letter].

5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

Convince and pe[illegible: 1 letter]rce their very hearts, or lay open what i[illegible: 1 letter] in their heart▪ and discover their hypocrisie, and impiety.

Have shamefully followed Idols, which now in their distress, neither know the cause, or can frame a remedy, and what folly is it to choose such Gods, what greater impiety then this to adhere to Idols and forsake God the onely true God and Saviour?

Minds that increase their aversness to God, Idolatry draws the man more and more from the Lord.

6 ¶ Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD, repent and turn your selves from your Idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

To these men the Elders, who ere they are, give charge that they repent, and by them send word to the residue of the house of Iacob that they do so too.

Be sorry and testifie your sorrow for such sins.

Renounce them for future, cease to be Idolaters.

Let your visible carriage in reforming all be seen too. Amend heart and ways, let not your heart be towards Idols in point Religion, nor your practice in point of outward deportment be vicious and immoral.

Marginal references: Or, others.

7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me, I the LORD will answer him by my self.

Every Jew▪ of the seed of Abraham.

Every Proselite.

Withdraws himself from me and worships Idols, keeps them in his heart to the increase of their own sin and my displeasure.

Yet forsooth comes to the prophet to enquire how his God resenteth what they do, and what God will do with them, what they should do what they may expect, yet all this while dote on idols, and resolutely hold on in unjust practices, they shall find by the answer, 'twas not the Prophet, but the God of the Prophet that answered them, so dreadful, searching, and astonishing shall my answer be.

Marginal references: Heb. man man.

8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

My displeased face, my wrath which none can bear, the phrase Lev. 17.10. and 20.3. and chap. 15.7.

Of divine vengeance provoked by sin and executed on the sinner.

Of whom every body shall speak with taunt and curse, Deut. 28.37.

Either by an immediate stroke from Heaven, or else in an undeniably vindictive way, Deut. 20.3.

Openly as what is done in the sight of all, or as one separated from Gods people by this dreadful Excommunication, and who shall have no portion with them in this or the next Life.

Marginal references: chap. 5.15.

9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and I will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

Viz. The Prophet who makes this his trade and gain, the false Prophet, who speaks all serene and quiet in hope of reward for his kind answer to those that desired to hear what might please them more then what God commanded, promised, or threatned.

Permitted him to erre, or justly left him in his blindness, that he shall not discern his own self deceivings, or else when such Prophet promiseth good, and thinks concurrence of all second causes tend to it, yet I will disappoint and frustrate, as Isa. 44.25. if the Confederacies to save were in likelihood sufficient, and twere no presumption to hope the best, and if your Prophets on this ground promised you success yet they shall deceive you, for I would defeat and disappoint them and you; so the sense would not carry a Moral and culpable deceiving, but a just defeating and disappointing, or disabling second causes, on which, disappointment of hopes will follow. If Egypts Arms had so weakned the Babylonian, that none but wounded men remained, yet the promise of your escape should fail you, O Israelites, for Ier. 37.10, 11. these should rise up and burn your City.

Remarkably punish his falsehood, and in severity destroy him.

Marginal references: 1 King. 22.23

10 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him.

There is so great p[illegible: 1 letter]rity in the folly and impiety of both seducing Prophets▪ and the seduced people, that tis hard to say whose sin is greatest, their punishment shall be by the Lord made as like as they made their sin, and both shall be cut off and destroyed.

11 That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions: but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord GOD.

Afflictions ever tend to a good and necessary effect or end for Gods glory, and his peoples good, and so 'tis here.

Which are the seed of Iacob, and my people.

They have wandred as sheep, which naturally are apt to go out of the way, and much more when seduced, and drawn out of the way, but afflictions tend to red[illegible: 1 letter]ce them from sheepish wandrings.

Their onely God and Saviour.

Idolatry is a great pollution, and ever attended with other transgressions and immoralities, which defile also, now by their present calamities God will open their eyes to see and abhor them.

In name and external profession they were Gods people, but they had forgotten their relation, and the duty of it to Godward, now by these present corrections they shall be disposed to own, and love, to obey and walk with him as he is their God and they his people. This effect the rod will have on my own people.

13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staffe of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it.

At what time soever.

Put for the men that dwell in the Land.

As an hypocritical back-sliding people, that give fair promises, but perform them not, rather act contrary to their professions▪ as the Hebrew intimateth.

Scarcity and Famine are effects of the power of God, which makes that barren for the sins of a people, which otherwise would be fruitful.

Against it.

Make the Land utterly desolate by famishing the Cattle as well as their owners.

Marginal references: Heb. pr[illegible: 4 letters] [illegible: 1 letter]ating, a p[illegible: 3 letters] rication.; Lev. 26.2[illegible: 1 letter]. Isa. 3.1. chap. 4.16. and 5.16.

14 Though these three men Noah, Daniel and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

Most eminent for holy and upright walking with God, very dear to God, exceedingly desirous of the welfare of others, powerful in Prayer.

Who 'tis probable prevailed with God to spare the World for some years, and saved his near Relations when the flood came.

Who prevailed for the life of the wise men of Chaldea, and

who daily offered sacrifice for his Children, and at last reconciled God to those that had offended.

These should not prevail for any one of this wicked generation, it should suffice them, that their Righteousness saveth themselves, this contumacious generation of sinners I would not be intreated for.

Marginal references: Jer. 15.1.

15 ¶ If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, and no man may pass through because of the beasts.

Noisome beasts are one of the great plagues, or armies that God hath always at his command.

To range over the land and spoil their Cattel, devour their Servants and Children, and destroy Travellers, and make it as a Wilderness.

Without much danger, and great Guards that may repel the wild ravening beasts.

Marginal references: Heb. the [illegible: 1 word] beast.; Or, [illegible: 1 word].

16 Though these three men were in it, as I live saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

A form of speech in which God by oath confirms what he speaketh, and 'tis such an oath as becomes him onely who is life and cannot die.

Neither sons that should perpetuate their families and are the support of houses, nor daughters the tenderness of whose Sex, and age does make and keep parents affections fervent towards them. No near relation should escape on their account.

i. e. Most desolate, as the Heb. use by an abstract to express the superlative degree, Isa. 1.7. and 64▪10.

Marginal references: Or, a [illegible: 1 word].; Heb. in the midst of it.

17 ¶ Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it.

He is Lord of hosts, and hath the Militia of all the world in his hand, the Sword is the right of the King of Kings.

Raise War, and send Enemies to invade it.

What Land soever it be.

Though inanimate things have not ears to hear, yet God speaks of them sometimes as if they had ears to hear, and understanding to discern; hereby intimating to us his overruling power, wisdome, justice and sovereignty.

Men cut off men in War, yet here God takes it to himself, he doth it by men.

Tho Wars chiefly destroy m[illegible: 1 letter]n, yet the beasts of the field go to wrack too, the beasts that are serviceable in wars are waste as Horses and Beasts of burthen. The Eastern Nations have brought store of Camels, and many Elephants into the Wars, beside the slaughter of these in Fight; the spoiler wasting his Enemy doth often destroy whole Heards and Flocks.

19 ¶ Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:

Diseases are sent when ever they come, especially wasting diseases, which empty Nations and Cities apace.

Gods Arrow that flyes from Gods Bow.

Not drop, or distil on a people in small measures and by leisure, but in great measures and hastily, as waters are poured out of a vessel all at once almost.

Sometime blood does denote war, but here, and in many other places, it denotes death and destruction of men, though not by the Sword.

Not that Beasts dye of the same Pestilential disease which kills man, but, either death of men by Pestilence emptieth the Nation, that there are not men to take care and provide for the Beasts. Or, rather because, when Pestilence wasteth men, Murrains and Plague of Cattel, from the same infected Air, and from the hand of God waste the Beasts also.

20 Though Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

Their Person, their Life.

Not meriting the deliverance, but yet the Justice and Mercy of God, shall surely keep them from falling in the punishment, who were kept from the sin.

21 For thus saith the Lord GOD, How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisom beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

Those three men with their best interest, should not be able to keep off one of the four, much less able to keep off all four when I commission them all to go at once, as I will, nay have done against Ierusalem, to cut off the obstinate, incorrigible ones amidst it.

Marginal references: Or, Also when.

22 ¶ Yet behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.

In Ierusalem it self and in the Land.

Some that escape, for though none could prevail with God to prevent the emptying the City and the Land and cutting off the most, yet this was not to extend to the utter cutting off and destruction of all.

By the proud, cruel, and barbarous Conquerour bringing them in nakedness, chains, and in contempt more grievous then death it self.

Those naked, hunger starved, derided Captives through heats and colds, through sands and tedious travels shall come though with great regret to you, to Babylon whose condition they will either envy or wish it their own.

See them and consider and know.

What it hath brought them, how sinfully evil 'twas against God in their own Land and how miserably evil 'tis and must be with them in the Enemies Land.

Not rejoyce in your brethrens misery, but comforted in remembrance of the good hour you resolved to obey God, in yielding up to the Chaldeans, comforted in the sense of your state much better then theirs, and in the vindication of you from the black aspersions the false Prophets and their followers cast on you. And finally comforted in that your return at set time promised, shall in its time be as surely made good as you see the threats are made good, God will be as true in his Mercies as he hath been in his Judgments, this is matter of present affliction and grief, that of comfort and hope.

23 And they shall comfort you, when ye see their wayes and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause, all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.

That survive the Siege, Famine and Ruin of Ierusalem, and are brought to Babylon.

Either confessing their faults in not doing as they had done, justifying the wise course they took who yielded, condemning the folly of hardning themselves against God, his Judgments, and his Prophets, or be matter of comfort, affording to you just ground of comforting your selves.

Understand it in the effects of it upon the ruined Jews. Or, in the relation which they will make both of your sins and sufferings in the Land of Canaan.

You of the first Captivity, you that obeyed my voice and submitted to the Babylonian yoke.

Be fully satisfied that I have had but too much cause, and most just reason for all that I have done against Ierusalem and its land, and inhabitants of both, you shall know my hand, and as you feel the weight so you shall see the Justice of it too against them, and the Mercy of it towards you.