Matthew Poole and continuators on Ezekiel 6:9

9 And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations, whither they shall be carryed captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart which hath departed from me, and with their eyes which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall loath themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations .

Some of them, not every one of them, for several of the escaped did not bethink themselves, as appears Ier. 42.43. and 44.

My precepts which they violated, my mercies which they abused, my threats which they despised, my promises which they refused, my Prophets whom they persecuted, my judgements which I have executed, and shall consider and return, and seek me in their affliction.

In their own Land they forgot and sinned in a strange Land, they shall remember and weep, so the remnant is bettered by afflictions, at liberty they were Captives to Sin and Idols, when in Captivity, they shall shake off that bondage and become my Servants.

Here we meet very different Reading. The Chaldee paraphr. and Syr. Version Read it actively, so does the vulg. Latin. Because, or, when, I have broken, &c. and if this vary from the Grammatical Construction, yet it carrieth very good sense and agreeable to the foregoing words. Their Whorish hearts would still have forgotten God if he had not broken their hearts with judgments, but they remembred, when broken, and this breaking was the occasion or cause of their remembring God. Others read this passively, as our Version, and as the Heb. form most usually beareth. I am broken tis an allusion to a misused Husband whom a Treacherous Wife hath broken. Either 1. His Peace and Content. 2. His Love and Tenderness. 3. His Patience and Forbearance. 4. His Purposes. 5. His Offers and Promises, so that, as overcome with Grief and Anger, he doth, contrary to his natural Disposition, lay aside his courting her Love, and in his Jealousie takes revenge, and then she bethinks her self. So here.

Thei[illegible: 1 letter] Heart of Whoredom, i. e. Idolatrous Heart which was full of that sin, addicted to it, delighted in it, and wedded to it.

Idolatrous Hearts do actually depart from God, as an Adulterous Wife actually departs from her Husband.

As it vexeth a Husband to see his Wife fixing her Eyes with delight on the Adulterer, and turning them with scorn from him, as this breaks the Husbands Patience; so in this case, Israel's Eyes were to Idols and delighted in them, expected help from them, were ready to serve them. All which broke their Husbands, i. e. Gods Patience and provoked his severe revenges.

With a mixture of grief towards God offended, of indignation against themselves offending▪ of abhorrence of the offence, and shame before all for it shall they shew their Repentance.

Wickednesses, or as Psal. 32.5. Iniquities of sin, the deepest and darkest part of sin, the complicated evils that were in each act.

'Tis a Hypocrites Repentance which is but for some, this of the reserved remnant shall be found, 'tis for all abominations, for all kinds of their abominations.

Marginal references: Num. 15.39.; Lev. 26.39. Chap. 36.31.