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Ezekiel Chapter
Nineteen
Ezekiel 19
Chapter Contents
A parable lamenting the ruin of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim.
(1-9) Another describing the desolation of the people. (10-14)
Commentary on Ezekiel 19:1-9
(Read Ezekiel 19:1-9)
Ezekiel is to compare the kingdom of Judah to a lioness.
He must compare the kings of Judah to a lion's whelps; they were cruel and
oppressive to their own subjects. The righteousness of God is to be
acknowledged
when those who have terrified and enslaved others
are themselves
terrified and enslaved. When professors of religion form connexions with
ungodly persons
their children usually grow up following after the maxims and
fashions of a wicked world. Advancement to authority discovers the ambition and
selfishness of men's hearts; and those who spend their lives in mischief
generally
end them by violence.
Commentary on Ezekiel 19:10-14
(Read Ezekiel 19:10-14)
Jerusalem was a vine
flourishing and fruitful. This vine
is now destroyed
though not plucked up by the roots. She has by wickedness
made herself like tinder to the sparks of God's wrath
so that her own branches
serve as fuel to burn her. Blessed be God
one Branch of the vine here alluded
to
is not only become a strong rod for the sceptre of those that rule
but is
Himself the true and living Vine. This shall be for a rejoicing to all the
chosen people of God throughout all generations.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on Ezekiel》
Ezekiel 19
Verse 1
[1] Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of
Israel
For the princes — Jehoahaz
Jehoiachim
Jehoiachin
and Zedekiah.
Verse 2
[2] And say
What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down
among lions
she nourished her whelps among young lions.
What — What resemblance shall I use to set out the nature
deportment
and state of the mother of these princes? Thy - One of whom was
upon the throne at once
and therefore the prophet speaks to one at a time.
Mother — The land of Judea
and Jerusalem
the chief city of
it
the royal family of David.
Lioness — Tho' chosen of God to execute justice; yet they soon
degenerated into the fierce and ravening nature of the lioness.
Lay down — Associated
and grew familiar with neighbour kings
called here lions; fierce and bloody.
Her whelps — Her sons
successors to the
crown.
Young lions — Either foreign princes and kings
or some of the fierce
unjust
tyrannizing princes at home.
Verse 3
[3] And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young
lion
and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
Brought up — Advanced
caused him to take the
throne after the slaughter of Josiah.
One — Jehoahaz the second son of Josiah.
Became — Soon shewed his fierce
cruel
and bloody disposition.
Verse 4
[4] The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their
pit
and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.
The nations — The Egyptians heard what he did.
Verse 5
[5] Now when she saw that she had waited
and her hope was
lost
then she took another of her whelps
and made him a young lion.
Made him — King
and infused the lion-like maxims into him.
Verse 6
[6] And he went up and down among the lions
he became a
young lion
and learned to catch the prey
and devoured men.
He — Jehoiachim.
Went up — He continued eleven years on the throne; whereas Jehoahaz
was taken as soon as he first ventured out.
The lions — Heathen kings
with whom he
entered into leagues.
He became — Fierce
ravenous
unsatiable.
Verse 7
[7] And he knew their desolate palaces
and he laid waste
their cities; and the land was desolate
and the fulness thereof
by the noise
of his roaring.
He knew — By taking them
he came to know their places
which
are here called
what he made them
desolate.
Roaring — By the perpetual violent threats of this cruel king.
Verse 8
[8] Then the nations set against him on every side from the
provinces
and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.
The nations — Which were tributary to
Nebuchadnezzar.
Set against — By order of the king of Babylon.
The provinces — Which belonged to the Babylonish
kingdom.
Verse 10
[10] Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood
planted by the
waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
Thy mother — O thou prince of Israel.
By the waters — In a very fruitful soil.
Full of branches — Full of children;
when Josiah died
he left four behind him
beside other branches of the royal
line.
Verse 11
[11] And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that
bare rule
and her stature was exalted among the thick branches
and she
appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
Strong rods — Many excellent persons endowed
with qualifications befitting kings
that they might sway the scepter.
Exalted — Above the ordinary majesty of other kingdoms.
Thick branches — This kingdom equalled
if not
excelled
the greatest neighbour-kingdoms
and her kings exceeded all their
neighbouring kings
in riches and power.
Verse 12
[12] But she was plucked up in fury
she was cast down to the
ground
and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and
withered; the fire consumed them.
The east wind — God raised up the king of Babylon
to pull up this sinful kingdom.
Dried up — Blasted all her fruit
deposed her king
captivated
him
his family
and the whole kingdom.
Strong rods — All the choice men.
Verse 13
[13] And now she is planted in the wilderness
in a dry and
thirsty ground.
She — A few of the branches of the last pruning.
In the wilderness — Tho' Babylon was in a
very fruitful place
yet the cruelty of the Babylonians
made it to the Jews as
terrible as a wilderness.
Verse 14
[14] And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches
which
hath devoured her fruit
so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to
rule. This is a lamentation
and shall be for a lamentation.
Fire — The fire of rebellion
kindled by Zedekiah
who is of
the blood-royal.
No strong rod — The regal dignity is ceased.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on Ezekiel》
19 Chapter 19
Verses 1-14
Verse 11-12
And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule.
The renewal of ruined nations
1. States and kingdoms broken to pieces
ruined in times of war and
trouble
do flourish again in times of quiet and silence. Peace after war is
like spring after a sharp winter
which revives
causeth growth and greenness;
yet know that states ruined by tyranny of princes
by wars
do not suddenly
recover themselves
or attain to their former greatness and splendour: though
Jerusalem became a vine after the roaring and spoil of Jehoiakim
yet she was a
“vine of a low stature.”
2. It is through the mercy
goodness
and blessing of God that wasted
kingdoms do become as vines
and flourish again.
3. When mercies are multiplied
men are apt to abuse them
and swell
with the enjoyment of them. Prosperity is a dangerous thing
and hath hazarded
many (Isaiah 47:5; Isaiah 47:7). After Hezekiah had received
many mercies
“his heart was lifted up” (2 Chronicles 32:23-25). Rehoboam
when he was strengthened in the kingdom
“forsook the law of the Lord
and all
Israel with him”; here was a sad effect of prosperity (2 Chronicles 12:1). (W.
Greenhill
M. A.)
Verse 12
Her strong rods were broken and withered.
God’s judgment in breaking the strong rods of a community
I. What
qualifications of those who are in public authority may properly give them the
denomination of strong rods.
1. Great ability for the management of public affairs. This is the
case when they are men of largeness of understanding
especially when they have
a natural genius for government.
2. Largeness of heart and a greatness and nobleness of disposition.
It is peculiarly unbecoming them to be capable of little intrigues.
3. The spirit of government. They must have a peculiar aptitude for
using their knowledge
and a spirit of resolution and activity.
4. Stability. A strong rod must be immovable in the execution of
justice and judgment.
5. It contributes to the strength of a rod when he is in such
circumstances as give him advantage for the exercise of his strength.
II. When such
strong rods are broken and withered by death
it is a judgment of God upon the
people who are deprived of them.
1. By reason of the many positive benefits and blessings to a people
that such men are the instruments of (Psalms 82:5; Psalms 11:3). Their influence has a
tendency to promote wealth and virtue (Ecclesiastes 10:17). Solomon was a
remarkable illustration of this truth. (See 1 Kings 4:25; 1 Kings 10:27).
2. On account of the great calamities they are a defence from.
Government is necessary to defend communities from miseries from within
themselves; they are the heads of union without which nothing is to be expected
but remediless and endless broils. We see the need of government in societies
by what is visible in families
--those lesser societies of which all public
societies are constituted
--and as government is absolutely necessary
so there
is a necessity of strong rods in order to it: the business being such as
requires persons so qualified.
3. They are no less necessary to defend the community from foreign
enemies. As they are like the pillars of a building
so they are like the
bulwarks of a city; they are under God a people’s main strength in time of war
(Lamentations 4:20; Nehemiah 9:27). On these accounts
when a
nation is strong
rods are broken; it is a judgment worthy of such lamentation
as that which followed the death of King Josiah
who is one of those doubtless
referred to in the text (2 Chronicles 35:24-25). (Jonathan
Edwards.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》