The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel
Ezekiel 25
Chapter XXV · Vol. III, pp. 1347–1348
1 God's vengeance, for their declared malevolence against the Jews, upon the Ammonites; 8 upon Moab and Seir; 12 upon Edom; 15 and upon the Philistines.
1 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, aset thy face bagainst the Ammonites, and prophesy against them;
a ch.6.2; 20.46; 21.2.
b Ge.19.35,38. Ju.x.xi. 1 Sa.xi. 2 Sa.x.xii. Am.1.11-14. Je.9.25,26; 25.21,27; 49.1-6. ch.21.28-32. Zep.2.9-11.
3 And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; cBecause thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned: and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;
4 Behold, therefore, I will deliver thee to the men1 of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.2
1 Heb. children, i.e. Chaldeans, ch.21.19,20. Je.25.9,21. Nu.23.7. Is.2.6. Ge.11.2. Pr.17.5.
2 Or, fat, Ge.45.18. Ps.81.16. De.2.19. 2 Sa.17.27.
5 And I will make dRabbah ea stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couching-place for flocks; and gye shall know that I am the LORD.3
d ch.21.20. 2 Sa.12.26.
e Is.17.2; 32.14. Zep.2.14,15.
g ch.24.24; 26.6; 35.9. Ps.9.16.
3 This remarkable prophecy has been literally fulfilled. Rabbah has been desolate for centuries. The Arabs of the desert—the Bene-Kedem ('men of the east' of ver.4) have held possession of it for ages. They do not live in it, they live in tents; but they stable their flocks and herds in it during the noonday heat and the cold nights. Its temples, palaces, theatres, tombs, are all alike desolate, and defiled by the flocks. Jackals prowl round it; vultures hover over it; but no human being seeks a home within it. Few will look on this scene of almost unparalleled desolation without calling to mind the language of this verse.—P.
6 For thus saith the Lord GOD, hBecause thou hast clapped thine hands,4 and stamped with the feet,5 and irejoiced in heart6 with all thy despite against the land of Israel;
7 Behold, therefore, I jwill stretch out mine hand upon thee, and kwill deliver thee for a spoil7 to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; land thou shalt know that I am the LORD.8
j ver.13,16; ch.14.9. Zep.1.4.
A.M. cir. 3414. B.C. cir. 590.
k Je.49.2,3,28; 25.9,21. ch.21.31,32. Am.1.14. Zep.2.9. ver.10.
7 Or, meat.
l ch.24.24; 35.9. Is.26.11. Ps.9.16. ver.10.
8 At the present moment there is not a single settled inhabitant within the boundaries of Ammon. All the cities, towns, and habitations are deserted. Its only visitors are wandering Bedawin, who pasture their flocks on its rich pastures, and pitch their tents beside its fountains during a few weeks of each year.—P.
8 Thus saith the Lord GOD, nBecause that Moab and oSeir do say, Behold, the house of Judah pis like unto all the heathen;
9 Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab9 from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim,
9 Heb. shoulder of Moab, Je.48.15-25. Nu.32.37,38. Jos.13.17,20.
10 Untoq the men of the east 1with the Ammonites,2 and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations.
q See ver.4.
1 Or, against the children of Ammon. See ver.2-7.
2 Not to 'the men of the east' combined with the Ammonites; but, as the marginal rendering intimates, when they come against the Ammonites.—C.
11 Andr I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they sshall know that I am the LORD.
r Is.xv.xvi.; 25.10. Je.9.25,26; 25.9,21; xlviii. Am.2.1-3. Zep.2.8-11.
s Ps.58.10,11. Is.64.9,10; 26.11. See ver.5.
12 Thus saith the Lord GOD, Because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah3 by taking vengeance,4 and hath greatly offended, and revenged himself upon them;
3 Edom hath dealt against Judah. Encouraged her enemies, contrived plots against her, destroyed her unhappy fugitives. See 2 Ch.28.17. Ps.137.7. Eze.35.2.—C.
4 Heb. by revenging revengement, 2 Ch.28.17,18. Am.1.4. Ob.10. Ps.137.7. ch.xxxv.
13 Thereforet thus saith the Lord GOD, I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it: and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.5
t Is.21.11; xxxiv. Je.9.25,26; 25.9,21; 49.7-22. La.4.21,22. ch.xxxv. Am.1.11,12. Ob.1-10. Mal.1.3,4.
5 Or, they shall fall by the sword unto Dedan.
14 And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom byu the hand of my people6 Israel: and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger, and according to my fury; and they vshall know my vengeance, saith the Lord GOD.
15 Thus saith the Lord GOD, Because the Philistines xhave dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred;7
Notes
Ver. 4. Men of the east. The Chaldeans or Arabians; most probably the latter, to whom the country might be allotted for their military services in Nebuchadnezzar's army.—Palaces. The word signifies 'dwellings, tents, pens for sheep, or inclosures for cattle.' The latter sense seems here preferable to palaces. C.
Ver. 7. I will destroy thee. This whole country, once so cultivated, so productive, so populous and prosperous, is now converted into a complete desert. See Burckhardt's Syria. C.
Ver. 8. Behold, the house of Judah, &c. That is—See how the Jews, notwithstanding their religious profession, and their boast of divine protection, are suffering the calamities common to the heathen nations. Moab and Seir seem, in this reflection, to take credit to themselves for a purer form of religion; but, no matter what its form may have been, being void of 'brotherly kindness and charity,' it was nothing, 1 Co. 13. 2. C.
Ver. 15. National antipathies have disfigured the whole history of man, and are the natural productions of 'the carnal mind,' which, being 'enmity against God,' cannot become 'good-will to men' until it is renewed by the Holy Spirit. That Christian nations, that Christian churches, that Christian families, should tolerate or cherish such feelings, is deeply to be deplored. O! let believers forbear one another, and pray that they may be preserved from groundless divisions, and enabled to 'keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.' C.
Reflections.—In all ages the seed of the serpent have hated the people of God, or those who had their appearance. And especially in their distress, what unnatural and barbarous instances have they given thereof, as if they imagined the saints had lost their ALL when they lost their outward prosperity! It is indeed mournful when professed saints, by their apostasy, give occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. But if God severely correct his own people, he will severely punish their enemies. And they who boasted of any other defence but his promise, power, and providence, shall quickly be ashamed of their glorying. He who detests revenge, despite, and hatred of neighbours, shall terribly punish the guilty; and perhaps by the hand of those whom they had injured.