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You may copy it, give it away or re-use + it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License <a href= + "#pglicense" class="tei tei-ref">included with this eBook</a> or + online at <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/license" class= + "tei tei-xref">http://www.gutenberg.org/license</a>. If you are + not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws + of the country where you are located before using this ebook.</p> + </div> + <pre class="pre tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> +Title: The Expositor's Bible: The Book of Ezekiel + +Author: John Skinner + +Release Date: September 27, 2014 [Ebook #46975] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: UTF-8 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE: THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL*** +</pre> + </div> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 5.00em; margin-bottom: 5.00em"></div> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 5.00em; margin-bottom: 5.00em"> + <p class="tei tei-p" style= + "text-align: center; margin-bottom: 1.73em"><span style= + "font-size: 173%">The Book of Ezekiel</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style= + "text-align: center; margin-bottom: 1.00em">By</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style= + "text-align: center; margin-bottom: 1.44em"><span style= + "font-size: 144%">The Rev. John Skinner, M.A.</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style= + "margin-bottom: 1.00em; text-align: center">Professor of Old + Testament Exegesis, Presbyterian College, London</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style= + "text-align: center; margin-bottom: 1.00em">London</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style= + "text-align: center; margin-bottom: 1.00em">Hodder And Stoughton</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style= + "text-align: center; margin-bottom: 1.00em">1895</p> + </div> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 5.00em; margin-top: 5.00em"> + <h1 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 3.46em; margin-top: 3.46em"> + <span style="font-size: 173%">Contents</span></h1> + + <ul class="tei tei-index tei-index-toc"> + <li><a href="#toc1">Preface.</a></li> + + <li><a href="#toc3">Part I. The Preparation And Call Of The + Prophet.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc5">Chapter I. Decline And + Fall Of The Jewish State.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc7">Chapter II. Jeremiah + And Ezekiel.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc9">Chapter III. The + Vision Of The Glory Of God. Chapter i.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc11">Chapter IV. Ezekiel's + Prophetic Commission. Chapters ii., iii.</a></li> + + <li><a href="#toc13">Part II. Prophecies Relating Mainly To The + Destruction Of Jerusalem.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc15">Chapter V. The End + Foretold. Chapters iv.-vii.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc17">Chapter VI. Your + House Is Left Unto You Desolate. Chapters viii.-xi.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc19">Chapter VII. The End + Of The Monarchy. Chapters xii. 1-15, xvii., xix.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc21">Chapter VIII. + Prophecy And Its Abuses. Chapters xii. 21-xiv. 11.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc23">Chapter IX. + Jerusalem—An Ideal History. Chapter xvi.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc25">Chapter X. The + Religion Of The Individual. Chapter xviii.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc27">Chapter XI. The Sword + Unsheathed. Chapter xxi.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc29">Chapter XII. + Jehovah's Controversy With Israel. Chapter xx.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc31">Chapter XIII. Ohola + And Oholibah. Chapter xxiii.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc33">Chapter XIV. Final + Oracles Against Jerusalem. Chapters xxii., xxiv.</a></li> + + <li><a href="#toc35">Part III. Prophecies Against Foreign + Nations.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc37">Chapter XV. Ammon, + Moab, Edom, And Philistia. Chapter xxv.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc39">Chapter XVI. Tyre. + Chapters xxvi., xxix. 17-21.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc41">Chapter XVII. Tyre + (Continued): Sidon. Chapters xxvii., xxviii.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc43">Chapter XVIII. Egypt. + Chapters xxix.-xxxii.</a></li> + + <li><a href="#toc45">Part IV. The Formation Of The New + Israel.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc47">Chapter XIX. The + Prophet A Watchman. Chapter xxxiii.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc49">Chapter XX. The + Messianic Kingdom. Chapter xxxiv.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc51">Chapter XXI. + Jehovah's Land. Chapters xxxv., xxxvi.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc53">Chapter XXII. Life + From The Dead. Chapter xxxvii.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc55">Chapter XXIII. The + Conversion Of Israel.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc57">Chapter XXIV. + Jehovah's Final Victory. Chapters xxxviii., xxxix.</a></li> + + <li><a href="#toc59">Part V. The Ideal Theocracy.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc61">Chapter XXV. The + Import Of The Vision.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc63">Chapter XXVI. The + Sanctuary. Chapters xl.-xliii.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc65">Chapter XXVII. The + Priesthood. Chapter xliv.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc67">Chapter XXVIII. + Prince And People. Chapters xliv.-xlvi. <span style= + "font-style: italic">passim</span>.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc69">Chapter XXIX. The + Ritual. Chapters xlv., xlvi.</a></li> + + <li style="margin-left: 2em"><a href="#toc71">Chapter XXX. Renewal + And Allotment Of The Land. Chapters xlvii., xlviii.</a></li> + + <li><a href="#toc73">Footnotes</a></li> + </ul> + </div> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-body" style= + "margin-top: 6.00em; margin-bottom: 6.00em"> + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 5.00em; margin-bottom: 5.00em"> + <p class="tei tei-p" style= + "margin-bottom: 1.00em; text-align: center"></p> + + <div class="tei tei-figure" style="width: 30%; text-align: center"> + <a href="images/cover.jpg"><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt= + "Cover Art" /></a> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">[Transcriber's + Note: The above cover image was produced by the submitter at + Distributed Proofreaders, and is being placed into the public + domain.]</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="pagev">[pg v]</span><a name="Pgv" + id="Pgv" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 5.00em; margin-top: 5.00em"> + <a name="toc1" id="toc1"></a> <a name="pdf2" id="pdf2"></a> + + <h1 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.46em; margin-top: 3.46em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 173%">Preface.</span></h1> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In this volume I + have endeavoured to present the substance of Ezekiel's prophecies in + a form intelligible to students of the English Bible. I have tried to + make the exposition a fairly adequate guide to the sense of the text, + and to supply such information as seemed necessary to elucidate the + historical importance of the prophet's teaching. Where I have + departed from the received text I have usually indicated in a note + the nature of the change introduced. Whilst I have sought to exercise + an independent judgment on all the questions touched upon, the book + has no pretensions to rank as a contribution to Old Testament + scholarship.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The works on + Ezekiel to which I am chiefly indebted are: Ewald's <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Propheten des Alten + Bundes</span></span> (vol. ii.); Smend's <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Der Prophet Ezechiel + erklärt</span></span> (<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Kurzgefasstes Exegetisches Handbuch zum A. + T.</span></span>); Cornill's <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Das Buch des Proph. Ezechiel</span></span>; and, + above all, Dr. A. B. Davidson's commentary in the <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Cambridge Bible for + Schools</span></span>, my obligations to which are almost continuous. + In a less degree I have been helped by the commentaries of Hävernick + and Orelli, by Valeton's <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Viertal Voorlezingen</span></span> <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="pagevi">[pg vi]</span><a name="Pgvi" id="Pgvi" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> (iii.), and by Gautier's <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">La Mission du Prophète + Ezechiel</span></span>. Amongst works of a more general character + special acknowledgment is due to <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">The Old Testament in + the Jewish Church</span></span> and <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">The Religion of the + Semites</span></span> by the late Dr. Robertson Smith.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">I wish also to + express my gratitude to two friends—the Rev. A. Alexander, Dundee, + and the Rev. G. Steven, Edinburgh—who have read most of the work in + manuscript or in proof, and made many valuable suggestions.</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page001">[pg 001]</span><a name= + "Pg001" id="Pg001" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 5.00em; margin-top: 5.00em"> + <a name="toc3" id="toc3"></a> <a name="pdf4" id="pdf4"></a> + + <h1 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 3.46em; margin-top: 3.46em"> + <span style="font-size: 173%">Part I. The Preparation And Call Of The + Prophet.</span></h1><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page003">[pg + 003]</span><a name="Pg003" id="Pg003" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc5" id="toc5"></a> <a name="pdf6" id="pdf6"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter I. Decline And Fall Of The + Jewish State.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ezekiel is a + prophet of the Exile. He was one of the priests who went into + captivity with King Jehoiachin in the year 597, and the whole of + his prophetic career falls after that event. Of his previous life + and circumstances we have no direct information, beyond the facts + that he was a priest and that his father's name was Buzi. One or + two inferences, however, may be regarded as reasonably certain. We + know that that first deportation of Judæans to Babylon was confined + to the nobility, the men of war, and the craftsmen (2 Kings xxiv. + 14-16); and since Ezekiel was neither a soldier nor an artisan, his + place in the train of captives must have been due to his social + position. He must have belonged to the upper ranks of the + priesthood, who formed part of the aristocracy of Jerusalem. He was + thus a member of the house of Zadok; and his familiarity with the + details of the Temple ritual makes it probable that he had actually + officiated as a priest in the national sanctuary. Moreover, a + careful study of the book gives the impression that he was no + longer a young man at the time when he received his call to the + prophetic office. He appears as one whose views of life are already + matured, who has outlived the buoyancy and enthusiasm of youth, and + learned to estimate the moral possibilities of life with the + sobriety that comes through experience. This impression is + confirmed by the fact that he was married and had a <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page004">[pg 004]</span><a name="Pg004" id="Pg004" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> house of his own from the commencement + of his work, and probably at the time of his captivity. But the + most important fact of all is that Ezekiel had lived through a + period of unprecedented public calamity, and one fraught with the + most momentous consequences for the future of religion. Moving in + the highest circles of society, in the centre of the national life, + he must have been fully cognisant of the grave events in which no + thoughtful observer could fail to recognise the tokens of the + approaching dissolution of the Hebrew state. Amongst the influences + that prepared him for his prophetic mission, a leading place must + therefore be assigned to the teaching of history; and we cannot + commence our study of his prophecies better than by a brief survey + of the course of events that led up to the turning-point of his own + career, and at the same time helped to form his conception of God's + providential dealings with His people Israel.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">At the time of + the prophet's birth the kingdom of Judah was still a nominal + dependency of the great Assyrian empire. From about the middle of + the seventh century, however, the power of Nineveh had been on the + wane. Her energies had been exhausted in the suppression of a + determined revolt in Babylonia. Media and Egypt had recovered their + independence, and there were many signs that a new crisis in the + affairs of nations was at hand.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The first + historic event which has left discernible traces in the writings of + Ezekiel is an irruption of Scythian barbarians, which took place in + the reign of Josiah (<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">c.</span></span> 626). Strangely enough, the + historical books of the Old Testament contain no record of this + remarkable invasion, although its effects on the political + situation of Judah were important and far-reaching. According to + Herodotus, Assyria was already hard pressed by the Medes, when + suddenly the Scythians burst through the passes of the <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page005">[pg 005]</span><a name="Pg005" id="Pg005" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> Caucasus, defeated the Medes, and + committed extensive ravages throughout Western Asia for a period of + twenty-eight years. They are said to have contemplated the invasion + of Egypt, and to have actually reached the Philistine territory, + when by some means they were induced to withdraw.<a id="noteref_1" + name="noteref_1" href="#note_1"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">1</span></span></a> Judah + therefore was in imminent danger, and the terror inspired by these + destructive hordes is reflected in the prophecies of Zephaniah and + Jeremiah, who saw in the northern invaders the heralds of the great + day of Jehovah. The force of the storm, however, was probably spent + before it reached Palestine, and it seems to have swept past along + the coast, leaving the mountain land of Israel untouched. Although + Ezekiel was not old enough to have remembered the panic caused by + these movements, the report of them would be one of the earliest + memories of his childhood, and it made a lasting impression on his + mind. One of his later prophecies, that against Gog, is coloured by + such reminiscences, the last judgment on the heathen being + represented under forms suggested by a Scythian invasion (chs. + xxxviii., xxxix.). We may note also that in ch. xxxii. the names of + Meshech and Tubal occur in the list of conquering nations who have + already gone down to the under-world. These northern peoples formed + the kernel of the army of Gog, and the only occasion on which they + can be supposed to have played the part of great conquerors in the + past is in connection with the Scythian devastations, in which they + probably had a share.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The withdrawal + of the Scythians from the neighbourhood of Palestine was followed + by the great reformation which made the eighteenth year of Josiah + an epoch in the history of Israel. The conscience of the nation had + been quickened by its escape from so great a peril, and the time + was favourable <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page006">[pg + 006]</span><a name="Pg006" id="Pg006" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + for carrying out the changes which were necessary in order to bring + the religious practice of the country into conformity with the + requirements of the Law. The outstanding feature of the movement + was the discovery of the book of Deuteronomy in the Temple, and the + ratification of a solemn league and covenant, by which the king, + princes, and people pledged themselves to carry out its demands. + This took place in the year 621, somewhere near the time of + Ezekiel's birth.<a id="noteref_2" name="noteref_2" href= + "#note_2"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">2</span></span></a> The + prophet's youth was therefore spent in the wake of the reformation; + and although the first hopes cherished by its promoters may have + died away before he was able to appreciate its tendencies, we may + be sure that he received from it impulses which continued with him + to the end of his life. We may perhaps allow ourselves to + conjecture that his father belonged to that section of the + priesthood which, under Hilkiah its head, co-operated with the king + in the task of reform, and desired to see a pure worship + established in the Temple. If so, we can readily understand how the + reforming spirit passed into the very fibre of Ezekiel's mind. To + how great an extent his thinking was influenced by the ideas of + Deuteronomy appears from almost every page of his prophecies.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">There was yet + another way in which the Scythian invasion influenced the prospects + of the Hebrew kingdom. Although the Scythians appear to have + rendered an immediate service to Assyria by saving Nineveh from the + first attack of the Medes, there is little doubt that their ravages + throughout the northern and western parts of the empire prepared + the way for its ultimate collapse, and weakened its hold on the + outlying provinces. Accordingly we find <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page007">[pg 007]</span><a name="Pg007" id="Pg007" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> that Josiah, in pursuance of his scheme of + reformation, exercised a freedom of action beyond the boundaries of + his own land which would not have been tolerated if Assyria had + retained her old vigour. Patriotic visions of an independent Hebrew + monarchy seem to have combined with new-born zeal for a pure + national religion to make the latter part of Josiah's reign the + short <span class="tei tei-q">“Indian summer”</span> of Israel's + national existence.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The period of + partial independence was brought to an end about 607 by the fall of + Nineveh before the united forces of the Medes and the Babylonians. + In itself this event was of less consequence to the history of + Judah than might be supposed. The Assyrian empire vanished from the + earth with a completeness which is one of the surprises of history; + but its place was taken by the new Babylonian empire, which + inherited its policy, its administration, and the best part of its + provinces. The seat of empire was transferred from Nineveh to + Babylon; but any other change which was felt at Jerusalem was due + solely to the exceptional vigour and ability of its first monarch, + Nebuchadnezzar.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The real + turning-point in the destinies of Israel came a year or two earlier + with the defeat and death of Josiah at Megiddo. About the year 608, + while the fate of Nineveh still hung in the balance, Pharaoh Necho + prepared an expedition to the Euphrates, with the object of + securing himself in the possession of Syria. It was assuredly no + feeling of loyalty to his Assyrian suzerain which prompted Josiah + to throw himself across Necho's path. He acted as an independent + monarch, and his motives were no doubt the loftiest that ever urged + a king to a dangerous, not to say foolhardy, enterprise. The zeal + with which the crusade against idolatry and false worship had been + prosecuted seems to have begotten a confidence on the part of the + king's advisers that the hand of Jehovah was <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page008">[pg 008]</span><a name="Pg008" id="Pg008" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> with them, and that His help might be + reckoned on in any undertaking entered upon in His name. One would + like to know what the prophet Jeremiah said about the venture; but + probably the defence of Jehovah's land seemed so obvious a duty of + the Davidic king that he was not even consulted. It was the + determination to maintain the inviolability of the land which was + Jehovah's sanctuary that encouraged Josiah in defiance of every + prudential consideration to endeavour by force to intercept the + passage of the Egyptian army. The disaster that followed gave the + death-blow to this illusion and the shallow optimism which sprang + from it. There was an end of idealism in politics; and the ruling + class in Jerusalem fell back on the old policy of vacillation + between Egypt and her eastern rival which had always been the snare + of Jewish statesmanship. And with Josiah's political ideal the + faith on which it was based also gave way. It seemed that the + experiment of exclusive reliance on Jehovah as the guardian of the + nation's interests had been tried and had failed, and so the death + of the last good king of Judah was a signal for a great outburst of + idolatry, in which every divine power was invoked and every form of + worship sedulously practised in order to sustain the courage of men + who were resolved to fight to the death for their national + existence.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">By the time of + Josiah's death Ezekiel was able to take an intelligent interest in + public affairs. He lived through the troubled period that ensued in + the full consciousness of its disastrous import for the fortunes of + his people, and occasional references to it are to be found in his + writings. He remembers and commiserates the sad fate of Jehoahaz, + the king of the people's choice, who was dethroned and imprisoned + by Pharaoh Necho during the short interval of Egyptian supremacy. + The next king, Jehoiakim, received the throne as a vassal of Egypt, + on the condition of paying <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page009">[pg 009]</span><a name="Pg009" id="Pg009" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> a heavy annual tribute. After the battle of + Carchemish, in which Necho was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar and + driven out of Syria, Jehoiakim transferred his allegiance to the + Babylonian monarch; but after three years' service he revolted, + encouraged no doubt by the usual promises of support from Egypt. + The incursions of marauding bands of Chaldæans, Syrians, Moabites, + and Ammonites, instigated doubtless from Babylon, kept him in play + until Nebuchadnezzar was free to devote his attention to the + western part of his empire. Before that time arrived, however, + Jehoiakim had died, and was followed by his son Jehoiachin. This + prince was hardly seated on the throne, when a Babylonian army, + with Nebuchadnezzar at its head, appeared before the gates of + Jerusalem. The siege ended in a capitulation, and the king, the + queen-mother, the army and nobility, a section of the priests and + the prophets, and all the skilled artisans were transported to + Babylonia (597).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">With this event + the history of Ezekiel may be said to begin. But in order to + understand the conditions under which his ministry was exercised, + we must try to realise the situation created by this first removal + of Judæan captives. From this time to the final capture of + Jerusalem, a period of eleven years, the national life was broken + into two streams, which ran in parallel channels, one in Judah and + the other in Babylon. The object of the captivity was of course to + deprive the nation of its natural leaders, its head and its hands, + and leave it incapable of organised resistance to the Chaldæans. In + this respect Nebuchadnezzar simply adopted the traditional policy + of the later Assyrian kings, only he applied it with much less + rigour than they were accustomed to display. Instead of making + nearly a clean sweep of the conquered population, and filling the + gap by colonists from a distant part of his empire, as had been + done in the case of Samaria, he <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page010">[pg 010]</span><a name="Pg010" id="Pg010" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> contented himself with removing the more + dangerous elements of the state, and making a native prince + responsible for the government of the country. The result showed + how greatly he had underrated the fierce and fanatical + determination which was already a part of the Jewish character. + Nothing in the whole story is more wonderful than the rapidity with + which the enfeebled remnant in Jerusalem recovered their military + efficiency, and prepared a more resolute defence than the unbroken + nation had been able to offer.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The exiles, on + the other hand, succeeded in preserving most of their national + peculiarities under the very eyes of their conquerors. Of their + temporal condition very little is known beyond the fact that they + found themselves in tolerably easy circumstances, with the + opportunity to acquire property and amass wealth. The advice which + Jeremiah sent them from Jerusalem, that they should identify + themselves with the interests of Babylon, and live settled and + orderly lives in peaceful industry and domestic happiness (Jer. + xxix. 5-7), shows that they were not treated as prisoners or as + slaves. They appear to have been distributed in villages in the + fertile territory of Babylon, and to have formed themselves into + separate communities under the elders, who were the natural + authorities in a simple Semitic society. The colony in which + Ezekiel lived was located in Tel Abib, near the <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Nahr</span></span> + (river or canal) Kebar, but neither the river nor the settlement + can now be identified. The Kebar, if not the name of an arm of the + Euphrates itself, was probably one of the numerous irrigating + canals which intersected in all parts the great alluvial plain of + the Euphrates and Tigris.<a id="noteref_3" name="noteref_3" href= + "#note_3"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">3</span></span></a> + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page011">[pg 011]</span><a name= + "Pg011" id="Pg011" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> In this settlement + the prophet had his own house, where the people were free to visit + him, and social life in all probability differed little from that + in a small provincial town in Palestine. That, to be sure, was a + great change for the quondam aristocrats of Jerusalem, but it was + not a change to which they could not readily adapt themselves.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Of much greater + importance, however, is the state of mind which prevailed amongst + these exiles. And here again the remarkable thing is their intense + preoccupation with matters national and Israelitic. A lively + intercourse with the mother country was kept up, and the exiles + were perfectly informed of all that was going on in Jerusalem. + There were, no doubt, personal and selfish reasons for their keen + interest in the doings of their countrymen at home. The antipathy + which existed between the two branches of the Jewish people was + extreme. The exiles had left their children behind them (Ezek. + xxiv. 21, 25) to suffer under the reproach of their fathers' + misfortunes. They appear also to have been compelled to sell their + estates hurriedly on the eve of their departure, and such + transactions, necessarily turning to the advantage of the + purchasers, left a deep grudge in the breasts of the sellers. Those + who remained in the land exulted in the calamity which had brought + so much profit to themselves, and thought themselves perfectly + secure in so doing because they regarded their brethren as men + driven out for their sins from Jehovah's heritage. The exiles on + their part affected the utmost contempt for the pretensions of the + upstart plebeians who were carrying things with a high hand in + Jerusalem. Like the French <span lang="fr" class="tei tei-foreign" + xml:lang="fr"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Émigrés</span></span> in the time of the + Revolution, they no doubt felt that their country was being ruined + for want of proper guidance and experienced statesmanship. Nor was + it altogether patrician prejudice that gave them this feeling of + their own superiority. <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page012">[pg + 012]</span><a name="Pg012" id="Pg012" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel regard the exiles as the better part of + the nation, and the nucleus of the Messianic community of the + future. For the present, indeed, there does not seem to have been + much to choose, in point of religious belief and practice, between + the two sections of the people. In both places the majority were + steeped in idolatrous and superstitious notions; some appear even + to have entertained the purpose of assimilating themselves to the + heathen around, and only a small minority were steadfast in their + allegiance to the national religion. Yet the exiles could not, any + more than the remnant in Judah, abandon the hope that Jehovah would + save His sanctuary from desecration. The Temple was <span class= + "tei tei-q">“the excellency of their strength, the desire of their + eyes, and that which their soul pitied”</span> (Ezek. xxiv. 21). + False prophets appeared in Babylon to prophesy smooth things, and + assure the exiles of a speedy restoration to their place in the + people of God. It was not till Jerusalem was laid in ruins, and the + Jewish state had disappeared from the earth, that the Israelites + were in a mood to understand the meaning of God's judgment, or to + learn the lessons which the prophecy of nearly two centuries had + vainly striven to inculcate.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We have now + reached the point at which the Book of Ezekiel opens, and what + remains to be told of the history of the time will be given in + connection with the prophecies on which it is fitted to throw + light. But before proceeding to consider his entrance on the + prophetic office, it will be useful to dwell for a little on what + was probably the most fruitful influence of Ezekiel's youth, the + personal influence of his contemporary and predecessor Jeremiah. + This will form the subject of the next chapter.</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page013">[pg 013]</span><a name= + "Pg013" id="Pg013" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc7" id="toc7"></a> <a name="pdf8" id="pdf8"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter II. Jeremiah And + Ezekiel.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Each of the + communities described in the last chapter was the theatre of the + activity of a great prophet. When Ezekiel began to prophesy at Tel + Abib, Jeremiah was approaching the end of his great and tragic + career. For five-and-thirty years he had been known as a prophet, + and during the latter part of that time had been the most prominent + figure in Jerusalem. For the next five years their ministries were + contemporaneous, and it is somewhat remarkable that they ignore + each other in their writings so completely as they do. We would + give a good deal to have some reference by Ezekiel to Jeremiah or + by Jeremiah to Ezekiel, but we find none. Scripture does not often + favour us with those cross-lights which prove so instructive in the + hands of a modern historian. While Jeremiah knows of the rise of + false prophets in Babylonia, and Ezekiel denounces those he had + left behind in Jerusalem, neither of these great men betrays the + slightest consciousness of the existence of the other. This silence + is specially noticeable on Ezekiel's part, because his frequent + descriptions of the state of society in Jerusalem give him abundant + opportunity to express his sympathy with the position of Jeremiah. + When we read in the twenty-second chapter that there was not found + a man to make up the fence and stand in the breach before God, we + might be tempted to conclude that he really was not aware of + Jeremiah's noble stand for righteousness in the <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page014">[pg 014]</span><a name="Pg014" id="Pg014" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> corrupt and doomed city. And yet the + points of contact between the two prophets are so numerous and so + obvious that they cannot fairly be explained by the common + operation of the Spirit of God on the minds of both. There is + nothing in the nature of prophecy to forbid the view that one + prophet learned from another, and built on the foundation which his + predecessors had laid; and when we find a parallelism so close as + that between Jeremiah and Ezekiel we are driven to the conclusion + that the influence was unusually direct, and that the whole + thinking of the younger writer had been moulded by the teaching and + example of the older.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In what way this + influence was communicated is a question on which some difference + of opinion may exist. Some writers, such as Kuenen, think that the + indebtedness of Ezekiel to Jeremiah was mainly literary. That is to + say, they hold that it must be accounted for by prolonged study on + Ezekiel's part of the written prophecies of him who was his + teacher. Kuenen surmises that this happened after the destruction + of Jerusalem, when some friends of Jeremiah arrived in Babylon, + bringing with them the completed volume of his prophecies. Before + Ezekiel proceeded to write his own prophecies, his mind is supposed + to have been so saturated with the ideas and language of Jeremiah + that every part of his book bears the impress and betrays the + influence of his predecessor. In this fact, of course, Kuenen finds + an argument for the view that Ezekiel's prophecies were written at + a comparatively late period of his life. It is difficult to speak + with confidence on some of the points raised by this hypothesis. + That the influence of Jeremiah can be traced in all parts of the + book of Ezekiel is undoubtedly true; but it is not so clear that it + can be assigned equally to all periods of Jeremiah's activity. Many + of the prophecies of Jeremiah cannot be referred to a definite + date; and we do not know what <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page015">[pg 015]</span><a name="Pg015" id="Pg015" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> means Ezekiel had of obtaining copies of + those which belong to the period after the two prophets were + separated. We know, however, that a great part of the book of + Jeremiah was in writing several years before Ezekiel was carried + away to Babylon; and we may safely assume that amongst the + treasures which he took with him into exile was the roll written by + Baruch to the dictation of Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim + (Jer. xxxvi.). Even later oracles may have reached Ezekiel either + before or during his prophetic career through the active + correspondence maintained between the exiles and Jerusalem. It is + possible, therefore, that even the literary dependence of Ezekiel + on Jeremiah may belong to a much earlier time than the final issue + of the book of Ezekiel; and if it should be found that ideas in the + earlier part of the book suggest acquaintance with a later + utterance of Jeremiah, the fact need not surprise us. It is + certainly no sufficient reason for concluding that the whole + substance of Ezekiel's prophecy had been recast under the influence + of a late perusal of the work of Jeremiah.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But, setting + aside verbal coincidences and other phenomena which suggest + literary dependence, there remains an affinity of a much deeper + kind between the teaching of the two prophets, which can only be + explained, if it is to be explained at all, by the personal + influence of the older upon the younger. And it is these more + fundamental resemblances which are of most interest for our present + purpose, because they may enable us to understand something of the + settled convictions with which Ezekiel entered on the prophet's + calling. Moreover, a comparison of the two prophets will bring out + more clearly than anything else certain aspects of the character of + Ezekiel which it is important to bear in mind. Both are men of + strongly marked individuality, and no conception <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page016">[pg 016]</span><a name="Pg016" id="Pg016" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of the age in which they lived can + safely be formed from the writings of either, taken alone.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It has been + already remarked that Jeremiah was the most conspicuous public + character of his day. If it be the case that he threw his spell + over the youthful mind of Ezekiel, the fact is the most striking + tribute to his influence that could be conceived. No two men could + differ more widely in natural temperament and character. Jeremiah + is the prophet of a dying nation, and the agony of Judah's + prolonged death-struggle is reproduced with tenfold intensity in + the inward conflict which rends the heart of the prophet. + Inexorable in his prediction of the coming doom, he confesses that + this is because he is over-mastered by the Divine power which urges + him into a path from which his nature recoiled. He deplores the + isolation which is forced upon him, the alienation of friends and + kinsmen, and the constant strife of which he is the reluctant + cause. He feels as if he could gladly shake off the burden of + prophetic responsibility and become a man amongst common men. His + human sympathies go forth towards his unhappy country, and his + heart bleeds for the misery which he sees hanging over the + misguided people, for whom he is forbidden even to pray. The tragic + conflict of his life reaches its height in those expostulations + with Jehovah which are amongst the most remarkable passages of the + Old Testament. They express the shrinking of a sensitive nature + from the inward necessity in which he was compelled to recognise + the higher truth; and the wrestling of an earnest spirit for the + assurance of his personal standing with God, when all the outward + institutions of religion were being dissolved.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">To such mental + conflicts Ezekiel was a stranger, or if he ever passed through them + the traces of them have almost vanished from his written words. He + can hardly be said to be more severe than Jeremiah; but his + severity <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page017">[pg + 017]</span><a name="Pg017" id="Pg017" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + seems more a part of himself, and more in keeping with the bent of + his disposition. He is wholly on the side of the divine + sovereignty; there is no reaction of the human sympathies against + the imperative dictates of the prophetic inspiration; he is one in + whom every thought seems brought into captivity to the word of + Jehovah. It is possible that the completeness with which Ezekiel + surrendered himself to the judicial aspect of his message may be + partly due to the fact that he had been familiar with its leading + conceptions from the teaching of Jeremiah; but it must also be due + to a certain austerity natural to him. Less emotional than + Jeremiah, his mind was more readily taken possession of by the + convictions that formed the substance of his prophetic message. He + was evidently a man of profoundly ethical habits of thought, stern + and uncompromising in his judgments, both on himself and other men, + and gifted with a strong sense of human responsibility. As his + captivity cut him off from living contact with the national life, + and enabled him to survey his country's condition with something of + the dispassionate scrutiny of a spectator, so his natural + disposition enabled him to realise in his own person that breach + with the past which was essential to the purification of religion. + He had the qualities which marked him out for the prophet of the + new order that was to be, as clearly as Jeremiah had those which + fitted him to be the prophet of a nation's dissolution. In social + standing, also, and professional training, the men were far removed + from each other. Both were priests, but Ezekiel belonged to the + house of Zadok, who officiated in the central sanctuary, while + Jeremiah's family may have been attached to one of the provincial + sanctuaries.<a id="noteref_4" name="noteref_4" href= + "#note_4"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">4</span></span></a> The + interests of the two classes of priests came <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page018">[pg 018]</span><a name="Pg018" id="Pg018" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> into sharp collision as a consequence + of Josiah's reformation. The law provided that the rural priesthood + should be admitted to the service of the Temple on equal terms with + their brethren of the sons of Zadok; but we are expressly informed + that the Temple priests successfully resisted this encroachment on + their peculiar privileges. It has been adduced by several + expositors as a proof of Ezekiel's freedom from caste prejudice, + that he was willing to learn from a man who was socially his + inferior, and who belonged to an order which he himself was to + declare unworthy of full priestly rights in the restored theocracy. + But it must be said that there was little in Jeremiah's public work + to call attention to the fact that he was by birth a priest. In the + profound spiritual sense of the Epistle to the Hebrews we may + indeed say that he was at heart a priest, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“having compassion on the ignorant and them that are + out of the way, forasmuch as he himself was compassed with + infirmity.”</span> But this quality of spiritual sympathy sprang + from his calling as a prophet rather than from his priestly + training. One of the contrasts between him and Ezekiel lies just in + the respective estimates of the worth of ritual which underlie + their teaching. Jeremiah is distinguished even among the prophets + by his indifference to the outward institutions and symbols of + religion which it is the priest's function to conserve. He stands + in the succession of Amos and Isaiah as an upholder of the purely + ethical character of the service of God. Ritual forms no essential + element of Jehovah's covenant with Israel, and it is doubtful if + his prophecies of the future contain any reference to a priestly + class or priestly ordinances.<a id="noteref_5" name="noteref_5" + href="#note_5"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">5</span></span></a> In the + present he <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page019">[pg + 019]</span><a name="Pg019" id="Pg019" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + repudiates the actual popular worship as offensive to Jehovah, and, + except in so far as he may have given his support to Josiah's + reforms, he does not concern himself to put anything better in its + place. To Ezekiel, on the contrary, a pure worship is a primary + condition of Israel's enjoyment of the fellowship of Jehovah. All + through his teaching we detect his deep sense of the religious + value of priestly ceremonies, and in the concluding vision that + underlying thought comes out clearly as a fundamental principle of + the new religious constitution. Here again we can see how each + prophet was providentially fitted for the special work assigned him + to do. To Jeremiah it was given, amidst the wreck of all the + material embodiments in which faith had clothed itself in the past, + to realise the essential truth of religion as personal communion + with God, and so to rise to the conception of a purely spiritual + religion, in which the will of God should be written in the heart + of every believer. To Ezekiel was committed the different, but not + less necessary, task of organising the religion of the immediate + future, and providing the forms which were to enshrine the truths + of revelation until the coming of Christ. And that task could not, + humanly speaking, have been performed but by one whose training and + inclination taught him to appreciate the value of those rules of + ceremonial sanctity which were the tradition of the Hebrew + priesthood.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Very closely + connected with this is the attitude of the two prophets to what we + may call the legal aspect of religion. Jeremiah seems to have + become convinced at a very early date of the insufficiency and + shallowness of the revival of religion which was expressed in the + establishment of the national covenant in the reign of Josiah. He + seems also to have discerned some of the evils which are + inseparable from a religion of the letter, in which the claims of + God are presented in the form of external laws <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page020">[pg 020]</span><a name="Pg020" id="Pg020" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> and ordinances. And these convictions + led him to the conception of a far higher manifestation of God's + redeeming grace to be realised in the future, in the form of a new + covenant, based on God's forgiving love, and operative through a + personal knowledge of God, and the law written on the heart and + mind of each member of the covenant people. That is to say, the + living principle of religion must be implanted in the heart of each + true Israelite, and his obedience must be what we call evangelical + obedience, springing from the free impulse of a nature renewed by + the knowledge of God. Ezekiel is also impressed by the failure of + the Deuteronomic covenant and the need of a new heart before Israel + is able to comply with the high requirements of the holy law of + God. But he does not appear to have been led to connect the failure + of the past with the inherent imperfection of a legal dispensation + as such. Although his teaching is full of evangelical truths, + amongst which the doctrine of regeneration holds a conspicuous + place, we yet observe that with him a man's righteousness before + God consists in acts of obedience to the objective precepts of the + divine law. This of course does not mean that Ezekiel was concerned + only about the outward act and indifferent to the spirit in which + the law was observed. But it does mean that the end of God's + dealings with His people was to bring them into a condition for + fulfilling His law, and that the great aim of the new Israel was + the faithful observance of the law which expressed the conditions + on which they could remain in communion with God. Accordingly + Ezekiel's final ideal is on a lower plane, and therefore more + immediately practicable, than that of Jeremiah. Instead of a purely + spiritual anticipation expressing the essential nature of the + perfect relation between God and man, Ezekiel presents us with a + definite, clearly conceived vision of a new theocracy—a state which + is to be the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page021">[pg + 021]</span><a name="Pg021" id="Pg021" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + outward embodiment of Jehovah's will and in which life is minutely + regulated by His law.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">If in spite of + such wide differences of temperament, of education, and of + religious experience, we find nevertheless a substantial agreement + in the teaching of the two prophets, we must certainly recognise in + this a striking evidence of the stability of that conception of God + and His providence which was in the main a product of Hebrew + prophecy. It is not necessary here to enumerate all the points of + coincidence between Jeremiah and Ezekiel; but it will be of + advantage to indicate a few salient features which they have in + common. Of these one of the most important is their conception of + the prophetic office. It can hardly be doubted that on this subject + Ezekiel had learned much both from observation of Jeremiah's career + and from the study of his writings. He knew something of what it + meant to be a prophet to Israel before he himself received the + prophet's commission; and after he had received it his experience + ran closely parallel with that of his master. The idea of the + prophet as a man standing alone for God amidst a hostile world, + surrounded on every side by threats and opposition, was impressed + on each of them from the outset of his ministry. To be a true + prophet one must know how to confront men with an inflexibility + equal to theirs, sustained only by a divine power which assures him + of ultimate victory. He is cut off, not only from the currents of + opinion which play around him, but from all share in common joys + and sorrows, living a solitary life in sympathy with a God justly + alienated from His people. This attitude of antagonism to the + people, as Jeremiah well knew, had been the common fate of all true + prophets. What is characteristic of him and Ezekiel is that they + both enter on their work in the full consciousness of the stern and + hopeless nature of their task. Isaiah knew from the day he became + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page022">[pg 022]</span><a name= + "Pg022" id="Pg022" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> a prophet that the + effect of his teaching would be to harden the people in unbelief; + but he says nothing of personal enmity and persecution to be faced + from the outset. But now the crisis of the people's fate has + arrived, and the relations between the prophet and his age become + more and more strained as the great controversy approaches its + decision.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Another point of + agreement which may be here mentioned is the estimate of Israel's + sin. Ezekiel goes further than Jeremiah in the way of condemnation, + regarding the whole history of Israel as an unbroken record of + apostasy and rebellion, while Jeremiah at least looks back to the + desert wandering as a time when the ideal relation between Israel + and Jehovah was maintained. But on the whole, and especially with + respect to the present state of the nation, their judgment is + substantially one. The source of all the religious and moral + disorders of the nation is infidelity to Jehovah, which is + manifested in the worship of false gods and reliance on the help of + foreign nations. Specially noteworthy is the frequent recurrence in + Jeremiah and Ezekiel of the figure of <span class= + "tei tei-q">“whoredom,”</span> an idea introduced into prophecy by + Hosea to describe these two sins. The extension of the figure to + the false worship of Jehovah by images and other idolatrous emblems + can also be traced to Hosea; and in Ezekiel it is sometimes + difficult to say which species of idolatry he has in view, whether + it be the actual worship of other gods or the unlawful worship of + the true God. His position is that an unspiritual worship implies + an unspiritual deity, and that such service as was performed at the + ordinary sanctuaries could by no possibility be regarded as + rendered to the true God who spoke through the prophets. From this + fountain-head of a corrupted religious sense proceed all those + immoral practices which both prophets stigmatise as <span class= + "tei tei-q">“abominations”</span> and as a defilement of the land + of <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page023">[pg 023]</span><a name= + "Pg023" id="Pg023" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> Jehovah. Of these + the most startling is the prevalent sacrifice of children to which + they both bear witness, although, as we shall afterwards see, with + a characteristic difference in their point of view.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The whole + picture, indeed, which Jeremiah and Ezekiel present of contemporary + society is appalling in the extreme. Making all allowance for the + practical motive of the prophetic invective, which always aims at + conviction of sin, we cannot doubt that the state of things was + sufficiently serious to mark Judah as ripe for judgment. The very + foundations of society were sapped by the spread of licence and + high-handed violence through all classes of the community. The + restraints of religion had been loosened by the feeling that + Jehovah had forsaken the land, and nobles, priests, and prophets + plunged into a career of wickedness and oppression which made + salvation of the existing nation impossible. The guilt of Jerusalem + is symbolised to both prophets in the innocent blood which stains + her skirts and cries to heaven for vengeance. The tendencies which + are uppermost are the evil legacy of the days of Manasseh, when, in + the judgment of Jeremiah and the historian of the books of + Kings,<a id="noteref_6" name="noteref_6" href= + "#note_6"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">6</span></span></a> the + nation sinned beyond hope of mercy. In painting his lurid pictures + of social degeneracy Ezekiel is no doubt drawing on his own memory + and information; nevertheless the forms in which his indictment is + cast show that even in this matter he has learned to look on things + with the eyes of his great teacher.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is scarcely + necessary to add that both prophets anticipate a speedy downfall of + the state and its restoration in a more glorious form after a short + interval, fixed by Jeremiah at seventy years and by Ezekiel at + forty years. The restoration is regarded as final, and as embracing + both <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page024">[pg 024]</span><a name= + "Pg024" id="Pg024" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> branches of the + Hebrew nation, the kingdom of the ten tribes as well as the house + of Judah. The Messianic hope in Ezekiel appears in a form similar + to that in which it is presented by Jeremiah; in neither prophet is + the figure of the ideal King so prominent as in the prophecies of + Isaiah. The similarity between the two is all the more noteworthy + as an evidence of dependence, because Ezekiel's final outlook is + towards a state of things in which the Prince has a somewhat + subordinate position assigned to Him. Both prophets, again + following Hosea, regard the spiritual renewal of the people as the + effect of chastisement in exile. Those parts of the nation which go + first into banishment are the first to be brought under the + salutary influences of God's providential discipline; and hence we + find that Jeremiah adopts a more hopeful tone in speaking of + Samaria and the captives of 597 than in his utterances to those who + remained in the land. This conviction was shared by Ezekiel, in + spite of his daily contact with abominations from which his whole + nature revolted. It has been supposed that Ezekiel lived long + enough to see that no such spiritual transformation was to be + wrought by the mere fact of captivity, and that, despairing of a + general and spontaneous conversion, he put his hand to the work of + practical reform as if he would secure by legislation the results + which he had once expected as fruits of repentance. If the prophet + had ever expected that punishment of itself would work a change in + the religious condition of his countrymen, there might have been + room for such a disenchantment as is here assumed. But there is no + evidence that he ever looked for anything else than a regeneration + of the people in captivity by the supernatural working of the + divine Spirit; and that the final vision is meant to help out the + divine plan by human policy is a suggestion negatived by the whole + scope of the book. It may be true that his practical activity in + the present was directed to preparing individual men for + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page025">[pg 025]</span><a name= + "Pg025" id="Pg025" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> the coming + salvation; but that was no more than any spiritual teacher must + have done in a time recognised as a period of transition. The + vision of the restored theocracy presupposes a national + resurrection and a national repentance. And on the face of it it is + such that man can take no step towards its accomplishment until God + has prepared the way by creating the conditions of a perfect + religious community, both the moral conditions in the mind of the + people and the outward conditions in the miraculous transformation + of the land in which they are to dwell.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Most of the + points here touched upon will have to be more fully treated in the + course of our exposition, and other affinities between the two + great prophets will have to be noticed as we proceed. Enough has + perhaps been said to show that Ezekiel's thinking has been + profoundly influenced by Jeremiah, that the influence extends not + only to the form but also to the substance of his teaching, and can + therefore only be explained by early impressions received by the + younger prophet in the days before the word of the Lord had come to + him.</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page026">[pg 026]</span><a name= + "Pg026" id="Pg026" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc9" id="toc9"></a> <a name="pdf10" id="pdf10"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter III. The Vision Of The Glory + Of God. Chapter i.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It might be + hazardous to attempt, from the general considerations advanced in + the last two chapters, to form a conception of Ezekiel's state of + mind during the first few years of his captivity. If, as we have + found reason to believe, he had already come under the influence of + Jeremiah, he must have been in some measure prepared for the blow + which had descended on him. Torn from the duties of the office + which he loved, and driven in upon himself, Ezekiel must no doubt + have meditated deeply on the sin and the prospects of his people. + From the first he must have stood aloof from his fellow-exiles, + who, led by their false prophets, began to dream of the fall of + Babylon and a speedy return to their own land. He knew that the + calamity which had befallen them was but the first instalment of a + sweeping judgment before which the old Israel must utterly perish. + Those who remained in Jerusalem were reserved for a worse fate than + those who had been carried away; but so long as the latter remained + impenitent there was no hope even for them of an alleviation of the + bitterness of their lot. Such thoughts, working in a mind naturally + severe in its judgments, may have already produced that attitude of + alienation from the whole life of his companions in misfortune + which dominates the first period of his prophetic career. But these + convictions did not make Ezekiel a prophet. He had as yet + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page027">[pg 027]</span><a name= + "Pg027" id="Pg027" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> no independent + message from God, no sure perception of the issue of events, or the + path which Israel must follow in order to reach the blessedness of + the future. It was not till the fifth year of his captivity<a id= + "noteref_7" name="noteref_7" href="#note_7"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">7</span></span></a> that + the inward change took place which brought him into Jehovah's + counsel, and disclosed to him the outlines of all his future work, + and endowed him with the courage to stand forth amongst his people + as the spokesman of Jehovah.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Like other great + prophets whose personal experience is recorded, Ezekiel became + conscious of his prophetic vocation through a vision of God. The + form in which Jehovah first appeared to him is described with great + minuteness of detail in the first chapter of his book. It would + seem that in some hour of solitary meditation by the river Kebar + his attention was attracted to a storm-cloud forming in the north + and advancing toward him across the plain. The cloud may have been + an actual phenomenon, the natural basis of the theophany which + follows. Falling into a state of ecstasy, the prophet sees the + cloud grow luminous with an unearthly splendour. From the midst of + it there shines a brightness which he compares to the lustre of + electron.<a id="noteref_8" name="noteref_8" href= + "#note_8"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">8</span></span></a> Looking + more closely, <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page028">[pg + 028]</span><a name="Pg028" id="Pg028" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + he discerns four living creatures, of strange composite form,—human + in general appearance, but winged; and each having four heads + combining the highest types of animal life—man, lion, ox, and + eagle. These are afterwards identified with the cherubim of the + Temple symbolism (ch. x. 20); but some features of the conception + may have been suggested by the composite animal figures of + Babylonian art, with which the prophet must have been already + familiar. The interior space is occupied by a hearth of glowing + coals, from which lightning-flashes constantly dart to and fro + between the cherubim. Beside each cherub is a wheel, formed + apparently of two wheels intersecting each other at right angles. + The appearance of the wheels is like <span class= + "tei tei-q">“chrysolite,”</span> and their rims are filled with + eyes, denoting the intelligence by which their motions are + directed. The wheels and the cherubim together embody the + spontaneous energy by which the throne of God is transported + whither He wills; although there is no mechanical connection + between them, they are represented as animated by a common spirit, + directing all their motions in perfect harmony. Over the heads and + out-stretched wings of the cherubim is a rigid pavement or + <span class="tei tei-q">“firmament,”</span> like crystal; and above + this a sapphire stone<a id="noteref_9" name="noteref_9" href= + "#note_9"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">9</span></span></a> + supporting the throne of Jehovah. The divine Being is seen in the + likeness of a man; and around Him, as if to temper the fierceness + of the light in which He dwells, is a radiance like that of the + rainbow. It will be noticed that while Ezekiel's imagination dwells + on what we must consider the accessories of the vision—the fire, + the cherubim, the wheels—he hardly dares to lift his eyes to the + person of Jehovah Himself. The full meaning of what he is passing + through only dawns on him when he realises that he is in the + presence of the Almighty. Then he <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page029">[pg 029]</span><a name="Pg029" id="Pg029" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> falls on his face overpowered by the sense of + his own insignificance.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">There is no + reason to doubt that what is thus described represents an actual + experience on the part of the prophet. It is not to be regarded + merely as a conscious clothing of spiritual truths in symbolic + imagery. The <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">description</span></em> of a vision is of + course a conscious exercise of literary faculty; and in all such + cases it must be difficult to distinguish what a prophet actually + saw and heard in the moment of inspiration from the details which + he was compelled to add in order to convey an intelligible picture + to the minds of his readers. It is probable that in the case of + Ezekiel the element of free invention has a larger range than in + the less elaborate descriptions which other prophets give of their + visions. But this does not detract from the force of the prophet's + own assertion that what he relates was based on a real and definite + experience when in a state of prophetic ecstasy. This is expressed + by the words <span class="tei tei-q">“the hand of Jehovah was upon + him”</span> (ver. 3)—a phrase which is invariably used throughout + the book to denote the prophet's peculiar mental condition when the + communication of divine truth was accompanied by experiences of a + visionary order. Moreover, the account given of the state in which + this vision left him shows that his natural consciousness had been + overpowered by the pressure of super-sensible realities on his + spirit. He tells us that he went <span class="tei tei-q">“in + bitterness, in the heat of his spirit, the hand of the Lord being + heavy upon him; and came to the exiles at Tel-abib, ... and sat + there seven days stupefied in their midst”</span> (ch. iii. 14, + 15).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now whatever be + the ultimate nature of the prophetic vision, its significance for + us would appear to lie in the untrammelled working of the prophet's + imagination under the influence of spiritual perceptions which are + too profound to be expressed as abstract ideas. The prophet's + consciousness <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page030">[pg + 030]</span><a name="Pg030" id="Pg030" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + is not suspended, for he remembers his vision and reflects on its + meaning afterwards; but his intercourse with the outer world + through the senses is interrupted, so that his mind moves freely + amongst images stored in his memory, and new combinations are + formed which embody a truth not previously apprehended. The + <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">tableau</span></em> of the vision is therefore + always capable to some extent of a psychological explanation. The + elements of which it is composed must have been already present in + the mind of the prophet, and in so far as these can be traced to + their sources we are enabled to understand their symbolic import in + the novel combination in which they appear. But the real + significance of the vision lies in the immediate impression left on + the mind of the prophet by the divine realities which govern his + life, and this is especially true of the vision of God Himself + which accompanies the call to the prophetic office. Although no + vision can express the whole of a prophet's conception of God, yet + it represents to the imagination certain fundamental aspects of the + divine nature and of God's relation to the world and to men; and + through all his subsequent career the prophet will be influenced by + the form in which he once beheld the great Being whose words come + to him from time to time. To his later reflection the vision + becomes a symbol of certain truths about God, although in the first + instance the symbol was created for him by a mysterious operation + of the divine Spirit in a process over which he had no control. In + one respect Ezekiel's inaugural vision seems to possess a greater + importance for his theology than is the case with any other + prophet. With the other prophets the vision is a momentary + experience, of which the spiritual meaning passes into the thinking + of the prophet, but which does not recur again in the visionary + form. With Ezekiel, on the other hand, the vision becomes a fixed + and permanent symbol of Jehovah, appearing <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page031">[pg 031]</span><a name="Pg031" id="Pg031" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> again and again in precisely the same form as + often as the reality of God's presence is impressed on his + mind.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The essential + question, then, with regard to Ezekiel's vision is, What revelation + of God or what ideas respecting God did it serve to impress on the + mind of the prophet? It may help us to answer that question if we + begin by considering certain affinities which it presents to the + great vision which opened the ministry of Isaiah. It must be + admitted that Ezekiel's experience is much less intelligible as + well as less impressive than Isaiah's. In Isaiah's delineation we + recognise the presence of qualities which belong to genius of the + highest order. The perfect balance of form and idea, the reticence + which suggests without exhausting the significance of what is seen, + the fine artistic sense which makes every touch in the picture + contribute to the rendering of the emotion which fills the + prophet's soul, combine to make the sixth chapter of Isaiah one of + the most sublime passages in literature. No sympathetic reader can + fail to catch the impression which the passage is intended to + convey of the awful majesty of the God of Israel, and the effect + produced on a frail and sinful mortal ushered into that holy + Presence. We are made to feel how inevitably such a vision gives + birth to the prophetic impulse, and how both vision and impulse + inform the mind of the seer with the clear and definite purpose + which rules all his subsequent work.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The point in + which Ezekiel's vision differs most strikingly from Isaiah's is the + almost entire suppression of his subjectivity. This is so complete + that it becomes difficult to apprehend the meaning of the vision in + relation to his thought and activity. Spiritual realities are so + overlaid with symbolism that the narrative almost fails to reflect + the mental state in which he was consecrated for the work of his + life. Isaiah's vision is a drama, Ezekiel's is a spectacle; in the + one religious truth is <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page032">[pg + 032]</span><a name="Pg032" id="Pg032" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + expressed in a series of significant actions and words, in the + other it is embodied in forms and splendours that appeal only to + the eye. One fact may be noted in illustration of the diversity + between the two representations. The scenery of Isaiah's vision is + interpreted and spiritualised by the medium of language. The + seraphs' hymn of adoration strikes the note which is the central + thought of the vision, and the exclamation which breaks from the + prophet's lips reveals the impact of that great truth on a human + spirit. The whole scene is thus lifted out of the region of mere + symbolism into that of pure religious ideas. Ezekiel's, on the + other hand, is like a song without words. His cherubim are + speechless. While the rustling of their wings and the thunder of + the revolving wheels break on his ear like the sound of mighty + waters, no articulate voice bears home to the mind the inner + meaning of what he beholds. Probably he himself felt no need of it. + The pictorial character of his thinking appears in many features of + his work; and it is not surprising to find that the import of the + revelation is expressed mainly in visual images.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now these + differences are in their own place very instructive, because they + show how intimately the vision is related to the individuality of + him who receives it, and how even in the most exalted moments of + inspiration the mind displays the same tendencies which + characterise its ordinary operations. Yet Ezekiel's vision + represents a spiritual experience not less real than Isaiah's. His + mental endowments are of a different order, of a lower order if you + will, than those of Isaiah; but the essential fact that he too saw + the glory of God and in that vision obtained the insight of the + true prophet is not to be explained away by analysis of his + literary talent or of the sources from which his images are + derived. It is allowable to write worse Greek than Plato; and it is + no disqualification for a Hebrew prophet to lack the grandeur + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page033">[pg 033]</span><a name= + "Pg033" id="Pg033" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of imagination and + the mastery of style which are the notes of Isaiah's genius.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In spite of + their obvious dissimilarities the two visions have enough in common + to show that Ezekiel's thoughts concerning God had been largely + influenced by the study of Isaiah. Truths that had perhaps long + been latent in his mind now emerge into clear consciousness, + clothed in forms which bear the impress of the mind in which they + were first conceived. The fundamental idea is the same in each + vision: the absolute and universal sovereignty of God. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of + hosts.”</span> Jehovah appears in human form, seated on a throne + and attended by ministering creatures which serve to show forth + some part of His glory. In the one case they are seraphim, in the + other cherubim; and the functions imposed on them by the structure + of the vision are very diverse in the two cases. But the points in + which they agree are more significant than those in which they + differ. They are the agents through whom Jehovah exercises His + sovereign authority, beings full of life and intelligence and + moving in swift response to His will. Although free from earthly + imperfection they cover themselves with their wings before His + majesty, in token of the reverence which is due from the creature + in presence of the Creator. For the rest they are symbolic figures + embodying in themselves certain attributes of the Deity, or certain + aspects of His kingship. Nor can Ezekiel any more than Isaiah think + of Jehovah as the King apart from the emblems associated with the + worship of His earthly sanctuary. The cherubim themselves are + borrowed from the imagery of the Temple, although their forms are + different from those which stood in the Holy of holies. So again + the altar, which was naturally suggested to Isaiah by the scene of + his vision being laid in the Temple, appears in Ezekiel's vision in + the form of the hearth of <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page034">[pg + 034]</span><a name="Pg034" id="Pg034" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + glowing coals which is under the divine throne. It is true that the + fire symbolises destructive might rather than purifying energy (see + ch. x. 2), but it can hardly be doubted that the origin of the + symbol is the altar-hearth of the sanctuary and of Isaiah's vision. + It is as if the essence of the Temple and its worship were + transferred to the sphere of heavenly realities where Jehovah's + glory is fully manifested. All this, therefore, is nothing more + than the embodiment of the fundamental truth of the Old Testament + religion—that Jehovah is the almighty King of heaven and earth, + that He executes His sovereign purposes with irresistible power, + and that it is the highest privilege of men on earth to render to + Him the homage and adoration which the sight of His glory draws + forth from heavenly beings.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The idea of + Jehovah's kingship, however, is presented in the Old Testament + under two aspects. On the one hand, it denotes the moral + sovereignty of God over the people whom He had chosen as His own + and to whom His will was continuously revealed as the guide of + their national and social life. On the other hand, it denotes God's + absolute dominion over the forces of nature and the events of + history, in virtue of which all things are the unconscious + instruments of His purposes. These two truths can never be + separated, although the emphasis is laid sometimes on the one and + sometimes on the other. Thus in Isaiah's vision the emphasis lies + perhaps more on the doctrine of Jehovah's kingship over Israel. It + is true that He is at the same time represented as One whose glory + is the <span class="tei tei-q">“fulness of the whole earth,”</span> + and who therefore manifests His power and presence in every part of + His world-wide dominions. But the fact that Jehovah's palace is the + idealised Temple of Jerusalem suggests at once, what all the + teaching of the prophet confirms, that the nation of Israel is the + special sphere within which His kingly <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page035">[pg 035]</span><a name="Pg035" id="Pg035" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> authority is to obtain practical recognition. + While no man had a firmer grasp of the truth that God wields all + natural forces and overrules the actions of men in carrying out His + providential designs, yet the leading ideas of His ministry are + those which spring from the thought of Jehovah's presence in the + midst of His people and the obligation that lies on Israel to + recognise His sovereignty. He is, to use Isaiah's own expression, + the <span class="tei tei-q">“Holy One of Israel.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This aspect of + the divine kingship is undoubtedly represented in the vision of + Ezekiel. We have remarked that the imagery of the vision is to some + extent moulded on the idea of the sanctuary as the seat of + Jehovah's government, and we shall find later on that the final + resting-place of this emblem of His presence is a restored + sanctuary in the land of Canaan. But the circumstances under which + Ezekiel was called to be a prophet required that prominence should + be given to the complementary truth that the kingship of Jehovah + was independent of His special relation to Israel. For the present + the tie between Jehovah and His land was dissolved. Israel had + disowned her divine King, and was left to suffer the consequences + of her disloyalty. Hence it is that the vision appears, not from + the direction of Jerusalem, but <span class="tei tei-q">“out of the + north,”</span> in token that God has departed from His Temple and + abandoned it to its enemies. In this way the vision granted to the + exiled prophet on the plain of Babylonia embodied a truth opposed + to the religious prejudices of his time, but reassuring to + himself—that the fall of Israel leaves the essential sovereignty of + Jehovah untouched; that He still lives and reigns, although His + people are trodden underfoot by worshippers of other gods. But more + than this, we can see that on the whole the tendency of Ezekiel's + vision, as distinguished from that of Isaiah, is to emphasise the + universality of Jehovah's <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page036">[pg + 036]</span><a name="Pg036" id="Pg036" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + relations to the world of nature and of mankind. His throne rests + here on a sapphire stone, the symbol of heavenly purity, to signify + that His true dwelling-place is above the firmament, in the + heavens, which are equally near to every region of the earth. + Moreover, it is mounted on a chariot, by which it is moved from + place to place with a velocity which suggests ubiquity, and the + chariot is borne by <span class="tei tei-q">“living + creatures”</span> whose forms unite all that is symbolical of power + and dignity in the living world. Further, the shape of the chariot, + which is foursquare, and the disposition of the wheels and + cherubim, which is such that there is no before or behind, but the + same front presented to each of the four quarters of the globe, + indicate that all parts of the universe are alike accessible to the + presence of God. Finally, the wheels and the cherubim are covered + with eyes, to denote that all things are open to the view of Him + who sits on the throne. The attributes of God here symbolised are + those which express His relations to created existence as a + whole—omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience. These ideas are + obviously incapable of adequate representation by any sensuous + image—they can only be suggested to the mind; and it is just the + effort to suggest such transcendental attributes that imparts to + the vision the character of obscurity which attaches to so many of + its details.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Another point of + comparison between Isaiah and Ezekiel is suggested by the name + which the latter constantly uses for the appearance which he sees, + or rather perhaps for that part of it which represents the personal + appearance of God. He calls it the <span class="tei tei-q">“glory + of Jehovah,”</span> or <span class="tei tei-q">“glory of the God of + Israel.”</span> The word for glory (<span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">kābôd</span></span>) is used in a variety of + senses in the Old Testament. Etymologically it comes from a root + expressing the idea of heaviness. When used, as here, concretely, + it signifies that which is the outward manifestation of power or + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page037">[pg 037]</span><a name= + "Pg037" id="Pg037" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> worth or dignity. In + human affairs it may be used of a man's wealth, or the pomp and + circumstance of military array, or the splendour and pageantry of a + royal court, those things which oppress the minds of common men + with a sense of magnificence. In like manner, when applied to God, + it denotes some reflection in the outer world of His majesty, + something that at once reveals and conceals His essential Godhead. + Now we remember that the second line of the seraphs' hymn conveyed + to Isaiah's mind this thought, that <span class="tei tei-q">“that + which fills the whole earth is His glory.”</span> What is this + <span class="tei tei-q">“filling of the whole earth”</span> in + which the prophet sees the effulgence of the divine glory? Is his + feeling akin to Wordsworth's</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-left: 3.60em; margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-right: 3.60em; margin-top: 1.80em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-top: 0.90em; margin-bottom: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 18.00em; text-align: left"> + <span class="tei tei-q" style="text-align: left"><span style= + "font-size: 90%">“</span><span style="font-size: 90%">sense + sublime</span></span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Of something far more deeply + interfused,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Whose dwelling is the light of + setting suns,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And the round ocean, and the + living air,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span class="tei tei-q" style="text-align: left"><span style= + "font-size: 90%">And the blue sky, and in the mind of + man</span><span style= + "font-size: 90%">”</span></span><span style= + "font-size: 90%">?</span> + </div> + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">At least the + words must surely mean that all through nature Isaiah recognised + that which declares the glory of God, and therefore in some sense + reveals Him. Although they do not teach a doctrine of the divine + immanence, they contain all that is religiously valuable in that + doctrine. In Ezekiel, however, we find nothing that looks in this + direction. It is characteristic of his thoughts about God that the + very word <span class="tei tei-q">“glory”</span> which Isaiah uses + of something diffused through the earth is here employed to express + the concentration of all divine qualities in a single image of + dazzling splendour, but belonging to heaven rather than to earth. + Glory is here equivalent to brightness, as in the ancient + conception of the bright cloud which led the people through the + desert and that which filled the Temple with overpowering light + when Jehovah took possession of it (2 Chron. vii. 1-3). In a + striking passage of his last <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page038">[pg 038]</span><a name="Pg038" id="Pg038" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> vision Ezekiel describes how this scene will + be repeated when Jehovah returns to take up His abode amongst His + people and the earth will be lighted up with His glory (ch. xliii. + 2). But meanwhile it may seem to us that earth is left poorer by + the loss of that aspect of nature in which Isaiah discovered a + revelation of the divine.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ezekiel is + conscious that what he has seen is after all but an imperfect + semblance of the essential glory of God on which no mortal eye can + gaze. All that he describes is expressly said to be an <span class= + "tei tei-q">“appearance”</span> and a <span class= + "tei tei-q">“likeness.”</span> When he comes to speak of the divine + form in which the whole revelation culminates he can say no more + than that it is the <span class="tei tei-q">“appearance of the + likeness of the glory of Jehovah.”</span> The prophet appears to + realise his inability to penetrate behind the appearance to the + reality which it shadows forth. The clearest vision of God which + the mind of man can receive is an after-look like that which was + vouchsafed to Moses when the divine presence had passed by (Exod. + xxxiii. 23). So it was with Ezekiel. The true revelation that came + to him was not in what he saw with his eyes in the moment of his + initiation, but in the intuitive knowledge of God which from that + hour he possessed, and which enabled him to interpret more fully + than he could have done at the time the significance of his first + memorable meeting with the God of Israel. What he retained in his + waking hours was first of all a vivid sense of the reality of God's + being, and then a mental picture suggesting those attributes which + lay at the foundation of his prophetic ministry.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is easy to + see how this vision dominates all Ezekiel's thinking about the + divine nature. The God whom he saw was in the form of a man, and so + the God of his conscience is a moral person to whom he fearlessly + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page039">[pg 039]</span><a name= + "Pg039" id="Pg039" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> ascribes the parts + and even the passions of humanity. He speaks through the prophet in + the language of royal authority, as a king who will brook no rival + in the affections of his people. As King of Israel He asserts His + determination to reign over them with a mighty hand, and by mingled + goodness and severity to break their stubborn heart and bend them + to His purpose. There are perhaps other and more subtle affinities + between the symbol of the vision and the prophet's inner + consciousness of God. Just as the vision gathers up all in nature + that suggests divinity into one resplendent image, so it is also + with the moral action of God as conceived by Ezekiel. His + government of the world is self-centred; all the ends which He + pursues in His providence lie within Himself. His dealings with the + nations, and with Israel in particular, are dictated by regard for + His own glory, or, as Ezekiel expresses it, by pity for His great + name. <span class="tei tei-q">“Not for your sake do I act, O house + of Israel, but for My holy name, which ye have profaned among the + heathen whither ye went”</span> (ch. xxxvi. 22). The relations into + which He enters with men are all subordinate to the supreme purpose + of <span class="tei tei-q">“sanctifying”</span> Himself in the eyes + of the world or manifesting Himself as He truly is. It is no doubt + possible to exaggerate this feature of Ezekiel's theology in a way + that would be unjust to the prophet. After all, Jehovah's desire to + be known as He is implies a regard for His creatures which includes + the ultimate intention to bless them. It is but an extreme + expression in the form necessary for that time of the truth to + which all the prophets bear witness, that the knowledge of God is + the indispensable condition of true blessedness to men. Still, the + difference is marked between the <span class="tei tei-q">“not for + your sake”</span> of Ezekiel and the <span class="tei tei-q">“human + bands, the cords of love”</span> of which Hosea speaks, the + yearning and compassionate affection that binds Jehovah to His + erring people.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page040">[pg + 040]</span><a name="Pg040" id="Pg040" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In another + respect the symbolism of the vision may be taken as an emblem of + the Hebrew conception of the universe. The Bible has no scientific + theory of God's relation to the world; but it is full of the + practical conviction that all nature responds to His behests, that + all occurrences are indications of His mind, the whole realm of + nature and history being governed by one Will which works for moral + ends. That conviction is as deeply rooted in the thinking of + Ezekiel as in that of any other prophet, and, consciously or + unconsciously, it is reflected in the structure of the <span lang= + "he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">merkābā</span></span>, or heavenly chariot, + which has no mechanical connection between its different parts, and + yet is animated by one spirit and moves altogether at the impulse + of Jehovah's will.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It will be seen + that the general tendency of Ezekiel's conception of God is what + might be described in modern language as <span class= + "tei tei-q">“transcendental.”</span> In this, however, the prophet + does not stand alone, and the difference between him and earlier + prophets is not so great as is sometimes represented. Indeed, the + contrast between transcendent and immanent is hardly applicable in + the Old Testament religion. If by transcendence it is meant that + God is a being distinct from the world, not losing Himself in the + life of nature, but ruling over it and controlling it as His + instrument, then all the inspired writers of the Old Testament are + transcendentalists. But this does not mean that God is separated + from the human spirit by a dead, mechanical universe which owes + nothing to its Creator but its initial impulse and its governing + laws. The idea that a world could come between man and God is one + that would never have occurred to a prophet. Just because God is + above the world He can reveal Himself directly to the spirit of + man, speaking to His servants face to face as a man speaketh to his + friend.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But frequently + in the prophets the thought is expressed <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page041">[pg 041]</span><a name="Pg041" id="Pg041" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> that Jehovah is <span class="tei tei-q">“far + off”</span> or <span class="tei tei-q">“comes from far”</span> in + the crises of His people's history. <span class="tei tei-q">“Am I a + God at hand, saith Jehovah, and not a God afar off?”</span> is + Jeremiah's question to the false prophets of his day; and the + answer is, <span class="tei tei-q">“Do not I fill heaven and earth? + saith Jehovah.”</span> On this subject we may quote the suggestive + remarks of a recent commentator on Isaiah: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“The local deities, the gods of the tribal religions, + are near; Jehovah is far, but at the same time everywhere present. + The remoteness of Jehovah in space represented to the prophets + better than our transcendental abstractions Jehovah's absolute + ascendency. This <span class="tei tei-q">‘far off’</span> is spoken + with enthusiasm. Everywhere and nowhere, Jehovah comes when His + hour is come.”</span><a id="noteref_10" name="noteref_10" href= + "#note_10"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">10</span></span></a> That + is the idea of Ezekiel's vision. God comes to him <span class= + "tei tei-q">“from far,”</span> but He comes very near. Our + difficulty may be to realise the nearness of God. Scientific + discovery has so enlarged our view of the material universe that we + feel the need of every consideration that can bring home to us a + sense of the divine condescension and interest in man's earthly + history and his spiritual welfare. But the difficulty which beset + the ordinary Israelite even so late as the Exile was as nearly as + possible the opposite of ours. His temptation was to think of God + as only a God <span class="tei tei-q">“at hand,”</span> a local + deity, whose range of influence was limited to a particular spot, + and whose power was measured by the fortunes of His own people. + Above all things he needed to learn that God was <span class= + "tei tei-q">“afar off,”</span> filling heaven and earth, that His + power was exerted everywhere, and that there was no place where + either a man could hide himself from God or God was hidden from + man. When we bear in mind these circumstances we can see how + needful was the revelation of the divine omnipresence as a step + towards the perfect knowledge of God which comes to us through + Jesus Christ.</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page042">[pg 042]</span><a name= + "Pg042" id="Pg042" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc11" id="toc11"></a> <a name="pdf12" id="pdf12"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter IV. Ezekiel's Prophetic + Commission. Chapters ii., iii.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The call of a + prophet and the vision of God which sometimes accompanied it are + the two sides of one complex experience. The man who has truly seen + God necessarily has a message to men. Not only are his spiritual + perceptions quickened and all the powers of his being stirred to + the highest activity, but there is laid on his conscience the + burden of a sacred duty and a lifelong vocation to the service of + God and man. The true prophet therefore is one who can say with + Paul, <span class="tei tei-q">“I was not disobedient to the + heavenly vision,”</span> for that cannot be a real vision of God + which does not demand obedience. And of the two elements the call + is the one that is indispensable to the idea of a prophet. We can + conceive a prophet without an ecstatic vision, but not without a + consciousness of being chosen by God for a special work or a sense + of moral responsibility for the faithful declaration of His truth. + Whether, as with Isaiah and Ezekiel, the call springs out of the + vision of God, or whether, as with Jeremiah, the call comes first + and is supplemented by experiences of a visionary kind, the + essential fact in the prophet's initiation always is the conviction + that from a certain period in his life the word of Jehovah came to + him, and along with it the feeling of personal obligation to God + for the discharge of a mission entrusted to him. While the vision + merely serves to <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page043">[pg + 043]</span><a name="Pg043" id="Pg043" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + impress on the imagination by means of symbols a certain conception + of God's being, and may be dispensed with when symbols are no + longer the necessary vehicle of spiritual truth, the call, as + conveying a sense of one's true place in the kingdom of God, can + never be wanting to any man who has a prophetic work to do for God + amongst his fellow-men.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It has been + already hinted that in the case of Ezekiel the connection between + the call and the vision is less obvious than in that of Isaiah. The + character of the narrative undergoes a change at the beginning of + ch. ii. The first part is moulded, as we have seen, very largely on + the inaugural vision of Isaiah; the second betrays with equal + clearness the influence of Jeremiah. The appearance of a break + between the first chapter and the second is partly due to the + prophet's laborious manner of describing what he had passed + through. It is altogether unfair to represent him as having first + curiously inspected the mechanism of the <span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">merkābā</span></span>, and then bethought + himself that it was a fitting thing to fall on his face before it. + The experience of an ecstasy is one thing, the relating of it is + another. In much less time than it takes us to master the details + of the picture, Ezekiel had seen and been overpowered by the glory + of Jehovah, and had become aware of the purpose for which it had + been revealed to him. He knew that God had come to him in order to + send him as a prophet to his fellow-exiles. And just as the + description of the vision draws out in detail those features which + were significant of God's nature and attributes, so in what follows + he becomes conscious step by step of certain aspects of the work to + which he is called. In the form of a series of addresses of the + Almighty there are presented to his mind the outlines of his + prophetic career—its conditions, its hardships, its encouragements, + and above all its binding and peremptory <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page044">[pg 044]</span><a name="Pg044" id="Pg044" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> obligation. Some of the facts now set before + him, such as the spiritual condition of his audience, had long been + familiar to his thoughts—others were new; but now they all take + their proper place in the scheme of his life; he is made to know + their bearing on his work, and what attitude he is to adopt in face + of them. All this takes place in the prophetic trance; but the + ideas remain with him as the sustaining principles of his + subsequent work.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">1. Of the truths + thus presented to the mind of Ezekiel the first, and the one that + directly arises out of the impression which the vision made on him, + is his personal insignificance. As he lies prostrate before the + glory of Jehovah he hears for the first time the name which ever + afterwards signalises his relation to the God who speaks through + him. It hardly needs to be said that the term <span class= + "tei tei-q">“son of man”</span> in the book of Ezekiel is no title + of honour or of distinction. It is precisely the opposite of this. + It denotes the absence of distinction in the person of the prophet. + It signifies no more than <span class="tei tei-q">“member of the + human race”</span>; its sense might almost be conveyed if we were + to render it by the word <span class="tei tei-q">“mortal.”</span> + It expresses the infinite contrast between the heavenly and the + earthly, between the glorious Being who speaks from the throne and + the frail creature who needs to be supernaturally strengthened + before he can stand upright in the attitude of service (ch. ii. 1). + He felt that there was no reason in himself for the choice which + God made of him to be a prophet. He is conscious only of the + attributes which he has in common with the race—of human weakness + and insignificance; all that distinguishes him from other men + belongs to his office, and is conferred on him by God in the act of + his consecration. There is no trace of the generous impulse that + prompted Isaiah to offer himself as a servant of the great King as + soon as he realised that there was work to be done. He is equally a + stranger <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page045">[pg + 045]</span><a name="Pg045" id="Pg045" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + to the shrinking of Jeremiah's sensitive spirit from the + responsibilities of the prophet's charge. To Ezekiel the divine + Presence is so overpowering, the command is so definite and + exacting, that no room is left for the play of personal feeling; + the hand of the Lord is heavy on him, and he can do nothing but + stand still and hear.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">2. The next + thought that occupies the attention of the prophet is the spiritual + condition of those to whom he is sent. It is to be noted that his + mission presents itself to him from the outset in two aspects. In + the first place, he is a prophet to the whole house of Israel, + including the lost kingdom of the ten tribes, as well as the two + sections of the kingdom of Judah, those now in exile and those + still remaining in their own land. This is his ideal audience; the + sweep of his prophecy is to embrace the destinies of the nation as + a whole, although but a small part be within the reach of his + spoken words. But in literal fact he is to be the prophet of the + exiles (ch. iii. 11); that is the sphere in which he has to make + proof of his ministry. These two audiences are for the most part + not distinguished in the mind of Ezekiel; he sees the ideal in the + real, regarding the little colony in which he lives as an epitome + of the national life. But in both aspects of his work the outlook + is equally dispiriting. If he looks forward to an active career + amongst his fellow-captives, he is given to know that <span class= + "tei tei-q">“thorns and thistles”</span> are with him and that his + dwelling is among scorpions (ch. ii. 6). Petty persecution and + rancorous opposition are the inevitable lot of a prophet there. And + if he extends his thoughts to the idealised nation he has to think + of a people whose character is revealed in a long history of + rebellion and apostasy: they are <span class="tei tei-q">“the + rebels who have rebelled against Me, they and their fathers to this + very day”</span> (ch. ii. 3). The greatest difficulty he will have + to contend with is the impenetrability of the minds of his hearers + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page046">[pg 046]</span><a name= + "Pg046" id="Pg046" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> to the truths of his + message. The barrier of a strange language suggests an illustration + of the impossibility of communicating spiritual ideas to such men + as he is sent to. But it is a far more hopeless barrier that + separates him from his people. <span class="tei tei-q">“Not to a + people of deep speech and heavy tongue art thou sent; and not to + many peoples whose language thou canst not understand: if I had + sent thee to <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">them</span></em>, <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">they</span></em> + would hear thee. But the house of Israel will refuse to hear thee; + for they refuse to hear Me: for the whole house of Israel are hard + of forehead and stout of heart”</span> (ch. iii. 5-7). The meaning + is that the incapacity of the people is not intellectual, but moral + and spiritual. They can understand the prophet's words, but they + will not hear them because they dislike the truth which he utters + and have rebelled against the God who sent him. The hardening of + the national conscience which Isaiah foresaw as the inevitable + result of his own ministry is already accomplished, and Ezekiel + traces it to its source in a defect of the will, an aversion to the + truths which express the character of Jehovah.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This fixed + judgment on his contemporaries with which Ezekiel enters on his + work is condensed into one of those stereotyped expressions which + abound in his writings: <span class="tei tei-q">“house of + disobedience”</span><a id="noteref_11" name="noteref_11" href= + "#note_11"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">11</span></span></a>—a + phrase which is afterwards amplified in more than one elaborate + review of the nation's past. It no doubt sums up the result of much + previous meditation on the state of Israel and the possibility of a + national reformation. If any hope had hitherto lingered in + Ezekiel's mind that the exiles might now respond to a true word + from Jehovah, it disappears in the clear insight which he obtains + into the state of their hearts. He sees that the time has not yet + come to win the people <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page047">[pg + 047]</span><a name="Pg047" id="Pg047" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + back to God by assurances of His compassion and the nearness of His + salvation. The breach between Jehovah and Israel has not begun to + be healed, and the prophet who stands on the side of God must look + for no sympathy from men. In the very act of his consecration his + mind is thus set in the attitude of uncompromising severity towards + the obdurate house of Israel: <span class="tei tei-q">“Behold, I + make thy face hard like their faces, and thy forehead hard like + theirs, like adamant harder than flint. Thou shalt not fear them + nor be dismayed at their countenance, for a disobedient house are + they”</span> (ch. iii. 8, 9).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">3. The + significance of the transaction in which he takes part is still + further impressed on the mind of the prophet by a symbolic act in + which he is made to signify his acceptance of the commission + entrusted to him (chs. ii. 8-iii. 3). He sees a hand extended to + him holding the roll of a book, and when the roll is spread out + before him it is found to be written on both sides with + <span class="tei tei-q">“lamentations and mourning and woe.”</span> + In obedience to the divine command he opens his mouth and eats the + scroll, and finds to his surprise that in spite of its contents its + taste is <span class="tei tei-q">“like honey for + sweetness.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The meaning of + this strange symbol appears to include two things. In the first + place it denotes the removal of the inward hindrance of which every + man must be conscious when he receives the call to be a prophet. + Something similar occurs in the inaugural vision of Isaiah and + Jeremiah. The impediment of which Isaiah was conscious was the + uncleanness of his lips; and this being removed by the touch of the + hot coal from the altar, he is filled with a new feeling of freedom + and eagerness to engage in the service of God. In the case of + Jeremiah the hindrance was a sense of his own weakness and + unfitness for the arduous duties which were imposed on him; and + this again was taken away <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page048">[pg + 048]</span><a name="Pg048" id="Pg048" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + by the consecrating touch of Jehovah's hand on his lips. The part + of Ezekiel's experience with which we are dealing is obviously + parallel to these, although it is not possible to say what feeling + of incapacity was uppermost in his mind. Perhaps it was the dread + lest in him there should lurk something of that rebellious spirit + which was the characteristic of the race to which he belonged. He + who had been led to form so hard a judgment of his people could not + but look with a jealous eye on his own heart, and could not forget + that he shared the same sinful nature which made their rebellion + possible. Accordingly the book is presented to him in the first + instance as a test of his obedience. <span class="tei tei-q">“But + <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">thou</span></em>, son of man, hear what I say + to thee; Be not disobedient like the disobedient house: open thy + mouth, and eat what I give thee”</span> (ch. ii. 8). When the book + proves sweet to his taste, he has the assurance that he has been + endowed with such sympathy with the thoughts of God that things + which to the natural mind are unwelcome become the source of a + spiritual satisfaction. Jeremiah had expressed the same strange + delight in his work in a striking passage which was doubtless + familiar to Ezekiel: <span class="tei tei-q">“When Thy words were + found I did eat them; and Thy word was to me the joy and rejoicing + of my heart: for I was called by Thy name, O Jehovah God of + hosts”</span> (Jer. xv. 16). We have a still higher illustration of + the same fact in the life of our Lord, to whom it was meat and + drink to do the will of His Father, and who experienced a joy in + the doing of it which was peculiarly His own. It is the reward of + the true service of God that amidst all the hardships and + discouragements which have to be endured the heart is sustained by + an inward joy springing from the consciousness of working in + fellowship with God.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But in the + second place the eating of the book undoubtedly signifies the + bestowal on the prophet of the <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page049">[pg 049]</span><a name="Pg049" id="Pg049" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> gift of inspiration—that is, the power to + speak the words of Jehovah. <span class="tei tei-q">“Son of man, + eat this roll, and go speak to the children of Israel.... Go, get + thee to the house of Israel, and speak with My words to + them”</span> (ch. iii. 1, 4). Now the call of a prophet does not + mean that his mind is charged with a certain body of doctrine, + which he is to deliver from time to time as circumstances require. + All that can safely be said about the prophetic inspiration is that + it implies the faculty of distinguishing the truth of God from the + thoughts that naturally arise in the prophet's own mind. Nor is + there anything in Ezekiel's experience which necessarily goes + beyond this conception; although the incident of the book has been + interpreted in ways that burden him with a very crude and + mechanical theory of inspiration. Some critics have believed that + the book which he swallowed is the book he was afterwards to write, + as if he had reproduced in instalments what was delivered to him at + this time. Others, without going so far as this, find it at least + significant that one who was to be pre-eminently a literary prophet + should conceive of the word of the Lord as communicated to him in + the form of a book. When one writer speaks of <span class= + "tei tei-q">“eigenthümliche Empfindungen im Schlunde”</span><a id= + "noteref_12" name="noteref_12" href="#note_12"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">12</span></span></a> as the + basis of the figure, he seems to come perilously near to resolving + inspiration into a nervous disease. All these representations go + beyond a fair construction of the prophet's meaning. The act is + purely symbolic. The book has nothing to do with the subject-matter + of his prophecy, nor does the eating of it mean anything more than + the self-surrender of the prophet to his vocation as a vehicle of + the word of Jehovah. The idea that the word of God becomes a living + power in the inner being of the prophet is also expressed by + Jeremiah when he speaks of it as a <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page050">[pg 050]</span><a name="Pg050" id="Pg050" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> <span class="tei tei-q">“burning fire shut up + in his bones”</span> (Jer. xx. 9); and Ezekiel's conception is + similar. Although he speaks as if he had once for all assimilated + the word of God, although he was conscious of a new power working + within him, there is no proof that he thought of the word of the + Lord as dwelling in him otherwise than as a spiritual impulse to + utter the truth revealed to him from time to time. That is the + inspiration which all the prophets possess: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Jehovah God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?”</span> + (Amos iii. 8).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">4. It was not to + be expected that a prophet so practical in his aims as Ezekiel + should be left altogether without some indication of the end to be + accomplished by his work. The ordinary incentives to an arduous + public career have indeed been denied to him. He knows that his + mission contains no promise of a striking or an immediate success, + that he will be misjudged and opposed by nearly all who hear him, + and that he will have to pursue his course without appreciation or + sympathy. It has been impressed on him that to declare God's + message is an end in itself, a duty to be discharged with no regard + to its issues, <span class="tei tei-q">“whether men hear or whether + they forbear.”</span> Like Paul he recognises that <span class= + "tei tei-q">“necessity is laid upon him”</span> to preach the word + of God. But there is one word which reveals to him the way in which + his ministry is to be made effective in the working out of + Jehovah's purpose with Israel. <span class="tei tei-q">“Whether + they hear or whether they forbear, they shall know that a prophet + hath been among them”</span> (ii. 5). The reference is mainly to + the destruction of the nation which Ezekiel well knew must form the + chief burden of any true prophetic message delivered at that time. + He will be approved as a prophet, and recognised as what he is, + when his words are verified by the event. Does it seem a poor + reward for years of incessant contention with prejudice and + unbelief? It was at all events the only reward that was possible, + but it was also to <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page051">[pg + 051]</span><a name="Pg051" id="Pg051" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + be the beginning of better days. For these words have a wider + significance than their bearing on the prophet's personal + position.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It has been + truly said that the preservation of the true religion after the + downfall of the nation depended on the fact that the event had been + clearly foretold. Two religions and two conceptions of God were + then struggling for the mastery in Israel. One was the religion of + the prophets, who set the moral holiness of Jehovah above every + other consideration, and affirmed that His righteousness must be + vindicated even at the cost of His people's destruction. The other + was the popular religion which clung to the belief that Jehovah + could not for any reason abandon His people without ceasing to be + God. This conflict of principles reached its climax in the time of + Ezekiel, and it also found its solution. The destruction of + Jerusalem cleared the issues. It was then seen that the teaching of + the prophets afforded the only possible explanation of the course + of events. The Jehovah of the opposite religion was proved to be a + figment of the popular imagination; and there was no alternative + between accepting the prophetic interpretation of history and + resigning all faith in the destiny of Israel. Hence the recognition + of Ezekiel, the last of the old order of prophets, who had carried + their threatenings on to the eve of their accomplishment, was + really a great crisis of religion. It meant the triumph of the only + conception of God on which the hope of a better future could be + built. Although the people might still be far from the state of + heart in which Jehovah could remove His chastening hand, the first + condition of national repentance was given as soon as it was + perceived that there had been prophets among them who had declared + the purpose of Jehovah. The foundation was also laid for a more + fruitful development of Ezekiel's activity. The word of the Lord + had <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page052">[pg 052]</span><a name= + "Pg052" id="Pg052" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> been in his hands a + power <span class="tei tei-q">“to pluck up and to break down and to + destroy”</span> the old Israel that would not know Jehovah; + henceforward it was destined to <span class="tei tei-q">“build and + plant”</span> a new Israel inspired by a new ideal of holiness and + a whole-hearted repugnance to every form of idolatry.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">5. These then + are the chief elements which enter into the remarkable experience + that made Ezekiel a prophet. Further disclosures of the nature of + his office were, however, necessary before he could translate his + vocation into a conscious plan of work. The departure of the + theophany appears to have left him in a state of mental + prostration.<a id="noteref_13" name="noteref_13" href= + "#note_13"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">13</span></span></a> In + <span class="tei tei-q">“bitterness and heat of spirit”</span> he + resumes his place amongst his fellow-captives at Tel-abib, and sits + among them like a man bewildered for seven days. At the end of that + time the effects of the ecstasy seem to pass away, and more light + breaks on him with regard to his mission. He realises that it is to + be largely a mission to individuals. He is appointed as a watchman + to the house of Israel, to warn the wicked from his way; and as + such he is held accountable for the fate of any soul that might + miss the way of life through failure of duty on his part.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It has been + supposed that this passage (ch. iii. 16-21) describes the character + of a short period of public activity, in which Ezekiel endeavoured + to act the part of a <span class="tei tei-q">“reprover”</span> + (ver. 26) among the exiles. This is considered to have been his + first attempt to act on his commission, and to have been continued + until the prophet was convinced of its hopelessness and in + obedience to the divine command shut himself up in his own house. + But this view does not seem to be sufficiently borne out by the + terms of the narrative. The words rather represent a point of view + from which his whole ministry is surveyed, <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page053">[pg 053]</span><a name="Pg053" id="Pg053" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> or an aspect of it which possessed peculiar + importance from the circumstances in which he was placed. The idea + of his position as a watchman responsible for individuals may have + been present to the prophet's mind from the time of his call; but + the practical development of that idea was not possible until the + destruction of Jerusalem had prepared men's minds to give heed to + his admonitions. Accordingly the second period of Ezekiel's work + opens with a fuller statement of the principles indicated in this + section (ch. xxxiii.). We shall therefore defer the consideration + of these principles till we reach the stage of the prophet's + ministry at which their practical significance emerges.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">6. The last six + verses of the third chapter may be regarded either as closing the + account of Ezekiel's consecration or as the introduction to the + first part of his ministry, that which preceded the fall of + Jerusalem. They contain the description of a second trance, which + appears to have happened seven days after the first. The prophet + seemed to himself to be carried out in spirit to a certain plain + near his residence in Tel-abib. There the glory of Jehovah appears + to him precisely as he had seen it in his former vision by the + river Kebar. He then receives the command to shut himself up within + his house. He is to be like a man bound with ropes, unable to move + about among his fellow-exiles. Moreover, the free use of speech is + to be interdicted; his tongue will be made to cleave to his palate, + so that he is as one <span class="tei tei-q">“dumb.”</span> But as + often as he receives a message from Jehovah his mouth will be + opened that he may declare it to the rebellious house of + Israel.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now if we + compare ver. 26 with xxiv. 27 and xxxiii. 22, we find that this + state of intermittent dumbness continued till the day when the + siege of Jerusalem began, and was not finally removed till tidings + were brought of the capture <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page054">[pg 054]</span><a name="Pg054" id="Pg054" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> of the city. The verses before us therefore + throw light on the prophet's demeanour during the first half of his + ministry. What they signify is his almost entire withdrawal from + public life. Instead of being like his great predecessors, a man + living full in the public view, and thrusting himself on men's + notice when they least desired him, he is to lead an isolated and a + solitary life, a sign to the people rather than a living + voice.<a id="noteref_14" name="noteref_14" href= + "#note_14"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">14</span></span></a> From + the sequel we gather that he excited sufficient interest to induce + the elders and others to visit him in his house to inquire of + Jehovah. We must also suppose that from time to time he emerged + from his retirement with a message for the whole community. It + cannot, indeed, be assumed that the chs. iv.-xxiv. contain an exact + reproduction of the addresses delivered on these occasions. Few of + them profess to have been uttered in public, and for the most part + they give the impression of having been intended for patient study + on the written page rather than for immediate oratorical effect. + There is no reason to doubt that in the main they embody the + results of Ezekiel's prophetic experiences during the period to + which they are referred, although it may be impossible to determine + how far they were actually spoken at the time, and how far they are + merely written for the instruction of a wider audience.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The strong + figures used here to describe this state of seclusion appear to + reflect the prophet's consciousness of the restraints + providentially imposed on the exercise of his office. These + restraints, however, were moral, and not, as has sometimes been + maintained, physical. The chief element was the pronounced + hostility and incredulity of the people. This, combined with the + sense of doom hanging over the nation, seems to have weighed + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page055">[pg 055]</span><a name= + "Pg055" id="Pg055" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> on the spirit of + Ezekiel, and in the ecstatic state the incubus lying upon him and + paralysing his activity presents itself to his imagination as if he + were bound with ropes and afflicted with dumbness. The + representation finds a partial parallel in a later passage in the + prophet's history. From ch. xxix. 21 (which is the latest prophecy + in the whole book) we learn that the apparent non-fulfilment of his + predictions against Tyre had caused a similar hindrance to his + public work, depriving him of the boldness of speech characteristic + of a prophet. And the opening of the mouth given to him on that + occasion by the vindication of his words is clearly analogous to + the removal of his silence by the news that Jerusalem had + fallen.<a id="noteref_15" name="noteref_15" href= + "#note_15"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">15</span></span></a></p> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page059">[pg 059]</span><a name= + "Pg059" id="Pg059" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 5.00em; margin-bottom: 5.00em"> + <a name="toc13" id="toc13"></a> <a name="pdf14" id="pdf14"></a> + + <h1 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 3.46em; margin-bottom: 3.46em"> + <span style="font-size: 173%">Part II. Prophecies Relating Mainly To + The Destruction Of Jerusalem.</span></h1> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 4.00em; margin-top: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc15" id="toc15"></a> <a name="pdf16" id="pdf16"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter V. The End Foretold. Chapters + iv.-vii.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">With the fourth + chapter we enter on the exposition of the first great division of + Ezekiel's prophecies. The chs. iv.-xxiv. cover a period of about + four and a half years, extending from the time of the prophet's + call to the commencement of the siege of Jerusalem. During this + time Ezekiel's thoughts revolved round one great theme—the + approaching judgment on the city and the nation. Through + contemplation of this fact there was disclosed to him the outline + of a comprehensive theory of divine providence, in which the + destruction of Israel was seen to be the necessary consequence of + her past history and a necessary preliminary to her future + restoration. The prophecies may be classified roughly under three + heads. In the first class are those which exhibit the judgment + itself in ways fitted to impress the prophet and his hearers with a + conviction of its certainty; a second class is intended to demolish + the illusions and false ideals which possessed the minds of the + Israelites and made the announcement of disaster incredible; and a + third and very important class expounds the moral principles which + were illustrated by the judgment, and which show it to be a divine + necessity. In the passage which forms the subject of the present + lecture the bare fact and certainty of the judgment are set forth + in word <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page060">[pg + 060]</span><a name="Pg060" id="Pg060" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + and symbol and with a minimum of commentary, although even here the + conception which Ezekiel had formed of the moral situation is + clearly discernible.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The certainty + of the national judgment seems to have been first impressed on + Ezekiel's mind in the form of a singular series of symbolic acts + which he conceived himself to be commanded to perform. The + peculiarity of these signs is that they represent simultaneously + two distinct aspects of the nation's fate—on the one hand the + horrors of the siege of Jerusalem, and on the other hand the + state of exile which was to follow.<a id="noteref_16" name= + "noteref_16" href="#note_16"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">16</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">That the + destruction of Jerusalem should occupy the first place in the + prophet's picture of national calamity requires no explanation. + Jerusalem was the heart and brain of the nation, the centre of + its life and its religion, and in the eyes of the prophets the + fountain-head of its sin. The strength of her natural situation, + the patriotic and religious associations which had gathered round + her, and the smallness of her subject province gave to Jerusalem + a unique position among the mother-cities of antiquity. And + Ezekiel's hearers knew what he meant when he employed the picture + of a beleaguered city to set forth the judgment that was to + overtake them. That crowning horror of ancient warfare, the siege + of a fortified town, meant in this case something more appalling + to the imagination than the ravages of pestilence and famine and + sword. The fate of Jerusalem represented the disappearance + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page061">[pg 061]</span><a name= + "Pg061" id="Pg061" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of everything that + had constituted the glory and excellence of Israel's national + existence. That the light of Israel should be extinguished amidst + the anguish and bloodshed which must accompany an unsuccessful + defence of the capital was the most terrible element in Ezekiel's + message, and here he sets it in the forefront of his + prophecy.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The manner in + which the prophet seeks to impress this fact on his countrymen + illustrates a peculiar vein of realism which runs through all his + thinking (ch. iv. 1-3). Being at a distance from Jerusalem, he + seems to feel the need of some visible emblem of the doomed city + before he can adequately represent the import of his prediction. + He is commanded to take a brick and portray upon it a walled + city, surrounded by the towers, mounds, and battering-rams which + marked the usual operations of a besieging army. Then he is to + erect a plate of iron between him and the city, and from behind + this, with menacing gestures, he is as it were to press on the + siege. The meaning of the symbols is obvious. As the engines of + destruction appear on Ezekiel's diagram, at the bidding of + Jehovah, so in due time the Chaldæan army will be seen from the + walls of Jerusalem, led by the same unseen Power which now + controls the acts of the prophet. In the last act Ezekiel + exhibits the attitude of Jehovah Himself, cut off from His people + by the iron wall of an inexorable purpose which no prayer could + penetrate.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Thus far the + prophet's actions, however strange they may appear to us, have + been simple and intelligible. But at this point a second sign is + as it were superimposed on the first, in order to symbolise an + entirely different set of facts—the hardship and duration of the + Exile (vv. 4-8). While still engaged in prosecuting the siege of + the city, the prophet is supposed to become at the same time the + representative of the guilty people and the victim <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page062">[pg 062]</span><a name="Pg062" id= + "Pg062" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of the divine judgment. He is + to <span class="tei tei-q">“bear their iniquity”</span>—that is, + the punishment due to their sin. This is represented by his lying + bound on his left side for a number of days equal to the years of + Ephraim's banishment, and then on his right side for a time + proportionate to the captivity of Judah. Now the time of Judah's + exile is fixed at forty years, dating of course from the fall of + the city. The captivity of North Israel exceeds that of Judah by + the interval between the destruction of Samaria (722) and the + fall of Jerusalem, a period which actually measured about a + hundred and thirty-five years. In the Hebrew text, however, the + length of Israel's captivity is given as three hundred and ninety + years—that is, it must have lasted for three hundred and fifty + years before that of Judah begins. This is obviously quite + irreconcilable with the facts of history, and also with the + prophet's intention. He cannot mean that the banishment of the + northern tribes was to be protracted for two centuries after that + of Judah had come to an end, for he uniformly speaks of the + restoration of the two branches of the nation as simultaneous. + The text of the Greek translation helps us past this difficulty. + The Hebrew manuscript from which that version was made had the + reading a <span class="tei tei-q">“hundred and ninety”</span> + instead of <span class="tei tei-q">“three hundred and + ninety”</span> in ver. 5. This alone yields a satisfactory sense, + and the reading of the Septuagint is now generally accepted as + representing what Ezekiel actually wrote. There is still a slight + discrepancy between the hundred and thirty-five years of the + actual history and the hundred and fifty years expressed by the + symbol; but we must remember that Ezekiel is using round numbers + throughout, and moreover he has not as yet fixed the precise date + of the capture of Jerusalem when the last forty years are to + commence.<a id="noteref_17" name="noteref_17" href= + "#note_17"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">17</span></span></a></p><span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page063">[pg 063]</span><a name="Pg063" id="Pg063" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the third + symbol (vv. 9-17) the two aspects of the judgment are again + presented in the closest possible combination. The prophet's food + and drink during the days when he is imagined to be lying on his + side represents on the one hand, by its being small in quantity + and carefully weighed and measured, the rigours of famine in + Jerusalem during the siege—<span class="tei tei-q">“Behold, I + will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat + bread by weight, and with anxiety; and drink water by measure, + and with horror”</span> (ver. 16); on the other hand, by its + mixed ingredients and by the fuel used in its preparation, it + typifies the unclean religious condition of the people when in + exile—<span class="tei tei-q">“Even so shall the children of + Israel eat their food unclean among the heathen”</span> (ver. + 13). The meaning of this threat is best explained by a passage in + the book of Hosea. Speaking of the Exile, Hosea says: + <span class="tei tei-q">“They shall not remain in the land of + Jehovah; but the children of Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and + shall eat unclean food in Assyria. They shall pour out no wine to + Jehovah, nor shall they lay out their sacrifices for Him: like + the food of mourners shall their food be; all that eat thereof + shall be defiled: for their bread shall only satisfy their + hunger; it shall not come into the house of Jehovah”</span> (Hos. + ix. 3, 4). The idea is that all food which has not been + consecrated by being presented to Jehovah in the sanctuary is + necessarily unclean, and those who eat of it contract ceremonial + defilement. In the very act of satisfying his natural appetite a + man forfeits his religious standing. This was the peculiar + hardship of the state of exile, that a man must become unclean, + he must eat unconsecrated food unless he renounced his religion + and <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page064">[pg 064]</span><a name= + "Pg064" id="Pg064" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> served the gods of + the land in which he dwelt. Between the time of Hosea and Ezekiel + these ideas may have been somewhat modified by the introduction + of the Deuteronomic law, which expressly permits secular + slaughter at a distance from the sanctuary. But this did not + lessen the importance of a legal sanctuary for the common life of + an Israelite. The whole of a man's flocks and herds, the whole + produce of his fields, had to be sanctified by the presentation + of firstlings and firstfruits at the Temple before he could enjoy + the reward of his industry with the sense of standing in + Jehovah's favour. Hence the destruction of the sanctuary or the + permanent exclusion of the worshippers from it reduced the whole + life of the people to a condition of uncleanness which was felt + to be as great a calamity as was a papal interdict in the Middle + Ages. This is the fact which is expressed in the part of + Ezekiel's symbolism now before us. What it meant for his + fellow-exiles was that the religious disability under which they + laboured was to be continued for a generation. The whole life of + Israel was to become unclean until its inward state was made + worthy of the religious privileges now to be withdrawn. At the + same time no one could have felt the penalty more severely than + Ezekiel himself, in whom habits of ceremonial purity had become a + second nature. The repugnance which he feels at the loathsome + manner in which he was at first directed to prepare his food, and + the profession of his own practice in exile, as well as the + concession made to his scrupulous sense of propriety (vv. 14-16), + are all characteristic of one whose priestly training had made a + defect of ceremonial cleanness almost equivalent to a moral + delinquency.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The last of + the symbols (ch. v. 1-4) represents the fate of the population of + Jerusalem when the city is taken. The shaving of the prophet's + head and beard is a figure for the depopulation of the city and + country. By a further <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page065">[pg + 065]</span><a name="Pg065" id="Pg065" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + series of acts, whose meaning is obvious, he shows how a third of + the inhabitants shall die of famine and pestilence during the + siege, a third shall be slain by the enemy when the city is + captured, while the remaining third shall be dispersed among the + nations. Even these shall be pursued by the sword of vengeance + until but a few numbered individuals survive, and of them again a + part passes through the fire. The passage reminds us of the last + verse of the sixth chapter of Isaiah, which was perhaps in + Ezekiel's mind when he wrote: <span class="tei tei-q">“And if a + tenth still remain in it [the land], it shall again pass through + the fire: as a terebinth or an oak whose stump is left at their + felling: a holy seed shall be the stock thereof”</span> (Isa. vi. + 13). At least the conception of a succession of sifting + judgments, leaving only a remnant to inherit the promise of the + future, is common to both prophets, and the symbol in Ezekiel is + noteworthy as the first expression of his steadfast conviction + that further punishments were in store for the exiles after the + destruction of Jerusalem.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is clear + that these signs could never have been enacted, either in view of + the people or in solitude, as they are here described. It may be + doubted whether the whole description is not purely ideal, + representing a process which passed through the prophet's mind, + or was suggested to him in the visionary state but never actually + performed. That will always remain a tenable view. An imaginary + symbolic act is as legitimate a literary device as an imaginary + conversation. It is absurd to mix up the question of the + prophet's truthfulness with the question whether he did or did + not actually do what he conceives himself as doing. The attempt + to explain his action by catalepsy would take us but a little + way, even if the arguments adduced in favour of it were stronger + than they are. Since even a cataleptic patient could not + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page066">[pg 066]</span><a name= + "Pg066" id="Pg066" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> have tied himself + down on his side or prepared and eaten his food in that posture, + it is necessary in any case to admit that there must be a + considerable, though indeterminate, element of literary + imagination in the account given of the symbols. It is not + impossible that some symbolic representation of the siege of + Jerusalem may have actually been the first act in Ezekiel's + ministry. In the interpretation of the vision which immediately + follows we shall find that no notice is taken of the features + which refer to exile, but only of those which announce the siege + of Jerusalem. It may therefore be the case that Ezekiel did some + such action as is here described, pointing to the fall of + Jerusalem, but that the whole was taken up afterwards in his + imagination and made into an ideal representation of the two + great facts which formed the burden of his earlier prophecy.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is a relief + to turn from this somewhat fantastic, though for its own purpose + effective, exhibition of prophetic ideas to the impassioned + oracles in which the doom of the city and the nation is + pronounced. The first of these (ch. v. 5-17) is introduced here + as the explanation of the signs that have been described, in so + far as they bear on the fate of Jerusalem; but it has a unity of + its own, and is a characteristic specimen of Ezekiel's oratorical + style. It consists of two parts: the first (vv. 5-10) deals + chiefly with the reasons for the judgment on Jerusalem, and the + second (vv. 11-17) with the nature of the judgment itself. The + chief thought of the passage is the unexampled severity of the + punishment which is in store for Israel, as represented by the + fate of the capital. A calamity so unprecedented demands an + explanation as unique as itself. Ezekiel finds the ground of it + in the signal honour conferred on Jerusalem in her being set in + the midst of the nations, in the <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page067">[pg 067]</span><a name="Pg067" id="Pg067" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> possession of a religion which expressed + the will of the one God, and in the fact that she had proved + herself unworthy of her distinction and privileges and tried to + live as the nations around. <span class="tei tei-q">“This is + Jerusalem which I have set in the midst of the nations, with the + lands round about her. But she rebelled against My judgments + wickedly<a id="noteref_18" name="noteref_18" href= + "#note_18"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">18</span></span></a> more + than the nations, and My statutes more than [other] lands round + about her: for they rejected My judgments, and in My statutes + they did not walk.... Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: + Behold, even I am against you; and I will execute in thy midst + judgments before the nations, and will do in thy case what I have + not done [heretofore], and what I shall not do the like of any + more, according to all thy abominations”</span> (vv. 5-9). The + central position of Jerusalem is evidently no figure of speech in + the mouth of Ezekiel. It means that she is so situated as to + fulfil her destiny in the view of all the nations of the world, + who can read in her wonderful history the character of the God + who is above all gods. Nor can the prophet be fairly accused of + provincialism in thus speaking of Jerusalem's unrivalled physical + and moral advantages. The mountain ridge on which she stood lay + almost across the great highways of communication between the + East and the West, between the hoary seats of civilisation and + the lands whither the course of empire took its way. Ezekiel knew + that Tyre was the centre of the old world's commerce,<a id= + "noteref_19" name="noteref_19" href="#note_19"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">19</span></span></a> but + he also knew that Jerusalem occupied a central situation in the + civilised world, and in that fact he rightly saw a providential + mark of the grandeur and universality of her religious mission. + Her calamities, too, were probably such as no other city + experienced. The terrible prediction of ver. 10, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Fathers shall eat sons in <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page068">[pg 068]</span><a name="Pg068" id="Pg068" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> the midst of thee, and sons shall eat + fathers,”</span> seems to have been literally fulfilled. + <span class="tei tei-q">“The hands of the pitiful women have + sodden their own children: they were their meat in the + destruction of the daughter of My people”</span> (Lam. iv. 10). + It is likely enough that the annals of Assyrian conquest cover + many a tale of woe which in point of mere physical suffering + paralleled the atrocities of the siege of Jerusalem. But no other + nation had a conscience so sensitive as Israel, or lost so much + by its political annihilation. The humanising influences of a + pure religion had made Israel susceptible of a kind of anguish + which ruder communities were spared.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The sin of + Jerusalem is represented after Ezekiel's manner as on the one + hand transgression of the divine commandments, and on the other + defilement of the Temple through false worship. These are ideas + which we shall frequently meet in the course of the book, and + they need not detain us here. The prophet proceeds (vv. 11-17) to + describe in detail the relentless punishment which the divine + vengeance is to inflict on the inhabitants and the city. The + jealousy, the wrath, the indignation of Jehovah, which are + represented as <span class="tei tei-q">“satisfied”</span> by the + complete destruction of the people, belong to the limitations of + the conception of God which Ezekiel had. It was impossible at + that time to interpret such an event as the fall of Jerusalem in + a religious sense otherwise than as a vehement outburst of + Jehovah's anger, expressing the reaction of His holy nature + against the sin of idolatry. There is indeed a great distance + between the attitude of Ezekiel towards the hapless city and the + yearning pity of Christ's lament over the sinful Jerusalem of His + time. Yet the first was a step towards the second. Ezekiel + realised intensely that part of God's character which it was + needful to enforce in order to beget in his countrymen the deep + horror at the sin of idolatry which characterised the later + Judaism. <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page069">[pg + 069]</span><a name="Pg069" id="Pg069" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + The best commentary on the latter part of this chapter is found + in those parts of the book of Lamentations which speak of the + state of the city and the survivors after its overthrow. There we + see how quickly the stern judgment produced a more chastened and + beautiful type of piety than had ever been prevalent before. + Those pathetic utterances, in which patriotism and religion are + so finely blended, are like the timid and tentative advances of a + child's heart towards a parent who has ceased to punish but has + not begun to caress. This and much else that is true and + ennobling in the later religion of Israel is rooted in the + terrifying sense of the divine anger against sin so powerfully + represented in the preaching of Ezekiel.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">III</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The next two + chapters may be regarded as pendants to the theme which is dealt + with in this opening section of the book of Ezekiel. In the + fourth and fifth chapters the prophet had mainly the city in his + eye as the focus of the nation's life; in the sixth he turns his + eye to the land which had shared the sin, and must suffer the + punishment, of the capital. It is, in its first part (vv. 2-10), + an apostrophe to the mountain land of Israel, which seems to + stand out before the exile's mind with its mountains and hills, + its ravines and valleys, in contrast to the monotonous plain of + Babylonia which stretched around him. But these mountains were + familiar to the prophet as the seats of the rural idolatry in + Israel. The word <span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" + xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">bāmah</span></span>, which means properly + <span class="tei tei-q">“the height,”</span> had come to be used + as the name of an idolatrous sanctuary. These sanctuaries were + probably Canaanitish in origin; and although by Israel they had + been consecrated to the worship of Jehovah, yet He was worshipped + there in ways which the prophets pronounced hateful to Him. They + had been destroyed by Josiah, but <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page070">[pg 070]</span><a name="Pg070" id="Pg070" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> must have been restored to their former use + during the revival of heathenism which followed his death. It is + a lurid picture which rises before the prophet's imagination as + he contemplates the judgment of this provincial idolatry: the + altars laid waste, the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“sun-pillars”</span><a id="noteref_20" name= + "noteref_20" href="#note_20"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">20</span></span></a> + broken, and the idols surrounded by the corpses of men who had + fled to their shrines for protection and perished at their feet. + This demonstration of the helplessness of the rustic divinities + to save their sanctuaries and their worshippers will be the means + of breaking the rebellious heart and the whorish eyes that had + led Israel so far astray from her true Lord, and will produce in + exile the self-loathing which Ezekiel always regards as the + beginning of penitence.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But the + prophet's passion rises to a higher pitch, and he hears the + command <span class="tei tei-q">“Clap thy hands, and stamp with + thy foot, and say, Aha for the abominations of the house of + Israel!”</span> These are gestures and exclamations, not of + indignation, but of contempt and triumphant scorn. The same + feeling and even the same gestures are ascribed to Jehovah + Himself in another passage of highly charged emotion (ch. xxi. + 17). And it is only fair to remember that it is the anticipation + of the victory of Jehovah's cause that fills the mind of the + prophet at such moments and seems to deaden the sense of human + sympathy within him. At the same time the victory of Jehovah was + the victory of prophecy, and in so far Smend may be right in + regarding the words as throwing light on the intensity of the + antagonism in which prophecy and the popular religion then stood. + The devastation of the land is to be effected by the same + instruments as were at work in the destruction <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page071">[pg 071]</span><a name="Pg071" id= + "Pg071" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of the city: first the sword + of the Chaldæans, then famine and pestilence among those who + escape, until the whole of Israel's ancient territory lies + desolate from the southern steppes to Riblah in the north.<a id= + "noteref_21" name="noteref_21" href="#note_21"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">21</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ch. vii. is + one of those singled out by Ewald as preserving most faithfully + the spirit and language of Ezekiel's earlier utterances. Both in + thought and expression it exhibits a freedom and animation seldom + attained in Ezekiel's writings, and it is evident that it must + have been composed under keen emotion. It is comparatively free + from those stereotyped phrases which are elsewhere so common, and + the style falls at times into the rhythm which is characteristic + of Hebrew poetry. Ezekiel hardly perhaps attains to perfect + mastery of poetic form, and even here we may be sensible of a + lack of power to blend a series of impressions and images into an + artistic unity. The vehemence of his feeling hurries him from one + conception to another, without giving full expression to any, or + indicating clearly the connection that leads from one to the + other. This circumstance, and the corrupt condition of the text + together, make the chapter in some parts unintelligible, and as a + whole one of the most difficult in the book. In its present + position it forms a fitting conclusion to the opening section of + the book. All the elements of the judgment which have just been + foretold are gathered up in one outburst of emotion, producing a + song of triumph in which the prophet seems to stand in the uproar + of the final catastrophe and exult amid the crash and wreck of + the old order which is passing away.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The passage is + divided into five stanzas, which may originally have been + approximately equal in length, <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page072">[pg 072]</span><a name="Pg072" id="Pg072" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> although the first is now nearly twice as + long as any of the others.<a id="noteref_22" name="noteref_22" + href="#note_22"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">22</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">i. Vv. + 2-9.—The first verse strikes the keynote of the whole poem; it is + the inevitableness and the finality of the approaching + dissolution. A striking phrase of Amos<a id="noteref_23" name= + "noteref_23" href="#note_23"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">23</span></span></a> is + first taken up and expanded in accordance with the anticipations + with which the previous chapters have now familiarised us: + <span class="tei tei-q">“An end is come, the end is come on the + four skirts of the land.”</span> The poet already hears the + tumult and confusion of the battle; the vintage songs of the + Judæan peasant are silenced, and with the din and fury of war the + day of the Lord draws near.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">ii. Vv. + 10-13.—The prophet's thoughts here revert to the present, and he + notes the eager interest with which men both in Judah and Babylon + are pursuing the ordinary business of life and the vain dreams of + political greatness. <span class="tei tei-q">“The diadem + flourishes, the sceptre blossoms, arrogance shoots up.”</span> + These expressions must refer to the efforts of the new rulers of + Jerusalem to restore the fortunes of the nation and the glories + of the old kingdom which had been so greatly tarnished by the + recent captivity. Things are going bravely, they think; they are + surprised at their own success; they hope that the day of small + things will grow into the day of things greater than those which + are past. The following verse is untranslatable; probably the + original words, if we could recover them, would contain some + pointed and scornful antithesis to these futile and vain-glorious + anticipations. The allusion to <span class="tei tei-q">“buyers + and sellers”</span> (ver. 12) may possibly be quite general, + referring only to the absorbing interest which men continue to + take in their possessions, heedless of the impending + judgment.<a id="noteref_24" name="noteref_24" href= + "#note_24"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">24</span></span></a> But + the facts that the advantage is assumed <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page073">[pg 073]</span><a name="Pg073" id="Pg073" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> to be on the side of the buyer and that the + seller expects to return to his heritage make it probable that + the prophet is thinking of the forced sales by the expatriated + nobles of their estates in Palestine, and to their deeply + cherished resolve to right themselves when the time of their + exile is over. All such ambitions, says the prophet, are + vain—<span class="tei tei-q">“the seller shall not return to what + he sold, and a man shall not by wrong preserve his + living.”</span> In any case Ezekiel evinces here, as elsewhere, a + certain sympathy with the exiled aristocracy, in opposition to + the pretensions of the new men who had succeeded to their + honours.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">iii. Vv. + 14-18.—The next scene that rises before the prophet's vision is + the collapse of Judah's military preparations in the hour of + danger. Their army exists but on paper. There is much blowing of + trumpets and much organising, but no men to go forth to battle. A + blight rests on all their efforts; their hands are paralysed and + their hearts unnerved by the sense that <span class= + "tei tei-q">“wrath rests on all their pomp.”</span> Sword, + famine, and pestilence, the ministers of Jehovah's vengeance, + shall devour the inhabitants of the city and the country, until + but a few survivors on the tops of the mountains remain to mourn + over the universal desolation.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">iv. Vv. + 19-22.—At present the inhabitants of Jerusalem are proud of the + ill-gotten and ill-used wealth stored up within her, and + doubtless the exiles cast covetous eyes on the luxury which may + still have prevailed amongst the upper classes in the capital. + But of what avail will all this treasure be in the evil day now + so near at hand? It will but add mockery to their sufferings to + be surrounded by gold and silver which can do nothing to allay + the pangs of hunger. It will be cast in the streets as refuse, + for it cannot save them in the day of Jehovah's anger. Nay, more, + it will become the prize of the most <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page074">[pg 074]</span><a name="Pg074" id="Pg074" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> ruthless of the heathen (the Chaldæans); + and when in the eagerness of their lust for gold they ransack the + Temple treasury and so desecrate the Holy Place, Jehovah will + avert His face and suffer them to work their will. The curse of + Jehovah rests on the silver and gold of Jerusalem, which has been + used for the making of idolatrous images, and now is made to them + an unclean thing.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">v. Vv. + 23-27.—The closing strophe contains a powerful description of the + dismay and despair that will seize all classes in the state as + the day of wrath draws near. Calamity after calamity comes, + rumour follows hard on rumour, and the heads of the nation are + distracted and cease to exercise the functions of leadership. The + recognised guides of the people—the prophets, the priests, and + the wise men—have no word of counsel or direction to offer; the + prophet's vision, the priest's traditional lore, and the wise + man's sagacity are alike at fault. So the king and the grandees + are filled with stupefaction; and the common people, deprived of + their natural leaders, sit down in helpless dejection. Thus shall + Jerusalem be recompensed according to her doings. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“The land is full of bloodshed, and the city of + violence”</span>; and in the correspondence between desert and + retribution men shall be made to acknowledge the operation of the + divine righteousness. <span class="tei tei-q">“They shall know + that I am Jehovah.”</span></p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">IV</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It may be + useful at this point to note certain theological principles which + already begin to appear in this earliest of Ezekiel's prophecies. + Reflection on the nature and purpose of the divine dealings we + have seen to be a characteristic of his work; and even those + passages which we have considered, although chiefly devoted to an + enforcement of the fact of judgment, present some features + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page075">[pg 075]</span><a name= + "Pg075" id="Pg075" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of the conception + of Israel's history which had been formed in his mind.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">1. We observe + in the first place that the prophet lays great stress on the + world-wide significance of the events which are to befall Israel. + This thought is not as yet developed, but it is clearly present. + The relation between Jehovah and Israel is so peculiar that He is + known to the nations in the first instance only as Israel's God, + and thus His being and character have to be learned from His + dealings with His own people. And since Jehovah is the only true + God and must be worshipped as such everywhere, the history of + Israel has an interest for the world such as that of no other + nation has. She was placed in the centre of the nations in order + that the knowledge of God might radiate from her through all the + world; and now that she has proved unfaithful to her mission, + Jehovah must manifest His power and His character by an + unexampled work of judgment. Even the destruction of Israel is a + demonstration to the universal conscience of mankind of what true + divinity is.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">2. But the + judgment has of course a purpose and a meaning for Israel + herself, and both purposes are summed up in the recurring formula + <span class="tei tei-q">“Ye [they] shall know that I am + Jehovah,”</span> or <span class="tei tei-q">“that I, Jehovah, + have spoken.”</span> These two phrases express precisely the same + idea, although from slightly different starting-points. It is + assumed that Jehovah's personality is to be identified by His + word spoken through the prophets. He is known to men through the + revelation of Himself in the prophets' utterances. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Ye shall know that I, Jehovah, have spoken”</span> + means therefore, Ye shall know that it is I, the God of Israel + and the Ruler of the universe, who speak these things. In other + words, the harmony between prophecy and providence guarantees the + source of the prophet's message. The shorter phrase <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Ye shall know that I am <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page076">[pg 076]</span><a name="Pg076" id="Pg076" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> Jehovah”</span> may mean Ye shall know that + I who now speak am truly Jehovah, the God of Israel. The + prejudices of the people would have led them to deny that the + power which dictated Ezekiel's prophecy could be their God; but + this denial, together with the false idea of Jehovah on which it + rests, shall be destroyed for ever when the prophet's words come + true.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">There is of + course no doubt that Ezekiel conceived Jehovah as endowed with + the plenitude of deity, or that in his view the name expressed + all that we mean by the word God. Nevertheless, historically the + name Jehovah is a proper name, denoting the God who is the God of + Israel. Renan has ventured on the assertion that a deity with a + proper name is necessarily a false god. The statement perhaps + measures the difference between the God of revealed religion and + the god who is an abstraction, an expression of the order of the + universe, who exists only in the mind of the man who names him. + The God of revelation is a living person, with a character and + will of His own, capable of being known by man. It is the + distinction of revelation that it dares to regard God as an + individual with an inner life and nature of His own, independent + of the conception men may form of Him. Applied to such a Being, a + personal name may be as true and significant as the name which + expresses the character and individuality of a man. Only thus can + we understand the historical process by which the God who was + first manifested as the deity of a particular nation preserves + His personal identity with the God who in Christ is at last + revealed as the God of the spirits of all flesh. The knowledge of + Jehovah of which Ezekiel speaks is therefore at once a knowledge + of the character of the God whom Israel professed to serve, and a + knowledge of that which constitutes true and essential + divinity.<a id="noteref_25" name="noteref_25" href= + "#note_25"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">25</span></span></a></p><span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page077">[pg 077]</span><a name="Pg077" id="Pg077" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">3. The + prophet, in ch. vi. 8-10, proceeds one step further in + delineating the effect of the judgment on the minds of the + survivors. The fascination of idolatry for the Israelites is + conceived as produced by that radical perversion of the religious + sense which the prophets call <span class= + "tei tei-q">“whoredom”</span>—a sensuous delight in the blessings + of nature, and an indifference to the moral element which can + alone preserve either religion or human love from corruption. The + spell shall at last be broken in the new knowledge of Jehovah + which is produced by calamity; and the heart of the people, + purified from its delusions, shall turn to Him who has smitten + them, as the only true God. <span class="tei tei-q">“When your + fugitives from the sword are among the nations, when they are + scattered through the lands, then shall your fugitives remember + Me amongst the nations whither they have been carried captive, + when I break their heart that goes awhoring from Me, and their + whorish eyes which went after their idols.”</span> When the + idolatrous propensity is thus eradicated, the conscience of + Israel will turn inwards on itself, and in the light of its new + knowledge of God will for the first time read its own history + aright. The beginnings of a new spiritual life will be made in + the bitter self-condemnation which is one side of the national + repentance. <span class="tei tei-q">“They shall loathe themselves + for all the evil that they have committed in all their + abominations.”</span></p> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page078">[pg 078]</span><a name= + "Pg078" id="Pg078" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc17" id="toc17"></a> <a name="pdf18" id="pdf18"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter VI. Your House Is Left Unto + You Desolate. Chapters viii.-xi.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">One of the most + instructive phases of religious belief among the Israelites of the + seventh century was the superstitious regard in which the Temple at + Jerusalem was held. Its prestige as the metropolitan sanctuary had + no doubt steadily increased from the time when it was built. But it + was in the crisis of the Assyrian invasion that the popular + sentiment in favour of its peculiar sanctity was transmuted into a + fanatical faith in its inherent inviolability. It is well known + that during the whole course of this invasion the prophet Isaiah + had consistently taught that the enemy should never set foot within + the precincts of the Holy City—that, on the contrary, the attempt + to seize it would prove to be the signal for his annihilation. The + striking fulfilment of this prediction in the sudden destruction of + Sennacherib's army had an immense effect on the religion of the + time. It restored the faith in Jehovah's omnipotence which was + already giving way, and it granted a new lease of life to the very + errors which it ought to have extinguished. For here, as in so many + other cases, what was a spiritual faith in one generation became a + superstition in the next. Indifferent to the divine truths which + gave meaning to Isaiah's prophecy, the people changed his sublime + faith in the living God working in history into a crass confidence + in the material symbol which had been the means of expressing + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page079">[pg 079]</span><a name= + "Pg079" id="Pg079" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> it to their minds. + Henceforth it became a fundamental tenet of the current creed that + the Temple and the city which guarded it could never fall into the + hands of an enemy; and any teaching which assailed that belief was + felt to undermine confidence in the national deity. In the time of + Jeremiah and Ezekiel this superstition existed in unabated vigour, + and formed one of the greatest hindrances to the acceptance of + their teaching. <span class="tei tei-q">“The Temple of the Lord, + the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord are these!”</span> + was the cry of the benighted worshippers as they thronged to its + courts to seek the favour of Jehovah (Jer. vii. 4). The same state + of feeling must have prevailed among Ezekiel's fellow-exiles. To + the prophet himself, attached as he was to the worship of the + Temple, it may have been a thought almost too hard to bear that + Jehovah should abandon the only place of His legitimate worship. + Amongst the rest of the captives the faith in its infallibility was + one of the illusions which must be overthrown before their minds + could perceive the true drift of his teaching. In his first + prophecy the fact had just been touched on, but merely as an + incident in the fall of Jerusalem. About a year later, however, he + received a new revelation, in which he learned that the destruction + of the Temple was no mere incidental consequence of the capture of + the city, but a main object of the calamity. The time was come when + judgment must begin at the house of God.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The weird vision + in which this truth was conveyed to the prophet is said to have + occurred during a visit of the elders to Ezekiel in his own house. + In their presence he fell into a trance, in which the events now to + be considered passed before him; and after the trance was removed + he recounted the substance of the vision to the exiles. This + statement has been somewhat needlessly called in question, on the + ground that after so protracted an ecstasy the <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page080">[pg 080]</span><a name="Pg080" id="Pg080" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> prophet would not be likely to find his + visitors still in their places. But this matter-of-fact criticism + overreaches itself. We have no means of determining how long it + would take for this series of events to be realised. If we may + trust anything to the analogy of dreams—and of all conditions to + which ordinary men are subject the dream is surely the closest + analogy to the prophetic ecstasy—the whole may have passed in an + incredibly short space of time. If the statement were untrue, it is + difficult to see what Ezekiel would have gained by making it. If + the whole vision were a fiction, this must of course be fictitious + too; but even so it seems a very superfluous piece of + invention.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We prefer, + therefore, to regard the vision as real, and the assigned situation + as historical; and the fact that it is recorded suggests that there + must be some connection between the object of the visit and the + burden of the revelation which was then communicated. It is not + difficult to imagine points of contact between them. Ewald has + conjectured that the occasion of the visit may have been some + recent tidings from Jerusalem which had opened the eyes of the + <span class="tei tei-q">“elders”</span> to the real relation that + existed between them and their brethren at home. If they had ever + cherished any illusions on the point, they had certainly been + disabused of them before Ezekiel had this vision. They were aware, + whether the information was recent or not, that they were + absolutely disowned by the new authorities in Jerusalem, and that + it was impossible that they should ever come back peaceably to + their old place in the state. This created a problem which they + could not solve, and the fact that Ezekiel had announced the fall + of Jerusalem may have formed a bond of sympathy between him and his + brethren in exile which drew them to him in their perplexity. Some + such hypothesis gives at all events a fuller significance to the + closing <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page081">[pg + 081]</span><a name="Pg081" id="Pg081" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + part of the vision, where the attitude of the men in Jerusalem is + described, and where the exiles are taught that the hope of + Israel's future lies with them. It is the first time that Ezekiel + has distinguished between the fates in store for the two sections + of the people, and it would almost appear as if the promotion of + the exiles to the first place in the true Israel was a new + revelation to him. Twice during this vision he is moved to + intercede for the <span class="tei tei-q">“remnant of + Israel,”</span> as if the only hope of a new people of God lay in + sparing at least some of those who were left in the land. But the + burden of the message that now comes to him is that in the + spiritual sense the true remnant of Israel is not in Judæa, but + among the exiles in Babylon. It was there that the new Israel was + to be formed, and the land was to be the heritage, not of those who + clung to it and exulted in the misfortunes of their banished + brethren, but of those who under the discipline of exile were first + prepared to use the land as Jehovah's holiness demanded.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The vision is + interesting, in the first place, on account of the glimpse it + affords of the state of mind prevailing in influential circles in + Jerusalem at this time. There is no reason whatever to doubt that + here in the form of a vision we have reliable information regarding + the actual state of matters when Ezekiel wrote. It has been + supposed by some critics that the description of the idolatries in + the Temple does not refer to contemporary practices, but to abuses + that had been rife in the days of Manasseh and had been put a stop + to by Josiah's reformation. But the vision loses half its meaning + if it is taken as merely an idealised representation of all the + sins that had polluted the Temple in the course of its history. The + names of those who are seen must be names of living men known to + Ezekiel and his contemporaries, and the sentiments put in their + mouth, especially in the latter part of the vision, <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page082">[pg 082]</span><a name="Pg082" id="Pg082" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> are suitable only to the age in which + he lived. It is very probable that the description in its general + features would <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">also</span></em> apply to the days of + Manasseh; but the revival of idolatry which followed the death of + Josiah would naturally take the form of a restoration of the + illegal cults which had flourished unchecked under his grandfather. + Ezekiel's own experience before his captivity, and the steady + intercourse which had been maintained since, would supply him with + the material which in the ecstatic condition is wrought up into + this powerful picture.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The thing that + surprises us most is the prevailing conviction amongst the ruling + classes that <span class="tei tei-q">“Jehovah had forsaken the + land.”</span> These men seem to have partly emancipated themselves, + as politicians in Israel were apt to do, from the restraints and + narrowness of the popular religion. To them it was a conceivable + thing that Jehovah should abandon His people. And yet life was + worth living and fighting for apart from Jehovah. It was of course + a merely selfish life, not inspired by national ideals, but simply + a clinging to place and power. The wish was father to the thought; + men who so readily yielded to the belief in Jehovah's absence were + very willing to be persuaded of its truth. The religion of Jehovah + had always imposed a check on social and civic wrong, and men whose + power rested on violence and oppression could not but rejoice to be + rid of it. So they seem to have acquiesced readily enough in the + conclusion to which so many circumstances seemed to point, that + Jehovah had ceased to interest Himself either for good or evil in + them and their affairs. Still, the wide acceptance of a belief like + this, so repugnant to all the religious ideas of the ancient world, + seems to require for its explanation some fact of contemporary + history. It has been thought that it arose from the disappearance + of the ark of Jehovah from the Temple. It seems from the third + chapter of <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page083">[pg + 083]</span><a name="Pg083" id="Pg083" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + Jeremiah that the ark was no longer in existence in Josiah's reign, + and that the want of it was felt as a grave religious loss. It is + not improbable that this circumstance, in connection with the + disasters which had marked the last days of the kingdom, led in + many minds to the fear and in some to the hope that along with His + most venerable symbol Jehovah Himself had vanished from their + midst.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It should be + noticed that the feeling described was only one of several currents + that ran in the divided society of Jerusalem. It is quite a + different point of view that is presented in the taunt quoted in + ch. xi. 15, that the exiles were far from Jehovah, and had + therefore lost their right to their possessions. But the religious + despair is not only the most startling fact that we have to look + at; it is also the one that is made most prominent in the vision. + And the divine answer to it given through Ezekiel is that the + conviction is true; Jehovah <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">has</span></em> forsaken the land. But in the + first place the cause of His departure is found in those very + practices for which it was made the excuse; and in the second, + although He has ceased to dwell in the midst of His people, He has + lost neither the power nor the will to punish their iniquities. To + impress these truths first on his fellow-exiles and then on the + whole nation is the chief object of the chapter before us.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now we find that + the general sense of God-forsakenness expressed itself principally + in two directions. On the one hand it led to the multiplication of + false objects of worship to supply the place of Him who was + regarded as the proper tutelary Divinity of Israel; on the other + hand it produced a reckless, devil-may-care spirit of resistance + against any odds, such as was natural to men who had only material + interests to fight for, and nothing to trust in but their own right + hand. Syncretism in religion and fatalism in politics—these were + the twin symptoms <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page084">[pg + 084]</span><a name="Pg084" id="Pg084" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + of the decay of faith among the upper classes in Jerusalem. But + these belong to two different parts of the vision which we must now + distinguish.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The first part + deals with the departure of Jehovah as caused by religious + offences perpetrated in the Temple, and with the return of + Jehovah to destroy the city on account of these offences. The + prophet is transported in <span class="tei tei-q">“visions of + God”</span> to Jerusalem, and placed in the outer court near the + northern gate, outside of which was the site where the + <span class="tei tei-q">“image of Jealousy”</span> had stood in + the time of Manasseh. Near him stands the appearance which he had + learned to recognise as the glory of Jehovah, signifying that + Jehovah has, for a purpose not yet disclosed, revisited His + Temple. But first Ezekiel must be made to see the state of things + which exists in this Temple which had once been the seat of God's + presence. Looking through the gate to the north, he discovers + that the image of Jealousy<a id="noteref_26" name="noteref_26" + href="#note_26"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">26</span></span></a> has + been restored to its old place. This is the first and apparently + the least heinous of the abominations that defiled the + sanctuary.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The second + scene is the only one of the four which represents a secret cult. + Partly perhaps for that reason it strikes our minds as the most + repulsive of all; but that was obviously not Ezekiel's estimate + of it. There are greater abominations to follow. It is difficult + to understand the particulars of Ezekiel's description, + especially <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page085">[pg + 085]</span><a name="Pg085" id="Pg085" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + in the Hebrew text (the LXX. is simpler); but it seems impossible + to escape the impression that there was something obscene in a + worship where idolatry appears as ashamed of itself. The + essential fact, however, is that the very highest and most + influential men in the land were addicted to a form of + heathenism, whose objects of worship were pictures of + <span class="tei tei-q">“horrid creeping things, and cattle, and + all the gods of the house of Israel.”</span> The name of one of + these men, the leader in this superstition, is given, and is + significant of the state of life in Jerusalem shortly before its + fall. Jaazaniah was the son of Shaphan, who is probably identical + with the chancellor of Josiah's reign whose sympathy with the + prophetic teaching was evinced by his zeal in the cause of + reform. We read of other members of the family who were faithful + to the national religion, such as his son Ahikam, also a zealous + reformer, and his grandson Gedaliah, Jeremiah's friend and + patron, and the governor appointed over Judah by Nebuchadnezzar + after the taking of the city. The family was thus divided both in + religion and politics. While one branch was devoted to the + worship of Jehovah and favoured submission to the king of + Babylon, Jaazaniah belonged to the opposite party and was the + ringleader in a peculiarly obnoxious form of idolatry.<a id= + "noteref_27" name="noteref_27" href="#note_27"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">27</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The third + <span class="tei tei-q">“abomination”</span> is a form of + idolatry widely diffused over Western Asia—the annual mourning + for Tammuz. Tammuz was originally a Babylonian deity <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page086">[pg 086]</span><a name="Pg086" id= + "Pg086" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> (Dumuzi), but his worship is + specially identified with Phœnicia, whence under the name Adonis + it was introduced into Greece. The mourning celebrates the death + of the god, which is an emblem of the decay of the earth's + productive powers, whether due to the scorching heat of the sun + or to the cold of winter. It seems to have been a comparatively + harmless rite of nature-religion, and its popularity among the + women of Jerusalem at this time may be due to the prevailing mood + of despondency which found vent in the sympathetic contemplation + of that aspect of nature which most suggests decay and death.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The last and + greatest of the abominations practised in and near the Temple is + the worship of the sun. The peculiar enormity of this species of + idolatry can hardly lie in the object of adoration; it is to be + sought rather in the place where it was practised, and in the + rank of those who took part in it, who were probably priests. + Standing between the porch and the altar, with their backs to the + Temple, these men unconsciously expressed the deliberate + rejection of Jehovah which was involved in their idolatry. The + worship of the heavenly bodies was probably imported into Israel + from Assyria and Babylon, and its prevalence in the later years + of the monarchy was due to political rather than religious + influences. The gods of these imperial nations were esteemed more + potent than those of the states which succumbed to their power, + and hence men who were losing confidence in their national deity + naturally sought to imitate the religions of the most powerful + peoples known to them.<a id="noteref_28" name="noteref_28" href= + "#note_28"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">28</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the + arrangement of the four specimens of the religious <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page087">[pg 087]</span><a name="Pg087" id= + "Pg087" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> practices which prevailed in + Jerusalem, Ezekiel seems to proceed from the most familiar and + explicable to the more outlandish defections from the purity of + the national faith. At the same time his description shows how + different classes of society were implicated in the sin of + idolatry—the elders, the women, and the priests. During all this + time the glory of Jehovah has stood in the court, and there is + something very impressive in the picture of these infatuated men + and women preoccupied with their unholy devotions and all + unconscious of the presence of Him whom they deemed to have + forsaken the land. To the open eye of the prophet the meaning of + the vision must be already clear, but the sentence comes from the + mouth of Jehovah Himself: <span class="tei tei-q">“Hast thou + seen, Son of man? Is it too small a thing for the house of Judah + to practise the abominations which they have here practised, that + they must also fill the land with violence, and [so] provoke Me + again to anger? So will I act towards them in anger: My eye shall + not pity, nor will I spare”</span> (ch. viii. 17, 18).</p> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The last words + introduce the account of the punishment of Jerusalem, which is + given of course in the symbolic form suggested by the scenery of + the vision. Jehovah has meanwhile risen from His throne near the + cherubim, and stands on the threshold of the Temple. There He + summons to His side the destroyers who are to execute His + purpose—six angels, each with a weapon of destruction in his + hand. A seventh of higher rank clothed in linen appears with the + implements of a scribe in his girdle. These <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page088">[pg 088]</span><a name="Pg088" id= + "Pg088" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> stand <span class= + "tei tei-q">“beside the brazen altar,”</span> and await the + commands of Jehovah. The first act of the judgment is a massacre + of the inhabitants of the city, without distinction of age or + rank or sex. But, in accordance with his strict view of the + divine righteousness, Ezekiel is led to conceive of this last + judgment as discriminating carefully between the righteous and + the wicked. All those who have inwardly separated themselves from + the guilt of the city by hearty detestation of the iniquities + perpetrated in its midst are distinguished by a mark on their + foreheads before the work of slaughter begins. What became of + this faithful remnant it does not belong to the vision to + declare. Beginning with the twenty men before the porch, the + destroying angels follow the man with the inkhorn through the + streets of the city, and slay all on whom he has not set his + mark. When the messengers have gone out on their dread errand, + Ezekiel, realising the full horror of a scene which he dare not + describe, falls prostrate before Jehovah, deprecating the + outbreak of indignation which threatened to extinguish + <span class="tei tei-q">“the remnant of Israel.”</span> He is + reassured by the declaration that the guilt of Judah and Israel + demands no less a punishment than this, because the notion that + Jehovah had forsaken the land had opened the floodgates of + iniquity, and filled the land with bloodshed and the city with + oppression. Then the man in the linen robes returns and + announces, <span class="tei tei-q">“It is done as Thou hast + commanded.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The second act + of the judgment is the destruction of Jerusalem by fire. This is + symbolised by the scattering over the city of burning coals taken + from the altar-hearth under the throne of God. The man with the + linen garments is directed to step between the wheels and take + out fire for this purpose. The description of the execution of + this order is again carried no further than what actually takes + place before the prophet's eyes: the man took the <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page089">[pg 089]</span><a name="Pg089" id= + "Pg089" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> fire and went out. In the + place where we might have expected to have an account of the + destruction of the city, we have a second description of the + appearance and motions of the <span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">merkaba</span></span>, the purpose of which + it is difficult to divine. Although it deviates slightly from the + account in ch. i., the differences appear to have no + significance, and indeed it is expressly said to be the same + phenomenon. The whole passage is certainly superfluous, and might + be omitted but for the difficulty of imagining any motive that + would have tempted a scribe to insert it. We must keep in mind + the possibility that this part of the book had been committed to + writing before the final redaction of Ezekiel's prophecies, and + the description in vv. 8-17 may have served a purpose there which + is superseded by the fuller narrative which we now possess in ch. + i.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In this way + Ezekiel penetrates more deeply into the inner meaning of the + judgment on city and people whose external form he had announced + in his earlier prophecy. It must be admitted that Jehovah's + strange work bears to our minds a more appalling aspect when thus + presented in symbols than the actual calamity would bear when + effected through the agency of second causes. Whether it had the + same effect on the mind of a Hebrew, who hardly believed in + second causes, is another question. In any case it gives no + ground for the charge made against Ezekiel of dwelling with a + malignant satisfaction on the most repulsive features of a + terrible picture. He is indeed capable of a rigorous logic in + exhibiting the incidence of the law of retribution which was to + him the necessary expression of the divine righteousness. That it + included the death of every sinner and the overthrow of a city + that had become a scene of violence and cruelty was to him a + self-evident truth, and more than this the vision does not teach. + On the contrary, it <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page090">[pg + 090]</span><a name="Pg090" id="Pg090" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + contains traits which tend to moderate the inevitable harshness + of the truth conveyed. With great reticence it allows the + execution of the judgment to take place behind the scenes, giving + only those details which were necessary to suggest its nature. + Whilst it is being carried out the attention of the reader is + engaged in the presence of Jehovah, or his mind is occupied with + the principles which made the punishment a moral necessity. The + prophet's expostulations with Jehovah show that he was not + insensible to the miseries of his people, although he saw them to + be inevitable. Further, this vision shows as clearly as any + passage in his writings the injustice of the view which + represents him as more concerned for petty details of ceremonial + than for the great moral interests of a nation. If any feeling + expressed in the vision is to be regarded as Ezekiel's own, then + indignation against outrages on human life and liberty must be + allowed to weigh more with him than offences against ritual + purity. And, finally, it is clearly one object of the vision to + show that in the destruction of Jerusalem no individual shall be + involved who is not also implicated in the guilt which calls down + wrath upon her.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The second + part of the vision (ch. xi.) is but loosely connected with the + first. Here Jerusalem still exists, and men are alive who must + certainly have perished in the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“visitation of the city”</span> if the writer had + still kept himself within the limits of his previous conception. + But in truth the two have little in common, except the Temple, + which is the scene of both, and the cherubim, whose movements + mark the transition from the one to the other. The glory of + Jehovah is already departing from the house when it is stayed at + the entrance of the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page091">[pg + 091]</span><a name="Pg091" id="Pg091" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + east gate to give the prophet his special message to the + exiles.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Here we are + introduced to the more political aspect of the situation in + Jerusalem. The twenty-five men who are gathered in the east gate + of the Temple are clearly the leading statesmen in the city; and + two of them, whose names are given, are expressly designated as + <span class="tei tei-q">“princes of the people.”</span> They are + apparently met in conclave to deliberate on public matters, and a + word from Jehovah lays open to the prophet the nature of their + projects. <span class="tei tei-q">“These are the men that plan + ruin, and hold evil counsel in this city.”</span> The evil + counsel is undoubtedly the project of rebellion against the king + of Babylon which must have been hatched at this time and which + broke out into open revolt about three years later. The counsel + was evil because directly opposed to that which Jeremiah was + giving at the time in the name of Jehovah. But Ezekiel also + throws invaluable light on the mood of the men who were urging + the king along the path which led to ruin. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Are not the houses recently built?”</span><a id= + "noteref_29" name="noteref_29" href="#note_29"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">29</span></span></a> they + say, congratulating themselves on their success in repairing the + damage done to the city in the time of Jehoiachin. The image of + the pot and the flesh is generally taken to express the feeling + of easy security in the fortifications of Jerusalem with which + these light-hearted politicians embarked on a contest with + Nebuchadnezzar. But their mood must be a gloomier one than that + if there is any appropriateness in the language they use. To stew + in their own juice, and over a fire of their own kindling, could + hardly seem a desirable policy to sane men, however strong the + pot might be. These councillors are well aware of the dangers + they incur, and of the misery which their purpose must + necessarily bring on the people. But they are determined to + hazard everything and endure everything on the chance + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page092">[pg 092]</span><a name= + "Pg092" id="Pg092" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> that the city may + prove strong enough to baffle the resources of the king of + Babylon. Once the fire is kindled, it will certainly be better to + be in the pot than in the fire; and so long as Jerusalem holds + out they will remain behind her walls. The answer which is put + into the prophet's mouth is that the issue will not be such as + they hope for. The only <span class="tei tei-q">“flesh”</span> + that will be left in the city will be the dead bodies of those + who have been slain within her walls by the very men who hope + that their lives will be given them for a prey. They themselves + shall be dragged forth to meet their fate far away from Jerusalem + on the <span class="tei tei-q">“borders of Israel.”</span> It is + not unlikely that these conspirators kept their word. Although + the king and all the men of war fled from the city as soon as a + breach was made, we read of certain high officials who allowed + themselves to be taken in the city (Jer. lii. 7). Ezekiel's + prophecy was in their case literally fulfilled; for these men and + many others were brought to the king of Babylon at Riblah, + <span class="tei tei-q">“and he smote them and put them to death + at Riblah in the land of Hamath.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">While Ezekiel + was uttering this prophecy one of the councillors, named + Pelatiah, suddenly fell down dead. Whether a man of this name had + suddenly died in Jerusalem under circumstances that had deeply + impressed the prophet's mind, or whether the death belongs to the + vision, it is impossible for us to tell. To Ezekiel the + occurrence seemed an earnest of the complete destruction of the + remnant of Israel by the wrath of God, and, as before, he fell on + his face to intercede for them. It is then that he receives the + message which seems to form the divine answer to the perplexities + which haunted the minds of the exiles in Babylon.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In their + attitude towards the exiles the new leaders in Jerusalem took up + a position as highly privileged religious persons, quite at + variance with the scepticism which <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page093">[pg 093]</span><a name="Pg093" id="Pg093" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> governed their conduct at home. When they + were following the bent of their natural inclinations by + practising idolatry and perpetrating judicial murders in the + city, their cry was, <span class="tei tei-q">“Jehovah hath + forsaken the land; Jehovah seeth it not.”</span> When they were + eager to justify their claim to the places and possessions left + vacant by their banished countrymen, they said, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“They are far from Jehovah: to us the land is given + in possession.”</span> They were probably equally sincere and + equally insincere in both professions. They had simply learned + the art which comes easily to men of the world of using religion + as a cloak for greed, and throwing it off when greed could be + best gratified without it. The idea which lay under their + religious attitude was that the exiles had gone into captivity + because their sins had incurred Jehovah's anger, and that now His + wrath was exhausted and the blessing of His favour would rest on + those who had been left in the land. There was sufficient + plausibility in the taunt to make it peculiarly galling to the + mind of the exiles, who had hoped to exercise some influence over + the government in Jerusalem, and to find their places kept for + them when they should be permitted to return. It may well have + been the resentment produced by tidings of this hostility towards + them in Jerusalem that brought their elders to the house of + Ezekiel to see if he had not some message from Jehovah to + reassure them.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the mind of + Ezekiel, however, the problem took another form. To him a return + to the old Jerusalem had no meaning; neither buyer nor seller + should have cause to congratulate himself on his position. The + possession of the land of Israel belonged to those in whom + Jehovah's ideal of the new Israel was realised, and the only + question of religious importance was, Where is the germ of this + new Israel to be found? Amongst those who survive the judgment in + the old land, or amongst those who have <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page094">[pg 094]</span><a name="Pg094" id="Pg094" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> experienced it in the form of banishment? + On this point the prophet receives an explicit revelation in + answer to his intercession for <span class="tei tei-q">“the + remnant of Israel.”</span> <span class="tei tei-q">“Son of man, + thy brethren, thy brethren, thy fellow-captives, and the whole + house of Israel of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, + They are far from Jehovah: to us it is given—the land for an + inheritance!... Because I have removed them far among the + nations, and have scattered them among the lands, and have been + to them but little of a sanctuary in the lands where they have + gone, therefore say, Thus saith Jehovah, so will I gather you + from the peoples, and bring you from the lands where ye have been + scattered, and will give you the land of Israel.”</span> The + difficult expression <span class="tei tei-q">“I have been but + little of a sanctuary”</span> refers to the curtailment of + religious privileges and means of access to Jehovah which was a + necessary consequence of exile. It implies, however, that Israel + in banishment had learned in some measure to preserve that + separation from other peoples and that peculiar relation to + Jehovah which constituted its national holiness. Religion perhaps + perishes sooner from the overgrowth of ritual than from its + deficiency. It is an historical fact that the very meagreness of + the religion which could be practised in exile was the means of + strengthening the more spiritual and permanent elements which + constitute the essence of religion. The observances which could + be maintained apart from the Temple acquired an importance which + they never afterwards lost; and although some of these, such as + circumcision, the Passover, the abstinence from forbidden food, + were purely ceremonial, others, such as prayer, reading of the + Scriptures, and the common worship of the synagogue, represent + the purest and most indispensable forms in which communion with + God can find expression. That Jehovah Himself became even in + small measure what the word <span class= + "tei tei-q">“sanctuary”</span> denotes indicates <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page095">[pg 095]</span><a name="Pg095" id= + "Pg095" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> an enrichment of the + religious consciousness of which perhaps Ezekiel himself did not + perceive the full import.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The great + lesson which Ezekiel's message seeks to impress on his hearers is + that the tenure of the land of Israel depends on religious + conditions. The land is Jehovah's, and He bestows it on those who + are prepared to use it as His holiness demands. A pure land + inhabited by a pure people is the ideal that underlies all + Ezekiel's visions of the future. It is evident that in such a + conception of the relation between God and His people ceremonial + conditions must occupy a conspicuous place. The sanctity of the + land is necessarily of a ceremonial order, and so the sanctity of + the people must consist partly in a scrupulous regard for + ceremonial requirements. But after all the condition of the land + with respect to purity or uncleanness only reflects the character + of the nation whose home it is. The things that defile a land are + such things as idols and other emblems of heathenism, innocent + blood unavenged, and unnatural crimes of various kinds. These + things derive their whole significance from the state of mind and + heart which they embody; they are the plain and palpable emblems + of human sin. It is conceivable that to some minds the outward + emblems may have seemed the true seat of evil, and their removal + an end in itself apart from the direction of the will by which it + was brought about. But it would be a mistake to charge Ezekiel + with any such obliquity of moral vision. Although he conceives + sin as a defilement that leaves its mark on the material world, + he clearly teaches that its essence lies in the opposition of the + human will to the will of God. The ceremonial purity required of + every Israelite is only the expression of certain aspects of + Jehovah's holy nature, the bearing of which on man's spiritual + life may have been obscure to the prophet, and is still more + obscure to us. And <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page096">[pg + 096]</span><a name="Pg096" id="Pg096" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + the truly valuable element in compliance with such rules was the + obedience to Jehovah's expressed will which flowed from a nature + in sympathy with His. Hence in this chapter, while the first + thing that the restored exiles have to do is to cleanse the land + of its abominations, this act will be the expression of a nature + radically changed, doing the will of God from the heart. As the + emblems of idolatry that defile the land were the outcome of an + irresistible national tendency to evil, so the new and sensitive + spirit, taking on the impress of Jehovah's holiness through the + law, shall lead to the purification of the land from those things + that had provoked the eyes of His glory. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“They shall come thither, and remove thence all its + detestable things and all its abominations. And I will give them + another heart, and put a new spirit within them. I will take away + the stony heart from their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh: + that they may walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do + them: and so shall they be My people, and I will be their + God”</span> (ch. xi. 18-20).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Thus in the + mind of the prophet Jerusalem and its Temple are already + virtually destroyed. He seemed to linger in the Temple court + until he saw the chariot of Jehovah withdrawn from the city as a + token that the glory had departed from Israel. Then the ecstasy + passed away, and he found himself in the presence of the men to + whom the hope of the future had been offered, but who were as yet + unworthy to receive it.</p> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page097">[pg 097]</span><a name= + "Pg097" id="Pg097" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 4.00em; margin-top: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc19" id="toc19"></a> <a name="pdf20" id="pdf20"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter VII. The End Of The Monarchy. + Chapters xii. 1-15, xvii., xix.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In spite of the + interest excited by Ezekiel's prophetic appearances, the exiles + still received his prediction of the fall of Jerusalem with the + most stolid incredulity. It proved to be an impossible task to + disabuse their minds of the prepossessions which made such an event + absolutely incredible. True to their character as a disobedient + house, they had <span class="tei tei-q">“eyes to see, and saw not; + and ears to hear, but heard not”</span> (ch. xii. 2). They were + intensely interested in the strange signs he performed, and + listened with pleasure to his fervid oratory; but the inner meaning + of it all never sank into their minds. Ezekiel was well aware that + the cause of this obtuseness lay in the false ideals which + nourished an overweening confidence in the destiny of their nation. + And these ideals were the more difficult to destroy because they + each contained an element of truth, so interwoven with the + falsehood that to the mind of the people the true and the false + stood and fell together. If the great vision of chs. viii.-xi. had + accomplished its purpose, it would doubtless have taken away the + main support of these delusive imaginations. But the belief in the + indestructibility of the Temple was only one of a number of roots + through which the vain confidence of the nation was fed; and so + long as any of these remained the people's sense of security was + likely <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page098">[pg + 098]</span><a name="Pg098" id="Pg098" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + to remain. These spurious ideals, therefore, Ezekiel sets himself + with characteristic thoroughness to demolish one after another.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This appears to + be in the main the purpose of the third subdivision of his + prophecies on which we now enter. It extends from ch. xii. to ch. + xix.; and in so far as it can be taken to represent a phase of his + actual spoken ministry, it must be assigned to the fifth year + before the capture of Jerusalem (August 591-August 590 <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span>). But since the + passage is an exposition of ideas more than a narrative of + experiences we may expect to find that chronological consistency + has been even less observed than in the earlier part of the book. + Each idea is presented in the completeness which it finally + possessed in the prophet's mind, and his allusions may anticipate a + state of things which had not actually arisen till a somewhat later + date. Beginning with a description and interpretation of two + symbolic actions intended to impress more vividly on the people the + certainty of the impending catastrophe, the prophet proceeds in a + series of set discourses to expose the hollowness of the illusions + which his fellow-exiles cherished, such as disbelief in prophecies + of evil, faith in the destiny of Israel, veneration for the Davidic + kingdom, and reliance on the solidarity of the nation in sin and in + judgment. These are the principal topics which the course of + exposition will bring before us, and in dealing with them it will + be convenient to depart from the order in which they stand in the + book and adopt an arrangement according to subject. By so doing we + run the risk of missing the order of the ideas as it presented + itself to the prophet's mind, and of ignoring the remarkable skill + with which the transition from one theme to another is frequently + effected. But if we have rightly understood the scope of the + passage as a whole, this will not prevent us from grasping the + substance of <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page099">[pg + 099]</span><a name="Pg099" id="Pg099" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + his teaching or its bearing on the final message which he had to + deliver. In the present chapter we shall accordingly group together + three passages which deal with the fate of the monarchy, and + especially of Zedekiah, the last king of Judah.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">That reverence + for the royal house would form an obstacle to the acceptance of + such teaching as Ezekiel's was to be expected from all we know of + the popular feeling on this subject. The fact that the few royal + assassinations which stain the annals of Judah were sooner or later + avenged by the people shows that the monarchy was regarded as a + pillar of the state, and that great importance was attached to the + possession of a dynasty which perpetuated the glories of David's + reign. And there is one verse in the book of Lamentations which + expresses the anguish which the fall of the kingdom caused to godly + men in Israel, although its representative was so unworthy of his + office as Zedekiah: <span class="tei tei-q">“The breath of our + nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits, of whom + we said, Under his shadow shall we live among the nations”</span> + (Lam. iv. 20). So long therefore as a descendant of David sat on + the throne of Jerusalem it would seem the duty of every patriotic + Israelite to remain true to him. The continuance of the monarchy + would seem to guarantee the existence of the state; the prestige of + Zedekiah's position as the anointed of Jehovah, and the heir of + David's covenant, would warrant the hope that even yet Jehovah + would intervene to save an institution of His own creating. Indeed, + we can see from Ezekiel's own pages that the historic monarchy in + Israel was to him an object of the highest veneration and regard. + He speaks of its dignity in terms whose very exaggeration shows how + largely the fact bulked in his imagination. He compares it to the + noblest of the wild beasts of the earth and the most lordly tree of + the forest. But his contention is that this <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page100">[pg 100]</span><a name="Pg100" id="Pg100" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> monarchy no longer exists. Except in + one doubtful passage, he never applies the title king (<span lang= + "he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">melek</span></span>) to Zedekiah. The kingdom + came to an end with the deportation of Jehoiachin, the last king + who ascended the throne in legitimate succession. The present + holder of the office is in no sense king by divine right; he is a + creature and vassal of Nebuchadnezzar, and has no rights against + his suzerain.<a id="noteref_30" name="noteref_30" href= + "#note_30"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">30</span></span></a> His + very name had been changed by the caprice of his master. As a + religious symbol, therefore, the royal power is defunct; the glory + has departed from it as surely as from the Temple. The makeshift + administration organised under Zedekiah had a peaceful if + inglorious future before it, if it were content to recognise facts + and adapt itself to its humble position. But if it should attempt + to raise its head and assert itself as an independent kingdom, it + would only seal its own doom. And for men in Chaldæa to transfer to + this shadow of kingly dignity the allegiance due to the heir of + David's house was a waste of devotion as little demanded by + patriotism as by prudence.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The first of + the passages in which the fate of the monarchy is foretold + requires little to be said by way of explanation. It is a + symbolic action of the kind with which we are now familiar, + exhibiting the certainty of the fate in store both for the people + and the king. The prophet again becomes a <span class= + "tei tei-q">“sign”</span> or portent to the people—this time in a + character which every one of his audience understood from recent + experience. He is seen by daylight collecting <span class= + "tei tei-q">“articles of captivity”</span>—<span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, + such necessary <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page101">[pg + 101]</span><a name="Pg101" id="Pg101" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + articles as a person going into exile would try to take with + him—and bringing them out to the door of his house. Then at dusk + he breaks through the wall with his goods on his shoulder; and, + with face muffled, he removes <span class="tei tei-q">“to another + place.”</span> In this sign we have again two different facts + indicated by a series of not entirely congruous actions. The mere + act of carrying out his most necessary furniture and removing + from one place to another suggests quite unambiguously the + captivity that awaits the inhabitants of Jerusalem. But the + accessories of the action, such as breaking through the wall, the + muffling of the face, and the doing of all this by night, point + to quite a different event—viz., Zedekiah's attempt to break + through the Chaldæan lines by night, his capture, his blindness, + and his imprisonment in Babylon. The most remarkable thing in the + sign is the circumstantial manner in which the details of the + king's flight and capture are anticipated so long before the + event. Zedekiah, as we read in the second book of Kings, as soon + as a breach was made in the walls by the Chaldæans, broke out + with a small party of horsemen, and succeeded in reaching the + plain of Jordan. There he was overtaken and caught, and sent + before Nebuchadnezzar's presence at Riblah. The Babylonian king + punished his perfidy with a cruelty common enough amongst the + Assyrian kings: he caused his eyes to be put out, and sent him + thus to end his days in prison at Babylon. All this is so clearly + hinted at in the signs that the whole representation is often set + aside as a prophecy after the event. That is hardly probable, + because the sign does not bear the marks of having been + originally conceived with the view of exhibiting the details of + Zedekiah's punishment. But since we know that the book was + written after the event, it is a perfectly fair question whether + in the interpretation of the symbols Ezekiel may not have read + into it a fuller meaning than <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page102">[pg 102]</span><a name="Pg102" id="Pg102" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> was present to his own mind at the time. + Thus the covering of his head does not necessarily suggest + anything more than the king's attempt to disguise his + person.<a id="noteref_31" name="noteref_31" href= + "#note_31"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">31</span></span></a> + Possibly this was all that Ezekiel originally meant by it. When + the event took place he perceived a further meaning in it as an + allusion to the blindness inflicted on the king, and introduced + this into the explanation given of the symbol. The point of it + lies in the degradation of the king through his being reduced to + such an ignominious method of securing his personal safety. + <span class="tei tei-q">“The prince that is among them shall bear + upon his shoulder in the darkness, and shall go forth: they shall + dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his + face, that he may not be seen by any eye, and he himself shall + not see the earth”</span> (ch. xii. 12).</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In ch. xvii. + the fate of the monarchy is dealt with at greater length under + the form of an allegory. The kingdom of Judah is represented as a + cedar in Lebanon—a comparison which shows how exalted were + Ezekiel's conceptions of the dignity of the old regime which had + now passed away. But the leading shoot of the tree has been + cropped off by a great, broad-winged, speckled eagle, the king of + Babylon, and carried away to a <span class="tei tei-q">“land of + traffic, a city of merchants.”</span><a id="noteref_32" name= + "noteref_32" href="#note_32"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">32</span></span></a> The + insignificance of Zedekiah's government is indicated by a harsh + contrast which <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page103">[pg + 103]</span><a name="Pg103" id="Pg103" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + almost breaks the consistency of the figure. In place of the + cedar which he has spoiled the eagle plants a low vine trailing + on the ground, such as may be seen in Palestine at the present + day. His intention was that <span class="tei tei-q">“its branches + should extend towards him and its roots be under + him”</span>—<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, that the new + principality should derive all its strength from Babylon and + yield all its produce to the power which nourished it. For a time + all went well. The vine answered the expectations of its owner, + and prospered under the favourable conditions which he had + provided for it. But another great eagle appeared on the scene, + the king of Egypt, and the ungrateful vine began to send out its + roots and turn its branches in his direction. The meaning is + obvious: Zedekiah had sent presents to Egypt and sought its help, + and by so doing had violated the conditions of his tenure of + royal power. Such a policy could not prosper. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“The bed where it was planted”</span> was in + possession of Nebuchadnezzar, and he could not tolerate there a + state, however feeble, which employed the resources with which he + had endowed it to further the interests of his rival, Hophra, the + king of Egypt. Its destruction shall come from the quarter whence + it derived its origin: <span class="tei tei-q">“when the east + wind smites it, it shall wither in the furrow where it + grew.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Throughout + this passage Ezekiel shows that he possessed in full measure that + penetration and detachment from local prejudices which all the + prophets exhibit when dealing with political affairs. The + interpretation of the riddle contains a statement of + Nebuchadnezzar's policy in his dealings with Judah, whose + impartial accuracy could not be improved on by the most + disinterested historian. The carrying away of the Judæan king and + aristocracy was a heavy blow to religious susceptibilities which + Ezekiel fully shared, and its severity was not mitigated by the + arrogant assumptions by which it was explained <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page104">[pg 104]</span><a name="Pg104" id= + "Pg104" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> in Jerusalem. Yet here he + shows himself capable of contemplating it as a measure of + Babylonian statesmanship and of doing absolute justice to the + motives by which it was dictated. Nebuchadnezzar's purpose was to + establish a petty state unable to raise itself to independence, + and one on whose fidelity to his empire he could rely. Ezekiel + lays great stress on the solemn formalities by which the great + king had bound his vassal to his allegiance: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“He took of the royal seed, and made a covenant with + him, and brought him under a curse; and the strong ones of the + land he took away: that it might be a lowly kingdom, not able to + lift itself up, to keep his covenant that it might stand”</span> + (vv. 13, 14). In all this Nebuchadnezzar is conceived as acting + within his rights; and here lay the difference between the clear + vision of the prophet and the infatuated policy of his + contemporaries. The politicians of Jerusalem were incapable of + thus discerning the signs of the times. They fell back on the + time-honoured plan of checkmating Babylon by means of an Egyptian + alliance—a policy which had been disastrous when attempted + against the ruthless tyrants of Assyria, and which was doubly + imbecile when it brought down on them the wrath of a monarch who + showed every desire to deal fairly with his subject + provinces.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The period of + intrigue with Egypt had already begun when this prophecy was + written. We have no means of knowing how long the negotiations + went on before the overt act of rebellion; and hence we cannot + say with certainty that the appearance of the chapter in this + part of the book is an anachronism. It is possible that Ezekiel + may have known of a secret mission which was not discovered by + the spies of the Babylonian court; and there is no difficulty in + supposing that such a step may have been taken as early as two + and a half years before the outbreak of hostilities. At whatever + time it took place, <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page105">[pg + 105]</span><a name="Pg105" id="Pg105" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + Ezekiel saw that it sealed the doom of the nation. He knew that + Nebuchadnezzar could not overlook such flagrant perfidy as + Zedekiah and his councillors had been guilty of; he knew also + that Egypt could render no effectual help to Jerusalem in her + death-struggle. <span class="tei tei-q">“Not with a strong army + and a great host will Pharaoh act for him in the war, when mounds + are thrown up, and the towers are built, to cut off many + lives”</span> (ver. 17). The writer of the Lamentations again + shows us how sadly the prophet's anticipation was verified: + <span class="tei tei-q">“As for us, our eyes as yet failed for + our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that + could not save us”</span> (Lam. iv. 17).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But Ezekiel + will not allow it to be supposed that the fate of Jerusalem is + merely the result of a mistaken forecast of political + probabilities. Such a mistake had been made by Zedekiah's + advisers when they trusted to Egypt to deliver them from Babylon, + and ordinary prudence might have warned them against it. But that + was the most excusable part of their folly. The thing that + branded their policy as infamous and put them absolutely in the + wrong before God and man alike was their violation of the solemn + oath by which they had bound themselves to serve the king of + Babylon. The prophet seizes on this act of perjury as the + determining fact of the situation, and charges it home on the + king as the cause of the ruin that is to overtake him: + <span class="tei tei-q">“Thus saith Jehovah, As I live, surely + <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">My</span></em> oath which he hath despised, + and <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">My</span></em> covenant which he has broken, + I will return on his head; and I will spread My net over him, and + in My snare shall he be taken, ... and ye shall know that I + Jehovah have spoken it”</span> (vv. 19-21).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the last + three verses of the chapter the prophet returns to the allegory + with which he commenced, and completes his oracle with a + beautiful picture of the ideal monarchy of the future. The ideas + on which the picture <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page106">[pg + 106]</span><a name="Pg106" id="Pg106" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + is framed are few and simple; but they are those which + distinguish the Messianic hope as cherished by the prophets from + the crude form which it assumed in the popular imagination. In + contrast to Zedekiah's kingdom, which was a human institution + without ideal significance, that of the Messianic age will be a + fresh creation of Jehovah's power. A tender shoot shall be + planted in the mountain land of Israel, where it shall flourish + and increase until it overshadow the whole earth. Further, this + shoot is taken from the <span class="tei tei-q">“top of the + cedar”</span>—that is, the section of the royal house which had + been carried away to Babylon—indicating that the hope of the + future lay not with the king <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">de + facto</span></span> Zedekiah, but with Jehoiachin and those who + shared his banishment. The passage leaves no doubt that Ezekiel + conceived the Israel of the future as a state with a monarch at + its head, although it may be doubtful whether the shoot refers to + a personal Messiah or to the aristocracy, who, along with the + king, formed the governing body in an Eastern kingdom. This + question, however, can be better considered when we have to deal + with Ezekiel's Messianic conceptions in their fully developed + form in ch. xxxiv.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">III</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Of the last + four kings of Judah there were two whose melancholy fate seems to + have excited a profound feeling of pity amongst their countrymen. + Jehoahaz or Shallum, according to the Chronicler the youngest of + Josiah's sons, appears to have been even during his father's + lifetime a popular favourite. It was he who after the fatal day + of Megiddo was raised to the throne by the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“people of the land”</span> at the age of + twenty-three years. He is said by the historian of the books of + Kings to have done <span class="tei tei-q">“that which was evil + in the sight of the Lord”</span>; but he had <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page107">[pg 107]</span><a name="Pg107" id= + "Pg107" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> hardly time to display his + qualities as a ruler, when he was deposed and carried to Egypt by + Pharaoh Necho, having worn the crown for only three months (608 + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span>). The deep + attachment felt for him seems to have given rise to an + expectation that he would be restored to his kingdom, a delusion + against which the prophet Jeremiah found it necessary to protest + (Jer. xxii. 10-12). He was succeeded by his elder brother, + Eliakim,<a id="noteref_33" name="noteref_33" href= + "#note_33"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">33</span></span></a> the + headstrong and selfish tyrant, whose character stands revealed in + some passages of the books of Jeremiah and Habakkuk. His reign of + nine years gave little occasion to his subjects to cherish a + grateful memory of his administration. He died in the crisis of + the conflict he had provoked with the king of Babylon, leaving + his youthful son Jehoiachin to expiate the folly of his + rebellion. Jehoiachin is the second idol of the populace to whom + we have referred. He was only eighteen years old when he was + called to the throne, and within three months he was doomed to + exile in Babylon. In his room Nebuchadnezzar appointed a third + son of Josiah—Mattaniah—whose name he changed to Zedekiah. He was + apparently a man of weak and vacillating character; but he fell + ultimately into the hands of the Egyptian and anti-prophetic + party, and so was the means of involving his country in the + hopeless struggle in which it perished.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The fact that + two of their native princes were languishing, perhaps + simultaneously, in foreign confinement, one in Egypt and the + other in Babylon, was fitted to evoke in Judah a sympathy with + the misfortunes of royalty something like the feeling embalmed in + the Jacobite songs of Scotland. It seems to be an echo of this + sentiment that we find in the first part of the lament with which + Ezekiel closes his references to the fall of the monarchy (ch. + xix.). Many critics have indeed found it impossible to suppose + that Ezekiel should in any sense have yielded <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page108">[pg 108]</span><a name="Pg108" id= + "Pg108" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> to sympathy with the fate of + two princes who are both branded in the historical books as + idolaters, and whose calamities on Ezekiel's own view of + individual retribution proved them to be sinners against Jehovah. + Yet it is certainly unnatural to read the dirge in any other + sense than as an expression of genuine pity for the woes that the + nation suffered in the fate of her two exiled kings. If Jeremiah, + in pronouncing the doom of Shallum or Jehoahaz, could say, + <span class="tei tei-q">“Weep ye sore for him that goeth away; + for he shall not return any more, nor see his native + country,”</span> there is no reason why Ezekiel should not have + given lyrical expression to the universal feeling of sadness + which the blighted career of these two youths naturally produced. + The whole passage is highly poetical, and represents a side of + Ezekiel's nature which we have not hitherto been led to study. + But it is too much to expect of even the most logical of prophets + that he should experience no personal emotion but what fitted + into his system, or that his poetic gift should be chained to the + wheels of his theological convictions. The dirge expresses no + moral judgment on the character or deserts of the two kings to + which it refers: it has but one theme—the sorrow and + disappointment of the <span class="tei tei-q">“mother”</span> who + nurtured and lost them, that is, the nation of Israel personified + according to a usual Hebrew figure of speech. All attempts to go + beyond this and to find in the poem an allegorical portrait of + Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin are irrelevant. The mother is a lioness, + the princes are young lions and behave as stalwart young lions + do, but whether their exploits are praiseworthy or the reverse is + a question that was not present to the writer's mind.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The chapter is + entitled <span class="tei tei-q">“A Dirge on the Princes of + Israel,”</span> and embraces not only the fate of Jehoahaz and + Jehoiachin, but also of Zedekiah, with whom the old monarchy + expired. Strictly speaking, however, the name <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page109">[pg 109]</span><a name="Pg109" id= + "Pg109" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> <span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">qînah</span></span>, or dirge, is applicable + only to the first part of the chapter (vv. 2-9), where the rhythm + characteristic of the Hebrew elegy is clearly traceable.<a id= + "noteref_34" name="noteref_34" href="#note_34"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">34</span></span></a> With + a few slight changes of the text<a id="noteref_35" name= + "noteref_35" href="#note_35"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">35</span></span></a> the + passage may be translated thus:—</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-left: 3.60em; margin-right: 3.60em; margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-top: 1.80em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-top: 0.90em; margin-bottom: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">i.</span> <span class= + "tei tei-hi" style="text-align: left"><span style= + "font-size: 90%; font-style: italic">Jehoahaz.</span></span> + </div> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 0.90em; margin-top: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">How was thy mother a + lioness!—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 9.00em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Among the lions,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">In the midst of young lions + she couched—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 9.00em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">She reared her cubs;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And she brought up one of her + cubs—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 9.00em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">A young lion he became,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And he learned to catch the + prey—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 9.00em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">He ate men.</span> + </div> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 0.90em; margin-top: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And nations raised a cry + against him—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 10.80em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">In their pit he was + caught;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And they brought him with + hooks—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 10.80em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">To the land of Egypt (vv. + 2-4).</span> + </div> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 0.90em; margin-top: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">ii.</span> <span class= + "tei tei-hi" style="text-align: left"><span style= + "font-size: 90%; font-style: italic">Jehoiachin.</span></span> + </div> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-top: 0.90em; margin-bottom: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And when she saw that she was + disappointed</span><a id="noteref_36" name="noteref_36" + href="#note_36"><span class="tei tei-noteref" style= + "text-align: left"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">36</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 90%">—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 9.00em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Her hope was lost.</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">She took another of her + cubs—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 9.00em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">A young lion she made + him;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And he walked in the midst of + lions—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 9.00em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">A young lion he became;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And he learned to catch + prey—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 9.00em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">He ate men.</span> + </div> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 0.90em; margin-top: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And he lurked in his + lair—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 9.00em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">The forests he ravaged;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Till the land was laid waste + and its fulness—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 9.00em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">With the noise of his + roar.</span> + </div> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 0.90em; margin-top: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">The nations arrayed themselves + against him—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 9.00em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">From the countries + around;</span> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page110">[pg + 110]</span><a name="Pg110" id="Pg110" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And spread over him their + net—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 10.80em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">In their pit he was + caught.</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And they brought him with + hooks—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 10.80em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">To the king of Babylon;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And he put him in a cage, + ...</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">That his voice might no more + be heard—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 10.80em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">On the mountains of Israel + (vv. 5-9).</span> + </div> + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The poetry + here is simple and sincere. The mournful cadence of the elegiac + measure, which is maintained throughout, is adapted to the tone + of melancholy which pervades the passage and culminates in the + last beautiful line. The dirge is a form of composition often + employed in songs of triumph over the calamities of enemies; but + there is no reason to doubt that here it is true to its original + purpose, and expresses genuine sorrow for the accumulated + misfortunes of the royal house of Israel.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The closing + part of the <span class="tei tei-q">“dirge”</span> dealing with + Zedekiah is of a somewhat different character. The theme is + similar, but the figure is abruptly changed, and the elegiac + rhythm is abandoned. The nation, the mother of the monarchy, is + here compared to a luxuriant vine planted beside great waters; + and the royal house is likened to a branch towering above the + rest and bearing rods which were kingly sceptres. But she has + been plucked up by the roots, withered, scorched by the fire, and + finally planted in an arid region where she cannot thrive. The + application of the metaphor to the ruin of the nation is very + obvious. Israel, once a prosperous nation, richly endowed with + all the conditions of a vigorous national life, and glorying in + her race of native kings, is now humbled to the dust. Misfortune + after misfortune has destroyed her power and blighted her + prospects, till at last she has been removed from her own land to + a place where national life cannot be maintained. But the point + of the passage lies in the closing words: fire went out from one + of her twigs and consumed her branches, so that she has no longer + a proud <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page111">[pg + 111]</span><a name="Pg111" id="Pg111" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + rod to be a ruler's sceptre (ver. 14). The monarchy, once the + glory and strength of Israel, has in its last degenerate + representative involved the nation in ruin.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Such is + Ezekiel's final answer to those of his hearers who clung to the + old Davidic kingdom as their hope in the crisis of the people's + fate.</p> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page112">[pg 112]</span><a name= + "Pg112" id="Pg112" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc21" id="toc21"></a> <a name="pdf22" id="pdf22"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter VIII. Prophecy And Its + Abuses. Chapters xii. 21-xiv. 11.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">There is perhaps + nothing more perplexing to the student of Old Testament history + than the complicated phenomena which may be classed under the + general name of <span class="tei tei-q">“prophecy.”</span> In + Israel, as in every ancient state, there was a body of men who + sought to influence public opinion by prognostications of the + future. As a rule the repute of all kinds of divination declined + with the advance of civilisation and general intelligence, so that + in the more enlightened communities matters of importance came to + be decided on broad grounds of reason and political expediency. The + peculiarity in the case of Israel was that the very highest + direction in politics, as well as religion and morals, was given in + a form capable of being confounded with superstitious practices + which flourished alongside of it. The true prophets were not merely + profound moral thinkers, who announced a certain issue as the + probable result of a certain line of conduct. In many cases their + predictions are absolute, and their political programme is an + appeal to the nation to accept the situation which they foresee, as + the basis of its public action. For this reason prophecy was + readily brought into competition with practices with which it had + really nothing in common. The ordinary individual who cared little + for principles and only wished to know what was likely <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page113">[pg 113]</span><a name="Pg113" id="Pg113" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> to happen might readily think that one + way of arriving at knowledge of the future was as good as another, + and when the spiritual prophet's anticipations displeased him he + was apt to try his luck with the sorcerer. It is not improbable + that in the last days of the monarchy spurious prophecy of various + kinds gained an additional vitality from its rivalry with the great + spiritual teachers who in the name of Jehovah foretold the ruin of + the state.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This is not the + place for an exhaustive account of the varied developments in + Israel of what may be broadly termed prophetic manifestations. For + the understanding of the section of Ezekiel now before us it will + be enough to distinguish three classes of phenomena. At the lowest + end of the scale there was a rank growth of pure magic or sorcery, + the ruling idea of which is the attempt to control or forecast the + future by occult arts which are believed to influence the + supernatural powers which govern human destiny. In the second place + we have prophecy in a stricter sense—that is, the supposed + revelation of the will of the deity in dreams or <span class= + "tei tei-q">“visions”</span> or half-articulate words uttered in a + state of frenzy. Last of all there is the true prophet, who, though + subject to extraordinary mental experiences, yet had always a clear + and conscious grasp of moral principles, and possessed an + incommunicable certainty that what he spoke was not his own word + but the word of Jehovah.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is obvious + that a people subjected to such influences as these was exposed to + temptations both intellectual and moral from which modern life is + exempt. One thing is certain—the existence of prophecy did not tend + to simplify the problems of national life or individual conduct. We + are apt to think of the great prophets as men so signally marked + out by God as His witnesses that it must have been impossible for + any one with a shred of sincerity to question their authority. In + reality <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page114">[pg + 114]</span><a name="Pg114" id="Pg114" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + it was quite otherwise. It was no more an easy thing then than now + to distinguish between truth and error, between the voice of God + and the speculations of men. Then, as now, divine truth had no + available credentials at the moment of its utterance except its + self-evidencing power on hearts that were sincere in their desire + to know it. The fact that truth came in the guise of prophecy only + stimulated the growth of counterfeit prophecy, so that only those + who were <span class="tei tei-q">“of the truth”</span> could + discern the spirits, whether they were of God.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The passage + which forms the subject of this chapter is one of the most + important passages of the Old Testament in its treatment of the + errors and abuses incident to a dispensation of prophecy. It + consists of three parts: the first deals with difficulties + occasioned by the apparent failure of prophecy (ch. xii. 21-28); + the second with the character and doom of the false prophets (ch. + xiii.); and the third with the state of mind which made a right use + of prophecy impossible (ch. xiv. 1-11).</p> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is one of + Ezekiel's peculiarities that he pays close attention to the + proverbial sayings which indicated the drift of the national + mind. Such sayings were like straws, showing how the stream + flowed, and had a special significance for Ezekiel, inasmuch as + he was not in the stream himself, but only observed its motions + from a distance. Here he quotes a current proverb, giving + expression to a sense of the futility of all prophetic warnings: + <span class="tei tei-q">“The days are drawn out, and every vision + faileth”</span> (ch. xii. 22). It is difficult to say what the + feeling is that lies behind it, whether it is one of + disappointment or of relief. If, as seems probable, ver. 27 is + the application of the general principle to the particular case + of <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page115">[pg 115]</span><a name= + "Pg115" id="Pg115" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> Ezekiel, the + proverb need not indicate absolute disbelief in the truth of + prophecy. <span class="tei tei-q">“The vision which he sees is + for many days, and remote times does he prophesy”</span>—that is + to say, The prophet's words are no doubt perfectly true, and come + from God; but no man can ever tell when they are to be fulfilled: + all experience shows that they relate to a remote future which we + are not likely to see. For men whose concern was to find + direction in the present emergency, that was no doubt equivalent + to a renunciation of the guidance of prophecy.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">There are + several things which may have tended to give currency to this + view and make it plausible. First of all, of course, the fact + that many of the <span class="tei tei-q">“visions”</span> that + were published had nothing in them; they were false in their + origin, and were bound to fail. Accordingly one thing necessary + to rescue prophecy from the discredit into which it had fallen + was the removal of those who uttered false predictions in the + name of Jehovah: <span class="tei tei-q">“There shall no more be + any false vision or flattering divination in the midst of the + house of Israel”</span> (ver. 24). But besides the prevalence of + false prophecy there were features of true prophecy which partly + explained the common misgiving as to its trustworthiness. Even in + true prophecy there is an element of idealism, the future being + depicted in forms derived from the prophet's circumstances, and + represented as the immediate continuation of the events of his + own time. In support of the proverb it might have been equally + apt to instance the Messianic oracles of Isaiah, or the confident + predictions of Hananiah, the opponent of Jeremiah. Further, there + is a contingent element in prophecy: the fulfilment of a threat + or promise is conditional on the moral effect of the prophecy + itself on the people. These things were perfectly understood by + thoughtful men in Israel. The principle of contingency is clearly + expounded in the eighteenth chapter of Jeremiah, <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page116">[pg 116]</span><a name="Pg116" id= + "Pg116" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> and it was acted on by the + princes who on a memorable occasion saved him from the doom of a + false prophet (Jer. xxvi.). Those who used prophecy to determine + their practical attitude towards Jehovah's purposes found it to + be an unerring guide to right thinking and action. But those who + only took a curious interest in questions of external fulfilment + found much to disconcert them; and it is hardly surprising that + many of them became utterly sceptical of its divine origin. It + must have been to this turn of mind that the proverb with which + Ezekiel is dealing owed its origin.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is not on + these lines, however, that Ezekiel vindicates the truth of the + prophetic word, but on lines adapted to the needs of his own + generation. After all, prophecy is not wholly contingent. The + bent of the popular character is one of the elements which it + takes into account, and it foresees an issue which is not + dependent on anything that Israel might do. The prophets rise to + a point of view from which the destruction of the sinful people + and the establishment of a perfect kingdom of God are seen to be + facts unalterably decreed by Jehovah. And the point of Ezekiel's + answer to his contemporaries seems to be that a final + demonstration of the truth of prophecy was at hand. As the + fulfilment drew near, prophecy would increase in distinctness and + precision, so that when the catastrophe came it would be + impossible for any man to deny the inspiration of those who had + announced it: <span class="tei tei-q">“Thus saith Jehovah, I will + suppress this proverb, and it shall no more circulate in Israel; + but say unto them, The days are near, and the content [literally + <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">word</span></em> or <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">matter</span></em>] of every vision”</span> + (ver. 23). After the extinction of every form of lying prophecy, + Jehovah's words shall still be heard, and the proclamation of + them shall be immediately followed by their accomplishment: + <span class="tei tei-q">“For I Jehovah will speak My words; I + will speak and perform, <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page117">[pg + 117]</span><a name="Pg117" id="Pg117" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + it shall not be deferred any more: in your days, O house of + rebellion, I will speak a word and perform it, saith + Jehovah”</span> (ver. 25). The immediate reference is to the + destruction of Jerusalem which the prophet saw to be one of those + events which were unconditionally decreed, and an event which + must bulk more and more largely in the vision of the true prophet + until it was accomplished.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The thirteenth + chapter deals with what was undoubtedly the greatest obstacle to + the influence of prophecy—viz., the existence of a division in + the ranks of the prophets themselves. That division had been of + long standing. The earliest indication of it is the story of the + contest between Micaiah and four hundred prophets of Jehovah, in + presence of Ahab and Jehoshaphat (1 Kings xxii. 5-28). All the + canonical prophets show in their writings that they had to + contend against the mass of the prophetic order—men who claimed + an authority equal to theirs, but used it for diametrically + opposite interests. It is not, however, till we come to Jeremiah + and Ezekiel that we find a formal apologetic of true prophecy + against false. The problem was serious: where two sets of + prophets systematically and fundamentally contradicted each + other, both might be false, but both could not be true. The + prophet who was convinced of the truth of his own visions must be + prepared to account for the rise of false visions, and to lay + down some criterion by which men might discriminate between the + one and the other. Jeremiah's treatment of the question is of the + two perhaps the more profound and interesting. It is thus + summarised by Professor Davidson: <span class="tei tei-q">“In his + encounters with the prophets of his day Jeremiah opposes them in + three spheres—that of policy, that of morals, and that of + personal experience. <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page118">[pg + 118]</span><a name="Pg118" id="Pg118" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + In policy the genuine prophets had some fixed principles, all + arising out of the idea that the kingdom of the Lord was not a + kingdom of this world. Hence they opposed military preparation, + riding on horses, and building of fenced cities, and counselled + trust in Jehovah.... The false prophets, on the other hand, + desired their country to be a military power among the powers + around, they advocated alliance with the eastern empires and with + Egypt, and relied on their national strength. Again, the true + prophets had a stringent personal and state morality. In their + view the true cause of the destruction of the state was its + immoralities. But the false prophets had no such deep moral + convictions, and seeing nothing unwonted or alarming in the + condition of things prophesied of <span class= + "tei tei-q">‘peace.’</span> They were not necessarily irreligious + men; but their religion had no truer insight into the nature of + the God of Israel than that of the common people.... And finally + Jeremiah expresses his conviction that the prophets whom he + opposed did not stand in the same relation to the Lord as he did: + they had not his experiences of the word of the Lord, into whose + counsel they had not been admitted; and they were without that + fellowship of mind with the mind of Jehovah which was the true + source of prophecy. Hence he satirises their pretended + supernatural <span class="tei tei-q">‘dreams,’</span> and charges + them from conscious want of any true prophetic word with stealing + words from one another.”</span><a id="noteref_37" name= + "noteref_37" href="#note_37"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">37</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The passages + in Jeremiah on which this statement is mainly founded may have + been known to Ezekiel, who in this matter, as in so many others, + follows the lines laid down by the elder prophet.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The first + thing, then, that deserves attention in Ezekiel's judgment on + false prophecy is his assertion of its purely <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page119">[pg 119]</span><a name="Pg119" id= + "Pg119" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> subjective or human origin. + In the opening sentence he pronounces a woe upon the prophets + <span class="tei tei-q">“who prophesy <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">from their own + mind</span></em> without having seen”</span><a id="noteref_38" + name="noteref_38" href="#note_38"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">38</span></span></a> + (ver. 3). The words put in italics sum up Ezekiel's theory of the + genesis of false prophecy. The visions these men see and the + oracles they utter simply reproduce the thoughts, the emotions, + the aspirations, natural to their own minds. That the ideas came + to them in a peculiar form, which was mistaken for the direct + action of Jehovah, Ezekiel does not deny. He admits that the men + were sincere in their professions, for he describes them as + <span class="tei tei-q">“waiting for the fulfilment of the + word”</span> (ver. 6). But in this belief they were the victims + of a delusion. Whatever there might be in their prophetic + experiences that resembled those of a true prophet, there was + nothing in their oracles that did not belong to the sphere of + worldly interests and human speculation.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">If we ask how + Ezekiel knew this, the only possible answer is that he knew it + because he was sure of the source of his own inspiration. He + possessed an inward experience which certified to him the + genuineness of the communications which came to him, and he + necessarily inferred that those who held different beliefs about + God must lack that experience. Thus far his criticism of false + prophecy is purely subjective. The true prophet knew that he had + that within him which authenticated his inspiration, but the + false prophet could not know that he wanted it. The difficulty is + not peculiar to prophecy, but arises in connection with religious + belief as a whole. It is an interesting question whether the + assent to a truth is accompanied by a feeling of certitude + differing in quality from the confidence which a man may have in + giving his assent to a delusion. But it is not possible to + elevate this internal criterion to an <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page120">[pg 120]</span><a name="Pg120" id="Pg120" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> objective test of truth. A man who is awake + may be quite sure he is not dreaming, but a man in a dream may + readily enough fancy himself awake.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But there were + other and more obvious tests which could be applied to the + professional prophets, and which at least showed them to be men + of a different spirit from the few who were <span class= + "tei tei-q">“full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of + judgment, and of might, to declare to Israel his sin”</span> + (Mic. iii. 8). In two graphic figures Ezekiel sums up the + character and policy of these parasites who disgraced the order + to which they belonged. In the first place he compares them to + jackals burrowing in ruins and undermining the fabric which it + was their professed function to uphold (vv. 4, 5). The existence + of such a class of men is at once a symptom of advanced social + degeneration and a cause of greater ruin to follow. A true + prophet fearlessly speaking the words of God is a defence to the + state; he is like a man who stands in the breach or builds a wall + to ward off the danger which he foresees. Such were all genuine + prophets whose names were held in honour in Israel—men of moral + courage, never hesitating to incur personal risk for the welfare + of the nation they loved. If Israel now was like a heap of ruins, + the fault lay with the selfish crowd of hireling prophets who had + cared more to find a hole in which they could shelter themselves + than to build up a stable and righteous polity.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The prophet's + simile calls to mind the type of churchman represented by Bishop + Blougram in Browning's powerful satire. He is one who is content + if the corporation to which he belongs can provide him with a + comfortable and dignified position in which he can spend good + days; he is triumphant if, in addition to this, he can defy any + one to prove him more of a fool or a hypocrite than an average + man of the world. Such utter abnegation of intellectual sincerity + may not be common in any Church; <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page121">[pg 121]</span><a name="Pg121" id="Pg121" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> but the temptation which leads to it is one + to which ecclesiastics are exposed in every age and every + communion. The tendency to shirk difficult problems, to shut + one's eyes to grave evils, to acquiesce in things as they are, + and calculate that the ruin will last one's own time, is what + Ezekiel calls playing the jackal; and it hardly needs a prophet + to tell us that there could not be a more fatal symptom of the + decay of religion than the prevalence of such a spirit in its + official representatives.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The second + image is equally suggestive. It exhibits the false prophets as + following where they pretended to lead, as aiding and abetting + the men into whose hands the reins of government had fallen. The + people build a wall and the prophets cover it with plaster (ver. + 10)—that is to say, when any project or scheme of policy is being + promoted they stand by glozing it over with fine words, + flattering its promoters, and uttering profuse assurances of its + success. The uselessness of the whole activity of these prophets + could not be more vividly described. The white-washing of the + wall may hide its defects, but will not prevent its destruction; + and when the wall of Jerusalem's shaky prosperity tumbles down, + those who did so little to build and so much to deceive shall be + overwhelmed with confusion. <span class="tei tei-q">“Behold, when + the wall is fallen, shall it not be said to them, Where is the + plaster which ye plastered?”</span> (ver. 12).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This will be + the beginning of the judgment on false prophets in Israel. The + overthrow of their vaticinations, the collapse of the hopes they + fostered, and the demolition of the edifice in which they found a + refuge shall leave them no more a name or a place in the people + of God. <span class="tei tei-q">“I will stretch out My hand + against the prophets that see vanity and divine falsely: in the + council of My people they shall not be, and in the register of + the house of Israel they shall not be written, and into the land + of Israel they shall not come”</span> (ver. 9).</p><span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page122">[pg 122]</span><a name="Pg122" id= + "Pg122" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">There was, + however, a still more degraded type of prophecy, practised + chiefly by women, which must have been exceedingly prevalent in + Ezekiel's time. The prophets spoken of in the first sixteen + verses were public functionaries who exerted their evil influence + in the arena of politics. The prophetesses spoken of in the + latter part of the chapter are private fortune-tellers who + practised on the credulity of individuals who consulted them. + Their art was evidently magical in the strict sense, a + trafficking with the dark powers which were supposed to enter + into alliance with men irrespective of moral considerations. + Then, as now, such courses were followed for gain, and doubtless + proved a lucrative means of livelihood. The <span class= + "tei tei-q">“fillets”</span> and <span class= + "tei tei-q">“veils”</span> mentioned in ver. 18 are either a + professional garb worn by the women, or else implements of + divination whose precise significance cannot now be ascertained. + To the imagination of the prophet they appear as the snares and + weapons with which these wretched creatures <span class= + "tei tei-q">“hunted souls”</span>; and the extent of the evil + which he attacks is indicated by his speaking of the whole people + as being entangled in their meshes. Ezekiel naturally bestows + special attention on a class of practitioners whose whole + influence tended to efface moral landmarks and to deal out to men + weal or woe without regard to character. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“They slew souls that should not die, and saved alive + souls that should not live; they made sad the heart of the + righteous, and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he + should not return from his wicked way and be saved alive”</span> + (ver. 22). That is to say, while Ezekiel and all true prophets + were exhorting men to live resolutely in the light of clear + ethical conceptions of providence, the votaries of occult + superstitions seduced the ignorant into making private compacts + with the powers of darkness in order to secure their personal + safety. If the prevalence of sorcery and <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page123">[pg 123]</span><a name="Pg123" id="Pg123" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> witchcraft was at all times dangerous to + the religion and public order of the state, it was doubly so at a + time when, as Ezekiel perceived, everything depended on + maintaining the strict rectitude of God in His dealings with + individual men.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">III</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Having thus + disposed of the external manifestations of false prophecy, + Ezekiel proceeds in the fourteenth chapter to deal with the state + of mind amongst the people at large which rendered such a + condition of things possible. The general import of the passage + is clear, although the precise connection of ideas is somewhat + difficult to explain. The following observations may suffice to + bring out all that is essential to the understanding of the + section.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The oracle was + occasioned by a particular incident, undoubtedly + historical—namely, a visit, such as was perhaps now common, from + the elders to inquire of the Lord through Ezekiel. As they sit + before him it is revealed to the prophet that the minds of these + men are preoccupied with idolatry, and therefore it is not + fitting that any answer should be given to them by a prophet of + Jehovah. Apparently no answer <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">was</span></em> + given by Ezekiel to the particular question they had asked, + whatever it may have been. Generalising from the incident, + however, he is led to enunciate a principle regulating the + intercourse between Jehovah and Israel through the medium of a + prophet: <span class="tei tei-q">“Whatever man of the house of + Israel sets his thoughts upon his idols, and puts his guilty + stumbling-block before him, and comes to the prophet, I Jehovah + will make Myself intelligible to him;<a id="noteref_39" name= + "noteref_39" href="#note_39"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">39</span></span></a> that + I may take <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page124">[pg + 124]</span><a name="Pg124" id="Pg124" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all + estranged from Me by their idols”</span> (vv. 4, 5). It seems + clear that one part of the threat here uttered is that the very + withholding of the answer will unmask the hypocrisy of men who + pretend to be worshippers of Jehovah, but in heart are unfaithful + to Him and servants of false gods. The moral principle involved + in the prophet's dictum is clear and of lasting value. It is that + for a false heart there can be no fellowship with Jehovah, and + therefore no true and sure knowledge of His will. The prophet + occupies the point of view of Jehovah, and when consulted by an + idolater he finds it impossible to enter into the point of view + from which the question is put, and therefore cannot answer + it.<a id="noteref_40" name="noteref_40" href= + "#note_40"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">40</span></span></a> + Ezekiel assumes for the most part that the prophet consulted is a + true prophet of Jehovah like himself, who will give no answer to + such questions as he has before him. He must, however, allow for + the possibility that men of this stamp may receive answers in the + name of Jehovah from those reputed to be His true prophets. In + that case, says Ezekiel, the prophet is <span class= + "tei tei-q">“deceived”</span> by God; he is allowed to give a + response which is not a true response at all, but only confirms + the people in their delusions and unbelief. But this deception + does not take place until the prophet has incurred the guilt of + deceiving himself in the first instance. It is his fault that he + has not perceived the bent of his questioners' minds, that he has + accommodated himself to their ways of thought, has consented to + occupy their standpoint in order to be able to say something + coinciding with the drift of their wishes. Prophet and inquirers + are involved in a common guilt and share a common fate, both + being sentenced to exclusion from the commonwealth of + Israel.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page125">[pg + 125]</span><a name="Pg125" id="Pg125" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The + purification of the institution of prophecy necessarily appeared + to Ezekiel as an indispensable feature in the restoration of the + theocracy. The ideal of Israel's relation to Jehovah is + <span class="tei tei-q">“that they may be My people, and that I + may be their God”</span> (ver. 11). That implies that Jehovah + shall be the source of infallible guidance in all things needful + for the religious life of the individual and the guidance of the + state. But it was impossible for Jehovah to be to Israel all that + a God should be, so long as the regular channels of communication + between Him and the nation were choked by false conceptions in + the minds of the people and false men in the position of + prophets. Hence the constitution of a new Israel demands such + special judgments on false prophecy and the false use of true + prophecy as have been denounced in these chapters. When these + judgments have been executed, the ideal will have become possible + which is described in the words of another prophet: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Thine eyes shall see thy teachers: and thine ears + shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye + in it”</span> (Isa. xxx. 20, 21).</p> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page126">[pg 126]</span><a name= + "Pg126" id="Pg126" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 4.00em; margin-top: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc23" id="toc23"></a> <a name="pdf24" id="pdf24"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter IX. Jerusalem—An Ideal + History. Chapter xvi.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In order to + understand the place which the sixteenth chapter occupies in this + section<a id="noteref_41" name="noteref_41" href= + "#note_41"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">41</span></span></a> of the + book, we must remember that a chief source of the antagonism + between Ezekiel and his hearers was the proud national + consciousness which sustained the courage of the people through all + their humiliations. There were, perhaps, few nations of antiquity + in which the flame of patriotic feeling burned more brightly than + in Israel. No people with a past such as theirs could be + indifferent to the many elements of greatness embalmed in their + history. The beauty and fertility of their land, the martial + exploits and signal deliverances of the nation, the great kings and + heroes she had reared, her prophets and lawgivers—these and many + other stirring memories were witnesses to Jehovah's peculiar love + for Israel and His power to exalt and bless His people. To cherish + a deep sense of the unique privileges which Jehovah had conferred + on her in giving her a distinct place among the nations of the + earth was thus a religious duty often insisted on in the Old + Testament. But in order that this sense might work for good it was + necessary that it should take the form of grateful recognition of + Jehovah as the source of the nation's greatness, and be accompanied + by a true knowledge of His character. When allied with false + conceptions of Jehovah's <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page127">[pg + 127]</span><a name="Pg127" id="Pg127" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + nature, or entirely divorced from religion, patriotism degenerated + into racial prejudice and became a serious moral and political + danger. That this had actually taken place is a common complaint of + the prophets. They feel that national vanity is a great obstacle to + the acceptance of their message, and pour forth bitter and scornful + words intended to humble the pride of Israel to the dust. No + prophet addresses himself to the task so remorselessly as Ezekiel. + The utter worthlessness of Israel, both absolutely in the eyes of + Jehovah and relatively in comparison with other nations, is + asserted by him with a boldness and emphasis which at first startle + us. From a different point of view prophecy and its results might + have been regarded as fruits of the national life, under the divine + education vouchsafed to that people. But that is not Ezekiel's + standpoint. He seizes on the fact that prophecy was in opposition + to the natural genius of the people, and was not to be regarded as + in any sense an expression of it. Accepting the final attitude of + Israel toward the word of Jehovah as the genuine outcome of her + natural proclivities, he reads her past as an unbroken record of + ingratitude and infidelity. All that was good in Israel was + Jehovah's gift, freely bestowed and justly withdrawn; all that was + Israel's own was her weakness and her sin. It was reserved for a + later prophet to reconcile the condemnation of Israel's actual + history with the recognition of the divine power working there and + moulding a spiritual kernel of the nation into a true <span class= + "tei tei-q">“servant of the Lord”</span> (Isa. xl. ff.).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In chs. xv. and + xvi., therefore, the prophet exposes the hollowness of Israel's + confidence in her national destiny. The first of these appears to + be directed against the vain hopes cherished in Jerusalem at the + time. It is not necessary to dwell on it at length. The image is + simple and its application to Jerusalem obvious. Earlier + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page128">[pg 128]</span><a name= + "Pg128" id="Pg128" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> prophets had + compared Israel to a vine, partly to set forth the exceptional + privileges she enjoyed, but chiefly to emphasise the degeneration + she had undergone, as shown by the bad moral fruits which she had + borne (cf. Isa. v. 1 ff.; Jer. ii. 21; Hos. x. 1). The popular + imagination had laid hold of the thought that Israel was the vine + of God's planting, ignoring the question of the fruit. But Ezekiel + reminds his hearers that apart from its fruit the vine is the most + worthless of trees. Even at the best its wood can be employed for + no useful purpose; it is fit only for fuel. Such was the people of + Israel, considered simply as a state among other states, without + regard to its religious vocation. Even in its pristine vigour, when + the national energies were fresh and unimpaired, it was but a weak + nation, incapable of attaining the dignity of a great power. But + now the strength of the nation has been worn away by a long + succession of disasters, until only a shadow of her former glory + remains. Israel is no longer like a green and living vine, but like + a branch burned at both ends and charred in the middle, and + therefore doubly unfit for any worthy function in the affairs of + the world. By the help of this illustration men may read in the + present state of the nation the irrevocable sentence of rejection + which Jehovah has passed on His people.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We now turn to + the striking allegory of ch. xvi., where the same subject is + treated with far greater penetration and depth of feeling. There is + no passage in the book of Ezekiel at once so powerful and so full + of religious significance as the picture of Jerusalem, the + foundling child, the unfaithful spouse, and the abandoned + prostitute, which is here presented. The general conception is one + that might have been presented in a form as beautiful as it is + spiritually true. But the features which offend our sense of + propriety are perhaps introduced with a stern purpose. It is the + deliberate intention of Ezekiel to <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page129">[pg 129]</span><a name="Pg129" id="Pg129" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> present Jerusalem's wickedness in the most + repulsive light, in order that if possible he might startle men + into abhorrence of their national sin. In his own mind the feelings + of moral indignation and physical disgust were very close together, + and here he seems to work on the minds of his readers, so that the + feeling excited by the image may call forth the feeling appropriate + to the reality.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The allegory is + a highly idealised history of the city of Jerusalem from its origin + to its destruction, and then onward to its future restoration. It + falls naturally into four divisions:—</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">i. Vv. 1-14.—The + first emergence of Jerusalem into civic life is compared to a + new-born female infant, exposed to perish, after a cruel custom + which is known to have prevailed among some Semitic tribes. None of + the offices customary on the birth of a child were performed in her + case, whether those necessary to preserve life or those which had a + merely ceremonial significance. Unblessed and unpitied she lay in + the open field, weltering in blood, exciting only repugnance in all + who passed by, until Jehovah Himself passed by, and pronounced over + her the decree that she should live. Thus saved from death, she + grew up and reached maturity, but still <span class= + "tei tei-q">“naked and bare,”</span> destitute of wealth and the + refinements of civilisation. These were bestowed on her when a + second time Jehovah passed by and spread His skirt over her, and + claimed her for His own. Not till then had she been treated as a + human being, with the possibilities of honourable life before her. + But now she becomes the bride of her protector, and is provided for + as a high-born maiden might be, with all the ornaments and luxuries + befitting her new rank. Lifted from the lowest depth of + degradation, she is now transcendently beautiful, and has + <span class="tei tei-q">“attained to royal estate.”</span> The fame + of her loveliness went abroad <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page130">[pg 130]</span><a name="Pg130" id="Pg130" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> among the nations: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“for it was perfect through My glory, which I put upon + thee, saith Jehovah”</span> (ver. 14).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It will be seen + that the points of contact with actual history are here extremely + few as well as vague. It is indeed doubtful whether the subject of + the allegory be the city of Jerusalem conceived as one through all + its changes of population, or the Hebrew nation of which Jerusalem + ultimately became the capital. The latter interpretation is + certainly favoured by ch. xxiii., where both Jerusalem and Samaria + are represented as having spent their youth in Egypt. That parallel + may not be decisive as to the meaning of ch. xvi.; and the + statement <span class="tei tei-q">“thy father was the Amorite and + thy mother an Hittite”</span> may be thought to support the other + alternative. Amorite and Hittite are general names for the + pre-Israelite population of Canaan, and it is a well-known fact + that Jerusalem was originally a Canaanitish city. It is not + necessary to suppose that the prophet has any information about the + early fortunes of Jerusalem when he describes the stages of the + process by which she was raised to royal magnificence. The chief + question is whether these details can be fairly applied to the + history of the nation before it had Jerusalem as its metropolis. It + is usually held that the first <span class="tei tei-q">“passing + by”</span> of Jehovah refers to the preservation of the people in + the patriarchal period, and the second to the events of the Exodus + and the Sinaitic covenant. Against this it may be urged that + Ezekiel would hardly have presented the patriarchal period in a + hateful light, although he does go further in discrediting + antiquity than any other prophet. Besides, the description of + Jerusalem's betrothal to Jehovah contains points which are more + naturally understood of the glories of the age of David and Solomon + than of the events of Sinai, which were not accompanied by an + access of material prosperity such as is suggested. It may be + necessary to leave the matter in the vagueness with which + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page131">[pg 131]</span><a name= + "Pg131" id="Pg131" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> the prophet has + surrounded it, and accept as the teaching of the allegory the + simple truth that Jerusalem in herself was nothing, but had been + preserved in existence by Jehovah's will, and owed all her + splendour to her association with His cause and His kingdom.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">ii. Vv. + 15-34.—The dainties and rich attire enjoyed by the highly favoured + bride become a snare to her. These represent blessings of a + material order bestowed by Jehovah on Jerusalem. Throughout the + chapter nothing is said of the imparting of spiritual privileges, + or of a moral change wrought in the heart of Jerusalem. The gifts + of Jehovah are conferred on one incapable of responding to the care + and affection that had been lavished on her. The inborn taint of + her nature, the hereditary immorality of her heathen ancestors, + breaks out in a career of licentiousness in which all the + advantages of her proud position are prostituted to the vilest + ends. <span class="tei tei-q">“As is the mother, so is her + daughter”</span> (ver. 44); and Jerusalem betrayed her true origin + by the readiness with which she took to evil courses as soon as she + had the opportunity. The <span class="tei tei-q">“whoredom”</span> + in which the prophet sums up his indictment against his people is + chiefly the sin of idolatry. The figure may have been suggested by + the fact that actual lewdness of the most flagrant kind was a + conspicuous element in the form of idolatry to which Israel first + succumbed—the worship of the Canaanite Baals. But in the hands of + the prophets it has a deeper and more spiritual import than this. + It signified the violation of all the sacred moral obligations + which are enshrined in human marriage, or, in other words, the + abandonment of an ethical religion for one in which the powers of + nature were regarded as the highest revelation of the divine. To + the mind of the prophet it made no difference whether the object of + worship was called by the name of Jehovah or of Baal: the character + of the worship determined the <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page132">[pg 132]</span><a name="Pg132" id="Pg132" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> quality of the religion; and in the one case, + as in the other, it was idolatry, or <span class= + "tei tei-q">“whoredom.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Two stages in + the idolatry of Israel appear to be distinguished in this part of + the chapter. The first is the naïve, half-conscious heathenism + which crept in insensibly through contact with Phœnician and + Canaanite neighbours (vv. 15-25). The tokens of Jerusalem's + implication in this sin were everywhere. The <span class= + "tei tei-q">“high places”</span> with their tents and clothed + images (ver. 17), and the offerings set forth before these objects + of adoration, were undoubtedly of Canaanitish origin, and their + preservation to the fall of the kingdom was a standing witness to + the source to which Israel owed her earliest and dearest + <span class="tei tei-q">“abominations.”</span> We learn that this + phase of idolatry culminated in the atrocious rite of human + sacrifice (vv. 20, 21). The immolation of children to Baal or + Molech was a common practice amongst the nations surrounding + Israel, and when introduced there seems to have been regarded as + part of the worship of Jehovah.<a id="noteref_42" name="noteref_42" + href="#note_42"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">42</span></span></a> What + Ezekiel here asserts is that the practice came through Israel's + illicit commerce with the gods of Canaan, and there is no question + that this is historically true. The allegory exhibits the sin in + its unnatural heinousness. The idealised city is the mother of her + citizens, the children are Jehovah's children and her own, yet she + has taken them and offered them up to the false lovers she so madly + pursued. Such was her feverish passion for idolatry that the + dearest and most sacred ties of nature were ruthlessly severed at + the bidding of a perverted religious sense.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The second form + of idolatry in Israel was of a more deliberate and politic kind + (vv. 23-34). It consisted in the introduction of the deities and + religious practices of the <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page133">[pg 133]</span><a name="Pg133" id="Pg133" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> great world-powers—Egypt, Assyria, and + Chaldæa. The attraction of these foreign rites did not lie in the + fascination of a sensuous type of religion, but rather in the + impression of power produced by the gods of the conquering peoples. + The foreign gods came in mostly in consequence of a political + alliance with the nations whose patrons they were; in other cases a + god was worshipped simply because he had shown himself able to do + great things for his servants. Jerusalem as Ezekiel knew it was + full of monuments of this comparatively recent type of idolatry. In + every street and at the head of every way there were erections + (here called <span class="tei tei-q">“arches”</span> or + <span class="tei tei-q">“heights”</span>) which, from the + connection in which they are mentioned, must have been shrines + devoted to the strange gods from abroad. It is characteristic of + the political idolatry here referred to that its monuments were + found in the capital, while the more ancient and rustic worship was + typified by the <span class="tei tei-q">“high places”</span> + throughout the provinces. It is probable that the description + applies mainly to the later period of the monarchy, when Israel, + and especially Judah, began to lean for support on one or other of + the great empires on either side of her. At the same time it must + be remembered that Ezekiel elsewhere teaches distinctly that the + influence of Egyptian religion had been continuous from the days of + the Exodus (ch. xxiii.). There may, however, have been a revival of + Egyptian influence, due to the political exigencies which arose in + the eighth century.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Thus Jerusalem + has <span class="tei tei-q">“played the harlot”</span>; nay, she + has done worse—<span class="tei tei-q">“she has been as a wife that + committeth adultery, who though under her husband taketh + strangers.”</span><a id="noteref_43" name="noteref_43" href= + "#note_43"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">43</span></span></a> And + the result has been simply the impoverishment of the land. The + heavy exactions levied on the country by <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page134">[pg 134]</span><a name="Pg134" id="Pg134" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> Egypt and Assyria were the hire she had paid + to her lovers to come to her. If false religion had resulted in an + increase of wealth or material prosperity, there might have been + some excuse for the eagerness with which she plunged into it. But + certainly Israel's history bore the lesson that false religion + means waste and ruin. Strangers had devoured her strength from her + youth, yet she never would heed the voice of her prophets when they + sought to guide her into the ways of peace. Her infatuation was + unnatural; it goes almost beyond the bounds of the allegory to + exhibit it: <span class="tei tei-q">“The contrary is in thee from + other women, in that thou committest whoredoms, and none goeth + awhoring after thee: and in that thou givest hire, and no hire is + given to thee, therefore thou art contrary”</span> (ver. 34).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">iii. Vv. + 35-58.—Having thus made Jerusalem to <span class="tei tei-q">“know + her abominations”</span> (ver. 2), the prophet proceeds to announce + the doom which must inevitably follow such a career of wickedness. + The figures under which the judgment is set forth appear to be + taken from the punishment meted out to profligate women in ancient + Israel. The public exposure of the adulteress and her death by + stoning in the presence of <span class="tei tei-q">“many + women”</span> supply images terribly appropriate of the fate in + store for Jerusalem.<a id="noteref_44" name="noteref_44" href= + "#note_44"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">44</span></span></a> Her + punishment is to be a warning to all surrounding nations, and an + exhibition of the jealous wrath of Jehovah against her infidelity. + These nations, some of them hereditary enemies, others old allies, + are represented as assembled to witness and to execute the judgment + of the city. The remorseless realism of the prophet spares no + detail which <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page135">[pg + 135]</span><a name="Pg135" id="Pg135" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + could enhance the horror of the situation. Abandoned to the + ruthless violence of her former lovers, Jerusalem is stripped of + her royal attire, the emblems of her idolatry are destroyed, and + so, left naked to her enemies, she suffers the ignominious death of + a city that has been false to her religion. The root of her sin had + been the forgetfulness of what she owed to the goodness of Jehovah, + and the essence of her punishment lies in the withdrawal of the + gifts He had lavished upon her and the protection which amid all + her apostasies she had never ceased to expect.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">At this point + (ver. 44 ff.) the allegory takes a new turn through the + introduction of the sister cities of Samaria and Sodom. Samaria, + although as a city much younger than Jerusalem, is considered the + elder sister because she had once been the centre of a greater + political power than Jerusalem, and Sodom, which was probably older + than either, is treated as the youngest because of her relative + insignificance. The order, however, is of no importance. The point + of the comparison is that all three had manifested in different + degrees the same hereditary tendency to immorality (ver. 45). All + three were of heathen origin—their mother a Hittite and their + father an Amorite—a description which it is even more difficult to + understand in the case of Samaria than in that of Jerusalem. But + Ezekiel is not concerned about history. What is prominent in his + mind is the family likeness observed in their characters, which + gave point to the proverb <span class="tei tei-q">“Like mother, + like daughter”</span> when applied to Jerusalem. The prophet + affirms that the wickedness of Jerusalem had so far exceeded that + of Samaria and Sodom that she had <span class= + "tei tei-q">“justified”</span> her sisters—<span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, + she had made their moral condition appear pardonable by comparison + with hers. He knows that he is saying a bold thing in ranking the + iniquity of Jerusalem as greater than that of Sodom, and so he + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page136">[pg 136]</span><a name= + "Pg136" id="Pg136" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> explains his + judgment on Sodom by an analysis of the cause of her notorious + corruptness. The name of Sodom lived in tradition as that of the + foulest city of the old world, a <span class= + "tei tei-foreign"><span style="font-style: italic">ne plus + ultra</span></span> of wickedness. Yet Ezekiel dares to raise the + question, What <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">was</span></em> the sin of Sodom? <span class= + "tei tei-q">“This was the sin of Sodom thy sister, pride, + superabundance of food, and careless ease was the lot of her and + her daughters, but they did not succour the poor and needy. But + they became proud, and committed abominations before Me: therefore + I took them away as thou hast seen”</span> (vv. 49, 50). The + meaning seems to be that the corruptions of Sodom were the natural + outcome of the evil principle in the Canaanitish nature, favoured + by easy circumstances and unchecked by the saving influences of a + pure religion. Ezekiel's judgment is like an anticipation of the + more solemn sentence uttered by One who knew what was in man when + He said, <span class="tei tei-q">“If the mighty works which have + been done in you had been done in Sodom and Gomorrha, they would + have remained until this day.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is remarkable + to observe how some of the profoundest ideas in this chapter attach + themselves to the strange conception of these two vanished cities + as still capable of being restored to their place in the world. In + the ideal future of the prophet's vision Sodom and Samaria shall + rise from their ruins through the same power which restores + Jerusalem to her ancient glory. The promise of a renewed existence + to Sodom and Samaria is perhaps connected with the fact that they + lay within the sacred territory of which Jerusalem is the centre. + Hence Sodom and Samaria are no longer sisters, but daughters of + Jerusalem, receiving through her the blessings of the true + religion. And it is her relation to these her sisters that opens + the eyes of Jerusalem to the true nature of her own relation to + Jehovah. Formerly she had been proud and <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page137">[pg 137]</span><a name="Pg137" id="Pg137" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> self-sufficient, and counted her exceptional + prerogatives the natural reward of some excellence to which she + could lay claim. The name of Sodom, the disgraced sister of the + family, was not heard in her mouth in the days of her pride, when + her wickedness had not been disclosed as it is now (ver. 57). But + when she realises that her conduct has justified and comforted her + sister, and when she has to take guilty Sodom to her heart as a + daughter, she will understand that she owes all her greatness to + the same sovereign grace of Jehovah which is manifested in the + restoration of the most abandoned community known to history. And + out of this new consciousness of grace will spring the chastened + and penitent temper of mind which makes possible the continuance of + the bond which unites her to Jehovah.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">iv. Vv. + 59-63.—The way is thus prepared for the final promise of + forgiveness with which the chapter closes. The reconciliation + between Jehovah and Jerusalem will be effected by an act of + recollection on both sides: <span class="tei tei-q">“<em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">I</span></em> will + remember My covenant with thee.... <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">Thou</span></em> + shalt remember thy ways”</span> (vv. 60, 61). The mind of Jehovah + and the mind of Jerusalem both go back on the past; but while + Jehovah thinks only of the purpose of love which he had entertained + towards Jerusalem in the days of her youth and the indissoluble + bond between them, Jerusalem retains the memory of her own sinful + history, and finds in the remembrance the source of abiding + contrition and shame. It does not fall within the scope of the + prophet's purpose to set forth in this place the blessed + consequences which flow from this renewal of loving intercourse + between Israel and her God. He has accomplished his object when he + has shown how the electing love of Jehovah reaches its end in spite + of human sin and rebellion, and how through the crushing power of + divine grace the failures and transgressions of the past are + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page138">[pg 138]</span><a name= + "Pg138" id="Pg138" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> made to issue in a + relation of perfect harmony between Jehovah and His people. The + permanence of that relation is expressed by an idea borrowed from + Jeremiah—the idea of an everlasting covenant, which cannot be + broken because based on the forgiveness of sin and a renewal of + heart. The prophet knows that when once the power of evil has been + broken by a full disclosure of redeeming love it cannot resume its + old ascendency in human life. So he leaves us on the threshold of + the new dispensation with the picture of Jerusalem humbled and + bearing her shame, yet in the abjectness of her self-accusation + realising the end towards which the love of Jehovah had guided her + from the beginning: <span class="tei tei-q">“I will establish My + covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah: that + thou mayest remember, and be ashamed, and not open thy mouth any + more for very shame, when I expiate for thee all that thou hast + done, saith the Lord Jehovah”</span> (vv. 62, 63).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Throughout this + chapter we see that the prophet moves in the region of national + religious ideas which are distinctive of the Old Testament. Of the + influences that formed his conceptions that of Hosea is perhaps + most discernible. The fundamental thoughts embodied in the allegory + are the same as those by which the older prophet learned to + interpret the nature of God and the sin of Israel through the + bitter experiences of his family life. These thoughts are developed + by Ezekiel with a fertility of imagination and a grasp of + theological principles which were adapted to the more complex + situation with which he had to deal. But the conception of Israel + as the unfaithful wife of Jehovah, of the false gods and the + world-powers as her lovers, of her conversion through affliction, + and her final restoration by a new betrothal which is eternal, are + all expressed in the first three chapters of Hosea. And the freedom + with which Ezekiel handles and expands these <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page139">[pg 139]</span><a name="Pg139" id="Pg139" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> conceptions shows how thoroughly he was + at home in that national view of religion which he did much to + break through. In the next lecture we shall have occasion to + examine his treatment of the problem of the individual's relation + to God, and we cannot fail to be struck by the contrast. The + analysis of individual religion may seem meagre by the side of this + most profound and suggestive chapter. This arises from the fact + that the full meaning of religion could not then be expressed as an + experience of the individual soul. The subject of religion being + the nation of Israel, the human side of it could only be unfolded + in terms of what we should call the national consciousness. The + time was not yet come when the great truths which the prophets and + psalmists saw embodied in the history of their people could be + translated in terms of individual fellowship with God. Yet the God + who spake to the fathers by the prophets is the same who has spoken + to us in His Son; and when from the standpoint of a higher + revelation we turn back to the Old Testament, it is to find in the + form of a nation's history the very same truths which we realise as + matters of personal experience.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">From this point + of view the chapter we have considered is one of the most + evangelical passages in the writings of Ezekiel. The prophet's + conception of sin, for example, is singularly profound and true. He + has been charged with a somewhat superficial conception of sin, as + if he saw nothing more in it than the transgression of a law + arbitrarily imposed by divine authority. There are aspects of + Ezekiel's teaching which give some plausibility to that charge, + especially those which deal with the duties of the individual. But + we see that to Ezekiel the real nature of sin could not possibly be + manifested except as a factor in the national life. Now in this + allegory it is obvious that he sees something far deeper in it than + the mere transgression of positive commandments. Behind all the + outward <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page140">[pg + 140]</span><a name="Pg140" id="Pg140" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + offences of which Israel had been guilty there plainly lies the + spiritual fact of national selfishness, unfaithfulness to Jehovah, + insensibility to His love, and ingratitude for His benefits. + Moreover, the prophet, like Jeremiah before him, has a strong sense + of sin as a tendency in human life, a power which is ineradicable + save by the mingled severity and goodness of God. Through the whole + history of Israel it is one evil disposition which he sees + asserting itself, breaking out now in one form and then in another, + but continually gaining strength, until at last the spirit of + repentance is created by the experience of God's forgiveness. It is + not the case, therefore, that Ezekiel failed to comprehend the + nature of sin, or that in this respect he falls below the most + spiritual of the prophets who had gone before him.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In order that + this tendency to sin may be destroyed, Ezekiel sees that the + consciousness of guilt must take its place. In the same way the + apostle Paul teaches that <span class="tei tei-q">“every mouth must + be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God.”</span> + Whether the subject be a nation or an individual, the dominion of + sin is not broken till the sinner has taken home to himself the + full responsibility for his acts and felt himself to be + <span class="tei tei-q">“without excuse.”</span> But the most + striking thing in Ezekiel's representation of the process of + conversion is the thought that this saving sense of sin is produced + less by judgment than by free and undeserved forgiveness. + Punishment he conceives to be necessary, being demanded alike by + the righteousness of God and the good of the sinful people. But the + heart of Jerusalem is not changed till she finds herself restored + to her former relation to God, with all the sin of her past blotted + out and a new life before her. It is through the grace of + forgiveness that she is overwhelmed with shame and sorrow for sin, + and learns the humility which is the germ of a new hope towards + God. Here the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page141">[pg + 141]</span><a name="Pg141" id="Pg141" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + prophet strikes one of the deepest notes of evangelical doctrine. + All experience confirms the lesson that true repentance is not + produced by the terrors of the law, but by the view of God's love + in Christ going forth to meet the sinner and bring him back to the + Father's heart and home.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Another question + of great interest and difficulty is the attitude towards the + heathen world assumed by Ezekiel. The prophecy of the restoration + of Sodom is certainly one of the most remarkable things in the + book. It is true that Ezekiel as a rule concerns himself very + little with the religious state of the outlying world under the + Messianic dispensation. Where he speaks of foreign nations it is + only to announce the manifestation of Jehovah's glory in the + judgments He executes upon them. The effect of these judgments is + that <span class="tei tei-q">“they shall know that I am + Jehovah”</span>; but how much is included in the expression as + applied to the heathen it is impossible to say. This, however, may + be due to the peculiar limitation of view which leads him to + concentrate his attention on the Holy Land in his visions of the + perfect kingdom of God. We can hardly suppose that he conceived all + the rest of the world as a blank or filled with a seething mass of + humanity outside the government of the true God. It is rather to be + supposed that Canaan itself appeared to his mind as an epitome of + the world such as it must be when the latter-day glory was ushered + in. And in Canaan he finds room for Sodom, but Sodom turned to the + knowledge of the true God and sharing in the blessings bestowed on + Jerusalem. It is surely allowable to see in this the symptom of a + more hopeful view of the future of the world at large than we + should gather from the rest of the prophecy. If Ezekiel could think + of Sodom as raised from the dead and sharing the glories of the + people of God, the idea of the conversion of heathen nations + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page142">[pg 142]</span><a name= + "Pg142" id="Pg142" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> could not have been + altogether foreign to his mind. It is at all events significant + that when he meditates most profoundly on the nature of sin and + God's method of dealing with it, he is led to the thought of a + divine mercy which embraces in its sweep those communities which + had reached the lowest depths of moral corruption.</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page143">[pg 143]</span><a name= + "Pg143" id="Pg143" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc25" id="toc25"></a> <a name="pdf26" id="pdf26"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter X. The Religion Of The + Individual. Chapter xviii.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the sixteenth + chapter, as we have seen, Ezekiel has asserted in the most + unqualified terms the validity of the principle of national + retribution. The nation is dealt with as a moral unity, and the + catastrophe which closes its history is the punishment for the + accumulated guilt incurred by the past generations. In the + eighteenth chapter he teaches still more explicitly the freedom and + the independent responsibility of each individual before God. No + attempt is made to reconcile the two principles as methods of the + divine government; from the prophet's standpoint they do not + require to be reconciled. They belong to different dispensations. + So long as the Jewish state existed the principle of solidarity + remained in force. Men suffered for the sins of their ancestors; + individuals shared the punishment incurred by the nation as a + whole. But as soon as the nation is dead, when the bonds that unite + men in the organism of national life are dissolved, then the idea + of individual responsibility comes into immediate operation. Each + Israelite stands isolated before Jehovah, the burden of hereditary + guilt falls away from him, and he is free to determine his own + relation to God. He need not fear that the iniquity of his fathers + will be reckoned against him; he is held accountable only for his + own sins, and <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page144">[pg + 144]</span><a name="Pg144" id="Pg144" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + these can be forgiven on the condition of his own repentance.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The doctrine of + this chapter is generally regarded as Ezekiel's most characteristic + contribution to theology. It might be nearer the truth to say that + he is dealing with one of the great religious problems of the age + in which he lived. The difficulty was perceived by Jeremiah, and + treated in a manner which shows that his thoughts were being led in + the same direction as those of Ezekiel (Jer. xxxi. 29, 30). If in + any respect the teaching of Ezekiel makes an advance on that of + Jeremiah, it is in his application of the new truth to the duty of + the present: and even here the difference is more apparent than + real. Jeremiah postpones the introduction of personal religion to + the future, regarding it as an ideal to be realised in the + Messianic age. His own life and that of his contemporaries was + bound up with the old dispensation which was passing away, and he + knew that he was destined to share the fate of his people. Ezekiel, + on the other hand, lives already under the powers of the world to + come. The one hindrance to the perfect manifestation of Jehovah's + righteousness has been removed by the destruction of Jerusalem, and + henceforward it will be made apparent in the correspondence between + the desert and the fate of each individual. The new Israel must be + organised on the basis of personal religion, and the time has + already come when the task of preparing the religious community of + the future must be earnestly taken up. Hence the doctrine of + individual responsibility has a peculiar and practical importance + in the mission of Ezekiel. The call to repentance, which is the + keynote of his ministry, is addressed to individual men, and in + order that it may take effect their minds must be disabused of all + fatalistic preconceptions which would induce paralysis of the moral + faculties. It was necessary to <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page145">[pg 145]</span><a name="Pg145" id="Pg145" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> affirm in all their breadth and fulness the + two fundamental truths of personal religion—the absolute + righteousness of God's dealings with individual men, and His + readiness to welcome and pardon the penitent.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The eighteenth + chapter falls accordingly into two divisions. In the first the + prophet sets the individual's immediate relation to God against the + idea that guilt is transmitted from father to children (vv. 2-20). + In the second he tries to dispel the notion that a man's fate is so + determined by his own past life as to make a change of moral + condition impossible (vv. 21-32).</p> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is + noteworthy that both Jeremiah and Ezekiel, in dealing with the + question of retribution, start from a popular proverb which had + gained currency in the later years of the kingdom of Judah: + <span class="tei tei-q">“The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and + the children's teeth are set on edge.”</span> In whatever spirit + this saying may have been first coined, there is no doubt that it + had come to be used as a witticism at the expense of Providence. + It indicates that influences were at work besides the word of + prophecy which tended to undermine men's faith in the current + conception of the divine government. The doctrine of transmitted + guilt was accepted as a fact of experience, but it no longer + satisfied the deeper moral instincts of men. In early Israel it + was otherwise. There the idea that the son should bear the + iniquity of the father was received without challenge and applied + without misgiving in judicial procedure. The whole family of + Achan perished for the sin of their father; the sons of Saul + expiated their father's crime long after he was dead. These are + indeed but isolated facts, yet they are sufficient to prove the + ascendency of the antique <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page146">[pg 146]</span><a name="Pg146" id="Pg146" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> conception of the tribe or family as a + unity whose individual members are involved in the guilt of the + head. With the spread of purer ethical ideas among the people + there came a deeper sense of the value of the individual life, + and at a later time the principle of vicarious punishment was + banished from the administration of human justice (cf. 2 Kings + xiv. 6 with Deut. xxiv. 16). Within that sphere the principle was + firmly established that each man shall be put to death for his + own sin. But the motives which made this change intelligible and + necessary in purely human relations could not be brought to bear + immediately on the question of divine retribution. The + righteousness of God was thought to act on different lines from + the righteousness of man. The experience of the last generation + of the state seemed to furnish fresh evidence of the operation of + a law of providence by which men were made to inherit the + iniquity of their fathers. The literature of the period is filled + with the conviction that it was the sins of Manasseh that had + sealed the doom of the nation. These sins had never been + adequately punished, and subsequent events showed that they were + not forgiven. The reforming zeal of Josiah had postponed for a + time the final visitation of Jehovah's anger; but no reformation + and no repentance could avail to roll back the flood of judgment + that had been set in motion by the crimes of the reign of + Manasseh. <span class="tei tei-q">“Notwithstanding Jehovah turned + not from the fierceness of His great wrath, wherewith His anger + was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that + Manasseh had provoked Him withal”</span> (2 Kings xxiii. 26).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The proverb + about the sour grapes shows the effect of this interpretation of + providence on a large section of the people. It means no doubt + that there is an irrational element in God's method of dealing + with men, something not in harmony with natural laws. In the + natural sphere if a <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page147">[pg + 147]</span><a name="Pg147" id="Pg147" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + man eats sour grapes his own teeth are blunted or set on edge; + the consequences are immediate, and they are transitory. But in + the moral sphere a man may eat sour grapes all his life and + suffer no evil consequences whatever; the consequences, however, + appear in his children who have committed no such indiscretion. + There is nothing there which answers to the ordinary sense of + justice. Yet the proverb appears to be less an arraignment of the + divine righteousness than a mode of self-exculpation on the part + of the people. It expresses the fatalism and despair which + settled down on the minds of that generation when they realised + the full extent of the calamity that had overtaken them: + <span class="tei tei-q">“If our transgressions and our sins be + upon us, and we pine away in them, how then should we + live?”</span> (ch. xxxiii. 10). So the exiles reasoned in + Babylon, where they were in no mood for quoting facetious + proverbs about the ways of Providence; but they accurately + expressed the sense of the adage that had been current in + Jerusalem before its fall. The sins for which they suffered were + not their own, and the judgment that lay on them was no summons + to repentance, for it was caused by sins of which they were not + guilty and for which they could not in any real sense repent.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ezekiel + attacks this popular theory of retribution at what must have been + regarded as its strongest point—the relation between the father + and son. <span class="tei tei-q">“Why should the son <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">not</span></em> + bear the iniquity of his father?”</span> the people asked in + astonishment (ver. 19). <span class="tei tei-q">“It is good + traditional theology, and it has been confirmed by our own + experience.”</span> Now Ezekiel would probably not have admitted + that in any circumstances a son suffers because his father has + sinned. With that notion he appears to have absolutely broken. He + did not deny that the Exile was the punishment for all the sins + of the past as well as for those of the present; but that was + because the nation was treated as a moral <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page148">[pg 148]</span><a name="Pg148" id= + "Pg148" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> unity, and not because of any + law of heredity which bound up the fate of the child with that of + the father. It was essential to his purpose to show that the + principle of social guilt or collective retribution came to an + end with the fall of the state; whereas in the form in which the + people held to it, it could never come to an end so long as there + are parents to sin and children to suffer. But the important + point in the prophet's teaching is that whether in one form or in + another the principle of solidarity is now superseded. God will + no longer deal with men in the mass, but as individuals; and + facts which gave plausibility and a relative justification to + cynical views of God's providence shall no more occur. There will + be no more occasion to use that objectionable proverb in Israel. + On the contrary, it will be manifest in the case of each separate + individual that God's righteousness is discriminating, and that + each man's destiny corresponds with his own character. And the + new principle is embodied in words which may be called the + charter of the individual soul—words whose significance is fully + revealed only in Christianity: <span class="tei tei-q">“All souls + are Mine.... The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">What is here + asserted is of course not a distinction between the soul or + spiritual part of man's being and another part of his being which + is subject to physical necessity, but one between the individual + and his moral environment. The former distinction is real, and it + may be necessary for us in our day to insist on it, but it was + certainly not thought of by Ezekiel or perhaps by any other Old + Testament writer. The word <span class="tei tei-q">“soul”</span> + denotes simply the principle of individual life. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“All persons are Mine”</span> expresses the whole + meaning which Ezekiel meant to convey. Consequently the death + threatened to the sinner is not what we call spiritual death, but + death in the literal sense—the death of the individual. The truth + taught <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page149">[pg + 149]</span><a name="Pg149" id="Pg149" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + is the independence and freedom of the individual, or his moral + personality. And that truth involves two things. First, each + individual belongs to God, stands in immediate personal relation + to Him. In the old economy the individual belonged to the nation + or the family, and was related to God only as a member of a + larger whole. Now he has to deal with God directly—possesses + independent personal worth in the eye of God. Secondly, as a + result of this, each man is responsible for his own acts, and for + these alone. So long as his religious relations are determined by + circumstances outside of his own life his personality is + incomplete. The ideal relation to God must be one in which the + destiny of every man depends on his own free actions. These are + the fundamental postulates of personal religion as formulated by + Ezekiel.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The first part + of the chapter is nothing more than an illustration of the second + of these truths in a sufficient number of instances to show both + sides of its operation. There is first the case of a man + perfectly righteous, who as a matter of course lives by his + righteousness, the state of his father not being taken into + account. Then this good man is supposed to bear a son who is in + all respects the opposite of his father, who answers none of the + tests of a righteous man; he must die for his own sins, and his + father's righteousness avails him nothing. Lastly, if the son of + this wicked man takes warning by his father's fate and leads a + good life, he lives just as the first man did because of his own + righteousness, and suffers no diminution of his reward because + his father was a sinner. In all this argument there is a tacit + appeal to the conscience of the hearers, as if the case only + required to be put clearly before them to command their assent. + This is what shall be, the prophet says; and it is what ought to + be. It is contrary to the idea of perfect justice to conceive of + Jehovah as acting otherwise than as here represented. + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page150">[pg 150]</span><a name= + "Pg150" id="Pg150" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> To cling to the + idea of collective retribution as a permanent truth of religion, + as the exiles were disposed to do, destroys belief in the divine + righteousness by making it different from the righteousness which + expresses itself in the moral judgments of men.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Before we pass + from this part of the chapter we may take note of some + characteristics of the moral ideal by which Ezekiel tests the + conduct of the individual man. It is given in the form of a + catalogue of virtues, the presence or absence of which determines + a man's fitness or unfitness to enter the future kingdom of God. + Most of these virtues are defined negatively; the code specifies + sins to be avoided rather than duties to be performed or graces + to be cultivated. Nevertheless they are such as to cover a large + section of human life, and the arrangement of them embodies + distinctions of permanent ethical significance. They may be + classed under the three heads of piety, chastity, and + beneficence. Under the first head, that of directly religious + duties, two offences are mentioned which are closely connected + with each other, although to our minds they may seem to involve + different degrees of guilt (ver. 6). One is the acknowledgment of + other gods than Jehovah, and the other is participation in + ceremonies which denoted fellowship with idols.<a id="noteref_45" + name="noteref_45" href="#note_45"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">45</span></span></a> To + us who <span class="tei tei-q">“know that an idol is nothing in + the world”</span> the mere act of eating with the blood has no + religious significance. But in Ezekiel's time it was impossible + to divest it of heathen <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page151">[pg + 151]</span><a name="Pg151" id="Pg151" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + associations, and the man who performed it stood convicted of a + sin against Jehovah. Similarly the idea of sexual purity is + illustrated by two outstanding and prevalent offences (ver. 6). + The third head, which includes by far the greater number of + particulars, deals with the duties which we regard as moral in a + stricter sense. They are embodiments of the love which + <span class="tei tei-q">“worketh no ill to his neighbour,”</span> + and is therefore <span class="tei tei-q">“the fulfilling of the + law.”</span> It is manifest that the list is not meant to be an + exhaustive enumeration of all the virtues that a good man must + practise, or all the vices he must shun. The prophet has before + his mind two broad classes of men—those who feared God, and those + who did not; and what he does is to lay down outward marks which + were practically sufficient to discriminate between the one class + and the other.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The supreme + moral category is Righteousness, and this includes the two ideas + of right character and a right relation to God. The distinction + between an active righteousness manifested in the life and a + <span class="tei tei-q">“righteousness which is by faith”</span> + is not explicitly drawn in the Old Testament. Hence the passage + contains no teaching on the question whether a man's relation to + God is determined by his good works, or whether good works are + the fruit and outcome of a right relation to God. The essence of + morality, according to the Old Testament, is loyalty to God, + expressed by obedience to His will; and from that point of view + it is self-evident that the man who is loyal to Jehovah stands + accepted in His sight. In other connections Ezekiel makes it + abundantly clear that the state of grace does not depend on any + merit which man can have towards God.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The fact that + Ezekiel defines righteousness in terms of outward conduct has led + to his being accused of the error of legalism in his moral + conceptions. He has been <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page152">[pg 152]</span><a name="Pg152" id="Pg152" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> charged with resolving righteousness into + <span class="tei tei-q">“a sum of separate <span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">tzedāqôth</span></span>,”</span> or virtues. + But this view strains his language unduly, and seems moreover to + be negatived by the presuppositions of his argument. As a man + must either live or die at the day of judgment, so he must at any + moment be either righteous or wicked. The problematic case of a + man who should conscientiously observe some of these requirements + and deliberately violate others would have been dismissed by + Ezekiel as an idle speculation: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend + in one point, he is guilty of all”</span> (James ii. 10). The + very fact that former good deeds are not remembered to a man in + the day when he turns from his righteousness shows that the state + of righteousness is something different from an average struck + from the statistics of his moral career. The bent of the + character towards or away from goodness is no doubt spoken of as + subject to sudden fluctuations, but for the time being each man + is conceived as dominated by the one tendency or the other; and + it is the bent of the whole nature towards the good that + constitutes the righteousness by which a man shall live. It is at + all events a mistake to suppose that the prophet is concerned + only about the external act and indifferent to the state of heart + from which it proceeds. It is true that he does not attempt to + penetrate beneath the surface of the outward life. He does not + analyse motives. But this is because he assumes that if a man + keeps God's law he does it from a sincere desire to please God + and with a sense of the rightness of the law to which he subjects + his life. When we recognise this the charge of externalism + amounts to very little. We can never get behind the principle + that <span class="tei tei-q">“he that doeth righteousness is + righteous”</span> (1 John iii. 7), and that principle covers all + that Ezekiel really teaches. Compared with the more spiritual + teaching of the New Testament his moral ideal <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page153">[pg 153]</span><a name="Pg153" id= + "Pg153" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> is no doubt defective in many + directions, but his insistence on action as a test of character + is hardly one of them. We must remember that the New Testament + itself contains as many warnings against a false spirituality as + it does against the opposite error of reliance on good works.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The second + great truth of personal religion is the moral freedom of the + individual to determine his own destiny in the day of judgment. + This is illustrated in the latter part of the chapter by the two + opposite cases of a wicked man turning from his wickedness (vv. + 21, 22) and a righteous man turning from his righteousness (ver. + 24). And the teaching of the passage is that the effect of such a + change of mind, as regards a man's relation to God, is absolute. + The good life subsequent to conversion is not weighed against the + sins of past years; it is the index of a new state of heart in + which the guilt of former transgressions is entirely blotted out: + <span class="tei tei-q">“All his transgressions that he hath + committed shall not be remembered in regard to him; in his + righteousness that he hath done he shall live.”</span> But in + like manner the act of apostasy effaces the remembrance of good + deeds done in an earlier period of the man's life. The standing + of each soul before God, its righteousness or its wickedness, is + thus wholly determined by its final choice of good or evil, and + is revealed by the conduct which follows that great moral + decision. There can be no doubt that Ezekiel regards these two + possibilities as equally real, falling away from righteousness + being as much a fact of experience as repentance. In the light of + the New Testament we should perhaps interpret both cases somewhat + differently. In genuine conversion we must recognise the + imparting of a new spiritual principle which is ineradicable, + containing <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page154">[pg + 154]</span><a name="Pg154" id="Pg154" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + the pledge of perseverance in the state of grace to the end. In + the case of final apostasy we are compelled to judge that the + righteousness which is renounced was only apparent, that it was + no true indication of the man's character or of his condition in + the sight of God. But these are not the questions with which the + prophet is directly dealing. The essential truth which he + inculcates is the emancipation of the individual, through + repentance, from his own past. In virtue of his immediate + personal relation to God each man has the power to accept the + offer of salvation, to break away from his sinful life and escape + the doom which hangs over the impenitent. To this one point the + whole argument of the chapter tends. It is a demonstration of the + possibility and efficacy of individual repentance, culminating in + the declaration which lies at the very foundation of evangelical + religion, that God has no pleasure in the death of him that + dieth, but will have all men to repent and live (ver. 32).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is not easy + for us to conceive the effect of this revelation on the minds of + people so utterly unprepared for it as the generation in which + Ezekiel lived. Accustomed as they were to think of their + individual fate as bound up in that of their nation, they could + not at once adjust themselves to a doctrine which had never + previously been enunciated with such incisive clearness. And it + is not surprising that one effect of Ezekiel's teaching was to + create fresh doubts of the rectitude of the divine government. + <span class="tei tei-q">“The way of the Lord is not + equal,”</span> it was said (vv. 25, 29). So long as it was + admitted that men suffered for the sins of their ancestors or + that God dealt with them in the mass, there was at least an + appearance of consistency in the methods of Providence. The + justice of God might not be visible in the life of the + individual, but it could be roughly traced in the history of the + nation as a whole. But when that principle was discarded, then + the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page155">[pg 155]</span><a name= + "Pg155" id="Pg155" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> question of the + divine righteousness was raised in the case of each separate + Israelite, and there immediately appeared all those perplexities + about the lot of the individual which so sorely exercised the + faith of Old Testament believers. Experience did not show that + correspondence between a man's attitude towards God and his + earthly fortunes which the doctrine of individual freedom seemed + to imply; and even in Ezekiel's time it must have been evident + that the calamities which overtook the state fell + indiscriminately on the righteous and the wicked. The prophet's + purpose, however, is a practical one, and he does not attempt to + offer a theoretical solution of the difficulties which thus + arose. There were several considerations in his mind which turned + aside the edge of the people's complaint against the + righteousness of Jehovah. One was the imminence of the final + judgment, in which the absolute rectitude of the divine procedure + would be clearly manifested. Another seems to be the irresolute + and unstable attitude of the people themselves towards the great + moral issues which were set before them. While they professed to + be more righteous than their fathers, they showed no settled + purpose of amendment in their lives. A man might be apparently + righteous to-day and a sinner to-morrow; the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“inequality”</span> of which they complained was in + their own ways, and not in the way of the Lord (vv. 25, 29). But + the most important element in the case was the prophet's + conception of the character of God as one who, though strictly + just, yet desired that men should live. The Lord is + longsuffering, not willing that any should perish; and He + postpones the day of decision that His goodness may lead men to + repentance. <span class="tei tei-q">“Have I any pleasure in the + death of the wicked? saith the Lord: and not that he should turn + from his ways, and live?”</span> (ver. 23). And all these + considerations lead up to the urgent call to repentance with + which the chapter closes.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page156">[pg 156]</span><a name="Pg156" id="Pg156" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The importance + of the questions dealt with in this eighteenth chapter is shown + clearly enough by the hold which they have over the minds of men + in the present day. The very same difficulties which Ezekiel had + to encounter in his time confront us still in a somewhat altered + form, and are often keenly felt as obstacles to faith in God. The + scientific doctrine of heredity, for example, seems to be but a + more precise modern rendering of the old proverb about the eating + of sour grapes. The biological controversy over the possibility + of the transmission of acquired characteristics scarcely touches + the moral problem. In whatever way that controversy may be + ultimately settled, it is certain that in all cases a man's life + is affected both for good and evil by influences which descend + upon him from his ancestry. Similarly within the sphere of the + individual life the law of habit seems to exclude the possibility + of complete emancipation from the penalty due to past + transgressions. Hardly anything, in short, is better established + by experience than that the consequences of past actions persist + through all changes of spiritual condition, and, further, that + children do suffer from the consequences of their parents' + sin.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Do not these + facts, it may be asked, amount practically to a vindication of + the theory of retribution against which the prophet's argument is + directed? How can we reconcile them with the great principles + enunciated in this chapter? Dictates of morality, fundamental + truths of religion, these may be; but can we say in the face of + experience that they are true?</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It must be + admitted that a complete answer to these questions is not given + in the chapter before us, nor perhaps anywhere in the Old + Testament. So long as God dealt with men mainly by temporal + rewards and punishments, it was impossible to realise fully the + separateness of the soul in its spiritual relations to God; the + fate of the individual <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page157">[pg + 157]</span><a name="Pg157" id="Pg157" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + is necessarily merged in that of the community, and Ezekiel's + doctrine remains a prophecy of better things to be revealed. This + indeed is the light in which he himself teaches us to regard it; + although he applies it in all its strictness to the men of his + own generation, it is nevertheless essentially a feature of the + ideal kingdom of God, and is to be exhibited in the judgment by + which that kingdom is introduced. The great value of his teaching + therefore lies in his having formulated with unrivalled clearness + principles which are eternally true of the spiritual life, + although the perfect manifestation of these principles in the + experience of believers was reserved for the final revelation of + salvation in Christ.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The solution + of the contradiction referred to lies in the separation between + the natural and the penal consequences of sin. There is a sphere + within which natural laws have their course, modified, it may be, + but not wholly suspended by the law of the spirit of life in + Christ. The physical effects of vicious indulgence are not turned + aside by repentance, and a man may carry the scars of sin upon + him to the grave. But there is also a sphere into which natural + law does not enter. In his immediate personal relation to God a + believer is raised above the evil consequences which flow from + his past life, so that they have no power to separate him from + the love of God. And within that sphere his moral freedom and + independence are as much matter of experience as is his + subjection to law in another sphere. He knows that all things + work together for his good, and that tribulation itself is a + means of bringing him nearer to God. Amongst those tribulations + which work out his salvation there may be the evil conditions + imposed on him by the sin of others, or even the natural + consequences of his own former transgressions. But tribulations + no longer bear the aspect of penalty, and are no longer a token + of the wrath of God. They are <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page158">[pg 158]</span><a name="Pg158" id="Pg158" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> transformed into chastisements by which the + Father of spirits makes His children perfect in holiness. The + hardest cross to bear will always be that which is the result of + one's own sin; but He who has borne the guilt of it can + strengthen us to bear even this and follow Him.<a id="noteref_46" + name="noteref_46" href="#note_46"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">46</span></span></a></p> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page159">[pg 159]</span><a name= + "Pg159" id="Pg159" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 4.00em; margin-top: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc27" id="toc27"></a> <a name="pdf28" id="pdf28"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XI. The Sword Unsheathed. + Chapter xxi.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The date at the + beginning of ch. xx. introduces the fourth and last section of the + prophecies delivered before the destruction of Jerusalem. It also + divides the first period of Ezekiel's ministry into two equal + parts. The time is the month of August, 590 <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span>, two years after his + prophetic inauguration and two years before the investment of + Jerusalem. It follows that if the book of Ezekiel presents anything + like a faithful picture of his actual work, by far his most + productive year was that which had just closed. It embraces the + long and varied series of discourses from ch. viii. to ch. xix.; + whereas five chapters are all that remain as a record of his + activity during the next two years. This result is not so + improbable as at first sight it might appear. From the character of + Ezekiel's prophecy, which consists largely of homiletic + amplifications of one great theme, it is quite intelligible that + the main lines of his teaching should have taken shape in his mind + at an early period of his ministry. The discourses in the earlier + part of the book may have been expanded in the act of committing + them to writing; but there is no reason to doubt that the ideas + they contain were present to the prophet's mind and were actually + delivered by him within the period to which they are assigned. We + may therefore suppose that Ezekiel's public exhortations became + less frequent during the two <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page160">[pg 160]</span><a name="Pg160" id="Pg160" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> years that preceded the siege, just as we + know that for two years after that event they were altogether + discontinued.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In this last + division of the prophecies relating to the destruction of Jerusalem + we can easily distinguish two different classes of oracles. On the + one hand we have two chapters dealing with contemporary + incidents—the march of Nebuchadnezzar's army against Jerusalem (ch. + xxi.), and the commencement of the siege of the city (ch. xxiv.). + In spite of the confident opinion of some critics that these + prophecies could not have been composed till after the fall of + Jerusalem, they seem to me to bear the marks of having been written + under the immediate influence of the events they describe. It is + difficult otherwise to account for the excitement under which the + prophet labours, especially in ch. xxi., which stands by the side + of ch. vii. as the most agitated utterance in the whole book. On + the other hand we have three discourses of the nature of formal + indictments—one directed against the exiles (ch. xx.), one against + Jerusalem (ch. xxii.), and one against the whole nation of Israel + (ch. xxiii.). It is impossible in these chapters to discover any + advance in thought upon similar passages that have already been + before us. Two of them (chs. xx. and xxiii.) are historical + retrospects after the manner of ch. xvi., and there is no obvious + reason why they should be placed in a different section of the + book. The key to the unity of the section must therefore be sought + in the two historical prophecies and in the situation created by + the events they describe.<a id="noteref_47" name="noteref_47" href= + "#note_47"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">47</span></span></a> It + will therefore help to clear the ground if we commence with the + oracle <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page161">[pg + 161]</span><a name="Pg161" id="Pg161" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + which throws most light on the historical background of this group + of prophecies—the oracle of Jehovah's sword against Jerusalem in + ch. xxi.<a id="noteref_48" name="noteref_48" href= + "#note_48"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">48</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The + long-projected rebellion has at length broken out. Zedekiah has + renounced his allegiance to the king of Babylon, and the army of + the Chaldæans is on its way to suppress the insurrection. The + precise date of these events is not known. For some reason the + conspiracy of the Palestinian states had hung fire; many years had + been allowed to slip away since the time when their envoys had met + in Jerusalem to concert measures of united resistance (Jer. + xxvii.). This procrastination was, as usual, a sure presage of + disaster. In the interval the league had dissolved. Some of its + members had made terms with Nebuchadnezzar; and it would appear + that only Tyre, Judah, and Ammon ventured on open defiance of his + power. The hope was cherished in Jerusalem, and probably also among + the Jews in Babylon, that the first assault of the Chaldæans would + be directed against the Ammonites, and that time would thus be + gained to complete the defences of Jerusalem. To dispel this + illusion is one obvious purpose of the prophecy before us. The + movements of Nebuchadnezzar's army are directed by a wisdom higher + than his own; he is the unconscious instrument by which Jehovah is + executing His own purpose. The real object of his expedition is not + to punish a few <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page162">[pg + 162]</span><a name="Pg162" id="Pg162" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + refractory tribes for an act of disloyalty, but to vindicate the + righteousness of Jehovah in the destruction of the city which had + profaned His holiness. No human calculations will be allowed even + for a moment to turn aside the blow which is aimed directly at + Jerusalem's sins, or to obscure the lesson taught by its sure and + unerring aim.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We can imagine + the restless suspense and anxiety with which the final struggle for + the national cause was watched by the exiles in Babylon. In + imagination they would follow the long march of the Chaldæan hosts + by the Euphrates and their descent by the valleys of the Orontes + and Leontes upon the city. Eagerly would they wait for some tidings + of a reverse which would revive their drooping hope of a speedy + collapse of the great world-empire and a restoration of Israel to + its ancient freedom. And when at length they heard that Jerusalem + was enclosed in the iron grip of these victorious legions, from + which no human deliverance was possible, their mood would harden + into one in which fanatical hope and sullen despair contended for + the mastery. Into an atmosphere charged with such excitement + Ezekiel hurls the series of predictions comprised in chs. xxi. and + xxiv. With far other feelings than his fellows, but with as keen an + interest as theirs, he follows the development of what he knows to + be the last act in the long controversy between Jehovah and Israel. + It is his duty to repeat once more the irrevocable decree—the + divine <span class="tei tei-foreign"><span style= + "font-style: italic">delenda est</span></span> against the guilty + Jerusalem. But he does so in this instance in language whose + vehemence betrays the agitation of his mind, and perhaps also the + restlessness of the society in which he lived. The twenty-first + chapter is a series of rhapsodies, the product of a state bordering + on ecstasy, where different aspects of the impending judgment are + set forth by the help of vivid images which pass in quick + succession through the prophet's mind.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page163">[pg 163]</span><a name="Pg163" id="Pg163" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The first + vision which the prophet sees of the approaching catastrophe (vv. + 1-4) is that of a forest conflagration, an occurrence which must + have been as frequent in Palestine as a prairie fire in America. + He sees a fire break out in the <span class="tei tei-q">“forest + of the south,”</span> and rage with such fierceness that + <span class="tei tei-q">“every green tree and every dry + tree”</span> is burned up; the faces of all who are near it are + scorched, and all men are convinced that so terrible a calamity + must be the work of Jehovah Himself. This we may suppose to have + been the form in which the truth first laid hold of Ezekiel's + imagination; but he appears to have hesitated to proclaim his + message in this form. His figurative manner of speech had become + notorious among the exiles (ver. 5), and he was conscious that a + <span class="tei tei-q">“parable”</span> so vague and general as + this would be dismissed as an ingenious riddle which might mean + anything or nothing. What follows (vv. 7-10) gives the key to the + original vision. Although it is in form an independent oracle, it + is closely parallel to the preceding and elucidates each feature + in detail. The <span class="tei tei-q">“forest of the + south”</span> is explained to mean the land of Israel; and the + mention of the sword of Jehovah instead of the fire intimates + less obscurely that the instrument of the threatened calamity is + the Babylonian army. It is interesting to observe that Ezekiel + expressly admits that there were righteous men even in the doomed + Israel. Contrary to his conception of the normal methods of the + divine righteousness, he conceives of <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">this</span></em> + judgment as one which involves righteous and wicked in a common + ruin. Not that God is less than righteous in this crowning act of + vengeance, but His justice is not brought to bear on the fate of + individuals. He is dealing with the nation as a whole, and in the + exterminating judgment of the nation good men <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page164">[pg 164]</span><a name="Pg164" id= + "Pg164" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> will no more be spared than + the green tree of the forest escapes the fate of the dry. It was + the fact that righteous men perished in the fall of Jerusalem; + and Ezekiel does not shut his eyes to it, firmly as he believed + that the time was come when God would reward every man according + to his own character. The indiscriminateness of the judgment in + its bearing on different classes of persons is obviously a + feature which Ezekiel here seeks to emphasise.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But the idea + of the sword of Jehovah drawn from its scabbard, to return no + more till it has accomplished its mission, is the one that has + fixed itself most deeply in the prophet's imagination, and forms + the connecting link between this vision and the other + amplifications of the same theme which follow.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Passing over + the symbolic action of vv. 11-13, representing the horror and + astonishment with which the dire tidings of Jerusalem's fall will + be received, we come to the point where the prophet breaks into + the wild strain of dithyrambic poetry, which has been called the + <span class="tei tei-q">“Song of the Sword”</span> (vv. 14-22). + The following translation, although necessarily imperfect and in + some places uncertain, may convey some idea both of the structure + and the rugged vigour of the original. It will be seen that there + is a clear division into four stanzas:<a id="noteref_49" name= + "noteref_49" href="#note_49"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">49</span></span></a>—</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">(i) Vv. + 14-16.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 1.00em; margin-top: 1.00em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + A sword, a sword! It is sharpened and burnished withal. + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + For a work of slaughter is it sharpened! + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + To gleam like lightning burnished! + </div> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 1.00em; margin-top: 1.00em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + And 'twas given to be smoothed for the grip of the hand, + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + —Sharpened is it, and furbished— + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + To put in the hand of the slayer. + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page165">[pg + 165]</span><a name="Pg165" id="Pg165" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">(ii) Vv. 17, + 18.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-top: 1.00em; margin-bottom: 1.00em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + Cry and howl, son of man! + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + For it has come among my people; + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + Come among all the princes of Israel! + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + Victims of the sword are they, they and my people; + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + Therefore smite upon thy thigh! + </div> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It shall not + be, saith Jehovah the Lord.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">(iii) Vv. 19, + 20.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 1.00em; margin-top: 1.00em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + But, thou son of man, prophesy, and smite hand on hand; + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + Let the sword be doubled and tripled (?). + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + A sword of the slain is it, the great sword of the slain + whirling around them,— + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + That hearts may fail, and many be the fallen in all their + gates. + </div> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is made + like lightning, furbished for slaughter!</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">(iv) Vv. 21, + 22.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-top: 1.00em; margin-bottom: 1.00em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + Gather thee together! Smite to the right, to the left, + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + Whithersoever thine edge is appointed! + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + And I also will smite hand on hand, + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + And appease My wrath: + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + I Jehovah have spoken it. + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In spite of + its obscurity, its abrupt transitions, and its strange blending + of the divine with the human personality, the ode exhibits a + definite poetic form and a real progress of thought from the + beginning to the close. Throughout the passage we observe that + the prophet's gaze is fascinated by the glittering sword which + symbolised the instrument of Jehovah's vengeance. In the opening + stanza (i) he describes the <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">preparation</span></em> of the sword; he + notes the keenness of its edge and its glittering sheen with an + awful presentiment that an implement so elaborately fashioned is + destined for some terrible day of slaughter. Then (ii) he + announces the <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">purpose</span></em> for which the sword is + prepared, and breaks into loud lamentation as he realises that + its doomed victims are his own people and the princes of Israel. + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page166">[pg 166]</span><a name= + "Pg166" id="Pg166" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> In the next stanza + (iii) he sees the sword <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">in action</span></em>; wielded by an + invisible hand, it flashes hither and thither, circling round its + hapless victims as if two or three swords were at work instead of + one. All hearts are paralysed with fear, but the sword does not + cease its ravages until it has filled the ground with slain. Then + at length the sword is <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">at rest</span></em> (iv), having + accomplished its work. The divine Speaker calls on it in a + closing apostrophe <span class="tei tei-q">“to gather itself + together”</span> as if for a final sweep to right and left, + indicating the thoroughness with which the judgment has been + executed. In the last verse the vision of the sword fades away, + and the poem closes with an announcement, in the usual prophetic + manner, of Jehovah's fixed purpose to <span class= + "tei tei-q">“assuage”</span> His wrath against Israel by the + crowning act of retribution.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">III</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">If any doubt + still remained as to what the sword of Jehovah meant, it is + removed in the next section (vv. 23-32), where the prophet + indicates the way by which the sword is to come on the kingdom of + Judah. The Chaldæan monarch is represented as pausing on his + march, perhaps at Riblah or some place to the north of Palestine, + and deliberating whether he shall advance first against Judah or + the Ammonites. He stands at the parting of the ways—on the left + hand is the road to Rabbath-ammon, on the right that to + Jerusalem. In his perplexity he invokes supernatural guidance, + resorting to various expedients then in use for ascertaining the + will of the gods and the path of good fortune. He <span class= + "tei tei-q">“rattles the arrows”</span> (two of them in some kind + of vessel, one for Jerusalem and the other for Riblah); he + consults the teraphim and inspects the entrails of a sacrificial + victim. This consulting of the omens was no doubt an invariable + preliminary to every <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page167">[pg + 167]</span><a name="Pg167" id="Pg167" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + campaign, and was resorted to whenever an important military + decision had to be made. It might seem a matter of indifference + to a powerful monarch like Nebuchadnezzar which of two petty + opponents he determined to crush first. But the kings of Babylon + were religious men in their way, and never doubted that success + depended on their following the indications that were given by + the higher powers. In this case Nebuchadnezzar gets a true + answer, but not from the deities whose aid he had invoked. In his + right hand he finds the arrow marked <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Jerusalem.”</span> The die is cast, his resolution + is taken, but it is Jehovah's sentence sealing the fate of + Jerusalem that has been uttered.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Such is the + situation which Ezekiel in Babylon is directed to represent + through a piece of obvious symbolism. A road diverging into two + is drawn on the ground, and at the meeting-point a sign-post is + erected indicating that the one leads to Ammon and the other to + Judah. It is of course not necessary to suppose that the incident + so graphically described actually occurred. The divination scene + may only be imaginary, although it is certainly a true reflection + of Babylonian ideas and customs. The truth conveyed is that the + Babylonian army is moving under the immediate guidance of + Jehovah, and that not only the political projects of the king, + but his secret thoughts and even his superstitious reliance on + signs and omens, are all overruled for the furtherance of the one + purpose for which Jehovah has raised him up.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Meanwhile + Ezekiel is well aware that in Jerusalem a very different + interpretation is put on the course of events. When the news of + the great king's decision reaches the men at the head of affairs + they are not dismayed. They view the decision as the result of + <span class="tei tei-q">“false divination”</span>; they laugh to + scorn the superstitious rites which have determined the course of + the campaign,—not that they suppose the king will not act on his + omens, but they do not <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page168">[pg + 168]</span><a name="Pg168" id="Pg168" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + believe they are an augury of success. They had hoped for a short + breathing space while Nebuchadnezzar was engaged on the east of + the Jordan, but they will not shrink from the conflict whether it + be to-day or to-morrow. Addressing himself to this state of mind, + Ezekiel once more<a id="noteref_50" name="noteref_50" href= + "#note_50"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">50</span></span></a> + reminds those who hear him that these men are fighting against + the moral laws of the universe. The existing kingdom of Judah + occupies a false position before God and in the eyes of just men. + It has no religious foundation; for the hope of the Messiah does + not lie with that wearer of a dishonoured crown, the king + Zedekiah, but with the legitimate heir of David now in exile. The + state has no right to be except as part of the Chaldæan empire, + and this right it has forfeited by renouncing its allegiance to + its earthly superior. These men forget that in this quarrel the + just cause is that of Nebuchadnezzar, whose enterprise only seems + to <span class="tei tei-q">“call to mind their iniquity”</span> + (ver. 28)—<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, their political crime. + In provoking this conflict, therefore, they have put themselves + in the wrong; they shall be caught in the toils of their own + villainy.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The heaviest + censure is reserved for Zedekiah, the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day is + coming in the time of final retribution.”</span> This part of the + prophecy has a close resemblance to the latter part of ch. xvii. + The prophet's sympathies are still with the exiled king, or at + least with that branch of the royal family which he represents. + And the sentence of rejection on Zedekiah is again accompanied by + a promise of the restoration of the kingdom in the person of the + Messiah. The crown which has been dishonoured by the last king of + Judah shall be taken from his head; that which is low shall be + exalted (the exiled branch of the Davidic house), and that + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page169">[pg 169]</span><a name= + "Pg169" id="Pg169" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> which is high + shall be abased (the reigning king); the whole existing order of + things shall be overturned <span class="tei tei-q">“until + <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">He</span></em> comes who has the + right.”</span><a id="noteref_51" name="noteref_51" href= + "#note_51"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">51</span></span></a></p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">IV</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The last + oracle is directed against the children of Ammon. By + Nebuchadnezzar's decision to subdue Jerusalem first the Ammonites + had gained a short respite. They even exulted in the humiliation + of their former ally, and had apparently drawn the sword in order + to seize part of the land of Judah. Misled by false diviners, + they had dared to seek their own advantage in the calamities + which Jehovah had brought on His own people. The prophet + threatens the complete annihilation of Ammon, even in its own + land, and the blotting out of its remembrance among the nations. + That is the substance of the prophecy; but its form presents + several points of difficulty. It begins with what appears to be + an echo of the <span class="tei tei-q">“Song of the Sword”</span> + in the earlier part of the chapter:—</p> + + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 1.00em; margin-top: 1.00em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + A sword! a sword! + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + It is drawn for slaughter; it is furbished to shine like + lightning (ver. 33). + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But as we + proceed we find that it is the sword of the Ammonites that is + meant, and they are ordered to return it to its sheath. If this + be so, the tone of the passage must be ironical. It is in mockery + that the prophet uses such magnificent language of the puny + pretensions of Ammon to take a share in the work for which + Jehovah has fashioned the mighty weapon of the Chaldæan army. + There are other reminiscences of the earlier part of the chapter, + such as the <span class="tei tei-q">“lying divination”</span> of + ver. 34, and the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page170">[pg + 170]</span><a name="Pg170" id="Pg170" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <span class="tei tei-q">“time of final retribution”</span> in the + same verse. The allusion to the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“reproach”</span> of Ammon and its aggressive + attitude seems to point to the time after the destruction of + Jerusalem and the withdrawal of the army of Nebuchadnezzar. + Whether the Ammonites had previously made their submission or not + we cannot tell; but the fortieth and forty-first chapters of + Jeremiah show that Ammon was still a hotbed of conspiracy against + the Babylonian interest in the days after the fall of Jerusalem. + These appearances make it probable that this part of the chapter + is an appendix, added at a later time, and dealing with a + situation which was developed after the destruction of the city. + Its insertion in its present place is easily accounted for by the + circumstance that the fate of Ammon had been linked with that of + Jerusalem in the previous part of the chapter. The vindictive + little nationality had used its respite to gratify its hereditary + hatred of Israel, and now the judgment, suspended for a time, + shall return with redoubled fury and sweep it from the earth.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Looking back + over this series of prophecies, there seems reason to believe + that, with the exception of the last, they are really + contemporaneous with the events they deal with. It is true that + they do not illuminate the historical situation to the same + degree as those in which Isaiah depicts the advance of another + invader and the development of another crisis in the people's + history. This is due partly to the bent of Ezekiel's genius, but + partly also to the very peculiar circumstances in which he was + placed. The events which form the theme of his prophecy were + transacted on a distant stage; neither he nor his immediate + hearers were actors in the drama. He addresses himself to an + audience wrought to the highest pitch of excitement, but swayed + by hopes and rumours and vague surmises as to the probable issue + of events. It was inevitable in these circumstances that his + prophecy, even <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page171">[pg + 171]</span><a name="Pg171" id="Pg171" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + in those passages which deal with contemporary facts, should + present but a pale reflection of the actual situation. In the + case before us the one historical event which stands out clearly + is the departure of Nebuchadnezzar with his army to Jerusalem. + But what we read is genuine prophecy; not the artifice of a man + using prophetic speech as a literary form, but the utterance of + one who discerns the finger of God in the present, and interprets + His purpose beforehand to the men of his day.</p> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page172">[pg 172]</span><a name= + "Pg172" id="Pg172" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc29" id="toc29"></a> <a name="pdf30" id="pdf30"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XII. Jehovah's Controversy + With Israel. Chapter xx.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">By far the + hardest trial of Ezekiel's faith must have been the conduct of his + fellow-exiles. It was amongst them that he looked for the great + spiritual change which must precede the establishment of the + kingdom of God; and he had already addressed to them words of + consolation based on the knowledge that the hope of the future was + theirs (ch. xi. 18). Yet the time passed on without bringing any + indications that the promise was about to be fulfilled. There were + no symptoms of national repentance; there was nothing even to show + that the lessons of the Exile as interpreted by the prophet were + beginning to be laid to heart. For these men, among whom he lived, + were still inveterately addicted to idolatry. Strange as it must + seem to us, the very men who cherished a fanatical faith in + Jehovah's power to save His people were assiduously practising the + worship of other gods. It is too readily assumed by some writers + that the idolatry of the exiles was of the ambiguous kind which had + prevailed so long in the land of Israel, that it was the worship of + Jehovah under the form of images—a breach of the second + commandment, but not of the first. The people who carried Jeremiah + down to Egypt were as eager as Ezekiel's companions to hear a word + from Jehovah; yet they were devoted to the worship of the + <span class="tei tei-q">“Queen of Heaven,”</span> and dated all + their misfortunes from the time <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page173">[pg 173]</span><a name="Pg173" id="Pg173" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> when their women had ceased to pay court to + her. There is no reason to believe that the Jews in Babylon were + less catholic in their superstitions than those of Judæa; and + indeed the whole drift of Ezekiel's expostulations goes to show + that he has the worship of false gods in view. The ancient belief + that the worship of Jehovah was specially associated with the land + of Canaan is not likely to have been without influence on the minds + of those who felt the fascination of idolatry, and must have + strengthened the tendency to seek the aid of foreign gods in a + foreign land.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The twentieth + chapter deals with this matter of idolatry; and the fact that this + important discourse was called forth by a visit from the elders of + Israel shows how heavily the subject weighed on the prophet's mind. + Whatever the purpose of the deputation may have been (and of that + we have no information), it was certainly not to consult Ezekiel + about the propriety of worshipping false gods. It is only because + this great question dominates all his thoughts concerning them and + their destiny that he connects the warning against idolatry with a + casual inquiry addressed to him by the elders. The circumstances + are so similar to those of ch. xiv. that Ewald was led to + conjecture that both oracles originated in one and the same + incident, and were separated from each other in writing because of + the difference of their subjects. Ch. xiv. on that view justifies + the refusal of an answer from a consideration of the true function + of prophecy, while ch. xx. expands the admonition of the sixth + verse of ch. xiv. into an elaborate review of the religious history + of Israel. But there is really no good reason for identifying the + two incidents. In neither passage does the prophet think it worth + while to record the object of the inquiry addressed to him, and + therefore conjecture is useless.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page174">[pg 174]</span><a name="Pg174" id="Pg174" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But the very + fact that a definite date is given for this visit leads us to + consider whether it had not some peculiar significance to lodge it + so firmly in Ezekiel's mind. Now the most suggestive hint which the + chapter affords is the idea put into the lips of the exiles in ver. + 32: <span class="tei tei-q">“And as for the thought which arises in + your mind, it shall not be, in that ye are thinking, We will become + like the heathen, like the families of the lands, in worshipping + wood and stone.”</span> These words contain the key to the whole + discourse. It is difficult, no doubt, to decide how much exactly is + implied in them. They may mean no more than the determination to + keep up the external conformity to heathen customs which already + existed in matters of worship—as, for example, in the use of + images. But the form of expression used, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“that which is coming up in your mind,”</span> almost + suggests that the prophet was face to face with an incipient + tendency among the exiles, a deliberate resolve to apostatise and + assimilate themselves for all religious purposes to the surrounding + heathen. It is by no means improbable that, amidst the many + conflicting tendencies that distracted the exiled community, this + idea of a complete abandonment of the national religion should have + crystallised into a settled purpose in the event of their last hope + being disappointed. If this was the situation with which Ezekiel + had to deal, we should be able to understand how his denunciation + takes the precise form which it assumes in this chapter.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">For what is, in + the main, the purport of the chapter? Briefly stated the argument + is as follows. The religion of Jehovah had never been the true + expression of the national genius of Israel. Not now for the first + time has the purpose of Israel come into conflict with the + immutable purpose of Jehovah; but from the very beginning the + history had been one long struggle between the natural inclinations + of the people and the destiny which was <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page175">[pg 175]</span><a name="Pg175" id="Pg175" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> forced on it by the will of God. The love of + idols had been the distinguishing feature of the national character + from the beginning; and if it had been suffered to prevail, Israel + would never have been known as Jehovah's people. Why had it not + been suffered to prevail? Because of Jehovah's regard for the + honour of His name; because in the eyes of the heathen His glory + was identified with the fortunes of this particular people, to whom + He had once revealed Himself. And as it has been in the past, so it + will be in the future. The time has come for the age-long + controversy to be brought to an issue, and it cannot be doubtful + what the issue will be. <span class="tei tei-q">“That which comes + up in their mind”</span>—this new resolve to live like the + heathen—cannot turn aside the purpose of Jehovah to make of Israel + a people for His own glory. Whatever further judgments may be + necessary for that end, the land of Israel shall yet be the seat of + a pure and acceptable worship of the true God, and the people shall + recognise with shame and contrition that the goal of all its + history has been accomplished in spite of its perversity by the + <span class="tei tei-q">“irresistible grace”</span> of its divine + King.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em"><span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-variant: small-caps">The Lesson of + History</span></span> (vv. 5-29).—It is a magnificent conception + of national election which the prophet here unfolds. It takes the + form of a parallel between two desert scenes, one at the + beginning and the other at the close of Israel's history. The + first part of the chapter deals with the religious significance + of the transactions in the wilderness of Sinai and the events in + Egypt which were introductory to them. It starts from Jehovah's + free choice of the people while they were still living as + idolaters in Egypt. Jehovah there revealed Himself to them as + their God, and entered into a covenant<a id="noteref_52" name= + "noteref_52" href="#note_52"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">52</span></span></a> with + them; and <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page176">[pg + 176]</span><a name="Pg176" id="Pg176" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + the covenant included on the one hand the promise of the land of + Canaan, and on the other hand a requirement that the people + should separate themselves from all forms of idolatry whether + native or Egyptian. <span class="tei tei-q">“In the day that I + chose Israel, ... and made Myself known to them in the land of + Egypt, ... saying, I am Jehovah your God; in that day I lifted up + My hand to them, to bring them out of the land of Egypt, into a + land which I had sought out for them. And I said to them, Cast + away each man the abomination of his eyes, and defile not + yourselves with the block-gods of Egypt. I am Jehovah your + God”</span> (vv. 5-7). The point which Ezekiel specially + emphasises is that this vocation to be the people of the true God + was thrust on Israel without its consent, and that the revelation + of Jehovah's purpose evoked no response in the heart of the + people. By persistence in idolatry they had virtually renounced + the kingship of Jehovah and forfeited their right to the + fulfilment of the promise He had given them. And only from regard + to His name, that it might not be profaned in the sight of the + nations, before whose eyes He had made Himself known to them, did + He turn from the purpose He had formed to destroy them in the + land of Egypt.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In several + respects this account of the occurrences in Egypt goes beyond + what we learn from any other source. The historical books contain + no reference to the prevalence of specifically Egyptian forms of + idolatry among the Hebrews, nor do they mention any threat to + exterminate the people for their rebellion. It is not to be + supposed, however, that Ezekiel possessed other records of the + period before the Exodus than those preserved in the Pentateuch. + The fundamental conceptions are those attested by the history, + that God first revealed Himself to Israel by the name Jehovah + through Moses, and that the revelation was accompanied by a + promise of deliverance <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page177">[pg + 177]</span><a name="Pg177" id="Pg177" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + from Egypt. That the people in spite of this revelation continued + to worship idols is an inference from the whole of their + subsequent history. And the conflict in the mind of Jehovah + between anger against the people's sin and jealousy for His own + name is not a matter of history at all, but is an inspired + interpretation of the history in the light of the divine + holiness, which embraces both these elements.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the + wilderness Israel entered on the second and decisive stage of its + probation which falls into two acts, and whose determining factor + was the legislation. To the generation of the Exodus Jehovah made + known the way of life in a code of law which on its own intrinsic + merits ought to have commended itself to their moral sense. The + statutes and judgments that were then given were such that + <span class="tei tei-q">“if a man do them he shall live by + them”</span> (ver. 11). This thought of the essential goodness of + the law as originally given reveals Ezekiel's view of God's + relation to men. It derives its significance no doubt from the + contrast with legislation of an opposite character afterwards + mentioned. Yet even that contrast expresses a conviction in the + prophet's mind that morality is not constituted by arbitrary + enactments on the part of God, but that there are eternal + conditions of ethical fellowship between God and man, and that + the law first offered for Israel's acceptance was the embodiment + of those ethical relations which flow from the nature of Jehovah. + It is probable that Ezekiel has in view the moral precepts of the + Decalogue. If so, it is instructive to notice that the Sabbath + law is separately mentioned, not as one of the laws by which a + man lives, but as a sign of the covenant between Jehovah and + Israel. The divine purpose was again defeated by the idolatrous + proclivities of the people: <span class="tei tei-q">“They + despised My judgments, and they did not walk in My statutes, and + they profaned My Sabbaths, <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">because</span></em> their heart went after + their idols”</span> (ver. 16).</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page178">[pg 178]</span><a name="Pg178" id="Pg178" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">To the second + generation in the wilderness the offer of the covenant was + renewed, with the same result (vv. 18-24). It should be observed + that in both cases the disobedience of the people is answered by + two distinct utterances of Jehovah's wrath. The first is a threat + of immediate extermination, which is expressed as a momentary + purpose of Jehovah, no sooner formed than withdrawn for the sake + of His honour (vv. 14, 21). The other is a judgment of a more + limited character, uttered in the form of an oath, and in the + first case at least actually carried out. For the threat of + exclusion from the Promised Land (ver. 15) was enforced so far as + the first generation was concerned. Now the parallelism between + the two sections leads us to expect that the similar threat of + dispersion in ver. 23 is meant to be understood of a judgment + actually inflicted. We may conclude, therefore, that ver. 23 + refers to the Babylonian exile and the dispersion among the + nations, which hung like a doom over the nation during its whole + history in Canaan, and is represented as a direct consequence of + their transgressions in the wilderness. There seems reason to + believe that the particular allusion is to the twenty-eighth + chapter of Deuteronomy, where the threat of a dispersion among + the nations concludes the long list of curses which will follow + disobedience to the law (Deut. xxviii. 64-68). It is true that in + that chapter the threat is only conditional; but in the time of + Ezekiel it had already been fulfilled, and it is in accordance + with his whole conception of the history to read the final issue + back into the early period when the national character was + determined.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But in + addition to this, as if effectually to <span class= + "tei tei-q">“conclude them under sin,”</span> Jehovah met the + hardness of their hearts by imposing on them laws of an opposite + character to those first given, and laws which accorded only too + well with their baser inclinations: <span class="tei tei-q">“And + I also gave <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page179">[pg + 179]</span><a name="Pg179" id="Pg179" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + them statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they + should not live; and I rendered them unclean in their offerings, + by making over all that opened the womb, that I might horrify + them”</span> (vv. 25, 26).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This division + of the wilderness legislation into two kinds, one good and + life-giving and the other not good, presents difficulties both + moral and critical which cannot perhaps be altogether removed. + The general direction in which the solution must be sought is + indeed tolerably clear. The reference is to the law which + required the consecration of the firstborn of all animals to + Jehovah. This was interpreted in the most rigorous sense as + dedication in sacrifice; and then the principle was extended to + the case of human beings. The divine purpose in appearing to + sanction this atrocious practice was to <span class= + "tei tei-q">“horrify”</span> the people—that is to say, the + punishment of their idolatry consisted in the shock to their + natural instincts and affections caused by the worst development + of the idolatrous spirit to which they were delivered. We are not + to infer from this that human sacrifice was an element of the + original Hebrew religion, and that it was actually based on + legislative enactment. The truth appears to be that the sacrifice + of children was originally a feature of Canaanitish worship, + particularly of the god Melek or Molech, and was only introduced + into the religion of Israel in the evil days which preceded the + fall of the state.<a id="noteref_53" name="noteref_53" href= + "#note_53"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">53</span></span></a> The + idea took hold of men's minds that this terrible rite alone + revealed the full potency of the sacrificial act; and when the + ordinary means of propitiation seemed to fail, it was resorted to + as the last desperate expedient for appeasing an offended deity. + All that Ezekiel's words warrant us in assuming is that when once + the practice <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page180">[pg + 180]</span><a name="Pg180" id="Pg180" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + was established it was defended by an appeal to the ancient law + of the firstborn, the principle of which was held to cover the + case of human sacrifices. These laws, relating to the + consecration of firstborn animals, are therefore the statutes + referred to by Ezekiel; and their defect lies in their being open + to such an immoral misinterpretation. This view is in accordance + with the probabilities of the case. When we consider the tendency + of the Old Testament writers to refer all actual events + immediately to the will of God, we can partly understand the form + in which Ezekiel expresses the facts; and this is perhaps all + that can be said on the moral aspect of the difficulty. It is but + an application of the principle that sin is punished by moral + obliquity, and precepts which are accommodated to the hardness of + men's hearts are by that same hardness perverted to fatal issues. + It cannot even be said that there is a radical divergence of view + between Ezekiel and Jeremiah on this subject. For when the older + prophet, speaking of child-sacrifice, says that Jehovah + <span class="tei tei-q">“commanded it not, neither came it into + His mind”</span> (ch. vii. 31 and ch. xix. 5), he must have in + view men who justified the custom by an appeal to ancient + legislation. And although Jeremiah indignantly repudiates the + suggestion that such horrors were contemplated by the law of + Jehovah, he hardly in this goes beyond Ezekiel, who declares that + the ordinance in question does not represent the true mind of + Jehovah, but belongs to a part of the law which was intended to + punish sin by delusion.<a id="noteref_54" name="noteref_54" href= + "#note_54"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">54</span></span></a></p><span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page181">[pg 181]</span><a name="Pg181" id="Pg181" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In consequence + of these transactions in the desert Israel entered the land of + Canaan under the threat of eventual exile and under the curse of + a polluted worship. The subsequent history has little + significance from the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page182">[pg + 182]</span><a name="Pg182" id="Pg182" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + point of view occupied throughout this discourse; and accordingly + Ezekiel disposes of it in three verses (27-29). The entrance on + the Promised Land, he says, furnished the opportunity for a new + manifestation of disloyalty to Jehovah. He refers to the + multiplication of heathen or semi-heathen sanctuaries throughout + the land. Wherever they saw a high hill or a leafy tree, they + made it a place of sacrifice, and there they practised the impure + rites which were the outcome of their false conception of the + Deity. To the mind of Ezekiel the unity of Jehovah and the unity + of the sanctuary were inseparable ideas: the offence here alluded + to is therefore of the same kind as the abominations practised in + Egypt and the desert; it is a violation of the holiness of + Jehovah. The prophet condenses his scorn for the whole system of + religion which led to a multiplication of sanctuaries into a play + on the etymology of the word <span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">bāmah</span></span> (high places), the point + of which, however, is obscure.<a id="noteref_55" name= + "noteref_55" href="#note_55"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">55</span></span></a></p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em"><span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-variant: small-caps">The + Application</span></span> (vv. 30-44).—Having thus described the + origin of idolatry in Israel, and having shown that the destiny + of the nation had been determined neither by its deserts nor by + its inclinations, but by Jehovah's consistent regard for the + honour of His name, the prophet proceeds to bring the lesson of + the history to bear on his contemporaries. The Captivity has as + yet produced no change in their spiritual condition; in Babylon + they still defile themselves with the same abominations as their + ancestors, even to the crowning atrocity of child-sacrifice. + Their idolatry is if anything more conscious than before, for it + takes the shape of a deliberate intention to be as other + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page183">[pg 183]</span><a name= + "Pg183" id="Pg183" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> nations, + worshipping wood and stone. It is necessary therefore that once + for all Jehovah should assert His sovereignty over Israel, and + bend their stubborn will to the accomplishment of His purpose. + <span class="tei tei-q">“As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, + surely with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and + wrath poured out, will I be king over you”</span> (ver. 33). But + how was this to be done? A heavier chastisement than that which + had been inflicted on the exiles could hardly be conceived, yet + it had effected nothing for the regeneration of Israel. Surely + the time is come when the divine method must be changed, when + those who have hardened themselves against the severity of God + must be won by His goodness? Such, however, is not the thought + expressed in Ezekiel's delineation of the future. It is possible + that the description which follows (vv. 34-38) may only be meant + as an ideal picture of spiritual processes to be effected by + ordinary providential agencies. But certain it is that what + Ezekiel is chiefly convinced of is the necessity for further acts + of judgment—judgment which shall be decisive, because + discriminating, and issuing in the annihilation of all who cling + to the evil traditions of the past. This idea, indeed, of further + chastisement in store for the exiles is a fixed element of + Ezekiel's prophecy. It appears in his earliest public utterance + (ch. v.), although it is perhaps only in this chapter that we + perceive its full significance.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The scene of + God's final dealings with Israel's sin is to be the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“desert of the nations.”</span> That great barren + plateau which stretches between the Jordan and the Euphrates + valley, round which lay the nations chiefly concerned in Israel's + history, occupies a place in the restoration analogous to that of + the wilderness of Sinai (here called the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“wilderness of Egypt”</span>) at the time of the + Exodus. Into that vast solitude Jehovah will gather His people + from the lands of their exile, and there He will <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page184">[pg 184]</span><a name="Pg184" id= + "Pg184" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> once more judge them face to + face. This judgment will be conducted on the principle laid down + in ch. xviii. Each individual shall be dealt with according to + his own character as a righteous man or a wicked. They shall be + made to <span class="tei tei-q">“pass under the rod,”</span> like + sheep when they are counted by the shepherd.<a id="noteref_56" + name="noteref_56" href="#note_56"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">56</span></span></a> The + rebels and transgressors shall perish in the wilderness; for + <span class="tei tei-q">“out of the land of their sojournings + will I bring them, and into the land of Israel they shall not + come”</span> (ver. 38). Those that emerge from the trial are the + righteous remnant, who are to be brought into the land by + number:<a id="noteref_57" name="noteref_57" href= + "#note_57"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">57</span></span></a> + these constitute the new Israel, for whom is reserved the glory + of the latter days.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The idea that + the spiritual transformation of Israel was to be effected + <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">during + a second sojourn in the wilderness</span></em>, although a very + striking one, occurs only here in the book of Ezekiel, and it can + hardly be considered as one of the cardinal ideas of his + eschatology. It is in all probability derived from the prophecies + of Hosea, although it is modified in accordance with the very + different estimate of the nation's history represented by + Ezekiel. It is instructive to compare the teaching of these two + prophets on this point. To Hosea the idea of a return to the + desert presents itself naturally as an element of the process by + which Israel is to be brought back to its allegiance to Jehovah. + The return to the desert restores the conditions under which the + nation had first known and followed Jehovah. He looks back to the + sojourn in the wilderness of Sinai as the time of uninterrupted + communion between Jehovah and Israel—a time of youthful + innocence, when the sinful tendencies which may have been latent + in the nation had not developed into actual infidelity. The + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page185">[pg 185]</span><a name= + "Pg185" id="Pg185" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> decay of religion + and morality dates from the possession of the land of Canaan, and + is traced to the corrupting influence of Canaanitish idolatry and + civilisation. It was at Baal-peor that they first succumbed to + the attractions of a false religion and became contaminated with + the spirit of heathenism. Then the rich produce of the land came + to be regarded as the gift of the deities who were worshipped at + the local sanctuaries, and this worship with its sensuous + accompaniments was the means of estranging the people more and + more from the knowledge of Jehovah. Hence the first step towards + a renewal of the relation between God and Israel is the + withdrawal of the gifts of nature, the suppression of religious + ordinances and political institutions; and this is represented as + effected by a return to the primitive life of the desert. Then in + her desolation and affliction the heart of Israel shall respond + once more to the love of Jehovah, who has never ceased to yearn + after His unfaithful people. <span class="tei tei-q">“I will + allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak to her + heart: ... and she shall make answer there, as in the days of her + youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of + Egypt”</span> (Hos. ii. 14, 15). Here there may be a doubt + whether the wilderness is to be taken literally or as a figure + for exile, but in either case the image naturally arises out of + Hosea's profoundly simple conception of religion.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">To Ezekiel, on + the other hand, the <span class="tei tei-q">“wilderness”</span> + is a synonym for contention and judgment. It is the scene where + the meanness and perversity of man stand out in unrelieved + contrast with the majesty and purity of God. He recognises no + glad springtime of promise and hope in the history of Israel, no + <span class="tei tei-q">“kindness of her youth”</span> or + <span class="tei tei-q">“love of her espousals”</span> when she + went after Jehovah in the land that was not sown (Jer. ii. 2). + The difference between Hosea's conception and Ezekiel's is that + in the view of the exilic prophet there never has been any true + response <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page186">[pg + 186]</span><a name="Pg186" id="Pg186" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + on the part of Israel to the call of God. Hence a return to the + desert can only mean a repetition of the judgments that had + marked the first sojourn of the people in the wilderness of + Sinai, and the carrying of them to the point of a final decision + between the claims of Jehovah and the stubbornness of His + people.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">If it be asked + which of these representations of the past is the true one, the + only answer possible is that from the standpoint from which the + prophets viewed history both are true. Israel did follow Jehovah + through the wilderness, and took possession of the land of Canaan + animated by an ardent faith in His power. It is equally true that + the religious condition of the people had its dark side, and that + they were far from understanding the nature of the God whose name + they bore. And a prophet might emphasise the one truth or the + other according to the idea of God which it was given him to + teach. Hosea, reading the religious symptoms of his own time, + sees in it a contrast to the happier period when life was simple + and religion comparatively pure, and finds in the desert sojourn + an image of the purifying process by which the national life must + be renewed. Ezekiel had to do with a more difficult problem. He + saw that there was a power of evil which could not be eradicated + merely by banishment from the land of Israel—a hard bed-rock of + unbelief and superstition in the national character which had + never yielded to the influence of revelation; and he dwells on + all the manifestations of this which he read in the past. His + hope for the future of the cause of God rests no longer on the + moral influence of the divine love on the heart of man, but on + the power of Jehovah to accomplish His purpose in spite of the + resistance of human sin. That was not the whole truth about God's + relation to Israel, but it was the truth that needed to be + impressed on the generation of the Exile.</p><span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page187">[pg 187]</span><a name="Pg187" id= + "Pg187" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Of the final + issue at all events Ezekiel is not doubtful. He is a man who is + <span class="tei tei-q">“very sure of God”</span> and sure of + nothing else. In man he finds nothing to inspire him with + confidence in the ultimate victory of the true religion over + polytheism and superstition. His own generation has shown itself + fit only to perpetuate the evils of the past—the love of sensuous + worship, the insensibility to the claims and nature of Jehovah, + which had marked the whole history of Israel. He is compelled for + the present to abandon them to their corrupt inclinations,<a id= + "noteref_58" name="noteref_58" href="#note_58"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">58</span></span></a> + expecting no signs of amendment until his appeal is enforced by + signal acts of judgment.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But all this + does not shake his sublime faith in the fulfilment of Israel's + destiny. Despairing of men, he falls back on what St. Paul calls + the <span class="tei tei-q">“purpose of God according to + election”</span> (Rom. ix. 11). And with an insight akin to that + of the apostle of the Gentiles, he discerns through all Jehovah's + dealings with Israel a principle and an ideal which must in the + end prevail over the sin of men. The goal to which the history + points stands out clear before the mind of the prophet; and + already he sees in vision the restored Israel—a holy people in a + renovated land—rendering acceptable worship to the one God of + heaven and earth. <span class="tei tei-q">“For in My holy + mountain, in the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page188">[pg + 188]</span><a name="Pg188" id="Pg188" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + mountain heights of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah, <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">there</span></em> + shall serve Me the whole house of Israel: there will I be + gracious to them, and there will I require your oblations, and + the firstfruits of your offerings, in all your holy + things”</span> (ver. 40).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">There we have + the thought which is expanded in the vision of the purified + theocracy which occupies the closing chapters of the book. And it + is important to notice this indication that the idea of that + vision was present to Ezekiel during the earlier part of his + ministry.</p> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page189">[pg 189]</span><a name= + "Pg189" id="Pg189" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc31" id="toc31"></a> <a name="pdf32" id="pdf32"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XIII. Ohola And Oholibah. + Chapter xxiii.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The allegory of + ch. xxiii. adds hardly any new thought to those which have already + been expounded in connection with ch. xvi. and ch. xx. The ideas + which enter into it are all such as we are now familiar with. They + are: the idolatry of Israel, learned in Egypt and persisted in to + the end of her history; her fondness for alliances with the great + Oriental empires, which was the occasion of new developments of + idolatry; the corruption of religion by the introduction of human + sacrifice into the service of Jehovah; and, finally, the + destruction of Israel by the hands of the nations whose friendship + she had so eagerly courted. The figure under which these facts are + presented is the same as in ch. xvi., and many of the details of + the earlier prophecy are reproduced here with little variation. But + along with these resemblances we find certain characteristic + features in this chapter which require attention, and perhaps some + explanation.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In its treatment + of the history this passage is distinguished from the other two by + the recognition of the separate existence of the northern and + southern kingdoms. In the previous retrospects Israel has either + been treated as a unity (as in ch. xx.), or attention has been + wholly concentrated on the fortunes of Judah, Samaria being + regarded as on a level with a purely heathen city like Sodom (ch. + xvi.). Ezekiel may have felt that he has not <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page190">[pg 190]</span><a name="Pg190" id="Pg190" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> yet done justice to the truth that the + history of Israel ran in two parallel lines, and that the full + significance of God's dealings with the nation can only be + understood when the fate of Samaria is placed alongside of that of + Jerusalem. He did not forget that he was sent as a prophet to the + <span class="tei tei-q">“whole house of Israel,”</span> and indeed + all the great pre-exilic prophets realised that their message + concerned <span class="tei tei-q">“the whole family which Jehovah + had brought up out of Egypt”</span> (Amos iii. 1). Besides this the + chapter affords in many ways an interesting illustration of the + workings of the prophet's mind in the effort to realise vividly the + nature of his people's sin and the meaning of its fate. In this + respect it is perhaps the most finished and comprehensive product + of his imagination, although it may not reveal the depth of + religious insight exhibited in the sixteenth chapter.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The main idea of + the allegory is no doubt borrowed from a prophecy of Jeremiah + belonging to the earlier part of his ministry (Jer. iii. 6-13). The + fall of Samaria was even then a somewhat distant memory, but the + use which Jeremiah makes of it seems to show that the lesson of it + had not altogether ceased to impress the mind of the southern + kingdom. In the third chapter he reproaches Judah the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“treacherous”</span> for not having taken warning from + the fate of her sister the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“apostate”</span> Israel, who has long since received + the reward of her infidelities. The same lesson is implied in the + representation of Ezekiel (ver. 11); but as is usual with our + prophet, the simple image suggested by Jeremiah is drawn out in an + elaborate allegory, into which as many details are crowded as it + will bear. In place of the epithets by which Jeremiah characterises + the moral condition of Israel and Judah, Ezekiel coins two new and + somewhat obscure names—<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Ohola</span></span> for Samaria, and + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Oholibah</span></span> for Jerusalem.<a id= + "noteref_59" name="noteref_59" href="#note_59"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">59</span></span></a></p><span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page191">[pg 191]</span><a name="Pg191" id="Pg191" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">These women are + children of one mother, and afterwards become wives of one + husband—Jehovah. This need occasion no surprise in an allegorical + representation, although it is contrary to a law which Ezekiel + doubtless knew (Lev. xviii. 18). Nor is it strange, considering the + freedom with which he handles the facts of history, that the + division between Israel and Judah is carried back to the time of + the oppression in Egypt. We have indeed no certainty that this view + is not historical. The cleavage between the north and the south did + not originate with the revolt of Jeroboam. That great schism only + brought out elements of antagonism which were latent in the + relations of the tribe of Judah to the northern tribes. Of this + there are many indications in the earlier history, and for what we + know the separation might have existed among the Hebrews in Goshen. + Still, it is not probable that Ezekiel was thinking of any such + thing. He is bound by the limits of his allegory; and there was no + other way <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page192">[pg + 192]</span><a name="Pg192" id="Pg192" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + by which he could combine the presentation of the two essential + elements of his conception—that Samaria and Jerusalem were branches + of the one people of Jehovah, and that the idolatry which marked + their history had been learned in the youth of the nation in the + land of Egypt.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">That neither + Israel nor Judah ever shook off the spell of their adulterous + connection with Egypt, but returned to it again and again down to + the close of their history, is certainly one point which the + prophet means to impress on the minds of his readers (vv. 8, 19, + 27). With this exception the earlier part of the chapter (to ver. + 35) deals exclusively with the later developments of idolatry from + the eighth century and onwards. And one of the most remarkable + things in it is the description of the manner in which first Israel + and then Judah was entangled in political relations with the + Oriental empires. There seems to be a vein of sarcasm in the sketch + of the gallant Assyrian officers who turned the heads of the giddy + and frivolous sisters and seduced them from their allegiance to + Jehovah: <span class="tei tei-q">“Ohola doted on her lovers, on the + Assyrian warriors<a id="noteref_60" name="noteref_60" href= + "#note_60"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">60</span></span></a> clad + in purple, governors and satraps, charming youths all of them, + horsemen riding on horses; and she lavished on them her + fornications, the <span class="tei tei-foreign"><span style= + "font-style: italic">élite</span></span> of the sons of Asshur all + of them, and with all the idols of all on whom she doted she + defiled herself”</span> (vv. 6, 7). The first intimate contact of + North Israel with Assyria was in the reign of Menahem (2 Kings xv. + 19), and the explanation of it given in these words of Ezekiel must + be historically true. It was the magnificent equipment of the + Assyrian armies, the imposing display of military power which their + appearance suggested, that impressed the politicians of Samaria + with a sense of the value of their alliance. The passage + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page193">[pg 193]</span><a name= + "Pg193" id="Pg193" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> therefore throws + light on what Ezekiel and the prophets generally mean by the figure + of <span class="tei tei-q">“whoredom.”</span> What he chiefly + deplores is the introduction of Assyrian idolatry, which was the + inevitable sequel to a political union. But that was a secondary + consideration in the intention of those who were responsible for + the alliance. The real motive of their policy was undoubtedly the + desire of one party in the state to secure the powerful aid of the + king of Assyria against the rival party. None the less it was an + act of infidelity and rebellion against Jehovah.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Still more + striking is the account of the first approaches of the southern + kingdom to Babylon. After Samaria had been destroyed by the lovers + whom she had gathered to her side, Jerusalem still kept up the + illicit connection with the Assyrian empire. After Assyria had + vanished from the stage of history, she eagerly sought an + opportunity to enter into friendly relations with the new + Babylonian empire. She did not even wait till she had made their + acquaintance, but <span class="tei tei-q">“when she saw men + portrayed on the wall, pictures of Chaldæans portrayed in + vermilion, girt with waist-cloths on their loins, with flowing + turbans on their heads, all of them champions to look upon, the + likeness of the sons of Babel whose native land is Chaldæa—then she + doted upon them when she saw them with her eyes, and sent + messengers to them to Chaldæa”</span> (vv. 14-16). The brilliant + pictures referred to are those with which Ezekiel must have been + familiar on the walls of the temples and palaces of Babylon. The + representation, however, cannot be understood literally, since the + Jews could have had no opportunity of even seeing the Babylonian + pictures <span class="tei tei-q">“on the wall”</span> until they + had sent ambassadors there.<a id="noteref_61" name="noteref_61" + href="#note_61"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">61</span></span></a></p><span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page194">[pg 194]</span><a name="Pg194" id="Pg194" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The meaning of + the prophet is clear. The mere report of the greatness of Babylon + was sufficient to excite the passions of Oholibah, and she began + with blind infatuation to court the advances of the distant + strangers who were to be her ruin. The exact historic reference, + however, is uncertain. It cannot be to the compact between + Merodach-baladan and Hezekiah, since at that time the initiative + seems to have been taken by the rebel prince, whose sovereignty + over Babylon proved to be of short duration. It may rather be some + transaction about the time of the battle of Carchemish (604) that + Ezekiel is thinking of; but we have not as yet sufficient knowledge + of the circumstances to clear up the allusion.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Before the end + came the soul of Jerusalem was alienated from her latest + lovers—another touch of fidelity to the historical situation. But + it was now too late. The soul of Jehovah is alienated from Oholibah + (vv. 17, 18), and she is already handed over to the fate which had + overtaken her less guilty sister Ohola. The principal agents of her + punishment are the Babylonians and all the Chaldæans; but under + their banner marches a host of other nations—Pekod and Shoa and + Koa,<a id="noteref_62" name="noteref_62" href= + "#note_62"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">62</span></span></a> and, + somewhat strangely, the sons of Asshur. In the pomp and + circumstance of war which had formerly fascinated her imagination, + they shall come against her, and after their cruel manner execute + upon her the judgment meted out to adulterous women: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister, and I will + put her cup into thy hand. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, The cup of + thy sister shalt thou drink,—deep and wide, and of large + content,—filled with drunkenness and anguish—the cup of horror and + desolation, the cup of thy sister Samaria. And thou shalt drink + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page195">[pg 195]</span><a name= + "Pg195" id="Pg195" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> it and drain it + out,<a id="noteref_63" name="noteref_63" href= + "#note_63"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">63</span></span></a> ... + for I have spoken it, saith the Lord Jehovah”</span> (vv. + 31-34).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Up to this point + the allegory has closely followed the actual history of the two + kingdoms. The remainder of the chapter (vv. 36-49) forms a pendant + to the principal picture, and works out the central theme from a + different point of view. Here Samaria and Jerusalem are regarded as + still existent, and judgment is pronounced on both as if it were + still future. This is thoroughly in keeping with Ezekiel's ideal + delineations. The limitations of space and time are alike + transcended. The image, once clearly conceived, fixes itself in the + writer's mind, and must be allowed to exhaust its meaning before it + is finally dismissed. The distinctions of far and near, of past and + present and future, are apt to disappear in the intensity of his + reverie. It is so here. The figures of Ohola and Oholibah are so + real to the prophet that they are summoned once more to the + tribunal to hear the recital of their <span class= + "tei tei-q">“abominations”</span> and receive the sentence which + has in fact been already partly executed. Whether he is thinking at + all of the ten tribes then in exile and awaiting further punishment + it would be difficult to say. We see, however, that the picture is + enriched with many features for which there was no room in the more + historic form of the allegory, and perhaps the desire for + completeness was the chief motive for thus amplifying the figure. + The description of the conduct of the two harlots (vv. 40-44) is + exceedingly graphic,<a id="noteref_64" name="noteref_64" href= + "#note_64"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">64</span></span></a> and is + no doubt a piece of realism drawn from life. Otherwise the section + contains nothing that <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page196">[pg + 196]</span><a name="Pg196" id="Pg196" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + calls for elucidation. The ideas are those which we have already + met with in other connections, and even the setting in which they + are placed presents no element of novelty.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Thus with words + of judgment, and without a ray of hope to lighten the darkness of + the picture, the prophet closes this last survey of his people's + history.</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page197">[pg 197]</span><a name= + "Pg197" id="Pg197" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc33" id="toc33"></a> <a name="pdf34" id="pdf34"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XIV. Final Oracles Against + Jerusalem. Chapters xxii., xxiv.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The close of the + first period of Ezekiel's work was marked by two dramatic + incidents, which made the day memorable both in the private life of + the prophet and in the history of the nation. In the first place it + coincided exactly with the commencement of the siege of Jerusalem. + The prophet's mysterious knowledge of what was happening at a + distance was duly recorded, in order that its subsequent + confirmation through the ordinary channels of intelligence might + prove the divine origin of his message (ch. xxiv. 1, 2). That + Ezekiel actually did this we have no reason to doubt. Then the + sudden death of his wife on the evening of the same day, and his + unusual behaviour under the bereavement, caused a sensation among + the exiles which the prophet was instructed to utilise as a means + of driving home the appeal just made to them. These transactions + must have had a profound effect on Ezekiel's fellow-captives. They + made his personality the centre of absorbing interest to the Jews + in Babylon; and the two years of silence on his part which ensued + were to them years of anxious foreboding about the result of the + siege.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">At this juncture + the prophet's thoughts naturally are occupied with the subject + which hitherto formed the principal burden of his prophecy. The + first part of his career accordingly closes, as it had begun, with + a symbol <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page198">[pg + 198]</span><a name="Pg198" id="Pg198" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + of the fall of Jerusalem. Before this, however, he had drawn out + the solemn indictment against Jerusalem which is given in ch. + xxii., although the finishing touches were probably added after the + destruction of the city. The substance of that chapter is so + closely related to the symbolic representation in the first part of + ch. xxiv. that it will be convenient to consider it here as an + introduction to the concluding oracles addressed more directly to + the exiles of Tel-abib.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The purpose of + this arraignment—the most stately of Ezekiel's orations—is to + exhibit Jerusalem in her true character as a city whose social + condition is incurably corrupt. It begins with an enumeration of + the prevalent sins of the capital (vv. 2-16); it ends with a + denunciation of the various classes into which society was + divided (vv. 23-31); while the short intervening passage is a + figurative description of the judgment which is now inevitable + (vv. 17-22).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">1. The first + part of the chapter, then, is a catalogue of the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“abominations”</span> which called down the vengeance + of Heaven upon the city of Jerusalem. The offences enumerated are + nearly the same as those mentioned in the definitions of personal + righteousness and wickedness given in ch. xviii. It is not + necessary to repeat what was there said about the characteristics + of the moral ideal which had been formed in the mind of Ezekiel. + Although he is dealing now with a society, his point of view is + quite different from that represented by purely allegorical + passages like chs. xvi. and xxiii. The city is not idealised and + treated as a moral individual, whose relations to Jehovah have to + be set forth in symbolic and figurative language. It is conceived + as an aggregate of <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page199">[pg + 199]</span><a name="Pg199" id="Pg199" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + individuals bound together in social relations; and the sins + charged against it are the actual transgressions of the men who + are members of the community. Hence the standard of public + morality is precisely the same as that which is elsewhere applied + to the individual in his personal relation to God; and the sins + enumerated are attributed to the city merely because they are + tolerated and encouraged in individuals by laxity of public + opinion and the force of evil example. Jerusalem is a community + in which these different crimes are perpetrated: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Father and mother are despised <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">in + thee</span></em>; the stranger is oppressed <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">in the midst of + thee</span></em>; orphan and widow are wronged <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">in + thee</span></em>; slanderous men seeking blood have been + <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">in + thee</span></em>; flesh with the blood is eaten <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">in + thee</span></em>; lewdness is committed <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">in the midst of + thee</span></em>; the father's shame is uncovered <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">in + thee</span></em>; she that was unclean in her separation hath + been humbled <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">in thee</span></em>.”</span> So the grave + and measured indictment runs on. It is because of these things + that Jerusalem as a whole is <span class= + "tei tei-q">“guilty”</span> and <span class= + "tei tei-q">“unclean”</span> and has brought near her day of + retribution (ver. 4). Such a conception of corporate guilt + undoubtedly appeals more directly to our ordinary conscience of + public morality than the more poetic representations where + Jerusalem is compared to a faithless and treacherous woman. We + have no difficulty in judging of any modern city in the very same + way as Ezekiel here judges Jerusalem; and in this respect it is + interesting to notice the social evils which he regards as + marking out that city as ripe for destruction.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">There are + three features of the state of things in Jerusalem in which the + prophet recognises the symptoms of an incurable social condition. + The first is the loss of a true conception of God. In ancient + Israel this defect necessarily assumed the form of idolatry. + Hence the multiplication of idols appropriately finds a place + among the marks of the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“uncleanness”</span> which made Jerusalem hateful + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page200">[pg 200]</span><a name= + "Pg200" id="Pg200" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> in the eyes of + Jehovah (ver. 3). But the root of idolatry in Israel was the + incapacity or the unwillingness of the people to live up to the + lofty conception of the divine nature which was taught by the + prophets. Throughout the ancient world religion was felt to be + the indispensable bond of society, and the gods that were + worshipped reflected more or less fully the ideals that swayed + the life of the community. To Israel the religion of Jehovah + represented the highest social ideal that was then known on + earth. It meant righteousness, and purity, and brotherhood, and + compassion for the poor and distressed. When these virtues + decayed she forgot Jehovah (ver. 12)—forgot His character even if + she remembered His name—and the service of false gods was the + natural and obvious expression of the fact. There is therefore a + profound truth in Ezekiel's mind when he numbers the idols of + Jerusalem amongst the indications of a degenerate society. They + were the evidence that she had lost the sense of God as a holy + and righteous spiritual presence in her midst, and that loss was + at once the source and the symptom of widespread moral + declension. It is one of the chief lessons of the Old Testament + that a religion which was neither the product of national genius + nor the embodiment of national aspiration, but was based on + supernatural revelation, proved itself in the history of Israel + to be the only possible safeguard against the tendencies which + made for social disintegration.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">A second mark + of depravity which Ezekiel discovers in the capital is the + perversion of certain moral instincts which are just as essential + to the preservation of society as a true conception of God. For + if society rests at one end on religion, it rests at the other on + instinct. The closest and most fundamental of human relations + depend on innate perceptions which may be easily destroyed, but + which when destroyed can scarcely be recovered. The <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page201">[pg 201]</span><a name="Pg201" id= + "Pg201" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> sanctities of marriage and + the family will hardly bear the coarse scrutiny of utilitarian + ethics; yet they are the foundation on which the whole social + fabric is built. And there is no part of Ezekiel's indictment of + Jerusalem which conveys to our minds a more vivid sense of utter + corruption than where he speaks of the loss of filial piety and + revolting forms of sexual impurity as prevalent sins in the city. + Here at least he carries the conviction of every moralist with + him. He instances no offence of this kind which would not be + branded as unnatural by any system of ethics as heartily as it is + by the Old Testament. It is possible, on the other hand, that he + ranks on the same level with these sins ceremonial impurities + appealing to feelings of a different order, to which no permanent + moral value can be attached. When, for example, he instances + eating with the blood<a id="noteref_65" name="noteref_65" href= + "#note_65"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">65</span></span></a> as + an <span class="tei tei-q">“abomination,”</span> he appeals to a + law which is no longer binding on us. But even that regulation + was not so worthless, from a moral point of view, at that time as + we are apt to suppose. The abhorrence of eating blood was + connected with certain sacrificial ideas which attributed a + mystic significance to the blood as the seat of animal life. So + long as these ideas existed no man could commit this offence + without injuring his moral nature and loosening the divine + sanctions of morality as a whole. It is a false illuminism which + seeks to disparage the moral insight of the prophet on the ground + that he did not teach an abstract system of ethics in which + ceremonial precepts were sharply distinguished from duties which + we consider moral.<a id="noteref_66" name="noteref_66" href= + "#note_66"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">66</span></span></a></p><span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page202">[pg 202]</span><a name="Pg202" id="Pg202" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The third + feature of Jerusalem's guilty condition is lawless violation of + human rights. Neither life nor property was secure. Judicial + murders were frequent in the city, and minor forms of oppression, + such as usury, spoliation of the unprotected, and robbery, were + of daily occurrence. The administration of justice was corrupted + by systematic bribery and perjury, and the lives of innocent men + were ruthlessly sacrificed under the forms of law. This after all + is the aspect of things which bulks most largely in the prophet's + indictment. Jerusalem is addressed as a <span class= + "tei tei-q">“city shedding blood in her midst,”</span> and + throughout the accusation the charge of bloodshed is that which + constantly recurs. Misgovernment and party strife, and perhaps + religious persecution, had converted the city into a vast human + shambles, and the blood of the innocent slain cried aloud to + heaven for vengeance. <span class="tei tei-q">“Of what + avail,”</span> asks the prophet, <span class="tei tei-q">“are the + stores of wealth piled up in the hands of a few against this + damning witness of blood? Jehovah smites His hand [in derision] + against her gains that she has made, and against her blood which + is in her midst. How can her heart stand or her hands be strong + in the days when He deals with her?”</span> (vv. 13, 14). Drained + of her best blood, given over to internecine strife, and stricken + with the cowardice of conscious guilt, Jerusalem, already + disgraced among the nations, must fall an easy victim to the + Chaldæan invaders, who are the agents of Jehovah's judgments.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">2. But the + most serious aspect of the situation is that which is dealt with + in the peroration of the chapter (vv. 23-31). Outbursts of vice + and lawlessness such as has been described may occur in any + society, but they are not necessarily fatal to a community so + long as it possesses a conscience which can be roused to + effective protest against them. Now the worst thing about + Jerusalem was that she lacked this indispensable condition + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page203">[pg 203]</span><a name= + "Pg203" id="Pg203" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of recovery. No + voice was raised on the side of righteousness, no man dared to + stem the tide of wickedness that swept through her streets. Not + merely that she harboured within her walls men guilty of incest + and robbery and murder, but that her leading classes were + demoralised, that public spirit had decayed among her citizens, + marked her as incapable of reformation. She was <span class= + "tei tei-q">“a land not watered,”</span><a id="noteref_67" name= + "noteref_67" href="#note_67"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">67</span></span></a> + <span class="tei tei-q">“and not rained upon in a day of + indignation”</span> (ver. 24); the springs of her civic virtue + were dried up, and a blight spread through all sections of her + population.<a id="noteref_68" name="noteref_68" href= + "#note_68"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">68</span></span></a> + Ezekiel's impeachment of different classes of society brings out + this fact with great force. First of all the ancient institutions + of social order, government, priesthood, and prophecy were in the + hands of men who had lost the spirit of their office and abused + their position for the advancement of private interests. Her + princes<a id="noteref_69" name="noteref_69" href= + "#note_69"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">69</span></span></a> have + been, instead of humane rulers and examples of noble living, + cruel and rapacious tyrants, enriching themselves at the cost of + their subjects (ver. 25). The priests, whose function was to + maintain the outward ordinances of religion and foster the spirit + of reverence, have done their utmost, by falsification of the + <span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang= + "he"><span style="font-style: italic">Torah</span></span>, to + bring religion into contempt and obliterate the distinction + between the holy and the profane (ver. 26). The nobles had been a + pack of ravening wolves, imitating the rapacity of the court, and + hunting down prey which the royal lion would have disdained to + touch (ver. 27). As for the professional <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page204">[pg 204]</span><a name="Pg204" id="Pg204" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> prophets—those degenerate representatives + of the old champions of truth and mercy—we have already seen what + they were worth (ch. xiii.). They who should have been foremost + to denounce civil wrong are fit for nothing but to stand by and + bolster up with lying oracles in the name of Jehovah a + constitution which sheltered crimes like these (ver. 28).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">From the + ruling classes the prophet's glance turns for a moment to the + <span class="tei tei-q">“people of the land,”</span> the dim + common population, where virtue might have been expected to find + its last retreat. It is characteristic of the age of Ezekiel that + the prophets begin to deal more particularly with the sins of the + masses as distinct from the classes. This was due partly perhaps + to a real increase of ungodliness in the body of the people, but + partly also to a deeper sense of the importance of the individual + apart from his position in the state. These prophets seem to feel + that if there had been anywhere among rich or poor an honest + response to the will of Jehovah it would have been a token that + God had not altogether rejected Israel. Jeremiah puts this view + very strongly when in the fifth chapter he says that if one man + could be found in Jerusalem who did justice and sought truth the + Lord would pardon her; and his vain search for that man begins + among the poor. It is this same motive that leads Ezekiel to + include the humble citizen in his survey of the moral condition + of Jerusalem. It is little wonder that under such leaders they + had cast off the restraints of humanity, and oppressed those who + were still more defenceless than themselves. But it showed + nevertheless that real religion had no longer a foothold in the + city. It proved that the greed of gain had eaten into the very + heart of the people and destroyed the ties of kindred and mutual + sympathy, through which alone the will of Jehovah could be + realised. No matter although they <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page205">[pg 205]</span><a name="Pg205" id="Pg205" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> were obscure householders, without + political power or responsibility; if they had been good men in + their private relations, Jerusalem would have been a better place + to live in. Ezekiel indeed does not go so far as to say that a + single good life would have saved the city. He expects of a good + man that he be a man in the full sense—a man who speaks boldly on + behalf of righteousness and resists the prevalent evils with all + his strength: <span class="tei tei-q">“I sought among them a man + to build up a fence, and to stand in the breach before Me on + behalf of the land, that it might not be destroyed; and I found + none. So I poured out My indignation upon them; with the fire of + My wrath I consumed them: I have returned their way upon their + head, saith the Lord Jehovah”</span> (vv. 30, 31).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">3. But we + should misunderstand Ezekiel's position if we supposed that his + prediction of the speedy destruction of Jerusalem was merely an + inference from his clear insight into the necessary conditions of + social welfare which were being violated by her rulers and her + citizens. That is one part of his message, but it could not stand + alone. The purpose of the indictment we have considered is simply + to explain the moral reasonableness of Jehovah's action in the + great act of judgment which the prophet knows to be approaching. + It is no doubt a general law of history that moribund communities + are not allowed to die a natural death. Their usual fate is to + perish in the struggle for existence before some other and + sounder nation. But no human sagacity can foresee how that law + will be verified in any particular case. It may seem clear to us + now that Israel must have fallen sooner or later before the + advance of the great Eastern empires, but an ordinary observer + could not have foretold with the confidence and precision which + mark the predictions of Ezekiel in what manner and within what + time the end would come. Of that aspect of the prophet's mind + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page206">[pg 206]</span><a name= + "Pg206" id="Pg206" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> no explanation can + be given save that God revealed His secret to His servants the + prophets.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now this + element of the prophecy seems to be brought out by the image of + Jerusalem's fate which occupies the middle verses of the chapter + (vv. 17-22). The city is compared to the crucible in which all + the refuse of Israel's national life is to undergo its final + trial by fire. The prophet sees in imagination the + terror-stricken provincial population swept into the capital + before the approach of the Chaldæans; and he says, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Thus does Jehovah cast His ore into the furnace—the + silver, the brass, the iron, the lead, and the tin; and He will + kindle the fire with His anger, and blow upon it till He have + consumed the impurities of the land.”</span> The image of the + smelting-pot had been used by Isaiah as an emblem of purifying + judgment, the object of which was the removal of injustice and + the restoration of the state to its former splendour: + <span class="tei tei-q">“I will again bring My hand upon thee, + smelting out thy dross with lye and taking away all thine alloy; + and I will make thy judges to be again as aforetime, and thy + counsellors as at the beginning: thereafter thou shalt be called + the city of righteousness, the faithful city”</span> (Isa. i. 25, + 26). Ezekiel, however, can hardly have contemplated such a happy + result of the operation. The whole house of Israel has become + dross, from which no precious metal can be extracted; and the + object of the smelting is only the demonstration of the utter + worthlessness of the people for the ends of God's kingdom. The + more refractory the material to be dealt with the fiercer must be + the fire that tests it; and the severity of the exterminating + judgment is the only thing symbolised by the metaphor as used by + Ezekiel. In this he follows Jeremiah, who applies the figure in + precisely the same sense: <span class="tei tei-q">“The bellows + snort, the lead is consumed of the fire; in vain he smelts and + smelts: but the wicked are not taken away. Refuse silver + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page207">[pg 207]</span><a name= + "Pg207" id="Pg207" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> shall men call + them, for the Lord hath rejected them”</span> (Jer. vi. 29, 30). + In this way the section supplements the teaching of the rest of + the chapter. Jerusalem is full of dross—that has been proved by + the enumeration of her crimes and the estimate of her social + condition. But the fire which consumes the dross represents a + special providential intervention bringing the history of the + state to a summary and decisive conclusion. And the Refiner who + superintends the process is Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, + whose righteous will is executed by the march of conquering + hosts, and revealed to men in His dealings with the people whom + He had known of all the families of the earth.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The chapter we + have just studied was evidently not composed with a view to + immediate publication. It records the view of Jerusalem's guilt + and punishment which was borne in upon the mind of the prophet in + the solitude of his chamber, but it was not destined to see the + light until the whole of his teaching could be submitted in its + final form to a wider and more receptive audience. It is equally + obvious that the scenes described in ch. xxiv. were really + enacted in the full view of the exiled community. We have reached + the crisis of Ezekiel's ministry. For the last time until his + warnings of doom shall be fulfilled he emerges from his partial + seclusion, and in symbolism whose vivid force could not have + failed to impress the most listless hearer he announces once more + the destruction of the Hebrew nation. The burden of his message + is that that day—the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth + year—marked the beginning of the end. <span class="tei tei-q">“On + that very day”</span>—a day to be commemorated for seventy long + years by a national fast (Zech. viii. 19; <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page208">[pg 208]</span><a name="Pg208" id= + "Pg208" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> cf. vii. 5)—Nebuchadnezzar + was drawing his lines round Jerusalem. The bare announcement to + men who knew what a Chaldæan siege meant must have sent a thrill + of consternation through their minds. If this vision of what was + happening in a distant land should prove true, they must have + felt that all hope of deliverance was now cut off. Sceptical as + they may have been of the moral principles that lay behind + Ezekiel's prediction, they could not deny that the issue he + foresaw was only the natural sequel to the fact he so confidently + announced.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The image here + used of the fate of Jerusalem would recall to the minds of the + exiles the ill-omened saying which expressed the reckless spirit + prevalent in the city: <span class="tei tei-q">“This city is the + pot, and we are the flesh”</span> (ch. xi. 3). It was well + understood in Babylon that these men were playing a desperate + game, and did not shrink from the horrors of a siege. + <span class="tei tei-q">“Set on the pot,”</span> then, cries the + prophet to his listeners, <span class="tei tei-q">“set it on, and + pour in water also, and gather the pieces into it, every good + joint, leg and shoulder; fill it with the choicest bones. Take + them from the best of the flock, and then pile up the wood<a id= + "noteref_70" name="noteref_70" href="#note_70"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">70</span></span></a> + under it; let its pieces be boiled and its bones cooked within + it”</span> (vv. 3-5). This part of the parable required no + explanation; it simply represents the terrible miseries endured + by the population of Jerusalem during the siege now commencing. + But then by a sudden transition the speaker turns the thoughts of + his hearers to another aspect of the judgment (vv. 6-8). The city + itself is like a rusty caldron, unfit for any useful purpose + until by some means it has been cleansed from its impurity. It is + as if the crimes that had been perpetrated in Jerusalem had + stained her very stones with blood. She had not <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page209">[pg 209]</span><a name="Pg209" id= + "Pg209" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> even taken steps to conceal + the traces of her wickedness; they lie like blood on the bare + rock, an open witness to her guilt. Often Jehovah had sought to + purify her by more measured chastisements, but it has now been + proved that <span class="tei tei-q">“her much rust will not go + from her except by fire”</span><a id="noteref_71" name= + "noteref_71" href="#note_71"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">71</span></span></a> + (ver. 12). Hence the end of the siege will be twofold. First of + all the contents of the caldron will be indiscriminately thrown + out—a figure for the dispersion and captivity of the inhabitants; + and then the pot must be set empty on the glowing coals till its + rust is thoroughly burned out—a symbol of the burning of the city + and its subsequent desolation (ver. 11). The idea that the + material world may contract defilement through the sins of those + who live in it is one that is hard for us to realise, but it is + in keeping with the view of sin presented by Ezekiel, and indeed + by the Old Testament generally. There are certain natural emblems + of sin, such as uncleanness or disease or uncovered blood, etc., + which had to be largely used in order to educate men's moral + perceptions. Partly these rest on the analogy between physical + defect and moral evil; but partly, as here, they result from a + strong sense of association between human deeds and their effects + or circumstances. Jerusalem is unclean as a place where wicked + deeds have been done, and even the destruction of the sinners + cannot in the mind of Ezekiel clear her from the unhallowed + associations of her history. She must lie empty and dreary for a + generation, swept by the winds of heaven before devout Israelites + can again twine their affections round the hope of her glorious + future.<a id="noteref_72" name="noteref_72" href= + "#note_72"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">72</span></span></a></p><span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page210">[pg 210]</span><a name="Pg210" id="Pg210" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Even while + delivering this message of doom to the people the prophet's heart + was burdened by the presentiment of a great personal sorrow. He + had received an intimation that his wife was to be taken from him + by a sudden stroke, and along with the intimation a command to + refrain from all the usual signs of mourning. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“So I spake to the people”</span> (as recorded in vv. + 1-14) <span class="tei tei-q">“in the morning, and my wife died + in the evening”</span> (ver. 18). Just one touch of tenderness + escapes him in relating this mysterious occurrence. She was the + <span class="tei tei-q">“delight of his eyes”</span>: that phrase + alone reveals that there was a fountain of tears sealed up within + the breast of this stern preacher. How the course of his life may + have been influenced by a bereavement so strangely coincident + with a change in his whole attitude to his people we cannot even + surmise. Nor is it possible to say how far he merely used the + incident to convey a lesson to the exiles, or how far his private + grief was really swallowed up in concern for the calamity of his + country. All we are told is that <span class="tei tei-q">“in the + morning he did as he was commanded.”</span> He neither uttered + loud lamentations, nor disarranged his raiment, nor covered his + head, nor ate the <span class="tei tei-q">“bread of + men,”</span><a id="noteref_73" name="noteref_73" href= + "#note_73"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">73</span></span></a> nor + adopted any of the customary signs of mourning for the dead. When + the astonished neighbours inquire the meaning of his strange + demeanour, he assures them that his conduct <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">now</span></em> + is a sign of what theirs will be when his words have come true. + When the tidings reach them that Jerusalem has actually fallen, + when they realise how many interests dear to them have + perished—the desolation of the sanctuary, the loss of their own + sons and daughters—they will experience a sense of calamity which + will <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page211">[pg + 211]</span><a name="Pg211" id="Pg211" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + instinctively discard all the conventional and even the natural + expressions of grief. They shall neither mourn nor weep, but sit + in dumb bewilderment, haunted by a dull consciousness of guilt + which yet is far removed from genuine contrition of heart. They + shall pine away in their iniquities. For while their sorrow will + be too deep for words, it will not yet be the godly sorrow that + worketh repentance. It will be the sullen despair and apathy of + men disenchanted of the illusions on which their national life + was based, of men left without hope and without God in the + world.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Here the + curtain falls on the first act of Ezekiel's ministry. He appears + to have retired for the space of two years into complete privacy, + ceasing entirely his public appeals to the people, and waiting + for the time of his vindication as a prophet. The sense of + restraint under which he has hitherto exercised the function of a + public teacher cannot be removed until the tidings have reached + Babylon that the city has fallen. Meanwhile, with the delivery of + this message, his contest with the unbelief of his + fellow-captives comes to an end. But when that day arrives + <span class="tei tei-q">“his mouth shall be open, and he shall be + no more dumb.”</span> A new career will open out before him, in + which he can devote all his powers of mind and heart to the + inspiring work of reviving faith in the promises of God, and so + building up a new Israel out of the ruins of the old.</p> + </div> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page215">[pg 215]</span><a name= + "Pg215" id="Pg215" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 5.00em; margin-bottom: 5.00em"> + <a name="toc35" id="toc35"></a> <a name="pdf36" id="pdf36"></a> + + <h1 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 3.46em; margin-bottom: 3.46em"> + <span style="font-size: 173%">Part III. Prophecies Against Foreign + Nations.</span></h1> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc37" id="toc37"></a> <a name="pdf38" id="pdf38"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XV. Ammon, Moab, Edom, And + Philistia. Chapter xxv.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The next eight + chapters (xxv.-xxxii.) form an intermezzo in the book of Ezekiel. + They are inserted in this place with the obvious intention of + separating the two sharply contrasted situations in which our + prophet found himself before and after the siege of Jerusalem. The + subject with which they deal is indeed an essential part of the + prophet's message to his time, but it is separate from the central + interest of the narrative, which lies in the conflict between the + word of Jehovah in the hands of Ezekiel and the unbelief of the + exiles among whom he lived. The perusal of this group of chapters + is intended to prepare the reader for the completely altered + conditions under which Ezekiel was to resume his public + ministrations. The cycle of prophecies on foreign peoples is thus a + sort of literary analogue of the period of suspense which + interrupted the continuity of Ezekiel's work in the way we have + seen. It marks the shifting of the scenes behind the curtain before + the principal actors again step on the stage.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is natural + enough to suppose that the prophet's mind was really occupied + during this time with the fate of Israel's heathen neighbours; but + that alone does not account for the grouping of the oracles before + us in this particular section of the book. Not only do some of the + chronological notices carry us far past the limit of the time + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page216">[pg 216]</span><a name= + "Pg216" id="Pg216" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of silence referred + to, but it will be found that nearly all these prophecies assume + that the fall of Jerusalem is already known to the nations + addressed. It is therefore a mistaken view which holds that in + these chapters we have simply the result of Ezekiel's meditations + during his period of enforced seclusion from public duty. Whatever + the nature of his activity at this time may have been, the + principle of arrangement here is not chronological, but literary; + and no better motive for it can be suggested than the writer's + sense of dramatic propriety in unfolding the significance of his + prophetic life.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In uttering a + series of oracles against heathen nations, Ezekiel follows the + example set by some of his greatest predecessors. The book of Amos, + for example, opens with an impressive chapter of judgments on the + peoples lying immediately round the borders of Palestine. The + thundercloud of Jehovah's anger is represented as moving over the + petty states of Syria before it finally breaks in all its fury over + the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Similarly the books of Isaiah + and Jeremiah contain continuous sections dealing with various + heathen powers, while the book of Nahum is wholly occupied with a + prediction of the ruin of the Assyrian empire. And these are but a + few of the more striking instances of a phenomenon which is apt to + cause perplexity to close and earnest students of the Old + Testament. We have here to do, therefore, with a standing theme of + Hebrew prophecy; and it may help us better to understand the + attitude of Ezekiel if we consider for a moment some of the + principles involved in this constant preoccupation of the prophets + with the affairs of the outer world.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">At the outset it + must be understood that prophecies of this kind form part of + Jehovah's message to Israel. Although they are usually cast in the + form of direct address to foreign peoples, this must not lead us to + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page217">[pg 217]</span><a name= + "Pg217" id="Pg217" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> imagine that they + were intended for actual publication in the countries to which they + refer. A prophet's real audience always consisted of his own + countrymen, whether his discourse was about themselves or about + their neighbours. And it is easy to see that it was impossible to + declare the purpose of God concerning Israel in words that came + home to men's business and bosoms, without taking account of the + state and the destiny of other nations. Just as it would not be + possible nowadays to forecast the future of Egypt without alluding + to the fate of the Ottoman empire, so it was not possible then to + describe the future of Israel in the concrete manner characteristic + of the prophets without indicating the place reserved for those + peoples with whom it had close intercourse. Besides this, a large + part of the national consciousness of Israel was made up of + interests, friendly or the reverse, in neighbouring states. The + Hebrews had a keen eye for national idiosyncrasies, and the simple + international relations of those days were almost as vivid and + personal as of neighbours living in the same village. To be an + Israelite was to be something characteristically different from a + Moabite, and that again from an Edomite or a Philistine, and every + patriotic Israelite had a shrewd sense of what the difference was. + We cannot read the utterances of the prophets with regard to any of + these nationalities without seeing that they often appeal to + perceptions deeply lodged in the popular mind, which could be + utilised to convey the spiritual lessons which the prophets desired + to teach.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It must not be + supposed, however, that such prophecies are in any degree the + expression of national vanity or jealousy. What the prophets aim at + is to elevate the thoughts of Israel to the sphere of eternal + truths of the kingdom of God; and it is only in so far as these can + be made to touch the conscience of the nation at this point that + they appeal to what we may call its international <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page218">[pg 218]</span><a name="Pg218" id="Pg218" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> sentiments. Now the question we have to + ask is, What spiritual purpose for Israel is served by the + announcements of the destiny of the outlying heathen populations? + There are of course special interests attaching to each particular + prophecy which it would be difficult to classify. But, speaking + generally, prophecies of this class had a moral value for two + reasons. In the first place they re-echo and confirm the sentence + of judgment passed on Israel herself. They do this in two ways: + they illustrate the principle on which Jehovah deals with His own + people, and His character as the righteous judge of men. Israel was + to be destroyed for her national sins, her contempt of Jehovah, and + her breaches of the moral law. But other nations, though more + excusable, were not less guilty than Israel. The same spirit of + ungodliness, in different forms, was manifested by Tyre, by Egypt, + by Assyria, and by the petty states of Syria. Hence, if Jehovah was + really the righteous ruler of the world, He must visit upon these + nations their iniquities. Wherever a <span class= + "tei tei-q">“sinful kingdom”</span> was found, whether in Israel or + elsewhere, that kingdom must be removed from its place among the + nations. This appears most clearly in the book of Amos, who, though + he enunciates the paradoxical truth that Israel's sin must be + punished just because it was the only people that Jehovah had + known, nevertheless, as we have seen, thundered forth similar + judgments on other nations for their flagrant violation of the + universal law written in the human heart. In this way therefore the + prophets enforced on their contemporaries the fundamental lesson of + their teaching that the disasters which were coming on them were + not the result of the caprice or impotence of their Deity, but the + execution of His moral purpose, to which all men everywhere are + subject. But again, not only was the principle of the judgment + emphasised, but the manner in which it was to be carried out was + more clearly exhibited. In all cases <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page219">[pg 219]</span><a name="Pg219" id="Pg219" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> the pre-exilic prophets announce that the + overthrow of the Hebrew states was to be effected either by the + Assyrians or the Babylonians. These great world-powers were in + succession the instruments fashioned and used by Jehovah for the + performance of His great work in the earth. Now it was manifest + that if this anticipation was well founded it involved the + overthrow of all the nations in immediate contact with Israel. The + policy of the Mesopotamian monarchs was well understood; and if + their wonderful successes were the revelation of the divine + purpose, then Israel would not be judged alone. Accordingly we find + in most instances that the chastisement of the heathen is either + ascribed directly to the invaders or else to other agencies set in + motion by their approach. The people of Israel or Judah were thus + taught to look on their fate as involved in a great scheme of + divine providence, overturning all the existing relations which + gave them a place among the nations of the world and preparing for + a new development of the purpose of Jehovah in the future.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">When we turn to + that ideal future we find a second and more suggestive aspect of + these prophecies against the heathen. All the prophets teach that + the destiny of Israel is inseparably bound up with the future of + God's kingdom on earth. The Old Testament never wholly shakes off + the idea that the preservation and ultimate victory of the true + religion demands the continued existence of the one people to whom + the revelation of the true God had been committed. The + indestructibility of Israel's national life depends on its unique + position in relation to the purposes of Jehovah, and it is for this + reason that the prophets look forward with unwavering confidence to + a time when the knowledge of Jehovah shall go forth from Israel to + all the nations of mankind. And this point of view we must try to + enter into if we are to understand the meaning of their + declarations concerning the fate of the surrounding <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page220">[pg 220]</span><a name="Pg220" id="Pg220" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> nations. If we ask whether an + independent future is reserved in the new dispensation for the + peoples with whom Israel had dealings in the past, we find that + different and sometimes conflicting answers are given. Thus Isaiah + predicts a restoration of Tyre after the lapse of seventy years, + while Ezekiel announces its complete and final destruction. It is + only when we consider these utterances in the light of the + prophets' general conception of the kingdom of God that we discern + the spiritual truth that gives them an abiding significance for the + instruction of all ages. It was not a matter of supreme religious + importance to know whether Phœnicia or Egypt or Assyria would + retain their old place in the world, and share indirectly in the + blessings of the Messianic age. What men needed to be taught then, + and what we need to remember still, is that each nation holds its + position in subordination to the ends of God's government, that no + power or wisdom or refinement will save a state from destruction + when it ceases to serve the interests of His kingdom. The foreign + peoples that come under the survey of the prophets are as yet + strangers to the true God, and are therefore destitute of that + which could secure them a place in the reconstruction of political + relationships of which Israel is to be the religious centre. + Sometimes they are represented as having by their hostility to + Israel or their pride of heart so encroached on the sovereignty of + Jehovah that their doom is already sealed. At other times they are + conceived as converted to the knowledge of the true God, and as + gladly accepting the place assigned to them in the humanity of the + future by consecrating their wealth and power to the service of His + people Israel. In all cases it is their attitude to Israel and the + God of Israel that determines their destiny: that is the great + truth which the prophets design to impress on their countrymen. So + long as the cause of religion was identified with the fortunes + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page221">[pg 221]</span><a name= + "Pg221" id="Pg221" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of the people of + Israel no higher conception of the redemption of mankind could be + formed than that of a willing subjection of the nations of the + earth to the word of Jehovah which went forth from Jerusalem (cf. + Isa. ii. 2-4). And whether any particular nation should survive to + participate in the glories of that latter day depends on the view + taken of its present condition and its fitness for incorporation in + the universal empire of Jehovah soon to be established.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We now know that + this was not the form in which Jehovah's purpose of salvation was + destined to be realised in the history of the world. Since the + coming of Christ the people of Israel has lost its distinctive and + central position as the bearer of the hopes and promises of the + true religion. In its place we have a spiritual kingdom of men + united by faith in Jesus Christ, and in the worship of one Father + in spirit and in truth—a kingdom which from its very nature can + have no local centre or political organisation. Hence the + conversion of the heathen can no longer be conceived as national + homage paid to the seat of Jehovah's sovereignty on Zion; nor is + the unfolding of the divine plan of universal salvation bound up + with the extinction of the nationalities which once symbolised the + hostility of the world to the kingdom of God. This fact has an + important bearing on the question of the fulfilment of the foreign + prophecies of the Old Testament. Literal fulfilment is not to be + looked for in this case any more than in the delineations of + Israel's future, which are after all the predominant element of + Messianic prediction. It is true that the nations passed under + review have now vanished from history, and in so far as their fall + was brought about by causes operating in the world in which the + prophets moved, it must be recognised as a partial but real + vindication of the truth of their words. But the details of the + prophecies have not been historically verified. <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page222">[pg 222]</span><a name="Pg222" id="Pg222" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> All attempts to trace their + accomplishment in events that took place long afterwards and in + circumstances which the prophets themselves never contemplated only + lead us astray from the real interest which belongs to them. As + concrete embodiments of the eternal principles exhibited in the + rise and fall of nations they have an abiding significance for the + Church in all ages; but the actual working out of these principles + in history could not in the nature of things be complete within the + limits of the world known to the inhabitants of Judæa. If we are to + look for their ideal fulfilment, we shall only find it in the + progressive victory of Christianity over all forms of error and + superstition, and in the dedication of all the resources of human + civilisation—its wealth, its commercial enterprise, its political + power—to the advancement of the kingdom of our God and His + Christ.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It was natural + from the special circumstances in which he wrote, as well as from + the general character of his teaching, that Ezekiel, in his oracles + against the heathen powers, should present only the dark side of + God's providence. Except in the case of Egypt, the nations + addressed are threatened with annihilation, and even Egypt is to be + reduced to a condition of utter impotence and humiliation. Very + characteristic also is his representation of the purpose which + comes to light in this series of judgments. It is to be a great + demonstration to all the earth of the absolute sovereignty of + Jehovah. <span class="tei tei-q">“Ye shall know that I am + Jehovah”</span> is the formula that sums up the lesson of each + nation's fall. We observe that the prophet starts from the + situation created by the fall of Jerusalem. That great calamity + bore in the first instance the appearance of a triumph of + heathenism over Jehovah the God of Israel. It was, as the prophet + elsewhere expresses it, a profanation of His holy name in the eyes + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page223">[pg 223]</span><a name= + "Pg223" id="Pg223" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of the nations. And + in this light it was undoubtedly regarded by the petty + principalities around Palestine, and perhaps also by the more + distant and powerful spectators, such as Tyre and Egypt. From the + standpoint of heathenism the downfall of Israel meant the defeat of + its tutelary Deity; and the neighbouring nations, in exulting over + the tidings of Jerusalem's fate, had in their minds the idea of the + prostrate Jehovah unable to save His people in their hour of need. + It is not necessary to suppose that Ezekiel attributes to them any + consciousness of Jehovah's claim to be the only living and true + God. It is the paradox of revelation that He who is the Eternal and + Infinite first revealed Himself to the world as the God of Israel; + and all the misconceptions that sprang out of that fact had to be + cleared away by His self-manifestation in historical acts that + appealed to the world at large. Amongst these acts the judgment of + the heathen nations holds the first place in the mind of Ezekiel. A + crisis has been reached at which it becomes necessary for Jehovah + to vindicate His divinity by the destruction of those who have + exalted themselves against Him. The world must learn once for all + that Jehovah is no mere tribal god, but the omnipotent ruler of the + universe. And this is the preparation for the final disclosure of + His power and Godhead in the restoration of Israel to its own land, + which will speedily follow the overthrow of its ancient foes. This + series of prophecies forms thus an appropriate introduction to the + third division of the book, which deals with the formation of the + new people of Jehovah.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is somewhat + remarkable that Ezekiel's survey of the heathen nations is + restricted to those in the immediate vicinity of the land of + Canaan. Although he had unrivalled opportunities of becoming + acquainted with the remote countries of the East, he confines his + attention to the Mediterranean states which had long played a part + in <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page224">[pg 224]</span><a name= + "Pg224" id="Pg224" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> Hebrew history. The + peoples dealt with are seven in number—Ammon, Moab, Edom, the + Philistines, Tyre, Sidon, and Egypt. The order of the enumeration + is geographical: first the inner circle of Israel's immediate + neighbours, from Ammon on the east round to Sidon in the extreme + north; then outside the circle the preponderating world-power of + Egypt. It is not altogether an accidental circumstance that five of + these nations are named in the twenty-seventh chapter of Jeremiah + as concerned in the project of rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar in + the early part of Zedekiah's reign. Egypt and Philistia are not + mentioned there, but we may surmise at least that Egyptian + diplomacy was secretly at work pulling the wires which set the + puppets in motion. This fact, together with the omission of Babylon + from the list of threatened nations, shows that Ezekiel regards the + judgment as falling within the period of Chaldæan supremacy, which + he appears to have estimated at forty years. What is to be the fate + of Babylon itself he nowhere intimates, a conflict between that + great world-power and Jehovah's purpose being no part of his + system. That Nebuchadnezzar is to be the agent of the overthrow of + Tyre and the humiliation of Egypt is expressly stated; and although + the crushing of the smaller states is ascribed to other agencies, + we can hardly doubt that these were conceived as indirect + consequences of the upheaval caused by the Babylonian invasion.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ch. xxv., then, + consists of four brief prophecies addressed respectively to Ammon, + Moab, Edom, and the Philistines. A few words on the fate prefigured + for each of these countries will suffice for the explanation of the + chapter.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">1. <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">Ammon</span></span> (vv. 2-7) lay on the + edge of the desert, between the upper waters of the Jabbok and the + Arnon, separated from the Jordan by a strip of Israelitish + territory from twenty to thirty miles wide. Its capital, Rabbah, + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page225">[pg 225]</span><a name= + "Pg225" id="Pg225" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> mentioned here (ver. + 5), was situated on a southern tributary of the Jabbok, and its + ruins still bear amongst the Arabs the ancient national name + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Ammân</span></span>. Although their country + was pastoral (milk is referred to in ver. 4 as one of its chief + products), the Ammonites seem to have made some progress in + civilisation. Jeremiah (ch. xlix. 4) speaks of them as trusting in + their treasures; and in this chapter Ezekiel announces that they + shall be for a spoil to the nations (ver. 7). After the deportation + of the transjordanic tribes by Tiglath-pileser, Ammon seized the + country that had belonged to the tribe of Gad, its nearest + neighbour on the west. This encroachment is denounced by the + prophet Jeremiah in the opening words of his oracle against Ammon: + <span class="tei tei-q">“Hath Israel no children? or has he no + heir? why doth Milcom [the national deity of the Ammonites] inherit + Gad, why hath his [Milcom's] folk settled in his [Gad's] + cities”</span> (Jer. xlix. 1). We have already seen (ch. xxi.) that + the Ammonites took part in the rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar, + and stood out after the other members of the league had gone back + from their purpose. But this temporary union with Jerusalem did + nothing to abate the old national animosity, and the disaster of + Judah was the signal for an exhibition of malignant satisfaction on + the part of Ammon. <span class="tei tei-q">“Because thou hast said, + Aha, against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and the land of + Israel when it was laid waste, and the house of Judah when it went + into captivity,”</span> etc. (ver. 3)—for this crowning offence + against the majesty of Jehovah, Ezekiel denounces an exterminating + judgment on Ammon. The land shall be given up to the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“children of the East”</span>—<span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, + the Bedouin Arabs—who shall pitch their tent encampments in it, + eating its fruits and drinking its milk, and turning the + <span class="tei tei-q">“great city”</span> Rabbah itself into a + resting-place for camels (vv. 4, 5). It is not quite clear (though + it is commonly assumed) that the children of the East are + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page226">[pg 226]</span><a name= + "Pg226" id="Pg226" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> regarded as the + actual conquerors of Ammon. Their possession of the country may be + the consequence rather than the cause of the destruction of + civilisation, the encroachment of the nomads being as inevitable + under these circumstances as the extension of the desert itself + where water fails.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">2. <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">Moab</span></span><a id="noteref_74" + name="noteref_74" href="#note_74"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">74</span></span></a> (vv. + 8-11) comes next in order. Its proper territory, since the + settlement of Israel in Canaan, was the elevated tableland south of + the Arnon, along the lower part of the Dead Sea. But the tribe of + Reuben, which bordered it on the north, was never able to hold its + ground against the superior strength of Moab, and hence the latter + nation is found in possession of the lower and more fertile + district stretching northwards from the Arnon, now called the + Belka. All the cities, indeed, which are mentioned in this chapter + as belonging to Moab—Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kirjathaim—were + situated in this northern and properly Israelite region. These were + the <span class="tei tei-q">“glory of the land,”</span> which were + now to be taken away from Moab (ver. 9). In Israel Moab appears to + have been regarded as the incarnation of a peculiarly offensive + form of national pride,<a id="noteref_75" name="noteref_75" href= + "#note_75"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">75</span></span></a> of + which we happen to have a monument in the famous Moabite Stone, + which was erected by Mesha in the ninth century <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span> to commemorate the + victories of Chemosh over Jehovah and Israel. The inscription + shows, moreover, that in the arts of civilised life Moab was at + that early time no unworthy rival of Israel itself. It is for a + special manifestation of this haughty and arrogant spirit in the + day of Jerusalem's calamity that Ezekiel pronounces Jehovah's + judgment on Moab: <span class="tei tei-q">“Because Moab hath said, + Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations”</span> (ver. + 8). These words no <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page227">[pg + 227]</span><a name="Pg227" id="Pg227" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + doubt reflect accurately the sentiment of Moab towards Israel, and + they presuppose a consciousness on the part of Moab of some unique + distinction pertaining to Israel in spite of all the humiliations + it had undergone since the time of David. And the thought of Moab + may have been more widely disseminated among the nations than we + are apt to suppose: <span class="tei tei-q">“The kings of the earth + believed not, neither all the inhabitants of the world, that the + adversary and the enemy should enter into the gates of + Jerusalem”</span> (Lam. iv. 12). The Moabites at all events + breathed a sigh of relief when Israel's pretensions to religious + ascendency seemed to be confuted, and thereby they sealed their own + doom. They share the fate of the Ammonites, their land being handed + over for a possession to the sons of the East (ver. 10).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Both these + nations, Ammon and Moab, were absorbed by the Arabs, as Ezekiel had + foretold; but Ammon at least preserved its separate name and + nationality through many changes of fortune down to the second + century after Christ.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">3. <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">Edom</span></span> (vv. 12-14), famous + in the Old Testament for its wisdom (Jer. xlix. 7; Obad. 8), + occupied the country to the south of Moab from the Dead Sea to the + head of the Gulf of Akaba. In Old Testament times the centre of its + power was in the region to the east of the Arabah Valley, a + position of great commercial importance, as commanding the caravan + route from the Red Sea port of Elath to Northern Syria. From this + district the Edomites were afterwards driven (about 300 + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span>) by the Arabian tribe + of the Nabatæans, when they took up their abode in the south of + Judah. None of the surrounding nations were so closely akin to + Israel as Edom, and with none were its relations more embittered + and hostile. The Edomites had been subjugated and nearly + exterminated by David, had been again subdued by Amaziah and + Uzziah, but finally recovered their <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page228">[pg 228]</span><a name="Pg228" id="Pg228" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> independence during the attack of the Syrians + and Ephraimites on Judah in the reign of Ahaz. The memory of this + long struggle produced in Edom a <span class="tei tei-q">“perpetual + enmity,”</span> an undying hereditary hatred towards the kingdom of + Judah. But that which made the name of Edom to be execrated by the + later Jews was its conduct after the fall of Jerusalem. The prophet + Obadiah represents it as sharing in the spoil of Jerusalem (ver. + 10), and as <span class="tei tei-q">“standing in the crossway to + cut off those that escaped”</span> (ver. 14). Ezekiel also alludes + to this in the thirty-fifth chapter (ver. 5), and tells us further + that in the time of the captivity the Edomites seized part of the + territory of Israel (vv. 10-12), from which indeed the Jews were + never able altogether to dislodge them. For the guilt they thus + incurred by taking advantage of the humiliation of Jehovah's + people, Ezekiel here threatens them with extinction; and the + execution of the divine vengeance is in their case entrusted to the + children of Israel themselves (vv. 13, 14). They were, in fact, + finally subdued by John Hyrcanus in 126 <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span>, and compelled to + adopt the Jewish religion. But long before then they had lost their + prestige and influence, their ancient seats having passed under the + dominion of the Arabs in common with all the neighbouring + countries.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">4. The + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">Philistines</span></span> (vv. + 15-17)—the <span class="tei tei-q">“immigrants”</span> who had + settled along the Mediterranean coast, and who were destined to + leave their name to the whole country—had evidently played a part + very similar to the Edomites at the time of the destruction of + Jerusalem; but of this nothing is known beyond what is here said by + Ezekiel. They were at this time a mere <span class= + "tei tei-q">“remnant”</span> (ver. 16), having been exhausted by + the Assyrian and Egyptian wars. Their fate is not precisely + indicated in the prophecy. They were in point of fact gradually + extinguished by the revival of Jewish domination under the Asmonean + dynasty.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">One other remark + may here be made, as showing the <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page229">[pg 229]</span><a name="Pg229" id="Pg229" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> discrimination which Ezekiel brought to bear + in estimating the characteristics of each separate nation. He does + not ascribe to the greater powers, Tyre and Sidon and Egypt, the + same petty and vindictive jealousy of Israel which actuated the + diminutive nationalities dealt with in this chapter. These great + heathen states, which played so imposing a part in ancient + civilisation, had a wide outlook over the affairs of the world; and + the injuries they inflicted on Israel were due less to the blind + instinct of national hatred than to the pursuit of far-reaching + schemes of selfish interest and aggrandisement. If Tyre rejoices + over the fall of Jerusalem, it is because of the removal of an + obstacle to the expansion of her commercial enterprise. When Egypt + is described as having been an occasion of sin to the people of + God, what is meant is that she had drawn Israel into the net of her + ambitious foreign policy, and led her away from the path of safety + pointed out by Jehovah's will through the prophets. Ezekiel pays a + tribute to the grandeur of their position by the care he bestows on + the description of their fate. The smaller nations embodying + nothing of permanent value for the advancement of humanity, he + dismisses each with a short and pregnant oracle announcing its + doom. But when he comes to the fall of Tyre and of Egypt his + imagination is evidently impressed; he lingers over all the details + of the picture, he returns to it again and again, as if he would + penetrate the secret of their greatness and understand the potent + fascination which their names exercised throughout the world. It + would be entirely erroneous to suppose that he sympathises with + them in their calamity, but certainly he is conscious of the blank + which will be caused by their disappearance from history; he feels + that something will have vanished from the earth whose loss will be + mourned by the nations far and near. This is most apparent in the + prophecy on Tyre, to which we now proceed.</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page230">[pg 230]</span><a name= + "Pg230" id="Pg230" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 4.00em; margin-top: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc39" id="toc39"></a> <a name="pdf40" id="pdf40"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XVI. Tyre. Chapters xxvi., + xxix. 17-21.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the time of + Ezekiel Tyre was still at the height of her commercial prosperity. + Although not the oldest of the Phœnician cities, she held a + supremacy among them which dated from the thirteenth century + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span>,<a id="noteref_76" + name="noteref_76" href="#note_76"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">76</span></span></a> and + she had long been regarded as the typical embodiment of the genius + of the remarkable race to which she belonged. The Phœnicians were + renowned in antiquity for a combination of all the qualities on + which commercial greatness depends. Their absorbing devotion to the + material interests of civilisation, their amazing industry and + perseverance, their resourcefulness in assimilating and improving + the inventions of other peoples, the technical skill of their + artists and craftsmen, but above all their adventurous and daring + seamanship, conspired to give them a position in the old world such + as has never been quite rivalled by any other nation of ancient or + modern times. In the grey dawn of European history we find them + acting as pioneers of art and culture along the shores of the + Mediterranean, although even then they had been displaced from + their earliest settlements in the Ægean and the coast of Asia Minor + by the rising commerce of Greece. Matthew Arnold has drawn a + brilliant imaginative picture of this collision between the two + races, and the effect it had on the dauntless and enterprising + spirit of Phœnicia:—</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page231">[pg + 231]</span><a name="Pg231" id="Pg231" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-left: 3.60em; margin-right: 3.60em; margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-top: 1.80em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 0.90em; margin-top: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 1.80em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">As some grave Tyrian trader, + from the sea,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 3.60em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Descried at sunrise an emerging + prow</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 1.80em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Lifting the cool-hair'd creepers + stealthily,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 3.60em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">The fringes of a + southward-facing brow</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 12.60em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Among the Ægæan isles;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 1.80em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And saw the merry Grecian + coaster come,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 3.60em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Freighted with amber grapes, and + Chian wine,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 3.60em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Green, bursting figs, and + tunnies steep'd in brine—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 1.80em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And knew the intruders on his + ancient home,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">The young light-hearted masters + of the waves—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 1.80em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And snatch'd his rudder and + shook out more sail;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 3.60em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And day and night held on + indignantly</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 1.80em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">O'er the blue Midland waters + with the gale,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 3.60em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Betwixt the Syrtes and soft + Sicily,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 12.60em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">To where the Atlantic + raves</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 1.80em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Outside the western straits; and + unbent sails</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 3.60em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">There, where down cloudy cliffs, + through sheets of foam,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 3.60em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Shy traffickers, the dark + Iberians, come;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 1.80em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And on the beach undid his + corded bales.</span><a id="noteref_77" name="noteref_77" + href="#note_77"><span class="tei tei-noteref" style= + "text-align: left"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">77</span></span></a> + </div> + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is that + spirit of masterful and untiring ambition kept up for so many + centuries that throws a halo of romance round the story of + Tyre.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the oldest + Greek literature, however, Tyre is not mentioned, the place which + she afterwards held being then occupied by Sidon. But after the + decay of Sidon the rich harvest of her labours fell into the lap of + Tyre, which thenceforth stands out as the foremost city of + Phœnicia. She owed her pre-eminence partly to the wisdom and energy + with which her affairs were administered, but partly also to the + strength of her natural situation. The city was built both on the + mainland and on a row of islets about half a mile from the shore. + This latter portion contained the principal buildings (temples and + palaces), the open place where business was transacted, and the two + harbours. It was no doubt from it that the city derived its name + (צוֹר = Rock); and it always was looked on as the central part of + Tyre. There was something in the appearance <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page232">[pg 232]</span><a name="Pg232" id="Pg232" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of the island city—the Venice of + antiquity, rising from mid-ocean with her <span class= + "tei tei-q">“tiara of proud towers”</span>—which seemed to mark her + out as destined to be mistress of the sea. It also made a siege of + Tyre an arduous and a tedious undertaking, as many a conqueror + found to his cost. Favoured then by these advantages, Tyre speedily + gathered the traffic of Phœnicia into her own hands, and her wealth + and luxury were the wonder of the nations. She was known as + <span class="tei tei-q">“the crowning city, whose merchants were + princes, and her traffickers the honourable of the earth”</span> + (Isa. xxiii. 8). She became the great commercial emporium of the + world. Her colonies were planted all over the islands and coasts of + the Mediterranean, and the one most frequently mentioned in the + Bible, Tarshish, was in Spain, beyond Gibraltar. Her seamen had + ventured beyond the Pillars of Hercules, and undertook distant + Atlantic voyages to the Canary Islands on the south and the coasts + of Britain on the north. The most barbarous and inhospitable + regions were ransacked for the metals and other products needed to + supply the requirements of civilisation, and everywhere she found a + market for her own wares and manufactures. The carrying trade of + the Mediterranean was almost entirely conducted in her ships, while + her richly laden caravans traversed all the great routes that led + into the heart of Asia and Africa.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It so happens + that the twenty-seventh chapter of Ezekiel is one of the best + sources of information we possess as to the varied and extensive + commercial relations of Tyre in the sixth century <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span><a id="noteref_78" + name="noteref_78" href="#note_78"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">78</span></span></a> It + will therefore be better to glance shortly at its contents here + rather than in its proper connection in the development of the + prophet's thought. It will easily be seen that the description is + somewhat <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page233">[pg + 233]</span><a name="Pg233" id="Pg233" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + idealised; no details are given of the commodities which Tyre + <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">sold</span></em> to the nations—only as an + afterthought (ver. 33) is it intimated that by sending forth her + wares she has enriched and satisfied many nations. So the goods + which she <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">bought</span></em> of them are not represented + as given in exchange for anything else; Tyre is poetically + conceived as an empress ruling the peoples by the potent spell of + her influence, compelling them to drudge for her and bring to her + feet the gains they have acquired by their heavy labour. Nor can + the list of nations<a id="noteref_79" name="noteref_79" href= + "#note_79"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">79</span></span></a> or + their gifts be meant as exhaustive; it only includes such things as + served to exhibit the immense variety of useful and costly articles + which ministered to the wealth and luxury of Tyre. But making + allowance for this, and for the numerous difficulties which the + text presents, the passage has evidently been compiled with great + care; it shows a minuteness of detail and fulness of knowledge + which could not have been got from books, but displays a lively + personal interest in the affairs of the world which is surprising + in a man like Ezekiel.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The order + followed in the enumeration of nations is not quite clear, but is + on the whole geographical. Starting from Tarshish in the extreme + west (ver. 12), the prophet mentions in succession Javan (Ionia), + Tubal, and Meshech (two tribes to the south-east of the Black Sea), + and Togarmah (usually identified with Armenia) (vv. 13, 14). These + represent the northern limit of the Phœnician markets. The + reference in the next verse (v. 15) is doubtful, on account of a + difference between the Septuagint and the Hebrew text. If with the + former we read <span class="tei tei-q">“Rhodes”</span> instead of + <span class="tei tei-q">“Dedan,”</span> it embraces the nearer + coasts and islands of the Mediterranean, and this is perhaps on the + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page234">[pg 234]</span><a name= + "Pg234" id="Pg234" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> whole the more + natural sense. In this case it is possible that up to this point + the description has been confined to the sea trade of Phœnicia, if + we may suppose that the products of Armenia reached Tyre by way of + the Black Sea. At all events the overland traffic occupies a space + in the list out of proportion to its actual importance, a fact + which is easily explained from the prophet's standpoint. First, in + a line from south to north, we have the nearer neighbours of + Phœnicia—Edom, Judah, Israel, and Damascus (vv. 16-18). Then the + remoter tribes and districts of Arabia—Uzal<a id="noteref_80" name= + "noteref_80" href="#note_80"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">80</span></span></a> (the + chief city of Yemen), Dedan (on the eastern side of the Gulf of + Akaba), Arabia and Kedar (nomads of the eastern desert), + Havilah,<a id="noteref_81" name="noteref_81" href= + "#note_81"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">81</span></span></a> Sheba, + and Raamah (in the extreme south of the Arabian peninsula) (vv. + 19-22). Finally the countries tapped by the eastern caravan + route—Haran (the great trade centre in Mesopotamia), Canneh (? + Calneh, unknown), Eden (differently spelt from the garden of Eden, + also unknown), Assyria, and Chilmad (unknown) (ver. 23). These were + the <span class="tei tei-q">“merchants”</span> and <span class= + "tei tei-q">“traders”</span> of Tyre, who are represented as + thronging her market-place with the produce of their respective + countries.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The imports, so + far as we can follow the prophet's enumeration, are in nearly all + cases characteristic products of the regions to which they are + assigned. Spain is known to have furnished all the metals here + mentioned—silver, iron, lead, and tin. Greece and Asia Minor were + centres of the slave traffic (one of the darkest blots on the + commerce of Phœnicia), and also supplied hardware. Armenia was + famous as a horse-breeding country, and thence Tyre procured her + supply of horses and mules. The ebony and tusks of ivory must have + come from <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page235">[pg + 235]</span><a name="Pg235" id="Pg235" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + Africa; and if the Septuagint is right in reading <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Rhodes”</span> in ver. 15, these articles can only + have been collected there for shipment to Tyre.<a id="noteref_82" + name="noteref_82" href="#note_82"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">82</span></span></a> + Through Edom come pearls and precious stones.<a id="noteref_83" + name="noteref_83" href="#note_83"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">83</span></span></a> Judah + and Israel furnish Tyre with agricultural and natural produce, as + they had done from the days of David and Solomon—wheat and oil, wax + and honey, balm and spices. Damascus yields the famous <span class= + "tei tei-q">“wine of Helbon”</span>—said to be the only vintage + that the Persian kings would drink—perhaps also other choice + wines.<a id="noteref_84" name="noteref_84" href= + "#note_84"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">84</span></span></a> A rich + variety of miscellaneous articles, both natural and manufactured, + is contributed by Arabia,—wrought iron (perhaps sword-blades) from + Yemen; saddle-cloths from Dedan; sheep and goats from the Bedouin + tribes; gold, precious stones, and aromatic spices from the + caravans of Sheba. Lastly, the Mesopotamian countries provide the + costly textile fabrics from the looms of Babylon so highly prized + in antiquity—<span class="tei tei-q">“costly garments, mantles of + blue, purple, and broidered work,”</span> <span class= + "tei tei-q">“many-coloured carpets,”</span> and <span class= + "tei tei-q">“cords twisted and durable.”</span><a id="noteref_85" + name="noteref_85" href="#note_85"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">85</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This survey of + the ramifications of Tyrian commerce will have served its purpose + if it enables us to realise in some measure the conception which + Ezekiel had formed of the power and prestige of the maritime city, + whose <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page236">[pg 236]</span><a name= + "Pg236" id="Pg236" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> destruction he so + confidently announced. He knew, as did Isaiah before him, how + deeply Tyre had struck her roots in the life of the old world, how + indispensable her existence seemed to be to the whole fabric of + civilisation as then constituted. Both prophets represent the + nations as lamenting the downfall of the city which had so long + ministered to their material welfare. The overthrow of Tyre would + be felt as a world-wide calamity; it could hardly be contemplated + except as part of a radical subversion of the established order of + things. This is what Ezekiel has in view, and his attitude towards + Tyre is governed by his expectation of a great shaking of the + nations which is to usher in the perfect kingdom of God. In the new + world to which he looks forward no place will be found for Tyre, + not even the subordinate position of a handmaid to the people of + God which Isaiah's vision of the future had assigned to her. + Beneath all her opulence and refinement the prophet's eye detected + that which was opposed to the mind of Jehovah—the irreligious + spirit which is the temptation of a mercantile community, + manifesting itself in overweening pride and self-exaltation, and in + sordid devotion to gain as the highest end of a nation's + existence.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The twenty-sixth + chapter is in the main a literal prediction of the siege and + destruction of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar. It is dated from the year in + which Jerusalem was captured, and was certainly written after that + event. The number of the month has accidentally dropped out of the + text, so that we cannot tell whether at the time of writing the + prophet had received actual intelligence of the fall of the city. + At all events it is assumed that the fate of Jerusalem is already + known in Tyre, and the manner in which the tidings were sure to + have been received there is the immediate occasion of the prophecy. + Like many other peoples, Tyre had rejoiced over the <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page237">[pg 237]</span><a name="Pg237" id="Pg237" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> disaster which had befallen the Jewish + state; but her exultation had a peculiar note of selfish + calculation, which did not escape the notice of the prophet. Ever + mindful of her own interest, she sees that a barrier to the free + development of her commerce has been removed, and she congratulates + herself on the fortunate turn which events have taken: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Aha! the door of the peoples is broken, it is turned + towards me; she that was full hath been laid waste!”</span><a id= + "noteref_86" name="noteref_86" href="#note_86"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">86</span></span></a> (ver. + 2). Although the relations of the two countries had often been + friendly and sometimes highly advantageous to Tyre, she had + evidently felt herself hampered by the existence of an independent + state on the mountain ridge of Palestine. The kingdom of Judah, + especially in days when it was strong enough to hold Edom in + subjection, commanded the caravan routes to the Red Sea, and + doubtless prevented the Phœnician merchants from reaping the full + profit of their ventures in that direction. It is probable that at + all times a certain proportion of the revenue of the kings of Judah + was derived from toll levied on the Tyrian merchandise that passed + through their territory; and what they thus gained represented so + much loss to Tyre. It was, to be sure, a small item in the mass of + business transacted on the exchange of Tyre. But nothing is too + trivial to enter into the calculations of a community given over to + the pursuit of gain; and the satisfaction with which the fall of + Jerusalem was regarded in Tyre showed how completely she was + debased by her selfish commercial policy, how oblivious she was to + the spiritual interests bound up with the future of Israel.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Having thus + exposed the sinful cupidity and insensibility of Tyre, the prophet + proceeds to describe in general <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page238">[pg 238]</span><a name="Pg238" id="Pg238" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> terms the punishment that is to overtake her. + Many nations shall be brought up against her, irresistible as the + sea when it comes up with its waves; her walls and fortifications + shall be rased; the very dust shall be scraped from her site, so + that she is left <span class="tei tei-q">“a naked rock”</span> + rising out of the sea, a place where fishermen spread their nets to + dry, as in the days before the city was built.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Then follows + (vv. 7-14) a specific announcement of the manner in which judgment + shall be executed on Tyre. The recent political attitude of the + city left no doubt as to the quarter from which immediate danger + was to be apprehended. The Phœnician states had been the most + powerful members of the confederacy that was formed about 596 to + throw off the yoke of the Chaldæans, and they were in open revolt + at the time when Ezekiel wrote. They had apparently thrown in their + lot with Egypt, and a conflict with Nebuchadnezzar was therefore to + be expected. Tyre had every reason to avoid a war with a first-rate + power, which could not fail to be disastrous to her commercial + interests. But her inhabitants were not destitute of martial + spirit; they trusted in the strength of their position and their + command of the sea, and they were in the mood to risk everything + rather than again renounce their independence and their freedom. + But all this avails nothing against the purpose which Jehovah has + purposed concerning Tyre. It is He who brings Nebuchadnezzar, the + king of kings, from the north with his army and his siege-train, + and Tyre shall fall before his assault, as Jerusalem has already + fallen. First of all, the Phœnician cities on the mainland shall be + ravaged and laid waste, and then operations commence against the + mother-city herself. The description of the siege and capture of + the island fortress is given with an abundance of graphic details, + although, strangely enough, without calling attention to the + peculiar <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page239">[pg + 239]</span><a name="Pg239" id="Pg239" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + method of attack that was necessary for the reduction of Tyre. The + great feature of the siege would be the construction of a huge mole + between the shore and the island; once the wall was reached the + attack would proceed precisely as in the case of an inland town, in + the manner depicted on Assyrian monuments. When the breach is made + in the fortifications the whole army pours into the city, and for + the first time in her history the walls of Tyre shake with the + rumbling of chariots in her streets. The conquered city is then + given up to slaughter and pillage, her songs and her music are + stilled for ever, her stones and timber and dust are cast into the + sea, and not a trace remains of the proud mistress of the + waves.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the third + strophe (vv. 15-21) the prophet describes the dismay which will be + caused when the crash of the destruction of Tyre resounds along the + coasts of the sea. All the <span class="tei tei-q">“princes of the + sea”</span> (perhaps the rulers of the Phœnician colonies in the + Mediterranean) are represented as rising from their thrones, and + putting off their stately raiment, and sitting in the dust + bewailing the fate of the city. The dirge in which they lift up + their voices (vv. 17, 18) is given by the Septuagint in a form + which preserves more nearly than the Hebrew the structure as well + as the beauty which we should expect in the original:—</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-left: 3.60em; margin-right: 3.60em; margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-top: 1.80em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 0.90em; margin-top: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">How is perished from the + sea—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 12.60em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">The city renowned!</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">She that laid her terror—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 12.60em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">On all its inhabitants!</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">[Now] are the isles + affrighted—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 12.60em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">In the day of thy + falling!</span> + </div> + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But this + beautiful image is not strong enough to express the prophet's sense + of the irretrievable ruin that hangs over Tyre. By a bold flight of + imagination he <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page240">[pg + 240]</span><a name="Pg240" id="Pg240" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + turns from the mourners on earth to follow in thought the descent + of the city into the under-world (vv. 19-21). The idea that Tyre + might rise from her ruins after a temporary eclipse and recover her + old place in the world was one that would readily suggest itself to + any one who understood the real secret of her greatness. To the + mind of Ezekiel the impossibility of her restoration lies in the + fixed purpose of Jehovah, which includes, not only her destruction, + but her perpetual desolation. <span class="tei tei-q">“When I make + thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when + I bring up against thee the deep, and the great waters cover thee; + then I will bring thee down with them that go down to the pit, with + the people of old time, and I will make thee dwell in the lowest + parts of the earth, like the immemorial waste places, with them + that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited nor establish + thyself in the land of the living.”</span> The whole passage is + steeped in weird poetic imagery. The <span class= + "tei tei-q">“deep”</span><a id="noteref_87" name="noteref_87" href= + "#note_87"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">87</span></span></a> + suggests something more than the blue waters of the Mediterranean: + it is the name of the great primeval Ocean, out of which the + habitable world was fashioned, and which is used as an emblem of + the irresistible judgments of God.<a id="noteref_88" name= + "noteref_88" href="#note_88"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">88</span></span></a> The + <span class="tei tei-q">“pit”</span> is the realm of the dead, + Sheôl, conceived as situated under the earth, where the shades of + the departed drag out a feeble existence from which there is no + deliverance. The idea of Sheôl is a frequent subject of poetical + embellishment in the later books of the Old Testament; and of this + we have an example here when the prophet represents the once + populous and thriving city as now a denizen of that dreary place. + But the essential meaning he wishes to convey is that Tyre is + numbered among the things that were. She <span class= + "tei tei-q">“shall be sought, and shall not be found any + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page241">[pg 241]</span><a name= + "Pg241" id="Pg241" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> more for + ever,”</span> because she has entered the dismal abode of the dead, + whence there is no return to the joys and activities of the upper + world.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Such then is the + anticipation which Ezekiel in the year 586 had formed of the fate + of Tyre. No candid reader will suppose that the prophecy is + anything but what it professes to be—a <span class= + "tei tei-foreign"><span style= + "font-style: italic">bonâ-fide</span></span> prediction of the + total destruction of the city in the immediate future and by the + hands of Nebuchadnezzar. When Ezekiel wrote, the siege of Tyre had + not begun; and however clear it may have been to observant men that + the next stage in the campaign would be the reduction of the + Phœnician cities, the prophet is at least free from the suspicion + of having prophesied after the event. The remarkable absence of + characteristic and special details from the account of the siege is + the best proof that he is dealing with the future from the true + prophetic standpoint and clothing a divinely imparted conviction in + images supplied by a definite historical situation. Nor is there + any reason to doubt that in some form the prophecy was actually + published among his fellow-exiles at the date to which it is + assigned. On these points critical opinion is fairly unanimous. But + when we come to the question of the fulfilment of the prediction we + find ourselves in the region of controversy, and, it must be + admitted, of uncertainty. Some expositors, determined at all + hazards to vindicate Ezekiel's prophetic authority, maintain that + Tyre was actually devastated by Nebuchadnezzar in the manner + described by the prophet, and seek for confirmations of their view + in the few historical notices we possess of this period of + Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Others, reading the history differently, + arrive at the conclusion that Ezekiel's calculations were entirely + at fault, that Tyre was not captured by the Babylonians at all, and + that his oracle against Tyre must be reckoned amongst the + unfulfilled prophecies of the Old Testament. Others <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page242">[pg 242]</span><a name="Pg242" id="Pg242" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> again seek to reconcile an impartial + historical judgment with a high conception of the function of + prophecy, and find in the undoubted course of events a real though + not an exact verification of the words uttered by Ezekiel. It is + indeed almost by accident that we have any independent + corroboration of Ezekiel's anticipation with regard to the + immediate future of Tyre. Oriental discoveries have as yet brought + to light no important historical monuments of the reign of + Nebuchadnezzar; and outside of the book of Ezekiel itself we have + nothing to guide us except the statement of Josephus, based on + Phœnician and Greek authorities,<a id="noteref_89" name= + "noteref_89" href="#note_89"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">89</span></span></a> that + Tyre underwent a thirteen years' siege by the Babylonian conqueror. + There is no reason whatever to call in question the reliability of + this important information, although the accompanying statement + that the siege began in the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar is + certainly erroneous. But unfortunately we are not told how the + siege ended. Whether it was successful or unsuccessful, whether + Tyre was reduced or capitulated, or was evacuated or beat off her + assailants, is nowhere indicated. To argue from the silence of the + historians is impossible; for if one man argues that a catastrophe + that took place <span class="tei tei-q">“before the eyes of all + Asia”</span> would not have passed unrecorded in historical books, + another might urge with equal force that a repulse of + Nebuchadnezzar was too uncommon an event to be ignored in the + Phœnician annals.<a id="noteref_90" name="noteref_90" href= + "#note_90"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">90</span></span></a> On the + whole the most reasonable hypothesis is perhaps that after the + thirteen years the city surrendered on not unfavourable terms; but + this conclusion is based on other considerations than the data or + the silence of Josephus.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The chief reason + for believing that Nebuchadnezzar was not altogether successful in + his attack on Tyre is <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page243">[pg + 243]</span><a name="Pg243" id="Pg243" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + found in a supplementary prophecy of Ezekiel's, given in the end of + the twenty-ninth chapter (vv. 17-21). It was evidently written + after the siege of Tyre was concluded, and so far as it goes it + confirms the accuracy of Josephus' sources. It is dated from the + year 570, sixteen years after the fall of Jerusalem; and it is, in + fact, the latest oracle in the whole book. The siege of Tyre + therefore, which had not commenced in 586, when ch. xxvi. was + written, was finished before 570; and between these terminal dates + there is just room for the thirteen years of Josephus. The invasion + of Phœnicia must have been the next great enterprise of the + Babylonian army in Western Asia after the destruction of Judah, and + it was only the extraordinary strength of Tyre that enabled it to + protract the struggle so long. Now what light does Ezekiel throw on + the issue of the siege? His words are: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, has made his army to + serve a great service against Tyre; every head made bald and every + shoulder peeled, yet <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">he and his army got no wages out of + Tyre</span></em> for the service which he served against + her.”</span> The prophet then goes on to announce that the spoils + of Egypt should be the recompense to the army for their unrequited + labour against Tyre, inasmuch as it was work done for Jehovah. Here + then, we have evidence first of all that the long siege of Tyre had + taxed the resources of the besiegers to the utmost. The + <span class="tei tei-q">“peeled shoulders”</span> and the + <span class="tei tei-q">“heads made bald”</span> is a graphic + detail which alludes not obscurely to the monotonous navvy work of + carrying loads of stones and earth to fill up the narrow channel + between the mainland and the island,<a id="noteref_91" name= + "noteref_91" href="#note_91"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">91</span></span></a> so as + to allow the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page244">[pg + 244]</span><a name="Pg244" id="Pg244" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + engines to be brought up to the walls. Ezekiel was well aware of + the arduous nature of the undertaking, the expenditure of human + effort and life which was involved, in the struggle with natural + obstacles; and his striking conception of these obscure and toiling + soldiers as unconscious servants of the Almighty shows how + steadfast was his faith in the word he proclaimed against Tyre. But + the important point is that they obtained from Tyre no reward—at + least no adequate reward—for their herculean labours. The + expression used is no doubt capable of various interpretations. It + might mean that the siege had to be abandoned, or that the city was + able to make extremely easy terms of capitulation, or, as Jerome + suggests, that the Tyrians had carried off their treasures by sea + and escaped to one of their colonies. In any case it shows that the + historical event was not in accordance with the details of the + earlier prophecy. That the wealth of Tyre would fall to the + conquerors is there assumed as a natural consequence of the capture + of the city. But whether the city was actually captured or not, the + victors were somehow disappointed in their expectation of plunder. + The rich spoil of Tyre, which was the legitimate reward of their + exhausting toil, had slipped from their eager grasp; to this extent + at least the reality fell short of the prediction, and + Nebuchadnezzar had to be compensated for his losses at Tyre by the + promise of an easy conquest of Egypt.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But if this had + been all it is not probable that Ezekiel would have deemed it + necessary to supplement his earlier prediction in the way we have + seen after an interval of sixteen years. The mere circumstance that + the sack of Tyre had failed to yield the booty that the besiegers + counted on was not of a nature to attract attention amongst the + prophet's auditors, or to throw doubt on the genuineness of his + inspiration. And we know that there was a much <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page245">[pg 245]</span><a name="Pg245" id="Pg245" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> more serious difference between the + prophecy and the event than this. It is from what has just been + said extremely doubtful whether Nebuchadnezzar actually destroyed + Tyre, but even if he did she very quickly recovered much of her + former prosperity and glory. That her commerce was seriously + crippled during the struggle with Babylonia we may well believe, + and it is possible that she never again was what she had been + before this humiliation came upon her. But for all that the + enterprise and prosperity of Tyre continued for many ages to excite + the admiration of the most enlightened nations of antiquity. The + destruction of the city, therefore, if it took place, had not the + finality which Ezekiel had anticipated. Not till after the lapse of + eighteen centuries could it be said with approximate truth that she + was like <span class="tei tei-q">“a bare rock in the midst of the + sea.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The most + instructive fact for us, however, is that Ezekiel reissued his + original prophecy, knowing that it had not been literally + fulfilled. In the minds of his hearers the apparent falsification + of his predictions had revived old prejudices against him which + interfered with the prosecution of his work. They reasoned that a + prophecy so much out of joint with the reality was sufficient to + discredit his claim to be an authoritative exponent of the mind of + Jehovah; and so the prophet found himself embarrassed by a + recurrence of the old unbelieving attitude which had hindered his + public activity before the destruction of Jerusalem. He has not for + the present <span class="tei tei-q">“an open mouth”</span> amongst + them, and he feels that his words will not be fully received until + they are verified by the restoration of Israel to its own land. But + it is evident that he himself did not share the view of his + audience, otherwise he would certainly have suppressed a prophecy + which lacked the mark of authenticity. On the contrary he published + it for the perusal of a wider circle of readers, in <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page246">[pg 246]</span><a name="Pg246" id="Pg246" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> the conviction that what he had spoken + was a true word of God, and that its essential truth did not depend + on its exact correspondence with the facts of history. In other + words, he believed in it as a true reading of the principles + revealed in God's moral government of the world—a reading which had + received a partial verification in the blow which had been dealt at + the pride of Tyre, and which would receive a still more signal + fulfilment in the final convulsions which were to introduce the day + of Israel's restoration and glory. Only we must remember that the + prophet's horizon was necessarily limited; and as he did not + contemplate the slow development and extension of the kingdom of + God through long ages, so he could not have taken into account the + secular operation of historic causes which eventually brought about + the ruin of Tyre.</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page247">[pg 247]</span><a name= + "Pg247" id="Pg247" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 4.00em; margin-top: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc41" id="toc41"></a> <a name="pdf42" id="pdf42"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XVII. Tyre (Continued): + Sidon. Chapters xxvii., xxviii.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The remaining + oracles on Tyre (chs. xxvii., xxviii. 1-19) are somewhat different + both in subject and mode of treatment from the chapter we have just + finished. Ch. xxvi. is in the main a direct announcement of the + fall of Tyre, delivered in the oratorical style which is the usual + vehicle of prophetic address. She is regarded as a state occupying + a definite place among the other states of the world, and sharing + the fate of other peoples who by their conduct towards Israel or + their ungodliness and arrogance have incurred the anger of Jehovah. + The two great odes which follow are purely ideal delineations of + what Tyre is in herself; her destruction is assumed as certain + rather than directly predicted, and the prophet gives free play to + his imagination in the effort to set forth the conception of the + city which was impressed on his mind. In ch. xxvii. he dwells on + the external greatness and magnificence of Tyre, her architectural + splendour, her political and military power, and above all her + amazing commercial enterprise. Ch. xxviii., on the other hand, is a + meditation on the peculiar genius of Tyre, her inner spirit of + pride and self-sufficiency, as embodied in the person of her king. + From a literary point of view the two chapters are amongst the most + beautiful in the whole book. In the twenty-seventh chapter the + fiery indignation of the prophet almost disappears, giving place to + the play of <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page248">[pg + 248]</span><a name="Pg248" id="Pg248" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + poetic fancy, and a flow of lyric emotion more perfectly rendered + than in any other part of Ezekiel's writings. The distinctive + feature of each passage is the elegy pronounced over the fall of + Tyre; and although the elegy seems just on the point of passing + into the taunt-song, yet the accent of triumph is never suffered to + overwhelm the note of sadness to which these poems owe their + special charm.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ch. xxvii. is + described as a dirge over Tyre. In the previous chapter the + nations were represented as bewailing her fall, but here the + prophet himself takes up a lamentation for her; and, as may have + been usual in real funereal dirges, he commences by celebrating + the might and riches of the doomed city. The fine image which is + maintained throughout the chapter was probably suggested to + Ezekiel by the picturesque situation of Tyre on her sea-girt rock + at <span class="tei tei-q">“the entries of the sea.”</span> He + compares her to a stately vessel riding at anchor<a id= + "noteref_92" name="noteref_92" href="#note_92"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">92</span></span></a> near + the shore, taking on board her cargo of precious merchandise, and + ready to start on the perilous voyage from which she is destined + never to return. Meanwhile the gallant ship sits proudly in the + water, tight and seaworthy and sumptuously furnished; and the + prophet's eye runs rapidly over the chief points of her elaborate + construction and equipment (vv. 3-11). Her timbers are fashioned + of cypress from Hermon,<a id="noteref_93" name="noteref_93" href= + "#note_93"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">93</span></span></a> her + mast is a cedar of Lebanon, her oars are made of the oak of + Bashan, her deck of <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page249">[pg + 249]</span><a name="Pg249" id="Pg249" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + sherbîn-wood<a id="noteref_94" name="noteref_94" href= + "#note_94"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">94</span></span></a> (a + variety of cedar) inlaid with ivory imported from Cyprus. Her + canvas fittings are still more exquisite and costly. The sail is + of Egyptian byssus with embroidered work, and the awning over the + deck was of cloth resplendent in the two purple dyes procured + from the coasts of Elishah.<a id="noteref_95" name="noteref_95" + href="#note_95"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">95</span></span></a> The + ship is fitted up for pleasure and luxury as well as for traffic, + the fact symbolised being obviously the architectural and other + splendours which justified the city's boast that she was + <span class="tei tei-q">“the perfection of beauty.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But Tyre was + wise and powerful as well as beautiful; and so the prophet, still + keeping up the metaphor, proceeds to describe how the great ship + is manned. Her steersmen are the experienced statesmen whom she + herself has bred and raised to power; her rowers are the men of + Sidon and Aradus, who spend their strength in her service. The + elders and wise men of Gebal are her shipwrights (literally + <span class="tei tei-q">“stoppers of leaks”</span>); and so great + is her influence that all the naval resources of the world are + subject to her control. Besides this Tyre employs an army of + mercenaries drawn from the remotest quarters of the earth—from + Persia and North Africa, as well as the subordinate towns of + Phœnicia; and these, represented as hanging their shields and + helmets on her sides, make her beauty complete.<a id="noteref_96" + name="noteref_96" href="#note_96"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">96</span></span></a> In + these verses the prophet pays a tribute of admiration to the + astuteness with which the rulers of Tyre used their resources to + strengthen her position as the head of the Phœnician confederacy. + Three <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page250">[pg + 250]</span><a name="Pg250" id="Pg250" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + of the cities mentioned—Sidon, Aradus, and Gebal or Byblus—were + the most important in Phœnicia; two of them at least had a longer + history than herself, yet they are here truly represented as + performing the rough menial labour which brought wealth and + renown to Tyre. It required no ordinary statecraft to preserve + the balance of so many complex and conflicting interests, and + make them all co-operate for the advancement of the glory of + Tyre; but hitherto her <span class="tei tei-q">“wise men”</span> + had proved equal to the task.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The second + strophe (vv. 12-25) contains the survey of Tyrian commerce, which + has already been analysed in another connection.<a id= + "noteref_97" name="noteref_97" href="#note_97"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">97</span></span></a> At + first sight it appears as if the allegory were here abandoned, + and the impression is partly correct. In reality the city, + although personified, is regarded as the emporium of the world's + commerce, to which all the nations stream with their produce. But + at the end it appears that the various commodities enumerated + represent the cargo with which the ship is laden. Ships of + Tarshish—<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, the largest class of + merchant vessels then afloat, used for the long Atlantic + voyage—wait upon her, and fill her with all sorts of precious + things (ver. 25). Then in the last strophe (vv. 26-36), which + speaks of the destruction of Tyre, the figure of the ship is + boldly resumed. The heavily freighted vessel is rowed into the + open sea; there she is struck by an east wind and founders in + deep water. The image suggests two ideas, which must not be + pressed, although they may <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page251">[pg 251]</span><a name="Pg251" id="Pg251" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> have an element of historic truth in them: + one is that Tyre perished under the weight of her own commercial + greatness, and the other that her ruin was hastened through the + folly of her rulers. But the main idea is that the destruction of + the city was wrought by the power of God, which suddenly + overwhelmed her at the height of her prosperity and activity. As + the waves close over the doomed vessel the cry of anguish that + goes up from the drowning mariners and passengers strikes terror + into the hearts of all seafaring men. They forsake their ships, + and having reached the safety of the shore abandon themselves to + frantic demonstrations of grief, joining their voices in a + lamentation over the fate of the goodly ship which symbolised the + mistress of the sea (vv. 32-36)<a id="noteref_98" name= + "noteref_98" href="#note_98"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">98</span></span></a>:—</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-right: 3.60em; margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-top: 1.80em; margin-left: 3.60em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-top: 0.90em; margin-bottom: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Who was like Tyre [so + glorious]—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 12.60em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">In the midst of the + sea?</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">When thy wares went forth from + the seas—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 12.60em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Thou filledst the + peoples;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">With thy wealth and thy + merchandise—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 12.60em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Thou enrichedst the + earth.</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Now art thou broken from the + seas—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 12.60em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">In depths of the + waters;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Thy merchandise and all thy + multitude—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 12.60em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Are fallen therein.</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">All the inhabitants of the + islands—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 12.60em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Are shocked at thee,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And their kings shudder + greatly—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 12.60em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">With tearful + countenances.</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">They that trade among the + peoples ...—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "margin-left: 12.60em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Hiss over thee;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Thou art become a + terror—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style= + "text-align: left; margin-left: 12.60em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And art no more for + ever.</span> + </div> + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Such is the + end of Tyre. She has vanished utterly from the earth; the + imposing fabric of her greatness is <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page252">[pg 252]</span><a name="Pg252" id="Pg252" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> like an unsubstantial pageant faded; and + nothing remains to tell of her former glory but the mourning of + the nations who were once enriched by her commerce.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ch. xxviii. + 1-19.—Here the prophet turns to the prince of Tyre, who is + addressed throughout as the impersonation of the consciousness of + a great commercial community. We happen to know from Josephus + that the name of the reigning king at this time was Ithobaal or + Ethbaal II. But it is manifest that the terms of Ezekiel's + message have no reference to the individuality of this or any + other prince of Tyre. It is not likely that the king could have + exercised any great political influence in a city <span class= + "tei tei-q">“whose merchants were all princes”</span>; indeed, we + learn from Josephus that the monarchy was abolished in favour of + some sort of elective constitution not long after the death of + Ithobaal. Nor is there any reason to suppose that Ezekiel has in + view any special manifestation of arrogance on the part of the + royal house, such as a pretension to be descended from the gods. + The king here is simply the representative of the genius of the + community, the sins of heart charged against him are the + expression of the sinful principle which the prophet detected + beneath the refinement and luxury of Tyre, and his shameful death + only symbolises the downfall of the city. The prophecy consists + of two parts: first, an accusation against the prince of Tyre, + ending with a threat of destruction (vv. 2-10); and second, a + lament over his fall (vv. 11-19). The point of view is very + different in these two sections. In the first the prince is still + conceived as a man; and the language put into his mouth, although + extravagant, does not exceed the limits of purely human + arrogance. In the second, however, the king appears as an angelic + being, an inhabitant <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page253">[pg + 253]</span><a name="Pg253" id="Pg253" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + of Eden and a companion of the cherub, sinless at first, and + falling from his high estate through his own transgression. It + almost seems as if the prophet had in his mind the idea of a + tutelary spirit or genius of Tyre, like the angelic princes in + the book of Daniel who preside over the destinies of different + nations.<a id="noteref_99" name="noteref_99" href= + "#note_99"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">99</span></span></a> But + in spite of its enhanced idealism, the passage only clothes in + forms drawn from Babylonian mythology the boundless + self-glorification of Tyre; and the expulsion of the prince from + paradise is merely the ideal counterpart of the overthrow of the + city which is his earthly abode.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The sin of + Tyre is an overweening pride, which culminated in an attitude of + self-deification on the part of its king. Surrounded on every + hand by the evidences of man's mastery over the world, by the + achievements of human art and industry and enterprise, the king + feels as if his throne on the sea-girt island were a veritable + seat of the gods, and as if he himself were a being truly divine. + His heart is lifted up; and, forgetful of the limits of his + mortality, he <span class="tei tei-q">“sets his mind like the + mind of a god.”</span> The godlike quality on which he specially + prides himself is the superhuman wisdom evinced by the + extraordinary prosperity of the city with which he identifies + himself. Wiser than Daniel! the prophet ironically exclaims; + <span class="tei tei-q">“no secret thing is too dark for + thee!”</span> <span class="tei tei-q">“By thy wisdom and thine + insight thou hast gotten thee wealth, and hast gathered gold and + silver into thy treasuries: by thy great wisdom in thy commerce + thou hast multiplied thy wealth, and thy heart is lifted up + because of thy riches.”</span> The prince sees in the vast + accumulation of material resources in Tyre nothing but the + reflection of the genius of her inhabitants; and being himself + the incarnation of the spirit of the city, he takes the glory of + it to himself <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page254">[pg + 254]</span><a name="Pg254" id="Pg254" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + and esteems himself a god. Such impious self-exaltation must + inevitably call down the vengeance of Him who is the only living + God; and Ezekiel proceeds to announce the humiliation of the + prince by the <span class="tei tei-q">“most ruthless of the + nations”</span>—<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, the Chaldæans. He shall + then know how much of divinity doth hedge a king. In face of them + that seek his life he shall learn that he is man and not God, and + that there are forces in the world against which the vaunted + wisdom of Tyre is of no avail. An ignominious death<a id= + "noteref_100" name="noteref_100" href="#note_100"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">100</span></span></a> at + the hand of strangers is the fate reserved for the mortal who so + proudly exalted himself against all that is called God.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The thought + thus expressed, when disengaged from its peculiar setting, is one + of permanent importance. To Ezekiel, as to the prophets + generally, Tyre is the representative of commercial greatness, + and the truth which he here seeks to illustrate is that the + abnormal development of the mercantile spirit had in her case + destroyed the capacity of faith in that which is truly divine. + Tyre no doubt, like every other ancient state, still maintained a + public religion of the type common to Semitic paganism. She was + the sacred seat of a special cult, and the temple of Melkarth was + considered the chief glory of the city. But the public and + perfunctory worship which was there celebrated had long ceased to + express the highest consciousness of the community. The real god + of Tyre was not Baal nor Melkarth, but the king, or any other + object that might serve as a symbol of her civic greatness. Her + religion was one that embodied itself in no outward ritual; it + was the enthusiasm which was kindled in the heart of every + citizen of Tyre by the magnificence of the imperial city to which + he belonged. The state of mind <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page255">[pg 255]</span><a name="Pg255" id="Pg255" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> which Ezekiel regards as characteristic of + Tyre was perhaps the inevitable outcome of a high civilisation + informed by no loftier religious conceptions than those common to + heathenism. It is the idea which afterwards found expression in + the deification of the Roman emperors—the idea that the state is + the only power higher than the individual to which he can look + for the furtherance of his material and spiritual interests, the + only power, therefore, which rightly claims his homage and his + reverence. None the less it is a state of mind which is + destructive of all that is essential to living religion; and Tyre + in her proud self-sufficiency was perhaps further from a true + knowledge of God than the barbarous tribes who in all sincerity + worshipped the rude idols which represented the invisible power + that ruled their destinies. And in exposing the irreligious + spirit which lay at the heart of the Tyrian civilisation the + prophet lays his finger on the spiritual danger which attends the + successful pursuit of the finite interests of human life. The + thought of God, the sense of an immediate relation of the spirit + of man to the Eternal and the Infinite, are easily displaced from + men's minds by undue admiration for the achievements of a culture + based on material progress, and supplying every need of human + nature except the very deepest, the need of God. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“For that is truly a man's religion, the object of + which fills and holds captive his soul and heart and mind, in + which he trusts above all things, which above all things he longs + for and hopes for.”</span><a id="noteref_101" name="noteref_101" + href="#note_101"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">101</span></span></a> The + commercial spirit is indeed but one of the forms in which men + devote themselves to the service of this present world; but in + any community where it reigns supreme we may confidently look for + the same signs of religious decay which Ezekiel detected in Tyre + in his own day. At all events <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page256">[pg 256]</span><a name="Pg256" id="Pg256" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> his message is not superfluous in an age + and country where energies are well-nigh exhausted in the + accumulation of the means of living, and whose social problems + all run up into the great question of the distribution of wealth. + It is essentially the same truth which Ruskin, with something of + the power and insight of a Hebrew prophet, has so eloquently + enforced on the men who make modern England—that the true + religion of a community does not live in the venerable + institutions to which it yields a formal and conventional + deference, but in the objects which inspire its most eager + ambitions, the ideals which govern its standard of worth, in + those things wherein it finds the ultimate ground of its + confidence and the reward of its work.<a id="noteref_102" name= + "noteref_102" href="#note_102"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">102</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The + lamentation over the fall of the prince of Tyre (vv. 11-19) + reiterates the same lesson with a boldness and freedom of + imagination not usual with this prophet. The <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page257">[pg 257]</span><a name="Pg257" id= + "Pg257" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> passage is full of + obscurities and difficulties which cannot be adequately discussed + here, but the main lines of the conception are easily grasped. It + describes the original state of the prince as a semi-divine + being, and his fall from that state on account of sin that was + found in him. The picture is no doubt ironical; Ezekiel actually + means nothing more than that the soaring pride of Tyre enthroned + its king or its presiding genius in the seat of the gods, and + endowed him with attributes more than mortal. The prophet accepts + the idea, and shows that there was sin in Tyre enough to hurl the + most radiant of celestial creatures from heaven to hell. The + passage presents certain obvious affinities with the account of + the Fall in the second and third chapters of Genesis; but it also + contains reminiscences of a mythology the key to which is now + lost. It can hardly be supposed that the vivid details of the + imagery, such as the <span class="tei tei-q">“mountain of + God,”</span> the <span class="tei tei-q">“stones of fire,”</span> + <span class="tei tei-q">“the precious gems,”</span> are + altogether due to the prophet's imagination. The mountain of the + gods is now known to have been a prominent idea of the Babylonian + religion; and there appears to have been a widespread notion that + in the abode of the gods were treasures of gold and precious + stones, jealously guarded by griffins, of which small quantities + found their way into the possession of men. It is possible that + fragments of these mythical notions may have reached the + knowledge of Ezekiel during his sojourn in Babylon and been used + by him to fill up his picture of the glories which surrounded the + first estate of the king of Tyre. It should be observed, however, + that the prince is not to be identified with the cherub or one of + the cherubim. The words <span class="tei tei-q">“Thou art the + anointed cherub that covereth, and I have set thee so”</span> + (ver. 14) may be translated <span class="tei tei-q">“With the ... + cherub I set thee”</span>; and similarly the words of ver. 16, + <span class="tei tei-q">“I will destroy thee, O covering + cherub,”</span> should probably <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page258">[pg 258]</span><a name="Pg258" id="Pg258" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> be rendered <span class="tei tei-q">“And + the cherub hath destroyed thee.”</span> The whole conception is + greatly simplified by these changes, and the principal features + of it, so far as they can be made out with clearness, are as + follows: The cherub is the warden of the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“holy mountain of God,”</span> and no doubt also (as + in ch. i.) the symbol and bearer of the divine glory. When it is + said that the prince of Tyre was placed with the cherub, the + meaning is that he had his place in the abode of God, or was + admitted to the presence of God, so long as he preserved the + perfection in which he was created (ver. 15). The other allusions + to his original glory, such as the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“covering”</span> of precious stones and the + <span class="tei tei-q">“walking amidst fiery stones,”</span> + cannot be explained with any degree of certainty.<a id= + "noteref_103" name="noteref_103" href="#note_103"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">103</span></span></a> + When iniquity is found in him so that he must be banished from + the presence of God, the cherub is said to destroy him from the + midst of the stones of fire—<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, is the agent of the + divine judgment which descends on the prince. It is thus doubtful + whether the prince is conceived as a perfect human being, like + Adam before his fall, or as an angelic, superhuman creature; but + the point is of little importance in an ideal delineation such as + we have here. It will be seen that even on the first supposition + there is no very close correspondence with the story of Eden in + the book of Genesis, for there the cherubim are placed to guard + the way of the tree of life only after man has been expelled from + the garden.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But what is + the sin that tarnished the sanctity of this exalted personage and + cost him his place among the <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page259">[pg 259]</span><a name="Pg259" id="Pg259" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> immortals? Ideally, it was an access of + pride that caused his ruin, a spiritual sin, such as might + originate in the heart of an angelic being.</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-right: 3.60em; margin-top: 1.80em; margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-left: 3.60em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-top: 0.90em; margin-bottom: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">By that sin fell the angels: + how can man, then,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">The image of his Maker, hope + to win by it?</span> + </div> + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">His heart was + lifted up because of his beauty, and he forfeited his godlike + wisdom over his brilliance (ver. 17). But really, this change + passing over the spirit of the prince in the seat of God is only + the reflection of what is done on earth in Tyre. As her commerce + increased, the proofs of her unjust and unscrupulous use of + wealth were accumulated against her, and her midst was filled + with violence (ver. 16). This is the only allusion in the three + chapters to the wrong and oppression and the outrages on humanity + which were the inevitable accompaniments of that greed of gain + which had taken possession of the Tyrian community. And these + sins are regarded as a demoralisation taking place in the nature + of the prince who is the representative of the city; by the + <span class="tei tei-q">“iniquity of his traffic he has profaned + his holiness,”</span> and is cast down from his lofty seat to the + earth, a spectacle of abject humiliation for kings to gloat over. + By a sudden change of metaphor the destruction of the city is + also represented as a fire breaking out in the vitals of the + prince and reducing his body to ashes—a conception which has not + unnaturally suggested to some commentators the fable of the + phœnix which was supposed periodically to immolate herself in a + fire of her own kindling.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">III</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">A short oracle + on Sidon completes the series of prophecies dealing with the + future of Israel's immediate neighbours (vv. 20-23). Sidon lay + about twenty miles farther north than Tyre, and was, as we have + seen, at this <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page260">[pg + 260]</span><a name="Pg260" id="Pg260" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + time subject to the authority of the younger and more vigorous + city. From the book of Jeremiah,<a id="noteref_104" name= + "noteref_104" href="#note_104"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">104</span></span></a> + however, we see that Sidon was an autonomous state, and preserved + a measure of independence even in matters of foreign policy. + There is therefore nothing arbitrary in assigning a separate + oracle to this most northerly of the states in immediate contact + with the people of Israel, although it must be admitted that + Ezekiel has nothing distinctive to say of Sidon. Phœnicia was in + truth so overshadowed by Tyre that all the characteristics of the + people have been amply illustrated in the chapters that have + dealt with the latter city. The prophecy is accordingly delivered + in the most general terms, and indicates rather the purpose and + effect of the judgment than the manner in which it is to come or + the character of the people against whom it is directed. It + passes insensibly into a prediction of the glorious future of + Israel, which is important as revealing the underlying motive of + all the preceding utterances against the heathen nations. The + restoration of Israel and the destruction of her old neighbours + are both parts of one comprehensive scheme of divine providence, + the ultimate object of which is a demonstration before the eyes + of the world of the holiness of Jehovah. That men might know that + He is Jehovah, God alone, is the end alike of His dealings with + the heathen and with His own people. And the two parts of God's + plan are in the mind of Ezekiel intimately related to each other; + the one is merely a condition of the realisation of the other. + The crowning proof of Jehovah's holiness will be seen in His + faithfulness to the promise made to the patriarchs of the + possession of the land of Canaan, and in the security and + prosperity enjoyed by Israel when brought back to their land a + purified nation. Now in the past <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page261">[pg 261]</span><a name="Pg261" id="Pg261" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> Israel had been constantly interfered with, + crippled, humiliated, and seduced by the petty heathen powers + around her borders. These had been a pricking brier and a + stinging thorn (ver. 24), constantly annoying and harassing her + and impeding the free development of her national life. Hence the + judgments here denounced against them are no doubt in the first + instance a punishment for what they had been and done in the + past; but they are also a clearing of the stage that Israel might + be isolated from the rest of the world, and be free to mould her + national life and her religious institutions in accordance with + the will of her God. That is the substance of the last three + verses of the chapter; and while they exhibit the peculiar + limitations of the prophet's thinking, they enable us at the same + time to do justice to the singular unity and consistency of aim + which guided him in his great forecast of the future of the + kingdom of God. There remains now the case of Egypt to be dealt + with; but Egypt's relations to Israel and her position in the + world were so unique that Ezekiel reserves consideration of her + future for a separate group of oracles longer than those on all + the other nations put together.</p> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page262">[pg 262]</span><a name= + "Pg262" id="Pg262" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc43" id="toc43"></a> <a name="pdf44" id="pdf44"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XVIII. Egypt. Chapters + xxix.-xxxii.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Egypt figures in + the prophecies of Ezekiel as a great world-power cherishing + projects of universal dominion. Once more, as in the age of Isaiah, + the ruling factor in Asiatic politics was the duel for the mastery + of the world between the rival empires of the Nile and the + Euphrates. The influence of Egypt was perhaps even greater in the + beginning of the sixth century than it had been in the end of the + eighth, although in the interval it had suffered a signal eclipse. + Isaiah (ch. xix.) had predicted a subjugation of Egypt by the + Assyrians, and this prophecy had been fulfilled in the year 672, + when Esarhaddon invaded the country and incorporated it in the + Assyrian empire. He divided its territory into twenty petty + principalities governed by Assyrian or native rulers, and this + state of things had lasted with little change for a generation. + During the reign of Asshurbanipal Egypt was frequently overrun by + Assyrian armies, and the repeated attempts of the Ethiopian + monarchs, aided by revolts among the native princes, to reassert + their sovereignty over the Nile Valley were all foiled by the + energy of the Assyrian king or the vigilance of his generals. At + last, however, a new era of prosperity dawned for Egypt about the + year 645. Psammetichus, the ruler of Saïs, with the help of foreign + mercenaries, succeeded in uniting the whole land under his sway; he + expelled the Assyrian <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page263">[pg + 263]</span><a name="Pg263" id="Pg263" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + garrison, and became the founder of the brilliant twenty-sixth + (Saïte) dynasty. From this time Egypt possessed in a strong central + administration the one indispensable condition of her material + prosperity. Her power was consolidated by a succession of vigorous + rulers, and she immediately began to play a leading part in the + affairs of Asia. The most distinguished king of the dynasty was + Necho II., the son and successor of Psammetichus. Two striking + facts mentioned by Herodotus are worthy of mention, as showing the + originality and vigour with which the Egyptian administration was + at this time conducted. One is the project of cutting a canal + between the Nile and the Red Sea, an undertaking which was + abandoned by Necho in consequence of an oracle warning him that he + was only working for the advantage of foreigners—meaning no doubt + the Phœnicians. Necho, however, knew how to turn the Phœnician + seamanship to good account, as is proved by the other great stroke + of genius with which he is credited—the circumnavigation of Africa. + It was a Phœnician fleet, despatched from Suez by his orders, which + first rounded the Cape of Good Hope, returning to Egypt by the + Straits of Gibraltar after a three years' voyage. And if Necho was + less successful in war than in the arts of peace, it was not from + want of activity. He was the Pharaoh who defeated Josiah in the + plain of Megiddo, and afterwards contested the lordship of Syria + with Nebuchadnezzar. His defeat at Carchemish in 604 compelled him + to retire to his own land; but the power of Egypt was still + unbroken, and the Chaldæan king knew that he would yet have to + reckon with her in his schemes for the conquest of Palestine.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">At the time to + which these prophecies belong the king of Egypt was Pharaoh Hophra + (in Greek, Apries), the grandson of Necho II. Ascending the throne + in 588 <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span>, he found it + necessary for the protection of his own interests <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page264">[pg 264]</span><a name="Pg264" id="Pg264" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> to take an active part in the politics + of Syria. He is said to have attacked Phœnicia by sea and land, + capturing Sidon and defeating a Tyrian fleet in a naval engagement. + His object must have been to secure the ascendency of the Egyptian + party in the Phœnician cities; and the stubborn resistance which + Nebuchadnezzar encountered from Tyre was no doubt the result of the + political arrangements made by Hophra after his victory. No armed + intervention was needed to ensure a spirited defence of Jerusalem; + and it was only after the Babylonians were encamped around the city + that Hophra sent an Egyptian army to its relief. He was unable, + however, to effect more than a temporary suspension of the siege, + and returned to Egypt, leaving Judah to its fate, apparently + without venturing on a battle (Jer. xxxvii. 5-7). No further + hostilities between Egypt and Babylon are recorded during the + lifetime of Hophra. He continued to reign with vigour and success + till 571, when he was dethroned by Amasis, one of his own + generals.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">These + circumstances show a remarkable parallel to the political situation + with which Isaiah had to deal at the time of Sennacherib's + invasion. Judah was again in the position of the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“earthen pipkin between two iron pots.”</span> It is + certain that neither Jehoiakim nor Zedekiah, any more than the + advisers of Hezekiah in the earlier period, would have embarked on + a conflict with the Mesopotamian empire but for delusive promises + of Egyptian support. There was the same vacillation and division of + counsels in Jerusalem, the same dilatoriness on the part of Egypt, + and the same futile effort to retrieve a desperate situation after + the favourable moment had been allowed to slip. In both cases the + conflict was precipitated by the triumph of an Egyptian party in + the Judæan court; and it is probable that in both cases the king + was coerced into a policy of which his judgment did not approve. + And the prophets <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page265">[pg + 265]</span><a name="Pg265" id="Pg265" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + of the later period, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, adhere closely to the + lines laid down by Isaiah in the time of Sennacherib, warning the + people against putting their trust in the vain help of Egypt, and + counselling passive submission to the course of events which + expressed the unalterable judgment of the Almighty. Ezekiel indeed + borrows an image that had been current in the days of Isaiah in + order to set forth the utter untrustworthiness and dishonesty of + Egypt towards the nations who were induced to rely on her power. He + compares her to a staff of reed, which breaks when one grasps it, + piercing the hand and making the loins to totter when it is leant + upon.<a id="noteref_105" name="noteref_105" href= + "#note_105"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">105</span></span></a> Such + had Egypt been to Israel through all her history, and such she will + again prove herself to be in her last attempt to use Israel as the + tool of her selfish designs. The great difference between Ezekiel + and Isaiah is that, whereas Isaiah had access to the councils of + Hezekiah and could bring his influence to bear on the inception of + schemes of state, not without hope of averting what he saw to be a + disastrous decision, Ezekiel could only watch the development of + events from afar, and throw his warnings into the form of + predictions of the fate in store for Egypt.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The oracles + against Egypt are seven in number: (i) ch. xxix. 1-16; (ii) 17-21; + (iii) xxx. 1-19; (iv) 20-26; (v) xxxi.; (vi) xxxii. 1-16; (vii) + 17-32. They are all variations of one theme, the annihilation of + the power of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar, and little progress of + thought can be traced from the first to the last. Excluding the + supplementary prophecy of ch. xxix. 17-21, which is a later + addition, the order appears to be strictly chronological.<a id= + "noteref_106" name="noteref_106" href="#note_106"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">106</span></span></a> The + series begins seven months before the <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page266">[pg 266]</span><a name="Pg266" id="Pg266" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> capture of Jerusalem (ch. xxix. 1), and ends + about eight months after that event.<a id="noteref_107" name= + "noteref_107" href="#note_107"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">107</span></span></a> How + far the dates refer to actual occurrences coming to the knowledge + of the prophet it is impossible for us to say. It is clear that his + interest is centred on the fate of Jerusalem then hanging in the + balance; and it is possible that the first oracles (chs. xxix. + 1-16, xxx. 1-19) may be called forth by the appearance of Hophra's + army on the scene, while the next (ch. xxx. 20-26) plainly alludes + to the repulse of the Egyptians by the Chaldæans. But no attempt + can be made to connect the prophecies with incidents of the + campaign; the prophet's thoughts are wholly occupied with the moral + and religious issues involved in the contest, the vindication of + Jehovah's holiness in the overthrow of the great world-power which + sought to thwart His purposes.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ch. xxix. 1-16 + is an introduction to all that follows, presenting a general + outline of the prophet's conceptions of the fate of Egypt. It + describes the sin of which she has been guilty, and indicates the + nature of the judgment that is to overtake her and her future place + among the nations of the world. The Pharaoh is compared to a + <span class="tei tei-q">“great dragon,”</span> wallowing in his + native waters, and deeming himself secure from molestation in his + reedy haunts. The crocodile was a natural symbol of Egypt, and the + image conveys accurately the impression of sluggish and unwieldy + strength which Egypt in the days of Ezekiel had long produced on + shrewd observers of her policy. Pharaoh is the incarnate genius of + the country; and as <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page267">[pg + 267]</span><a name="Pg267" id="Pg267" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + the Nile was the strength and glory of Egypt, he is here + represented as arrogating to himself the ownership and even the + creation of the wonderful river. <span class="tei tei-q">“My river + is mine, and I have made it”</span> is the proud and blasphemous + thought which expresses his consciousness of a power that owns no + superior in earth or heaven. That the Nile was worshipped by the + Egyptians with divine honours did not alter the fact that beneath + all their ostentatious religious observances there was an immoral + sense of irresponsible power in the use of the natural resources to + which the land owed its prosperity. For this spirit of ungodly + self-exaltation the king and people of Egypt are to be visited with + a signal judgment, from which they shall learn who it is that is + God over all. The monster of the Nile shall be drawn from his + waters with hooks, with all his fishes sticking to his scales, and + left to perish ignominiously on the desert sands. The rest of the + prophecy (vv. 8-16) gives the explanation of the allegory in + literal, though still general, terms. The meaning is that Egypt + shall be laid waste by the sword, its teeming population led into + captivity, and the land shall lie desolate, untrodden by the foot + of man or beast for the space of forty years. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“From Migdol to Syene”</span><a id="noteref_108" name= + "noteref_108" href="#note_108"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">108</span></span></a>—the + extreme limits of the country—the rich valley of the Nile shall be + uncultivated and uninhabited for that period of time.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The most + interesting feature of the prophecy is the view which is given of + the final condition of the Egyptian empire (vv. 13-16). In all + cases the prophetic delineations of the future of different nations + are coloured by the present circumstances of those nations as known + to the writers. Ezekiel knew that the fertile soil of Egypt + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page268">[pg 268]</span><a name= + "Pg268" id="Pg268" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> would always be + capable of supporting an industrious peasantry, and that her + existence did not depend on her continuing to play the <span class= + "tei tei-foreign"><span style= + "font-style: italic">rôle</span></span> of a great power. Tyre + depended on her commerce, and apart from that which was the root of + her sin could never be anything but the resort of poor fishermen, + who would not even make their dwelling on the barren rock in the + midst of the sea. But Egypt could still be a country, though shorn + of the glory and power which had made her a snare to the people of + God. On the other hand the geographical isolation of the land made + it impossible that she should lose her individuality amongst the + nations of the world. Unlike the small states, such as Edom and + Ammon, which were obviously doomed to be swallowed up by the + surrounding population as soon as their power was broken, Egypt + would retain her distinct and characteristic life as long as the + physical condition of the world remained what it was. Accordingly + the prophet does not contemplate an utter annihilation of Egypt, + but only a temporary chastisement succeeded by her permanent + degradation to the lowest rank among the kingdoms. The forty years + of her desolation represent in round numbers the period of Chaldæan + supremacy during which Jerusalem lies in ruins. Ezekiel at this + time expected the invasion of Egypt to follow soon after the + capture of Jerusalem, so that the restoration of the two peoples + would be simultaneous. At the end of forty years the whole world + will be reorganised on a new basis, Israel occupying the central + position as the people of God, and in that new world Egypt shall + have a separate but subordinate place. Jehovah will bring back the + Egyptians from their captivity, and cause them to return to + <span class="tei tei-q">“Pathros,<a id="noteref_109" name= + "noteref_109" href="#note_109"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">109</span></span></a> the + land of their origin,”</span> and there make them a <span class= + "tei tei-q">“lowly state,”</span> no longer an imperial power, but + humbler than the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page269">[pg + 269]</span><a name="Pg269" id="Pg269" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + surrounding kingdoms. The righteousness of Jehovah and the interest + of Israel alike demand that Egypt should be thus reduced from her + former greatness. In the old days her vast and imposing power had + been a constant temptation to the Israelites, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“a confidence, a reminder of iniquity,”</span> leading + them to put their trust in human power and luring them into paths + of danger by deceitful promises (vv. 6-7). In the final + dispensation of history this shall no longer be the case: Israel + shall then know Jehovah, and no form of human power shall be + suffered to lead their hearts astray from Him who is the rock of + their salvation.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ch. xxx. + 1-19.—The judgment on Egypt spreads terror and dismay among all the + neighbouring nations. It signalises the advent of the great day of + Jehovah, the day of His final reckoning with the powers of evil + everywhere. It is the <span class="tei tei-q">“time of the + heathen”</span> that has come (ver. 3). Egypt being the chief + embodiment of secular power on the basis of pagan religion, the + sudden collapse of her might is equivalent to a judgment on + heathenism in general, and the moral effect of it conveys to the + world a demonstration of the omnipotence of the one true God whom + she had ignored and defied. The nations immediately involved in the + fall of Egypt are the allies and mercenaries whom she has called to + her aid in the time of her calamity. Ethiopians, and Lydians, and + Libyans, and Arabs, and Cretans,<a id="noteref_110" name= + "noteref_110" href="#note_110"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">110</span></span></a> the + <span class="tei tei-q">“helpers of Egypt,”</span> <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page270">[pg 270]</span><a name="Pg270" id="Pg270" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> who have furnished contingents to her + motley army, fall by the sword along with her, and their countries + share the desolation that overtakes the land of Egypt. Swift + messengers are then seen speeding up the Nile in ships to convey to + the careless Ethiopians the alarming tidings of the overthrow of + Egypt (ver. 9). From this point the prophet confines his attention + to the fate of Egypt, which he describes with a fulness of detail + that implies a certain acquaintance both with the topography and + the social circumstances of the country. In ver. 10 Nebuchadnezzar + and the Chaldæans are for the first time mentioned by name as the + human instruments employed by Jehovah to execute His judgment on + Egypt. After the slaughter of the inhabitants, the next consequence + of the invasion is the destruction of the canals and reservoirs and + the decay of the system of irrigation on which the productiveness + of the country depended. <span class="tei tei-q">“The rivers + [canals] are dried up, and the land is made waste, and the fulness + thereof, by the hand of strangers”</span> (ver. 12). And with the + material fabric of her prosperity the complicated system of + religious and civil institutions which was entwined with the hoary + civilisation of Egypt vanishes for ever. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“The idols are destroyed; the potentates<a id= + "noteref_111" name="noteref_111" href="#note_111"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">111</span></span></a> are + made to cease from Memphis, and princes from the land of Egypt, so + that they shall be no more”</span> (ver. 13). Faith in the native + gods shall be extinguished, and a trembling fear of Jehovah shall + fill the whole land. The passage ends with <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page271">[pg 271]</span><a name="Pg271" id="Pg271" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> an enumeration of various centres of the + national life, which formed as it were the sensitive ganglia where + the universal calamity was most acutely felt. On these + cities,<a id="noteref_112" name="noteref_112" href= + "#note_112"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">112</span></span></a> each + of which was identified with the worship of a particular deity, + Jehovah executes the judgments in which He makes known to the + Egyptians His sole divinity and destroys their confidence in false + gods. They also possessed some special military or political + importance, so that with their destruction the sceptres of Egypt + were broken and the pride of her strength was laid low (ver. + 18).</p> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ch. xxx. + 20-26.—A new oracle, dated three months later than the preceding. + Pharaoh is represented as a combatant, already disabled in one arm + and sore pressed by his powerful antagonist the king of Babylon. + Jehovah announces that the wounded arm cannot be healed, although + he has retired from the contest for that purpose. On the contrary, + both his arms shall be broken and the sword struck from his grasp, + while the arms of Nebuchadnezzar are strengthened by Jehovah, who + puts His own sword into his hand. The land of Egypt, thus rendered + defenceless, falls an easy prey to the Chaldæans, and its people + are dispersed among the nations. The occasion of the prophecy is + the repulse of Hophra's expedition for the relief of Jerusalem, + which is referred to as a past event. The date may either mark the + actual time of the occurrence (as in ch. xxiv. 1), or the time when + it came <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page272">[pg + 272]</span><a name="Pg272" id="Pg272" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + to the knowledge of Ezekiel. The prophet at all events accepts this + reverse to the Egyptian arms as an earnest of the speedy + realisation of his predictions in the total submission of the proud + empire of the Nile.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ch. xxxi. + occupies the same position in the prophecies against Egypt as the + allegory of the richly laden ship in those against Tyre (ch. + xxvii.). The incomparable majesty and overshadowing power of Egypt + are set forth under the image of a lordly cedar in Lebanon, whose + top reaches to the clouds and whose branches afford shelter to all + the beasts of the earth. The exact force of the allegory is + somewhat obscured by a slight error of the text, which must have + crept in at a very early period. As it stands in the Hebrew and in + all the ancient versions the whole chapter is a description of the + greatness not of Egypt but of Assyria. <span class="tei tei-q">“To + whom art thou like in thy greatness?”</span> asks the prophet (ver. + 2); and the answer is, <span class="tei tei-q">“Assyria was great + as thou art, yet Assyria fell and is no more.”</span> There is thus + a double comparison: Assyria is compared to a cedar, and then Egypt + is tacitly compared to Assyria. This interpretation may not be + altogether indefensible. That the fate of Assyria contained a + warning against the pride of Pharaoh is a thought in itself + intelligible, and such as Ezekiel might very well have expressed. + But if he had wished to express it, he would not have done it so + awkwardly as this interpretation supposes. When we follow the + connection of ideas we cannot fail to see that Assyria is not in + the prophet's thoughts at all. The image is consistently pursued + without a break to the end of the chapter, and then we learn that + the subject of the description is <span class="tei tei-q">“Pharaoh + and all his multitude”</span> (ver. 18). But if the writer is + thinking of Egypt at the end, he must have been thinking of it from + the beginning, and the mention of Assyria is out of place and + misleading. <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page273">[pg + 273]</span><a name="Pg273" id="Pg273" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + The confusion has been caused by the substitution of the word + <span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Asshur</span></span> (in ver. 3) for + <span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">T'asshur</span></span>, the name of the + sherbîn tree, itself a species of cedar. We should therefore read, + <span class="tei tei-q">“Behold a T'asshur, a cedar in + Lebanon,”</span> etc.;<a id="noteref_113" name="noteref_113" href= + "#note_113"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">113</span></span></a> and + the answer to the question of ver. 2 is that the position of Egypt + is as unrivalled among the kingdoms of the world as this stately + tree among the trees of the forest.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">With this + alteration the course of thought is perfectly clear, although + incongruous elements are combined in the representation. The + towering height of the cedar with its top in the clouds symbolises + the imposing might of Egypt and its ungodly pride (cf. vv. 10, 14). + The waters of the flood which nourish its roots are those of the + Nile, the source of Egypt's wealth and greatness. The birds that + build their nests in its branches and the beasts that bring forth + their young under its shadow are the smaller nations that looked to + Egypt for protection and support. Finally, the trees in the garden + of God who envy the luxuriant pride of this monarch of the forest + represent the other great empires of the earth who vainly aspired + to emulate the prosperity and magnificence of Egypt (vv. 3-9).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the next + strophe (vv. 10-14) we see the great trunk lying prone across + mountain and valley, while its branches lie broken in all the + water-courses. A <span class="tei tei-q">“mighty one of the + nations”</span> (Nebuchadnezzar) has gone up against it, and felled + it to the earth. The nations have been scared from under its + shadow; and the tree which <span class="tei tei-q">“but yesterday + might have stood against the world”</span> now lies prostrate and + dishonoured—<span class="tei tei-q">“none so poor as do it + reverence.”</span> <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page274">[pg + 274]</span><a name="Pg274" id="Pg274" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + And the fall of the cedar reveals a moral principle and conveys a + moral lesson to all other proud and stately trees. Its purpose is + to remind the other great empires that they too are mortal, and to + warn them against the soaring ambition and lifting up of the heart + which had brought about the humiliation of Egypt: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“that none of the trees by the water should exalt + themselves in stature or shoot their tops between the clouds, and + that their mighty ones should not stand proudly in their loftiness + (all who are fed by water); for they are all delivered to death, to + the under-world with the children of men, to those that go down to + the pit.”</span> In reality there is no more impressive intimation + of the vanity of earthly glory than the decay of those mighty + empires and civilisations which once stood in the van of human + progress; nor is there a fitter emblem of their fate than the + sudden crash of some great forest tree before the woodman's + axe.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The development + of the prophet's thought, however, here reaches a point where it + breaks through the allegory, which has been hitherto consistently + maintained. All nature shudders in sympathy with the fallen cedar: + the deep mourns and withholds her streams from the earth; Lebanon + is clothed with blackness, and all the trees languish. Egypt was so + much a part of the established order that the world does not know + itself when she has vanished. While this takes place on earth, the + cedar itself has gone down to Sheôl, where the other shades of + vanished dynasties are comforted because this mightiest of them all + has become like to the rest. This is the answer to the question + that introduced the allegory. To whom art thou like? None is fit to + be compared to thee; yet <span class="tei tei-q">“thou shalt be + brought down with the trees of Eden to the lower parts of the + earth, thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them + that are slain of the sword.”</span> It <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page275">[pg 275]</span><a name="Pg275" id="Pg275" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> is needless to enlarge on this idea, which is + out of keeping here, and is more adequately treated in the next + chapter.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ch. xxxii. + consists of two lamentations to be chanted over the fall of Egypt + by the prophet and the daughters of the nations (vv. 16, 18). The + first (vv. 1-16) describes the destruction of Pharaoh, and the + effect which is produced on earth; while the second (vv. 17-32) + follows his shade into the abode of the dead, and expatiates on the + welcome that awaits him there. Both express the spirit of + exultation over a fallen foe, which was one of the uses to which + elegiac poetry was turned amongst the Hebrews. The first passage, + however, can hardly be considered a dirge in any proper sense of + the word. It is essential to a true elegy that the subject of it + should be conceived as dead, and that whether serious or ironical + it should celebrate a glory that has passed away. In this case the + elegiac note (of the elegiac <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">measure</span></em> there is hardly a trace) + is just struck in the opening line: <span class="tei tei-q">“O + young lion of the nations! [How] art thou undone!”</span> But this + is not sustained: the passage immediately falls into the style of + direct prediction and threatening, and is indeed closely parallel + to the opening prophecy of the series (ch. xxix.). The fundamental + image is the same: that of a great Nile monster spouting from his + nostrils and fouling the waters with his feet (ver. 2). His capture + by many nations and his lingering death on the open field are + described with the realistic and ghastly details naturally + suggested by the figure (vv. 3-6). The image is then abruptly + changed in order to set forth the effect of so great a calamity on + the world of nature and of mankind. Pharaoh is compared to a + brilliant luminary, whose sudden extinction is followed by a + darkening of all the lights of heaven and by consternation amongst + the nations and kings of earth (vv. 7-10). It is thought + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page276">[pg 276]</span><a name= + "Pg276" id="Pg276" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> by some that the + violence of the transition is to be explained by the idea of the + heavenly constellation of the dragon, answering to the dragon of + the Nile, to which Egypt had just been likened.<a id="noteref_114" + name="noteref_114" href="#note_114"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">114</span></span></a> + Finally all metaphors are abandoned, and the desolation of Egypt is + announced in literal terms as accomplished by the sword of the king + of Babylon and the <span class="tei tei-q">“most terrible of the + nations”</span> (vv. 11-16).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But all the + foregoing oracles are surpassed in grandeur of conception by the + remarkable Vision of Hades which concludes the series—<span class= + "tei tei-q">“one of the most weird passages in literature”</span> + (Davidson). In form it is a dirge supposed to be sung at the burial + of Pharaoh and his host by the prophet along with the daughters of + famous nations (ver. 18). But the theme, as has been already + observed, is the entrance of the deceased warriors into the + under-world, and their reception by the shades that have gone down + thither before them. In order to understand it we must bear in mind + some features of the conception of the under-world, which it is + difficult for the modern mind to realise distinctly. First of all, + Sheôl or the <span class="tei tei-q">“pit,”</span> the realm of the + dead, is pictured to the imagination as an adumbration of the grave + or sepulchre, in which the body finds its last resting-place; or + rather it is the aggregate of all the burying-grounds scattered + over the earth's surface. There the shades are grouped according to + their clans and nationalities, just as on earth the members of the + same family would usually be interred in one burying-place. The + grave of the chief or king, the representative of the nation, is + surrounded by those of his vassals and subjects, earthly + distinctions being thus far preserved. The condition of the dead + appears to be one of rest or <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page277">[pg 277]</span><a name="Pg277" id="Pg277" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> sleep; yet they retain some consciousness of + their state, and are visited at least by transient gleams of human + emotion, as when in this chapter the heroes rouse themselves to + address the Pharaoh when he comes among them. The most material + point is that the state of the soul in Hades reflects the fate of + the body after death. Those who have received the honour of decent + burial on earth enjoy a corresponding honour among the shades + below. They have as it were a definite status and individuality in + their eternal abode, whilst the spirits of the unburied slain are + laid in the lowest recesses of the pit, in the limbo of the + uncircumcised. On this distinction the whole significance of the + passage before us seems to depend. The dead are divided into two + great classes: on the one hand the <span class="tei tei-q">“mighty + ones,”</span> who lie in state with their weapons of war around + them; and on the other hand the multitude of <span class= + "tei tei-q">“the uncircumcised,<a id="noteref_115" name= + "noteref_115" href="#note_115"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">115</span></span></a> slain + by the sword”</span>—<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, those who have perished on + the field of battle and been buried promiscuously without due + funereal rites.<a id="noteref_116" name="noteref_116" href= + "#note_116"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">116</span></span></a> There + is, however, no moral distinction between the two classes. The + heroes are not in a state of blessedness; nor is the condition of + the uncircumcised one of acute suffering. The whole of existence in + Sheôl is essentially of one character; it is on the whole a + pitiable existence, destitute of joy and of all that makes up the + fulness of life on <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page278">[pg + 278]</span><a name="Pg278" id="Pg278" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + earth. Only there is <span class="tei tei-q">“within that deep a + lower deep,”</span> and it is reserved for those who in the manner + of their death have experienced the penalty of great wickedness. + The moral truth of Ezekiel's representation lies here. The real + judgment of Egypt was enacted in the historical scene of its final + overthrow; and it is the consciousness of this tremendous + visitation of divine justice, perpetuated amongst the shades to all + eternity, that gives ethical significance to the lot assigned to + the nation in the other world. At the same time it should not be + overlooked that the passage is in the highest degree poetical, and + cannot be taken as an exact statement of what was known or believed + about the state after death in Old Testament times. It deals only + with the fate of armies and nationalities and great warriors who + filled the earth with their renown. These, having vanished from + history, preserve through all time in the under-world the memory of + Jehovah's mighty acts of judgment; but it is impossible to + determine whether this sublime vision implies a real belief in the + persistence of national identities in the region of the dead.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">These, then, are + the principal ideas on which the ode is based, and the course of + thought is as follows. Ver. 18 briefly announces the occasion for + which the dirge is composed; it is to celebrate the passage of + Pharaoh and his host to the lower world, and consign him to his + appointed place there. Then follows a scene which has a certain + resemblance to a well-known representation in the fourteenth + chapter of Isaiah (vv. 9-11). The heroes who occupy the place of + honour among the dead are supposed to rouse themselves at the + approach of this great multitude, and hailing them from the midst + of Sheôl, direct them to their proper place amongst the dishonoured + slain. <span class="tei tei-q">“The mighty ones speak to him: + <span class="tei tei-q">‘Be thou in the recesses of the pit: whom + dost thou <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page279">[pg + 279]</span><a name="Pg279" id="Pg279" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + excel in beauty? Go down and be laid to rest with the + uncircumcised, in the midst of them that are slain with the + sword.’</span> ”</span><a id="noteref_117" name="noteref_117" href= + "#note_117"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">117</span></span></a> + Thither Pharaoh has been preceded by other great conquerors who + once set their terror in the earth, but now bear their shame + amongst those that go down to the pit. For there is Asshur and all + his company: there too are Elam and Meshech and Tubal, each + occupying its own allotment amongst nations that have perished by + the sword (vv. 22-26). Not theirs is the enviable lot of the heroes + of old time<a id="noteref_118" name="noteref_118" href= + "#note_118"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">118</span></span></a> who + went down to Sheôl in their panoply of war, and rest with their + swords under their heads and their shields<a id="noteref_119" name= + "noteref_119" href="#note_119"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">119</span></span></a> + covering their bones. And so Egypt, which has perished like these + other nations, must be banished with them into the bottom of the + pit (vv. 27, 28). The enumeration of the nations of the + uncircumcised is then resumed; Israel's immediate neighbours are + amongst them—Edom and the dynasties of the north (the Syrians), and + the Phœnicians, inferior states which played no great part as + conquerors, but nevertheless perished in battle and bear their + humiliation along with the others (vv. 29, 30). These are to be + Pharaoh's companions in his last resting-place, and at the sight of + them he will lay aside his presumptuous thoughts and comfort + himself over the loss of his mighty army (vv. 31 f.).</p> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is necessary + to say a few words in conclusion about the historical evidence for + the fulfilment of these prophecies on Egypt. The supplementary + oracle of ch. xxix. 17-21 shows us that the threatened invasion by + Nebuchadnezzar <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page280">[pg + 280]</span><a name="Pg280" id="Pg280" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + had not taken place sixteen years after the fall of Jerusalem. Did + it ever take place at all? Ezekiel was at that time confident that + his words were on the point of being fulfilled, and indeed he seems + to stake his credit with his hearers on their verification. Can we + suppose that he was entirely mistaken? Is it likely that the + remarkably definite predictions uttered both by him and + Jeremiah<a id="noteref_120" name="noteref_120" href= + "#note_120"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">120</span></span></a> + failed of even the partial fulfilment which that on Tyre received? + A number of critics have strongly maintained that we are shut up by + the historical evidence to this conclusion. They rely chiefly on + the silence of Herodotus, and on the unsatisfactory character of + the statement of Josephus. The latter writer is indeed sufficiently + explicit in his affirmations. He tells us<a id="noteref_121" name= + "noteref_121" href="#note_121"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">121</span></span></a> that + five years after the capture of Jerusalem Nebuchadnezzar invaded + Egypt, put to death the reigning king, appointed another in his + stead, and carried the Jewish refugees in Egypt captive to Babylon. + But it is pointed out that the date is impossible, being + inconsistent with Ezekiel's own testimony, that the account of the + death of Hophra is contradicted by what we know of the matter from + other sources (Herodotus and Diodorus), and that the whole passage + bears the appearance of a translation into history of the + prophecies of Jeremiah which it professes to substantiate. That is + vigorous criticism, but the vigour is perhaps not altogether + unwarrantable, especially as Josephus does not mention any + authority. Other allusions by secular writers hardly count for + much, and the state of the question is such that historians would + probably have been content to confess their ignorance if the credit + of a prophet had not been mixed up with it.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Within the last + seventeen years, however, a new turn <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page281">[pg 281]</span><a name="Pg281" id="Pg281" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> has been given to the discussion through the + discovery of monumental evidence which was thought to have an + important bearing on the point in dispute. In the same volume of an + Egyptological magazine<a id="noteref_122" name="noteref_122" href= + "#note_122"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">122</span></span></a> + Wiedemann directed the attention of scholars to two inscriptions, + one in the Louvre and the other in the British Museum, both of + which he considered to furnish proof of an occupation of Egypt by + Nebuchadnezzar. The first was an Egyptian inscription of the reign + of Hophra. It was written by an official of the highest rank, named + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Nes-hor</span></span>, to whom was entrusted + the responsible task of defending Egypt on its southern or + Ethiopian frontier. According to Wiedemann's translation, it + relates among other things an irruption of Asiatic bands (Syrians, + people of the north, Asiatics), which penetrated as far as the + first cataract, and did some damage to the temple of Chnum in + Elephantine. There they were checked by Nes-hor, and afterwards + they were crushed or expelled by Hophra himself. Now the most + natural explanation of this incident, in connection with the + circumstances of the time, would seem to be that Nebuchadnezzar, + finding himself fully occupied for the present with the siege of + Tyre, incited roving bands of Arabs and Syrians to plunder Egypt, + and that they succeeded so far as to penetrate to the extreme south + of the country. But a more recent examination of the text, by + Maspero and Brugsch,<a id="noteref_123" name="noteref_123" href= + "#note_123"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">123</span></span></a> + reduces the incident to much smaller dimensions. They find that it + refers to a mutiny of Egyptian mercenaries (Syrians, Ionians, and + Bedouins) stationed on the southern frontier. The governor, + Nes-hor, congratulates himself on a successful stratagem by which + he got the rebels into a position where they were cut down by the + king's troops. In any case it is evident <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page282">[pg 282]</span><a name="Pg282" id="Pg282" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> that it falls very far short of a + confirmation of Ezekiel's prophecy. Not only is there no mention of + Nebuchadnezzar or a regular Babylonian army, but the invaders or + mutineers are actually said to have been annihilated by Hophra. It + may be said, no doubt, that an Egyptian governor was likely to be + silent about an event which cast discredit on his country's arms, + and would be tempted to magnify some temporary success into a + decisive victory. But still the inscription must be taken for what + it is worth, and the story it tells is certainly not the story of a + Chaldæan supremacy in the valley of the Nile. The only thing that + suggests a connection between the two is the general probability + that a campaign against Egypt must have been contemplated by + Nebuchadnezzar about that time.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The second and + more important document is a cuneiform fragment of the annals of + Nebuchadnezzar. It is unfortunately in a very mutilated condition, + and all that the Assyriologists have made out is that in the + thirty-seventh year of his reign Nebuchadnezzar fought a battle + with the king of Egypt. As the words of the inscription are those + of Nebuchadnezzar himself, we may presume that the battle ended in + a victory for him, and a few disconnected words in the later part + are thought to refer to the tribute or booty which he + acquired.<a id="noteref_124" name="noteref_124" href= + "#note_124"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">124</span></span></a> The + thirty-seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar is the year 568 <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span>, about two years + after the date of Ezekiel's last utterance against Egypt. The + Egyptian king at this time was Amasis, whose name (only the last + syllable of which is legible) is supposed to be that mentioned in + the inscription.<a id="noteref_125" name="noteref_125" href= + "#note_125"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">125</span></span></a> What + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page283">[pg 283]</span><a name= + "Pg283" id="Pg283" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> the ulterior + consequences of this victory were on Egyptian history, or how long + the Babylonian domination lasted, we cannot at present say. These + are questions on which we may reasonably look for further light + from the researches of Assyriology. In the meantime it appears to + be established beyond reasonable doubt that Nebuchadnezzar did + attack Egypt, and the probable issue of his expedition was in + accordance with Ezekiel's latest prediction: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Behold, I give to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the + land of Egypt; and he shall spoil her spoil, and plunder her + plunder, and it shall be the wages for his army”</span> (ch. xxix. + 19). There can of course be no question of a fulfilment of the + earlier prophecies in their literal terms. History knows nothing of + a total captivity of the population of Egypt or a blank of forty + years in her annals when her land was untrodden by the foot of man + or of beast. These are details belonging to the dramatic form in + which the prophet clothed the spiritual lesson which it was + necessary to impress on his countrymen—the inherent weakness of the + Egyptian empire as a power based on material resources and rearing + itself in opposition to the great ends of God's kingdom. And it may + well have been that for the illustration of that truth the + humiliation that Egypt endured at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar was + as effective as her total destruction would have been.</p> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page287">[pg 287]</span><a name= + "Pg287" id="Pg287" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 5.00em; margin-bottom: 5.00em"> + <a name="toc45" id="toc45"></a> <a name="pdf46" id="pdf46"></a> + + <h1 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 3.46em; margin-bottom: 3.46em"> + <span style="font-size: 173%">Part IV. The Formation Of The New + Israel.</span></h1> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 4.00em; margin-top: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc47" id="toc47"></a> <a name="pdf48" id="pdf48"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XIX. The Prophet A Watchman. + Chapter xxxiii.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">One day in + January of the year 586 the tidings circulated through the Jewish + colony at Tel-abib that <span class="tei tei-q">“the city was + smitten.”</span> The rapidity with which in the East intelligence + is transmitted through secret channels has often excited the + surprise of European observers. In this case there is no + extraordinary rapidity to note, for the fate of Jerusalem had been + decided nearly six months before it was known in Babylon.<a id= + "noteref_126" name="noteref_126" href="#note_126"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">126</span></span></a> But + it is remarkable that the first intimation of the issue of the + siege was brought to the exiles by one of their own countrymen, who + had escaped at the capture of the city. It is probable that the + messenger did not set out at once, but waited until he could bring + some information as to how matters were settling down after the + war. Or he may have been a captive who had trudged the weary road + to Babylon in chains under the escort of Nebuzaradan, captain of + the guard,<a id="noteref_127" name="noteref_127" href= + "#note_127"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">127</span></span></a> and + afterwards succeeded in making <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page288">[pg 288]</span><a name="Pg288" id="Pg288" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> his escape to the older settlement where + Ezekiel lived. All we know is that his message was not delivered + with the despatch which would have been possible if his journey had + been unimpeded, and that in the meantime the official intelligence + which must have already reached Babylon had not transpired among + the exiles who were waiting so anxiously for tidings of the fate of + Jerusalem.<a id="noteref_128" name="noteref_128" href= + "#note_128"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">128</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The immediate + effect of the announcement on the mind of the exiles is not + recorded. It was doubtless received with all the signs of public + mourning which Ezekiel had anticipated and foretold.<a id= + "noteref_129" name="noteref_129" href="#note_129"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">129</span></span></a> They + would require some time to adjust themselves to a situation for + which, in spite of all the warnings that had been sent them, they + were utterly unprepared; and it must have been uncertain at first + what direction their thoughts would take. Would they carry out + their half-formed intention of abandoning their national faith and + assimilating themselves to the surrounding heathenism? Would they + sink into the lethargy of despair, and pine away under a confused + consciousness of guilt? Or would they repent of their unbelief, and + turn to embrace the hope which God's mercy held out to them in the + teaching of the prophet whom they had despised? All this was for + the moment uncertain; but one thing was certain—they could no more + return to the attitude of complacent indifference and incredulity + in which they had hitherto resisted the word of Jehovah. The day on + which the tidings of the city's destruction fell like a thunderbolt + in the community of Tel-abib was the turning-point of Ezekiel's + ministry. In the arrival of the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“fugitive”</span> he recognises the sign which was to + break the spell of silence which had lain so long <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page289">[pg 289]</span><a name="Pg289" id="Pg289" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> upon him, and set him free for the + ministry of consolation and upbuilding which was henceforth to be + his chief vocation. A presentiment of what was coming had visited + him the evening before his interview with the messenger, and from + that time <span class="tei tei-q">“his mouth was opened, and he was + no more dumb”</span> (ver. 22). Hitherto he had preached to deaf + ears, and the echo of his ineffectual appeals had come back in a + deadening sense of failure which had paralysed his activity. But + now in one moment the veil of prejudice and vain self-confidence is + torn from the heart of his hearers, and gradually but surely the + whole burden of his message must disclose itself to their + intelligence. The time has come to work for the formation of a new + Israel, and a new spirit of hopefulness stimulates the prophet to + throw himself eagerly into the career which is thus opened up + before him.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It may be well + at this point to try to realise the state of mind which emerged + amongst Ezekiel's hearers after the first shock of consternation + had passed away. The seven chapters (xxxiii.-xxxix.) with which we + are to be occupied in this section all belong to the second period + of the prophet's work, and in all probability to the earlier part + of that period. It is obvious, however, that they were not written + under the first impulse of the tidings of the fall of Jerusalem. + They contain allusions to certain changes which must have occupied + some time; and simultaneously a change took place in the temper of + the people resulting ultimately in a definite spiritual situation + to which the prophet had to address himself. It is this situation + which we have to try to understand. It supplies the external + conditions of Ezekiel's ministry, and unless we can in some measure + interpret it we shall lose the full meaning of his teaching in this + important period of his ministry.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page290">[pg 290]</span><a name="Pg290" id="Pg290" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">At the outset we + may glance at the state of those who were left in the land of + Israel, who in a sense formed part of Ezekiel's audience. The very + first oracle uttered by him after he had received his emancipation + was a threat of judgment against these survivors of the nation's + calamity (vv. 23-29). The fact that this is recorded in connection + with the interview with the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“fugitive”</span> may mean that the information on + which it is based was obtained from that somewhat shadowy + personage. Whether in this way or through some later channel, + Ezekiel had apparently some knowledge of the disastrous feuds which + had followed the destruction of Jerusalem. These events are + minutely described in the end of the book of Jeremiah (chs. + xl.-xliv.). With a clemency which in the circumstances is + surprising the king of Babylon had allowed a small remnant of the + people to settle in the land, and had appointed over them a native + governor, Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, who fixed his residence at + Mizpah. The prophet Jeremiah elected to throw in his lot with this + remnant, and for a time it seemed as if through peaceful submission + to the Chaldæan supremacy all might go well with the survivors. The + chiefs who had conducted the guerilla warfare in the open against + the Babylonian army came in and placed themselves under the + protection of Gedaliah, and there was every prospect that by + refraining from projects of rebellion they might be left to enjoy + the fruits of the land without disturbance. But this was not to be. + Certain turbulent spirits under Ishmael, a member of the royal + family, entered into a conspiracy with the king of Ammon to destroy + this last refuge of peace-loving Israelites. Gedaliah was + treacherously murdered; and although the murder was partially + avenged, Ishmael succeeded in making his escape to the Ammonites, + while the remains of the party of order, dreading the vengeance of + Nebuchadnezzar, took their <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page291">[pg 291]</span><a name="Pg291" id="Pg291" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> departure for Egypt and carried Jeremiah + forcibly with them. What happened after this we do not know; but it + is not improbable that Ishmael and his followers may have held + possession of the land by force for some years. We read of a fresh + deportation of Judæan captives to Babylon five years after the + capture of Jerusalem (Jer. lii. 30); and this may have been the + result of an expedition to suppress the depredations of the robber + band that Ishmael had gathered round him. How much of this story + had reached the ears of Ezekiel we do not know; but there is one + allusion in his oracle which makes it probable that he had at least + heard of the assassination of Gedaliah. Those he addresses are men + who <span class="tei tei-q">“stand upon their sword”</span>—that is + to say, they hold that might is right, and glory in deeds of blood + and violence that gratify their passionate desire for revenge. Such + language could hardly be used of any section of the remaining + population of Judæa except the lawless banditti that enrolled + themselves under the banner of Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">What Ezekiel is + mainly concerned with, however, is the moral and religious + condition of those to whom he speaks. Strange to say, they were + animated by a species of religious fanaticism, which led them to + regard themselves as the legitimate heirs to whom the reversion of + the land of Israel belonged. <span class="tei tei-q">“Abraham was + one,”</span> so reasoned these desperadoes, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“and yet he inherited the land: but we are many; to us + the land is given for a possession”</span> (ver. 24). Their meaning + is that the smallness of their number is no argument against the + validity of their claim to the heritage of the land. They are still + many in comparison with the solitary patriarch to whom it was first + promised; and if he was multiplied so as to take possession of it, + why should they hesitate to claim the mastery of it? This thought + of the wonderful multiplication of <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page292">[pg 292]</span><a name="Pg292" id="Pg292" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> Abraham's seed after he had received the + promise seems to have laid fast hold of the men of that generation. + It is applied by the great teacher who stands next to Ezekiel in + the prophetic succession to comfort the little flock who followed + after righteousness and could hardly believe that it was God's good + pleasure to give them the kingdom. <span class="tei tei-q">“Look + unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I + called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him”</span> (Isa. + li. 2). The words of the infatuated men who exulted in the havoc + they were making on the mountains of Judæa may sound to us like a + blasphemous travesty of this argument; but they were no doubt + seriously meant. They afford one more instance of the boundless + capacity of the Jewish race for religious self-delusion, and their + no less remarkable insensibility to that in which the essence of + religion lay. The men who uttered this proud boast were the + precursors of those who in the days of the Baptist thought to say + within themselves, <span class="tei tei-q">“We have Abraham to our + father,”</span> not understanding that God was able <span class= + "tei tei-q">“of these stones to raise up children to + Abraham”</span> (Matt. iii. 9). All the while they were + perpetuating the evils for which the judgment of God had descended + on the city and the Hebrew state. Idolatry, ceremonial impurity, + bloodshed, and adultery were rife amongst them (vv. 25, 26); and no + misgiving seems to have entered their minds that because of these + things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. And + therefore the prophet repudiates their pretensions with + indignation. <span class="tei tei-q">“Shall ye possess the + land?”</span> Their conduct simply showed that judgment had not had + its perfect work, and that Jehovah's purpose would not be + accomplished until <span class="tei tei-q">“the land was laid waste + and desolate, and the pomp of her strength should cease, and the + mountains of Israel be desolate, so that none passed + through”</span> (ver. 28). We have seen that in all likelihood this + prediction was fulfilled <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page293">[pg + 293]</span><a name="Pg293" id="Pg293" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + by a punitive expedition from Babylonia in the twenty-third year of + Nebuchadnezzar.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But we knew + before that Ezekiel expected no good thing to come of the survivors + of the judgment in Judæa. His hope was in those who had passed + through the fires of banishment, the men amongst whom his own work + lay, and amongst whom he looked for the first signs of the + outpouring of the divine Spirit. We must now return to the inner + circle of Ezekiel's immediate hearers, and consider the change + which the calamity had produced on them. The chapter now before us + yields two glimpses into the inner life of the people which help us + to realise the kind of men with whom the prophet had to do.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the first + place it is interesting to learn that in his more frequent public + appearances the prophet rapidly acquired a considerable reputation + as a popular preacher (vv. 30-33). It is true that the interest + which he excited was not of the most wholesome kind. It became a + favourite amusement of the people hanging about the walls and doors + to come and listen to the fervid oratory of their one remaining + prophet as he declared to them <span class="tei tei-q">“the word + that came forth from Jehovah.”</span> It is to be feared that the + substance of his message counted for little in their appreciative + and critical listening. He was to them <span class="tei tei-q">“as + a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play + well on an instrument”</span>: <span class="tei tei-q">“they heard + his words, but did them not.”</span> It was pleasant to subject + oneself now and then to the influence of this powerful and + heart-searching preacher; but somehow the heart was never searched, + the conscience was never stirred, and the hearing never ripened + into serious conviction and settled purpose of amendment. The + people were thoroughly respectful in their demeanour and apparently + devout, coming in crowds and sitting before him as God's people + should. But they were preoccupied: <span class="tei tei-q">“their + heart went <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page294">[pg + 294]</span><a name="Pg294" id="Pg294" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + after their gain”</span> (ver. 31) or their advantage. + Self-interest prevented them from receiving the word of God in + honest and good hearts, and no change was visible in their conduct. + Hence the prophet is not disposed to regard the evidences of his + newly acquired popularity with much satisfaction. It presents + itself to his mind as a danger against which he has to be on his + guard. He has been tried by opposition and apparent failure; now he + is exposed to the more insidious temptation of a flattering + reception and superficial success. It is a tribute to his power, + and an opportunity such as he had never before enjoyed. Whatever + may have been the case heretofore, he is now sure of an audience, + and his position has suddenly become one of great influence in the + community. But the same resolute confidence in the truth of his + message which sustained Ezekiel amidst the discouragements of his + earlier career saves him now from the fatal attractions of + popularity to which many men in similar circumstances have yielded. + He is not deceived by the favourable disposition of the people + towards himself, nor is he tempted to cultivate his oratorical + gifts with a view to sustaining their admiration. His one concern + is to utter the word that shall come to pass, and so to declare the + counsel of God that men shall be compelled in the end to + acknowledge that he has been <span class="tei tei-q">“a prophet + among them”</span> (ver. 33). We may be thankful to the prophet for + this little glimpse from a vanished past—one of those touches of + nature that make the whole world kin. But we ought not to miss its + obvious moral. Ezekiel is the prototype of all popular preachers, + and he knew their peculiar trials. He was perhaps the first man who + ministered regularly to an attached congregation, who came to hear + him because they liked it and because they had nothing better to + do. If he passed unscathed through the dangers of the position, it + was through his <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page295">[pg + 295]</span><a name="Pg295" id="Pg295" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + overpowering sense of the reality of divine things and the + importance of men's spiritual destiny; and also we may add through + his fidelity in a department of ministerial duty which popular + preachers are sometimes apt to neglect—the duty of close personal + dealing with individual men about their sins and their state before + God. To this subject we shall revert by-and-by.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This passage + reveals to us the people in their lighter moods, when they were + able to cast off the awful burden of life and destiny and take + advantage of such sources of enjoyment as their circumstances + afforded. Mental dejection in a community, from whatever cause it + originates, is rarely continuous. The natural elasticity of the + mind asserts itself in the most depressing circumstances; and the + tension of almost unendurable sorrow is relieved by outbursts of + unnatural gaiety. Hence we need not be surprised to find that + beneath the surface levity of these exiles there lurked the feeling + of despair expressed in the words of ver. 10 and more fully in + those of ch. xxxvii. 11: <span class="tei tei-q">“Our + transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we waste away in them: + how should we then live?”</span> <span class="tei tei-q">“Our bones + are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off.”</span> These + accents of despondency reflect the new mood into which the more + serious-minded portion of the community had been plunged by the + calamities that had befallen them. The bitterness of unavailing + remorse, the consciousness of national death, had laid fast hold of + their spirits and deprived them of the power of hope. In sober + truth the nation was dead beyond apparent hope of revival; and to + an Israelite, whose spiritual interests were all identified with + those of his nation, religion had no power of consolation apart + from a national future. The people therefore abandoned themselves + to despair, and hardened themselves against the appeals which the + prophet addressed to them in the name of Jehovah. They <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page296">[pg 296]</span><a name="Pg296" id="Pg296" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> looked on themselves as the victims of + an inexorable fate, and were disposed perhaps to resent the call to + repentance as a trifling with the misery of the unfortunate.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">And yet, + although this state of mind was as far removed as possible from the + godly sorrow that worketh repentance, it was a step towards the + accomplishment of the promise of redemption. For the present, + indeed, it rendered the people more impenetrable than ever to the + word of God. But it meant that they had accepted in principle the + prophetic interpretation of their history. It was no longer + possible to deny that Jehovah the God of Israel had revealed His + secret to His servants the prophets. He was not such a Being as the + popular imagination had figured. Israel had not known Him; only the + prophets had spoken of Him the thing that was right. Thus for the + first time a general conviction of sin, a sense of being in the + wrong, was produced in Israel. That this conviction should at first + lead to the verge of despair was perhaps inevitable. The people + were not familiar with the idea of the divine righteousness, and + could not at once perceive that anger against sin was consistent in + God with pity for the sinner and mercy towards the contrite. The + chief task that now lay before the prophet was to transform their + attitude of sullen impenitence into one of submission and hope by + teaching them the efficacy of repentance. They have learned the + meaning of judgment; they have now to learn the possibility and the + conditions of forgiveness. And this can only be taught to them + through a revelation of the free and infinite grace of God, who has + <span class="tei tei-q">“no pleasure in the death of the wicked, + but that the wicked should turn from his way and live”</span> (ver. + 11). Only thus can the hard and stony heart be taken away from + their flesh and a heart of flesh given to them.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We can now + understand the significance of the striking passage which stands as + the introduction to this whole <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page297">[pg 297]</span><a name="Pg297" id="Pg297" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> section of the book (ch. xxxiii. 1-20). At + this juncture of his ministry Ezekiel's thoughts went back on an + aspect of his prophetic vocation which had hitherto been in + abeyance. From the first he had been conscious of a certain + responsibility for the fate of each individual within reach of his + words (ch. iii. 16-21). This truth had been one of the keynotes of + his ministry; but the practical developments which it suggested had + been hindered by the solidarity of the opposition which he had + encountered. As long as Jerusalem stood the exiles had been swayed + by one common current of feeling—their thoughts were wholly + occupied by the expectation of an issue that would annul the gloomy + predictions of Ezekiel; and no man dared to break away from the + general sentiment and range himself on the side of God's prophet. + In these circumstances anything of the nature of pastoral activity + was obviously out of the question. But now that this great obstacle + to faith was removed there was a prospect that the solidity of + popular opinion would be broken up, so that the word of God might + find an entrance here and there into susceptible hearts. The time + was come to call for personal decisions, to appeal to each man to + embrace for himself the offer of pardon and salvation. Its + watchword might have been found in words uttered in another great + crisis of religious destiny: <span class="tei tei-q">“The kingdom + of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by + force.”</span> Out of such <span class="tei tei-q">“violent + men”</span> who act for themselves and have the courage of their + convictions the new people of God must be formed; and the mission + of the prophet is to gather round him all those who are warned by + his words to <span class="tei tei-q">“flee from the wrath to + come.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Let us look a + little more closely at the teaching of these verses. We find that + Ezekiel restates in the most emphatic manner the theological + principles which underlie this new development of his prophetic + duties (vv. 10-20). <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page298">[pg + 298]</span><a name="Pg298" id="Pg298" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + These principles have been considered already in the exposition of + ch. xviii.; and it is not necessary to do more than refer to them + here. They are such as these: the exact and absolute righteousness + of God in His dealings with individuals; His unwillingness that any + should perish, and His desire that all should be saved and live; + the necessity of personal repentance; the freedom and independence + of the individual soul through its immediate relation to God. On + this closely connected body of evangelical doctrine Ezekiel bases + the appeal which he now makes to his hearers. What we are specially + concerned with here, however, is the direction which they imparted + to his activity. We may study in the light of Ezekiel's example the + manner in which these fundamental truths of personal religion are + to be made effective in the ministry of the gospel for the building + up of the Church of Christ.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The general + conception is clearly set forth in the figure of the watchman, with + which the chapter opens (vv. 1-9). The duties of the watchman are + simple, but responsible. He is set apart in a time of public danger + to warn the city of the approach of an enemy. The citizens trust + him and go about their ordinary occupations in security so long as + the trumpet is not sounded. Should he sleep at his post or neglect + to give the signal, men are caught unprepared and lives are lost + through his fault. Their blood is required at the watchman's hand. + If, on the other hand, he gives the alarm as soon as he sees the + sword coming, and any man disregards the warning and is cut down in + his iniquity, his blood is upon his own head. Nothing could be + clearer than this. Office always involves responsibility, and no + responsibility could be greater than that of a watchman in time of + invasion. Those who suffer are in either case the citizens whom the + sword cuts off; but it makes all the difference in the world + whether the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page299">[pg + 299]</span><a name="Pg299" id="Pg299" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + blame of their death rests on themselves for their foolhardiness or + on the watchman for his unfaithfulness. Such then, as Ezekiel goes + on to explain, is his own position as a prophet. The prophet is one + who sees further into the spiritual issues of things than other + men, and discovers the coming calamity which is to them invisible. + We must notice that a background of danger is presupposed. In what + form it was to come is not indicated; but Ezekiel knows that + judgment follows hard at the heels of sin, and seeing sin in his + fellow-men he knows that their state is one of spiritual peril. The + prophet's course therefore is clear. His business is to announce as + in trumpet tones the doom that hangs over every man who persists in + his wickedness, to re-echo the divine sentence which he alone may + have heard, <span class="tei tei-q">“O wicked man, thou shalt + surely die.”</span> And again the main question is one of + responsibility. The watchman cannot ensure the safety of every + citizen, because any man may refuse to take the warning he gives. + No more can the prophet ensure the salvation of all his hearers, + for each one is free to accept or despise the message. But whether + men hear or whether they forbear, it is of the utmost moment for + himself that that warning should be faithfully proclaimed and that + he should thus <span class="tei tei-q">“deliver his soul.”</span> + Ezekiel seems to feel that it is only by frankly accepting the + responsibility which thus devolves on himself that he can hope to + impress on his hearers the responsibility that rests on them for + the use they make of his message.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">These thoughts + appear to have occupied the mind of Ezekiel on the eve of his + emancipation, and must have influenced his subsequent action to an + extent which we can but vaguely estimate. It is generally + considered that this description of the prophet's functions covers + a whole department of work of which no express account is given. + Ezekiel writes no <span class="tei tei-q">“Pastor's + Sketches,”</span> and records no <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page300">[pg 300]</span><a name="Pg300" id="Pg300" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> instances of individual conversion through + his ministry. The unwritten history of the Babylonian captivity + must have been rich in such incidents of spiritual experience, and + nothing could have been more instructive to us than the study of a + few typical cases had it been possible. One of the most interesting + features of the early history of Mohammedanism is found in the + narratives of personal adhesion to the new religion; and the + formation of the new Israel in the age of the Exile is a process of + infinitely greater importance for humanity at large than the + genesis of Islam. But neither in this book nor elsewhere are we + permitted to follow that process in its details. Ezekiel may have + witnessed the beginnings of it, but he was not called upon to be + its historian. Still, the inference is probably correct that a + conception of the prophet's office which holds him accountable to + God for the fate of individuals led to something more than mere + general exhortations to repentance. The preacher must have taken a + personal interest in his hearers; he must have watched for the + first signs of a response to his message, and been ready to advise + and encourage those who turned to him for guidance in their + perplexities. And since the sphere of his influence and + responsibility included the whole Hebrew community in which he + lived, he must have been eager to seize every opportunity to warn + individual sinners of the error of their ways, lest their blood + should be required at his hand. To this extent we may say that + Ezekiel held a position amongst the exiles somewhat analogous to + that of a spiritual director in the Catholic Church or the pastor + of a Protestant congregation. But the analogy must not be pressed + too far. The nurture of the spiritual life of individuals could not + have presented itself to him as the chief end of his ministrations. + His business was first to lay down the conditions of entrance into + the new kingdom of God, <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page301">[pg + 301]</span><a name="Pg301" id="Pg301" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + and then out of the ruins of the old Israel to make ready a people + prepared for the Lord. Perhaps the nearest parallel to this + department of his work which history affords is the mission of the + Baptist. The keynote of Ezekiel's preaching was the same as that of + John: <span class="tei tei-q">“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is + at hand.”</span> Both prophets were alike animated by a sense of + crisis and urgency, based on the conviction that the impending + Messianic age would be ushered in by a searching judgment in which + the chaff would be separated from the wheat. Both laboured for the + same end—the formation of a new circle of religious fellowship, in + anticipation of the advent of the Messianic kingdom. And as John, + by an inevitable spiritual selection, gathered round him a band of + disciples, amongst whom our Lord found some of His most devoted + followers, so we may believe that Ezekiel, by a similar process, + became the acknowledged leader of those whom he taught to wait for + the hope of Israel's restoration.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">There is nothing + in Ezekiel's ministry that appeals more directly to the Christian + conscience than the serious and profound sense of pastoral + responsibility to which this passage bears witness. It is a feeling + which would seem to be inseparable from the right discharge of the + ministerial office. In this, as in many other respects, Ezekiel's + experience is repeated, on a higher level, in that of the apostle + of the Gentiles, who could take his hearers to record that he was + <span class="tei tei-q">“pure from the blood of all men,”</span> + inasmuch as he had <span class="tei tei-q">“taught them publicly + and from house to house,”</span> and <span class= + "tei tei-q">“ceased not to warn every one night and day with + tears”</span> (Acts xx. 17-35). That does not mean, of course, that + a preacher is to occupy himself with nothing else than the personal + salvation of his hearers. St. Paul would have been the last to + agree to such a limitation of the range of his teaching. But it + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page302">[pg 302]</span><a name= + "Pg302" id="Pg302" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> does mean that the + salvation of men and women is the supreme end which the minister of + Christ is to set before him, and that to which all other + instruction is subordinated. And unless a man realises that the + truth he utters is of tremendous importance on the destiny of those + to whom he speaks, he can hardly hope to approve himself as an + ambassador for Christ. There are doubtless temptations, not in + themselves ignoble, to use the pulpit for other purposes than this. + The desire for public influence may be one of them, or the desire + to utter one's mind on burning questions of the day. To say that + these are temptations is not to say that matters of public interest + are to be rigorously excluded from treatment in the pulpit. There + are many questions of this kind on which the will of God is as + clear and imperative as it can possibly be on any point of private + conduct; and even in matters as to which there is legitimate + difference of opinion amongst Christian men there are underlying + principles of righteousness which may need to be fearlessly + enunciated at the risk of obloquy and misunderstanding. + Nevertheless it remains true that the great end of the gospel + ministry is to reconcile men to God and to cultivate in individual + lives the fruits of the Spirit, so as at the last to present every + man perfect in Christ. And the preacher who may be most safely + entrusted with the handling of all other questions is he who is + most intent on the formation of Christian character and most deeply + conscious of his responsibility for the effect of his teaching on + the eternal destiny of those to whom he ministers. What is called + preaching to the age may certainly become a very poor and empty + thing if it is forgotten that the age is made up of individuals + each of whom has a soul to save or lose. What shall it profit a man + if the preacher teaches him how to win the whole world and lose his + own life? It is fashionable to hold up the prophets of Israel as + models of <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page303">[pg + 303]</span><a name="Pg303" id="Pg303" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + all that a Christian minister ought to be. If that is true, + prophecy must at least be allowed to speak its whole lesson; and + amongst other elements Ezekiel's consciousness of responsibility + for the individual life must receive due recognition.</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page304">[pg 304]</span><a name= + "Pg304" id="Pg304" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc49" id="toc49"></a> <a name="pdf50" id="pdf50"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XX. The Messianic Kingdom. + Chapter xxxiv.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The term + <span class="tei tei-q">“Messianic”</span> as commonly applied to + Old Testament prophecy bears two different senses, a wider and a + narrower. In its wider use it is almost equivalent to the modern + word <span class="tei tei-q">“eschatological.”</span> It denotes + that unquenchable hope of a glorious future for Israel and the + world which is an all but omnipresent feature of the prophetic + writings, and includes all predictions of the kingdom of God in its + final and perfect manifestation. In its stricter sense it is + applied only to the promise of the ideal king of the house of + David, which, although a very conspicuous element of prophecy, is + by no means universal, and perhaps does not bulk quite so largely + in the Old Testament as is generally supposed. The later Jews were + guided by a true instinct when they seized on this figure of the + ideal ruler as the centre of the nation's hope; and to them we owe + this special application of the name <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Messiah,”</span> the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Anointed,”</span> which is never used of the Son of + David in the Old Testament itself. To a certain extent we follow in + their steps when we enlarge the meaning of the word <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Messianic”</span> so as to embrace the whole prophetic + delineation of the future glories of the kingdom of God.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This distinction + may be illustrated from the prophecies of Ezekiel. If we take the + word in its more general sense, we may say that all the chapters + from the thirty-fourth <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page305">[pg + 305]</span><a name="Pg305" id="Pg305" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + to the end of the book are Messianic in character. That is to say, + they describe under various aspects the final condition of things + which is introduced by the restoration of Israel to its own land. + Let us glance for a moment at the elements which enter into this + general conception of the last things as they are set forth in the + section of the book with which we are now dealing. We exclude from + view for the present the last nine chapters, because there the + prophet's point of view is somewhat different, and it is better to + reserve them for separate treatment.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The chapters + from the thirty-fourth to the thirty-seventh are the necessary + complement of the call to repentance in the first part of ch. + xxxiii. Ezekiel has enunciated the conditions of entrance to the + new kingdom of God, and has urged his hearers to prepare for its + appearing. He now proceeds to unfold the nature of that kingdom, + and the process by which Jehovah is to bring it to pass. As has + been said, the central fact is the restoration of Israel to the + land of Canaan. Here the prophet found a point of contact with the + natural aspirations of his fellow-exiles. There was no prospect to + which they had clung with more eager longing than that of a return + to national independence in their own land; and the feeling that + this was no longer possible was the source of the abject despair + from which the prophet sought to rouse them. How was this to be + done? Not simply by asserting in the face of all human probability + that the restoration would take place, but by presenting it to + their minds in its religious aspects as an object worthy of the + exercise of almighty power, and an object in which Jehovah was + interested for the glory of His great name. Only by being brought + round to Ezekiel's faith in God could the exiles recover their lost + hope in the future of the nation. Thus the return to which Ezekiel + looks forward has a Messianic significance; it is the establishment + of the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page306">[pg + 306]</span><a name="Pg306" id="Pg306" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + kingdom of God, a symbol of the final and perfect union between + Jehovah and Israel.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now in the + chapters before us this general conception is exhibited in three + separate pictures of the Restoration, the leading ideas being the + Monarchy (ch. xxxiv.), the Land (chs. xxxv., xxxvi.), and the + Nation (ch. xxxvii.). The order in which they are arranged is not + that which might seem most natural. We should have expected the + prophet to deal first with the revival of the nation, then with its + settlement on the soil of Palestine, and last of all with its + political organisation under a Davidic king. Ezekiel follows the + reverse order. He begins with the kingdom, as the most complete + embodiment of the Messianic salvation, and then falls back on its + two presuppositions—the recovery and purification of the land on + the one hand, and the restitution of the nation on the other. It is + doubtful, indeed, whether any logical connection between the three + pictures is intended. It is perhaps better to regard them as + expressing three distinct and collateral aspects of the idea of + redemption, to each of which a certain permanent religious + significance is attached. They are at all events the outstanding + elements of Ezekiel's eschatology so far as it is expounded in this + section of his prophecies.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We thus see that + the promise of the perfect king—the Messianic idea in its more + restricted signification—holds a distinct but not a supreme place + in Ezekiel's vision of the future. It appears for the first time in + ch. xvii. at the end of an oracle denouncing the perfidy of + Zedekiah and foretelling the overthrow of his kingdom; and again, + in a similar connection, in an obscure verse of ch. xxi.<a id= + "noteref_130" name="noteref_130" href="#note_130"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">130</span></span></a> Both + these prophecies belong to the time before the fall of the state, + when the prophet's thoughts were not continuously occupied with the + hope of the future. <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page307">[pg + 307]</span><a name="Pg307" id="Pg307" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + The former is remarkable, nevertheless, for the glowing terms in + which the greatness of the future kingdom is depicted. From the top + of the lofty cedar which the great eagle had carried away to + Babylon Jehovah will take a tender shoot and plant it in the + mountain height of Israel. There it will strike root and grow up + into a lordly cedar, under whose branches all the birds of the air + find refuge. The terms of the allegory have been explained in the + proper place.<a id="noteref_131" name="noteref_131" href= + "#note_131"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">131</span></span></a> The + great cedar is the house of David; the topmost bough which was + taken to Babylon is the family of Jehoiachin, the direct heirs to + the throne. The planting of the tender shoot in the land of Israel + represents the founding of the Messiah's kingdom, which is thus + proclaimed to be of transcendent earthly magnificence, + overshadowing all the other kingdoms of the world, and convincing + the nations that its foundation is the work of Jehovah Himself. In + this short passage we have the Messianic idea in its simplest and + most characteristic expression. The hope of the future is bound up + with the destiny of the house of David; and the re-establishment of + the kingdom in more than its ancient splendour is the great divine + act to which all the blessings of the final dispensation are + attached.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But it is in the + thirty-fourth chapter that we find the most comprehensive + exposition of Ezekiel's teaching on the subject of the monarchy and + the Messianic kingdom. It is perhaps the most political of all his + prophecies. It is pervaded by a spirit of genuine sympathy with the + sufferings of the common people, and indignation against the + tyranny practised and tolerated by the ruling classes. The + disasters that have befallen the nation down to its final + dispersion among the heathen are all traced to the misgovernment + and anarchy for which the monarchy was <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page308">[pg 308]</span><a name="Pg308" id="Pg308" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> primarily responsible. In like manner the + blessings of the coming age are summed up in the promise of a + perfect king, ruling in the name of Jehovah and maintaining order + and righteousness throughout his realm. Nowhere else does Ezekiel + approach so nearly to the political ideal foreshadowed by the + statesman-prophet Isaiah of a <span class="tei tei-q">“king + reigning in righteousness and princes ruling in judgment”</span> + (Isa. xxxii. 1), securing the enjoyment of universal prosperity and + peace to the redeemed people of God. It must be remembered of + course that this is only a partial expression of Ezekiel's + conception both of the past condition of the nation and of its + future salvation. We have had abundant evidence<a id="noteref_132" + name="noteref_132" href="#note_132"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">132</span></span></a> to + show that he considered all classes of the community to be corrupt, + and the people as a whole implicated in the guilt of rebellion + against Jehovah. The statement that the kings have brought about + the dispersion of the nation must not therefore be pressed to the + conclusion that civic injustice was the sole cause of Israel's + calamities. Similarly we shall find that the redemption of the + people depends on other and more fundamental conditions than the + establishment of good government under a righteous king. But that + is no reason for minimising the significance of the passage before + us as an utterance of Ezekiel's profound interest in social order + and the welfare of the poor. It shows moreover that the prophet at + this time attached real importance to the promise of the Messiah as + the organ of Jehovah's rule over His people. If civil wrongs and + legalised tyranny were not the only sins which had brought about + the destruction of the state, they were at least serious evils, + which could not be tolerated in the new Israel; and the chief + safeguard against their recurrence is found in the character of the + ideal ruler whom Jehovah will raise up <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page309">[pg 309]</span><a name="Pg309" id="Pg309" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> from the seed of David. How far this high + conception of the functions of the monarchy was modified in + Ezekiel's subsequent teaching we shall see when we come to consider + the position assigned to the prince in the great vision at the end + of the book.<a id="noteref_133" name="noteref_133" href= + "#note_133"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">133</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the meantime + let us examine somewhat more closely the contents of ch. xxxiv. Its + leading ideas seem to have been suggested by a Messianic prophecy + of Jeremiah's with which Ezekiel was no doubt acquainted: + <span class="tei tei-q">“Woe to the shepherds that destroy and + scatter the flock of My pasture! saith Jehovah. Therefore thus + saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, against the shepherds that tend + My people, Ye have scattered My flock, and dispersed them, and have + not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your + doings, saith Jehovah. And I will gather the remnant of My flock + from all the lands whither I have dispersed them, and will restore + them to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply. And I + will set shepherds over them who shall feed them: and they shall + not fear any more, nor be frightened, nor be lacking, saith + Jehovah”</span> (Jer. xxiii. 1-4). Here we have the simple image of + the flock and its shepherds, which Ezekiel, as his manner is, + expands into an allegory of the past history and future prospects + of the nation. How closely he follows the guidance of his + predecessor will be seen from the analysis of the chapter. It may + be divided into four parts.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">i. The first ten + verses are a strongly worded denunciation of the misgovernment to + which the people of Jehovah had been subjected in the past. The + prophet goes straight to the root of the evil when he indignantly + asks, <span class="tei tei-q">“Should not the shepherds feed the + flock?”</span> (ver. 2). The first principle of all true government + is that it must <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page310">[pg + 310]</span><a name="Pg310" id="Pg310" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + be in the interest of the governed. But the universal vice of + Oriental despotism, as we see in the case of the Turkish empire at + the present day, or Egypt before the English occupation, is that + the rulers rule for their own advantage, and treat the people as + their lawful spoil. So it had been in Israel: the shepherds had fed + themselves, and not the flock. Instead of carefully tending the + sick and the maimed, and searching out the strayed and the lost, + they had been concerned only to eat the milk<a id="noteref_134" + name="noteref_134" href="#note_134"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">134</span></span></a> and + clothe themselves with the wool and slaughter the fat; they had + ruled with <span class="tei tei-q">“violence and rigour.”</span> + That is to say, instead of healing the sores of the body politic, + they had sought to enrich themselves at the expense of the people. + Such misconduct in the name of government always brings its own + penalty; it kills the goose that lays the golden eggs. The flock + which is spoiled by its own shepherds is scattered on the mountains + and becomes the prey of wild beasts; and so the nation that is + weakened by internal misrule loses its powers of defence and + succumbs to the attacks of some foreign invader. But the shepherds + of Israel have to reckon with Him who is the owner of the flock, + whose affection still watches over them, and whose compassion is + stirred by the hapless condition of His people. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah; + ... Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require My flock + at their hand; and I will make them to cease from feeding [My] + flock, that they who feed themselves may no longer shepherd them; + and I will deliver My flock from their mouth, that they be not food + for them”</span> (vv. 9, 10).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">ii. But Jehovah + not only removes the unworthy shepherds; He Himself takes on Him + the office of shepherd to <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page311">[pg + 311]</span><a name="Pg311" id="Pg311" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + the flock that has been so mishandled (vv. 11-16). As the shepherd + goes out after the thunderstorm to call in his frightened sheep, so + will Jehovah after the storm of judgment is over go forth to + <span class="tei tei-q">“gather together the outcasts of + Israel”</span> (Psalm cxlvii. 2). He will seek them out and deliver + them from all places whither they were scattered in the day of + clouds and darkness; then He will lead them back to the mountain + height of Israel, where they shall enjoy abundant prosperity and + security under His just and beneficent rule. By what agencies this + deliverance is to be accomplished is nowhere indicated. It is the + unanimous teaching of the prophets that the final salvation of + Israel will be effected in a <span class="tei tei-q">“day of + Jehovah”</span>—<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, a day in which Jehovah's + own power will be specially manifested. Hence there is no need to + describe the process by which the Almighty works out His purpose of + salvation; it is indescribable: the results are certain, but the + intermediate agencies are supernatural, and the precise method of + Jehovah's intervention is as a rule left indefinite. It is + particularly to be noted that the Messiah plays no part in the + actual work of deliverance. He is not the hero of a national + struggle for independence, but comes on the scene and assumes the + reins of government after Jehovah has gotten the victory and + restored peace to Israel.<a id="noteref_135" name="noteref_135" + href="#note_135"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">135</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">iii. The next + six verses (17-22) add a feature to the allegory which is not found + in the corresponding passage in Jeremiah. Jehovah will judge + between one sheep and another, especially between the rams and + he-goats on the one hand and the weaker animals on the other. The + strong cattle had monopolised the fat meadows and clear + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page312">[pg 312]</span><a name= + "Pg312" id="Pg312" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> settled waters, and + as if this were not enough, they had trampled down the residue of + the pastures and fouled the waters with their feet. Those addressed + are the wealthy and powerful upper class, whose luxury and wanton + extravagance had consumed the resources of the country, and left no + sustenance for the poorer members of the community. Allusions to + this kind of selfish tyranny are frequent in the older prophets. + Amos speaks of the nobles as panting after the dust on the head of + the poor, and of the luxurious dames of Samaria as oppressing the + poor and crushing the needy, and saying to their lords, + <span class="tei tei-q">“Bring us to drink”</span> (Amos ii. 7, iv. + 1). Micah says of the same class in the southern kingdom that they + cast out the women of Jehovah's people from their pleasant houses, + and robbed their children of His glory for ever (Micah ii. 9). And + Isaiah, to take one other example, denounces those who <span class= + "tei tei-q">“take away the right from the poor of My people, that + widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the orphans”</span> + (Isa. x. 2). Under the corrupt administration of justice which the + kings had tolerated for their own convenience litigation had been a + farce; the rich man had always the ear of the judge, and the poor + found no redress. But in Israel the true fountain of justice could + not be polluted; it was only its channels that were obstructed. For + Jehovah Himself was the supreme judge of His people; and in the + restored commonwealth to which Ezekiel looks forward all civil + relations will be regulated by a regard to His righteous will. He + will <span class="tei tei-q">“save His flock that they be no more a + prey, and will judge between cattle and cattle.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">iv. Then follows + in the last section (vv. 23-31) the promise of the Messianic king, + and a description of the blessings that accompany his reign: + <span class="tei tei-q">“I will set up one shepherd over them, and + he shall feed them—My servant David: he shall feed them, and he + shall be their shepherd. <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page313">[pg + 313]</span><a name="Pg313" id="Pg313" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + And I Jehovah will be their God, and My servant David shall be a + prince in their midst: I Jehovah have spoken it.”</span> There are + one or two difficulties connected with the interpretation of this + passage, the consideration of which may be postponed till we have + finished our analysis of the chapter. It is sufficient in the + meantime to notice that a Davidic kingdom in some sense is to be + the foundation of social order in the new Israel. A prince will + arise, endowed with the spirit of his exalted office, to discharge + perfectly the royal functions in which the former kings had so + lamentably failed. Through him the divine government of Israel will + become a reality in the national life. The Godhead of Jehovah and + the kingship of the Messiah will be inseparably associated in the + faith of the people: <span class="tei tei-q">“Jehovah their God, + and David their king”</span> (Hosea iii. 5) is the expression of + the ground of Israel's confidence in the latter days. And this + kingdom is the pledge of the fulness of divine blessing descending + on the land and the people. The people shall dwell in safety, none + making them afraid, because of the covenant of peace which Jehovah + will make for them, securing them against the assaults of other + nations.<a id="noteref_136" name="noteref_136" href= + "#note_136"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">136</span></span></a> The + heavens shall pour forth fertilising <span class= + "tei tei-q">“showers of blessing”</span>; and the land shall be + clothed with a luxuriant vegetation which shall be the admiration + of the whole earth.<a id="noteref_137" name="noteref_137" href= + "#note_137"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">137</span></span></a> Thus + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page314">[pg 314]</span><a name= + "Pg314" id="Pg314" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> happily situated + Israel shall shake off the reproach of the heathen, which they had + formerly to endure because of the poverty of their land and their + unfortunate history. In the plenitude of material prosperity they + shall recognise that Jehovah their God is with them, and they shall + know what it is to be His people and the flock of His + pasture.<a id="noteref_138" name="noteref_138" href= + "#note_138"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">138</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We have now + before us the salient features of the Messianic hope, as it is + presented in the pages of Ezekiel. We see that the idea is + developed in contrast with the abuses that had characterised the + historic monarchy in Israel. It represents the ideal of the kingdom + as it exists in the mind of Jehovah, an ideal which no actual king + had fully realised, and which most of them had shamefully violated. + The Messiah is the vicegerent of Jehovah on earth, and the + representative of His kingly authority and righteous government + over Israel. We see further that the promise is based on the + <span class="tei tei-q">“sure mercies of David,”</span> the + covenant which secured the throne to David's descendants for ever. + Messianic prophecy is legitimist, the ideal king being regarded as + standing in the direct line of succession to the crown. And to + these features we may add another, which is explicitly developed in + ch. xxxvii. 22-26, although it is implied in the expression + <span class="tei tei-q">“one shepherd”</span> in the passage with + which we have been dealing. The Messianic kingdom represents the + unity of all Israel, and particularly the reunion of the two + kingdoms under one sceptre. The prophets attach great importance to + this idea.<a id="noteref_139" name="noteref_139" href= + "#note_139"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">139</span></span></a> The + existence of two rival monarchies, divided in interest and often at + war with each other, although it had never effaced the + consciousness of the original unity of the nation, was felt by the + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page315">[pg 315]</span><a name= + "Pg315" id="Pg315" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> prophets to be an + anomalous state of things, and seriously detrimental to the + national religion. The ideal relation of Jehovah to Israel was as + incompatible with two kingdoms as the ideal of marriage is + incompatible with two wives to one husband. Hence in the glorious + future of the Messianic age the schism must be healed, and the + Davidic dynasty restored to its original position at the head of an + undivided empire. The prominence given to this thought in the + teaching of Hosea shows that even in the northern kingdom devout + Israelites cherished the hope of reunion with their brethren under + the house of David as the only form in which the redemption of the + nation could be achieved. And although, long before Ezekiel's day, + the kingdom of Samaria had disappeared from history, he too looks + forward to a restoration of the ten tribes as an essential element + of the Messianic salvation.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In these + respects the teaching of Ezekiel reflects the general tenor of the + Messianic prophecy of the Old Testament. There are just two + questions on which some obscurity and uncertainty must be felt to + rest. In the first place, what is the precise meaning of the + expression <span class="tei tei-q">“My servant David”</span>? It + will not be supposed that the prophet expected David, the founder + of the Hebrew monarchy, to reappear in person and inaugurate the + new dispensation. Such an interpretation would be utterly false to + Eastern modes of thought and expression, besides being opposed to + every indication we have of the prophetic conception of the + Messiah. Even in popular language the name of David was current, + after he had been long dead, as the name of the dynasty which he + had founded. When the ten tribes revolted from Rehoboam they said, + exactly as they had said in David's lifetime, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“What portion have we in David? neither have we + inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page316">[pg 316]</span><a name= + "Pg316" id="Pg316" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> now see to thine own + house, David.”</span><a id="noteref_140" name="noteref_140" href= + "#note_140"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">140</span></span></a> If + the name of David could thus be invoked in popular speech at a time + of great political excitement, we need not be surprised to find it + used in a similar sense in the figurative style of the prophets. + All that the word means is that the Messiah will be one who comes + in the spirit and power of David, a representative of the ancient + family who carries to completion the work so nobly begun by his + great ancestor.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The real + difficulty is whether the title <span class= + "tei tei-q">“David”</span> denotes a unique individual or a line of + Davidic kings. To that question it is hardly possible to return a + decided answer. That the idea of a succession of sovereigns is a + possible form of the Messianic hope is shown by a passage in the + thirty-third chapter of Jeremiah. There the promise of the + righteous sprout of the house of David is supplemented by the + assurance that David shall never want a man to sit on the throne of + Israel;<a id="noteref_141" name="noteref_141" href= + "#note_141"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">141</span></span></a> the + allusion therefore appears to be to the dynasty, and not to a + single person. And this view finds some support in the case of + Ezekiel from the fact that in the later vision of chs. xl.-xlviii. + the prophet undoubtedly anticipates a perpetuation of the dynasty + through successive generations.<a id="noteref_142" name= + "noteref_142" href="#note_142"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">142</span></span></a> On + the other hand it is difficult to reconcile this view with the + expressions used in this and the thirty-seventh chapters. When we + read that <span class="tei tei-q">“My servant David shall be their + prince for ever,”</span><a id="noteref_143" name="noteref_143" + href="#note_143"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">143</span></span></a> we + can scarcely escape the impression that the prophet is thinking of + a personal Messiah reigning eternally. If it were necessary to + decide between these <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page317">[pg + 317]</span><a name="Pg317" id="Pg317" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + two alternatives, it might be safest to adhere to the idea of a + personal Messiah, as conveying the fullest rendering of the + prophet's thought. There is reason to think that in the interval + between this prophecy and his final vision Ezekiel's conception of + the Messiah underwent a certain modification, and therefore the + teaching of the later passage cannot be used to control the + explanation of this. But the obscurity is of such a nature that we + cannot hope to remove it. In the prophets' delineations of the + future there are many points on which the light of revelation had + not been fully cast; for they, like the Christian apostle, + <span class="tei tei-q">“knew in part and prophesied in + part.”</span> And the question of the way in which the Messiah's + office is to be prolonged is precisely one of those which did not + greatly occupy the mind of the prophets. There is no perspective in + Messianic prophecy: the future kingdom of God is seen, as it were, + in one plane, and how it is to be transmitted from one age to + another is never thought of. Thus it may become difficult to say + whether a particular prophet, in speaking of the Messiah, has a + single individual in view or whether he is thinking of a dynasty or + a succession. To Ezekiel the Messiah was a divinely revealed ideal, + which was to be fulfilled in a person; whether the prophet himself + distinctly understood this is a matter of inferior importance.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The second + question is one that perhaps would not readily occur to a plain + man. It relates to the meaning of the word <span class= + "tei tei-q">“prince”</span> as applied to the Messiah. It has been + thought by some critics that Ezekiel had a special reason for + avoiding the title <span class="tei tei-q">“king”</span>; and from + this supposed reason a somewhat sweeping conclusion has been + deduced. We are asked to believe that Ezekiel had in principle + abandoned the Messianic hope of his earlier prophecies—<span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, + the hope of a restoration of the Davidic kingdom in its ancient + splendour. What he really contemplates is <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page318">[pg 318]</span><a name="Pg318" id="Pg318" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> the abolition of the Hebrew monarchy, and the + institution of a new political system entirely different from + anything that had existed in the past. Although the Davidic prince + will hold the first place in the restored community, his dignity + will be less than royal; he will only be a titular monarch, his + power being overshadowed by the presence of Jehovah, the true king + of Israel. Now so far as this view is suggested by the use of the + word <span class="tei tei-q">“prince”</span> (literally + <span class="tei tei-q">“leader”</span> or <span class= + "tei tei-q">“president”</span>) in preference to <span class= + "tei tei-q">“king,”</span><a id="noteref_144" name="noteref_144" + href="#note_144"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">144</span></span></a> it is + sufficiently answered by pointing to the Messianic passage in ch. + xxxvii., where the name <span class="tei tei-q">“king”</span> is + used three times and in a peculiarly emphatic manner of the + Messianic prince.<a id="noteref_145" name="noteref_145" href= + "#note_145"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">145</span></span></a> There + is no reason to suppose that Ezekiel drew a distinction between + <span class="tei tei-q">“princely”</span> and <span class= + "tei tei-q">“kingly”</span> rank, and deliberately withheld the + higher dignity from the Messiah. Whatever may be the exact relation + of the Messiah to Jehovah, there is no doubt that he is conceived + as a king in the full sense of the term, possessed of all regal + qualities, and shepherding his people with the authority which + belonged to a true son of David.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But there is + another consideration which weighs more seriously with the writers + referred to. There is reason to believe that Ezekiel's conception + of the final kingdom of God underwent a change which might not + unfairly be described as an abandonment of the Messianic + expectation in its more restricted sense. In his latest vision the + functions of the prince are defined in such a way that his position + is shorn of the ideal significance which properly invests the + office of the Messiah. The change does not indeed <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page319">[pg 319]</span><a name="Pg319" id="Pg319" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> affect his merely political status. He + is still son of David and king of Israel, and all that is here said + about his duty towards his subjects is there presupposed. But his + character seems to be no longer regarded as thoroughly reliable, or + equal to all the temptations that arise wherever absolute power is + lodged in human hands. The possibility that the king may abuse his + authority for his private advantage is distinctly contemplated, and + provision is made against it in the statutory constitution to which + the king himself is subject. Such precautions are obviously + inconsistent with the ideal of the Messianic kingdom which we find, + for example, in the prophecy of Isaiah. The important question + therefore comes to be, whether this lower view of the monarchy is + anticipated in the thirty-fourth and thirty-seventh chapters. This + does not appear to be the case. The prophet still occupies the same + standpoint as in ch. xvii., regarding the Davidic monarchy as the + central religious institution of the restored state. The Messiah of + these chapters is a perfect king, endowed with the Spirit of God + for the discharge of his great office, one whose personal character + affords an absolute security for the maintenance of public + righteousness, and who is the medium of communication between God + and the nation. In other words, what we have to do with is a + Messianic prediction in the fullest sense of the term.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In concluding + our study of Ezekiel's Messianic teaching, we may make one remark + bearing on its typological interpretation. The attempt is sometimes + made to trace a gradual development and enrichment of the Messianic + idea in the hands of successive prophets. From that point of view + Ezekiel's contribution to the doctrine of the Messiah must be felt + to be disappointing. No one can imagine that his portrait of the + coming king possesses anything like the suggestiveness and + religious <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page320">[pg + 320]</span><a name="Pg320" id="Pg320" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + meaning conveyed by the ideal which stands out so clearly from the + pages of Isaiah. And, indeed, no subsequent prophet excels or even + equals Isaiah in the clearness and profundity of his directly + Messianic conceptions. This fact shows us that the endeavour to + find in the Old Testament a regular progress along one particular + line proceeds on too narrow a view of the scope of prophecy. The + truth is that the figure of the king is only one of many types of + the Christian dispensation which the religious institutions of + Israel supplied to the prophets. It is the most perfect of all + types, partly because it is personal, and partly because the idea + of kingship is the most comprehensive of the offices which Christ + executes as our Redeemer. But, after all, it expresses only one + aspect of the glorious future of the kingdom of God towards which + prophecy steadily points. We must remember also that the order in + which these types emerge is determined not altogether by their + intrinsic importance, but partly by their adaptation to the needs + of the age in which the prophet lived. The main function of + prophecy was to furnish present and practical direction to the + people of God; and the form under which the ideal was presented to + any particular generation was always that best fitted to help it + onwards, one stage nearer to the great consummation. Thus while + Isaiah idealises the figure of the king, Jeremiah grasps the + conception of a new religion under the form of a covenant, the + second Isaiah unfolds the idea of the prophetic servant of Jehovah, + Zechariah and the writer of the 110th Psalm idealise the + priesthood. All these are Messianic prophecies, if we take the word + in its widest acceptation; but they are not all cast in one mould, + and the attempt to arrange them in a single series is obviously + misleading. So with regard to Ezekiel we may say that his chief + Messianic ideal (still using the expression in a general sense) is + the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page321">[pg 321]</span><a name= + "Pg321" id="Pg321" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> sanctuary, the + symbol of Jehovah's presence in the midst of His people. At the end + of ch. xxxvii. the kingdom and the sanctuary are mentioned together + as pledges of the glory of the latter days. But while the idea of + the Messianic monarchy was a legacy inherited from his prophetic + precursors, the Temple was an institution whose typical + significance Ezekiel was the first to unfold. It was moreover the + one that met the religious requirements of the age in which Ezekiel + lived. Ultimately the hope of the personal Messiah loses the + importance which it still has in the present section of the book; + and the prophet's vision of the future concentrates itself on the + sanctuary as the centre of the restored theocracy, and the source + from which the regenerating influences of the divine grace flow + forth to Israel and the world.</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page322">[pg 322]</span><a name= + "Pg322" id="Pg322" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc51" id="toc51"></a> <a name="pdf52" id="pdf52"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XXI. Jehovah's Land. Chapters + xxxv., xxxvi.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The teaching of + this important passage turns on certain ideas regarding the land of + Canaan which enter very deeply into the religion of Israel. These + ideas are no doubt familiar in a general way to all thoughtful + readers of the Old Testament; but their full import is scarcely + realised until we understand that they are not peculiar to the + Bible, but form part of the stock of religious conceptions common + to Israel and its heathen neighbours.<a id="noteref_146" name= + "noteref_146" href="#note_146"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">146</span></span></a> In + the more advanced Semitic religions of antiquity each nation had + its own god as well as its own land, and the bond between the god + and the land was supposed to be quite as strong as that between the + god and the nation. The god, the land, and the people formed a + triad of religious relationship, and so closely were these three + elements associated that the expulsion of a people from its land + was held to dissolve the bond between it and the god. Thus while in + practice the land of a god was coextensive with the territory + inhabited by his worshippers, yet in theory the relation of the god + to his land is independent of his relation to the inhabitants; it + was <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">his</span></em> land whether the people in it + were his worshippers or not. The peculiar confusion of ideas that + arose when the people <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page323">[pg + 323]</span><a name="Pg323" id="Pg323" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + of one god came to reside permanently in the territory of another + is well illustrated by the case of the heathen colony which the + king of Assyria planted in Samaria after the exile of the ten + tribes. These settlers brought their own gods with them; but when + some of them were slain by lions, they perceived that they were + making a mistake in ignoring the rights of the god of the land. + They sent accordingly for a priest to instruct them in the religion + of the god of the land; and the result was that they <span class= + "tei tei-q">“feared Jehovah and served their own gods”</span> (2 + Kings xvii. 24-41). It was expected no doubt that in course of time + the foreign deities would be acclimatised.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the Old + Testament we find many traces of the influence of this conception + on the Hebrew religion. Canaan was the land of Jehovah (Hosea ix. + 3) apart altogether from its possession by Israel, the people of + Jehovah. It was Jehovah's land before Israel entered it, the + inheritance which He had selected for His people out of all the + countries of the world, the Land of Promise, given to the + patriarchs while as yet they were but strangers and sojourners in + it. Although the Israelites took possession of it as a nation of + conquerors, they did so in the consciousness that they were + expelling from Jehovah's dwelling-place a population which had + polluted it by their abominations. From that time onwards the + tenure of the soil of Palestine was regarded as an essential factor + of the national religion. The idea that Jehovah could not be + rightly worshipped outside of Hebrew territory was firmly rooted in + the mind of the people, and was accepted by the prophets as a + principle involved in the special relations that Jehovah maintained + with the people of Israel.<a id="noteref_147" name="noteref_147" + href="#note_147"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">147</span></span></a> Hence + no threat could be more terrible in the ears of the Israelites than + that of expatriation from <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page324">[pg + 324]</span><a name="Pg324" id="Pg324" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + their native soil; for it meant nothing less than the dissolution + of the tie that subsisted between them and their God. When that + threat was actually fulfilled there was no reproach harder to bear + than the taunt which Ezekiel here puts into the mouth of the + heathen: <span class="tei tei-q">“These are Jehovah's people—and + yet they are gone forth out of His land”</span> (ch. xxxvi. 20). + They felt all that was implied in that utterance of malicious + satisfaction over the collapse of a religion and the downfall of a + deity.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">There is another + way in which the thought of Canaan as Jehovah's land enters into + the religious conceptions of the Old Testament, and very markedly + into those of Ezekiel. As the God of the land Jehovah is the source + of its productiveness and the author of all the natural blessings + enjoyed by its inhabitants. It is He who gives the rain in its + season or else withholds it in token of His displeasure; it is He + who multiplies or diminishes the flocks and herds which feed on its + pastures, as well as the human population sustained by its produce. + This view of things was a primary factor in the religious education + of an agricultural people, as the ancient Hebrews mainly were. They + felt their dependence on God most directly in the influences of + their uncertain climate on the fertility of their land, with its + great possibilities of abundant provision for man and beast, and on + the other hand its extreme risk of famine and all the hardships + that follow in its train. In the changeful aspects of nature they + thus read instinctively the disposition of Jehovah towards + themselves. Fruitful seasons and golden harvests, diffusing comfort + and affluence through the community, were regarded as proofs that + all was well between them and their God; while times of barrenness + and scarcity brought home to them the conviction that Jehovah was + alienated. From the allusions in the prophets to droughts and + famines, to blastings and mildew, to <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page325">[pg 325]</span><a name="Pg325" id="Pg325" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> the scourge of locusts, we seem to gather + that on the whole the later history of Israel had been marked by + agricultural distress. The impression is confirmed by a hint of + Ezekiel's in the passage now before us. The land of Canaan had + apparently acquired an unenviable reputation for barrenness. The + reproach of the heathen lay upon it as a land that <span class= + "tei tei-q">“devoured men and bereaved its + population.”</span><a id="noteref_148" name="noteref_148" href= + "#note_148"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">148</span></span></a> The + reference may be partly (as Smend thinks) to the ravages of war, to + which Palestine was peculiarly exposed on account of its important + strategic situation. But the <span class="tei tei-q">“reproach of + famine”</span><a id="noteref_149" name="noteref_149" href= + "#note_149"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">149</span></span></a> was + certainly one point in its ill fame among the surrounding nations, + and it is quite sufficient to explain the strong language in which + they expressed their contempt. Now this state of things was plainly + inconsistent with amicable relations between the nation and its + God. It was evidence that the land lay under the blight of + Jehovah's displeasure, and the ground of that displeasure lay in + the sin of the people. Where the land counted for so much as an + index to the mind of God, it was a postulate of faith that in the + ideal future when God and Israel were perfectly reconciled the + physical condition of Canaan should be worthy of Him whose land it + was. And we have already seen that amongst the glories of the + Messianic age the preternatural fertility of the Holy Land holds a + prominent place.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This conception + of Canaan as the land of Jehovah undoubtedly has its natural + affinities with religious notions of a somewhat primitive kind. It + belongs to the stage of thought at which the power of a god is + habitually regarded as subject to local limitations, and in which + accordingly a particular territory is assigned to every deity as + the sphere of his influence. It is probable that the great mass of + the Hebrew people had never risen above this idea, but continued to + think of their country as Jehovah's land in <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page326">[pg 326]</span><a name="Pg326" id="Pg326" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> precisely the same way as Assyria was + Asshur's land and Moab the land of Chemosh. The monotheism of the + Old Testament revelation breaks through this system of ideas, and + interprets Jehovah's relation to the land in an entirely different + sense. It is not as the exclusive sphere of His influence that + Canaan is peculiarly associated with Jehovah's presence, but mainly + because it is the scene of His historical manifestation of Himself, + and the stage on which events were transacted which revealed His + Godhead to all the world. No prophet has a clearer perception of + the universal sweep of the divine government than Ezekiel, and yet + no prophet insists more strongly than he on the possession of the + land of Canaan as an indispensable symbol of communion between God + and His people. He has met with God in the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“unclean land”</span> of his exile, and he knows that + the moral government of the universe is not suspended by the + departure of Jehovah from His earthly sanctuary. Nevertheless he + cannot think of this separation as other than temporary. The final + reconciliation must take place on the soil of Palestine. The + kingdom of God can only be established by the return both of Israel + and Jehovah to their own land; and their joint possession of that + land is the seal of the everlasting covenant of peace that subsists + between them.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We must now + proceed to study the way in which these conceptions influenced the + Messianic expectations of Ezekiel at this period of his life. The + passage we are to consider consists of three sections. The + thirty-fifth chapter is a prophecy of judgment on Edom. The first + fifteen verses of ch. xxxvi. contain a promise of the restoration + of the land of Israel to its rightful owner. And the remainder of + that chapter presents a comprehensive view of the divine necessity + for the restoration and the power by which the redemption of the + people is to be accomplished.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page327">[pg 327]</span><a name="Pg327" id="Pg327" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">At the time + when these prophecies were written the land of Israel was in the + possession of the Edomites. By what means they had succeeded in + effecting a lodgment in the country we do not know. It is not + unlikely that Nebuchadnezzar may have granted them this extension + of their territory as a reward for their services to his army + during the last siege of Jerusalem. At all events their presence + there was an accomplished fact, and it appeals to the mind of the + prophet in two aspects. In the first place it was an outrage on + the majesty of Jehovah which filled the cup of Edom's iniquity to + the brim. In the second place it was an obstacle to the + restoration of Israel which had to be removed by the direct + intervention of the Almighty. These are the two themes which + occupy the thoughts of Ezekiel, the one in ch. xxxv. and the + other in ch. xxxvi. Hitherto he has spoken of the return to the + land of Canaan as a matter of course, as a thing necessary and + self-evident and not needing to be discussed in detail. But as + the time draws near he is led to think more clearly of the + historical circumstances of the return, and especially of the + hindrances arising from the actual situation of affairs.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But besides + this one cannot fail to be struck by the effective contrast which + the two pictures—one of the mountain land of Israel, and the + other of the mountain land of Seir—present to the imagination. It + is like a prophetic amplification of the blessing and curse which + Isaac pronounced on the progenitors of these two nations. Of the + one it is said:—</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-right: 3.60em; margin-top: 1.80em; margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-left: 3.60em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 0.90em; margin-top: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">God give thee of the dew of + heaven, and of the fatness of the earth,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And abundance of corn and + wine.</span> + </div> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page328">[pg + 328]</span><a name="Pg328" id="Pg328" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">And of the + other:—</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-left: 3.60em; margin-right: 3.60em; margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-top: 1.80em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 0.90em; margin-top: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Surely far from the fatness of + the earth shall thy dwelling be,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And far from the dew of heaven + from above.</span><a id="noteref_150" name="noteref_150" + href="#note_150"><span class="tei tei-noteref" style= + "text-align: left"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">150</span></span></a> + </div> + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In that + forecast of the destiny of the two brothers the actual + characteristics of their respective countries are tersely and + accurately expressed. But now, when the history of both nations + is about to be brought to an issue, the contrast is emphasised + and perpetuated. The blessing of Jacob is confirmed and expanded + into a promise of unimagined felicity, and the equivocal blessing + on Esau is changed into an unqualified and permanent curse. Thus, + when the mountains of Israel break forth into singing, and are + clothed with all the luxuriance of vegetation in which the + Oriental imagination revels, and cultivated by a happy and + contented people, those of Seir are doomed to perpetual sterility + and become a horror and desolation to all that pass by.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Confining + ourselves, however, to the thirty-fifth chapter, what we have + first to notice is the sins by which the Edomites had incurred + this judgment. These may be summed up under three heads: first, + their unrelenting hatred of Israel, which in the day of Judah's + calamity had broken out in savage acts of revenge (ver. 5); + second, their rejoicing over the misfortunes of Israel and the + desolation of its land (ver. 15); and third, their eagerness to + seize the land as soon as it was vacant (ver. 10). The first and + second of these have been already spoken of under the prophecies + on foreign nations; it is only the last that is of special + interest in the present connection. Of course the motive that + prompted Edom was natural, and it may be difficult to say how far + real moral guilt was involved in it. The annexation of vacant + territory, as the land of Israel practically was at this time, + would <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page329">[pg + 329]</span><a name="Pg329" id="Pg329" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + be regarded according to modern ideas as not only justifiable but + praiseworthy. Edom had the excuse of seeking to better its + condition by the possession of a more fertile country than its + own, and perhaps also the still stronger plea of pressure by the + Arabs from behind. But in the consciousness of an ancient people + there was always another thought present; and it is here if + anywhere that the sin of Edom lies. The invasion of Israel did + not cease to be an act of aggression because there were no human + defenders to bar the way. It was still Jehovah's land, although + it was unoccupied; and to intrude upon it was a conscious + defiance of His power. The arguments by which the Edomites + justified their seizure of it were none of those which a modern + state might use in similar circumstances, but were based on the + religious ideas which were common to all the world in those days. + They were aware that by the unwritten law which then prevailed + the step they meditated was sacrilege; and the spirit that + animated them was arrogant exultation over what was esteemed the + humiliation of Israel's national deity: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“The two nations and the two countries shall be mine, + and I will possess them, although Jehovah was there”</span> (ver. + 10: cf. vv. 12, 13). That is to say, the defeat and captivity of + Israel have proved the impotence of Jehovah to guard His land; + His power is broken, and the two countries called by His name lie + open to the invasion of any people that dares to trample + religious scruples underfoot. This was the way in which the + action of Edom would be interpreted by universal consent; and the + prophet is only reflecting the general sense of the age when he + charges them with this impiety. Now it is true that the Edomites + could not be expected to understand all that was involved in a + defiance of the God of Israel. To them He was only one among many + national gods, and their religion did not teach them to reverence + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page330">[pg 330]</span><a name= + "Pg330" id="Pg330" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> the gods of a + foreign state. But though they were not fully conscious of the + degree of guilt they incurred, they nevertheless sinned against + the light they had; and the consequences of transgression are + never measured by the sinner's own estimate of his culpability. + There was enough in the history of Israel to have impressed the + neighbouring peoples with a sense of the superiority of its + religion and the difference in character between Jehovah and all + other gods. If the Edomites had utterly failed to learn that + lesson, they were themselves partly to blame; and the spiritual + insensibility and dulness of conscience which everywhere + suppressed the knowledge of Jehovah's name is the very thing + which in the view of Ezekiel needs to be removed by signal and + exemplary acts of judgment.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is not + necessary to enter minutely into the details of the judgment + threatened against Edom. We may simply note that it corresponds + point for point with the demeanour exhibited by the Edomites in + the time of Israel's final retribution. The <span class= + "tei tei-q">“perpetual hatred”</span> is rewarded by perpetual + desolation (ver. 9); their seizure of Jehovah's land is punished + by their annihilation in the land that was their own (vv. 6-8); + and their malicious satisfaction over the depopulation of + Palestine recoils on their own heads when their mountain land is + made desolate <span class="tei tei-q">“to the rejoicing of the + whole earth”</span> (vv. 14, 15). And the lesson that will be + taught to the world by the contrast between the renewed Israel + and the barren mountain of Seir will be the power and holiness of + the one true God: <span class="tei tei-q">“they shall know that I + am Jehovah.”</span></p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The prophet's + mind is still occupied with the sin of Edom as he turns in the + thirty-sixth chapter to depict <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page331">[pg 331]</span><a name="Pg331" id="Pg331" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> the future of the land of Israel. The + opening verses of the chapter (vv. 1-7) betray an intensity of + patriotic feeling not often expressed by Ezekiel. The utterance + of the single idea which he wishes to express seems to be impeded + by the multitude of reflections that throng upon him as he + apostrophises <span class="tei tei-q">“the mountains and the + hills, the watercourses and the valleys, the desolate ruins and + deserted cities”</span> of his native country (ver. 4). The land + is conceived as conscious of the shame and reproach that rest + upon it; and all the elements that might be supposed to make up + the consciousness of the land—its naked desolation, the tread of + alien feet, the ravages of war, and the derisive talk of the + surrounding heathen (Edom being specially in view)—present + themselves to the mind of the prophet before he can utter the + message with which he is charged: <span class="tei tei-q">“Thus + saith the Lord Jehovah; Behold, I speak in My jealousy and My + anger, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen: therefore + ... I lift up My hand, Surely the nations that are round about + you—even they shall bear their shame”</span> (vv. 6, 7).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The jealousy + of Jehovah is here His holy resentment against indignities done + to Himself, and this attribute of the divine nature is now + enlisted on the side of Israel because of the despite which the + heathen had heaped on His land. But it is noteworthy that it is + through the land and not the people that this feeling is first + called into operation. Israel is still sinful and alienated from + God; but the honour of Jehovah is bound up with the land not less + than with the nation, and it is in reference to it that the + necessity of vindicating His holy name first becomes apparent. + There is what we might almost venture to call a divine + patriotism, which is stirred into activity by the desolate + condition of the land where the worship of the true God should be + celebrated. On this feature of Jehovah's character Ezekiel builds + the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page332">[pg 332]</span><a name= + "Pg332" id="Pg332" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> assurance of his + people's redemption. The idea expressed by the verses is simply + the certainty that Canaan shall be recovered from the heathen + dominion for the purposes of the kingdom of God.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The following + verses (8-15) speak of the positive aspects of the approaching + deliverance. Continuing his apostrophe to the mountains of + Israel, the prophet describes the transformation which is to pass + over them in view of the return of the exiled nation, which is + now on the eve of accomplishment (ver. 8). It might almost seem + as if the return of the inhabitants were here treated as a mere + incident of the rehabilitation of the land. That of course is + only an appearance, caused by the peculiar standpoint assumed + throughout these chapters. Ezekiel was not one who could look on + complacently</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-right: 3.60em; margin-top: 1.80em; margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-left: 3.60em"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Where wealth accumulates and men + decay;</span> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">nor was he + indifferent to the social welfare of his people. On the contrary + we have seen from ch. xxxiv. that he regards that as a supreme + interest in the future kingdom of God. And even in this passage + he does not make the interests of humanity subservient to those + of nature. His leading idea is a reunion of land and people under + happier auspices than had obtained of old. Formerly the land, in + mysterious sympathy with the mind of Jehovah, had seemed to be + animated by a hostile disposition towards its inhabitants. The + reluctant and niggardly subsistence that had been wrung from the + soil justified the evil report which the spies had brought up of + it at the first as a <span class="tei tei-q">“land that eateth up + the inhabitants thereof.”</span><a id="noteref_151" name= + "noteref_151" href="#note_151"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">151</span></span></a> Its + inhospitable character was known among the heathen, so that it + bore the reproach of being a land that <span class= + "tei tei-q">“devoured men and bereaved its nation.”</span> But in + the glorious future all <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page333">[pg + 333]</span><a name="Pg333" id="Pg333" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + this will be changed in harmony with Jehovah's altered relations + with His people. In the language of a later prophet,<a id= + "noteref_152" name="noteref_152" href="#note_152"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">152</span></span></a> the + land shall be <span class="tei tei-q">“married”</span> to + Jehovah, and endowed with exuberant fertility. Yielding its + fruits freely and generously, it will wipe off the reproach of + the heathen; its cities shall be inhabited, its ruins rebuilt, + and man and beast multiplied on its surface, so that its last + state shall be better than its first (ver. 11). And those who + till it and enjoy the benefits of its wonderful transformation + shall be none other than the house of Israel, for whose sins it + had borne the reproach of barrenness in the past (vv. 12-15).</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">III</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The next + passage (vv. 16-38) deals more with the renewal of the nation + than with that of the land; and thus forms a link of connection + between the main theme of this chapter and that of ch. xxxvii. It + contains the clearest and most comprehensive statement of the + process of redemption to be found in the whole book, exhibiting + as it does in logical order all the elements which enter into the + divine scheme of salvation. The fact that it is inserted just at + this point affords a fresh illustration of the importance + attached by the prophet to the religious associations which + gathered round the Holy Land. The land indeed is still the pivot + on which his thoughts turn; he starts from it in his short review + of God's past judgments on His people, and finally returns to it + in summing up the world-wide effects of His gracious dealings + with them in the immediate future. Although the connection of + ideas is singularly clear, the passage throws so much light on + the deepest theological conceptions of Ezekiel that it will be + well to recapitulate the principal steps of the + argument.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page334">[pg + 334]</span><a name="Pg334" id="Pg334" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We need not + linger on the cause of the rejection of Israel, for here the + prophet only repeats the main lesson which we have found so often + enforced in the first part of his book. Israel went into exile + because its manner of life as a nation had been abhorrent to + Jehovah, and it had defiled the land which was Jehovah's house. + As in ch. xxii. and elsewhere bloodshed and idols are the chief + emblems of the people's sinful condition; these constitute a real + physical defilement of the land, which must be punished by the + eviction of its inhabitants: <span class="tei tei-q">“So I poured + out My wrath upon them [on account of the blood which they had + shed upon the land, and the idols wherewith they had polluted + it]: and I scattered them among the nations, and they were + dispersed through the countries.”</span><a id="noteref_153" name= + "noteref_153" href="#note_153"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">153</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Thus the Exile + was necessary for the vindication of Jehovah's holiness as + reflected in the sanctity of His land. But the effect of the + dispersion on other nations was such as to compromise the honour + of Israel's God in another direction. Knowing Jehovah only as a + tribal god, the heathen naturally concluded that He had been too + feeble to protect His land from invasion and His people from + captivity. They could not penetrate to the moral reasons which + rendered the chastisement inevitable; they only saw that these + were Jehovah's people, and yet they were gone forth out of His + land (ver. 20), and drew the natural inference. The impression + thus produced by the presence of Israelites amongst the heathen + was derogatory to the majesty of Jehovah, and obscured the + knowledge of the true principles of His government which was + destined to extend to all the earth. This is all that seems to be + meant by the expression <span class="tei tei-q">“profaned My holy + name.”</span><a id="noteref_154" name="noteref_154" href= + "#note_154"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">154</span></span></a> + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page335">[pg 335]</span><a name= + "Pg335" id="Pg335" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> It is not implied + that the exiles scandalised the heathen by their vicious lives, + and so brought disgrace on <span class="tei tei-q">“that glorious + name by which they were called,”</span><a id="noteref_155" name= + "noteref_155" href="#note_155"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">155</span></span></a> + although that idea is implied in ch. xii. 16. The profanation + spoken of here was caused directly not by the sin but by the + calamities of Israel. Yet it was their sins which brought down + judgment upon them, and so indirectly gave occasion to the + enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. There were probably already + some of Ezekiel's compatriots who realised the bitterness of the + thought that their fate was the means of bringing discredit on + their God. Their experience would be similar to that of the + lonely exile who composed the forty-second psalm:—</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-top: 1.80em; margin-right: 3.60em; margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-left: 3.60em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-top: 0.90em; margin-bottom: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">As with a sword in my bones, + mine enemies reproach me;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">While they say daily unto me, + Where is thy God?</span><a id="noteref_156" name= + "noteref_156" href="#note_156"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref" style="text-align: left"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">156</span></span></a> + </div> + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now in this + fact the prophet recognises an absolute ground of confidence in + Israel's restoration. Jehovah cannot endure that His name should + thus be held up to derision before the eyes of mankind. To allow + this would be to frustrate the end of His government of the + world, which is to manifest His Godhead in such a way that all + men shall be brought to acknowledge it. Although He is known as + yet only as the national God of a particular people, He must be + disclosed to the world as all that the inspired teachers of + Israel know Him to be—the one Being worthy of the homage of the + human heart. There must be some way by which His name can be + sanctified before the heathen, some means of reconciling the + partial revelation of His holiness in Israel's dispersion with + the complete manifestation of His power to the world at large. + And this reconciliation can only be effected through the + redemption of Israel. God cannot disown His ancient <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page336">[pg 336]</span><a name="Pg336" id= + "Pg336" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> people, for that would be to + stultify the whole past revelation of His character and leave the + name by which He had made Himself known to contempt. That is + divinely impossible; and therefore Jehovah must carry through His + purpose by sanctifying Himself in the salvation of Israel. The + outward token of salvation will be their restoration to their own + land (ver. 24); but the inward reality of it will be a change in + the national character which will make their dwelling in the land + consistent with the revelation of Jehovah's holiness already + given by their banishment from it.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">At this point + accordingly (ver. 25) Ezekiel passes to speak of the spiritual + process of regeneration by which Israel is to be transformed into + a true people of God. This is a necessary part of the + sanctification of the divine name before the world. The new life + of the people will reveal the character of the God whom they + serve, and the change will explain the calamities that had + befallen them in the past. The world will thus see <span class= + "tei tei-q">“that the house of Israel went into captivity for + their iniquity,”</span><a id="noteref_157" name="noteref_157" + href="#note_157"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">157</span></span></a> and + will understand the holiness which the true God requires in His + worshippers. But for the present the prophet's thoughts are + concentrated on the operations of the divine grace by which the + renewal is effected. His analysis of the process of conversion is + profoundly instructive, and anticipates to a remarkable degree + the teaching of the New Testament. We shall content ourselves at + present with merely enumerating the different parts of the + process. The first step is the removal of the impurities + contracted by past transgressions. This is represented under the + figure of sprinkling with clean water, suggested by the ablutions + or lustrations which are so common a feature of the Levitical + ritual (ver. 25). <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page337">[pg + 337]</span><a name="Pg337" id="Pg337" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + The truth symbolised is the forgiveness of sins, the act of grace + which takes away the effect of moral uncleanness as a barrier to + fellowship with God. The second point is what is properly called + regeneration, the giving of a new heart and spirit (ver. 26). The + stony heart of the old nation, whose obduracy had dismayed so + many prophets, making them feel that they had spent their labour + for nought and in vain, shall be taken away, and instead of it + they shall receive a heart of flesh, sensitive to spiritual + influences and responsive to the divine will. And to this is + added in the third place the promise of the Spirit of God to be + in them as the ruling principle of a new life of obedience to the + law of God (ver. 27). The law, both moral and ceremonial, is the + expression of Jehovah's holy nature, and both the will and the + power to keep it perfectly must proceed from the indwelling of + His holy Spirit in the people.<a id="noteref_158" name= + "noteref_158" href="#note_158"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">158</span></span></a> It + is thus Jehovah Himself who <span class= + "tei tei-q">“saves”</span> the people <span class= + "tei tei-q">“out of all their uncleannesses”</span> (ver. 29), + caused by the depravity and infirmity of their natural hearts. + When these conditions are realised the harmony between Jehovah + and Israel will be completely restored: He will be their God, and + they shall be His people. They shall dwell for ever in the land + promised to their fathers; and the blessing of God resting on + land and people will multiply the fruit of the tree and the + produce of the field, so that they receive no more the reproach + of famine among the nations (vv. 28-30).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Having thus + described the process of salvation as from first to last the work + of Jehovah, the prophet proceeds to consider the impression which + it will produce first on Israel and then on the surrounding + nations (vv. 31-36). <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page338">[pg + 338]</span><a name="Pg338" id="Pg338" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + On Israel the effect of the goodness of God will be to lead them + to repentance. Remembering what their past history has been, and + contrasting it with the blessedness they now enjoy, they shall be + filled with shame and self-contempt, loathing themselves for + their iniquities and their abominations. It is not meant that all + feelings of joy and gratitude will be swallowed up in the + consciousness of unworthiness; but this is the feeling that will + be called forth by the memory of their past transgressions. Their + horror of sin will be such that they cannot think of what they + have been without the deepest compunction and self-abasement. And + this sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, reacting on their + consciousness of themselves, will be the best moral guarantee + against their relapse into the uncleanness from which they have + been delivered.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">To the + heathen, on the other hand, the state of Israel will be a + convincing demonstration of the power and godhead of Jehovah. Men + will say, <span class="tei tei-q">“Yonder land, which was + desolate, has become like the garden of Eden; and the cities that + were ruined and waste and destroyed are fenced and + inhabited”</span> (ver. 35). They will know that it is Jehovah's + doing, and it will be marvellous in their eyes.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The last two + verses seem to be an appendix. They deal with a special feature + of the restoration, about which the minds of the exiles may have + been exercised in thinking of the possibility of their + deliverance. Where was the population of the new Israel to come + from? The population of Judah must have been terribly reduced by + the disastrous wars that had desolated the country since the time + of Hezekiah. How was it possible, with a few thousands in exile, + and a miserable remnant left in the land, to build up a strong + and prosperous nation? This thought of theirs is met by the + announcement of a great increase of the inhabitants of the land. + Jehovah is ready to meet the questionings of human anxiety on + this point: <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page339">[pg + 339]</span><a name="Pg339" id="Pg339" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + He will <span class="tei tei-q">“let Himself be inquired + of”</span> for this.<a id="noteref_159" name="noteref_159" href= + "#note_159"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">159</span></span></a> The + remembrance of the sacrificial flocks that used to throng the + streets leading to the Temple at the time of the great festivals + supplies Ezekiel with an image of the teeming population that + shall be in all the cities of Canaan when this prophecy is + fulfilled.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Such is in + outline the scheme of redemption which Ezekiel presents to the + minds of his readers. We shall reserve a fuller consideration of + its more important doctrines for a separate chapter.<a id= + "noteref_160" name="noteref_160" href="#note_160"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">160</span></span></a> One + general application of its teaching, however, may be pointed out + before leaving the subject. We see that for Ezekiel the mysteries + and perplexities of the divine government find their solution in + the idea of redemption. He is aware of the false impression + necessarily produced on the heathen mind by God's dealings with + His people, as long as the process is incomplete. On account of + Israel's sin the revelation of God in providence is gradual and + fragmentary, and seems even for a time to defeat its own end. The + omnipotence of God was obscured by the very act of vindicating + His holiness; and what was in itself a great step towards the + complete revelation of His character came on the world in the + first instance as an evidence of His impotence. But the prophet, + looking beyond this to the final effect of God's work upon the + world, sees that Jehovah can be truly known only in the + manifestation of His redeeming grace. All the enigmas and + contradictions that arise from imperfect comprehension of His + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page340">[pg 340]</span><a name= + "Pg340" id="Pg340" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> purpose find their + answer in this truth, that God will yet redeem Israel from its + iniquities. God is His own interpreter, and when His work of + salvation is finished the result will be a conclusive + demonstration of that lofty conception of God to which the + prophet had attained.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now this + argument of Ezekiel's illustrates a principle of wide + application. Many objections that are advanced against the + theistic view of the universe seem to proceed on the assumption + that the actual state of the world adequately represents the mind + of its Creator. The heathen of Ezekiel's day have their modern + representatives amongst dispassionate critics of Providence like + J. S. Mill, who prove to their own satisfaction that the world + cannot be the work of a being answering to the Christian idea of + God. Do what you will, they say, to minimise the evils of + existence, there is still an amount of undeniable pain and misery + in the world which is fatal to your doctrine of an all-powerful + and perfectly good Creator. Omnipotence could, and benevolence + would, find a remedy; the Author of the universe, therefore, + cannot possess both. God, in short, if there be a God, may be + benevolent, or He may be omnipotent; but if benevolent He is not + omnipotent, and if omnipotent He cannot be benevolent. How very + convincing this is—from the standpoint of the neutral, + non-Christian observer! And how poor a defence is sometimes made + by the optimism which tries to make out that most evils are + blessings in disguise, and the rest not worth minding! The + Christian religion rises superior to such criticism, mainly in + virtue of its living faith in redemption. It does not explain + away evil, nor does it profess to account for its origin. It + speaks of the whole creation groaning and travailing in pain + together even until now. But it also describes the creation as + waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. It teaches us + to discover in history the unfolding of a purpose of redemption, + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page341">[pg 341]</span><a name= + "Pg341" id="Pg341" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> the end of which + will be the deliverance of mankind from the dominion of sin and + their eternal blessedness in the kingdom of our God and His + Christ. What Ezekiel foresaw in the form of a national + restoration will be accomplished in a world-wide salvation, in a + new heavens and a new earth, where there shall be no more curse. + But meanwhile to judge of God from what is, apart from what is + yet to be revealed, is to repeat the mistake of those who judged + Jehovah to be an effete tribal deity because He had suffered His + people to go forth out of their land. Those who have been brought + into sympathy with the divine purpose, and have experienced the + power of the Spirit of God in subduing the evil of their own + hearts, can hold with unwavering confidence the hope of a + universal victory of good over evil; and in the light of that + hope the mysteries that surround the moral government of God + cease to disturb their faith in the eternal Love which labours + patiently and unceasingly for the redemption of man.</p> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page342">[pg 342]</span><a name= + "Pg342" id="Pg342" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc53" id="toc53"></a> <a name="pdf54" id="pdf54"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XXII. Life From The Dead. + Chapter xxxvii.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The most + formidable obstacle to faith on the part of the exiles in the + possibility of a national redemption was the complete + disintegration of the ancient people of Israel. Hard as it was to + realise that Jehovah still lived and reigned in spite of the + cessation of His worship, and hard to hope for a recovery of the + land of Canaan from the dominion of the heathen, these things were + still conceivable. What almost surpassed conception was the + restoration of national life to the feeble and demoralised remnant + who had survived the fall of the state. It was no mere figure of + speech that these exiles employed when they thought of their nation + as dead. Cast off by its God, driven from its land, dismembered and + deprived of its political organisation, Israel as a people had + ceased to exist. Not only were the outward symbols of national + unity destroyed, but the national spirit was extinct. Just as the + destruction of the bodily organism implies the death of each + separate member and organ and cell, so the individual Israelites + felt themselves to be as dead men, dragging out an aimless + existence without hope in the world. While Israel was alive they + had lived in her and for her; all the best part of their life, + religion, duty, liberty, and loyalty had been bound up with the + consciousness of belonging to a nation with a proud history behind + them and a brilliant future for their <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page343">[pg 343]</span><a name="Pg343" id="Pg343" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> posterity. Now that Israel had perished all + spiritual and ideal significance had gone out of their lives; there + remained but a selfish and sordid struggle for existence, and this + they felt was not life, but death in life. And thus a promise of + deliverance which appealed to them as members of a nation seemed to + them a mockery, because they felt in themselves that the bond of + national life was irrevocably broken.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The hardest part + of Ezekiel's task at this time was therefore to revive the national + sentiment, so as to meet the obvious objection that even if Jehovah + were able to drive the heathen from His land there was still no + people of Israel to whom He could give it. If only the exiles could + be brought to believe that Israel had a future, that although now + dead it could be raised from the dead, the spiritual meaning of + their life would be given back to them in the form of hope, and + faith in God would be possible. Accordingly the prophet's thoughts + are now directed to the idea of the nation as the third factor of + the Messianic hope. He has spoken of the kingdom and the land, and + each of these ideals has led him on to the contemplation of the + final condition of the world, in which Jehovah's purpose is fully + manifested. So in this chapter he finds in the idea of the nation a + new point of departure, from which he proceeds to delineate once + more the Messianic salvation in its completeness.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The vision of + the valley of dry bones described in the first part of the + chapter contains the answer to the desponding thoughts of the + exiles, and seems indeed to be directly suggested by the figure + in which the popular feeling was currently expressed: + <span class="tei tei-q">“Our bones are dried; our hope is lost: + we feel ourselves cut off”</span> (ver. 11). <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page344">[pg 344]</span><a name="Pg344" id= + "Pg344" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> The fact that the answer came + to the prophet in a state of trance may perhaps indicate that his + mind had brooded over these words of the people for some time + before the moment of inspiration. Recognising how faithfully they + represented the actual situation, he was yet unable to suggest an + adequate solution of the difficulty by means of the prophetic + conceptions hitherto revealed to him. Such a vision as this seems + to presuppose a period of intense mental activity on the part of + Ezekiel, during which the despairing utterance of his compatriots + sounded in his ears; and the image of the dried bones of the + house of Israel so fixed itself in his mind that he could not + escape its gloomy associations except by a direct communication + from above. When at last the hand of the Lord came upon him, the + revelation clothed itself in a form corresponding to his previous + meditations; the emblem of death and despair is transformed into + a symbol of assured hope through the astounding vision which + unfolds itself before his inner eye.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the ecstasy + he feels himself led out in spirit to the plain which had been + the scene of former appearances of God to His prophet. But on + this occasion he sees it covered with bones—<span class= + "tei tei-q">“very many on the surface of the valley, and very + dry.”</span> He is made to pass round about them, in order that + the full impression of this spectacle of desolation might sink + into his mind. His attention is engrossed by two facts—their + exceeding great number, and their parched appearance, as if they + had lain there long. In other circumstances the question might + have suggested itself, How came these bones there? What countless + host has perished here, leaving its unburied bones to bleach and + wither on the open plain? But the prophet has no need to think of + this. They are the bones which had been familiar to his waking + thoughts, the dry bones of the house of Israel. The question he + hears addressed <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page345">[pg + 345]</span><a name="Pg345" id="Pg345" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + to him is not, Whence are these bones? but, Can these bones live? + It is the problem which had exercised his faith in thinking of a + national restoration which thus comes back to him in vision, to + receive its final solution from Him who alone can give it.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The prophet's + hesitating answer probably reveals the struggle between faith and + sight, between hope and fear, which was latent in his mind. He + dare not say No, for that would be to limit the power of Him whom + he knows to be omnipotent, and also to shut out the last gleam of + hope from his own mind. Yet in presence of that appalling scene + of hopeless decay and death he cannot of his own initiative + assert the possibility of resurrection. In the abstract all + things are possible with God; but whether this particular thing, + so inconceivable to men, is within the active purpose of God, is + a question which none can answer save God Himself. Ezekiel does + what man must always do in such a case—he throws himself back on + God, and reverently awaits the disclosure of His will, saying, + <span class="tei tei-q">“O Jehovah God, Thou knowest.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is + instructive to notice that the divine answer comes through the + consciousness of a duty. Ezekiel is commanded first of all to + prophesy over these dry bones; and in the words given him to + utter the solution of his own inward perplexity is wrapped up. + <span class="tei tei-q">“Say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the + word of Jehovah.... Behold, I will cause breath to enter into + you, and ye shall live”</span> (vv. 4, 5). In this way he is not + only taught that the agency by which Jehovah will effect His + purpose is the prophetic word, but he is also reminded that the + truth now revealed to him is to be the guide of his practical + ministry, and that only in the steadfast discharge of his + prophetic duty can he hold fast the hope of Israel's + resurrection. The problem that has exercised him is not one that + can be settled in retirement and inaction. What <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page346">[pg 346]</span><a name="Pg346" id= + "Pg346" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> he receives is not a mere + answer, but a message, and the delivery of the message is the + only way in which he can realise the truth of it, his activity as + a prophet being indeed a necessary element in the fulfilment of + his words. Let him preach the word of God to these dry bones, and + he will know that they can live; but if he fails to do this, he + will sink back into the unbelief to which all things are + impossible. Faith comes in the act of prophesying.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ezekiel did as + he was commanded; he prophesied over the dry bones, and + immediately he was sensible of the effect of his words. He heard + a rustling, and looking he saw that the bones were coming + together, bone to his bone. He does not need to tell us how his + heart rejoiced at this first sign of life returning to these dead + bones, and as he watched the whole process by which they were + built up into the semblance of men. It is described in minute + detail, so that no feature of the impression produced by the + stupendous miracle may be lost. It is divided into two stages, + the restoration of the bodily frame and the imparting of the + principle of life.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This division + cannot have any special significance when applied to the actual + nation, such as that the outward order of the state must be first + established, and then the national consciousness renewed. It + belongs to the imagery of the vision, and follows the order + observed in the original creation of man as described in the + second chapter of Genesis. God first formed man of the dust of + the ground, and afterwards breathed into his nostrils the breath + of life, so that he became a living soul. So here we have first a + description of the process by which the bodies were built up, the + skeletons being formed from the scattered bones, and then clothed + successively with sinews and flesh and skin. The reanimation of + these still lifeless bodies is a separate act of creative energy, + in which, however, the agency is still the word of God in the + mouth of the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page347">[pg + 347]</span><a name="Pg347" id="Pg347" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + prophet. He is bidden call for the breath to <span class= + "tei tei-q">“come from the four winds of heaven, and breathe upon + these slain that they may live.”</span> In Hebrew the words for + wind, breath, and spirit are identical; and thus the wind becomes + a symbol of the universal divine Spirit which is the source of + all life, while the breath is a symbol of that Spirit as so to + speak specialised in the individual man, or in other words of his + personal life. In the case of the first man Jehovah breathed into + his nostrils the breath of life, and the idea here is precisely + the same. The wind from the four quarters of heaven which becomes + the breath of this vast assemblage of men is conceived as the + breath of God, and symbolises the life-giving Spirit which makes + each of them a living person. The resurrection is complete. The + men live, and stand up upon their feet an exceeding great + army.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This is the + simplest, as well as the most suggestive, of Ezekiel's visions, + and carries its interpretation on the face of it. The single idea + which it expresses is the restoration of the Hebrew nationality + through the quickening influence of the Spirit of Jehovah on the + surviving members of the old house of Israel. It is not a + prophecy of the resurrection of individual Israelites who have + perished. The bones are <span class="tei tei-q">“the whole house + of Israel”</span> now in exile; they are alive as individuals, + but as members of a nation they are dead and hopeless of revival. + This is made clear by the explanation of the vision given in vv. + 11-14. It is addressed to those who think of themselves as cut + off from the higher interests and activities of the national + life. By a slight change of figure they are conceived as dead and + buried; and the resurrection is represented as an opening of + their graves. But the grave is no more to be understood literally + than the dry bones of the vision itself; both are symbols of the + gloomy and despairing view which the exiles take of their own + condition. <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page348">[pg + 348]</span><a name="Pg348" id="Pg348" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + The substance of the prophet's message is that the God who raises + the dead and calls the things that are not as though they were is + able to bring together the scattered members of the house of + Israel and form them into a new people through the operation of + His life-giving Spirit.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It has often + been supposed that, although the passage may not directly teach + the resurrection of the body, it nevertheless implies a certain + familiarity with that doctrine on the part of Ezekiel, if not of + his hearers likewise. If the raising of dead men to life could be + used as an analogy of a national restoration, the former + conception must have been at least more obvious than the latter, + otherwise the prophet would be explaining <span class= + "tei tei-foreign"><span style="font-style: italic">obscurum per + obscurius</span></span>. This argument, however, has only a + superficial plausibility. It confounds two things which are + distinct—the mere conception of resurrection, which is all that + was necessary to make the vision intelligible, and settled faith + in it as an element of the Messianic expectation. That God by a + miracle could restore the dead to life no devout Israelite ever + doubted.<a id="noteref_161" name="noteref_161" href= + "#note_161"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">161</span></span></a> But + it is to be noted that the recorded instances of such miracles + are all of those recently dead; and there is no evidence of a + general belief in the possibility of resurrection for those whose + bones were scattered and dry. It is this very impossibility, + indeed, that gives point to the metaphor under which the people + here express their sense of hopelessness. Moreover, if the + prophet had presupposed the doctrine of individual resurrection, + he could hardly have used it as an illustration in the way he + does. The mere prospect of a resuscitation of the multitudes of + Israelites who had perished would of itself have been a + sufficient answer to the despondency of the exiles; and it would + have <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page349">[pg + 349]</span><a name="Pg349" id="Pg349" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + been an anti-climax to use it as an argument for something much + less wonderful. We must also bear in mind that while the + resurrection of a nation may be to us little more than a figure + of speech, to the Hebrew mind it was an object of thought more + real and tangible than the idea of personal immortality.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It would + appear therefore that in the order of revelation the hope of the + resurrection is first presented in the promise of a resurrection + of the dead nation of Israel, and only in the second instance as + the resurrection of individual Israelites who should have passed + away without sharing in the glory of the latter days. Like the + early converts to Christianity, the Old Testament believers + sorrowed for those who fell asleep when the Messiah's kingdom was + supposed to be just at hand, until they found consolation in the + blessed hope of a resurrection with which Paul comforted the + Church at Thessalonica.<a id="noteref_162" name="noteref_162" + href="#note_162"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">162</span></span></a> In + Ezekiel we find that doctrine as yet only in its more general + form of a national resurrection; but it can hardly be doubted + that the form in which he expressed it prepared the way for the + fuller revelation of a resurrection of the individual. In two + later passages of the prophetic Scriptures we seem to find clear + indications of progress in this direction. One is a difficult + verse in the twenty-sixth chapter of Isaiah—part of a prophecy + usually assigned to a period later than Ezekiel—where the writer, + after a lamentation over the disappointments and wasted efforts + of the present, suddenly breaks into a rapture of hope as he + thinks of a time when departed Israelites shall be restored to + life to join the ranks of the ransomed people of God: + <span class="tei tei-q">“Let thy dead live again! Let my dead + bodies arise! Awake and rejoice, ye that dwell in the dust, for + thy dew is a dew of light, <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page350">[pg 350]</span><a name="Pg350" id="Pg350" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> and the earth shall yield up [her] + shades.”</span><a id="noteref_163" name="noteref_163" href= + "#note_163"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">163</span></span></a> + There does not seem to be any doubt that what is here predicted + is the actual resurrection of individual members of the people of + Israel to share in the blessings of the kingdom of God. The other + passage referred to is in the book of Daniel, where we have the + first explicit prediction of a resurrection both of the just and + the unjust. In the time of trouble when the people is delivered + <span class="tei tei-q">“many of them that sleep in the dust of + the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to + shame and everlasting contempt.”</span><a id="noteref_164" name= + "noteref_164" href="#note_164"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">164</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">These remarks + are made merely to show in what sense Ezekiel's vision may be + regarded as a contribution to the Old Testament doctrine of + personal immortality. It is so not by its direct teaching, nor + yet by its presuppositions, but by the suggestiveness of its + imagery, opening out a line of thought which under the guidance + of the Spirit of truth led to a fuller disclosure of the care of + God for the individual life, and His purpose to redeem from the + power of the grave those who had departed this life in His faith + and fear.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But this line + of inquiry lies somewhat apart from the main teaching of the + passage before us as a message for the Church in all ages. The + passage teaches with striking clearness the continuity of God's + redeeming work in the world, in spite of hindrances which to + human eyes seem insurmountable. The gravest hindrance, both in + appearance and in reality, is the decay of faith and vital + religion in the Church itself. There are times when earnest men + are tempted to say that the Church's hope is lost and her bones + are dried—when laxity of life and lukewarmness in devotion + pervade all her members, and she ceases to influence the world + for good. And yet when we consider <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page351">[pg 351]</span><a name="Pg351" id="Pg351" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> that the whole history of God's cause is + one long process of raising dead souls to spiritual life and + building up a kingdom of God out of fallen humanity, we see that + the true hope of the Church can never be lost. It lies in the + life-giving, regenerating power of the divine Spirit, and the + promise that the word of God does not return to Him void but + prospers in the thing whereto He sends it. That is the great + lesson of Ezekiel's vision, and although its immediate + application may be limited to the occasion that called it forth, + yet the analogy on which it is founded is taken up by our Lord + Himself and extended to the proclamation of His truth to the + world at large: <span class="tei tei-q">“The hour is coming, and + now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and + they that hear shall live.”</span><a id="noteref_165" name= + "noteref_165" href="#note_165"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">165</span></span></a> We + perhaps too readily empty these strong terms of their meaning. + The Spirit of God is apt to become a mere expression for the + religious and moral influences lodged in a Christian society, and + we come to rely on these agencies for the dissemination of + Christian principles and the formation of Christian character. We + forget that behind all this there is something which is compared + to the imparting of life where there was none, something which is + the work of the Spirit of which we cannot tell whence it cometh + and whither it goeth. But in times of low spirituality, when the + love of many waxes cold, and there are few signs of zeal and + activity in the service of Christ, men learn to fall back in + faith on the invisible power of God to make His word effectual + for the revival of His cause among men. And this happens + constantly in narrow spheres which may never attract the notice + of the world. There are positions in the Church still where + Christ's servants are called to labour in the faith of Ezekiel, + with appearances all against them, and nothing <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page352">[pg 352]</span><a name="Pg352" id= + "Pg352" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> to inspire them but the + conviction that the word they preach is the power of God and able + even to bring life to the dead.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The second + half of the chapter speaks of a special feature of the national + restoration, the reunion of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel + under one sceptre. This is represented first of all by a symbolic + action. The prophet is directed to take two pieces of wood, + apparently in the form of sceptres, and to write upon them + inscriptions dedicating them respectively to Judah and Joseph, + the heads of the two confederacies out of which the rival + monarchies were formed. The <span class= + "tei tei-q">“companions”</span> (ver. 16)—<span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, + allies—of Judah are the two tribes of Benjamin and Simeon; those + of Joseph are all the other tribes, who stood under the hegemony + of Ephraim. If the second inscription is rather more complicated + than the first, it is because of the fact that there was no + actual tribe of Joseph. It therefore runs thus: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“For Joseph, the staff of Ephraim, and all the house + of Israel his confederates.”</span> These two staves then he is + to put together so that they become one sceptre in his hand. It + is a little difficult to decide whether this was a sign that was + actually performed before the people, or one that is only + imagined. It depends partly on what we take to be meant by the + joining of the two pieces. If Ezekiel merely took two sticks, put + them end to end, and made them look like one, then no doubt he + did this in public, for otherwise there would be no use in + mentioning the circumstance at all. But if the meaning is, as + seems more probable, that when the rods are put together they + miraculously grow into one, then we see that such a sign has a + value for the prophet's own mind as a symbol of the truth + revealed to <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page353">[pg + 353]</span><a name="Pg353" id="Pg353" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + him, and it is no longer necessary to assume that the action was + really performed. The purpose of the sign is not merely to + suggest the idea of political unity, which is too simple to + require any such illustration, but rather to indicate the + completeness of the union and the divine force needed to bring it + about. The difficulty of conceiving a perfect fusion of the two + parts of the nation was really very great, the cleavage between + Judah and the North being much older than the monarchy, and + having been accentuated by centuries of political separation and + rivalry.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">To us the most + noteworthy fact is the steadfastness with which the prophets of + this period cling to the hope of a restoration of the northern + tribes, although nearly a century and a half had now elapsed + since <span class="tei tei-q">“Ephraim was broken from being a + people.”</span><a id="noteref_166" name="noteref_166" href= + "#note_166"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">166</span></span></a> + Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, is unable to think of an Israel which + does not include the representatives of the ten northern tribes. + Whether any communication was kept up with the colonies of + Israelites that had been transported from Samaria to Assyria we + do not know, but they are regarded as still existing, and still + remembered by Jehovah. The resurrection of the nation which + Ezekiel has just predicted is expressly said to apply to the + whole house of Israel, and now he goes on to announce that this + <span class="tei tei-q">“exceeding great army”</span> shall march + to its land not under two banners, but under one.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We have + touched already, in speaking of the Messianic idea, on the + reasons which lead the prophets to put so much emphasis on this + union. They felt as strongly on the point as a High Churchman + does about the sin of schism, and it would not be difficult for + the latter to show that his point of view and his ideals closely + resemble those <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page354">[pg + 354]</span><a name="Pg354" id="Pg354" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + of the prophets. The rending of the body of Christ which is + supposed to be involved in a breach of external unity is + paralleled by the disruption of the Hebrew state, which violates + the unity of the one people of Jehovah. The idea of the Church as + the bride of Christ, is the same idea under which Hosea expresses + the relations between Jehovah and Israel, and it necessarily + carries with it the unity of the people of Israel in the one case + and of the Church in the other. It must be admitted also that the + evils resulting from the division between Judah and Israel have + been reproduced, with consequences a thousand times more + disastrous to religion, in the strife and uncharitableness, the + party spirit and jealousies and animosities, which different + denominations of Christians have invariably exhibited towards + each other when they were close enough for mutual interest. But + granting all this, and granting that what is called schism is + essentially the same thing that the prophets desired to see + removed, it does not at once follow that dissent is in itself + sinful, and still less that the sin is necessarily on the side of + the Dissenter. The question is whether the national standpoint of + the prophets is altogether applicable to the communion of saints + in Christ, whether the body of Christ is really torn asunder by + differences in organisation and opinion, whether, in short, + anything is necessary to avoid the guilt of schism beyond keeping + the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The Old Testament + dealt with men in the mass, as members of a nation, and its + standards can hardly be adequate to the polity of a religion + which has to provide for the freedom of the individual conscience + before God. At the worst the Dissenter may point out that the Old + Testament schism was necessary as a protest against tyranny and + despotism, that in this aspect it was sanctioned by the inspired + prophets of the age, that its undoubted evils were partly + compensated by a freer <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page355">[pg + 355]</span><a name="Pg355" id="Pg355" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + expansion of religious life, and finally that even the prophets + did not expect it to be healed before the millennium.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">From the idea + of the reunited nation Ezekiel returns easily to the promise of + the Davidic king and the blessings of the Messianic dispensation. + The one people implies one shepherd, and also one land, and one + spirit to walk in Jehovah's judgments and to observe His statutes + to do them. The various elements which enter into the conception + of national salvation are thus gathered up and combined in one + picture of the people's everlasting felicity. And the whole is + crowned by the promise of Jehovah's presence with the people, + sanctifying and protecting them from His sanctuary. This final + condition of things is permanent and eternal. The sources of + internal dispeace are removed by the washing away of Israel's + iniquities, and the impossibility of any disturbance from without + is illustrated by the onslaught of the heathen nations described + in the following chapters.</p> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page356">[pg 356]</span><a name= + "Pg356" id="Pg356" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc55" id="toc55"></a> <a name="pdf56" id="pdf56"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XXIII. The Conversion Of + Israel.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In an early + chapter of this volume<a id="noteref_167" name="noteref_167" href= + "#note_167"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">167</span></span></a> we + had occasion to notice some theological principles which appear to + have guided the prophet's thinking from the first. It was evident + even then that these principles pointed towards a definite theory + of the conversion of Israel and the process by which it was to be + effected. In subsequent prophecies we have seen how constantly + Ezekiel's thoughts revert to this theme, as now one aspect of it + and then another is disclosed to him. We have also glanced at one + passage<a id="noteref_168" name="noteref_168" href= + "#note_168"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">168</span></span></a> which + seemed to be a connected statement of the divine procedure as + bearing on the restoration of Israel. But we have now reached a + stage in the exposition where all this lies behind us. In the + chapters that remain to be considered the regeneration of the + people is assumed to have taken place; their religion and their + morality are regarded as established on a stable and permanent + basis, and all that has to be done is to describe the institutions + by which the benefits of salvation may be conserved and handed down + from age to age of the Messianic dispensation. The present is + therefore a fitting opportunity for an attempt to describe + Ezekiel's doctrine of conversion as a whole. It is all the more + desirable that the attempt should be made because the national + salvation is the central interest of the whole <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page357">[pg 357]</span><a name="Pg357" id="Pg357" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> book; and if we can understand the + prophet's teaching on this subject, we shall have the key to his + whole system of theology.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">1. The first + point to be noticed, and the one most characteristic of Ezekiel, is + the divine motive for the redemption of Israel—Jehovah's regard for + His own name. This thought finds expression in many parts of the + book, but nowhere more clearly than in the twenty-second verse of + the thirty-sixth chapter: <span class="tei tei-q">“Not for your + sakes do I act, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which ye + have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.”</span> Similarly + in the thirty-second verse: <span class="tei tei-q">“Not for your + sakes do I act, saith the Lord Jehovah, be it known unto you: be + ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of + Israel.”</span> There is an apparent harshness in these + declarations which makes it easy to present them in a repellent + light. They have been taken to mean that Jehovah is absolutely + indifferent to the weal or woe of the people except in so far as it + reflects on His own credit with the world; that He accepts the + relationship between Him and Israel, but does so in the spirit of a + selfish parent who exerts himself to save his child from disgrace + merely in order to prevent his own name from being dragged in the + mire. It would be difficult to explain how such a Being should be + at all concerned about what men think of Him. If Jehovah has no + interest in Israel, it is hard to see why He should be sensitive to + the opinion of the rest of mankind. That is an idea of God which no + man can seriously hold, and we may be certain that it is a + perversion of Ezekiel's meaning. Everything depends on how much is + included in the <span class="tei tei-q">“name”</span> of Jehovah. + If it denotes mere arbitrary power, delighting in its own exercise + and the awe which it excites, then we might conceive of the divine + action as ruled by a boundless egoism, to which all human interests + are alike <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page358">[pg + 358]</span><a name="Pg358" id="Pg358" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + indifferent. But that is not the conception of God which Ezekiel + has. He is a moral Being, one who has compassion on other things + besides His own name,<a id="noteref_169" name="noteref_169" href= + "#note_169"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">169</span></span></a> one + who has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that he should + turn from his way and live.<a id="noteref_170" name="noteref_170" + href="#note_170"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">170</span></span></a> But + when this aspect of His character is included in the name of God, + we see that regard for His name cannot mean mere regard for His own + interests, as if these were opposed to the interests of His + creatures; but means the desire to be known as He is, as a God of + mercy and righteousness as well as of infinite power.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The name of God + is that by which He is known amongst men. It is more than His + honour or reputation, although that is included in it according to + Hebrew idiom; it is the expression of His character or His + personality. To act for His name's sake, therefore, is to act so + that His true character may be more fully revealed, and so that + men's thoughts of Him may more truly correspond to that which in + Himself He is. There is plainly nothing in this inconsistent with + the deepest interest in men's spiritual well-being. Jehovah is the + God of salvation, and desires to reveal Himself as such; and + whether we say that He saves men in order that He may be known as a + Saviour, or that He makes Himself known in order to save them, does + not make any real difference. Revelation and redemption are one + thing. And when Ezekiel says that regard for His own name is the + supreme motive of Jehovah's action, he does not teach that Jehovah + is uninfluenced by care for man; if the question had been put to + him, he would have said that care for man is one of the attributes + included in the Name which Jehovah is concerned to reveal.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The real meaning + of Ezekiel's doctrine will perhaps be best understood from its + negative statement. What is <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page359">[pg 359]</span><a name="Pg359" id="Pg359" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> meant to be excluded by the expression + <span class="tei tei-q">“not for your sakes”</span>? It <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">might</span></em> + no doubt mean, <span class="tei tei-q">“not because I care at all + for you”</span>; but that we have seen to be inconsistent with + other aspects of Ezekiel's teaching about the divine character. All + that it necessarily implies is <span class="tei tei-q">“not for any + good that I find in you.”</span> It is a protest against the idea + of Pharisaic self-righteousness that a man may have a legal claim + upon God through his own merits. It is true that that was not a + prevalent notion amongst the people in the time of Ezekiel. But + their state of mind was one in which such a thought might easily + arise. They were convinced of having been entirely in the wrong in + their conceptions of the relation between them and Jehovah. The + pagan notion that the people is indispensable to the god on account + of a physical bond between them had broken down in the recent + experience of Israel, and with it had vanished every natural ground + for the hope of salvation. In such circumstances the promise of + deliverance would naturally raise the thought that there must after + all be something in Israel that was pleasing to Jehovah, and that + the prophet's denunciations of their past sins were overdone. In + order to guard against that error Ezekiel explicitly asserts, what + was involved in the whole of his teaching, that the mercy of God + was not called forth by any good in Israel, but that nevertheless + there are immutable reasons in the divine nature on which the + certainty of Israel's redemption may be built.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The truth here + taught is therefore, in theological language, the sovereignty of + the divine grace. Ezekiel's statement of it is liable to all the + distortions and misrepresentations to which that doctrine has been + subjected at the hands both of its friends and its enemies; but + when fairly treated it is no more objectionable than any other + expression of the same truth to be found in Scripture. In Ezekiel's + case it was the result of a penetrating analysis <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page360">[pg 360]</span><a name="Pg360" id="Pg360" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of the moral condition of his people + which led him to see that there was nothing in them to suggest the + possibility of their being restored. It is only when he falls back + on the thought of what God is, on the divine necessity of + vindicating His holiness in the salvation of His people, that his + faith in Israel's future finds a sure point of support. And so in + general a profound sense of human sinfulness will always throw the + mind back on the idea of God as the one immovable ground of + confidence in the ultimate redemption of the individual and the + world. When the doctrine is pressed to the conclusion that God + saves men in spite of themselves, and merely to display His power + over them, it becomes false and pernicious, and indeed + self-contradictory. But so long as we hold fast to the truth that + God is love, and that the glory of God is the manifestation of His + love, the doctrine of the divine sovereignty only expresses the + unchangeableness of that love and its final victory over the sin of + the world.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">2. The + intellectual side of the conversion of Israel is the acceptance of + that idea of God which to the prophet is summed up in the name of + Jehovah. This is expressed in the standing formula which denotes + the effect of all God's dealings with men, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“They shall know that I am Jehovah.”</span> We need + not, however, repeat what has been already said as to the meaning + of these words.<a id="noteref_171" name="noteref_171" href= + "#note_171"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">171</span></span></a> Nor + shall we dwell on the effect of the national judgment as a means + towards producing a right impression of Jehovah's nature. It is + possible that as time went on Ezekiel came to see that chastisement + alone would not effect the moral change in the exiles which was + necessary to bring them into sympathy with the divine purposes. In + the early prophecy of ch. vi. the knowledge of Jehovah and the + self-condemnation which accompanies it are spoken of as the direct + result of His judgment on sin,<a id="noteref_172" name= + "noteref_172" href="#note_172"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">172</span></span></a> and + this <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page361">[pg 361]</span><a name= + "Pg361" id="Pg361" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> undoubtedly was one + element in the conversion of the people to right thoughts about + God. But in all other passages this feeling of self-loathing is not + the beginning but the end of conversion; it is caused by the + experience of pardon and redemption following upon + punishment.<a id="noteref_173" name="noteref_173" href= + "#note_173"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">173</span></span></a> There + is also another aspect of judgment which may be mentioned in + passing for the sake of completeness. It is that which is expounded + in the end of the twentieth chapter. There the judgment which still + stands between the exiles and the return to their own land is + represented as a sifting process, in which those who have undergone + a spiritual change are finally separated from those who perish in + their impenitence. This idea does not occur in the prophecies + subsequent to the fall of Jerusalem, and it may be doubtful how it + fits into the scheme of redemption there unfolded. The prophet here + regards conversion as a process wholly carried through by the + operation of Jehovah on the mind of the people; and what we have + next to consider is the steps by which this great end is + accomplished. They are these two—forgiveness and regeneration.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">3. The + forgiveness of sins is denoted in the thirty-sixth chapter, as we + have already seen, by the symbol of sprinkling with clean water. + But it must not be supposed that this isolated figure is the only + form in which the doctrine appears in Ezekiel's exposition of the + process of salvation. On the contrary forgiveness is the + fundamental assumption of the whole argument, and is present in + every promise of future blessedness to the people. For the Old + Testament idea of forgiveness is extremely simple, resting as it + does on the analogy of forgiveness in human life. The spiritual + fact which constitutes the essence of forgiveness is the change in + Jehovah's disposition towards <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page362">[pg 362]</span><a name="Pg362" id="Pg362" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> His people which is manifested by the renewal + of those indispensable conditions of national well-being which in + His anger He had taken away. The restoration of Israel to its own + land is thus not simply a token of forgiveness, but the act of + forgiveness itself, and the only form in which the fact could be + realised in the experience of the nation. In this sense the whole + of Ezekiel's predictions of the Messianic deliverance and the + glories that follow it are one continuous promise of forgiveness, + setting forth the truth that Jehovah's love to His people persists + in spite of their sin, and works victoriously for their redemption + and restoration to the full enjoyment of His favour. There is + perhaps one point in which we discover a difference between + Ezekiel's conception and that of his predecessors. According to the + common prophetic doctrine penitence, including amendment, is the + moral effect of Jehovah's chastisement, and is the necessary + condition of pardon. We have seen that there is some doubt whether + Ezekiel regarded repentance as the result of judgment, and the same + doubt exists as to whether in the order of salvation repentance is + a preliminary or a consequence of forgiveness. The truth is that + the prophet appears to combine both conceptions. In urging + individuals to prepare for the coming of the kingdom of God he + makes repentance a necessary condition of entering it; but in + describing the whole process of salvation as the work of God he + makes contrition for sin the result of reflection on the goodness + of Jehovah already experienced in the peaceful occupation of the + land of Canaan.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">4. The idea of + regeneration is very prominent in Ezekiel's teaching. The need for + a radical change in the national character was impressed on him by + the spectacle which he witnessed daily of evil tendencies and + practices persisted in, in spite of the clearest demonstration that + they were hateful to Jehovah and had been <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page363">[pg 363]</span><a name="Pg363" id="Pg363" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> the cause of the nation's calamities. And he + does not ascribe this state of things merely to the influence of + tradition and public opinion and evil example, but traces it to its + source in the hardness and corruption of the individual nature. It + was evident that no mere change of intellectual conviction would + avail to alter the currents of life among the exiles; the heart + must be renewed, out of which are the issues both of personal and + national life. Hence the promise of regeneration is expressed as a + taking away of the stony, unimpressible heart that was in them, and + putting within them a heart of flesh, a new heart and a new spirit. + In exhorting individuals to repentance Ezekiel calls on them to + make themselves a new heart and a new spirit,<a id="noteref_174" + name="noteref_174" href="#note_174"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">174</span></span></a> + meaning that their repentance must be genuine, extending to the + inner motives and springs of action, and not be confined to outward + signs of mourning.<a id="noteref_175" name="noteref_175" href= + "#note_175"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">175</span></span></a> But + in other connections the new heart and spirit is represented as a + gift, the result of the operation of the divine grace.<a id= + "noteref_176" name="noteref_176" href="#note_176"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">176</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Closely + connected with this, perhaps only the same truth in another form, + is the promise of the outpouring of the Spirit of God.<a id= + "noteref_177" name="noteref_177" href="#note_177"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">177</span></span></a> The + general expectation of a new supernatural power infused into the + national life in the latter days is common in the prophets. It + appears in Hosea under the beautiful image of the dew,<a id= + "noteref_178" name="noteref_178" href="#note_178"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">178</span></span></a> and + in Isaiah it is expressed in the consciousness that the desolation + of the land must continue <span class="tei tei-q">“until spirit be + poured upon us from on high.”</span><a id="noteref_179" name= + "noteref_179" href="#note_179"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">179</span></span></a> But + no earlier prophet presents the idea of the Spirit as a principle + of regeneration with the precision and clearness which the doctrine + assumes in the hands of Ezekiel. What in Hosea and <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page364">[pg 364]</span><a name="Pg364" id="Pg364" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> Isaiah may be only a divine influence, + quickening and developing the flagging spiritual energies of the + people, is here revealed as a creative power, the source of a new + life, and the beginning of all that possesses moral or spiritual + worth in the people of God.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">5. It only + remains for us now to note the twofold effect of these operations + of Jehovah's grace in the religious and moral condition of the + nation. There will be produced, in the first place, a new readiness + and power of obedience to the divine commandments.<a id= + "noteref_180" name="noteref_180" href="#note_180"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">180</span></span></a> Like + the apostle, they will not only <span class="tei tei-q">“consent + unto the law that it is good”</span>;<a id="noteref_181" name= + "noteref_181" href="#note_181"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">181</span></span></a> but + in virtue of the new <span class="tei tei-q">“Spirit of + life”</span> given to them, they will be in a real sense + <span class="tei tei-q">“free from the law,”</span><a id= + "noteref_182" name="noteref_182" href="#note_182"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">182</span></span></a> + because the inward impulse of their own regenerate nature will lead + them to fulfil it perfectly. The inefficiency of law as a mere + external authority acting on men by hope of reward and fear of + punishment was perceived both by Jeremiah and Ezekiel almost as + clearly as by Paul, although this conviction on the part of the + prophets was based on observation of national depravity rather than + on their personal experience. It led Jeremiah to the conception of + a new covenant under which Jehovah will write His law on men's + hearts;<a id="noteref_183" name="noteref_183" href= + "#note_183"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">183</span></span></a> and + Ezekiel expresses the same truth in the promise of a new Spirit + inclining the people to walk in Jehovah's statutes and to keep His + judgments.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The second + inward result of salvation is shame and self-loathing on account of + past transgressions.<a id="noteref_184" name="noteref_184" href= + "#note_184"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">184</span></span></a> It + seems strange that the prophet should dwell so much on this as a + mark of Israel's saved condition. His strong protest against the + doctrine of inherited guilt in the eighteenth <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page365">[pg 365]</span><a name="Pg365" id="Pg365" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> chapter would have led us to expect + that the members of the new Israel would not be conscious of any + responsibility for the sins of the old. But here, as in other + instances, the conception of the personified nation proves itself a + better vehicle of religious truth from the Old Testament standpoint + than the religious relations of the individual. The continuity of + the national consciousness sustains that profound sense of + unworthiness which is an essential element of true reconciliation + to God, although each individual Israelite in the kingdom of God + knows that he is not accountable for the iniquity of his + fathers.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This outline of + the prophet's conception of salvation illustrates the truth of the + remark that Ezekiel is the first dogmatic theologian. In so far as + it is the business of a theologian to exhibit the logical + connection of the ideas which express man's relation to God, + Ezekiel more than any other prophet may claim the title. Truths + which are the presuppositions of all prophecy are to him objects of + conscious reflection, and emerge from his hands in the shape of + clearly formulated doctrines. There is probably no single element + of his teaching which may not be traced in the writings of his + predecessors, but there is none which has not gained from him a + more distinct intellectual expression. And what is specially + remarkable is the manner in which the doctrines are bound together + in the unity of a system. In grounding the necessity of redemption + in the divine nature, Ezekiel may be said to foreshadow the + theology which is often called Calvinistic or Augustinian, but + which might more truly be called Pauline. Although the final remedy + for the sin of the world had not yet been revealed, the scheme of + redemption disclosed to Ezekiel agrees with much of the teaching of + the New Testament regarding the effects of the work of Christ on + the individual. <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page366">[pg + 366]</span><a name="Pg366" id="Pg366" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + Speaking of the passage ch. xxxvi. 16-38 Dr. Davidson writes as + follows:—</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em"><span class= + "tei tei-q">“Probably no passage in the Old Testament of the same + extent offers so complete a parallel to New Testament doctrine, + particularly to that of St. Paul. It is doubtful if the apostle + quotes Ezekiel anywhere, but his line of thought entirely coincides + with his. The same conceptions and in the same order belong to + both,—forgiveness (ver. 25); regeneration, a new heart and spirit + (ver. 26); the Spirit of God as the ruling power in the new life + (ver. 27); the issue of this, the keeping of the requirements of + God's law (ver. 27; Rom. viii. 4); the effect of being <span class= + "tei tei-q">‘under grace’</span> in softening the human heart and + leading to obedience (ver. 31; Rom. vi., vii.); and the organic + connection of Israel's history with Jehovah's revelation of Himself + to the nations (vv. 33-36; Rom. xi.).”</span></p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page367">[pg 367]</span><a name= + "Pg367" id="Pg367" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 4.00em; margin-top: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc57" id="toc57"></a> <a name="pdf58" id="pdf58"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XXIV. Jehovah's Final + Victory. Chapters xxxviii., xxxix.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">These chapters + give the impression of having been intended to stand at the close + of the book of Ezekiel. Their present position is best explained on + the supposition that the original collection of Ezekiel's + prophecies actually ended here, and that the remaining chapters + (xl.-xlviii.) form an appendix, added at a later period without + disturbing the plan on which the book had been arranged. In + chronological order, at all events, the oracle on Gog comes after + the vision of the last nine chapters. It marks the utmost limit of + Ezekiel's vision of the future of the kingdom of God. It represents + the <span class="tei tei-foreign"><span style= + "font-style: italic">dénouement</span></span> of the great drama of + Jehovah's self-manifestation to the nations of the world. It + describes an event which is to take place in the far-distant + future, long after the Messianic age has begun and after Israel has + long been settled peacefully in its own land. Certain + considerations, which we shall notice at the end of this lecture, + brought home to the prophet's mind the conviction that the lessons + of Israel's restoration did not afford a sufficient illustration of + Jehovah's glory or of the meaning of His past dealings with His + people. The conclusive demonstration of this is therefore to be + furnished by the destruction of Gog and his myrmidons when in the + latter days they make an onslaught on the Holy Land.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The idea of a + great world-catastrophe, following after <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page368">[pg 368]</span><a name="Pg368" id="Pg368" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> a long interval the establishment of the + kingdom of God, is peculiar to Ezekiel amongst the prophets of the + Old Testament. According to other prophets the judgment of the + nations takes place in a <span class="tei tei-q">“day of + Jehovah”</span> which is the crisis of history; and the Messianic + era which follows is a period of undisturbed tranquillity in which + the knowledge of the true God penetrates to the remotest regions of + the earth. In Ezekiel, on the other hand, the judgment of the world + is divided into two acts. The nearer nations which have played a + part in the history of Israel in the past form a group by + themselves; their punishment is a preliminary to the restoration of + Israel, and the impression produced by that restoration is for them + a signal, though not perhaps a complete,<a id="noteref_185" name= + "noteref_185" href="#note_185"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">185</span></span></a> + vindication of the Godhead of Jehovah. But the outlying barbarians, + who hover on the outskirts of civilisation, are not touched by this + revelation of the divine power and goodness; they seem to be + represented as utterly ignorant of the marvellous course of events + by which Israel has been brought to dwell securely in the midst of + the nations.<a id="noteref_186" name="noteref_186" href= + "#note_186"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">186</span></span></a> + These, accordingly, are reserved for a final reckoning, in which + the power of Jehovah will be displayed with the terrible physical + convulsions which mark the great day of the Lord.<a id= + "noteref_187" name="noteref_187" href="#note_187"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">187</span></span></a> Only + then will the full meaning of Israel's history be disclosed to the + world; in particular it will be seen that it was for their sin that + they had fallen under the power of the heathen, and not because of + Jehovah's inability to protect them.<a id="noteref_188" name= + "noteref_188" href="#note_188"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">188</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">These are some + general features of the prophecy which at once attract attention. + We shall now examine the details of the picture, and then proceed + to consider its significance in relation to other elements of + Ezekiel's teaching.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page369">[pg + 369]</span><a name="Pg369" id="Pg369" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The + thirty-eighth chapter may be divided into three sections of seven + verses each.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">i. Vv. + 3-9.—The prophet having been commanded to direct his face towards + Gog in the land of Magog, is commissioned to announce the fate + that is in store for him and his hosts in the latter days. The + name of this mysterious and formidable personage was evidently + familiar to the Jewish world of Ezekiel's time, although to us + its origin is altogether obscure. The most plausible suggestion, + on the whole, is perhaps that which identifies it with the name + of the Lydian monarch Gyges, which appears on the Assyrian + monuments in the form <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Gugu</span></span>, corresponding as closely + as is possible to the Hebrew Gog.<a id="noteref_189" name= + "noteref_189" href="#note_189"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">189</span></span></a> But + in the mind of Ezekiel Gog is hardly an historical figure. He is + but the impersonation of the dreaded power of the northern + barbarians, already recognised as a serious danger to the peace + of the world. His designation as prince of Rosh, Meshech, and + Tubal points to the region east of the Black Sea as the seat of + his power.<a id="noteref_190" name="noteref_190" href= + "#note_190"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">190</span></span></a> He + is the captain of a vast multitude of horsemen, gorgeously + arrayed, and armed with shield, helmet, and sword. But although + Gog himself belongs to the <span class="tei tei-q">“uttermost + north,”</span> he gathers under his banner all the most distant + nations both of the north and the south. Not only northern + peoples like the Cimmerians and Armenians,<a id="noteref_191" + name="noteref_191" href="#note_191"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">191</span></span></a> but + Persians and Africans,<a id="noteref_192" name="noteref_192" + href="#note_192"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">192</span></span></a> all + of them with <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page370">[pg + 370]</span><a name="Pg370" id="Pg370" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + shield and helmet, swell the ranks of his motley army. The name + of Gog is thus on the way to become a symbol of the implacable + enmity of this world to the kingdom of God; as in the book of the + Revelation it appears as the designation of the ungodly + world-power which perishes in conflict with the saints of God + (Rev. xx. 7 ff.).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Gog therefore + is summoned to hold himself in readiness, as Jehovah's + reserve,<a id="noteref_193" name="noteref_193" href= + "#note_193"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">193</span></span></a> + against the last days, when the purpose for which he has been + raised up will be made manifest. After many days he shall receive + his marching orders; Jehovah Himself will lead forth his + squadrons and the innumerable hosts of nations that follow in his + train,<a id="noteref_194" name="noteref_194" href= + "#note_194"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">194</span></span></a> and + bring them up against the mountains of Israel, now reclaimed from + desolation, and against a nation gathered from among many + peoples, dwelling in peace and security. The advance of these + destructive hordes is likened to a tempest, and their innumerable + multitude is pictured as a cloud covering all the land (ver. + 9).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">ii. Vv. + 10-16.—But like the Assyrian in the time of Isaiah, Gog + <span class="tei tei-q">“meaneth not so”</span>; he is not aware + that he is Jehovah's instrument, his purpose being to + <span class="tei tei-q">“destroy and cut off nations not a + few.”</span><a id="noteref_195" name="noteref_195" href= + "#note_195"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">195</span></span></a> + Hence the prophet proceeds to a new description of the enterprise + of Gog, laying stress on the <span class="tei tei-q">“evil + thought”</span> that will arise in his heart and lure him to his + doom. What urges him on is the lust of plunder. The report of the + people of Israel as a people that has amassed wealth and + substance, and is at the same time defenceless, dwelling in a + land without <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page371">[pg + 371]</span><a name="Pg371" id="Pg371" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + walls or bolts or gates, will have reached him. These two verses + (11, 12) are interesting as giving a picture of Ezekiel's + conception of the final state of the people of God. They dwell in + the <span class="tei tei-q">“navel of the world”</span>; they are + rich and prosperous, so that the fame of them has gone forth + through all lands; they are destitute of military resources, yet + are unmolested in the enjoyment of their favoured lot because of + the moral effect of Jehovah's name on all nations that know their + history. To Gog, however, who knows nothing of Jehovah, they will + seem an easy conquest, and he will come up confident of victory + to seize spoil and take booty and lay his hand on waste places + reinhabited and a people gathered out of the heathen. The news of + the great expedition and the certainty of its success will rouse + the cupidity of the trading communities from all the ends of the + earth, and they will attach themselves as camp-followers to the + army of Gog. In historic times this <span class= + "tei tei-foreign"><span style= + "font-style: italic">rôle</span></span> would naturally have + fallen to the Phœnicians, who had a keen eye for business of this + description.<a id="noteref_196" name="noteref_196" href= + "#note_196"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">196</span></span></a> But + Ezekiel is thinking of a time when Tyre shall be no more; and its + place is taken by the mercantile tribes of Arabia and the ancient + Phœnician colony of Tarshish. The whole world will then resound + with the fame of Gog's expedition, and the most distant nations + will await its issue with eager expectation. This then is the + meaning of Gog's destiny. In the time when Israel dwells + peacefully he will be restless and eager for spoil;<a id= + "noteref_197" name="noteref_197" href="#note_197"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">197</span></span></a> his + multitudes will be set in motion, and throw themselves on the + land, covering it like a cloud. But this is Jehovah's doing, and + the purpose of it is that the <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page372">[pg 372]</span><a name="Pg372" id="Pg372" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> nations may know Him and that He may be + sanctified in Gog before their eyes.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">iii. Vv. + 17-23.—These verses are in the main a description of the + annihilation of Gog's host by the fierce wrath of Jehovah; but + this is introduced by a reference to unfulfilled prophecies which + are to receive their accomplishment in this great catastrophe. It + is difficult to say what particular prophecies are meant. Those + which most readily suggest themselves are perhaps the fourth + chapter of Joel and the twelfth and fourteenth of Zechariah; but + these probably belong to a later date than Ezekiel. The + prophecies of Zephaniah and Jeremiah, called forth by the + Scythian invasion,<a id="noteref_198" name="noteref_198" href= + "#note_198"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">198</span></span></a> + have also been thought of, although the point of view there is + different from that of Ezekiel. In Jeremiah and Zephaniah the + Scythians are the scourge of God, appointed for the chastisement + of the sinful nation; whereas Gog is brought up against a holy + people, and for the express purpose of having judgment executed + on himself. On the supposition that Ezekiel's vision was coloured + by his recollection of the Scythians, this view has no doubt the + greatest likelihood. It is possible, however, that the allusion + is not to any particular group of prophecies, but to a general + idea which pervades prophecy—the expectation of a great conflict + in which the power of the world shall be arrayed against Jehovah + and Israel, and the issue of which shall exhibit the sole + sovereignty of the true God to all mankind.<a id="noteref_199" + name="noteref_199" href="#note_199"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">199</span></span></a> It + is of course unnecessary to suppose that any prophet had + mentioned Gog by name in a prediction of the future. All that is + meant is that Gog is the person in whom the substance of previous + oracles is to be accomplished.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page373">[pg 373]</span><a name="Pg373" id="Pg373" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The question + of ver. 17 leads thus to the announcement of the outpouring of + Jehovah's indignation on the violators of His territory. As soon + as Gog sets foot on the soil of Israel, Jehovah's wrath is + kindled against him. A mighty earthquake shall shatter the + mountains and level every wall to the ground and strike terror + into the hearts of all creatures. The host of Gog shall be + panic-stricken,<a id="noteref_200" name="noteref_200" href= + "#note_200"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">200</span></span></a> + each man turning his sword against his fellow; while Jehovah + completes the slaughter by pestilence and blood, rain and + hailstones, fire and brimstone. The deliverance of Israel is + effected without the help of any human arm; it is the doing of + Jehovah, who thus magnifies and sanctifies Himself and makes + Himself known before the eyes of many peoples, so that they may + know Him to be Jehovah.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">iv. Ch. xxxix. + 1-8.—Commencing afresh with a new apostrophe to Gog, Ezekiel here + recapitulates the substance of the previous chapter—the bringing + up of Gog from the farthest north, his destruction on the + mountains of Israel, and the effect of this on the surrounding + nations. Mention is expressly made of the bow and arrows which + were the distinctive weapons of the Scythian horsemen.<a id= + "noteref_201" name="noteref_201" href="#note_201"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">201</span></span></a> + These are struck from the grasp of Gog, and the mighty host falls + on the open field to be devoured by wild beasts and by ravenous + birds of every feather. But the judgment is universal in its + extent; it reaches to Magog, the distant abode of Gog, and all + the remote lands whence his auxiliaries were drawn. This is the + day whereof Jehovah has spoken by His servants the prophets of + Israel, the day which finally manifests His glory to all the ends + of the earth.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">v. Vv. + 9-16.—Here the prophet falls into a more prosaic strain, as he + proceeds to describe with characteristic <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page374">[pg 374]</span><a name="Pg374" id="Pg374" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> fulness of detail the sequel of the great + invasion. As the English story of the Invincible Armada would be + incomplete without a reference to the treasures cast ashore from + the wrecked galleons on the Orkneys and the Hebrides, so the fate + of Gog's ill-starred enterprise is vividly set forth by the + minute description of the traces it left behind in the peaceful + life of Israel. The irony of the situation is unmistakable, and + perhaps a touch of conscious exaggeration is permissible in such + a picture. In the first place the weapons of the slain warriors + furnish wood enough to serve for fuel to the Israelites for the + space of seven years. Then follows a picture of the process of + cleansing the land from the corpses of the fallen enemy. A + burying-place is assigned to them in the valley of Abarim<a id= + "noteref_202" name="noteref_202" href="#note_202"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">202</span></span></a> on + the eastern side of the Dead Sea, outside of the sacred + territory. The whole people of Israel will be engaged for seven + months in the operation of burying them; after this the mouth of + the valley will be sealed,<a id="noteref_203" name="noteref_203" + href="#note_203"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">203</span></span></a> and + it will be known ever afterwards as the Valley of the Host of + Gog. But even after the seven months have expired the scrupulous + care of the people for the purity of their land will be shown by + the precautions they take against its continued defilement by any + fragment of a skeleton that may have been overlooked. They will + appoint permanent officials, whose business will be to search for + and remove relics of the dead bodies, that the land may be + restored to its purity. Whenever any <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page375">[pg 375]</span><a name="Pg375" id="Pg375" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> passer-by lights on a bone he will set up a + mark beside it to attract the attention of the buriers. + <span class="tei tei-q">“Thus [in course of time] they shall + cleanse the land.”</span></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">vi. Vv. + 17-24.—The overwhelming magnitude of the catastrophe is once more + set forth under the image of a sacrificial feast, to which + Jehovah summons all the birds of the air and every beast of the + field (vv. 17-20). The feast is represented as a sacrifice not in + any religious sense, but simply in accordance with ancient usage, + in which the slaughtering of animals was invariably a sacrificial + act. The only idea expressed by the figure is that Jehovah has + decreed this slaughter of Gog and his host, and that it will be + so great that all ravenous beasts and birds will eat flesh to the + full and drink the blood of princes of the earth to intoxication. + But we turn with relief from these images of carnage and death to + the moral purpose which they conceal (vv. 21-24). This is stated + more distinctly here than in earlier passages of this prophecy. + It will teach Israel that Jehovah is indeed their God; the + lingering sense of insecurity caused by the remembrance of their + former rejection will be finally taken away by this signal + deliverance. And through Israel it will teach a lesson to the + heathen. They will learn something of the principles on which + Jehovah has dealt with His people when they contrast this great + salvation with His former desertion of them. It will then fully + appear that it was for their sins that they went into captivity; + and so the knowledge of God's holiness and His displeasure + against sin will be extended to the nations of the world.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">vii. Vv. + 25-29.—The closing verses do not strictly belong to the oracle on + Gog. The prophet returns to the standpoint of the present, and + predicts once more the restoration of Israel, which has + heretofore been assumed as an accomplished fact. The connection + with what precedes is, however, very close. The divine + attributes, <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page376">[pg + 376]</span><a name="Pg376" id="Pg376" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + whose final manifestation to the world is reserved for the + far-off day of Gog's defeat, are already about to be revealed to + Israel. Jehovah's compassion for His people and His jealousy for + His own name will speedily be shown in <span class= + "tei tei-q">“turning the fortunes”</span> of Israel, bringing + them back from the peoples, and gathering them from the land of + their enemies. The consequences of this upon the nation itself + are described in more gracious terms than in any other passage. + They shall forget their shame and all their trespasses when they + dwell securely in their own land, none making them afraid.<a id= + "noteref_204" name="noteref_204" href="#note_204"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">204</span></span></a> The + saving knowledge of Jehovah as their God, who led them into + captivity and brought them back again, will as far as Israel is + concerned be complete; and the gracious relation thus established + shall no more be interrupted, because of the divine Spirit which + has been poured out on the house of Israel.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It will be + seen from this summary of the contents of the prophecy that, + while it presents many features peculiar to itself, it also + contains much in common with the general drift of the prophet's + thinking. We must now try to form an estimate of its significance + as an episode in the great drama of Providence which unfolded + itself before his inspired imagination.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The ideas + peculiar to the passage are for the most part <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page377">[pg 377]</span><a name="Pg377" id= + "Pg377" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> such as might have been + suggested to the mind of Ezekiel by the remembrance of the great + Scythian invasion in the reign of Josiah. Although it is not + likely that he had himself lived through that time of terror, he + must have grown up whilst it was still fresh in the public + recollection, and the rumour of it had apparently left upon him + impressions never afterwards effaced. Several circumstances, none + of them perhaps decisive by itself, conspire to show that at + least in its imagery the oracle on Gog is based on the conception + of an irruption of Scythian barbarians. The name of Gog may be + too obscure to serve as an indication; but his location in the + extreme north, the description of his army as composed mainly of + cavalry armed with bow and arrows, their innumerable multitude, + and the love of pillage and destruction by which they are + animated, all point to the Scythians as the originals from whom + the picture of Gog's host is drawn. Besides the light which it + casts on the genesis of the prophecy, this fact has a certain + biographical interest for the reader of Ezekiel. That the + prophet's furthest vista into the future should be a reflection + of his earliest memory reminds us of a common human experience. + <span class="tei tei-q">“The thoughts of youth are long, long + thoughts,”</span> reaching far into manhood and old age; and the + mind as it turns back upon them may often discover in them that + which carries it furthest in reading the divine mysteries of life + and destiny.</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-top: 1.80em; margin-right: 3.60em; margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-left: 3.60em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-top: 0.90em; margin-bottom: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Thus while the Sun sinks down + to rest</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Far in the regions of the + west,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Though to the vale no parting + beam</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Be given, not one memorial + gleam,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">A lingering light he fondly + throws</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">On the dear hills where first + he rose.</span> + </div> + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">For it is not + merely the imagery of the prophecy that reveals the influence of + these early associations; the thoughts which it embodies are + themselves partly the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page378">[pg + 378]</span><a name="Pg378" id="Pg378" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + result of the prophet's meditation on questions suggested by the + invasion. His youthful impressions of the descent of the northern + hordes were afterwards illuminated, as we see from his own words, + by the study of contemporary prophecies of Jeremiah and Zephaniah + called forth by the event. From these and other predictions he + learned that Jehovah had a purpose with regard to the remotest + nations of the earth which yet awaited its accomplishment. That + purpose, in accordance with his general conception of the ends of + the divine government, could be nothing else than the + manifestation of Jehovah's glory before the eyes of the world. + That this involved an act of judgment was only too certain from + the universal hostility of the heathen to the kingdom of God. + Hence the prophet's reflections would lead directly to the + expectation of a final onslaught of the powers of this world on + the people of Israel, which would give occasion for a display of + Jehovah's might on a grander scale than had yet been seen. And + this presentiment of an impending conflict between Jehovah and + the pagan world headed by the Scythian barbarians forms the + kernel of the oracle against Gog.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But we must + further observe that this idea, from Ezekiel's point of view, + necessarily presupposes the restoration of Israel to its own + land. The peoples assembled under the standard of Gog are those + which have never as yet come in contact with the true God, and + consequently have had no opportunity of manifesting their + disposition towards Him. They have not sinned as Edom and Tyre, + as Egypt and Assyria have sinned, by injuries done to Jehovah + through His people. Even the Scythians themselves, although they + had approached the confines of the sacred territory, do not seem + to have invaded it. Nor could the opportunity present itself so + long as Israel was in Exile. While Jehovah was without + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page379">[pg 379]</span><a name= + "Pg379" id="Pg379" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> an earthly + sanctuary or a visible emblem of His government, there was no + possibility of such an infringement of His holiness on the part + of the heathen as would arrest the attention of the world. The + judgment of Gog, therefore, could not be conceived as a + preliminary to the restoration of Israel, like that on Egypt and + the nations immediately surrounding Palestine. It could only take + place under a state of things in which Israel was once more + <span class="tei tei-q">“holiness to the Lord, and the + firstfruits of His increase,”</span> so that <span class= + "tei tei-q">“all that devoured him were counted guilty”</span> + (Jer. ii. 3). This enables us partly to understand what appears + to us the most singular feature of the prophecy, the projection + of the final manifestation of Jehovah into the remote future, + when Israel is already in possession of all the blessings of the + Messianic dispensation. It is a consequence of the extension of + the prophetic horizon, so as to embrace the distant peoples that + had hitherto been beyond the pale of civilisation.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">There are + other aspects of Ezekiel's teaching on which light is thrown by + this anticipation of a world-judgment as the final scene of + history. The prophet was evidently conscious of a certain + inconclusiveness and want of finality in the prospect of the + restoration as a justification of the ways of God to men. + Although all the forces of the world's salvation were wrapped up + in it, its effects were still limited and measurable, both as to + their range of influence and their inherent significance. Not + only did it fail to impress the more distant nations, but its own + lessons were incompletely taught. He felt that it had not been + made clear to the dull perceptions of the heathen why the God of + Israel had ever suffered His land to be desecrated and His people + to be led into captivity. Even Israel itself will not fully know + all that is meant by having Jehovah for its God until the history + of revelation is finished. Only in the summing up of the ages, + and in the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page380">[pg + 380]</span><a name="Pg380" id="Pg380" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + light of the last judgment, will men truly realise all that is + implied in the terms God and sin and redemption. The end is + needed to interpret the process; and all religious conceptions + await their fulfilment in the light of eternity which is yet to + break on the issues of human history.</p> + </div> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page383">[pg 383]</span><a name= + "Pg383" id="Pg383" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 5.00em; margin-top: 5.00em"> + <a name="toc59" id="toc59"></a> <a name="pdf60" id="pdf60"></a> + + <h1 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.46em; margin-top: 3.46em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 173%">Part V. The Ideal + Theocracy.</span></h1> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 4.00em; margin-top: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc61" id="toc61"></a> <a name="pdf62" id="pdf62"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XXV. The Import Of The + Vision.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We have now + reached the last and in every way the most important section of the + book of Ezekiel. The nine concluding chapters record what was + evidently the crowning experience of the prophet's life. His + ministry began with a vision of God; it culminates in a vision of + the people of God, or rather of God in the midst of His people, + reconciled to them, ruling over them, and imparting the blessings + and glories of the final dispensation. Into that vision are thrown + the ideals which had been gradually matured through twenty years of + strenuous action and intense meditation. We have traced some of the + steps by which the prophet was led towards this consummation of his + work. We have seen how, under the idea of God which had been + revealed to him, he was constrained to announce the destruction of + that which called itself the people of Jehovah, but was in reality + the means of obscuring His character and profaning His holiness + (chs. iv.-xxiv.). We have seen further how the same fundamental + conception led him on in his prophecies against foreign nations to + predict a great clearing of the stage of history for the + manifestation of Jehovah (chs. xxv.-xxxii.). And we have seen from + the preceding section what are the processes by which the divine + Spirit breathes new life into a dead nation and creates out of its + scattered members a people worthy of the God whom the prophet has + seen.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But there is + still something more to accomplish before <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page384">[pg 384]</span><a name="Pg384" id="Pg384" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> his task is finished. All through, Ezekiel + holds fast the truth that Jehovah and Israel are necessarily + related to each other, and that Israel is to be the medium through + which alone the nature of Jehovah can be fully disclosed to + mankind. It remains, therefore, to sketch the outline of a perfect + theocracy—in other words, to describe the permanent forms and + institutions which shall express the ideal relation between God and + men. To this task the prophet addresses himself in the chapters now + before us. That great New Year's Vision may be regarded as the ripe + fruit of all God's training of His prophet, as it is also the part + of Ezekiel's work which most directly influenced the subsequent + development of religion in Israel.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It cannot be + doubted, then, that these chapters are an integral part of the + book, considered as a record of Ezekiel's work. But it is certainly + a significant circumstance that they are separated from the body of + the prophecies by an interval of thirteen years. For the greater + part of that time Ezekiel's literary activity was suspended. It is + probable, at all events, that the first thirty-nine chapters had + been committed to writing soon after the latest date they mention, + and that the oracle on Gog, which marks the extreme limit of + Ezekiel's prophetic vision, was really the conclusion of an earlier + form of the book. And we may be certain that, since the eventful + period that followed the arrival of the fugitive from Jerusalem, no + new divine communication had visited the prophet's mind. But at + last, in the twenty-fifth year of the captivity, and on the first + day of a new year,<a id="noteref_205" name="noteref_205" href= + "#note_205"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">205</span></span></a> he + falls into a trance more prolonged than any he had yet <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page385">[pg 385]</span><a name="Pg385" id="Pg385" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> passed through, and he emerged from it + with a new message for his people.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In what + direction were the prophet's thoughts moving as Israel passed into + the midnight of her exile? That they have moved in the + interval—that his standpoint is no longer quite identical with that + represented in his earlier prophecies—seems to be shown by one + slight modification of his previous conceptions, which has been + already mentioned.<a id="noteref_206" name="noteref_206" href= + "#note_206"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">206</span></span></a> I + refer to the position of the prince in the theocratic state. We + find that the king is still the civil head of the commonwealth, but + that his position is hardly reconcilable with the exalted functions + assigned to the Messianic king in ch. xxxiv. The inference seems + irresistible that Ezekiel's point of view has somewhat changed, so + that the objects in his picture present themselves in a different + perspective.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is true that + this change was effected by a vision, and it may be said that that + fact forbids our regarding it as indicating a progress in Ezekiel's + thoughts. But the vision of a prophet is never out of relation to + his previous thinking. The prophet is always prepared for his + vision; it comes to him as the answer to questions, as the solution + of difficulties, whose force he has felt, and apart from which it + would convey no revelation of God to his mind. It marks the point + at which reflection gives place to inspiration, where the + incommunicable certainty of the divine word lifts the soul into the + region of spiritual and eternal truth. And hence it may help us, + from our human point of view, to understand the true import of this + vision, if from the answer we try to discover the questions which + were of pressing interest to Ezekiel in the later part of his + career.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Speaking + generally, we may say that the problem that <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page386">[pg 386]</span><a name="Pg386" id="Pg386" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> occupied the mind of Ezekiel at this + time was the problem of a religious constitution. How to secure for + religion its true place in public life, how to embody it in + institutions which shall conserve its essential ideas and transmit + them from one generation to another, how a people may best express + its national responsibility to God—these and many kindred questions + are real and vital to-day amongst the nations of Christendom, and + they were far more vital in the age of Ezekiel. The conception of + religion as an inward spiritual power, moulding the life of the + nation and of each individual member, was at least as strong in him + as in any other prophet; and it had been adequately expressed in + the section of his book dealing with the formation of the new + Israel. But he saw that this was not for that time sufficient. The + mass of the community were dependent on the educative influence of + the institutions under which they lived, and there was no way of + impressing on a whole people the character of Jehovah except + through a system of laws and observances which should constantly + exhibit it to their minds. The time was not yet come when religion + could be trusted to work as a hidden leaven, transforming life from + within and bringing in the kingdom of God silently by the operation + of spiritual forces. Thus, while the last section insists on the + moral change that must pass over Israel, and the need of a direct + influence from God on the heart of the people, that which now lies + before us is devoted to the religious and political arrangements by + which the sanctity of the nation must be preserved.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Starting from + this general notion of what the prophet sought, we can see, in the + next place, that his attention must be mainly concentrated on + matters belonging to public worship and ritual. Worship is the + direct expression in word and act of man's attitude to God, and no + public religion can maintain a higher level of spirituality + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page387">[pg 387]</span><a name= + "Pg387" id="Pg387" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> than the symbolism + which gives it a place in the life of the people. That fact had + been abundantly illustrated by the experience of centuries before + the Exile. The popular worship had always been a stronghold of + false religion in Israel. The high places were the nurseries of all + the corruptions against which the prophets had to contend, not + simply because of the immoral elements that mingled with their + worship, but because the worship itself was regulated by + conceptions of the deity which were opposed to the religion of + revelation. Now the idea of using ritual as a vehicle of the + highest spiritual truth is certainly not peculiar to Ezekiel's + vision. But it is there carried through with a thoroughness which + has no parallel elsewhere except in the priestly legislation of the + Pentateuch. And this bears witness to a clear perception on the + part of the prophet of the value of that whole side of things for + the future development of religion in Israel. No one was more + deeply impressed with the evils that had flowed from a corrupt + ritual in the past, and he conceives the final form of the kingdom + of God to be one in which the blessings of salvation are + safeguarded by a carefully regulated system of religious + ordinances. It will become manifest as we proceed that he regards + the Temple ritual as the very centre of theocratic life, and the + highest function of the community of the true religion.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But Ezekiel was + prepared for the reception of this vision, not only by the + practical reforming bent of his mind, but also by a combination in + his own experience of the two elements which must always enter into + a conception of this nature. If we may employ philosophical + language to express a very obvious distinction, we have to + recognise in the vision a material and a formal element. The matter + of the vision is derived from the ancient religious and political + constitution of the Hebrew state. All true and lasting reformations + are conservative at heart; <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page388">[pg 388]</span><a name="Pg388" id="Pg388" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> their object never is to make a clean sweep + of the past, but so to modify what is traditional as to adapt it to + the needs of a new era. Now Ezekiel was a priest, and possessed all + a priest's reverence for antiquity, as well as a priest's + professional knowledge of ceremonial and of consuetudinary law. No + man could have been better fitted than he to secure the continuity + of Israel's religious life along the particular line on which it + was destined to move. Accordingly we find that the new theocracy is + modelled from beginning to end after the pattern of the ancient + institutions which had been destroyed by the Exile. If we ask, for + example, what is the meaning of some detail of the Temple building, + such as the cells surrounding the main sanctuary, the obvious and + sufficient answer is that these things existed in Solomon's Temple, + and there was no reason for altering them. On the other hand, + whenever we find the vision departing from what had been + traditionally established, we may be sure that there is a reason + for it, and in most cases we can see what that reason was. In such + departures we recognise the working of what we have called the + formal element of the vision, the moulding influence of the ideas + which the system was intended to express. What these ideas were we + shall consider in subsequent chapters; here it is enough to say + that they were the fundamental ideas which had been communicated to + Ezekiel in the course of his prophetic work, and which have found + expression in various forms in other parts of his writings. That + they are not peculiar to Ezekiel, but are shared by other prophets, + is true, just as it is true on the other hand that the priestly + conceptions which occupy so large a place in his mind were an + inheritance from the whole past history of the nation. Nor was this + the first time when an alliance between the ceremonialism of the + priesthood and the more ethical and spiritual teaching of prophecy + had proved of the utmost <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page389">[pg + 389]</span><a name="Pg389" id="Pg389" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + advantage to the religious life of Israel.<a id="noteref_207" name= + "noteref_207" href="#note_207"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">207</span></span></a> The + unique importance of Ezekiel's vision lies in the fact that the + great development of prophecy was now almost complete, and that the + time was come for its results to be embodied in institutions which + were in the main of a priestly character. And it was fitting that + this new era of religion should be inaugurated through the agency + of one who combined in his own person the conservative instincts of + the priest with the originality and the spiritual intuition of the + prophet.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is not + suggested for a moment that these considerations account for the + inception of the vision in the prophet's mind. We are not to regard + it as merely the brilliant device of an ingenious man, who was + exceptionally qualified to read the signs of the times, and to + discover a solution for a pressing religious problem. In order that + it might accomplish the end in view, it was absolutely necessary + that it should be invested with a supernatural sanction and bear + the stamp of divine authority. Ezekiel himself was well aware of + this, and would never have ventured to publish his vision if he had + thought it all out for himself. He had to wait for the time when + <span class="tei tei-q">“the hand of the Lord was upon him,”</span> + and he saw in vision the new Temple and the river of life + proceeding from it, and the renovated land, and the glory of God + taking up its everlasting abode in the midst of His people. Until + that moment arrived he was without a message as to the form which + the life of the restored Israel must assume. Nevertheless the + psychological conditions of the vision were contained in those + parts of the prophet's experience which have just been indicated. + Processes of thought which had long occupied his mind suddenly + crystallised at the touch of the divine hand, and the result was + the marvellous conception <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page390">[pg + 390]</span><a name="Pg390" id="Pg390" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + of a theocratic state which was Ezekiel's greatest legacy to the + faith and hopes of his countrymen.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">That this vision + of Ezekiel's profoundly influenced the development of post-exilic + Judaism may be inferred from the fact that all the best tendencies + of the restoration period were towards the realisation of the + ideals which the vision sets forth with surpassing clearness. It is + impossible, indeed, to say precisely how far Ezekiel's influence + extended, or how far the returning exiles consciously aimed at + carrying out the ideas contained in his sketch of a theocratic + constitution. That they did so to some extent is inferred from a + consideration of some of the arrangements established in Jerusalem + soon after the return from Babylon.<a id="noteref_208" name= + "noteref_208" href="#note_208"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">208</span></span></a> But + it is certain that from the nature of the case the actual + institutions of the restored community must have differed very + widely in many points from those described in the last nine + chapters of Ezekiel. When we look more closely at the composition + of this vision, we see that it contains features which neither then + nor at any subsequent time have been historically fulfilled. The + most remarkable thing about it is that it unites in one picture two + characteristics which seem at first sight difficult to combine. On + the one hand it bears the aspect of a rigid legislative system + intended to regulate human conduct in all matters of vital moment + to the religious standing of the community; on the other hand it + assumes a miraculous transformation of the physical aspect of the + country, a restoration of all the twelve tribes of Israel under a + native king, and a return of Jehovah in visible glory to dwell in + the midst of the children of Israel for ever. Now these + supernatural conditions of the perfect theocracy could not be + realised by any effort on the part of the people, and as a matter + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page391">[pg 391]</span><a name= + "Pg391" id="Pg391" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of fact were never + literally fulfilled at all. It must have been plain to the leaders + of the Return that for this reason alone the details of Ezekiel's + legislation were not binding for them in the actual circumstances + in which they were placed. Even in matters clearly within the + province of human administration we know that they considered + themselves free to modify his regulations in accordance with the + requirements of the situation in which they found themselves. It + does not follow from this, however, that they were ignorant of the + book of Ezekiel, or that it gave them no help in the difficult task + to which they addressed themselves. It furnished them with an ideal + of national holiness, and the general outline of a constitution in + which that ideal should be embodied; and this outline they seem to + have striven to fill up in the way best adapted to the straitened + and discouraging circumstances of the time.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But this throws + us back on some questions of fundamental importance for the right + understanding of Ezekiel's vision. Taking the vision as a whole, we + have to ask whether a fulfilment of the kind just indicated was the + fulfilment that the prophet himself anticipated. Did he lay stress + on the legislative or the supernatural aspect of the vision—on + man's agency or on God's? In other words, does he issue it as a + programme to be carried out by the people as soon as the + opportunity is presented by their return to the land of Canaan? or + does he mean that Jehovah Himself must take the initiative by + miraculously preparing the land for their reception, and taking up + His abode in the finished Temple, the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“place of His throne, and the place of the soles of His + feet”</span>? The answer to these questions is not difficult, if + only we are careful to look at things from the prophet's point of + view, and disregard the historical events in which his predictions + were partly realised. It is frequently assumed that the + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page392">[pg 392]</span><a name= + "Pg392" id="Pg392" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> elaborate + description of the Temple buildings in chs. xl.-xlii. is intended + as a guide to the builders of the second Temple, who are to make it + after the fashion of that which the prophet saw on the mount. It is + quite probable that in some degree it may have served that purpose; + but it seems to me that this view is not in keeping with the + fundamental idea of the vision. The Temple that Ezekiel saw, and + the only one of which he speaks, is a house not made with hands; it + is as much a part of the supernatural preparation for the future + theocracy as the <span class="tei tei-q">“very high + mountain”</span> on which it stands, or the river that flows from + it to sweeten the waters of the Dead Sea. In the important passage + where the prophet is commanded to exhibit the plan of the house to + the children of Israel (ch. xliii. 10, 11), there is unfortunately + a discrepancy between the Hebrew and Greek texts which throws some + obscurity on this particular point. According to the Hebrew there + can hardly be a doubt that a sketch is shown to them which is to be + used as a builder's plan at the time of the Restoration.<a id= + "noteref_209" name="noteref_209" href="#note_209"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">209</span></span></a> But + in the Septuagint, which seems on the whole to give a more correct + text, the passage runs thus: <span class="tei tei-q">“And, thou son + of man, describe the house to the house of Israel (and let them be + ashamed of their iniquities), and its form, and its construction: + and they shall be ashamed of all that they have done. And do thou + sketch the house, and its exits, and its outline; and all its + ordinances and all its laws make known to them; and write it before + them, that they may keep all its commandments and all its + ordinances, and do them.”</span> There is nothing here to suggest + that the construction of the Temple was left for human workmanship. + The outline of it is shown to the people only that they may + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page393">[pg 393]</span><a name= + "Pg393" id="Pg393" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> be ashamed of all + their iniquities. When the arrangements of the ideal Temple are + explained to them, they will see how far those of the first Temple + transgressed the requirements of Jehovah's holiness, and this + knowledge will produce a sense of shame for the dulness of heart + which tolerated so many abuses in connection with His worship. No + doubt that impression sank deep into the minds of Ezekiel's + hearers, and led to certain important modifications in the + structure of the Temple when it had to be built; but that is not + what the prophet is thinking of. At the same time we see clearly + that he is very much in earnest with the legislative part of his + vision. Its laws are real laws, and are given that they may be + obeyed—only they do not come into force until all the institutions + of the theocracy, natural and supernatural alike, are in full + working order. And apart from the doubtful question as to the + erection of the Temple, that general conclusion holds good for the + vision as a whole. Whilst it is pervaded throughout by the + legislative spirit, the miraculous features are after all its + central and essential elements. When these conditions are realised, + it will be the duty of Israel to guard her sacred institutions by + the most scrupulous and devoted obedience; but till then there is + no kingdom of God established on earth, and therefore no system of + laws to conserve a state of salvation, which can only be brought + about by the direct and visible interposition of the Almighty in + the sphere of nature and history.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This blending of + seemingly incongruous elements reveals to us the true character of + the vision with which we have to deal. It is in the strictest sense + a Messianic prophecy—that is, a picture of the kingdom of God in + its final state as the prophet was led to conceive it. It is common + to all such representations that the human authors of them have no + idea of a long historical development gradually leading up to the + perfect manifestation <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page394">[pg + 394]</span><a name="Pg394" id="Pg394" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + of God's purpose with the world. The impending crisis in the + affairs of the people of Israel is always regarded as the + consummation of human history and the establishment of God's + kingdom in the plenitude of its power and glory. In the time of + Ezekiel the next step in the unfolding of the divine plan of + redemption was the restoration of Israel to its own land; and in so + far as his vision is a prophecy of that event, it was realised in + the return of the exiles with Zerubbabel in the first year of + Cyrus. But to the mind of Ezekiel this did not present itself as a + mere step towards something immeasurably higher in the remote + future. It is to include everything necessary for the complete and + final inbringing of the Messianic dispensation, and all the powers + of the world to come are to be displayed in the acts by which + Jehovah brings back the scattered members of Israel to the + enjoyment of blessedness in His own presence.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The thing that + misleads us as to the real nature of the vision is the emphasis + laid on matters which seem to us of merely temporal and earthly + significance. We are apt to think that what we have before us can + be nothing else than a legislative scheme to be carried out more or + less fully in the new state that should arise after the Exile. The + miraculous features in the vision are apt to be dismissed as mere + symbolisms to which no great significance attaches. Legislating for + the millennium seems to us a strange occupation for a prophet, and + we are hardly prepared to credit even Ezekiel with so bold a + conception. But that depends entirely on his idea of what the + millennium will be. If it is to be a state of things in which + religious institutions are of vital importance for the maintenance + of the spiritual interests of the community of the people of God, + then legislation is the natural expression for the ideals which are + to be realised in it. And we must remember, too, that what we have + to do <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page395">[pg 395]</span><a name= + "Pg395" id="Pg395" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> with is a vision. + Ezekiel is not the ultimate source of this legislation, however + much it may bear the impress of his individual experience. He has + seen the city of God, and all the minute and elaborate regulations + with which these nine chapters are filled are but the exposition of + principles that determine the character of a people amongst whom + Jehovah can dwell.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">At the same time + we see that a separation of different aspects of the vision was + inevitably effected by the teaching of history. The return from + Babylon was accomplished without any of those supernatural adjuncts + with which it had been invested in the rapt imagination of the + prophet. No transformation of the land preceded it; no visible + presence of Jehovah welcomed the exiles back to their ancient + abode. They found Jerusalem in ruins, the holy and beautiful house + a desolation, the land occupied by aliens, the seasons unproductive + as of old. Yet in the hearts of these men there was a vision even + more impressive than that of Ezekiel in his solitude. To lay the + foundations of a theocratic state in the dreary, discouraging + daylight of the present was an act of faith as heroic as has ever + been performed in the history of religion. The building of the + Temple was undertaken amidst many difficulties, the ritual was + organised, the rudiments of a religious constitution appeared, and + in all this we see the influence of those principles of national + holiness that had been formulated by Ezekiel. But the crowning + manifestation of Jehovah's glory was deferred. Prophet after + prophet appeared to keep alive the hope that this Temple, poor in + outward appearance as it was, would yet be the centre of a new + world, and the dwelling-place of the Eternal. Centuries rolled + past, and still Jehovah did not come to His Temple, and the + eschatological features which had bulked so largely in Ezekiel's + vision remained an unfulfilled aspiration. And when at <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page396">[pg 396]</span><a name="Pg396" id="Pg396" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> length in the fulness of time the + complete revelation of God was given, it was in a form that + superseded the old economy entirely, and transformed its most + stable and cherished institutions into adumbrations of a spiritual + kingdom which knew no earthly Temple and had need of none.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This brings us + to the most difficult and most important of all the questions + arising in connection with Ezekiel's vision—What is its relation to + the Pentateuchal Legislation? It is obvious at once that the + significance of this section of the book of Ezekiel is immensely + enhanced if we accept the conclusion to which the critical study of + the Old Testament has been steadily driven, that in the chapters + before us we have the first outline of that great conception of a + theocratic constitution which attained its finished expression in + the priestly regulations of the middle books of the Pentateuch. The + discussion of this subject is so intricate, so far-reaching in its + consequences, and ranges over so wide an historical field, that one + is tempted to leave it in the hands of those who have addressed + themselves to its special treatment, and to try to get on as best + one may without assuming a definite attitude on one side or the + other. But the student of Ezekiel cannot altogether evade it. Again + and again the question will force itself on him as he seeks to + ascertain the meaning of the various details of Ezekiel's + legislation, How does this stand related to corresponding + requirements in the Mosaic law? It is necessary, therefore, in + justice to the reader of the following pages, that an attempt + should be made, however imperfectly, to indicate the position which + the present phase of criticism assigns to Ezekiel in the history of + the Old Testament legislation.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We may begin by + pointing out the kind of difficulty that is felt to arise on the + supposition that Ezekiel had <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page397">[pg 397]</span><a name="Pg397" id="Pg397" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> before him the entire body of laws contained + in our present Pentateuch. We should expect in that case that the + prophet would contemplate a restoration of the divine institutions + established under Moses, and that his vision would reproduce with + substantial fidelity the minute provisions of the law by which + these institutions were to be maintained. But this is very far from + being the case. It is found that while Ezekiel deals to a large + extent with the subjects for which provision is made by the law, + there is in no instance perfect correspondence between the + enactments of the vision and those of the Pentateuch, while on some + points they differ very materially from one another. How are we to + account for these numerous and, on the supposition, evidently + designed divergencies? It has been suggested that the law was found + to be in some respects unsuitable to the state of things that would + arise after the Exile, and that Ezekiel in the exercise of his + prophetic authority undertook to adapt it to the conditions of a + late age. The suggestion is in itself plausible, but it is not + confirmed by the history. For it is agreed on all hands that the + law as a whole had never been put in force for any considerable + period of Israel's history previous to the Exile. On the other + hand, if we suppose that Ezekiel judged its provisions unsuitable + for the circumstances that would emerge after the Exile, we are + confronted by the fact that where Ezekiel's legislation differs + from that of the Pentateuch it is the latter and not the former + that regulated the practice of the post-exilic community. So far + was the law from being out of date in the age of Ezekiel that the + time was only approaching when the first effort would be made to + accept it in all its length and breadth as the authoritative basis + of an actual theocratic polity. Unless, therefore, we are to hold + that the legislation of the vision is entirely in the air, and that + it takes no account whatever of practical considerations, + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page398">[pg 398]</span><a name= + "Pg398" id="Pg398" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> we must feel that a + certain difficulty is presented by its unexplained deviations from + the carefully drawn ordinances of the Pentateuch.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But this is not + all. The Pentateuch itself is not a unity. It consists of different + strata of legislation which, while irreconcilable in details, are + held to exhibit a continuous progress towards a clearer definition + of the duties that devolve on different classes in the community, + and a fuller exposition of the principles that underlay the system + from the beginning. The analysis of the Mosaic writings into + different legislative codes has resulted in a scheme which in its + main outlines is now accepted by critics of all shades of opinion. + The three great codes which we have to distinguish are: (1) the + so-called Book of the Covenant (Exod. xx. 24-xxiii., with which may + be classed the closely allied code of Exod. xxxiv. 10-28); (2) the + Book of Deuteronomy; and (3) the Priestly Code (found in Exod. + xxv.-xxxi., xxxv.-xl., the whole book of Leviticus, and nearly the + whole of the book of Numbers).<a id="noteref_210" name= + "noteref_210" href="#note_210"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">210</span></span></a> Now + of course the mere separation of these different documents tells us + nothing, or not much, as to their relative priority or antiquity. + But we possess at least a certain amount of historical and + independent evidence as to the times when some of them became + operative in the actual life of the nation. We know, for example, + that the Book of Deuteronomy attained the force of statute law + under the most solemn circumstances by a national covenant in the + eighteenth year of Josiah. The distinctive feature of that book is + its impressive enforcement of the principle that there is but one + sanctuary at <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page399">[pg + 399]</span><a name="Pg399" id="Pg399" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + which Jehovah can be legitimately worshipped. When we compare the + list of reforms carried out by Josiah, as given in the twenty-third + chapter of 2 Kings, with the provisions of Deuteronomy, we see that + it must have been that book and it alone that had been found in the + Temple and that governed the reforming policy of the king. Before + that time the law of the one sanctuary, if it was known at all, was + certainly more honoured in the breach than the observance. + Sacrifices were freely offered at local altars throughout the + country, not merely by the ignorant common people and idolatrous + kings, but by men who were the inspired religious leaders and + teachers of the nation. Not only so, but this practice is + sanctioned by the Book of the Covenant, which permits the erection + of an altar in every place where Jehovah causes His name to be + remembered, and only lays down injunctions as to the kind of altar + that might be used (Exod. xx. 24-26). The evidence is thus very + strong that the Book of Deuteronomy, at whatever time it may have + been written, had not the force of public law until the year 621 + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span>, and that down to + that time the accepted and authoritative expression of the divine + will for Israel was the law embraced in the Book of the + Covenant.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">To find similar + evidence of the practical adoption of the Priestly Code we have to + come down to a much later period. It is not till the year 444 + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span>, in the time of Ezra + and Nehemiah, that we read of the people pledging themselves by a + solemn covenant to the observance of regulations which are clearly + those of the finished system of Pentateuchal law (Neh. viii.-x.). + It is there expressly stated that this law had not been observed in + Israel up to that time (Neh. ix. 34), and in particular that the + great Feast of Tabernacles had not been celebrated in accordance + with the requirements of the law since the days of Joshua (Neh. + viii. 17). This is quite conclusive as to <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page400">[pg 400]</span><a name="Pg400" id="Pg400" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> actual practice in Israel; and the fact that + the observance of the law was thus introduced by instalments and on + occasions of epoch-making importance in the history of the + community raises a strong presumption against the hypothesis that + the Pentateuch was an inseparable literary unity which must be + known in its entirety where it was known at all.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now the date of + Ezekiel's vision (572) lies between these two historic + transactions—the inauguration of the law of Deuteronomy in 621, and + that of the Priestly Code in 444; and in spite of the ideal + character which belongs to the vision as a whole, it contains a + system of legislation which admits of being compared point by point + with the provisions of the other two codes on a variety of subjects + common to all three. Some of the results of this comparison will + appear as we proceed with the exposition of the chapters before us. + But it will be convenient to state here the important conclusion to + which a number of critics have been led by discussion of this + question. It is held that Ezekiel's legislation represents on the + whole a transition from the law of Deuteronomy to the more complex + system of the Priestly document. The three codes exhibit a regular + progression, the determining factor of which is a growing sense of + the importance of the Temple worship and of the necessity for a + careful regulation of the acts which express the religious standing + and privileges of the community. On such matters as the feasts, the + sacrifices, the distinction between priests and Levites, the Temple + dues, and the provision for the maintenance of ordinances, it is + found that Ezekiel lays down enactments which go beyond those of + Deuteronomy and anticipate a further development in the same + direction in the Levitical legislation.<a id="noteref_211" name= + "noteref_211" href="#note_211"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">211</span></span></a> + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page401">[pg 401]</span><a name= + "Pg401" id="Pg401" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> The legislation of + Ezekiel is accordingly regarded as a first step towards the + codification of the ritual laws which regulated the usage of the + first Temple. It is not of material consequence to know how far + these laws had been already committed to writing, or how far they + had been transmitted by oral tradition. The important point is that + down to the time of Ezekiel the great body of ritual law had been + the possession of the priests, who communicated it to the people in + the shape of particular decisions as occasion demanded. Even the + book of Deuteronomy, except on one or two points, such as the law + of leprosy and of clean and unclean animals, does not encroach on + matters of ritual, which it was the special province of the + priesthood to administer. But now that the time was drawing near + when the Temple and its worship were to be the very centre of the + religious life of the nation, it was necessary that the essential + elements of the ceremonial law should be systematised and published + in a form understood of the people. The last nine chapters of + Ezekiel, then, contain the first draft of such a scheme, drawn from + an ancient priestly tradition which in its origin went back to the + time of Moses. It is true that this was not the precise form in + which the law was destined to be put in practice in the post-exilic + community. But Ezekiel's legislation served its purpose when it + laid down clearly, with the authority of a prophet, the fundamental + ideas that underlie the conception of ritual as an aid to spiritual + religion. And these ideas were not lost sight of, though it was + reserved for others, working under the impulse supplied by Ezekiel, + to perfect the details of the system, and to adopt the principles + of the vision to the actual circumstances of the second Temple. + Through what subsequent stages the work was carried we can hardly + hope to determine with exactitude; but it was finished in all + essential respects <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page402">[pg + 402]</span><a name="Pg402" id="Pg402" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + before the great covenant of Ezra and Nehemiah in the year + 444.<a id="noteref_212" name="noteref_212" href= + "#note_212"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">212</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Let us now + consider the bearing of this theory on the interpretation of + Ezekiel's vision. It enables us to do justice to the unmistakable + practical purpose which pervades its legislation. It frees us from + the grave difficulties involved in the assumption that Ezekiel + wrote with the finished Pentateuch before him. It vindicates the + prophet from the suspicion of arbitrary deviations from a standard + of venerable antiquity and of divine authority which was afterwards + proved by experience to be suited to the requirements of that + restored Israel in whose interest Ezekiel legislated. And in doing + so it gives a new meaning to his claim to speak as a prophet + ordaining a new system of laws with divine authority. Whilst + perfectly consistent with the inspiration of the Mosaic books, it + places that of Ezekiel on a surer footing than does the supposition + that the whole Pentateuch was of Mosaic authorship. It involves, no + doubt, that the details of the Priestly law <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page403">[pg 403]</span><a name="Pg403" id="Pg403" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> were in a more or less fluid condition + down to the time of the Exile; but it explains the otherwise + unaccountable fact that the several parts of the law became + operative at different times in Israel's history, and explains it + in a manner that reveals the working of a divine purpose through + all the ages of the national existence. It becomes possible to see + that Ezekiel's legislation and that of the Levitical books are in + their essence alike Mosaic, as being founded on the institutions + and principles established by Moses at the beginning of the + nation's history. And an altogether new interest is imparted to the + former when we learn to regard it as an epoch-making contribution + to the task which laid the foundation of the post-exilic + theocracy—the task of codifying and consolidating the laws which + expressed the character of the new nation as a holy people + consecrated to the service of Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel.</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page404">[pg 404]</span><a name= + "Pg404" id="Pg404" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc63" id="toc63"></a> <a name="pdf64" id="pdf64"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XXVI. The Sanctuary. Chapters + xl.-xliii.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The fundamental + idea of the theocracy as conceived by Ezekiel is the literal + dwelling of Jehovah in the midst of His people. The Temple is in + the first instance Jehovah's palace, where He manifests His + gracious presence by receiving the gifts and homage of His + subjects. But the enjoyment of this privilege of access to the + presence of God depends on the fulfilment of certain conditions + which, in the prophet's view, had been systematically violated in + the arrangements that prevailed under the first Temple. Hence the + vision of Ezekiel is essentially the vision of a Temple + corresponding in all respects to the requirements of Jehovah's + holiness, and then of Jehovah's entrance into the house so prepared + for His reception. And the first step towards the realisation of + the great hope of the future was to lay before the exiles a full + description of this building, so that they might understand the + conditions on which alone Israel could be restored to its own + land.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">To this task the + prophet addresses himself in the first four of the chapters before + us, and he executes it in a manner which, considering the great + technical difficulties to be surmounted, must excite our + admiration. He tells us first in a brief introduction how he was + transported in prophetic ecstasy to the land of Israel, and there + on the site of the old Temple, now elevated into a <span class= + "tei tei-q">“very high <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page405">[pg + 405]</span><a name="Pg405" id="Pg405" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + mountain,”</span> he sees before him an imposing pile of buildings + like the building of a city (ver. 2). It is the future Temple, the + city itself having been removed nearly two miles to the south. At + the east gate he is met by an angel, who conducts him from point to + point of the buildings, calling his attention to significant + structural details, and measuring each part as he goes along with a + measuring-line which he carries in his hand. It is probable that + the whole description would be perfectly intelligible but for the + state of the text, which is defective throughout and in some places + hopelessly corrupt. This is hardly surprising when we consider the + technical and unfamiliar nature of the terms employed; but it has + been suspected that some parts have been deliberately tampered with + in order to bring them into harmony with the actual construction of + the second Temple. Whether that is so or not, the description as a + whole remains in its way a masterpiece of literary exposition, and + a remarkable proof of the versatility of Ezekiel's accomplishments. + When it is necessary to turn himself into an architectural + draughtsman he discharges the duty to perfection. No one can study + the detailed measurements of the buildings without being convinced + that the prophet is working from a ground plan which he has himself + prepared; indeed his own words leave no doubt that this was the + case (see ch. xliii. 10, 11). And it is a convincing demonstration + of his descriptive powers that we are able, after the labours of + many generations of scholars, to reproduce this plan with a + certainty which, except with regard to a few minor features, leaves + little to be desired. It has been remarked as a curious fact that + of the three temples mentioned in the Old Testament the only one of + whose construction we can form a clear conception is the one that + was never built;<a id="noteref_213" name="noteref_213" href= + "#note_213"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">213</span></span></a> and + certainly the knowledge we have of Solomon's Temple <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page406">[pg 406]</span><a name="Pg406" id="Pg406" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> from the first book of Kings is very + incomplete compared with what we know of the Temple which Ezekiel + saw only in vision.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is impossible + in this chapter to enter into all the minutiæ of the description, + or even to discuss all the difficulties of interpretation which + arise in connection with different parts. Full information on these + points will be found in short compass in Dr. Davidson's commentary + on the passage. All that can be attempted here is to convey a + general idea of the arrangements of the various buildings and + courts of the sanctuary, and the extreme care with which they have + been thought out by the prophet. After this has been done we shall + try to discover the meaning of these arrangements in so far as they + differ from the model supplied by the first Temple.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Let the + reader, then, after the manner of Euclid, draw a straight line + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style="font-variant: small-caps">a + b</span></span>, and describe thereon a square <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-variant: small-caps">a b c + d</span></span>. Let him divide two adjacent sides of the square + (say <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">a b</span></span> and <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-variant: small-caps">a + d</span></span>) into ten equal parts, and let lines be drawn + from the points of section parallel to the sides of the square in + both directions. Let a side of the small squares represent a + length of fifty cubits, and the whole consequently a square of + five hundred cubits.<a id="noteref_214" name="noteref_214" href= + "#note_214"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">214</span></span></a> It + will now be found that the <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page407">[pg 407]</span><a name="Pg407" id="Pg407" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> bounding lines of Ezekiel's plan run + throughout on the lines of this diagram;<a id="noteref_215" name= + "noteref_215" href="#note_215"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">215</span></span></a> and + this fact gives a better idea than anything else of the + symmetrical structure of the Temple and of the absolute accuracy + of the measurements.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The sides of + the large square represent of course the outer boundary of the + enclosure, which is formed by a wall six cubits thick and six + high.<a id="noteref_216" name="noteref_216" href= + "#note_216"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">216</span></span></a> Its + sides are directed to the four points of the compass, and at the + middle of the north, east and south sides the wall is pierced by + the three gates, each with an ascent of seven steps outside. The + gates, however, are not mere openings in the wall furnished with + doors, but covered gateways similar to those that penetrate the + thick wall of a fortified town. In this case they are large + separate buildings projecting into the court to a distance of + fifty cubits, and twenty-five cubits broad, exactly half the size + of the Temple proper. On either side of the passage are three + recesses in the wall six cubits square, which were to be used as + guard-rooms by the Temple police. Each gateway terminates towards + the court in a large hall called <span class="tei tei-q">“the + porch,”</span> eight cubits broad (along the line of entry) by + twenty long (across): the porch of the east gate was reserved for + the use of the prince; the purpose of the other two is nowhere + specified.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Passing + through the eastern gateway, the prophet stands in the outer + court of the Temple, the place where the people assembled for + worship. It seems to have been entirely destitute of buildings, + with the exception of <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page408">[pg + 408]</span><a name="Pg408" id="Pg408" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + a row of thirty cells along the three walls in which the gates + were. The outer margin of the court was paved with stone up to + the line of the inside of the gateways (<span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, + fifty cubits, less the thickness of the outer wall); and on this + pavement stood the cells, the dimensions of which, however, are + not given. There were, moreover, in the four corners of the court + rectangular enclosures forty cubits by thirty, where the Levites + were to cook the sacrifices of the people (ch. xlvi. 21-24). The + purpose of the cells is nowhere specified; but there is little + doubt that they were intended for those sacrificial feasts of a + semi-private character which had always been a prominent feature + of the Temple worship. From the edge of the pavement to the inner + court was a distance of a hundred cubits; but this space was free + only on three sides, the western side being occupied by buildings + to be afterwards described.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The inner + court was a terrace standing probably about five feet above the + level of the outer, and approached by flights of eight steps at + the three gates. It was reserved for the exclusive use of the + priests. It had three gateways in a line with those of the outer + court, and precisely similar to them, with the single exception + that the porches were not, as we might have expected, towards the + inside, but at the ends next to the outer court. The free space + of the inner court, within the line of the gateways, was a square + of a hundred cubits, corresponding to the four middle squares of + the diagram. Right in the middle, so that it could be seen + through the gates, was the great altar of burnt-offering, a huge + stone structure rising in three terraces to a height apparently + of twelve cubits, and having a breadth and length of eighteen + cubits at the base. That this, rather than the Temple, should be + the centre of the sanctuary, corresponds to a consciousness in + Israel that the altar was the one indispensable requisite for the + performance of sacrificial worship acceptable to <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page409">[pg 409]</span><a name="Pg409" id= + "Pg409" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> Jehovah. Accordingly, when + the first exiles returned to Jerusalem, before they were in a + position to set about the erection of the Temple, they reared the + altar in its place, and at once instituted the daily sacrifice + and the stated order of the festivals. And even in Ezekiel's + vision we shall find that the sacrificial consecration of the + altar is considered as equivalent to the dedication of the whole + sanctuary to the chief purpose for which it was erected. Besides + the altar there were in the inner court certain other objects of + special significance for the priestly and sacrificial service. By + the side of the north and south gates were two cells or chambers + opening towards the middle space. The purpose for which these + cells were intended clearly points to a division of the + priesthood (which, however, may have been temporary and not + permanent) into two classes—one of which was entrusted with the + service of the Temple, and the other with the service of the + altar. The cell on the north, we are told, was for the priests + engaged in the service of the house, and that on the south for + those who officiated at the altar (ch. xl. 45, 46). There is + mention also of tables on which different classes of sacrificial + victims were slaughtered, and of a chamber in which the + burnt-offering was washed (ch. xl. 38-43); but so obscure is the + text of this passage that it cannot even be certainly determined + whether these appliances were situated at the east gate or the + north gate, or at each of the three gates.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The four small + squares immediately adjoining the inner court on the west are + occupied by the Temple proper and its adjuncts. The Temple itself + stands on a solid basement six cubits above the level of the + inner court, and is reached by a flight of ten steps. The breadth + of the basement (north to south) is sixty cubits: this leaves a + free space of twenty cubits on either side, which is really a + continuation of the inner court, although it <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page410">[pg 410]</span><a name="Pg410" id= + "Pg410" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> bears the special name of the + <span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang= + "he"><span style="font-style: italic">gizra</span></span> + (<span class="tei tei-q">“separate place”</span>). In length the + basement measures a hundred and five cubits, projecting, as we + immediately see, five cubits into the inner court in front.<a id= + "noteref_217" name="noteref_217" href="#note_217"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">217</span></span></a> The + inner space of the Temple was divided, as in Solomon's Temple, + into three compartments, communicating with each other by + folding-doors in the middle of the partitions that separated + them. Entering by the outer door on the east, we come first to + the vestibule, which is twenty cubits broad (north to south) by + twelve cubits east to west. Next to this is the hall or + <span class="tei tei-q">“palace”</span> (<span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">hêkāl</span></span>), twenty cubits by + forty. Beyond this again is the innermost shrine of the Temple, + the Most Holy Place, where the glory of the God of Israel is to + take the place occupied by the ark and cherubim of the first + Temple. It is a square of twenty cubits; but Ezekiel, although + himself a priest, is not allowed to enter this sacred space; the + angel goes in alone, and announces the measurements to the + prophet, who waits without in the great hall of the Temple. The + only piece of furniture mentioned in the Temple is an altar or + table in the hall, immediately in front of the Most Holy Place + (ch. xli. 22). The reference is no doubt to the table on which + the shewbread was laid out before Jehovah (cf. Exod. xxv. 23-30). + Some details are also given of the wood-carving with which the + interior was decorated (ch. xli. 16-20, 25), consisting + apparently of cherubs and palm trees in alternate panels. This + appears to be simply a reminiscence of the ornamentation of the + old Temple, and to have no direct religious significance in the + mind of the prophet.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page411">[pg + 411]</span><a name="Pg411" id="Pg411" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The Temple was + enclosed first by a wall six cubits thick, and then on each side + except the east by an outer wall of five cubits, separated from + the inner by an interval of four cubits. This intervening space + was divided into three ranges of small cells rising in three + stories one over another. The second and third stories were + somewhat broader than the lowest, the inner wall of the house + being contracted so as to allow the beams to be laid upon it + without breaking into its surface. We must further suppose that + the inner wall rose above the cells and the outer wall, so as to + leave a clear space for the windows of the Temple. The entire + length of the Temple on the outside is a hundred cubits, and the + breadth fifty cubits. This leaves room for a passage of five + cubits broad round the edge of the elevated platform on which the + main building stood. The two doors which gave access to the cells + opened on this passage, and were placed in the north and south + sides of the outer wall. There was obviously no need to continue + the passage round the west side of the house, and this does not + appear to be contemplated.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It will be + seen that there still remains a square of a hundred cubits behind + the Temple, between it and the west wall. The greater part of + this was taken up by a structure vaguely designated as the + <span class="tei tei-q">“building”</span> (<span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">binyā</span></span> or <span lang="he" + class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">binyan</span></span>), which is commonly + supposed to have been a sort of lumber-room, although its + function is not indicated. Nor does it appear whether it stood on + the level of the inner court or of the outer. But while this + building fills the whole breadth of the square from north to + south (a hundred cubits), the other dimension (east to west) is + curtailed by a space of twenty cubits left free between it and + the Temple, the <span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang= + "he"><span style="font-style: italic">gizra</span></span> (see p. + <a href="#Pg410" class="tei tei-ref">410</a>) being thus + continuous round three sides of the house.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The most + troublesome part of the description is that <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page412">[pg 412]</span><a name="Pg412" id= + "Pg412" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of two blocks of cells<a id= + "noteref_218" name="noteref_218" href="#note_218"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">218</span></span></a> + situated north and south of the Temple building (ch. xlii. 1-14). + It seems clear that they occupied the oblong spaces between the + <span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang= + "he"><span style="font-style: italic">gizra</span></span> north + and south of the Temple and the walls of the inner court. Their + length is said to be a hundred cubits, and their breadth fifty + cubits. But room has to be found for a passage ten cubits broad + and a hundred long, so that the measurements do not exhibit in + this case Ezekiel's usual accuracy. Moreover, we are told that + while their length facing the Temple was a hundred cubits, the + length facing the outer court was only fifty cubits. It is + extremely difficult to gain a clear idea of what the prophet + meant. Smend and Davidson suppose that each block was divided + longitudinally into two sections, and that the passage of ten + cubits ran between them from east to west. The inner section + would then be a hundred cubits in length and twenty in breadth. + But the other section towards the outer court would have only + half this length, the remaining fifty cubits along the edge of + the inner court being protected by a wall. This is perhaps the + best solution that has been proposed, but one can hardly help + thinking that if Ezekiel had had such an arrangement in view he + would have expressed himself more clearly. The one thing that is + perfectly unambiguous is the purpose for which these cells were + to be used. Certain sacrifices to which a high degree of sanctity + attached were consumed by the priests, and being <span class= + "tei tei-q">“most holy”</span> things they had to be eaten in a + holy place. These chambers, then, standing within the sacred + enclosure of the inner court, were assigned to the priests for + this purpose.<a id="noteref_219" name="noteref_219" href= + "#note_219"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">219</span></span></a> In + them also the priests were to deposit the sacred garments + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page413">[pg 413]</span><a name= + "Pg413" id="Pg413" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> in which they + ministered, before leaving the inner court to mingle with the + people.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Such, then, + are the leading features presented by Ezekiel's description of an + ideal sanctuary. What are the chief impressions suggested to the + mind by its perusal? The fact no doubt that surprises us most is + that our attention is almost exclusively directed to the + ground-plan of the buildings. It is evident that the prophet is + indifferent to what seems to us the noblest element of + ecclesiastical architecture, the effect of lofty spaces on the + imagination of the worshipper. It is no part of his purpose to + inspire devotional feeling by the aid of purely æsthetic + impressions. <span class="tei tei-q">“The height, the span, the + gloom, the glory”</span> of some venerable Gothic cathedral do + not enter into his conception of a place of worship. The + impressions he wishes to convey, although religious, are + intellectual rather than æsthetic, and are such as could be + expressed by the sharp outlines and mathematical precision of a + ground-plan. Now of course the sanctuary was, to begin with, a + place of sacrifice, and to a large extent its arrangements were + necessarily dictated by a regard for practical convenience and + utility. But leaving this on one side, it is obvious enough that + the design is influenced by certain ruling principles, of which + the most conspicuous are these three: separation, gradation, and + symmetry. And these again symbolise three aspects of the one + great idea of holiness, which the prophet desired to see embodied + in the whole constitution of the Hebrew state as the guarantee of + lasting fellowship between Jehovah and Israel.</p><span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page414">[pg 414]</span><a name="Pg414" id= + "Pg414" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In Ezekiel's + teaching on the subject of holiness there is nothing that is + absolutely new or peculiar to himself. That Jehovah is the one + truly holy Being is the common doctrine of the prophets, and it + means that He alone unites in Himself all the attributes of true + Godhead. The Hebrew language does not admit of the formation of + an adjective from the name for God like our word <span class= + "tei tei-q">“divine,”</span> or an abstract noun corresponding to + <span class="tei tei-q">“divinity.”</span> What we denote by + these terms the Hebrews expressed by the words <span lang="he" + class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">qādôsh</span></span> , <span class= + "tei tei-q">“holy,”</span> and <span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">qōdesh</span></span>, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“holiness.”</span> All that constitutes true divinity + is therefore summed up in the Old Testament idea of the holiness + of God. The fundamental thought expressed by the word when + applied to God appears to be the separation or contrast between + the divine and the human—that in God which inspires awe and + reverence on the part of man, and forbids approach to Him save + under restrictions which flow from the nature of the Deity. In + the light of the New Testament revelation we see that the only + barrier to communion with God is sin; and hence to us holiness, + both in God and man, is a purely ethical idea denoting moral + purity and perfectness. But under the Old Testament access to God + was hindered not only by sin, but also by natural disabilities to + which no moral guilt attaches. The idea of holiness is therefore + partly ethical and partly ceremonial, physical uncleanness being + as really a violation of the divine holiness, as offences against + the moral law. The consequences of this view appear nowhere more + clearly than in the legislation of Ezekiel. His mind was + penetrated with the prophetic idea of the unique divinity or + holiness of Jehovah, and no one can doubt that the moral + attributes of God occupied the supreme place in his conception of + what true Godhead is. But along with this he has a profound sense + of what the nature of Jehovah demands in the way of ceremonial + purity. The divine holiness, in fact, <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page415">[pg 415]</span><a name="Pg415" id="Pg415" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> contains a physical as well as an ethical + element; and to guard against the intrusion of anything unclean + into the sphere of Jehovah's worship is the chief design of the + elaborate system of ritual laws laid down in the closing chapters + of Ezekiel. Ultimately no doubt the whole system served a moral + purpose by furnishing a safeguard against the introduction of + heathen practices into the worship of Israel. But its immediate + effect was to give prominence to that aspect of the idea of + holiness which seems to us of least value, although it could not + be dispensed with so long as the worship of God took the form of + material offerings at a local sanctuary.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now in + reducing this idea to practice it is obvious that everything + depends on the strict enforcement of the principle of separation + that lies at the root of the Hebrew conception of holiness. The + thought that underlies Ezekiel's legislation is that the holiness + of Jehovah is communicated in different degrees to everything + connected with His worship, and in the first instance to the + Temple, which is sanctified by His presence. The sanctity of the + place is of course not fully intelligible apart from the + ceremonial rules which regulate the conduct of those who are + permitted to enter it. Throughout the ancient world we find + evidence of the existence of sacred enclosures which could only + be entered by those who fulfilled certain conditions of physical + purity. The conditions might be extremely simple, as when Moses + was commanded to take his shoes off his feet as he stood within + the holy ground on Mount Sinai. But obviously the first essential + of a permanently sacred place was that it should be definitely + marked off from common ground, as the sphere within which + superior requirements of holiness became binding. A holy place is + necessarily a place <span class="tei tei-q">“cut off,”</span> + separated from ordinary use and guarded from intrusion by + supernatural sanctions. The idea of the sanctuary as a separate + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page416">[pg 416]</span><a name= + "Pg416" id="Pg416" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> place was + therefore perfectly familiar to the Israelites long before the + time of Ezekiel, and had been exhibited in a lax and imperfect + way in the construction of the first Temple. But what Ezekiel did + was to carry out the idea with a thoroughness never before + attempted, and in such a way as to make the whole arrangements of + the sanctuary an impressive object lesson on the holiness of + Jehovah.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">How important + this notion of separateness was to Ezekiel's conception of the + sanctuary is best seen from the emphatic condemnation of the + arrangement of the old Temple pronounced by Jehovah Himself on + His entrance into the house: <span class="tei tei-q">“Son of man, + [hast thou seen]<a id="noteref_220" name="noteref_220" href= + "#note_220"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">220</span></span></a> the + place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where + I shall dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever? No + longer shall the house of Israel defile My holy name, they and + their kings, by their whoredom [idolatry], and by the corpses of + their kings in their death; by placing their threshold alongside + of My threshold, and their post beside My post, with only the + wall between Me and them, and defiling My holy name by their + abominations which they committed; so that I consumed them in My + anger. But now they must remove their whoredom and the corpses of + their kings from Me, and I will dwell amongst them for + ever”</span> (ch. xliii. 7-9). There is here a clear allusion to + defects in the structure of the Temple which were inconsistent + with a due recognition of the necessary separation between the + holy and the profane (ch. xlii. 20). It appears that the first + Temple had only one court, corresponding to the inner court of + Ezekiel's vision. What answered to the outer court was simply an + enclosure surrounding, not only the Temple, but also the royal + palace and the other buildings <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page417">[pg 417]</span><a name="Pg417" id="Pg417" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> of state. Immediately adjoining the Temple + area on the south was the court in which the palace stood, so + that the only division between the dwelling-place of Jehovah and + the residence of the kings of Judah was the single wall + separating the two courts. This of itself was derogatory to the + sanctity of the Temple, according to the enhanced idea of + holiness which it was Ezekiel's mission to enforce. But the + prophet touches on a still more flagrant transgression of the law + of holiness when he speaks of the dead bodies of the kings as + being interred in the neighbourhood of the Temple. Contact with a + dead body produced under all circumstances the highest degree of + ceremonial uncleanness, and nothing could have been more + abhorrent to Ezekiel's priestly sense of propriety than the close + proximity of dead men's bones to the house in which Jehovah was + to dwell. In order to guard against the recurrence of these + abuses in the future it was necessary that all secular buildings + should be removed to a safe distance from the Temple precincts. + The <span class="tei tei-q">“law of the house”</span> is that + <span class="tei tei-q">“upon the top of the mountain it shall + stand, and all its precincts round about shall be most + holy”</span> (ch. xliii. 12). And it is characteristic of Ezekiel + that the separation is effected, not by changing the situation of + the Temple, but by transporting the city bodily to the southward; + so that the new sanctuary stood on the site of the old, but + isolated from the contact of that in human life which was common + and unclean.<a id="noteref_221" name="noteref_221" href= + "#note_221"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">221</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The effect of + this teaching, however, is immensely enhanced by the principle of + gradation, which is the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page418">[pg + 418]</span><a name="Pg418" id="Pg418" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + second feature exhibited in Ezekiel's description of the + sanctuary. Holiness, as a predicate of persons or things, is + after all a relative idea. That which is <span class= + "tei tei-q">“most holy”</span> in relation to the profane + every-day life of men may be less holy in comparison with + something still more closely associated with the presence of God. + Thus the whole land of Israel was holy in contrast with the world + lying outside. But it was impossible to maintain the whole land + in a state of ceremonial purity corresponding to the sanctity of + Jehovah. The full compass of the idea could only be illustrated + by a carefully graded series of sacred spaces, each of which + entailed provisions of sanctity peculiar to itself. First of all + an <span class="tei tei-q">“oblation”</span> is set apart in the + middle of the tribes; and of this the central portion is assigned + for the residence of the priestly families. In the midst of this, + again, stands the sanctuary with its wall and precinct, dividing + the holy from the profane (ch. xlii. 20). Within the wall are the + two courts, of which the outer could only be trodden by + circumcised Israelites and the inner only by the priests. Behind + the inner court stands the Temple house, cut off from the + adjoining buildings by a <span class="tei tei-q">“separate + place,”</span> and elevated on a platform, which still further + guards its sanctity from profane contact. And finally the + interior of the house is divided into three compartments, + increasing in holiness in the order of entrance—first the porch, + then the main hall, and then the Most Holy Place, where Jehovah + Himself dwells. It is impossible to mistake the meaning of all + this. The practical object is to secure the presence <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page419">[pg 419]</span><a name="Pg419" id= + "Pg419" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of Jehovah against the + possibility of contact with those sources of impurity which are + inseparably bound up with the incidents of man's natural + existence on earth.<a id="noteref_222" name="noteref_222" href= + "#note_222"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">222</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Before we pass + on let us return for a moment to the primary notion of separation + in space as an emblem of the Old Testament conception of + holiness. What is the permanent religious truth underlying this + representation? We may find it in the idea conveyed by the + familiar phrase <span class="tei tei-q">“draw near to + God.”</span> What we have just seen reminds us that there was a + stage in the history of religion when these words could be used + in the most literal sense of every act of complete worship. The + worshipper actually came to the place where God was; it was + impossible to realise His presence in any other way. To us the + expression has only a metaphorical value; yet the metaphor is one + that we cannot dispense with, for it covers a fact of spiritual + experience. It may be true that with God there is no far or near, + that He is omnipresent, that His eyes are in every place + beholding the evil and the good. But what does that mean? Not + surely that all men everywhere and at all times are equally under + the influence of <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page420">[pg + 420]</span><a name="Pg420" id="Pg420" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + the divine Spirit? No; but only that God <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">may</span></em> + be found in any place by the soul that is open to receive His + grace and truth, that place has nothing to do with the conditions + of true fellowship with Him. Translated into terms of the + spiritual life, drawing near to God denotes the act of faith or + prayer or consecration, through which we seek the manifestation + of His love in our experience. Religion knows nothing of + <span class="tei tei-q">“action at a distance”</span>; God is + near in every place to the soul that knows Him, and distant in + every place from the heart that loves darkness rather than + light.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now when the + idea of access to God is thus spiritualised the conception of + holiness is necessarily transformed, but it is not superseded. At + every stage of revelation holiness is that <span class= + "tei tei-q">“without which no man shall see the + Lord.”</span><a id="noteref_223" name="noteref_223" href= + "#note_223"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">223</span></span></a> In + other words, it expresses the conditions that regulate all true + fellowship with God. So long as worship was confined to an + earthly sanctuary these conditions were so to speak materialised. + They resolved themselves into a series of <span class= + "tei tei-q">“carnal ordinances”</span>—gifts and sacrifices, + meats, drinks, and divers washings—that could never make the + worshipper perfect as touching the conscience. These things were + <span class="tei tei-q">“imposed until a time of + reformation,”</span> the <span class="tei tei-q">“Holy Ghost this + signifying, that the way into the holy place had not been made + manifest while as the first tabernacle was yet + standing.”</span><a id="noteref_224" name="noteref_224" href= + "#note_224"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">224</span></span></a> And + yet when we consider what it was that gave such vitality to that + persistent sense of distance from God, of His unapproachableness, + of danger in contact with Him, what it was that inspired such + constant attention to ceremonial purity in all ancient religions, + we cannot but see that it was the obscure workings of the + conscience, the haunting sense of moral defect cleaving to a + man's common life and all his common <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page421">[pg 421]</span><a name="Pg421" id="Pg421" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> actions. In heathenism this feeling took an + entirely wrong direction; in Israel it was gradually liberated + from its material associations and stood forth as an ethical + fact. And when at last Christ came to reveal God as He is, He + taught men to call nothing common or unclean. But He taught them + at the same time that true holiness can only be attained through + His atoning sacrifice, and by the indwelling of that Spirit which + is the source of moral purity and perfection in all His people. + These are the abiding conditions of fellowship with the Father of + our spirits; and under the influence of these great Christian + facts it is our duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">III</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">No sooner has + the prophet completed his tour of inspection of the sacred + buildings than he is conducted to the eastern gate to witness the + theophany by which the Temple is consecrated to the service of + the true God. <span class="tei tei-q">“He (the angel) led me to + the gate that looks eastward, and, lo, the glory of the God of + Israel came from the east; its sound was as the sound of many + waters, and the earth shone with its glory. The appearance which + I saw was like that which I had seen when He came to destroy the + city, and like the appearance which I saw by the river Kebar, and + I fell on my face. And the glory of Jehovah entered the house by + the gate that looks towards the east. The Spirit caught me up, + and brought me to the inner court; and, behold, the glory of + Jehovah filled the house. Then I heard a voice from the house + speaking to me—the man was standing beside me—and saying, Son of + man, hast thou seen the place of My throne, and the place of the + soles of My feet, where I shall dwell in the midst of the + children of Israel for ever?”</span> (ch. xliii. + 1-7).</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page422">[pg + 422]</span><a name="Pg422" id="Pg422" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This great + scene, so simply described, is really the culmination of + Ezekiel's prophecy. Its spiritual meaning is suggested by the + prophet himself when he recalls the terrible act of judgment + which he had seen in vision on that very spot some twenty years + before (chs. ix.-xi.). The two episodes stand in clear and + conscious parallelism with each other. They represent in dramatic + form the sum of Ezekiel's teaching in the two periods into which + his ministry was divided. On the former occasion he had witnessed + the exit of Jehovah from a Temple polluted by heathen + abominations and profaned by the presence of men who had disowned + the knowledge of the Holy One of Israel. The prophet had read in + this the death sentence of the old Hebrew state, and the truth of + his vision had been established in the tale of horror and + disaster which the subsequent years had unfolded. Now he has been + privileged to see the return of Jehovah to a new Temple, + corresponding in all respects to the requirements of His + holiness; and he recognises it as the pledge of restoration and + peace and all the blessings of the Messianic age. The future + worshippers are still in exile bearing the chastisement of their + former iniquities; but <span class="tei tei-q">“the Lord is in + His holy Temple,”</span> and the dispersed of Israel shall yet be + gathered home to enter His courts with praise and + thanksgiving.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">To us this + part of the vision symbolises, under forms derived from the Old + Testament economy, the central truth of the Christian + dispensation. We do no injustice to the historic import of + Ezekiel's mission when we say that the dwelling of Jehovah in the + midst of His people is an emblem of reconciliation between God + and man, and that his elaborate system of ritual observances + points towards the sanctification of human life in all its + relations through spiritual communion with the Father revealed in + our Lord Jesus Christ. Christian interpreters <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page423">[pg 423]</span><a name="Pg423" id= + "Pg423" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> have differed widely as to + the manner in which the vision is to be realised in the history + of the Church; but on one point at least they are agreed, that + through the veil of legal institutions the prophet saw the day of + Christ. And although Ezekiel himself does not distinguish between + the symbol and the reality, it is nevertheless possible for us to + see, in the essential ideas of his vision, a prophecy of that + eternal union between God and man which is brought to pass by the + work of Christ.</p> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page424">[pg 424]</span><a name= + "Pg424" id="Pg424" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc65" id="toc65"></a> <a name="pdf66" id="pdf66"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XXVII. The Priesthood. + Chapter xliv.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the last + chapter we saw how the principle of holiness through separation was + exhibited in the plan of a new Temple, round which the Theocracy of + the future was to be constituted. We have now to consider the + application of the same principle to the <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">personnel</span></em> of the Sanctuary, the + priests and others who are to officiate within its courts. The + connection between the two is obvious. As has been already + remarked, the sanctity of the Temple is not intelligible apart from + the ceremonial purity required of the persons who are permitted to + enter it. The degrees of holiness pertaining to its different areas + imply an ascending scale of restrictions on access to the more + sacred parts. We may expect to find that in the observance of these + conditions the usage of the first Temple left much to be desired + from the point of view represented by Ezekiel's ideal. Where the + very construction of the sanctuary involved so many departures from + the strict idea of holiness it was inevitable that a corresponding + laxity should prevail in the discharge of sacred functions. Temple + and priesthood in fact are so related that a reform of the one + implies of necessity a reform of the other. It is therefore not in + itself surprising that Ezekiel's legislation should include a + scheme for the reorganisation of <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page425">[pg 425]</span><a name="Pg425" id="Pg425" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> the Temple priesthood. But these general + considerations hardly prepare us for the sweeping and drastic + changes contemplated in the forty-fourth chapter of the book. It + requires an effort of imagination to realise the situation with + which the prophet has to deal. The abuses for which he seeks a + remedy and the measures which he adopts to counteract them are + alike contrary to preconceived notions of the order of worship in + an Israelite sanctuary. Yet there is no part of the prophet's + programme which shows the character of the earnest practical + reformer more clearly than this. If we might regard Ezekiel as a + mere legislator we should say that the boldest task to which he set + his hand was a reformation of the Temple ministry, involving the + degradation of an influential class from the priestly status and + privileges to which they aspired.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.40em; margin-top: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The first and + most noteworthy feature of the new scheme is the distinction + between priests and Levites. The passage in which this + instruction is given is so important that it may be quoted here + at length. It is an oracle communicated to the prophet in a + peculiarly impressive manner. He has been brought into the inner + court in front of the Temple, and there, in full view of the + glory of God, he falls on his face, when Jehovah speaks to him as + follows:—</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em"><span class= + "tei tei-q">“Son of man, give heed and see with thine eyes and + hear with thine ears all that I speak to thee concerning all the + ordinances and all the laws of Jehovah's house. Mark well the + [rule of] entrance into the house, and all the outgoings in the + sanctuary. And say to the house of rebellion, the house of + Israel: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, It is high time to desist + from all your abominations, <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page426">[pg 426]</span><a name="Pg426" id="Pg426" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> O house of Israel, in that ye bring in + aliens uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh to be in + My sanctuary, profaning it, while ye offer My bread, the fat and + the blood; thus ye have broken My covenant, in addition to all + your [other] abominations; and ye have not kept the charge of My + holy things, but have appointed them as keepers of My charge in + My sanctuary. Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, No alien + uncircumcised in heart and flesh shall enter into My sanctuary, + of all the foreigners who are amongst the Israelites. But the + Levites who departed from Me when Israel went astray from Me + after their idols, <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">they</span></em> shall bear their guilt, and + shall minister in My sanctuary in charge at the gates of the + house and as ministers of the house; they shall slay the burnt + offering and the sacrifice for the people, and stand before them + to minister to them. Because they ministered to them before their + idols, and were to the house of Israel an occasion of guilt, + therefore I lift My hand against them, saith the Lord Jehovah, + and they shall bear their guilt, and shall not draw near to Me to + act as priests to Me or to touch any of My holy things, the most + holy things, but shall bear their shame and the abominations + which they have committed. I will make them keepers of the charge + of the house, for all its servile work and all that has to be + done in it. But the priest-Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept + the charge of My sanctuary when the Israelites strayed from + Me—they shall draw near to Me to minister to Me, and shall stand + before Me to present to Me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord + Jehovah. They shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall draw + near to My table to minister to Me, and shall keep My + charge”</span> (xliv. 5-16).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now the first + thing to be noticed here is that the new law of the priesthood is + aimed directly against a particular abuse in the practice of the + first Temple. It appears that <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page427">[pg 427]</span><a name="Pg427" id="Pg427" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> down to the time of the Exile uncircumcised + aliens were not only admitted to the Temple, but were entrusted + with certain important functions in maintaining order in the + sanctuary (ver. 8). It is not expressly stated that they took any + part in the performance of the worship, although this is + suggested by the fact that the Levites who are installed in their + place had to slay the sacrifices for the people and render other + necessary services to the worshippers (ver. 11). In any case the + mere presence of foreigners while sacrifice was being offered + (ver. 7) was a profanation of the sanctity of the Temple which + was intolerable to a strict conception of Jehovah's holiness. It + is therefore of some consequence to discover who these aliens + were, and how they came to be engaged in the Temple.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">For a partial + answer to this question, we may turn first to the memorable scene + of the coronation of the young king Joash as described in the + eleventh chapter of the second book of Kings (<span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">c.</span></span> + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span> 837). The moving + spirit in that transaction was the chief priest Jehoiada, a man + who was honourably distinguished by his zeal for the purity of + the national religion. But although the priest's motives were + pure he could only accomplish his object by a palace revolution, + carried out with the assistance of the captains of the royal + bodyguard. Now from the time of David the royal guard had + contained a corps of foreign mercenaries recruited from the + Philistine country; and on the occasion with which we are dealing + we find mention of a body of Carians, showing that the custom was + kept up in the end of the ninth century. During the coronation + ceremony these guards were drawn up in the most sacred part of + the inner court, the space between the Temple and the altar, with + the new king in their midst (ver. 11). Moreover we learn + incidentally that keeping watch in the Temple was part of the + regular duty of the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page428">[pg + 428]</span><a name="Pg428" id="Pg428" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + king's bodyguard, just as much as the custody of the palace (vv. + 5-7). In order to understand the full significance of this + arrangement, it must be borne in mind that the Temple was in the + first instance the royal sanctuary, maintained at the king's + expense and subject to his authority. Hence the duty of keeping + order in the Temple courts naturally devolved on the troops that + attended the king's person and acted as the palace guard. So at + an earlier period of the history we read that as often as the + king went into the house of Jehovah, he was accompanied by the + guard that kept the door of the king's house (1 Kings xiv. 27, + 28).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Here, then, we + have historical evidence of the admission to the sanctuary of a + class of foreigners answering in all respects to the + uncircumcised aliens of Ezekiel's legislation. That the practice + of enlisting foreign mercenaries for the guard continued till the + reign of Josiah seems to be indicated by an allusion in the book + of Zephaniah, where the prophet denounces a body of men in the + service of the king who observed the Philistine custom of + <span class="tei tei-q">“leaping over the threshold”</span> + (Zeph. i. 9: cf. 1 Sam. v. 5). We have only to suppose that this + usage, along with the subordination of the Temple to the royal + authority, persisted to the close of the monarchy, in order to + explain fully the abuse which excited the indignation of our + prophet. It is possible no doubt that he had in view other + uncircumcised persons as well, such as the Gibeonites (Josh. ix. + 27), who were employed in the menial service of the sanctuary. + But we have seen enough to show at all events that pre-exilic + usage tolerated a freedom of access to the sanctuary and a + looseness of administration within it which would have been + sacrilegious under the law of the second Temple. It need not be + supposed that Ezekiel was the only one who felt this state of + things to be a scandal and an injury to religion. We may believe + that in this respect he only <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page429">[pg 429]</span><a name="Pg429" id="Pg429" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> expressed the higher conscience of his + order. Amongst the more devout circles of the Temple priesthood + there was probably a growing conviction similar to that which + animated the early Tractarian party in the Church of England, a + conviction that the whole ecclesiastical system with which their + spiritual interests were bound up fell short of the ideal of + sanctity essential to it as a divine institution. But no scheme + of reform had any chance of success so long as the palace of the + kings stood hard by the Temple, with only a wall between them. + The opportunity for reconstruction came with the Exile, and one + of the leading principles of the reformed Temple is that here + enunciated by Ezekiel, that no <span class="tei tei-q">“alien + uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh”</span> shall + henceforth enter the sanctuary.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In order to + prevent a recurrence of these abuses Ezekiel ordains that for the + future the functions of the Temple guard and other menial offices + shall be discharged by the Levites who had hitherto acted as + priests of the idolatrous shrines throughout the kingdom (vv. + 11-14). This singular enactment becomes at once intelligible when + we understand the peculiar circumstances brought about by the + enforcement of the Deuteronomic Law in the reformation of the + year 621. Let us once more recall the fact that the chief object + of that reformation was to do away with all the provincial + sanctuaries and to concentrate the worship of the nation in the + Temple at Jerusalem. It is obvious that by this measure the + priests of the local sanctuaries were deprived of their means of + livelihood. The rule that they who serve the altar shall live by + the altar applied equally to the priests of the high places and + to those in the Temple at Jerusalem. All the priests indeed + throughout the country were members of a landless caste or tribe; + the Levites had no portion or inheritance like the other tribes, + but subsisted <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page430">[pg + 430]</span><a name="Pg430" id="Pg430" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + on the offerings of the worshippers at the various shrines where + they ministered. Now the law of Deuteronomy recognises the + principle of compensation for the vested interests that were thus + abolished. Two alternatives were offered to the Levites of the + high places: they might either remain in the villages or + townships where they were known, or they might proceed to the + central sanctuary and obtain admission to the ranks of the + priesthood there. In the former case, the Lawgiver commends them + earnestly, along with other destitute members of the community, + to the charity of their well-to-do fellow-townsmen and + neighbours. If, on the other hand, they elected to try their + fortunes in the Temple at Jerusalem, he secures their full + priestly status and equal rights with their brethren who + regularly officiated there. On this point the legislation is + quite explicit. Any Levite from any district of Israel who came + of his own free will to the place which Jehovah had chosen might + minister in the name of Jehovah his God, as all his brethren the + Levites did who stood there before Jehovah, and have like + portions to eat (Deut. xviii. 6-8). In this matter, however, the + humane intention of the law was partly frustrated by the + exclusiveness of the priests who were already in possession of + the sacred offices in the Temple. The Levites who were brought up + from the provinces to Jerusalem were allowed their proper share + of the priestly dues, but were not permitted to officiate at the + altar.<a id="noteref_225" name="noteref_225" href= + "#note_225"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">225</span></span></a> It + is not probable that a large number of the provincial Levites + availed themselves of this grudging provision for their + maintenance. In the idolatrous reaction which <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page431">[pg 431]</span><a name="Pg431" id= + "Pg431" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> set in after the death of + Josiah the worship of the high places was revived, and the great + body of the Levites would naturally be favourable to the + re-establishment of the old order of things with which their + professional interests were identified. Still, there would be a + certain number who for conscientious motives attached themselves + to the movement for a purer and stricter conception of the + worship of Jehovah, and were willing to submit to the irksome + conditions which this movement imposed on them. They might hope + for a time when the generous provisions of the Deuteronomic Code + would be applied to them; but their position in the meantime was + both precarious and humiliating. They had to bear the doom + pronounced long ago on the sinful house of Eli: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Every one that is left in thine house shall come and + bow down to him (the high priest of the line of Zadok) for a + piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Thrust me, I + pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a + morsel of bread.”</span><a id="noteref_226" name="noteref_226" + href="#note_226"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">226</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We see thus + that Ezekiel's legislation on the subject of the Levites starts + from a state of things created by Josiah's reformation, and, let + us remember, a state of things with which the prophet was + familiar in his earlier days when he was himself a priest in the + Temple. On the whole he justifies the exclusive attitude of the + Temple priesthood towards the new-comers, and carries forward the + application of the idea of sanctity from the point where it had + been left by the law of Deuteronomy. That law recognises no + sacerdotal distinctions within the ranks of the priesthood. Its + regular designation of the priests of the Temple is <span class= + "tei tei-q">“the priests, the Levites”</span>; that of the + provincial priests is simply <span class="tei tei-q">“the + Levites.”</span> All priests are brethren, all belong to the same + tribe of Levi; and it <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page432">[pg + 432]</span><a name="Pg432" id="Pg432" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + is assumed, as we have seen, that any Levite, whatever his + antecedents, is qualified for the full privileges of the + priesthood in the central sanctuary if he choose to claim them. + But we have also seen that the distinction emerged as a + consequence of the enforcement of the fundamental law of the + single sanctuary. There came to be a class of Levites in the + Temple whose position was at first indeterminate. They themselves + claimed the full standing of the priesthood, and they could + appeal in support of their claim to the authority of the + Deuteronomic legislation. But the claim was never conceded in + practice, the influence of the legitimate Temple priests being + strong enough to exclude them from the supreme privilege of + ministering at the altar. This state of things could not + continue. Either the disparity of the two orders must be effaced + by the admission of the Levites to a footing of equality with the + other priests, or else it must be emphasised and based on some + higher principle than the jealousy of a close corporation for its + traditional rights. Now such a principle is supplied by the + section of Ezekiel's vision with which we are dealing. The + permanent exclusion of the Levites from the priesthood is founded + on the unassailable moral ground that they had forfeited their + rights by their unfaithfulness to the fundamental truths of the + national religion. They had been a <span class= + "tei tei-q">“stumbling-block of iniquity”</span> to the house of + Israel through their disloyalty to Jehovah's cause during the + long period of national apostasy, when they lent themselves to + the popular inclination towards impure and idolatrous worship. + For this great betrayal of their trust they must bear the guilt + and shame in their degradation to the lowest offices in the + service of the new sanctuary. They are to fill the place formerly + occupied by uncircumcised foreigners, as keepers of the gates and + servants of the house and the worshipping congregation; but they + may not draw near to Jehovah in the exercise <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page433">[pg 433]</span><a name="Pg433" id= + "Pg433" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of priestly prerogatives, nor + put their hands to the most holy things. The priesthood of the + new Temple is finally vested in the <span class="tei tei-q">“sons + of Zadok”</span>—<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, the body of Levitical + priests who had ministered in the Temple since its foundation by + Solomon. Whatever the faults of these Zadokites had been—and + Ezekiel certainly does not judge them leniently<a id= + "noteref_227" name="noteref_227" href="#note_227"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">227</span></span></a>—they + had at least steadfastly maintained the ideal of a central + sanctuary, and in comparison with the rural clergy they were + doubtless a purer and better-disciplined body. The judgment is + only a relative one, as all class judgments necessarily are. + There must have been individual Zadokites worse than an ordinary + Levite from the country, as well as individual Levites who were + superior to the average Temple priest. But if it was necessary + that in the future the interests of religion should be mainly + confided to a priesthood, there could be no question that as a + class the old priestly aristocracy of the central sanctuary were + those best qualified for spiritual leadership.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In Ezekiel's + vision we thus seem to find the beginning of a statutory and + official distinction between priests and Levites. This fact forms + one of the arguments chiefly relied on by those who hold that the + book of Ezekiel precedes the introduction of the Priestly Code of + the Pentateuch. Two things, indeed, appear to be clearly + established. In the first place the tendency and significance of + Ezekiel's legislation is adequately explained by the historical + situation that existed in the generation immediately preceding + the Exile. In the second place the Mosaic books, apart from + Deuteronomy, had no influence on the scheme propounded in the + vision. It is felt that these results are difficult to reconcile + with the view that the middle books of the Pentateuch were known + to the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page434">[pg + 434]</span><a name="Pg434" id="Pg434" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + prophet as part of a divinely ordained constitution for the + Israelite theocracy. We should have expected in that case that + the prophet would simply have fallen back on the provisions of + the earlier legislation, where the division between priests and + Levites is formulated with perfect clearness and precision. Or, + looking at the matter from the divine point of view, we should + have expected that the revelation given to Ezekiel would endorse + the principles of the revelation that had already been given. It + is equally hard to suppose that any existing law should have been + unknown to Ezekiel, or to suggest a reason for his ignoring it if + it was known. The facts that have come before us seem thus, so + far as they go, to be in favour of the theory that Ezekiel stands + midway between Deuteronomy and the Priestly Code, and that the + final codification and promulgation of the latter took place + after his time.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is nearer + our purpose, however, to note the probable effect of these + regulations on the <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">personnel</span></em> of the second Temple. + In the book of Ezra we are told that in the first colony of + returning exiles there were four thousand two hundred and + eighty-nine priests and only seventy-four Levites.<a id= + "noteref_228" name="noteref_228" href="#note_228"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">228</span></span></a> One + man in every ten was a priest, and the total number was probably + in excess of the requirements of a fully equipped Temple. The + number of Levites, on the other hand, would have been quite + insufficient for the duties required of them under the new + arrangements, had there not been a contingent of nearly four + hundred of the old Temple servants to supply their lack of + service.<a id="noteref_229" name="noteref_229" href= + "#note_229"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">229</span></span></a> + Again, when Ezra came up from Babylon in the year 458, we find + that not a single Levite volunteered to accompany him. It was + only after some negotiations that about forty Levites were + induced to go up with him to Jerusalem; and again they were far + outnumbered by the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page435">[pg + 435]</span><a name="Pg435" id="Pg435" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + Nethinim or Temple slaves.<a id="noteref_230" name="noteref_230" + href="#note_230"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">230</span></span></a> + These figures cannot possibly represent the proportionate + strength of the tribe of Levi under the old monarchy. They + indicate unmistakably that there was a great reluctance on the + part of the Levites to share the perils and glory of the founding + of the new Jerusalem. Is it not probable that the new conditions + laid down by Ezekiel's legislation were the cause of this + reluctance? That, in short, the prospect of being servants in a + Temple where they had once claimed to be priests was not + sufficiently attractive to the majority to lead them to break up + their comfortable homes in exile, and take their proper place in + the ranks of those who were forming the new community of Israel? + And ought we not to spare a moment's admiration even at this + distance of time for the public-spirited few who in + self-sacrificing devotion to the cause of God willingly accepted + a position which was scorned by the great mass of their + tribesmen? If this was their spirit, they had their reward. + Although the position of a Levite was at first a symbol of + inferiority and degradation, it ultimately became one of very + great honour. When the Temple service was fully organised, the + Levites were a large and important order, second in dignity in + the community only to the priests. Their ranks were swelled by + the incorporation of the Temple musicians, as well as other + functionaries; and thus the Levites are for ever associated in + our minds with the magnificent service of praise which was the + chief glory of the second Temple.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The remainder + of the forty-fourth chapter lays down the rules of ceremonial + holiness to be observed by the priests, the duties they have to + perform towards the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page436">[pg + 436]</span><a name="Pg436" id="Pg436" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + community, and the provision to be made for their maintenance. A + few words must here suffice on each of these topics.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">1. The + sanctity of the priests is denoted, first of all, by the + obligation to wear special linen garments when they enter the + inner court, which is the sphere of their peculiar ministrations. + Vestries were provided, as we have seen from the description of + the Temple, between the inner and outer courts, where these + garments were to be put on and off as the priests passed to and + from the discharge of their sacred duties. The general idea + underlying this regulation is too obvious to require explanation. + It is but an application of the fundamental principle that + approach to the Deity, or entrance into a place sanctified by His + presence, demands a condition of ceremonial purity which cannot + be maintained and must not be imitated by persons of a lower + degree of religious privilege. A strange but very suggestive + extension of the principle is found in the injunction to put off + the garments before going into the outer court, lest the ordinary + worshipper should be sanctified by chance contact with them. That + both holiness and uncleanness are propagated by contagion is of + the very essence of the ancient idea of sanctity; but the + remarkable thing is that in some circumstances communicated + holiness is as much to be dreaded as communicated uncleanness. It + is not said what would be the fate of an Israelite who should by + chance touch the sacred vestments, but evidently he must be + disqualified for participation in worship until he had purged + himself of his illegitimate sanctity.<a id="noteref_231" name= + "noteref_231" href="#note_231"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">231</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the next + place the priests are under certain permanent obligations with + regard to signs of mourning, marriage, <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page437">[pg 437]</span><a name="Pg437" id="Pg437" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> and contact with death, which again are the + mark of the peculiar sanctity of their caste. The rules as to + mourning—prohibition of shaving the head and letting the hair + flow dishevelled<a id="noteref_232" name="noteref_232" href= + "#note_232"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">232</span></span></a>—have + been thought to be directed against heathen customs arising out + of the worship of the dead. In marriage the priest may only take + a virgin of the house of Israel or the widow of a priest. And + only in the case of his nearest relatives—parent, child, brother, + and unmarried sister—may he defile himself by rendering the last + offices to the departed, and even these exceptions involve + exclusion from the sacred office for seven days.<a id= + "noteref_233" name="noteref_233" href="#note_233"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">233</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The relations + of these requirements to the corresponding parts of the Levitical + law are somewhat complicated. The great point of difference is + that Ezekiel knows nothing of the unique privileges and sanctity + of the high priest. It might seem at first sight as if this + implied a deliberate departure from the known usage of the first + Temple. It is certain that there were high priests under the + monarchy, and indeed we can discover the rudiments of a hierarchy + in a distribution of authority between the high priest, second + priest, keepers of the threshold, and chief officers of the + house.<a id="noteref_234" name="noteref_234" href= + "#note_234"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">234</span></span></a> But + the silence of Ezekiel does not necessarily mean that he + contemplated any innovation on the established order of things. + The historical books afford no ground for supposing that the high + priest in the old Temple had a religious standing distinguished + from that of his colleagues. He was <span lang="la" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="la"><span style= + "font-style: italic">primus</span> <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page438">[pg 438]</span><a name="Pg438" id="Pg438" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a><span style="font-style: italic">inter + pares</span></span>, the president of the priestly college and + the supreme authority in the internal administration of the + Temple affairs, but probably nothing more. Such an office was + almost necessary in the interest of order and authority, and + there is nothing in Ezekiel's regulations inconsistent with its + continuance.<a id="noteref_235" name="noteref_235" href= + "#note_235"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">235</span></span></a> On + the other hand it must be admitted that his silence would be + strange if he had in view the position assigned to the high + priest under the law. For there the high priest is as far + elevated above his colleagues as these are above the Levites. He + is the concentration of all that is holy in Israel, and the sole + mediator of the nearest approach to God which the symbolism of + Temple worship permitted. He is bound by the strictest conditions + of ceremonial sanctity, and any transgression on his part has to + be atoned for by a rite similar to that required for a + transgression of the whole congregation.<a id="noteref_236" name= + "noteref_236" href="#note_236"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">236</span></span></a> The + omission of this striking figure from the pages of Ezekiel makes + a comparison between his enactments concerning the priesthood and + those of the law difficult and in some degree uncertain. + Nevertheless there are points both of likeness and contrast which + cannot escape observation. Thus the laws of this chapter on + defilement by a dead body are identical with those enjoined in + Lev. xxi. 1-3 (the <span class="tei tei-q">“Law of + Holiness”</span>) for ordinary priests; while the high priest is + there forbidden to touch any dead body whatsoever. On the other + hand Ezekiel's regulations as to priestly marriages seem as it + were to strike an average between the restrictions imposed in the + law on ordinary priests and those binding on the high priest. The + former may marry any woman that is not violated or a harlot or a + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page439">[pg 439]</span><a name= + "Pg439" id="Pg439" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> divorced wife; but + the high priest is forbidden to marry any one but a virgin of his + own people. Again, the priestly garments, according to Exod. + xxviii. 39-42, xxxix. 27, are made partly of linen and partly of + byssus (? cotton), which certainly looks like a refinement on the + simpler attire prescribed by Ezekiel. But it is impossible to + pursue this subject further here.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">2. The duties + of the priests towards the people are few, but exceedingly + important. In the first place they have to instruct the people in + the distinctions between the holy and the profane and between the + clean and the unclean. It will not be supposed that this + instruction took the form of set lectures or homilies on the + principles of ceremonial religion. The verb translated + <span class="tei tei-q">“teach”</span> in ver. 23 means to give + an authoritative decision in a special case; and this had always + been the form of priestly instruction in Israel. The subject of + the teaching was of the utmost importance for a community whose + whole life was regulated by the idea of holiness in the + ceremonial sense. To preserve the land in a state of purity + befitting the dwelling-place of Jehovah required the most + scrupulous care on the part of all its inhabitants; and in + practice difficult questions would constantly occur which could + only be settled by an appeal to the superior knowledge of the + priest. Hence Ezekiel contemplates a perpetuation of the old + ritual Torah or direction of the priests even in the ideal state + of things to which his vision looks forward. Although the people + are assumed to be all righteous in heart and responsive to the + will of Jehovah, yet they could not all have the professional + knowledge of ritual laws which was necessary to guide them on all + occasions, and errors of inadvertence were unavoidable. Jeremiah + could look forward to a time when none should teach his neighbour + or his brother, saying, Know Jehovah, because the religion which + consists in spiritual emotions and affections <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page440">[pg 440]</span><a name="Pg440" id= + "Pg440" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> becomes the independent + possession of every one who is the subject of saving grace. But + Ezekiel, from his point of view, could not anticipate a time when + all the Lord's people should be priests; for ritual is + essentially an affair of tradition and technique, and can only be + maintained by a class of experts specially trained for their + office. Ritualism and sacerdotalism are natural allies; and it is + not wholly accidental that the great ritualistic Churches of + Christendom are those organised on the sacerdotal principle.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But, secondly, + the priests have to act as judges or arbitrators in cases of + disagreement between man and man (ver. 24). This again was an + important department of priestly Torah in ancient Israel, the + origin of which went back to the personal legislation of Moses in + the wilderness.<a id="noteref_237" name="noteref_237" href= + "#note_237"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">237</span></span></a> + Cases too hard for human judgment were referred to the decision + of God at the sanctuary, and the judgment was conveyed through + the agency of the priest. It is impossible to over-estimate the + service thus rendered by the priesthood to the cause of religion + in Israel; and Hosea bitterly complains of the defection of the + priests from the Torah of their God as the source of the + widespread moral corruption of his time.<a id="noteref_238" name= + "noteref_238" href="#note_238"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">238</span></span></a> In + the book of Deuteronomy the Levitical priests of the central + sanctuary are associated with the civil magistrate as a court of + ultimate appeal in matters of controversy that arise within the + community; and this is by no means a tribute to the superior + legal acumen of the clerical mind, but a reassertion of the old + principle that the priest is the mouthpiece of Jehovah's + judgment.<a id="noteref_239" name="noteref_239" href= + "#note_239"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">239</span></span></a> + That the priests should be the sole judges in Ezekiel's ideal + polity was to be expected from the high position assigned to the + order generally; <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page441">[pg + 441]</span><a name="Pg441" id="Pg441" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + but there is another reason for it. We have once more to keep in + mind that we are dealing with the Messianic community, when the + people are anxious to do the right when they know it, and only + cases of honest perplexity require to be resolved. The priests' + decision had never been backed up by executive authority, and in + the kingdom of God no such sanction will be necessary. By this + simple judicial arrangement the ethical demands of Jehovah's + holiness will be made effective in the ordinary life of the + community.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Finally, the + priests have complete control of public worship, and are + responsible for the due observance of the festivals and for the + sanctification of the Sabbath (ver. 24).</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">3. With regard + to the provisions for the support of the priesthood, the old law + continues in force that the priests can hold no landed property + and have no possession like the other tribes of Israel (ver. 28). + It is true that a strip of land, measuring about twenty-seven + square miles, was set apart for their residence;<a id= + "noteref_240" name="noteref_240" href="#note_240"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">240</span></span></a> but + this was probably not to be cultivated, and at all events it is + not reckoned as a possession yielding revenue for their + maintenance. The priests' inheritance is Jehovah Himself, which + means that they are to live on the offerings of the community + presented to Jehovah at the sanctuary. In the practice of the + first Temple this ancient rule appears to have been interpreted + in a broad and liberal spirit, greatly to the advantage of the + Zadokite priests. The Temple dues consisted partly of money + payments by the worshippers; and at least the fines for + ceremonial trespasses which took the place of the sin- and + guilt-offerings were counted the lawful perquisites of the + priests.<a id="noteref_241" name="noteref_241" href= + "#note_241"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">241</span></span></a> + Ezekiel knows nothing of this system; <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page442">[pg 442]</span><a name="Pg442" id="Pg442" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> and if it remained in force down to his + time, he undoubtedly meant to abolish it. The tribute of the + sanctuary is to be paid wholly in kind, and out of this the + priests are to receive a stated allowance. In the first place + those sacrifices which are wholly made over to the Deity, and yet + are not consumed on the altar, have to be eaten by the priests in + a holy place. These are the meal-offering, the sin-offering, and + the guilt-offering; of which more hereafter. For precisely the + same reason all that is <span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" + xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">ḥerem</span></span>—<span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, + <span class="tei tei-q">“devoted”</span> irrevocably to + Jehovah—becomes the possession of the priests, His + representatives, except in the cases where it had to be + absolutely destroyed. Besides this they have a claim to the best + (an indefinite portion) of the firstfruits and <span class= + "tei tei-q">“oblations”</span> (<span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">terûmah</span></span>) brought to the + sanctuary in accordance with ancient custom to be consumed by the + worshipper and his friends.<a id="noteref_242" name="noteref_242" + href="#note_242"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">242</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">These + regulations are undoubtedly based on pre-exilic usages, and + consequently leave much to be supplied from the people's + knowledge of use and wont. They do not differ very greatly from + the enumeration of the priestly dues in the eighteenth chapter of + Deuteronomy. There, as in Ezekiel, we find that the two great + sources from which the priests derive their maintenance are the + sacrifices and the firstfruits. The Deuteronomic Code, however, + knows nothing of the special class of sacrifices called sin- and + guilt-offerings, but simply assigns to the priest certain + portions of each victim,<a id="noteref_243" name="noteref_243" + href="#note_243"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">243</span></span></a> + except of course the burnt-offerings, which were consumed entire + on the altar. The priest's share of natural produce is the + <span class="tei tei-q">“best”</span> of corn, new wine, oil, and + wool,<a id="noteref_244" name="noteref_244" href= + "#note_244"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">244</span></span></a> and + would be selected as a matter of course <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page443">[pg 443]</span><a name="Pg443" id="Pg443" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> from the tithe and <span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">terûmah</span></span> brought to the + sanctuary; so that on this point there is practically complete + agreement between Ezekiel and Deuteronomy. On the other hand the + differences of the Levitical legislation are considerable, and + all in the direction of a fuller provision for the Temple + establishment. Such an increased provision was called for by the + peculiar circumstances of the second Temple. The revenue of the + sanctuary obviously depended on the size and prosperity of the + constituency to which it ministered. The stipulations of Deut. + xviii. were no doubt sufficient for the maintenance of the + priesthood in the old kingdom of Judah; and similarly those of + Ezekiel's legislation would amply suffice in the ideal condition + of the people and land presupposed by the vision. But neither + could have been adequate for the support of a costly ritual in a + small community like that which returned from Babylon where one + man in ten was a priest. Accordingly we find that the + arrangements made under Nehemiah for the endowment of the Temple + ministry are conformed to the extended provisions of the Priestly + Code (Neh. x. 32-39).<a id="noteref_245" name="noteref_245" href= + "#note_245"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">245</span></span></a></p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page444">[pg 444]</span><a name= + "Pg444" id="Pg444" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">III</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In conclusion, + let us briefly consider the significance of this great + institution of the priesthood in Ezekiel's scheme of an ideal + theocracy. It would of course be an utter mistake to suppose that + the prophet is merely legislating in the interests of the + sacerdotal order to which he himself belonged. It was necessary + for him to insist on the peculiar sanctity and privileges of the + priests, and to draw a sharp line of division between them and + ordinary members of the community. But he does this, not in the + interest of a privileged caste within the nation, but in the + interest of a religious ideal which embraced priests and people + alike and had to be realised in the life of the nation as a + whole. That ideal is expressed by the word <span class= + "tei tei-q">“holiness,”</span> and we have already seen how the + idea of holiness demanded ceremonial conditions of immediate + access to Jehovah's presence which the ordinary Israelite could + not observe. But <span class="tei tei-q">“exclusion”</span> could + not possibly be the last word of a religion which seeks to bring + men into fellowship with God. Access to God might be hedged about + by <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page445">[pg 445]</span><a name= + "Pg445" id="Pg445" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> restrictions and + conditions of the most onerous kind, but access there must be if + worship was to have any meaning and value for the nation or the + individual. Although the worshipper might not himself lay his + victim on the altar, he must at least be permitted to offer his + gift and receive the assurance that it was accepted. If the + priest stood between him and God, it was not merely to separate + but also to mediate between them, and through the fulfilment of + superior conditions of holiness to establish a communication + between him and the holy Being whose face he sought. Hence the + great function of the priesthood in the theocracy is to maintain + the intercourse between Jehovah and Israel which was exhibited in + the Temple ritual by acts of sacrificial worship.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now it is + manifest that this system of ideas rests on the representative + character of the priestly office. If the principal idea + symbolised in the sanctuary is that of holiness through + separation, the fundamental idea of priesthood is holiness + through representation. It is the holiness of Israel concentrated + in the priesthood which qualifies the latter for entrance within + the inner circle of the divine presence. Or perhaps it would be + more correct to say that the presence of Jehovah first sanctifies + the priests in an eminent degree, and then through them, though + in a less degree, the whole body of the people. The idea of + national solidarity was too deeply rooted in the Hebrew + consciousness to admit of any other interpretation of the + priesthood than this. The Israelite did not need to be told that + his standing before God was secured by his membership in the + religious community on whose behalf the priests ministered at the + altar and before the Temple. It would not occur to him to think + of his personal exclusion from the most sacred offices as a + religious disability; it was enough for him to know that the + nation to which he belonged was admitted to the presence of + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page446">[pg 446]</span><a name= + "Pg446" id="Pg446" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> Jehovah in the + persons of its representatives, and that he as an individual + shared in the blessings which accrued to Israel through the + privileged ministry of the priests. Thus to a Temple poet of a + later age than Ezekiel's the figure of the high priest supplies a + striking image of the communion of saints and the blessing of + Jehovah resting on the whole people:—</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-left: 3.60em; margin-right: 3.60em; margin-top: 1.80em; margin-bottom: 1.80em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-top: 0.90em; margin-bottom: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Behold, how good and how + pleasant it is</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">That they who are brethren + should also dwell together!</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Like the precious oil on the + head,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">That flows down on the + beard,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">The beard of Aaron,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">That flows down on the hem of + his garments—</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Like the Hermon-dew that + descends on the hills of Zion;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">For there hath Jehovah + ordained the blessing,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Life for + evermore.</span><a id="noteref_246" name="noteref_246" + href="#note_246"><span class="tei tei-noteref" style= + "text-align: left"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">246</span></span></a> + </div> + </div> + </div> + </div> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page447">[pg 447]</span><a name= + "Pg447" id="Pg447" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 4.00em; margin-top: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc67" id="toc67"></a> <a name="pdf68" id="pdf68"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-bottom: 2.88em; margin-top: 2.88em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XXVIII. Prince And People. + Chapters xliv.-xlvi.</span> <span class="tei tei-hi" style= + "text-align: left"><span style= + "font-size: 144%; font-style: italic">passim</span></span><span style="font-size: 144%">.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It was remarked + in a previous lecture that the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“prince”</span> of the closing vision appears to occupy + a less exalted position than the Messianic king of ch. xxxiv. or + ch. xxxvii. The grounds on which this impression rests require, + however, to be carefully considered, if we are not to carry away a + thoroughly false conception of the theocratic state foreshadowed by + Ezekiel. It must not be supposed that the prince is a personage of + less than royal rank, or that his authority is overshadowed by that + of a priestly caste. He is undoubtedly the civil head of the + nation, owing no allegiance within his own province to any earthly + superior. Nor is there any reason to doubt that he is the heir of + the Davidic house and holds his office in virtue of the divine + promise which secured the throne to David's descendants. It would + therefore be a mistake to imagine that we have here an anticipation + of the Romish theory of the subordination of the secular to the + spiritual power. It may be true that in the state of things + presupposed by the vision very little is left for the king to do, + whilst a variety of important duties falls to the priesthood; but + at all events the king is there and is supreme in his own sphere. + Ezekiel does not show the road to Canossa. If the king is + overshadowed, it is by the personal presence of Jehovah in the + midst of His people; and that which <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page448">[pg 448]</span><a name="Pg448" id="Pg448" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> limits his prerogative is not the sacerdotal + power, but the divine constitution of the theocracy as revealed in + the vision itself, under which both king and priests have their + functions defined and regulated with a view to the religious ends + for which the community as a whole exists.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Our purpose in + the present chapter is to put together the scattered references to + the duties of the prince which occur in chs. xliv.-xlvi., so as to + gain as clear a picture as possible of the position of the monarchy + in the theocratic state. It must be remembered, however, that the + picture will necessarily be incomplete. National life in its + secular aspects, with which the king is chiefly concerned, is + hardly touched on in the vision. Everything being looked upon from + the point of view of the Temple and its worship, there are but few + allusions in which we can detect anything of the nature of a civil + constitution. And these few are introduced incidentally, not for + their own sake, but to explain some arrangement for securing the + sanctity of the land or the community. This fact must never be lost + sight of in judging of Ezekiel's conception of the monarchy. From + all that appears in these pages we might conclude that the prince + is a mere ornamental figurehead of the constitution, and that the + few real duties assigned to him could have been equally well + performed by a committee of priests or laymen elected for the + purpose. But this is to forget that outside the range of subjects + here touched upon there is a whole world of secular interests, of + political and social action, where the king has his part to play in + accordance with the precedents furnished by the best days of the + ancient monarchy.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Let us glance + first of all at Ezekiel's institutes of the kingdom in its more + political relations. The notices here are all in the form of + constitutional checks and safeguards against an arbitrary and + oppressive exercise of the royal authority. They are instructive, + not only as showing the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page449">[pg + 449]</span><a name="Pg449" id="Pg449" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + interest which the prophet had in good government and his care for + the rights of the subject, but also for the light they cast on + certain administrative methods in force previous to the Exile.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The first point + that calls for attention is the provision made for the maintenance + of the prince and his court. It would seem that the revenue of the + prince was to be derived mainly, if not wholly, from a portion of + territory reserved as his exclusive property in the division of the + country among the tribes.<a id="noteref_247" name="noteref_247" + href="#note_247"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">247</span></span></a> These + crown lands are situated on either side of the sacred <span class= + "tei tei-q">“oblation”</span> around the sanctuary, set apart for + the use of the priests and Levites; and they extend to the sea on + the west and to the Jordan Valley on the east. Out of these he is + at liberty to assign a possession to his sons in perpetuity, but + any estate bestowed on his courtiers reverts to the prince in the + <span class="tei tei-q">“year of liberty.”</span><a id= + "noteref_248" name="noteref_248" href="#note_248"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">248</span></span></a> The + object of this last regulation apparently is to prevent the + formation of a new hereditary aristocracy between the royal family + and the peasantry. A life peerage, so to speak, or something less, + is deemed a sufficient reward for the most devoted service to the + king or the state. And no doubt the certainty of a revision of all + royal grants every seventh year would tend to keep some persons + mindful of their duty. The whole system of royal demesnes which the + king might dispose of as appanages for his younger children or his + faithful retainers presents a curious resemblance to a well-known + feature of feudalism in the Middle Ages; but it was never + practically enforced in Israel. Before the Exile it was evidently + unknown, and after the Exile there was no king to provide for. But + why does the prophet bestow so much care on a mere detail of a + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page450">[pg 450]</span><a name= + "Pg450" id="Pg450" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> political system in + which, as a whole, he takes so little interest? It is because of + his concern for the rights of the common people against the + high-handed tyranny of the king and his nobles. He recalls the bad + times of the old monarchy when any man was liable to be ejected + from his land for the benefit of some court favourite, or to + provide a portion for a younger son of the king. The cruel + evictions of the poorer peasant proprietors, which all the early + prophets denounce as an outrage against humanity, and of which the + story of Naboth furnished a typical example, must be rendered + impossible in the new Israel; and as the king had no doubt been the + principal offender in the past, the rule is firmly laid down in his + case that on no pretext must he take the people's inheritance. And + this, be it observed, is an application of the religious principle + which underlies the constitution of the theocracy. The land is + Jehovah's, and all interference with the ancient landmarks which + guard the rights of private ownership is an offence against the + holiness of the true divine King who has His abode amongst the + tribes of Israel. This suggests developments of the idea of + holiness which reach to the very foundations of social well-being. + A conception of holiness which secures each man in the possession + of his own vine and fig tree is at all events not open to the + charge of ignoring the practical interests of common life for the + sake of an unprofitable ceremonialism.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the next + place, we come across a much more startling revelation of the + injustice habitually practised by the Hebrew monarchs. Just as + later sovereigns were wont to meet their deficits by debasing the + currency, so the kings of Judah had learned to augment their + revenue by a systematic falsification of weights and measures. We + know from the prophet Amos<a id="noteref_249" name="noteref_249" + href="#note_249"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">249</span></span></a> that + this was a common <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page451">[pg + 451]</span><a name="Pg451" id="Pg451" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + trick of the wealthy landowners who sold grain at exorbitant prices + to the poor whom they had driven from their possessions. They + <span class="tei tei-q">“made the ephah small and the shekel great, + and dealt falsely with balances of deceit.”</span> But it was left + for Ezekiel to tell us that the same fraud was a regular part of + the fiscal system of the Judæan kingdom. There is no mistaking the + meaning of his accusation: <span class="tei tei-q">“Have done, O + princes of Israel, with your violent and oppressive rule; execute + judgment and justice, and take away your exactions from My people, + saith Jehovah God. <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, + and a just bath.</span></em>”</span><a id="noteref_250" name= + "noteref_250" href="#note_250"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">250</span></span></a> That + is to say, the taxes were surreptitiously increased by the use of a + large shekel (for weighing out money payments) and a large bath and + ephah (for measuring tribute paid in kind). And if it was + impossible for the poor to protect themselves against the rapacity + of private dealers, poor and rich alike were helpless when the + fraud was openly practised in the king's name. This Ezekiel had + seen with his own eyes, and the shameful injustice of it was so + branded on his spirit that even in a vision of the last days it + comes back to him as an evil to be sedulously guarded against. It + was eminently a case for legislation. If there was to be such a + thing as fair dealing and commercial probity in the community, the + system of weights and measurement must be fixed beyond the power of + the royal caprice to alter it. It was as sacred as any principle of + the constitution. Accordingly he finds a place in his legislation + for a corrected scale of weights and measures, restored no doubt to + their original values. The ephah for dry measure and the bath for + liquid measure are each fixed at <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page452">[pg 452]</span><a name="Pg452" id="Pg452" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> the tenth part of a homer. <span class= + "tei tei-q">“The shekel shall be twenty geras:<a id="noteref_251" + name="noteref_251" href="#note_251"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">251</span></span></a> five + shekels shall be five, and ten shekels shall be ten, and fifty + shekels shall be your maneh.”</span><a id="noteref_252" name= + "noteref_252" href="#note_252"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">252</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">These + regulations extend far beyond the immediate object for which they + are introduced, and have both a moral and a religious bearing. They + express a truth often insisted on in the Old Testament, that + commercial morality is a matter in which the holiness of Jehovah is + involved: <span class="tei tei-q">“A false balance is an + abomination to Jehovah, but a just weight is His + delight.”</span><a id="noteref_253" name="noteref_253" href= + "#note_253"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">253</span></span></a> In + the Law of Holiness an ordinance very similar to Ezekiel's occurs + amongst the conditions by which the precept is to be fulfilled: + <span class="tei tei-q">“Be ye holy, for I am holy.”</span><a id= + "noteref_254" name="noteref_254" href="#note_254"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">254</span></span></a> It is + evident that the Israelites had learned to regard with a religious + abhorrence all tampering with the fixed standards of value on which + the purity of commercial life depended. To overreach by lying words + was a sin; but to cheat by the use of a false balance was a species + of profanity comparable to a false oath in the name of Jehovah.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">These rules + about weights and measures required, however, to be supplemented by + a fixed tariff, regulating the taxes which the prince might impose + on the people.<a id="noteref_255" name="noteref_255" href= + "#note_255"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">255</span></span></a> It is + not quite clear whether any part of the prince's own income was to + be derived from taxation. The tribute is called an <span class= + "tei tei-q">“oblation,”</span> and there is no doubt that it was + intended principally for the support of the Temple ritual, which in + any case must have been the heaviest charge on the royal exchequer. + But the oblation was rendered to the prince in the first instance; + and the prophet's anxiety to prevent unjust exactions springs from + a fear that the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page453">[pg + 453]</span><a name="Pg453" id="Pg453" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + king might make the Temple tax a pretext for increasing his own + revenue. At all events the people's duty to contribute to the + support of public ordinances according to their ability is here + explicitly recognised. Compared with the provision of the Levitical + law the scale of charges here proposed must be pronounced extremely + moderate. The contribution of each householder varies from + one-sixtieth to one-twohundredth of his income and is wholly paid + in kind.<a id="noteref_256" name="noteref_256" href= + "#note_256"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">256</span></span></a> The + proper equivalent under the second Temple of Ezekiel's <span class= + "tei tei-q">“oblation”</span> was a poll-tax of one-third of a + shekel, voluntarily undertaken at the time of Nehemiah's covenant + <span class="tei tei-q">“for the service of the house of our God; + for the shewbread and for the continual meal-offering, and for the + continual burnt-offering, of the Sabbaths, of the new moons, for + the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin-offerings + to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of + our God.”</span><a id="noteref_257" name="noteref_257" href= + "#note_257"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">257</span></span></a> In + the Priestly Code this tax is fixed at half a shekel for each + man.<a id="noteref_258" name="noteref_258" href= + "#note_258"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">258</span></span></a> But + in addition to this money payment the law required a tenth of all + produce of the soil and the flock to be given to the priests and + Levites. In Ezekiel's legislation the tithes and firstfruits are + still left for the use of the owner, who is expected to consume + them in sacrificial feasts at the sanctuary. The only charge, + therefore, of the nature of a fixed tribute for religious purposes + is the oblation here required for the regular sacrifices which + represent the stated worship rendered on behalf of the community as + a whole.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page454">[pg + 454]</span><a name="Pg454" id="Pg454" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This brings us + now to the more important aspect of the kingly office—its religious + privileges and duties. Here there are three points which require to + be noticed.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">1. In the first + place it is the duty of the prince to supply the material of the + public sacrifices offered in the name of the people.<a id= + "noteref_259" name="noteref_259" href="#note_259"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">259</span></span></a> Out + of the tribute levied on the people for this purpose he has to + furnish the altar with the stated number of victims for the daily + service, the Sabbaths, and new moons, and the great yearly + festivals. It is clear that some one must be charged with the + responsibility of this important part of the worship, and it is + significant of Ezekiel's relations to the past that the duty does + not yet devolve directly on the priests. They seem to exercise no + authority outside of the Temple, the king standing between them and + the community as a sort of patron of the sanctuary. But the + position of the prince is not simply that of an official receiver, + collecting the tribute, and then handing it over to the Temple as + it was required. He is the representative of the religious unity of + the nation, and in this capacity he presents in person the regular + sacrifices offered on behalf of the community. Thus on the day of + the Passover he presents a sin-offering for himself and the + people,<a id="noteref_260" name="noteref_260" href= + "#note_260"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">260</span></span></a> as + the high priest does in the ceremonial of the Great Day of + Atonement.<a id="noteref_261" name="noteref_261" href= + "#note_261"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">261</span></span></a> And + so all the sacrifices of the stated ritual are his sacrifices, + officiating as the head of the nation in its acts of common + worship. In this respect the prince succeeds to the rights + exercised by the kings of Judah in the ritual of the first Temple, + although on a different footing. Before the Exile the king had a + proprietary interest in the central sanctuary, and the expense of + the stated service was defrayed as a matter of course out of the + royal revenues. Part of this revenue, as we see <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page455">[pg 455]</span><a name="Pg455" id="Pg455" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> in the case of Joash, was raised by a + system of Temple dues paid by the worshippers and expended on the + repairs of the house; but at a much later date than this we find + Ahaz assuming absolute control over the daily sacrifices,<a id= + "noteref_262" name="noteref_262" href="#note_262"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">262</span></span></a> which + were doubtless maintained at his expense.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now the tendency + of Ezekiel's legislation is to bring the whole community into a + closer and more personal connection with the worship of the + sanctuary, and to leave no part of it subject to the arbitrary will + of the prince. But still the idea is preserved that the prince is + the religious as well as the civil representative of the nation; + and although he is deprived of all control over the performance of + the ritual, he is still required to provide the public sacrifices + and to offer them in the name of his people.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">2. In virtue of + his representative character the prince possesses certain + privileges in his approaches to God in the sanctuary not accorded + to ordinary worshippers. In this connection it is necessary to + explain some details regulating the use of the sanctuary by the + people. The outer court might be entered by prince or people either + through the north or south gate, but not from the east. The eastern + gate was that by which Jehovah had entered His dwelling-place, and + the doors of it are for ever closed. No foot might cross its + threshold. But the prince—and this is one of his peculiar + rights—might enter the gateway from the court to eat his + sacrificial meals.<a id="noteref_263" name="noteref_263" href= + "#note_263"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">263</span></span></a> It + seems therefore to have served the same purpose for the prince as + the thirty cells along the wall did for common worshippers. The + east gate of the inner court was also shut as a rule, and was + probably never used as a passage even by the priests. But on the + Sabbaths and new moons it was thrown open to receive the sacrifices + which the prince <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page456">[pg + 456]</span><a name="Pg456" id="Pg456" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + had to bring on these days, and it remained open till the evening. + On days when the gate was open the worshipping congregation + assembled at its door, while the prince entered as far as the + threshold and looked on while the priests presented his offering; + then he went out by the way he had entered. If on any other + occasion he presented a voluntary sacrifice in his private + capacity, the east gate was opened for him as before, but was shut + as soon as the ceremony was over. On those occasions when the + eastern gate was not opened, as at the great annual festivals, the + people probably gathered round the north and south gates, from + which they could see the altar; and at these seasons the prince + enters and departs in the common throng of worshippers. A very + peculiar regulation, for which no obvious reason appears, is that + each man must leave the Temple by the gate opposite to that at + which he entered; if he entered by the north, he must leave by the + south, and <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">vice versâ</span></span>.<a id="noteref_264" + name="noteref_264" href="#note_264"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">264</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Many of these + arrangements were no doubt suggested by Ezekiel's acquaintance with + the practice in the first Temple, and their precise object is lost + to us. But one or two facts stand out clearly enough, and are very + instructive as to the whole conception of Temple worship. The chief + thing to be noticed is that the principal sacrifices are + representative. The people are merely spectators of a transaction + with God on their behalf, the efficacy of which in no way depends + on their co-operation. Standing <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page457">[pg 457]</span><a name="Pg457" id="Pg457" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> at the gates of the inner court, they see the + priests performing the sacred ministrations; they bow themselves in + humble reverence before the presence of the Most High; and these + acts of devotion may have been of the utmost importance for the + religious life of the individual Israelite. But the congregation + takes no real part in the worship; it is done for them, but not by + them; it is an <span lang="la" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang= + "la"><span style="font-style: italic">opus operatum</span></span> + performed by the prince and the priests for the good of the + community, and is equally necessary and equally valid whether there + is a congregation present to witness it or not. Those who attend + are themselves but representatives of the nation of Israel, in + whose interest the ritual is kept up. But the supreme + representative of the people is the king, and we note how + everything is done to emphasise his peculiar dignity within the + sanctuary. It was necessary perhaps to do something to compensate + for the loss of distinction caused by the exclusion of the royal + body-guard from the Temple. The prince is still the one conspicuous + figure in the outer court. Even his private sacrificial meals are + eaten in solitary state, in the eastern gateway, which is used for + no other purpose. And in the great functions where the prince + appears in his representative character he approaches nearer to the + altar than is permitted to any other layman. He ascends the steps + of the eastern gateway in the sight of the people, and passing + through he presents his offerings on the verge of the inner court + which none but the priests may enter. His whole position is thus + one of great importance in the celebration of public ordinances. In + detail his functions are no doubt determined by ancient + prescriptive usages not known to us, but modified in accordance + with the stricter ideal of holiness which Ezekiel's vision was + intended to enforce.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">3. Finally, we + have to observe that the prince is rigorously excluded from + properly priestly offices. It is <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page458">[pg 458]</span><a name="Pg458" id="Pg458" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> true that in some respects his position is + analogous to that of the high priest under the law. But the analogy + extends only to that aspect of the high priest's functions in which + he appears as the head and representative of the religious + community, and ceases the moment he enters upon priestly duties. So + far as the special degree of sanctity which characterises the + priesthood is concerned, the prince is a layman, and as such he is + jealously debarred from approaching the altar, and even from + intruding into the sacred inner court where the priests minister. + Now this fact has perhaps a deeper historical importance than we + are apt to imagine. There is good reason to believe that in the old + Temple the kings of Judah frequently officiated in person at the + altar. At the time when the monarchy was established it was the + rule that any man might sacrifice for himself and his household, + and that the king as the representative of the nation should + sacrifice on its behalf was an extension of the principle too + obvious to require express sanction. Accordingly we find that both + Saul and David on public occasions built altars and offered + sacrifice to Jehovah. The older theory indeed seems to have been + that priestly rights were inherent in the kingly office, and that + the acting priests were the ministers to whom the king delegated + the greater part of his priestly functions. Although the king might + not appoint any one to this duty without respect to the Levitical + qualification, he exercised within certain limits the right of + deposing one family and installing another in the priesthood of the + royal sanctuary. The house of Zadok itself owed its position to + such an act of ecclesiastical authority on the part of David and + Solomon.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The last + occasion on which we read of a king of Judah officiating in person + in the Temple is at the dedication of the new altar of Ahaz, when + the king not only himself sacrificed, but gave directions to the + priests <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page459">[pg + 459]</span><a name="Pg459" id="Pg459" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + as to the future observance of the ritual. The occasion was no + doubt unusual, but there is not a word in the narrative to indicate + that the king was committing an irregular action or exceeding the + recognised prerogatives of his position. It would be unsafe, + however, to conclude that this state of things continued unchanged + till the close of the monarchy. After the time of Isaiah the Temple + rose greatly in the religious estimation of the people, and a very + probable result of this would be an increasing sense of the + importance of the ministration of the official priesthood. The + silence of the historical books and of Deuteronomy may not count + for much in an argument on this question; but Ezekiel's own + decisions lack the emphasis and solemnity with which he introduces + an absolute innovation like the separation between priests and + Levites in ch. xliv. It is at least possible that the later kings + had gradually ceased to exercise the right of sacrifice, so that + the privilege had lapsed through desuetude. Nevertheless it was a + great step to have the principle affirmed as a fundamental law of + the theocracy; and this Ezekiel undoubtedly does. If no other + practical object were gained, it served at least to illustrate in + the most emphatic way the idea of holiness, which demanded the + exclusion of every layman from unhallowed contact with the most + sacred emblems of Jehovah's presence.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-tb"> + <hr style="width: 50%" /> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It will be seen + from all that has been said that the real interest of Ezekiel's + treatment of the monarchy lies far apart from modern problems which + might seem to have a superficial affinity with it. No lessons can + fairly be deduced from it on the relations between Church and + State, or the propriety of endowing and establishing the Christian + religion, or the duty of rulers to maintain ordinances for the + benefit of their subjects. Its importance lies in another + direction. It shows the transition in Israel from <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page460">[pg 460]</span><a name="Pg460" id="Pg460" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> a state of things in which the king is + both <span lang="la" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang= + "la"><span style="font-style: italic">de jure</span></span> and + <span lang="la" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="la"><span style= + "font-style: italic">de facto</span></span> the source of power and + the representative of the nation and where his religious status is + the natural consequence of his civic dignity, to a very different + state of things, where the forms of the ancient constitution are + retained although the power has largely vanished from them. The + prince now requires to have his religious duties imposed on him by + an abstract political system whose sole sanction is the authority + of the Deity. It is a transition which has no precise parallel + anywhere else, although resemblances more or less instructive might + doubtless be instanced from the history of Catholicism. Nowhere + does Ezekiel's idealism appear more wonderfully blended with his + equally characteristic conservatism than here. There is no real + trace of the tendency attributed to the prophet to exalt the + priesthood at the expense of the monarchy. The prince is after all + a much more imposing personage even in the ceremonial worship than + any priest. Although he lacks the priestly quality of holiness, his + duties are quite as important as those of the priests, while his + dignity is far greater than theirs. The considerations that enter + in to limit his power and importance come from another quarter. + They are such as these: first, the loss of military leadership, + which is at least to be presumed in the circumstances of the + Messianic kingdom; second, the welfare of the people at large; and + third, the principle of holiness, whose supremacy has to be + vindicated in the person of the king no less than in that of his + meanest subject.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Perhaps the most + remarkable thing is that the transition referred to was not + actually accomplished even in the history of Israel itself. It was + only in a vision that the monarchy was ever to be represented in + the form which it bears here. From the time of Ezekiel no native + king was ever to rule over Israel again save the priest-princes + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page461">[pg 461]</span><a name= + "Pg461" id="Pg461" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of the Asmonean + dynasty, whose constitutional position was defined by their + high-priestly dignity. Ezekiel's vision is therefore a preparation + for the kingless state of post-exilic Judaism. The foreign + potentates to whom the Jews were subject did in some instances + provide materials for the Temple worship, but their local + representatives were of course unqualified to fill the position + assigned to the prince by the great prophet of the Exile. The + community had to get along as best it could without a king, and the + task was not difficult. The Temple dues were paid directly to the + priests and Levites, and the function of representing the community + before the altar was assigned to the High Priest. It was then + indeed that the High Priesthood came to the front and blossomed out + into all the magnificence of its legal position. It was not only + the religious part of the prince's duties that fell to it, but a + considerable share of his political importance as well. As the only + hereditary institution that had survived the Exile, it naturally + became the chief centre of social order in the community. By + degrees the Persian and Greek kings found it expedient to deal with + the Jews through the High Priest, whose authority they were bound + to respect, and thus to leave him a free hand in the internal + affairs of the commonwealth. The High Priesthood, in fact, was a + civil as well as a priestly dignity. We can see that this great + revolution would have broken the continuity of Hebrew history far + more violently than it did, but for the stepping-stone furnished by + the ideal <span class="tei tei-q">“prince”</span> of Ezekiel's + vision.</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page462">[pg 462]</span><a name= + "Pg462" id="Pg462" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 4.00em; margin-top: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc69" id="toc69"></a> <a name="pdf70" id="pdf70"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XXIX. The Ritual. Chapters + xlv., xlvi.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is difficult + to go back in imagination to a time when sacrifice was the sole and + sufficient form of every complete act of worship.<a id= + "noteref_265" name="noteref_265" href="#note_265"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">265</span></span></a> That + the slaughter of an animal, or at least the presentation of a + material offering of some sort, should ever have been considered of + the essence of intercourse with the Deity may seem to us incredible + in the light of the idea of God which we now possess. Yet there can + be no doubt that there was a stage of religious development which + recognised no true approach to God except as consummated in a + sacrificial action. The word <span class= + "tei tei-q">“sacrifice”</span> itself preserves a memorial of this + crude and early type of religious service. Etymologically it + denotes nothing more than a sacred act. But amongst the Romans, as + amongst ourselves, it was regularly applied to the offerings at the + altar, which were thus marked out as <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">the</span></em> + sacred actions <span class="tei tei-foreign"><span style= + "font-style: italic">par excellence</span></span> of ancient + religion. It would be impossible to explain the extraordinary + persistence and vitality of the institution amongst races that had + attained a relatively high degree of civilisation, unless we + understand that the ideas connected with it go back to a time when + sacrifice was the typical and fundamental form of primitive + worship.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page463">[pg + 463]</span><a name="Pg463" id="Pg463" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">By the time of + Ezekiel, however, the age of sacrifice in this strict and absolute + sense may be said to have passed away, at least in principle. + Devout Jews who had lived through the captivity in Babylon and + found that Jehovah was there to them <span class="tei tei-q">“a + little of a sanctuary,”</span><a id="noteref_266" name= + "noteref_266" href="#note_266"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">266</span></span></a> could + not possibly fall back into the belief that their God was only to + be approached and found through the ritual of the altar. And long + before the Exile, the ethical teaching of the prophets had led + Israel to appreciate the external rites of sacrifice at their true + value.</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-left: 3.60em; margin-right: 3.60em; margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-top: 1.80em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 0.90em; margin-top: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Wherewithal shall I come before + Jehovah</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Or bow myself before God on + high?</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Shall I come before Him with + burnt-offerings,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">With calves of a year + old?</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Is Jehovah pleased with + thousands of rams,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">With myriads of rivers of + oil?</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Shall I give my firstborn as an + atonement for me,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">The fruit of my body as a + sin-offering for my life?</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">He hath showed thee, O man, what + is good;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And what does Jehovah require of + thee,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">But to do justice and to love + mercy,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">And to walk humbly with thy + God?</span><a id="noteref_267" name="noteref_267" href= + "#note_267"><span class="tei tei-noteref" style= + "text-align: left"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">267</span></span></a> + </div> + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This great word + of spiritual religion had been uttered long before Ezekiel, as a + protest against the senseless multiplication of sacrifices which + came in in the reign of Manasseh. Nor can we suppose that Ezekiel, + with all his engrossment in matters of ritual, was insensible to + the lofty teaching of his predecessors, or that his conception of + God was less spiritual than theirs. As a matter of fact the worship + of Israel was never afterwards wholly absorbed in the routine of + the Temple ceremonies. The institution of the synagogue with its + purely devotional exercises of prayer and reading of the Scriptures + must have been nearly coeval with the second Temple, and prepared + the way far more than the latter for the spiritual worship + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page464">[pg 464]</span><a name= + "Pg464" id="Pg464" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> of the New + Testament. But even the Temple worship was spiritualised by the + service of praise and the marvellous development of devotional + poetry which it called forth. <span class="tei tei-q">“The emotion + with which the worshipper approaches the second Temple, as recorded + in the Psalter, has little to do with sacrifice, but rests rather + on the fact that the whole wondrous history of Jehovah's grace to + Israel is vividly and personally realised as he stands amidst the + festal crowd at the ancient seat of God's throne, and adds his + voice to the swelling song of praise.”</span><a id="noteref_268" + name="noteref_268" href="#note_268"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">268</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">How then, it may + be asked, are we to account for the fact that the prophet shows + such intense interest in the details of a system which was already + losing its religious significance? If sacrifice was no longer of + the essence of worship, why should he be so careful to legislate + for a scheme of ritual in which sacrifice is the prominent feature, + and say nothing of the inward state of heart which alone is an + acceptable offering to God? The chief reason no doubt is that the + ritual elements of religion were the only matters, apart from moral + duties, which admitted of being reduced to a legal system, and that + the formation of such a system was demanded by the circumstances + with which the prophet had to deal. The time was not yet come when + the principle of a central national sanctuary could be abandoned, + and if such a sanctuary was to be maintained without danger to the + highest interests of religion it was necessary that its service + should be regulated with a view to preserve the deposit of revealed + truth that had been committed to the nation through the prophets. + The essential features of the sacrificial institutions were charged + with a deep religious significance, and there existed in the + popular mind a great mass of sound religious impression and + sentiment clustering around that central <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page465">[pg 465]</span><a name="Pg465" id="Pg465" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> rite. To dispense with the institution of + sacrifice would have rendered worship entirely impossible for the + great body of the people, while to leave it unregulated was to + invite a recurrence of the abuses which had been so fruitful a + source of corruption in the past. Hence the object of the ritual + ordinances which we are about to consider is twofold: in the first + place to provide an authorised code of ritual free from everything + that savoured of pagan usages, and in the second to utilise the + public worship as a means of deepening and purifying the religious + conceptions of those who could be influenced in no other way. + Ezekiel's legislation has a special regard for the wants of the + <span class="tei tei-q">“common rude man”</span> whose religious + life needs all the help it can get from external observances. Such + persons form the majority of every religious society; and to train + their minds to a deeper sense of sin and a more vivid apprehension + of the divine holiness proved to be the only way in which the + spiritual teaching of the prophets could be made a practical power + in the community at large. It is true that the highest spiritual + needs were not satisfied by the legal ritual. But the irrepressible + longings of the soul for nearer fellowship with God cannot be dealt + with by rigid formal enactments. Ezekiel is content to leave them + to the guidance of that Spirit whose saving operations will have + changed the heart of Israel and made it a true people of God. The + system of external observances which he foreshadows in his vision + was not meant to be the life of religion, but it was, so to speak, + the trellis-work which was necessary to support the delicate + tendrils of spiritual piety until the time when the spirit of + filial worship should be the possession of every true member of the + Church of God.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Bearing these + facts in mind, we may now proceed to examine the scheme of + sacrificial worship contained in chapters xlv. and xlvi. Only its + leading features can here <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page466">[pg + 466]</span><a name="Pg466" id="Pg466" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + be noticed, and the points most deserving of attention may be + grouped under three heads: the Festivals, the Representative + Service, and the Idea of Atonement.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">I. <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-variant: small-caps">The Yearly + Feasts.</span></span>—The most striking thing in Ezekiel's festal + calendar<a id="noteref_269" name="noteref_269" href= + "#note_269"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">269</span></span></a> is + the division of the ecclesiastical year into two precisely similar + parts. Each half of the year commences with an atoning sacrifice + for the purification of the sanctuary from defilement contracted + during the previous half.<a id="noteref_270" name="noteref_270" + href="#note_270"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">270</span></span></a> Each + contains a great festival—in the one case the Passover, beginning + on the fourteenth day of the first month and lasting seven days, + and in the other the Feast of Tabernacles (simply called the + Feast), beginning on the fifteenth day of the seventh month and + also lasting for seven days.<a id="noteref_271" name="noteref_271" + href="#note_271"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">271</span></span></a> The + passage is chiefly devoted to a minute regulation of the public + sacrifices to be offered on these occasions, other and more + characteristic features of the celebration being assumed as well + known from tradition.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It is difficult + to see what is the precise meaning of the proposed rearrangement of + the feasts in two parallel series. It may be due simply to the + prophet's love of symmetry in all departments of public life, or it + may have been suggested by the fact that at this time the + Babylonian calendar, according to which the year begins in spring, + was superimposed on the old Hebrew year commencing in the + autumn.<a id="noteref_272" name="noteref_272" href= + "#note_272"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">272</span></span></a> At + all events it involved a breach with pre-exilic tradition, and was + never carried <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page467">[pg + 467]</span><a name="Pg467" id="Pg467" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + out in practice. The earlier legislation of the Pentateuch + recognises a cycle of three festivals—Passover and Unleavened + Bread, the Feast of Harvest or of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast + of Ingathering or of Tabernacles.<a id="noteref_273" name= + "noteref_273" href="#note_273"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">273</span></span></a> In + order to carry through his symmetrical division of the sacred year + Ezekiel has to ignore one of these, the Feast of Pentecost, which + seems to have always been counted the least important of the three. + It is not to be supposed that he contemplated its abolition, for he + is careful not to alter in any particular the positive regulations + of Deuteronomy; only it did not fall into his scheme, and so he + does not think it of sufficient importance to prescribe regular + public sacrifices for it. After the Exile, however, Jewish practice + was regulated by the canons of the Priestly Code, in which, along + with other festivals, the ancient threefold cycle is continued, and + stated sacrifices are prescribed for Pentecost, just as for the + other two.<a id="noteref_274" name="noteref_274" href= + "#note_274"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">274</span></span></a> + Similarly, the two atoning ceremonies in the beginning of the first + and seventh months,<a id="noteref_275" name="noteref_275" href= + "#note_275"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">275</span></span></a> which + are not mentioned in the older legislation, are replaced in the + Priests' Code by the single Day of Atonement on the tenth day of + the seventh month, whilst the beginning of the year is celebrated + by the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the same month.<a id= + "noteref_276" name="noteref_276" href="#note_276"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">276</span></span></a></p><span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page468">[pg 468]</span><a name="Pg468" id="Pg468" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But although the + details of Ezekiel's system thus proved to be impracticable in the + circumstances of the restored Jewish community, it succeeded in the + far more important object of infusing a new spirit into the + celebration of the feasts, and impressing on them a different + character. The ancient Hebrew festivals were all associated with + joyous incidents of the agricultural year. The Feast of Unleavened + Bread marked the beginning of harvest, when <span class= + "tei tei-q">“the sickle was first put into the corn.”</span><a id= + "noteref_277" name="noteref_277" href="#note_277"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">277</span></span></a> At + this time also the firstlings of the flock and herd were + sacrificed. The seven weeks which elapse till Pentecost are the + season of the cereal harvest, which is then brought to a close by + the Feast of Harvest, when the goodness of Jehovah is acknowledged + by the presentation of part of the produce at the sanctuary. + Finally the Feast of Tabernacles celebrates the most joyous + occasion of the year, the storing of the produce of the winepress + and the threshing-floor.<a id="noteref_278" name="noteref_278" + href="#note_278"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">278</span></span></a> The + nature of the festivals is easily seen from the events with which + they are thus associated. They are occasions of social mirth and + festivity, and the religious rites observed are the expressions of + the nation's heart-felt gratitude to Jehovah for the blessing that + has rested on the labours of husbandman and shepherd throughout the + year. The Passover with its memories of anxiety and escape was no + doubt of a more sombre character than the others, but the joyous + and festive nature of Pentecost and Tabernacles is strongly + insisted on in the book of Deuteronomy. By these institutions + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page469">[pg 469]</span><a name= + "Pg469" id="Pg469" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> religion was closely + intertwined with the great interests of every-day life, and the + fact that the sacred seasons of the Israelites' year were the + occasions on which the natural joy of life was at its fullest, + bears witness to the simple-minded piety which was fostered by the + old Hebrew worship. There was, however, a danger that in such a + state of things religion should be altogether lost sight of in the + exuberance of natural hilarity and expressions of social good-will. + And indeed no great height of spirituality could be nourished by a + type of worship in which devotional feeling was concentrated on the + expression of gratitude to God for the bountiful gifts of His + providence. It was good for the childhood of the nation, but when + the nation became a man it must put away childish things.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The tendency of + the post-exilic ritual was to detach the sacred seasons more and + more from the secular associations which had once been their chief + significance. This was done partly by the addition of new festivals + which had no such natural occasion, and partly by a change in the + point of view from which the older celebrations were regarded. No + attempt was made to obliterate the traces of the affinity with + events of common life which endeared them to the hearts of the + people, but increasing importance was attached to their historic + significance as memorials of Jehovah's gracious dealings with the + nation in the period of the Exodus. At the same time they take on + more and more the character of religious symbols of the permanent + relations between Jehovah and His people. The beginnings of this + process can be clearly discerned in the legislation of Ezekiel. Not + indeed in the direction of a historic interpretation of the feasts, + for this is ignored even in the case of the Passover, where it was + already firmly established in the national consciousness. But the + institution of a special <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page470">[pg + 470]</span><a name="Pg470" id="Pg470" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + series of public sacrifices, which was the same for the Passover + and the Feast of Tabernacles, and particularly the prominence given + to the sin-offering, obviously tended to draw the mind of the + people away from the passing interest of the occasion, and fix it + on those standing obligations imposed by the holiness of Jehovah on + which the continuance of all His bounties depended. We cannot be + mistaken in thinking that one design of the new ritual was to + correct the excesses of unrestrained animal enjoyment by deepening + the sense of guilt and the fear of possible offences against the + sanctity of the divine presence. For it was at these festivals that + the prince was required to offer the atoning sacrifice for himself + and the people.<a id="noteref_279" name="noteref_279" href= + "#note_279"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">279</span></span></a> Thus + the effect of the whole system was to foster the sensitive and + tremulous tone of piety which was characteristic of Judaism, in + contrast to the hearty, if undisciplined, religion of the ancient + Hebrew feasts.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">II. <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-variant: small-caps">The Stated + Service.</span></span>—In the course of this chapter we have had + occasion more than once to touch on the prominence given in + Ezekiel's vision to sacrifices offered in accordance with a fixed + rubric in the name of the whole community. The significance of this + fact may best be seen from a comparison with the sacrificial + regulations of the book of Deuteronomy. These are not numerous, but + they deal exclusively with private sacrifices. The person addressed + is the individual householder, and the sacrifices which he is + enjoined to render are for himself and his family. There is no + explicit allusion in the whole book to the official sacrifices + which were offered by the regular priesthood and maintained at the + king's expense. In Ezekiel's scheme of Temple worship the case is + exactly the reverse. Here there is no mention of <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page471">[pg 471]</span><a name="Pg471" id="Pg471" + class="tei tei-anchor"></a> private sacrifice except in the + incidental notices as to the free-will offerings and the + sacrificial meal of the prince,<a id="noteref_280" name= + "noteref_280" href="#note_280"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">280</span></span></a> while + on the other hand great attention is paid to the maintenance of the + regular offerings provided by the prince for the congregation. This + of course does not mean that there were no statutory sacrifices in + the old Temple, or that Ezekiel contemplated the cessation of + private sacrifice in the new. Deuteronomy passes over the public + sacrifices because they were under the jurisdiction of the king, + and the people at large were not directly responsible for them; and + similarly Ezekiel is silent as to private offerings because their + observance was assured by all the traditions of the sanctuary. + Still it is a noteworthy fact that of two codes of Temple worship, + separated by only half a century, each legislates exclusively for + that element of the ritual which is taken for granted by the + other.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">What it + indicates is nothing less than a change in the ruling conception of + public worship. Before the Exile the idea that Jehovah could desert + His sanctuary hardly entered into the mind of the people, and + certainly did not in the least affect the confidence with which + they availed themselves of the privileges of worship. The Temple + was there and God was present within it, and all that was necessary + was that the spontaneous devotion of the worshippers should be + regulated by the essential conditions of ceremonial propriety. But + the destruction of the Temple had proved that the mere existence of + a sanctuary was no guarantee of the favour and protection of the + God who was supposed to dwell within it. Jehovah might be driven + from His Temple by the presence of sin among the people, or even by + a neglect of the ceremonial precautions which were necessary to + guard against the profanation of His <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page472">[pg 472]</span><a name="Pg472" id="Pg472" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> holiness. On this idea the whole edifice of + the later ritual is built up, and here as in other respects Ezekiel + has shown the way. In his view the validity and efficiency of the + whole Temple service hangs on the due performance of the public + rites which preserve the nation in a condition of sanctity and + continually represent it as a holy people before God. Under cover + of this representative service the individual may draw near with + confidence to seek the face of his God in acts of private homage, + but apart from the regular official ceremonial his worship has no + reality, because he can have no assurance that Jehovah will accept + his offering. His right of access to God springs from his + fellowship with the religious community of Israel, and hence the + indispensable presupposition of every act of worship is that the + standing of the community before Jehovah be preserved intact by the + rites appointed for that purpose. And, as has been already said, + these rites are representative in character. Being performed on + behalf of the nation, the obligation of presenting them rests with + the prince in his representative capacity, and the share of the + people in them is indicated by the tribute which the prince is + empowered to levy for this end. In this way the ideal unity of the + nation finds continual expression in the worship of the sanctuary, + and the supreme interest of religion is transferred from the mere + act of personal homage to the abiding conditions of acceptance with + God symbolised by the stated service.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Let us now look + at some details of the scheme in which this important idea is + embodied. The foundation of the whole system is the daily + burnt-offering—the <span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" + xml:lang="he"><span style="font-style: italic">tāmîd</span></span>. + Under the first Temple the daily offering seems to have been a + burnt-offering in the morning and a meal-offering (<span lang="he" + class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">minhah</span></span>) in the evening,<a id= + "noteref_281" name="noteref_281" href="#note_281"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">281</span></span></a> and + this practice seems to have continued down to the time of + Ezra.<a id="noteref_282" name="noteref_282" href= + "#note_282"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">282</span></span></a> + According to <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page473">[pg + 473]</span><a name="Pg473" id="Pg473" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + the Levitical law it consists of a lamb morning and evening, + accompanied on each occasion by a minhah and a libation of + wine.<a id="noteref_283" name="noteref_283" href= + "#note_283"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">283</span></span></a> + Ezekiel's ordinance occupies a middle position between these two. + Here the tamîd is a lamb for a burnt-offering in the morning, along + with a minhah of flour mingled with oil; and there is no provision + for an evening sacrifice.<a id="noteref_284" name="noteref_284" + href="#note_284"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">284</span></span></a> The + presentation of this sacrifice on the altar in the morning, as the + basis on which all other offerings through the day were laid, may + be taken to symbolise the truth that the acceptance of all ordinary + acts of worship depended on the representation of the community + before God in the regular service. To the spiritual perception of a + Psalmist it may have suggested the duty of commencing each day's + work with an act of devotion:—</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-right: 3.60em; margin-top: 1.80em; margin-left: 3.60em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-top: 0.90em; margin-bottom: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Jehovah, in the morning shalt + Thou hear my voice;</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">In the morning will I set [my + prayer] in order before Thee, and will look out.</span><a id= + "noteref_285" name="noteref_285" href= + "#note_285"><span class="tei tei-noteref" style= + "text-align: left"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">285</span></span></a> + </div> + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The offerings + for the Sabbaths and new moons may be considered as amplifications + of the daily sacrifice. They consist exclusively of + burnt-offerings. On the Sabbath six lambs are presented, perhaps + one for each working day of the week, together with a ram for the + Sabbath itself (Smend). At the new moon feast this offering is + repeated with the addition of a bullock. It may be noted here once + for all that each burnt sacrifice is accompanied by a corresponding + minhah, according to a fixed scale. For sin-offerings, on the other + hand, no minhah seems to be appointed.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">At the annual + (or rather half-yearly) celebrations the <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page474">[pg 474]</span><a name="Pg474" id="Pg474" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> sin-offering appears for the first time among + the stated sacrifices. The sacrifice for the cleansing of the + sanctuary at the beginning of each half of the year consists of a + young bullock for a sin-offering, in addition of course to the + burnt-offerings which were prescribed for the first day of the + month. For the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles the daily + offering is a he-goat for a sin-offering, and seven bullocks and + seven rams for a burnt-offering during the week covered by these + festivals. Besides this, at Passover, and probably also at + Tabernacles, the prince presents a bullock as a sin-offering for + himself and the people. We have now to consider more particularly + the place which this class of sacrifices occupies in the + ritual.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">III. + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">Atoning Sacrifices.</span></span>—It is + evident, even from this short survey, that the idea of atonement + holds a conspicuous place in the symbolism of Ezekiel's Temple. He + is, indeed, the earliest writer (setting aside the Levitical Code) + who mentions the special class of sacrifices known as sin- and + guilt-offerings. Under the first Temple ceremonial offences were + regularly atoned for at one time by money payments to the priests, + and these fines are called by the names afterwards applied to the + expiatory sacrifices.<a id="noteref_286" name="noteref_286" href= + "#note_286"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">286</span></span></a> It + does not follow, of course, that such sacrifices were unknown + before the time of Ezekiel, nor is such a conclusion probable in + itself. The manner in which the prophet alludes to them rather + shows that the idea was perfectly familiar to his contemporaries. + But the prominence of the sin-offering in the public ritual may be + safely set down as a new departure in the Temple service, as it is + one of the most striking symptoms of the change that passed over + the spirit of Israel's religion at the time of the + Exile.</p><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page475">[pg + 475]</span><a name="Pg475" id="Pg475" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Of the elements + that contributed to this change the most important was the deepened + consciousness of sin that had been produced by the teaching of the + prophets as verified in the terrible calamity of the Exile. We have + seen how frequently Ezekiel insists on this effect of the divine + judgment; how, even in the time of her pardon and restoration, he + represents Israel as ashamed and confounded, not opening her mouth + any more for the remembrance of all that she had done. We are + therefore prepared to find that full provision is made for the + expression of this abiding sense of guilt in the revised scheme of + worship. This was done not by new rites invented for the purpose, + but by seizing on those elements of the old ritual which + represented the wiping out of iniquity, and by so remodelling the + whole sacrificial system as to place these prominently in the + foreground. Such elements were found chiefly in the sin-offering + and guilt-offering, which occupied a subsidiary position in the old + Temple, but are elevated to a place of commanding importance in the + new. The precise distinction between these two kinds of sacrifice + is an obscure point of the Levitical ritual which has never been + perfectly cleared up. In the system of Ezekiel, however, we observe + that the guilt-offering plays no part in the stated service, and + must therefore have been reserved for private transgressions of the + law of holiness. And in general it may be remarked that the atoning + sacrifices differ from others, not in their material, but in + certain features of the sacred actions to be observed with regard + to them. We cannot here enter upon the details of the symbolism, + but the most important fact is that the flesh of the victims is + neither offered on the altar as in the burnt-offering, nor eaten by + the worshippers as in the peace-offering, but belongs to the + category of most holy things, and must be consumed by the priests + in a holy place. In certain <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page476">[pg 476]</span><a name="Pg476" id="Pg476" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> extreme cases, however, it has to be burned + without the sanctuary.<a id="noteref_287" name="noteref_287" href= + "#note_287"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">287</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Now in the + chapters before us the idea of sacrificial atonement is chiefly + developed in connection with the material fabric of the sanctuary. + The sanctuary may contract defilement by involuntary lapses from + the stringent rules of ceremonial purity on the part of those who + use it, whether priests or laymen. Such errors of inadvertence were + almost unavoidable under the complicated set of formal regulations + into which the fundamental idea of holiness branched out, yet they + are regarded as endangering the sanctity of the Temple, and require + to be carefully atoned for from time to time, lest by their + accumulation the worship should be invalidated and Jehovah driven + from His dwelling-place. But besides this the Temple (or at least + the altar) is unfit for its sacred functions until it has undergone + an initial process of purification. The principle involved still + survives in the consecration of ecclesiastical buildings in + Christendom, although its application had doubtless a much more + serious import under the old dispensation than it can possibly have + under the new.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">A full account + of this initial ceremony of purification is given in the end of the + forty-third chapter, and a glance at the details of the ritual may + be enough to impress on us the conceptions that underlie the + process. It is a protracted operation, extending apparently over + eight days.<a id="noteref_288" name="noteref_288" href= + "#note_288"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">288</span></span></a> The + first and fundamental act is the offering of a sin-offering of the + highest degree of sanctity, the victim being a bullock and the + flesh being burned <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page477">[pg + 477]</span><a name="Pg477" id="Pg477" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + outside the sanctuary. The blood alone is sprinkled on the four + horns of the altar, the four corners of the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“settle,”</span> and the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“border”</span>: this is the first stage in the + dedication of the altar. Then for seven days a he-goat is offered + for a sin-offering, the same rites being observed, and after it a + burnt-offering consisting of a bullock and a ram. These sacrifices + are intended only for the purification of the altar, and only on + the day after their completion is the altar ready to receive + ordinary public or private gifts—burnt-offerings and + peace-offerings. Now four expressions are used to denote the effect + of these ceremonies on the altar. The most general is <span class= + "tei tei-q">“consecrate,”</span> literally <span class= + "tei tei-q">“fill its hand”</span><a id="noteref_289" name= + "noteref_289" href="#note_289"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">289</span></span></a>—a + phrase used originally of the installation of a priest into his + office, and then applied metaphorically to consecration or + initiation in general. The others are <span class= + "tei tei-q">“purify,”</span><a id="noteref_290" name="noteref_290" + href="#note_290"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">290</span></span></a> + <span class="tei tei-q">“unsin,”</span><a id="noteref_291" name= + "noteref_291" href="#note_291"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">291</span></span></a> (the + special effect of the <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">sin-offering</span></span>) and <span class= + "tei tei-q">“expiate.”</span><a id="noteref_292" name="noteref_292" + href="#note_292"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">292</span></span></a> Of + these the last is the most important. It is the technical priestly + term for atonement for sin, the reference being of course generally + to persons. As to the fundamental meaning of the word, there has + been a great deal of discussion, which has not yet led to a + decisive result. The choice seems to lie between two radical ideas, + either to <span class="tei tei-q">“wipe out”</span> or to + <span class="tei tei-q">“cover,”</span> and so render + inoperative.<a id="noteref_293" name="noteref_293" href= + "#note_293"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">293</span></span></a> But + either etymology enables us to understand the use of the word in + legal terminology. It means to undo the effect of a transgression + on the religious status of the offender, or, as in the case before + us, to <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page478">[pg + 478]</span><a name="Pg478" id="Pg478" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + remove natural or contracted impurity from a material object. And + whether this is conceived as a covering up of the fault so as to + conceal it from view, or a wiping out of it, amounts in the end to + the same thing. The significant fact is that the same word is + applied both to persons and things. It furnishes another + illustration of the intimate way in which the ideas of moral guilt + and physical defect are blended in the ceremonial of the Old + Testament.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The meaning of + the two atoning services appointed for the beginning of the first + and the seventh month is now clear. They are intended to renew + periodically the holiness of the sanctuary established by the + initiatory rites just described. For it is evident that no + indelible character can attach to the kind of sanctity with which + we are here dealing. It is apt to be lost, if not by mere lapse of + time, at least by the repeated contact of frail men who with the + best intentions are not always able to fulfil the conditions of a + right use of sacred things. Every failure and mistake detracts from + the holiness of the Temple, and even unnoticed and altogether + unconscious offences would in course of time profane it if not + purged away. Hence <span class="tei tei-q">“for every one that + erreth and for him that is simple”</span><a id="noteref_294" name= + "noteref_294" href="#note_294"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">294</span></span></a> + atonement has to be made for the house twice a year. The ritual to + be observed on these occasions bears a general resemblance to that + of the inaugural ceremony, but is simpler, only a single bullock + being presented for a sin-offering. On the other hand, it expressly + symbolises a purification of the Temple as well as of the altar. + The blood is sprinkled not only on the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“settle”</span> of the altar, but also on the doorposts + of the house, and the posts of the eastern gate of the inner + court.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We may now pass + on to the second application made <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page479">[pg 479]</span><a name="Pg479" id="Pg479" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> by Ezekiel of the idea of sacrificial + atonement. These purifications of the sanctuary, which bulk so + largely in his system, have their counterpart in atonements made + directly for the faults of the people. For this purpose, as we have + already seen, a sin-offering was to be presented at each of the + great annual festivals by the prince, for himself and the nation + which he represented. But it is important to observe that the idea + of atonement is not confined to one particular class of sacrifices. + It lies at the foundation of the whole system of the stated + service, the purpose of which is expressly said to be <span class= + "tei tei-q">“to make atonement for the house of + Israel.”</span><a id="noteref_295" name="noteref_295" href= + "#note_295"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">295</span></span></a> Thus + while the half-yearly sin-offering afforded a special opportunity + for confession of sin on the part of the people, we are to + understand that the holiness of the nation was secured by the + observance of every part of the prescribed ritual which regulated + its intercourse with God. And since the nation is in itself + imperfectly holy and stands in constant need of forgiveness, the + maintenance of its sanctity by sacrificial rites was equivalent to + a perpetual act of atonement. Special offences of individuals had + of course to be expiated by special sacrifices, but beneath all + particular transgressions lay the broad fact of human impurity and + infirmity; and in the constant <span class="tei tei-q">“covering + up”</span> of this by a divinely instituted system of religious + ordinances we recognise an atoning element in the regular Temple + service.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The sacrificial + ritual may therefore be regarded as a barrier interposed between + the natural uncleanness of the people and the awful holiness of + Jehovah seated in His Temple. That men should be permitted to + approach Him at all is an unspeakable privilege conferred on Israel + in virtue of its covenant relation to God. But that the + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page480">[pg 480]</span><a name= + "Pg480" id="Pg480" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> approach is + surrounded by so many precautions and restrictions is a perpetual + witness to the truth that God is of purer eyes than to behold + iniquity and one with whom evil cannot dwell. If these precautions + could have been always perfectly observed, it is probable that no + periodical purification of the sanctuary would have been enjoined. + The ordinary ritual would have sufficed to maintain the nation in a + state of holiness corresponding with the requirements of Jehovah's + nature. But this was impossible on account of the slowness of men's + minds and their liability to err in their most sacred duties. Sin + is so subtle and pervasive that it is conceived as penetrating the + network of ordinances destined to intercept it, and reaching even + to the dwelling-place of Jehovah Himself. It is to remove such + accidental, though inevitable, violations of the majesty of God + that the ritual edifice is crowned by ceremonies for the + purification of the sanctuary. They are, so to speak, atonements in + the second degree. Their object is to compensate for defects in the + ordinary routine of worship, and to remove the arrears of guilt + which had accumulated through neglect of some part of the + ceremonial scheme. This idea appears quite clearly in Ezekiel's + legislation, but it is far more impressively exhibited in the + Levitical law, where different elements of Ezekiel's ritual are + gathered up into one celebration in the Great Day of Atonement, the + most solemn and imposing of the whole year.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Hence we see + that the whole system of sacrificial worship is firmly knit + together, being pervaded from end to end by the one principle of + expiation, behind which lay the assurance of pardon and acceptance + to all who approached God in the use of the appointed means of + grace. Herein lay the chief value of the Temple ritual for the + religious life of Israel. It served to impress on the mind of the + people the great realities of sin and <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page481">[pg 481]</span><a name="Pg481" id="Pg481" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> forgiveness, and so to create that profound + consciousness of sin which has passed over, spiritualised but not + weakened, into Christian experience. Thus the law proved itself a + schoolmaster to bring men to Christ, in whose atoning death the + evil of sin and the eternal conditions of forgiveness are once for + all and perfectly revealed.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The positive + truths taught or suggested by the ritual of atonement are too + numerous to be considered here. It is a remarkable fact that + neither in Ezekiel nor in any other part of the Old Testament is an + authoritative interpretation given of the most essential features + of the ritual. The people seem to have been left to explain the + symbolism as best they could, and many points which are obscure and + uncertain to us must have been perfectly intelligible to the least + instructed amongst them. For us the only safe rule is to follow the + guidance of the New Testament writers in their use of sacrificial + institutions as types of the death of Christ. The investigation is + too large and intricate to be attempted in this place. But it may + be well in conclusion to point out one or two general principles, + which ought never to be overlooked in the typical interpretation of + the expiatory sacrifices of the Old Testament.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the first + place atonement is provided only for sins committed in ignorance; + and moral and ceremonial offences stand precisely on the same + footing in the eye of the law. In Ezekiel's system, indeed, it was + only sins of inadvertence that needed to be considered. He has in + view the final state of things in which the people, though not + perfect nor exempt from liability to error, are wholly inclined to + obey the law of Jehovah so far as their knowledge and ability + extend. But even in the Levitical legislation there is no legal + dispensation for guilt incurred through wanton and deliberate + defiance of the law of <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page482">[pg + 482]</span><a name="Pg482" id="Pg482" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + Jehovah. To sin thus is to sin <span class="tei tei-q">“with a high + hand,”</span><a id="noteref_296" name="noteref_296" href= + "#note_296"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">296</span></span></a> and + such offences have to be expiated by the death of the sinner, or at + least his exclusion from the religious community. And whether the + precept belong to what we call the ceremonial or to the moral side + of the law, the same principle holds good, although of course its + application is one-sided, strictly moral transgressions being for + the most part voluntary, while ritual offences may be either + voluntary or inadvertent. But for wilful and high-handed departure + from any precept, whether ethical or ceremonial, no atonement is + provided by the law; the guilty person <span class= + "tei tei-q">“falls into the hands of the living God,”</span> and + forgiveness is possible only in the sphere of personal relations + between man and God, into which the law does not enter.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This leads to a + second consideration. Atoning sacrifices do not purchase + forgiveness. That is to say, they are never regarded as exercising + any influence on God, moving Him to mercy towards the sinner. They + are simply the forms to which, by Jehovah's own appointment, the + promise of forgiveness is attached. Hence sacrifice has not the + fundamental significance in Old Testament religion that the death + of Christ has in the New. The whole sacrificial system, as we see + quite clearly from Ezekiel's prophecy, presupposes redemption; the + people are already restored to their land and sanctified by + Jehovah's presence amongst them before these institutions come into + operation. The only purpose that they serve in the system of + religion to which they belong is to secure that the blessings of + salvation shall not be lost. Both in this vision and throughout the + Old Testament the ultimate ground of confidence in God lies in + historic <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page483">[pg + 483]</span><a name="Pg483" id="Pg483" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + acts of redemption in which Jehovah's sovereign grace and love to + Israel are revealed. Through the sacrifices the individual was + enabled to assure himself of his interest in the covenant blessings + promised to his nation. They were the sacraments of his personal + acceptance with Jehovah, and as such were of the highest importance + for his normal religious life. But they were not and could not be + the basis of the forgiveness of sins, nor did later Judaism ever + fall into the error of seeking to appease the Deity by a + multiplication of sacrificial gifts. When the insufficiency of the + ritual system to give true peace of conscience or to bring back the + outward tokens of God's favour is dwelt upon, the ancient Church + falls back on the spiritual conditions of forgiveness already + enunciated by the prophets.</p> + + <div class="block tei tei-quote" style= + "margin-left: 3.60em; margin-right: 3.60em; margin-top: 1.80em; margin-bottom: 1.80em"> + <div class="tei tei-lg" style= + "margin-bottom: 0.90em; margin-top: 0.90em"> + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Thou desirest not sacrifice that + I should give it,</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">Thou delightest not in + burnt-offering.</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">The sacrifices of God are a + broken spirit:</span> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-l" style="text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 90%">A broken and a contrite heart, O + God, Thou wilt not despise.</span><a id="noteref_297" name= + "noteref_297" href="#note_297"><span class="tei tei-noteref" + style="text-align: left"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">297</span></span></a> + </div> + </div> + </div> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Finally, we have + learned from Ezekiel that the idea of atonement is not lodged in + any particular rite, but pervades the sacrificial system as a + whole. Suggestive as the ritual of the sin-offering is to the + Christian conscience, it must not be isolated from other + developments of the sacrificial idea or taken to embody the whole + permanent meaning of the institution. There are at least two other + aspects of sacrifice which are clearly expressed in the ritual + legislation of the Old Testament—that of homage, chiefly symbolised + by the burnt-offering, and that of communion, symbolised by the + peace-offering and the sacrificial feast observed in connection + with it. And although, both in Ezekiel and the Levitical law, these + two elements are thrown into the shade by the idea of expiation, + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page484">[pg 484]</span><a name= + "Pg484" id="Pg484" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> yet there are subtle + links of affinity between all three, which will have to be traced + out before we are in a position to understand the first principles + of sacrificial worship. The brilliant and learned researches of the + late Professor Robertson Smith have thrown a flood of light on the + original rite of sacrifice and the important place which it + occupies in ancient religion.<a id="noteref_298" name="noteref_298" + href="#note_298"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">298</span></span></a> He + has sought to explain the intricate system of the Levitical + legislation as an unfolding, under varied historical influences, of + different aspects of the idea of communion between God and men, + which is the essence of primitive sacrifice. In particular he has + shown how special atoning sacrifices arise through emphasising by + appropriate symbolism the element of reconciliation which is + implicitly contained in every act of religious communion with God. + This at least enables us to understand how the atoning ritual with + all its distinctive features yet resembles so closely that which is + common to all types of sacrifice, and how the idea of expiation, + although concentrated in a particular class of sacrifices, is + nevertheless spread over the whole surface of the sacrificial + ritual. It would be premature as well as presumptuous to attempt + here to estimate the consequences of this theory for Christian + theology. But it certainly seems to open up the prospect of a wider + and deeper apprehension of the religious truths which are + differentiated and specialised in the Old Testament dispensation, + to be reunited in that great Atoning Sacrifice, in which the blood + of the new covenant has been shed for many for the remission of + sins.</p> + </div><span class="tei tei-pb" id="page485">[pg 485]</span><a name= + "Pg485" id="Pg485" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + <hr class="page" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 4.00em; margin-bottom: 4.00em"> + <a name="toc71" id="toc71"></a> <a name="pdf72" id="pdf72"></a> + + <h2 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-top: 2.88em; margin-bottom: 2.88em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 144%">Chapter XXX. Renewal And Allotment Of + The Land. Chapters xlvii., xlviii.</span></h2> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the first + part of the forty-seventh chapter the visionary form of the + revelation, which had been interrupted by the important series of + communications on which we have been so long engaged, is again + resumed. The prophet, once more under the direction of his angelic + guide, sees a stream of water issuing from the Temple buildings and + flowing eastward into the Dead Sea.<a id="noteref_299" name= + "noteref_299" href="#note_299"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">299</span></span></a> + Afterwards he receives another series of directions relating to the + boundaries of the land and its division among the twelve + tribes.<a id="noteref_300" name="noteref_300" href= + "#note_300"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">300</span></span></a> With + this the vision and the book find their appropriate close.</p> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">I</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The Temple + stream, to which Ezekiel's attention is now for the first time + directed, is a symbol of the miraculous transformation which the + land of Canaan is to undergo in order to fit it for the + habitation of Jehovah's ransomed people. Anticipations of a + renewal of the face of nature are a common feature of Messianic + prophecy. They have their roots in the religious interpretation + of the possession of the land as the chief token of the divine + blessing on the nation. In the vicissitudes of agricultural or + pastoral life the Israelite read the reflection of Jehovah's + attitude <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page486">[pg + 486]</span><a name="Pg486" id="Pg486" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + towards Himself and His people: fertile seasons and luxuriant + harvests were the sign of His favour; drought and famine were the + proof that He was offended. Even at the best of times, however, + the condition of Palestine left much to be desired from the + husbandman's point of view, especially in the kingdom of Judah. + Nature was often stern and unpropitious, the cultivation of the + soil was always attended with hardship and uncertainty, large + tracts of the country were given over to irreclaimable + barrenness. There was always a vision of better things possible, + and in the last days the prophets cherished the expectation that + that vision would be realised. When all causes of offence are + removed from Israel and Jehovah smiles on His people, the land + will blossom into supernatural fertility, the ploughman + overtaking the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth + seed, the mountains dropping new wine and the hills + melting.<a id="noteref_301" name="noteref_301" href= + "#note_301"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">301</span></span></a> + Such idyllic pictures of universal plenty and comfort abound in + the writings of the prophets, and are not wanting in the pages of + Ezekiel. We have already had one in the description of the + blessings of the Messianic kingdom;<a id="noteref_302" name= + "noteref_302" href="#note_302"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">302</span></span></a> and + we shall see that in this closing vision a complete remodelling + of the land is presupposed, rendering it all alike suitable for + the habitation of the tribes of Israel.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The river of + life is the most striking presentation of this general conception + of Messianic felicity. It is one of those vivid images from + Eastern life which, through the Apocalypse, have passed into the + symbolism of Christian eschatology. <span class="tei tei-q">“And + he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, + proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst + of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there + the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded + her fruits every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page487">[pg 487]</span><a name= + "Pg487" id="Pg487" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> healing of the + nations.”</span><a id="noteref_303" name="noteref_303" href= + "#note_303"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">303</span></span></a> So + writes the seer of Patmos, in words whose music charms the ear + even of those to whom running water means much less than it did + to a native of thirsty Palestine. But John had read of the mystic + river in the pages of his favourite prophet before he saw it in + vision. The close resemblance between the two pictures leaves no + doubt that the origin of the conception is to be sought in + Ezekiel's vision. The underlying religious truth is the same in + both representations, that the presence of God is the source from + which the influences flow forth that renew and purify human + existence. The tree of life on each bank of the river, which + yields its fruit every month and whose leaves are for healing, is + a detail transferred directly from Ezekiel's imagery to fill out + the description of the glorious city of God into which the + nations of them that are saved are gathered.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">But with all + its idealism, Ezekiel's conception presents many points of + contact with the actual physiography of Palestine; it is less + universal and abstract in its significance than that of the + Apocalypse. The first thing that might have suggested the idea to + the prophet is that the Temple mount had at least one small + stream, whose <span class="tei tei-q">“soft-flowing”</span> + waters were already regarded as a symbol of the silent and + unobtrusive influence of the divine presence in Israel.<a id= + "noteref_304" name="noteref_304" href="#note_304"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">304</span></span></a> The + waters of this stream flowed eastward, but they were too scanty + to have any appreciable effect on the fertility of the region + through which they passed. Further, to the south-east of + Jerusalem, between it and the Dead Sea, stretched the great + wilderness of Judah, the most desolate and inhospitable tract in + the whole country. There the steep declivity of the limestone + range refuses to detain sufficient moisture to nourish the most + meagre vegetation, although the few spots where wells are found, + as at Engedi, are clothed with almost tropical luxuriance. + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page488">[pg 488]</span><a name= + "Pg488" id="Pg488" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> To reclaim these + barren slopes and render them fit for human industry, the Temple + waters are sent eastward, making the desert to blossom as the + rose. Lastly, there was the Dead Sea itself, in whose bitter + waters no living thing can exist, the natural emblem of + resistance to the purposes of Him who is the God of life. These + different elements of the physical reality were familiar to + Ezekiel, and come back to mind as he follows the course of the + new Temple river, and observes the wonderful transformation which + it is destined to effect. He first sees it breaking forth from + the wall of the Temple at the right-hand side of the entrance, + and flowing eastward through the courts by the south side of the + altar. Then at the outer wall he meets it rushing from the south + side of the eastern gate, and still pursuing its easterly course. + At a thousand cubits from the sanctuary it is only ankle deep, + but at successive distances of a thousand cubits it reaches to + the knees, to the loins, and becomes finally an impassable river. + The stream is of course miraculous from source to mouth. Earthly + rivers do not thus broaden and deepen as they flow, except by the + accession of tributaries, and tributaries are out of the question + here. Thus it flows on, with its swelling volume of water, + through <span class="tei tei-q">“the eastern circuit,”</span> + <span class="tei tei-q">“down to the Arabah”</span> (the trough + of the Jordan and the Dead Sea), and reaching the sea it sweetens + its waters so that they teem with fishes of all kinds like those + of the Mediterranean. Its uninviting shores become the scene of a + busy and thriving industry; fishermen ply their craft from Engedi + to Eneglaim,<a id="noteref_305" name="noteref_305" href= + "#note_305"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">305</span></span></a> and + the food supply of the country is materially increased. The + prophet may not have been greatly concerned about this, but one + characteristic detail illustrates <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page489">[pg 489]</span><a name="Pg489" id="Pg489" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> his careful forethought in matters of + practical utility. It is from the Dead Sea that Jerusalem has + always obtained its supply of salt. The purification of this lake + might have its drawbacks if the production of this indispensable + commodity should be interfered with. Salt, besides its culinary + uses, played an important part in the Temple ritual, and Ezekiel + was not likely to forget it. Hence the strange but eminently + practical provision that the shallows and marshes at the south + end of the lake shall be exempted from the influence of the + healing waters. <span class="tei tei-q">“They are given for + salt.”</span><a id="noteref_306" name="noteref_306" href= + "#note_306"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">306</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">We may venture + to draw one lesson for our own instruction from this beautiful + prophetic image of the blessings that flow from a pure religion. + The river of God has its source high up in the mount where + Jehovah dwells in inaccessible holiness, and where the + white-robed priests minister ceaselessly before Him; but in its + descent it seeks out the most desolate and unpromising region in + the country, and turns it into a garden of the Lord. While the + whole land of Israel is to be renewed and made to minister to the + good of man in fellowship with God, the main stream of fertility + is expended in the apparently hopeless task of reclaiming the + Judæan desert and purifying the Dead Sea. It is an emblem of the + earthly ministry of Him who made Himself the friend of publicans + and sinners, and lavished the resources of His grace and the + wealth of His affection on those who were deemed beyond ordinary + possibility of salvation. It is to be feared, however, that the + practice of most Churches has been too much the reverse of this. + They have been tempted to confine the water of life within fairly + respectable channels, amongst the prosperous and contented, the + occupants of happy homes, where the advantages of <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page490">[pg 490]</span><a name="Pg490" id= + "Pg490" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> religion are most likely to + be appreciated. That seems to have been found the line of least + resistance, and in times when spiritual life has run low it has + been counted enough to keep the old ruts filled and leave the + waste places and stagnant waters of our civilisation ill provided + with the means of grace. Nowadays we are sometimes reminded that + the Dead Sea must be drained before the gospel can have a fair + chance of influencing human lives, and there may be much wisdom + in the suggestion. A vast deal of social drainage may have to be + accomplished before the word of God has free course. Unhealthy + and impure conditions of life may be mitigated by wise + legislation, temptations to vice may be removed, and vested + interests that thrive on the degradation of human lives may be + crushed by the strong arm of the community. But the true spirit + of Christianity can neither be confined to the watercourses of + religious habit, nor wait for the schemes of the social reformer. + Nor will it display its powers of social salvation until it + carries the energies of the Church into the lowest haunts of vice + and misery with an earnest desire to seek and to save that which + is lost. Ezekiel had his vision, and he believed in it. He + believed in the reality of God's presence in the sanctuary and in + the stream of blessings that flowed from His throne, and he + believed in the possibility of reclaiming the waste places of his + country for the kingdom of God. When Christians are united in + like faith in the power of Christ and the abiding presence of His + Spirit, we may expect to see times of refreshing from the + presence of God and the whole earth filled with the knowledge of + the Lord as the waters cover the sea.</p> + </div> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 3.00em; margin-bottom: 3.00em"> + <h3 class="tei tei-head" style= + "margin-top: 2.40em; margin-bottom: 2.40em; text-align: left"> + <span style="font-size: 120%">II</span></h3> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Ezekiel's map + of Palestine is marked by something of the same mathematical + regularity which was exhibited in <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page491">[pg 491]</span><a name="Pg491" id="Pg491" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> his plan of the Temple. His boundaries are + like those we sometimes see on the map of a newly settled country + like America or Australia—that is to say, they largely follow the + meridian lines and parallels of latitude, but take advantage here + and there of natural frontiers supplied by rivers and mountain + ranges. This is absolutely true of the internal divisions of the + land between the tribes. Here the northern and southern + boundaries are straight lines running east and west over hill and + dale, and terminating at the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan + Valley, which form of course the western and eastern limits. As + to the external delimitation of the country it is unfortunately + not possible to speak with certainty. The eastern frontier is + fixed by the Jordan and the Dead Sea so far as they go, and the + western is the sea. But on the north and south the lines of + demarcation cannot be traced, the places mentioned being nearly + all unknown. The north frontier extends from the sea to a place + called Hazar-enon, said to lie on the border of Hauran. It passes + the <span class="tei tei-q">“entrance to Hamath,”</span> and has + to the north not only Hamath, but also the territory of Damascus. + But none of the towns through which it passes—Hethlon, Berotha, + Sibraim—can be identified, and even its general direction is + altogether uncertain.<a id="noteref_307" name="noteref_307" href= + "#note_307"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">307</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">From + Hazar-enon the eastern border stretches southward <span class= + "tei tei-pb" id="page492">[pg 492]</span><a name="Pg492" id= + "Pg492" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> till it reaches the Jordan, + and is prolonged south of the Dead Sea to a place called Tamar, + also unknown. From this we proceed westwards by Kadesh till we + strike the river of Egypt, the Wady el-Arish, which carries the + boundary to the sea. It will be seen that Ezekiel, for reasons on + which it is idle to speculate, excludes the transjordanic + territory from the Holy Land. Speaking broadly, we may say that + he treats Palestine as a rectangular strip of country, which he + divides into transverse sections of indeterminate breadth, and + then proceeds to parcel out these amongst the twelve tribes.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">A similar + obscurity rests on the motives which determined the disposition + of the different tribes within the sacred territory. We can + understand, indeed, why seven tribes are placed to the north and + only five to the south of the capital and the sanctuary. + Jerusalem lay much nearer the south of the land, and in the + original distribution all the tribes had their settlements to the + north of it except Judah and Simeon. Ezekiel's arrangement seems + thus to combine a desire for symmetry with a recognition of the + claims of historical and geographic reality. We can also see that + to a certain extent the relative positions of the tribes + correspond with those they held before the Exile, although of + course the system requires that they shall lie in a regular + series from north to south. Dan, Asher, and Naphtali are left in + the extreme north, Manasseh and Ephraim to the south of them, + while Simeon lies as of old in the south with one tribe between + it and the capital. But we cannot tell why Benjamin should be + placed to the south and Judah to the north of Jerusalem, why + Issachar and Zebulun are transferred from the far north to the + south, or why Reuben and Gad are taken from the east of the + Jordan to be settled one to the north and the other to the south + of the city. Some principle of arrangement there must have been + in the mind of the <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page493">[pg + 493]</span><a name="Pg493" id="Pg493" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + prophet, and several have been suggested; but it is perhaps + better to confess that we have lost the key to his meaning.<a id= + "noteref_308" name="noteref_308" href="#note_308"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">308</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The prophet's + interest is centred on the strip of land reserved for the + sanctuary and public purposes, which is subdivided and measured + out with the utmost precision. It is twenty-five thousand cubits + (about 8-1/3 miles) broad, and extends right across the country. + The two extremities east and west are the crown lands assigned to + the prince for the purposes we have already seen. In the middle a + square of twenty-five thousand cubits is marked off; this is the + <span class="tei tei-q">“oblation”</span> or sacred offering of + land, in the middle of which the Temple stands. This again is + subdivided into three parallel sections, as shown in the + accompanying diagram. The most northerly, ten thousand cubits in + <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page494">[pg 494]</span><a name= + "Pg494" id="Pg494" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> breadth, is + assigned to the Levites; the central portion, including the + sanctuary, to the priests; and the remaining five thousand cubits + is a <span class="tei tei-q">“profane place”</span> for the city + and its common lands. The city itself is a square of four + thousand five hundred cubits, situated in the middle of this + southmost section of the oblation. With its free space of two + hundred and fifty cubits in width belting the wall it fills the + entire breadth of the section; the communal possessions flanking + it on either hand, just as the prince's domain does the + <span class="tei tei-q">“oblation”</span> as a whole. The produce + of these lands is <span class="tei tei-q">“for food to them that + <span class="tei tei-q">‘serve’</span> [<span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, + inhabit] the city.”</span><a id="noteref_309" name="noteref_309" + href="#note_309"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">309</span></span></a> + Residence in the capital, it appears, is to be regarded as a + public service. The maintenance of the civic life of Jerusalem + was an object in which the whole nation was interested, a truth + symbolised by naming its twelve gates after the twelve sons of + Jacob.<a id="noteref_310" name="noteref_310" href= + "#note_310"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">310</span></span></a> + Hence, also, its population is to be representative of all the + tribes of Israel, and whoever comes to dwell there is to have a + share in the land belonging to the city.<a id="noteref_311" name= + "noteref_311" href="#note_311"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">311</span></span></a> But + evidently the legislation on this point is incomplete. How were + the inhabitants of the capital to be chosen out of all the + tribes? Would its citizenship be regarded as a privilege or as an + onerous responsibility? Would it be necessary to make a selection + out of a host of applications, or would special inducements have + to be offered to procure a sufficient population? To these + questions the vision furnishes no answer, and there is nothing to + show whether Ezekiel contemplated the possibility that residence + in the new city might present few attractions and many + disadvantages <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page495">[pg + 495]</span><a name="Pg495" id="Pg495" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + to an agricultural community such as he had in view. It is a + curious incident of the return from the Exile that the problem of + peopling Jerusalem emerged in a more serious form than Ezekiel + from his ideal point of view could have foreseen. We read that + <span class="tei tei-q">“the rulers of the people dwelt at + Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of + ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine parts in + [other] cities. And the people blessed all the men that willingly + offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.”</span><a id= + "noteref_312" name="noteref_312" href="#note_312"><span class= + "tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">312</span></span></a> + There may have been causes for this general reluctance which are + unknown to us, but the principal reason was doubtless the one + which has been hinted at, that the new colony lived mainly by + agriculture, and the district in the immediate vicinity of the + capital was not sufficiently fertile to support a large + agricultural population. The new Jerusalem was at first a + somewhat artificial foundation, and a city too largely developed + for the resources of the community of which it was the centre. + Its existence was necessary more for the protection and support + of the Temple than for the ordinary ends of civilisation; and + hence to dwell in it was for the majority an act of + self-sacrifice by which a man was felt to deserve well of his + country. And the only important difference between the actual + reality and Ezekiel's ideal is that in the latter the + supernatural fertility of the land and the reign of universal + peace obviate the difficulties which the founders of the + post-exilic theocracy had to encounter.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This seeming + indifference of the prophet to the secular interests represented + by the metropolis strikes us as a singular feature in his + programme. It is strange that the man who was so thoughtful about + the salt-pans of the Dead Sea should pass so lightly over the + details of <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page496">[pg + 496]</span><a name="Pg496" id="Pg496" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + the reconstruction of a city. But we have had several intimations + that this is not the department of things in which Ezekiel's hold + on reality is most conspicuous. We have already remarked on the + boldness of the conception which changes the site of the capital + in order to guard the sanctity of the Temple. And now, when its + situation and form are accurately defined, we have no sketch of + municipal institutions, no hint of the purposes for which the + city exists, and no glimpse of the busy and varied activities + which we naturally connect with the name. If Ezekiel thought of + it at all, except as existing on paper, he was probably + interested in it as furnishing the representative congregation on + minor occasions of public worship, such as the Sabbaths and new + moons, when the whole people could not be expected to assemble. + The truth is that the idea of the city in the vision is simply an + abstract religious symbol, a sort of epitome and concentration of + theocratic life. Like the figure of the prince in earlier + chapters, it is taken from the national institutions which + perished at the Exile; the outline is retained, the typical + significance is enhanced, but the form is shadowy and indistinct, + the colour and variety of concrete reality are absent. It was + perhaps a stage through which political conceptions had to pass + before their religious meaning could be apprehended. And yet the + fact that the symbol of the Holy City is preserved is deeply + suggestive and indeed scarcely less important in its own way than + the retention of the type of the king. Ezekiel can no more think + of the land without a capital than of the state without a prince. + The word <span class="tei tei-q">“city”</span>—synonym of the + fullest and most intense form of life, of life regulated by law + and elevated by devotion to a common ideal, in which every worthy + faculty of human nature is quickened by the close and varied + intercourse of men with each other—has definitely taken its place + in the vocabulary of religion. <span class="tei tei-pb" id= + "page497">[pg 497]</span><a name="Pg497" id="Pg497" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> It is there, not to be superseded, but to + be refined and spiritualised, until the city of God, glorified in + the praises of Israel, becomes the inspiration of the loftiest + thought and the most ardent longing of Christendom. And even for + the perplexing problems that the Church has to face at this day + there is hardly a more profitable exercise of the Christian + imagination than to dream with practical intent of the + consecration of civic life through the subjection of all its + influences to the ends of the Redeemer's kingdom.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">On the other + hand we must surely recognise that this vision of a Temple and a + city separated from each other—where religious and secular + interests are as it were concentrated at different points, so + that the one may be more effectually subordinated to the other—is + not the final and perfect vision of the kingdom of God. That + ideal has played a leading and influential part in the history of + Christianity. It is essentially the ideal formulated in + Augustine's great work on the city of God, which ruled the + ecclesiastical polity of the mediæval Church. The State is an + unholy institution; it is an embodiment of the power of this + present evil world: the true city of God is the visible Catholic + Church, and only by subjection to the Church can the State be + redeemed from itself and be made a means of blessing. That theory + served a providential purpose in preserving the traditions of + Christianity through dark and troubled ages, and training the + rude nations of Europe in purity and righteousness and reverence + for that by which God makes Himself known. But the Reformation + was, amongst other things, a protest against this conception of + the relation of Church to State, of the sacred to the secular. By + asserting the right of each believer to deal with Christ directly + without the mediation of Church or priest it broke down the + middle wall of partition between religion and every-day duty; it + sanctified common <span class="tei tei-pb" id="page498">[pg + 498]</span><a name="Pg498" id="Pg498" class="tei tei-anchor"></a> + life by showing how a man may serve God as a citizen in the + family or the workshop better than in the cloister or at the + altar. It made the kingdom of God to be a present power wherever + there are lives transformed by love to Christ and serving their + fellow-men for His sake. And if Catholicism may find some + plausible support for its theory in Ezekiel and the Old Testament + theocracy in general, Protestants may perhaps with better right + appeal to the grander ideal represented by the new Jerusalem of + the Apocalypse—the city that needs no Temple, because the Lord + Himself is in her midst.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em"><span class= + "tei tei-q">“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming + down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her + husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, + the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, + and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, + and be their God.... And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord + God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had + no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the + glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light + thereof.”</span><a id="noteref_313" name="noteref_313" href= + "#note_313"><span class="tei tei-noteref"><span style= + "font-size: 60%; vertical-align: super">313</span></span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">It may be + difficult for us amid the entanglements of the present to read + that vision aright—difficult to say whether it is on earth or in + heaven that we are to look for the city in which there is no + Temple. Worship is an essential function of the Church of Christ; + and so long as we are in our earthly abode worship will require + external symbols and a visible organisation. But this at least we + know, that the will of God must be done on earth as it is in + heaven. The true kingdom of God is within us; and His presence + with men is realised, not in special religious services which + stand apart from our common life, but in <span class="tei tei-pb" + id="page499">[pg 499]</span><a name="Pg499" id="Pg499" class= + "tei tei-anchor"></a> the constant influence of His Spirit, + forming our characters after the image of Christ, and permeating + all the channels of social intercourse and public action, until + everything done on earth is to the glory of our Father which is + in heaven. That is the ideal set forth by the coming of the holy + city of God, and only in this way can we look for the fulfilment + of the promise embodied in the new name of Ezekiel's city, + Jehovah-shammah,—</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em"><span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-variant: small-caps">The Lord is + There.</span></span></p> + </div> + </div> + </div> + </div> + <hr class="doublepage" /> + + <div class="tei tei-back" style= + "margin-top: 6.00em; margin-bottom: 2.00em"> + <div id="footnotes" class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 5.00em; margin-top: 5.00em"> + <a name="toc73" id="toc73"></a> <a name="pdf74" id="pdf74"></a> + + <h1 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 3.46em; margin-top: 3.46em"> + <span style="font-size: 173%">Footnotes</span></h1> + + <dl class="tei tei-list-footnotes"> + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_1" name="note_1" href= + "#noteref_1">1.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Herodotus, i. 103-106.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_2" name="note_2" href= + "#noteref_2">2.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">If the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“thirtieth year”</span> of ch. i. 1 could refer to the + prophet's age at the time of his call, his birth would fall in the + very year in which the Law Book was found. Although that + interpretation is extremely improbable, he can hardly have been + much more, or less, than thirty years old at the time.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_3" name="note_3" href= + "#noteref_3">3.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The opinion, once prevalent, that it + was the Chaboras in Northern Mesopotamia, where colonies of + Northern Israelites had been settled a century and a half before, + has nothing to justify it, and is now universally abandoned.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_4" name="note_4" href= + "#noteref_4">4.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">This, however, is not certain. + Although Jeremiah's property and residence were in Anathoth, his + official connection may have been with the Temple in + Jerusalem.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_5" name="note_5" href= + "#noteref_5">5.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The passage xxxiii. 14-26 is wanting + in the LXX., and may possibly be a later insertion. Even if genuine + it would hardly alter the general estimate of the prophet's + teaching expressed above.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_6" name="note_6" href= + "#noteref_6">6.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Jer. xv. 4; 2 Kings xxiii. 26.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_7" name="note_7" href= + "#noteref_7">7.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">In the superscription of the book (ch. + i. 1-3) a double date is given for this occurrence. In ver. 1 it is + said to have taken place <span class="tei tei-q">“in the thirtieth + year”</span>; but this expression has never been satisfactorily + explained. The principal suggestions are: (1) that it is the year + of Ezekiel's life; (2) that the reckoning is from the year of + Josiah's reformation; and (3) that it is according to some + Babylonian era. But none of these has much probability, unless, + with Klostermann, we go further and assume that the explanation was + given in an earlier part of the prophet's autobiography now lost—a + view which is supported by no evidence and is contrary to all + analogy. Cornill proposes to omit ver. 1 entirely, chiefly on the + ground that the use of the first person before the writer's name + has been mentioned is unnatural. That the superscription does not + read smoothly as it stands has been felt by many critics; but the + rejection of the verse is perhaps a too facile solution.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_8" name="note_8" href= + "#noteref_8">8.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Not <span class= + "tei tei-q">“amber,”</span> but a natural alloy of silver and gold, + highly esteemed in antiquity.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_9" name="note_9" href= + "#noteref_9">9.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. Exod. xxiv. 10: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“like the very heavens for pureness.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_10" name="note_10" href= + "#noteref_10">10.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Duhm on Isa. xxx. 27.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_11" name="note_11" href= + "#noteref_11">11.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Bêth mĕri</span></span>, or simply <span lang= + "he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">mĕrî</span></span>, occurring about fifteen + times in the first half of the book, but only once after ch. + xxiv.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_12" name="note_12" href= + "#noteref_12">12.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Klostermann.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_13" name="note_13" href= + "#noteref_13">13.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">In ch. iii. 12 read <span class= + "tei tei-q">“As the glory of Jehovah arose from its place”</span> + instead of <span class="tei tei-q">“Blessed be the glory,”</span> + etc. (ברום for ברוך).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_14" name="note_14" href= + "#noteref_14">14.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">A somewhat similar episode seems to + have occurred in the life of Isaiah. See the commentaries on Isa. + viii. 16-18.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_15" name="note_15" href= + "#noteref_15">15.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">These verses (ch. iii. 22-27) furnish + one of the chief supports of Klostermann's peculiar theory of + Ezekiel's condition during the first period of his career. Taking + the word <span class="tei tei-q">“dumb”</span> in its literal + sense, he considers that the prophet was afflicted with the malady + known as <span class="tei tei-foreign"><span style= + "font-style: italic">alalia</span></span>, that this was + intermittent down to the date of ch. xxiv., and then became chronic + till the fugitive arrived from Jerusalem (ch. xxxiii. 21), when it + finally disappeared. This is connected with the remarkable series + of symbolic actions related in ch. iv., which are regarded as + exhibiting all the symptoms of catalepsy and hemiplegia. These + facts, together with the prophet's liability to ecstatic visions, + justify, in Klostermann's view, the hypothesis that for seven years + Ezekiel laboured under serious nervous disorders. The partiality + shown by a few writers to this view probably springs from a desire + to maintain the literal accuracy of the prophet's descriptions. But + in that aspect the theory breaks down. Even Klostermann admits that + the binding with ropes had no existence save in Ezekiel's + imagination. But if we are obliged to take into account what + <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">seemed</span></em> to the prophet, it is + better to explain the whole phenomena on the same principle. There + can be no good grounds for taking the dumbness as real and the + ropes as imaginary. Besides, it is surely a questionable expedient + to vindicate a prophet's literalism at the expense of his sanity. + In the hands of Klostermann and Orelli the hypothesis assumes a + stupendous miracle; but it is obvious that a critic of another + school might readily <span class="tei tei-q">“wear his rue with a + difference,”</span> and treat the whole of Ezekiel's prophetic + experiences as hallucinations of a deranged intellect.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_16" name="note_16" href= + "#noteref_16">16.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">An ingenious attempt has been made by + Professor Cornill to rearrange the verses so as to bring out two + separate series of actions, one referring exclusively to the exile + and the other to the siege. But the proposed reading requires a + somewhat violent handling of the text, and does not seem to have + met with much acceptance. The blending of diverse elements in a + single image appears also in ch. xii. 3-16.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_17" name="note_17" href= + "#noteref_17">17.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The correspondence would be almost + exact if we date the commencement of the northern captivity from + 734, when Tiglath-pileser carried away the inhabitants of the + northern and eastern parts of the country. This is a possible view, + although hardly necessary.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_18" name="note_18" href= + "#noteref_18">18.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Or, with a different pointing, + <span class="tei tei-q">“She changed My judgments to + wickedness.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_19" name="note_19" href= + "#noteref_19">19.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See ch. xxvii.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_20" name="note_20" href= + "#noteref_20">20.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Hammânim</span></span>—a word of doubtful + meaning, however. The word for idols, <span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">gillûlîm</span></span>, is all but peculiar to + Ezekiel. It is variously explained as <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">block-gods</span></span> or <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">dung-gods</span></span>—in any case an epithet + of contempt. The <span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang= + "he"><span style="font-style: italic">ashērah</span></span>, or + sacred pole, is never referred to by Ezekiel.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_21" name="note_21" href= + "#noteref_21">21.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">In ver. 14 the true sense has been + lost by the corruption of the word Riblah into Diblah.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_22" name="note_22" href= + "#noteref_22">22.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The reason may be that two different + recensions of the text have been combined and mixed up. So Hitzig + and Cornill.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_23" name="note_23" href= + "#noteref_23">23.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Amos viii. 2.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_24" name="note_24" href= + "#noteref_24">24.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. Luke xvii. 26-30.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_25" name="note_25" href= + "#noteref_25">25.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ezekiel's use of the divine names + would hardly be satisfactory to Renan. Outside of the prophecies + addressed to heathen nations the generic name אלהים is never used + absolutely, except in the phrases <span class="tei tei-q">“visions + of God”</span> (three times) and <span class="tei tei-q">“spirit of + God”</span> (once, in ch. xi. 24, where the text may be doubtful). + Elsewhere it is used only of God in His relation to men, as, + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">e.g.</span></span>, in the expression + <span class="tei tei-q">“be to you for a God.”</span> אל שדי occurs + once (ch. x. 5) and אל alone three times in ch. xxviii. (addressed + to the prince of Tyre). The prophet's word, when he wishes to + express absolute divinity, is just the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“proper”</span> name יהוה, in accordance no doubt with + the interpretation given in Exod. iii. 13, 14.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_26" name="note_26" href= + "#noteref_26">26.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Of what nature this idolatrous symbol + was we cannot certainly determine. The word used for <span class= + "tei tei-q">“image”</span> (<span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" + xml:lang="he"><span style="font-style: italic">semel</span></span>) + occurs in only two other passages. The writer of the books of + Chronicles uses it of the <span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" + xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">asherah</span></span> which was set up by + Manasseh in the Temple, and it is possible that he means thus to + identify that object with what Ezekiel saw (cf. 2 Chron. xxxiii. 7, + and 2 Kings xxi. 7). This interpretation is as satisfactory as any + that has been proposed.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_27" name="note_27" href= + "#noteref_27">27.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The nature of the cults is best + explained by Professor Robertson Smith, who supposes that they are + a survival of aboriginal totemistic superstitions which had been + preserved in secret circles till now, but suddenly assumed a new + importance with the collapse of the national religion and the + belief that Jehovah had left the land. Others, however, have + thought that it is Egyptian rites which are referred to. This view + might best explain its prevalence among the elders, but it has + little positive support.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_28" name="note_28" href= + "#noteref_28">28.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">It has been supposed, however, that + the sun-worship referred to here is of Persian origin, chiefly + because of the obscure expression in ver. 17: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Behold they put the twig to their nose.”</span> This + has been explained by a Persian custom of holding up a branch + before the face, lest the breath of the worshipper should + contaminate the purity of the deity. But Persia had not yet played + any great part in history, and it is hardly credible that a + distinctively Persian custom should have found its way into the + ritual of Jerusalem. Moreover, the words do not occur in the + description of the sun-worshippers, nor do they refer particularly + to them.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_29" name="note_29" href= + "#noteref_29">29.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Following the LXX.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_30" name="note_30" href= + "#noteref_30">30.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">It is noteworthy that in the dirge of + ch. xix. Ezekiel ignores the reign of Jehoiakim. Is this because he + too owed his elevation to the intervention of a foreign power?</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_31" name="note_31" href= + "#noteref_31">31.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Especially if we read ver. 12, as in + LXX., <span class="tei tei-q">“That he may not be seen by any eye, + and he shall not see the earth.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_32" name="note_32" href= + "#noteref_32">32.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">By this name for Chaldæa Ezekiel seems + to express his contempt for the commercial activity which formed so + large an element in the greatness of Babylon (ch. xvi. 29 R.V.), + perhaps also his sense of the uncongenial environment in which the + disinherited king and the nobility of Judah now found + themselves.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_33" name="note_33" href= + "#noteref_33">33.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Jehoiakim.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_34" name="note_34" href= + "#noteref_34">34.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The long line is divided into two + unequal parts by a cæsura over the end.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_35" name="note_35" href= + "#noteref_35">35.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Mostly adopted from Cornill. The + English reader may refer to Dr. Davidson's commentary.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_36" name="note_36" href= + "#noteref_36">36.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">This word is uncertain.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_37" name="note_37" href= + "#noteref_37">37.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Ezekiel</span></span>, p. 85.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_38" name="note_38" href= + "#noteref_38">38.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Translating with LXX.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_39" name="note_39" href= + "#noteref_39">39.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The exact force of the reflexive form + used (<span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang= + "he"><span style="font-style: italic">na' ănêthi</span></span>, + niphal) is doubtful. The translation given is that of Cornill, + which is certainly forcible.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_40" name="note_40" href= + "#noteref_40">40.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The same rule is applied to direct + communion with God in prayer in Psalm lxvi. 18: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not + hear.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_41" name="note_41" href= + "#noteref_41">41.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See above, p. <a href="#Pg097" class= + "tei tei-ref">97</a> f.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_42" name="note_42" href= + "#noteref_42">42.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See below, pp. <a href="#Pg179" class= + "tei tei-ref">179</a> f.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_43" name="note_43" href= + "#noteref_43">43.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ver. 33 may, however, be an + interpolation (Cornill).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_44" name="note_44" href= + "#noteref_44">44.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">In ver. 41 the Syriac Version reads, + with a slight alteration of the text, <span class="tei tei-q">“they + shall burn thee in the midst of the fire.”</span> The reading has + something to recommend it. Death by burning was an ancient + punishment of harlotry (Gen. xxxviii. 24), although it is not + likely that it was still inflicted in the time of Ezekiel.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_45" name="note_45" href= + "#noteref_45">45.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span class="tei tei-q">“To eat upon + the mountains”</span> (if that reading can be retained) must mean + to take part in the sacrificial feasts which were held on the high + places in honour of idols. But if with W. R. Smith and others we + substitute the phrase <span class="tei tei-q">“eat with the + blood,”</span> assimilating the reading to that of ch. xxxiii. 25, + the offence is still of the same nature. In the time of Ezekiel to + eat with the blood probably meant not merely to eat that which had + not been sacrificed to Jehovah, but to engage in a rite of + distinctly heathenish character. Cf. Lev. xix. 20, and see the note + in Smith's <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Kinship and Marriage in Early + Arabia</span></span>, p. 310.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_46" name="note_46" href= + "#noteref_46">46.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">In the striking passage ch. xiv. 12-23 + the application of the doctrine of individual retribution to the + destruction of Jerusalem is discussed. It is treated as + <span class="tei tei-q">“an exception to the rule”</span> + (Smend)—perhaps the exception which proves the rule. The rule is + that in a national judgment the most eminent saints save neither + son nor daughter by their righteousness, but only their own lives + (vv. 13-20). At the fall of Jerusalem, however, a remnant escapes + and goes into captivity with sons and daughters, in order that + their corrupt lives may prove to the earlier exiles how necessary + the destruction of the city was (vv. 21-23). The argument is an + admission that the judgment on Israel was not carried out in + accordance with the strict principle laid down in ch. xviii. It is + difficult, indeed, to reconcile the various utterances of Ezekiel + on this subject. In ch. xxi. 3, 4 he expressly announces that in + the downfall of the state righteous and wicked shall perish + together. In the vision of ch. ix., on the other hand, the + righteous are marked for exemption from the fate of the city. The + truth appears to be that the prophet is conscious of standing + between two dispensations, and does not hold a consistent view + regarding the time when the law proper to the perfect dispensation + comes into operation. The point on which there is no ambiguity is + that in the final judgment which ushers in the Messianic age the + principle of individual retribution shall be fully manifested.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_47" name="note_47" href= + "#noteref_47">47.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">This is true whether (as some + expositors think) the date in ch. xx. is merely an external mark + introducing a new division of the book, or whether (as seems more + natural) it is due to the fact that here Ezekiel recognised a + turning-point of his ministry. Such visits of the elders as that + here recorded must have been of frequent occurrence. Two others are + mentioned, and of these one is undated (ch. xiv. 1); the other at + least admits the supposition that it was connected with a very + definite change of opinion among the exiles (ch. viii. 1: see + above, p. <a href="#Pg080" class="tei tei-ref">80</a>). We may + therefore reasonably suppose that the precise note of time here + introduced marks this particular incident as having possessed a + peculiar significance in the relations between the prophet and his + fellow-exiles. What its significance may have been we shall + consider in the next lecture, see p. <a href="#Pg174" class= + "tei tei-ref">174</a>.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_48" name="note_48" href= + "#noteref_48">48.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The verses xx. 45-49 of the English + Version really belong to ch. xxi., and are so placed in the Hebrew. + In what follows the verses will be numbered according to the Hebrew + text.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_49" name="note_49" href= + "#noteref_49">49.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">At three places the meaning is + entirely lost, through corruption of the text.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_50" name="note_50" href= + "#noteref_50">50.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. ch. xvii.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_51" name="note_51" href= + "#noteref_51">51.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The reference is to the Messiah, and + seems to be based on the ancient prophecy of Gen. xlix. 10, reading + there שֶׁלּה instead of שִׁלה.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_52" name="note_52" href= + "#noteref_52">52.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The word <span class= + "tei tei-q">“covenant”</span> is not here used.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_53" name="note_53" href= + "#noteref_53">53.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Apart from the case of Jephthah, which + is entirely exceptional, the first historical instance is that of + Ahaz (2 Kings xvi. 3).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_54" name="note_54" href= + "#noteref_54">54.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"> + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">There still + remain the critical difficulties. What are the ambiguous laws to + which the prophet refers? It is of course not to be assumed as + certain that they are to be found in the Pentateuch, at least in + the exact form which Ezekiel has in view. There may have been at + that time a considerable amount of uncodified legislative + material which passed vaguely as the law of Jehovah. The + <span class="tei tei-q">“lying pen of the scribes”</span> seems + to have been busy in the multiplication of such enactments (Jer. + viii. 8). Still, it is a legitimate inquiry whether any of the + extant laws of the Pentateuch are open to the interpretation + which Ezekiel seems to have in view. The parts of the Pentateuch + in which the regulation about the dedication of the firstborn + occurs are the so-called Book of the Covenant (Exod. xxii. 29, + 30), the short code of Exod. xxxiv. 17-26 (vv. 19 f.), the + enactment connected with the institution of the Passover (Exod. + xiii. 12 f.), and the priestly ordinance (Numb. xviii. 15). Now, + in three of these four passages, the inference to which Ezekiel + refers is expressly excluded by the provision that the firstborn + of men shall be redeemed. The only one which bears the appearance + of ambiguity is that in the Book of the Covenant, where we read: + <span class="tei tei-q">“The firstborn of thy sons shalt thou + give unto Me; likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen and thy + sheep: seven days it shall be with its dam, on the eighth day + thou shalt give it to Me.”</span> Here the firstborn children and + the firstlings of animals are put on a level; and if any passage + in our present Pentateuch would lend itself to the false + construction which the later Israelites favoured, it would be + this. On the other hand this passage does not contain the + particular technical word (<span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">he'ebîr</span></span>) used by Ezekiel. The + word probably means simply <span class= + "tei tei-q">“dedicate,”</span> although this was understood in + the sense of dedication by sacrifice. The only passage of the + four where the verb occurs is Exod. xiii. 12; and this + accordingly is the one generally fixed on by critics as having + sanctioned the abuse in question. But apart from its express + exemption of firstborn children from the rule, the passage fails + in another respect to meet the requirements of the case. The + prophet appears to speak here of legislation addressed to the + second generation in the wilderness, and this could not refer to + the Passover ordinance in its present setting. On the whole we + seem to be driven to the conclusion that Ezekiel is not thinking + of any part of our present Pentateuch, but to some other law + similar in its terms to that of Exod. xiii. 12 f., although + equivocal in the same way as Exod. xxii. 29 f.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In the text + above I have given what appears to me the most natural + interpretation of the passage, without referring to the numerous + other views which have been put forward. Van Hoonacker, in + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Le + Museon</span></span> (1893), subjects the various theories to a + searching criticism, and arrives himself at the nebulous + conclusion that the <span class="tei tei-q">“statutes which were + not good”</span> are not statutes at all, but providential + chastisements. That cuts the knot, it does not untie it.</p> + </dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_55" name="note_55" href= + "#noteref_55">55.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">None of the interpretations of ver. 29 + gives a satisfactory sense. Cornill rejects it as <span class= + "tei tei-q">“absonderlich und aus dem Tenor des ganzen Cap. + herausfallend.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_56" name="note_56" href= + "#noteref_56">56.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See Dillmann's note on Lev. xxvii. 32, + quoted by Davidson.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_57" name="note_57" href= + "#noteref_57">57.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Reading במספר for במסרת with the + LXX.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_58" name="note_58" href= + "#noteref_58">58.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The transition ver. 39 is, however, + very difficult. As it stands in the Hebrew text it contains an + ironical concession (a good-natured one, Smend thinks) to the + persistent advocates of idolatry, the only tolerable translation + being, <span class="tei tei-q">“So serve ye every man his idols, + but hereafter ye shall surely hearken to Me, and My holy name ye + shall no longer profane with your gifts and your idols.”</span> But + this sense is not in itself very natural, and the Hebrew + construction by which it is expressed would be somewhat strained. + The most satisfactory rendering is perhaps that given in the Syriac + Version, where two clauses of our Hebrew text are transposed: + <span class="tei tei-q">“But as for you, O house of Israel, if ye + will not hearken to Me, go serve every man his idols! Yet hereafter + ye shall no more profane My holy name in you,”</span> etc.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_59" name="note_59" href= + "#noteref_59">59.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">It is not certain what is the exact + meaning wrapped up in these designations. A very slight change in + the pointing of the Hebrew would give the sense <span class= + "tei tei-q">“<em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">her</span></em> tent”</span> for Ohola and + <span class="tei tei-q">“<em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">my</span></em> tent in her”</span> for + Oholibah. This is the interpretation adopted by most commentators, + the idea being that while the tent or temple of Jehovah was in + Judah, Samaria's <span class="tei tei-q">“tent”</span> (religious + system) was of her own making. It is not likely, however, that + Ezekiel has any such sharp contrast in his mind, since the whole of + the argument proceeds on the similarity of the course pursued by + the two kingdoms. It is simpler to take the word Ohola as meaning + <span class="tei tei-q">“tent,”</span> and Oholibah as <span class= + "tei tei-q">“tent in her,”</span> the signification of the names + being practically identical. The allusion is supposed to be to the + tents of the high places which formed a marked feature of the + idolatrous worship practised in both divisions of the country (cf. + ch. xvi. 16). This is better, though not entirely convincing, since + it does not explain how Ezekiel came to fix on this particular + emblem as a mark of the religious condition of Israel. It may be + worth noting that the word אהלה contains the same number of + consonants as שׂמרן (= Samaria, although the word is always written + שׂמרון in the Old Testament), and אהליבה the same number as ירושלם. + The Eastern custom of giving similar names to children of the same + family (like Hasan and Husein) is aptly instanced by Smend and + Davidson.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_60" name="note_60" href= + "#noteref_60">60.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">This word is of doubtful meaning.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_61" name="note_61" href= + "#noteref_61">61.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Smend thinks that the illustration is + explained by the secluded life of females in the East, which makes + it quite intelligible that a woman might be captivated by the + picture of a man she had never seen, and try to induce him to visit + her.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_62" name="note_62" href= + "#noteref_62">62.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">On these names of nations see + Davidson's Commentary, p. 168, and the reference there to + Delitzsch.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_63" name="note_63" href= + "#noteref_63">63.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The words rendered in E.V., + <span class="tei tei-q">“thou shalt be laughed to scorn and had in + derision”</span> (ver. 32), <span class="tei tei-q">“and pluck off + thy own breasts”</span> (ver. 34), are wanting in the LXX. The + passage gains in force by the omission. The words translated + <span class="tei tei-q">“break the sherds thereof”</span> (ver. 34) + are unintelligible.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_64" name="note_64" href= + "#noteref_64">64.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Although the text in parts of vv. 42, + 43 is very imperfect.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_65" name="note_65" href= + "#noteref_65">65.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">On the reading here see above, p. + <a href="#Pg150" class="tei tei-ref">150</a>.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_66" name="note_66" href= + "#noteref_66">66.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The eighth verse, referring to the + Sabbath and the sanctuary, is rejected by Cornill on internal + grounds, but for that there is no justification. If the verse is + retained, it will be seen that the enumeration of sins corresponds + pretty closely in substance, though not in arrangement, with the + precepts of the Decalogue.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_67" name="note_67" href= + "#noteref_67">67.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Read with the LXX. מטּרה, instead of + מטהרה, <span class="tei tei-q">“purified.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_68" name="note_68" href= + "#noteref_68">68.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">This appears to be the meaning of the + simile in ver. 24; the judgment is conceived as a parching drought, + and the point of the comparison is that its severity is not + tempered by the fertilising streams which should have descended on + the people in the shape of sound political and religious + guidance.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_69" name="note_69" href= + "#noteref_69">69.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Following the LXX. we should read + <span class="tei tei-q">“whose princes”</span> (אשר נשיאיה) for + <span class="tei tei-q">“the conspiracy of her prophets”</span> + (קשר נביאיה) in ver. 25.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_70" name="note_70" href= + "#noteref_70">70.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Read עצים, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“wood,”</span> instead of עצמים, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“bones”</span> (Boettcher and others).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_71" name="note_71" href= + "#noteref_71">71.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The words <span class= + "tei tei-q">“except by fire”</span> represent an emendation + proposed by Cornill, which may be somewhat bold, but certainly + expresses an idea in the passage.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_72" name="note_72" href= + "#noteref_72">72.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. Jer. xiii. 27: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Thou shalt not be pronounced clean, for how long a + time yet!”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_73" name="note_73" href= + "#noteref_73">73.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">I.e.</span></span>, as generally explained, + bread brought by sympathising friends, to be shared with the + mourning household: cf. Jer. xvi. 7; 2 Sam. iii. 35. Wellhausen, + however, proposes to read <span class="tei tei-q">“bread of + mourners”</span> (אֲנִשֻׁים for אֲנָשִׁים).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_74" name="note_74" href= + "#noteref_74">74.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The words <span class="tei tei-q">“and + Seir”</span> in ver. 8 are wanting in the true text of the LXX., + and should probably be omitted.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_75" name="note_75" href= + "#noteref_75">75.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Isa. xvi. 6, xxv. 11; Jer. xlviii. 29, + 42.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_76" name="note_76" href= + "#noteref_76">76.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Rawlinson, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">History of + Phœnicia</span></span>.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_77" name="note_77" href= + "#noteref_77">77.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Closing stanzas of <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">The Scholar + Gipsy</span></span>.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_78" name="note_78" href= + "#noteref_78">78.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Both Movers and Rawlinson make it the + basis of their survey of Tyrian commerce.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_79" name="note_79" href= + "#noteref_79">79.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Babylon and Egypt are probably omitted + because of the peculiar point of view assumed by the prophet. They + were too powerful to be represented as slaves of Tyre, even in + poetry.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_80" name="note_80" href= + "#noteref_80">80.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">E.V., <span class="tei tei-q">“going + to and fro.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_81" name="note_81" href= + "#noteref_81">81.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">So Cornill, חוילה for רכלי ( = + merchants).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_82" name="note_82" href= + "#noteref_82">82.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See ch. xxvii. 6, where ivory is said + to come from Chittim or Cyprus.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_83" name="note_83" href= + "#noteref_83">83.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The Hebrew text adds <span class= + "tei tei-q">“purple, embroidered work, and byssus”</span>; but most + of these things are omitted in the LXX.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_84" name="note_84" href= + "#noteref_84">84.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The text of vv. 18, 19 is in + confusion, and Cornill, from a comparison with a contemporary + wine-list of Nebuchadnezzar, and also an Assyrian one from the + library of Asshurbanipal, makes it read thus: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Wine of Helbon and Zimin and Arnaban they furnished in + thy markets. From Uzal,”</span> etc. Both lists are quoted in + Schrader's <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Cuneiform Inscriptions and the Old + Testament</span></span>, under this verse.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_85" name="note_85" href= + "#noteref_85">85.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The latter half of this verse, + however, is of very uncertain interpretation. For full explanation + of the archæological details in this chapter it will be necessary + to consult the commentaries and the lexicon. See also Rawlinson's + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">History + of Phœnicia</span></span>, pp. 285 ff.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_86" name="note_86" href= + "#noteref_86">86.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">With a change of one letter in the + Hebrew text, המלאה for אמלאה, as in the LXX. and Targum.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_87" name="note_87" href= + "#noteref_87">87.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Hebrew, <span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Tĕhôm</span></span>; Babylonian, <span class= + "tei tei-foreign"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Tiamat</span></span>.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_88" name="note_88" href= + "#noteref_88">88.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Psalm xxxvi. 6: cf. Gen. vii, 11.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_89" name="note_89" href= + "#noteref_89">89.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Contra Ap.</span></span>, I. 21; <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Ant.</span></span>, + X. xi. 1.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_90" name="note_90" href= + "#noteref_90">90.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. Hävernick against Hitzig and + Winer, <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Ezekiel</span></span>, pp. 436 f.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_91" name="note_91" href= + "#noteref_91">91.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The same engineering feat was + accomplished by Alexander the Great in seven months, but the Greek + general probably adopted more scientific methods (such as + pile-driving) than the Babylonians; and, besides, it is possible + that the remains of Nebuchadnezzar's embankment may have + facilitated the operation.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_92" name="note_92" href= + "#noteref_92">92.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">For the word גבוליך, rendered + <span class="tei tei-q">“thy borders,”</span> Cornill proposes to + read זבולך, which he thinks might mean <span class= + "tei tei-q">“thine anchorage.”</span> The translation is doubtful, + but the sense is certainly appropriate.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_93" name="note_93" href= + "#noteref_93">93.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Senir was the Amorite name of Mount + Hermon, the Phœnician name being Sirion (Deut. iii. 9). Senir, + however, occurs on the Assyrian monuments, and was probably widely + known.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_94" name="note_94" href= + "#noteref_94">94.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Teasshur</span></span> (read בִּחְאַשֻׁרִים + instead of בַּת-אַשׁוּרִים), a kind of tree mentioned several times + in the Old Testament, is generally identified with the sherbîn + tree.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_95" name="note_95" href= + "#noteref_95">95.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Elishah is one of the sons of Javan + (Ionia) (Gen. x. 4), and must have been some part of the + Mediterranean coast, subject to the influence of Greece. Italy, + Sicily, and the Peloponnesus have been suggested.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_96" name="note_96" href= + "#noteref_96">96.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The details of the description are + nearly all illustrated in pictures of Phœnician war-galleys found + on Assyrian monuments. They show the single mast with its square + sail, the double row of oars, the fighting men on the deck, and the + row of shields along the bulwarks. In an Egyptian picture we have a + representation of the embroidered <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">sail</span></em> + (ancient ships are said not to have carried a <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">flag</span></em>). + The canvas is richly ornamented with various devices over its whole + surface, and beneath the sail we see the cabin or awning of + coloured stuff mentioned in the text.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_97" name="note_97" href= + "#noteref_97">97.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See above, pp. <a href="#Pg232" class= + "tei tei-ref">232</a> ff.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_98" name="note_98" href= + "#noteref_98">98.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">It is not clear whether the dirge is + continued to the end of the chapter, or whether vv. 33 ff. are + spoken by the prophet in explanation of the distress of the + nations. The proper elegiac measure cannot be made out without some + alteration of the text.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_99" name="note_99" href= + "#noteref_99">99.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Dan. x. 20, 21, xii. 1.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_100" name="note_100" + href="#noteref_100">100.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span class="tei tei-q">“The death of + the uncircumcised”</span>—<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, a death which involves + exclusion from the rites of honourable burial; like burial in + unconsecrated ground among Christian nations.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_101" name="note_101" + href="#noteref_101">101.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Dean Church, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Cathedral and + University Sermons</span></span>, p. 150.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_102" name="note_102" + href="#noteref_102">102.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span class="tei tei-q">“We have, + indeed, a nominal religion, to which we pay tithes of property and + sevenths of time; but we have also a practical and earnest + religion, to which we devote nine-tenths of our property, and + six-sevenths of our time. And we dispute a great deal about the + nominal religion: but we are all unanimous about this practical + one; of which I think you will admit that the ruling goddess may be + best generally described as the <span class="tei tei-q">‘Goddess of + Getting-on,’</span> or <span class="tei tei-q">‘Britannia of the + Market.’</span> The Athenians had an <span class= + "tei tei-q">‘Athena Agoraia,’</span> or Athena of the Market; but + she was a subordinate type of their goddess, while our Britannia + Agoraia is the principal type of ours. And all your great + architectural works are, of course, built to her. It is long since + you built a great cathedral; and how you would laugh at me if I + proposed building a cathedral on the top of one of these hills of + yours, to make it an Acropolis! But your railroad mounds, vaster + than the walls of Babylon; your railroad stations, vaster than the + temple of Ephesus, and innumerable; your chimneys, how much more + mighty and costly than cathedral spires! your harbour-piers; your + warehouses; your exchanges!—all these are built to your great + Goddess of <span class="tei tei-q">‘Getting-on;’</span> and she has + formed, and will continue to form, your architecture, as long as + you worship her; and it is quite vain to ask me to tell you how to + build to <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">her</span></em>; you know far better than + I.”</span>—<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">The Crown of Wild Olive.</span></span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_103" name="note_103" + href="#noteref_103">103.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The <span class="tei tei-q">“fiery + stones”</span> may represent the thunderbolts, which were harmless + to the prince in virtue of his innocence. It may be noted that the + <span class="tei tei-q">“precious stones”</span> that were his + covering (ver. 13) correspond with nine out of the twelve jewels + that covered the high-priestly breastplate (Exod. xxviii. 17-19), + the stones of the third row being those not here represented. This + suggests that the allusion is rather to bejewelled garments than to + the plumage of the wings of the cherub with whom the prince has + been wrongly identified.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_104" name="note_104" + href="#noteref_104">104.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Jer. xxv. 22, xxvii. 3.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_105" name="note_105" + href="#noteref_105">105.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ezek. xxix. 6, 7: cf. Isa. xxxvi. 6 + (the words of Rabshakeh). In ver. 7 read כף, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“hand,”</span> for כתף, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“shoulder,”</span> and המעדת, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“madest to totter,”</span> for העמדת, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“madest to stand.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_106" name="note_106" + href="#noteref_106">106.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">This is probable according to the + Hebrew text, which, however, omits the number of the <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">month</span></em> + in ch. xxxii. 17. The Septuagint reads <span class="tei tei-q">“in + the <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">first</span></em> month”</span>; if this is + accepted, it would be better to read the <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">eleventh</span></em> year instead of the + twelfth in ch. xxxii. 1, as is done by some ancient versions and + Hebrew codices. The change involves a difference of only one letter + in Hebrew.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_107" name="note_107" + href="#noteref_107">107.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xxxii. 17, following the LXX. + reading.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_108" name="note_108" + href="#noteref_108">108.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Migdol was on the north-east border of + Egypt, twelve miles south of Pelusium (Sin), at the mouth of the + eastern arm of the Nile. Syene is the modern Assouan, at the first + cataract of the Nile, and has always been the boundary between + Egypt proper and Ethiopia.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_109" name="note_109" + href="#noteref_109">109.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Pathros is the name of Upper Egypt, + the narrow valley of the Nile above the Delta. In the Egyptian + tradition it was regarded as the original home of the nation and + the seat of the oldest dynasties. Whether Ezekiel means that the + Egyptians shall recover only Pathros, while the Delta is allowed to + remain uncultivated, is a question that must be left + undecided.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_110" name="note_110" + href="#noteref_110">110.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Hebrew, <span class="tei tei-q">“Cush, + and Put, and Lud, and all the mixed multitude, and Chub, and the + sons of the land of the covenant.”</span> Cornill reads, + <span class="tei tei-q">“Cush, and Put, and Lud, and Lub, and all + Arabia, and the sons of Crete.”</span> The emendations are partly + based on somewhat intricate reasoning from the text of the Greek + and Ethiopic versions; but they have the advantage of yielding a + series of proper names, as the context seems to demand. Put and Lud + are tribes lying to the west of Egypt, and so also is Lub, which + may be safely substituted for the otherwise unknown Chub of the + Hebrew text.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_111" name="note_111" + href="#noteref_111">111.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Reading אלים, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“strong ones,”</span> instead of אלילים, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“not-gods,”</span> as in the LXX. The latter term is + common in Isaiah, but does not occur elsewhere in Ezekiel, although + he had constant occasion to use it.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_112" name="note_112" + href="#noteref_112">112.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The cities are not mentioned in any + geographical order. Memphis (Noph) and Thebes (No) are the ancient + and populous capitals of Lower and Upper Egypt respectively; Tanis + (Zoan) was the city of the Hyksos, and subsequently a royal seat; + Pelusium (Sin), <span class="tei tei-q">“the bulwark of + Egypt,”</span> and Daphne (Tahpanhes) guarded the approach to the + Delta from the East; Heliopolis (On, wrongly pointed Aven) was the + famous centre of Egyptian wisdom, and the chief seat of the worship + of the sun-god Ra; and Bubastis (Pi-beseth), besides being a + celebrated religious centre, was one of the possessions of the + Egyptian military caste.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_113" name="note_113" + href="#noteref_113">113.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">It is only fair to say that the + construction <span class="tei tei-q">“a T'asshur, a cedar,”</span> + or, still more, <span class="tei tei-q">“a T'asshur of a + cedar,”</span> is somewhat harsh. It is not unlikely that the word + <span class="tei tei-q">“cedar”</span> may have been added after + the reading <span class="tei tei-q">“Assyrian”</span> had been + established, in order to complete the sense.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_114" name="note_114" + href="#noteref_114">114.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See Smend on the passage. Dr. + Davidson, however, doubts the possibility of this: see his + commentary.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_115" name="note_115" + href="#noteref_115">115.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">This use of the word <span class= + "tei tei-q">“uncircumcised”</span> is peculiar. The idea seems to + be that circumcision, among nations which like the Israelites + practised the rite, was an indispensable mark of membership in the + community; and those who lacked this mark were treated as social + outcasts, not entitled to honourable sepulture. Hence the word + could be used, as here, in the sense of unhallowed.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_116" name="note_116" + href="#noteref_116">116.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. Isa. xiv. 18-20: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“All of the kings of the nations, all of them, sleep in + glory, every one in his own house. But thou art cast forth away + from thy sepulchre, like an abominable branch, clothed with the + slain, that are thrust through with the sword, that go down to the + stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden underfoot. Thou shalt not + be joined with them in burial,”</span> etc.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_117" name="note_117" + href="#noteref_117">117.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The text of these verses (19-21) is in + some confusion. The above is a translation of the reading proposed + by Cornill, who in the main follows the LXX.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_118" name="note_118" + href="#noteref_118">118.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">LXX. מעולם for מערלם = <span class= + "tei tei-q">“of the uncircumcised.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_119" name="note_119" + href="#noteref_119">119.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span class= + "tei tei-q">“Shields,”</span> a conjecture of Cornill, seems to be + demanded by the parallelism.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_120" name="note_120" + href="#noteref_120">120.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Jer. xliii. 8-13; xliv. 12-14, 27-30; + xlvi. 13-26.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_121" name="note_121" + href="#noteref_121">121.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Ant.</span></span>, X. ix. 7.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_122" name="note_122" + href="#noteref_122">122.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Zeitschrift für Aegyptische + Sprache</span></span>, 1878, pp. 2 ff. and pp. 87 ff.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_123" name="note_123" + href="#noteref_123">123.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Ibid.</span></span>, 1884, pp. 87 ff., 93 + ff.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_124" name="note_124" + href="#noteref_124">124.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See Schrader, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Keilinschriftliche + Bibliothek</span></span>, III. ii., pp. 140 f.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_125" name="note_125" + href="#noteref_125">125.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The hypothesis of a joint reign of + Hophra and Amasis from 570 to 564 (Wiedemann) may or may not be + necessary to establish a connection between the Babylonian + inscription and that of Nes-hor; it is certain that Amasis began to + reign in 570, and that Hophra is <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">not</span></em> the + Pharaoh mentioned by Nebuchadnezzar.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_126" name="note_126" + href="#noteref_126">126.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Jerusalem was taken in the fourth + month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah or of Ezekiel's captivity. + The announcement reached Ezekiel, according to the reading of the + Hebrew text, in the tenth month of the twelfth year (ch. xxxiii. + 21)—that is, about eighteen months after the event. It is hardly + credible that the transmission of the news should have been delayed + so long as this; and therefore the reading <span class= + "tei tei-q">“eleventh year,”</span> found in some manuscripts and + in the Syriac Version, is now generally regarded as correct.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_127" name="note_127" + href="#noteref_127">127.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Jer. xxxix. 9.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_128" name="note_128" + href="#noteref_128">128.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">It is possible, however, that the word + <span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">happālît</span></span>, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“the fugitive,”</span> may be used in a collective + sense, of the whole body of captives carried away after the + destruction of the city.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_129" name="note_129" + href="#noteref_129">129.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xxiv. 21-24.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_130" name="note_130" + href="#noteref_130">130.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Chs. xvii. 22-24, xxi. 26, 27.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_131" name="note_131" + href="#noteref_131">131.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See pp. <a href="#Pg107" class= + "tei tei-ref">102</a> ff.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_132" name="note_132" + href="#noteref_132">132.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. especially ch. xxii.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_133" name="note_133" + href="#noteref_133">133.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See below, pp. <a href="#Pg318" class= + "tei tei-ref">318</a> f., and ch. xxviii.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_134" name="note_134" + href="#noteref_134">134.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Pointing the Hebrew text in accordance + with the rendering of the LXX.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_135" name="note_135" + href="#noteref_135">135.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">This seems to me to be the clear + meaning of Isaiah's prophecy of the Messiah in the beginning of the + ninth chapter, although the contrary is often asserted. Micah v. + 1-6 may, however, be an exception to the rule stated above.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_136" name="note_136" + href="#noteref_136">136.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ver. 25. The idea is based on Hosea + ii. 18, where God promises to make a covenant for Israel + <span class="tei tei-q">“with the beasts of the field, and the + birds of heaven, and the creeping things of the ground.”</span> + This is to be understood quite literally: it means immunity from + the ravages of wild beasts and other noxious creatures. Ezekiel's + promise, however, is probably to be explained in accordance with + the terms of the allegory: the <span class="tei tei-q">“evil + beasts”</span> are the foreign nations from whom Israel had + suffered so severely in the past.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_137" name="note_137" + href="#noteref_137">137.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">This is the sense of the expression + מטע לשׂם in ver. 29 (literally <span class="tei tei-q">“a + plantation for a name”</span>). The LXX., however, read מטע שׁלם, + which may be translated <span class="tei tei-q">“a perfect + vegetation.”</span> At all events the phrase is not a title of the + Messiah.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_138" name="note_138" + href="#noteref_138">138.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The word <span class= + "tei tei-q">“men”</span> in ver. 31 should be omitted, as in the + LXX.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_139" name="note_139" + href="#noteref_139">139.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. Amos ix. 11 f.; Hosea ii. 2, iii. + 5; Isa. xi. 13; Micah ii. 12 f., v. 3.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_140" name="note_140" + href="#noteref_140">140.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">1 Kings xii. 16 (cf. 2 Sam. xx. 1). It + should be mentioned, however, that the last clause in the LXX. is + replaced by a more prosaic sentence: <span class="tei tei-q">“for + this man is not fit to be a ruler nor a prince.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_141" name="note_141" + href="#noteref_141">141.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Jer. xxxiii. 15-17.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_142" name="note_142" + href="#noteref_142">142.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. ch. xliii. 7, xlv. 8, xlvi. 16 + ff.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_143" name="note_143" + href="#noteref_143">143.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xxxvii. 25.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_144" name="note_144" + href="#noteref_144">144.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span class="tei tei-q">“Das Königthum + wird diese [the Davidic] Familie nicht wieder erhalten, denn + Ezechiel fährt fort: <span class="tei tei-q">‘Ich Iahwe werde ihnen + Gott sein und mein Knecht David wird <span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">nâsî</span></span> d. h. Fürst in ihrer Mitte + sein.’</span> Also <em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">nur ein Fürstenthum</span></em> wird der + Familie Davids in der besseren Zukunft Israel's zu + Theil.”</span>—<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">Stade</span></span>, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Geschichte des Volkes + Israel</span></span>, vol. ii., p. 39.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_145" name="note_145" + href="#noteref_145">145.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xxxvii. 22-24.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_146" name="note_146" + href="#noteref_146">146.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">On the whole subject of the relation + of the gods to the land see Robertson Smith, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Religion of the + Semites</span></span>, pp. 91 ff.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_147" name="note_147" + href="#noteref_147">147.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Josh. xxii. 19; 1 Sam. xxvi. 19; Hosea + ix. 3-5.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_148" name="note_148" + href="#noteref_148">148.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xxxvi. 13.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_149" name="note_149" + href="#noteref_149">149.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xxxvi. 30: cf. xxxiv. 29.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_150" name="note_150" + href="#noteref_150">150.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Gen. xxvii. 28, 39.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_151" name="note_151" + href="#noteref_151">151.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Numb. xiii. 32.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_152" name="note_152" + href="#noteref_152">152.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Isa. lxii. 4.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_153" name="note_153" + href="#noteref_153">153.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Vv. 18, 19. The words in brackets are + wanting in the LXX.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_154" name="note_154" + href="#noteref_154">154.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Vv. 20, 22, 23.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_155" name="note_155" + href="#noteref_155">155.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">James ii. 7.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_156" name="note_156" + href="#noteref_156">156.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Psalm xlii. 10.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_157" name="note_157" + href="#noteref_157">157.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xxxix. 23.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_158" name="note_158" + href="#noteref_158">158.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The phrase <span class= + "tei tei-q">“cause you to walk”</span> (ver. 27) is very strong in + the Hebrew, almost <span class="tei tei-q">“I will bring it about + that ye walk.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_159" name="note_159" + href="#noteref_159">159.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The thirty-seventh verse hardly bears + the sense which is sometimes put upon it: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“I am ready to do this for the house of Israel, yet I + will not do it until they have learned to pray for it.”</span> That + is true of spiritual blessings generally; but Ezekiel's idea is + simpler. The particle <span class="tei tei-q">“yet”</span> is not + adversative but temporal, and the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“this”</span> refers to what follows, and not to what + precedes. The meaning is, <span class="tei tei-q">“The time shall + come when I will answer the prayer of the house of Israel,”</span> + etc.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_160" name="note_160" + href="#noteref_160">160.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Chapter XXIII. below.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_161" name="note_161" + href="#noteref_161">161.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. 1 Kings xvii.; 2 Kings iv. 13 ff., + xiii. 21.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_162" name="note_162" + href="#noteref_162">162.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">1 Thess. iv. 13 ff.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_163" name="note_163" + href="#noteref_163">163.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Isa. xxvi. 19.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_164" name="note_164" + href="#noteref_164">164.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Dan. xii. 2.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_165" name="note_165" + href="#noteref_165">165.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">John v. 25: cf. vv. 28, 29.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_166" name="note_166" + href="#noteref_166">166.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Isa. vii. 8.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_167" name="note_167" + href="#noteref_167">167.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Chapter V., above.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_168" name="note_168" + href="#noteref_168">168.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xxxvi. 16-38.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_169" name="note_169" + href="#noteref_169">169.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xxxvi. 21.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_170" name="note_170" + href="#noteref_170">170.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Chs. xviii. 23, xxxiii. 11.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_171" name="note_171" + href="#noteref_171">171.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See pp. <a href="#Pg075" class= + "tei tei-ref">75</a> f. above.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_172" name="note_172" + href="#noteref_172">172.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. vi. 8-10.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_173" name="note_173" + href="#noteref_173">173.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Chs. xvi. 61-63, xx. 43, 44, xxxvi. + 31, 32.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_174" name="note_174" + href="#noteref_174">174.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xviii. 31.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_175" name="note_175" + href="#noteref_175">175.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. Joel's <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Rend your heart, and not your garments”</span> (Joel + ii. 13).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_176" name="note_176" + href="#noteref_176">176.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Chs. xi. 19, xxxvi. 26, 27.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_177" name="note_177" + href="#noteref_177">177.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Chs. xxxvi. 27, xxxvii. 14.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_178" name="note_178" + href="#noteref_178">178.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Hosea xiv. 5.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_179" name="note_179" + href="#noteref_179">179.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Isa. xxxii. 15.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_180" name="note_180" + href="#noteref_180">180.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Chs. xi. 20, xxxvi. 27.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_181" name="note_181" + href="#noteref_181">181.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Rom. vii. 16.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_182" name="note_182" + href="#noteref_182">182.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Rom. viii. 2.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_183" name="note_183" + href="#noteref_183">183.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Jer. xxxi. 33.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_184" name="note_184" + href="#noteref_184">184.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Chs. vi. 9, xvi. 63, xx. 43, xxxvi. + 31, 32.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_185" name="note_185" + href="#noteref_185">185.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. ch. xxxix. 23.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_186" name="note_186" + href="#noteref_186">186.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See ch. xxxviii. 11, 12.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_187" name="note_187" + href="#noteref_187">187.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xxxviii. 19-23.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_188" name="note_188" + href="#noteref_188">188.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xxxix. 23.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_189" name="note_189" + href="#noteref_189">189.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See E. Meyer, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Geschichte des + Alterthums</span></span>, p. 558; Schrader, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Cuneiform + Inscriptions</span></span>, etc., on this passage.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_190" name="note_190" + href="#noteref_190">190.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Meshech and Tubal are the Moschi and + Tibareni of the Greek geographers, lying south-east of the Black + Sea. A country or tribe Rosh has not been found.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_191" name="note_191" + href="#noteref_191">191.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Gomer (according to others, however, + Cappadocia) and Togarmah (ver. 6).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_192" name="note_192" + href="#noteref_192">192.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cush and Put (ver. 5).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_193" name="note_193" + href="#noteref_193">193.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ver. 7. The LXX. reads <span class= + "tei tei-q">“for me”</span> instead of <span class= + "tei tei-q">“unto them,”</span> giving to the word <span lang="he" + class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">mishmar</span></span> the sense of + <span class="tei tei-q">“reserve force.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_194" name="note_194" + href="#noteref_194">194.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The words of ver. 4, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy + jaws,”</span> are wanting in the best manuscripts of the LXX., and + are perhaps better omitted. Gog does not need to be dragged forth + with hooks; he comes up willingly enough, as soon as the + opportunity presents itself (vv. 11, 12).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_195" name="note_195" + href="#noteref_195">195.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Isa. x. 7.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_196" name="note_196" + href="#noteref_196">196.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">An actual parallel is furnished by the + crowds of slave-dealers who followed the army of Antiochus + Epiphanes when it set out to crush the Maccabæan insurrection in + 166 <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-variant: small-caps">b.c.</span></span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_197" name="note_197" + href="#noteref_197">197.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">In ver. 14 the LXX. has <span class= + "tei tei-q">“he stirred up”</span> instead of <span class= + "tei tei-q">“know,”</span> and gives a more forcible sense.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_198" name="note_198" + href="#noteref_198">198.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Zeph. i.-iii. 8; Jer. iv.-vi.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_199" name="note_199" + href="#noteref_199">199.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. besides the passages already + cited, Isa. x. 5-34, xvii. 12-14; Micah iv. 11-13.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_200" name="note_200" + href="#noteref_200">200.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ver. 21. LXX.: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“I will summon against him every terror.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_201" name="note_201" + href="#noteref_201">201.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">ἱπποτοξόται (mounted archers) is the + term applied to them by Herodotus (iv. 46).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_202" name="note_202" + href="#noteref_202">202.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">This translation, which is given by + Hitzig and Cornill, is obtained by a change in the punctuation of + the word rendered <span class="tei tei-q">“passengers”</span> in + ver. 11: cf. the <span class="tei tei-q">“mountains of + Abarim,”</span> Numb. xxxiii. 47, 48; Deut. xxxii. 49.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_203" name="note_203" + href="#noteref_203">203.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span class="tei tei-q">“It shall stop + the noses of the passengers”</span> (ver. 11) gives no sense; and + the text, as it stands, is almost untranslatable. The LXX. reads, + <span class="tei tei-q">“and they shall seal up the valley,”</span> + which gives a good enough meaning, so far as it goes.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_204" name="note_204" + href="#noteref_204">204.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ver. 26. The choice between the + rendering <span class="tei tei-q">“forget”</span> and that of the + English Version, <span class="tei tei-q">“bear,”</span> depends on + the position of a single dot in the Hebrew. In the former case + <span class="tei tei-q">“shame”</span> must be taken in the sense + of reproach (<span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang= + "he"><span style="font-style: italic">schande</span></span>); in + the latter it means the inward feeling of self-abasement + (<span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">schaam</span></span>). The forgetting of past + trespasses, if that is the right reading, can only mean that they + are entirely broken off and dismissed from mind; there is nothing + inconsistent with passages like ch. xxxvi. 31. It must be + understood that in any event the reference is to the future; + <span class="tei tei-q">“<em class="tei tei-emph"><span style= + "font-style: italic">after that</span></em> they have borne”</span> + is altogether wrong.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_205" name="note_205" + href="#noteref_205">205.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The beginning of the year is that + referred to in Lev. xxv. 9, the tenth day of the seventh month + (September-October). From the Exile downwards two calendars were in + use, the beginning of the sacred year falling in the seventh month + of the civil year. It was not necessary for Ezekiel to mention the + number of the month.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_206" name="note_206" + href="#noteref_206">206.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See pp. <a href="#Pg318" class= + "tei tei-ref">318</a> f.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_207" name="note_207" + href="#noteref_207">207.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. Davidson, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Ezekiel</span></span>, pp. liv. f.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_208" name="note_208" + href="#noteref_208">208.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See Prof. W. R. Smith, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">The Old Testament in + the Jewish Church</span></span>, pp. 442 f.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_209" name="note_209" + href="#noteref_209">209.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See ver. 10, <span class= + "tei tei-q">“let them measure the pattern”</span>; ver. 11, + <span class="tei tei-q">“that they may keep the whole form + thereof.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_210" name="note_210" + href="#noteref_210">210.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">This last group is considered to be + composed of several layers of legislation, and one of its sections + is of particular interest for us because of its numerous affinities + with the book of Ezekiel. It is the short code contained in Lev. + xvii.-xxvi., now generally known as the Law of Holiness.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_211" name="note_211" + href="#noteref_211">211.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">This argument is most fully worked out + by Wellhausen in the first division of his <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Prolegomena zur + Geschichte Israels</span></span>: I., <span class= + "tei tei-q">“Geschichte des Cultus.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_212" name="note_212" + href="#noteref_212">212.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">It should perhaps be stated, even in + so incomplete a sketch as this, that there is still some difference + of opinion among critics as to Ezekiel's relation to the so-called + <span class="tei tei-q">“Law of Holiness”</span> in Lev. + xvii.-xxvi. It is agreed that this short but extremely interesting + code is the earliest complete, or nearly complete, document that + has been incorporated in the body of the Levitical legislation. Its + affinities with Ezekiel both in thought and style are so striking + that Colenso and others have maintained the theory that the author + of the Law of Holiness was no other than the prophet himself. This + view is now seen to be untenable; but whether the code is older or + more recent than the vision of Ezekiel is still a subject of + discussion among scholars. Some consider that it is an advance upon + Ezekiel in the direction of the Priests' Code; while others think + that the book of Ezekiel furnishes evidence that the prophet was + acquainted with the Law of Holiness, and had it before him as he + wrote. That he was acquainted with its <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">laws</span></em> + seems certain; the question is whether he had them before him in + their present written form. For fuller information on this and + other points touched on in the above pages, the reader may consult + Driver's <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Introduction</span></span> and Robertson + Smith's <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Old Testament in the Jewish + Church</span></span>.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_213" name="note_213" + href="#noteref_213">213.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Gautier, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">La Mission du + Prophète Ezekiel</span></span>, p. 118.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_214" name="note_214" + href="#noteref_214">214.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"> + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">The cubit + which is the unit of measurement is said to be a handbreadth + longer than the cubit in common use (ver. 5). The length of the + larger cubit is variously estimated at from eighteen to + twenty-two inches. If we adopt the smaller estimate, we have only + to take the half of Ezekiel's dimensions to get the measurement + in English yards. The other, however, is more probable. Both the + Egyptians and Babylonians had a larger and a smaller cubit, their + respective lengths being approximately as follows:—</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Common cubit: + Egypt 17.8 in., Babylon 19.5 in.<br /> + Royal cubit: Egypt 20.7 in., Babylon 21.9 in.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">In Egypt the + royal cubit exceeded the common by a handbreadth, just as in + Ezekiel. It is probable in any case that the large cubit used by + the angel was of the same order of magnitude as the royal cubit + of Egypt and Babylon—<span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">i.e.</span></span>, was between twenty and a + half and twenty-two inches long. Cf. Benzinger, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Hebräische + Archäologie</span></span>, pp. 178 ff.</p> + </dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_215" name="note_215" + href="#noteref_215">215.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See the plan in Benzinger, + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Archäologie</span></span>, p. 394.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_216" name="note_216" + href="#noteref_216">216.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The outer court, however, is some feet + higher than the level of the ground, being entered by an ascent of + seven steps; the height of the wall inside must therefore be less + by this amount than the six cubits, which is no doubt an outside + measurement.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_217" name="note_217" + href="#noteref_217">217.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Smend and Stade assume that it was a + hundred and ten cubits long, and extended five cubits to the west + beyond the line of the square to which it belongs. This was not + necessary, and it would imply that the <span lang="he" class= + "tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">binyā</span></span> behind the Temple, to be + afterwards described, was without a wall on its eastern side, which + is extremely improbable. (So Davidson.)</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_218" name="note_218" + href="#noteref_218">218.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">According to the Septuagint they were + either five or fifteen in number in each block.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_219" name="note_219" + href="#noteref_219">219.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">From a later passage (ch. xlvi. 19, + 20) we learn that in some recess to the west of the northern block + of cells there was a place where these sacrifices (the sin-, + guilt-, and meal-offerings) were cooked, so that the people in the + outer court might not run any risk of being brought in contact with + them.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_220" name="note_220" + href="#noteref_220">220.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">So in the LXX.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_221" name="note_221" + href="#noteref_221">221.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The actual building of the second + Temple had of course to be carried out irrespective of the bold + idealism of Ezekiel's vision. The miraculous transformation of the + land had not taken place, and it was altogether impossible to build + a new metropolis in the region marked out for it by the vision. The + Temple had to be erected on its old site, and in the immediate + neighbourhood of the city. To a certain extent, however, the + requirements of the ideal sanctuary could be complied with. Since + the new community had no use for royal buildings, the whole of the + old Temple plateau was available for the sanctuary, and was + actually devoted to this purpose. The new Temple accordingly had + two courts, set apart for sacred uses; and in all probability these + were laid out in a manner closely corresponding to the plan + prepared by Ezekiel.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_222" name="note_222" + href="#noteref_222">222.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">It is not necessary to dwell on the + third feature of the Temple plan, its symmetry. Although this has + not the same direct religious significance as the other two, it is + nevertheless a point to which considerable importance is attached + even in matters of minute detail. Solomon's Temple had, for + example, only one door to the side chambers, in the wall facing the + south, and this was sufficient for all practical purposes. But + Ezekiel's plan provides for two such doors, one in the south and + the other in the north, for no assignable reason but to make the + two sides of the house exactly alike. There are just two slight + deviations from a strictly symmetrical arrangement that can be + discerned; one is the washing-chamber by the side of one of the + gates of the inner court, and the other the space for cooking the + most holy class of sacrifices near the block of cells on the north + side of the Temple. With these insignificant exceptions, all the + parts of the sanctuary are disposed with mathematical regularity; + nothing is left to chance, regard for convenience is everywhere + subordinated to the sense of proportion which expresses the ideal + order and perfection of the whole.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_223" name="note_223" + href="#noteref_223">223.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Heb. xii. 14.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_224" name="note_224" + href="#noteref_224">224.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Heb. ix. 8-10.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_225" name="note_225" + href="#noteref_225">225.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">2 Kings xxiii. 9. The sense of the + passage is undoubtedly that given above; but the expression + <span class="tei tei-q">“unleavened bread”</span> as a general name + for the priests' portion is peculiar. It has been proposed to read, + with a change merely of the punctuation, instead of מַצּוֹת, + מִצְוֹת = <span class="tei tei-q">“statutory portions,”</span> as + in Neh. xiii. 5.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_226" name="note_226" + href="#noteref_226">226.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">1 Sam. ii. 36.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_227" name="note_227" + href="#noteref_227">227.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. ch. xxii. 26.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_228" name="note_228" + href="#noteref_228">228.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ezra ii. 36-40.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_229" name="note_229" + href="#noteref_229">229.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ezra ii. 58.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_230" name="note_230" + href="#noteref_230">230.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ezra viii. 15-20.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_231" name="note_231" + href="#noteref_231">231.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">On this peculiar affinity between + holiness and uncleanness see the interesting argument in Robertson + Smith's <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Religion of the Semites</span></span>, pp. 427 + ff. The passage Hag. ii. 12-14 does not appear to be inconsistent + with what is there said. The meaning is that <span class= + "tei tei-q">“very indirect contact with the holy does not make + holy, but very direct contact with the unclean makes + unclean”</span> (Wellhausen, <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Die Kleinen Propheten</span></span>, p. + 170).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_232" name="note_232" + href="#noteref_232">232.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. ch. xxiv. 17; Lev. x. 6, xxi. 5, + 10.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_233" name="note_233" + href="#noteref_233">233.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">It is remarkable that neither here nor + in Leviticus (ch. xxi. 1-3) is the priest's wife mentioned as one + for whom he may defile himself at her death.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_234" name="note_234" + href="#noteref_234">234.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. 2 Kings xii. 11, xxiii. 14, xxv. + 18; Jer. xx. 1.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_235" name="note_235" + href="#noteref_235">235.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Hence it does not seem to me that any + argument can be based on the fact that a high priest was at the + head of the returning exiles either for or against the existence of + the Priestly Code at that date.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_236" name="note_236" + href="#noteref_236">236.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Lev. iv. 3, 13: cf. Lev. xvi. 6.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_237" name="note_237" + href="#noteref_237">237.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Exod. xviii. 25 ff.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_238" name="note_238" + href="#noteref_238">238.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Hosea iv. 6.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_239" name="note_239" + href="#noteref_239">239.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. Deut. i. 17: <span class= + "tei tei-q">“judgment is God's.”</span></dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_240" name="note_240" + href="#noteref_240">240.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See below, p. <a href="#Pg493" class= + "tei tei-ref">493</a>.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_241" name="note_241" + href="#noteref_241">241.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">2 Kings xii. 4-16.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_242" name="note_242" + href="#noteref_242">242.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">They also receive the best of the + <span lang="he" class="tei tei-foreign" xml:lang="he"><span style= + "font-style: italic">arîsoth</span></span>, a word of uncertain + meaning, probably either dough or coarse meal. This offering is + said to bring a blessing on the household.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_243" name="note_243" + href="#noteref_243">243.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Deut. xviii. 3.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_244" name="note_244" + href="#noteref_244">244.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Deut. xviii. 4.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_245" name="note_245" + href="#noteref_245">245.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The regulations of the Priests' Code + with regard to the revenues of the Temple clergy are most + comprehensively given in Numb. xviii. 8-32. The first thing that + strikes us there is the distinction between the due of the priests + and that of the Levites. The absence of any express provision for + the latter is a somewhat remarkable feature in Ezekiel's + legislation, when we consider the care with which he has defined + the status and duties of the order. It is evident, however, that no + complete arrangements could be made for the Temple service without + some law on this point such as is contained in the passage Num. + xviii. and referred to in Neh. x. 37-39; and this is closely + connected with a disposition of the tithes and firstlings different + from the directions of Deuteronomy, and probably also from the + tacit assumption of Ezekiel. The book of Deuteronomy leaves no + doubt that both the tithes of natural produce and the firstlings of + the flock and herd were intended to furnish the material for + sacrificial feasts at the sanctuary (cf. chs. xii. 6, 7, 11, 12, + xiv. 22-27). The priest received the usual portions of the + firstlings (ch. xviii. 3), and also a share of the tithe; but the + rest was eaten by the worshipper and his guests. In Numb. xviii., + on the other hand, all the firstlings are the property of the + priest (ver. 15), and the whole of the tithes is assigned to the + Levites, who in turn are required to hand over a tenth of the tithe + to the priests (vv. 24-32). The portion of the priests consists of + the following items: (1) The meal-offering, sin-offering, and + guilt-offering (as in Ezekiel); (2) the best of oil, new wine, and + corn (as in Deuteronomy) (ver. 12); (3) all the firstfruits (an + advance on Ezekiel) (ver. 13); (4) every devoted thing (Ezekiel) + (ver. 14); (5) all the firstlings (vv. 15-18); (6) the breast and + right thigh of all ordinary private sacrifices (ver. 18: cf. Lev. + vii. 31-34) (like Deuteronomy, but choicer portions); (7) the tenth + of the Levites' tithe. It will be seen from this enumeration that + the Temple tariff of the Priestly law includes, with some slight + modification, all the requirements of Deuteronomy and Ezekiel, + besides the two important additions referred to above.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_246" name="note_246" + href="#noteref_246">246.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Psalm cxxxiii.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_247" name="note_247" + href="#noteref_247">247.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Chs. xlv. 7, 8, xlviii. 21, 22.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_248" name="note_248" + href="#noteref_248">248.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext"><span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">I.e.</span></span>, either the seventh year, + as in Jer. xxxiv. 14, or the year of Jubilee, the fiftieth year + (Lev. xxv. 10); more probably the former.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_249" name="note_249" + href="#noteref_249">249.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Amos viii. 5.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_250" name="note_250" + href="#noteref_250">250.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ezek. xlv. 9, 10. In the translation + of ver. 9 I have followed an emendation proposed by Cornill. The + sense is not affected, but the grammatical construction seems to + demand some alteration on the Massoretic text.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_251" name="note_251" + href="#noteref_251">251.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">In Exod. xxx. 13, Lev. xxvii. 25, + Numb. iii. 47 (Priests' Code) the shekel of twenty geras is + described as the <span class="tei tei-q">“shekel of the + sanctuary,”</span> or <span class="tei tei-q">“sacred + shekel,”</span> clearly implying that another shekel was in common + use.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_252" name="note_252" + href="#noteref_252">252.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ezek. xlv. 12, according to the + LXX.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_253" name="note_253" + href="#noteref_253">253.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Prov. xi. 1.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_254" name="note_254" + href="#noteref_254">254.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Lev. xix. 35, 36.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_255" name="note_255" + href="#noteref_255">255.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ezek. xlv. 13-16.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_256" name="note_256" + href="#noteref_256">256.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">The exact figures are, one part in + sixty of cereal produce (wheat and barley), one share in a hundred + of oil, and one animal out of every two hundred from the flock (ch. + xlv. 13-15).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_257" name="note_257" + href="#noteref_257">257.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Neh. x. 32, 33: cf. Ezek. xlv. + 15.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_258" name="note_258" + href="#noteref_258">258.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Exod. xxx. 11-16. Whether the third of + a shekel in the book of Nehemiah is a concession to the poverty of + the people, or whether the law represents an increased charge found + necessary for the full Temple service, is a question that need not + be discussed here.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_259" name="note_259" + href="#noteref_259">259.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xlv. 17.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_260" name="note_260" + href="#noteref_260">260.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xlv. 22.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_261" name="note_261" + href="#noteref_261">261.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Lev. xvi. 11, 15.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_262" name="note_262" + href="#noteref_262">262.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">2 Kings xvi. 15, 16.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_263" name="note_263" + href="#noteref_263">263.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xliv. 1-3.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_264" name="note_264" + href="#noteref_264">264.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See ch. xlvi. 1-12. The Syriac Version + indeed makes an exception to this rule in the case of the prince. + Ver. 10 reads: <span class="tei tei-q">“But the prince in their + midst shall go out by the gate by which he entered.”</span> But why + the prince more than any other body should go back by the road he + came, or what particular honour there was in that, is a mystery; + and it is probable that the reading is an error originating in + repetition of ver. 8. The real meaning of the verse seems to be + that the prince must go in and out without the retinue of + foreigners who used to give <span class= + "tei tei-foreign"><span style= + "font-style: italic">éclat</span></span> to royal visits to the + sanctuary.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_265" name="note_265" + href="#noteref_265">265.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Smith, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Religion of the + Semites</span></span>, pp. 196 f.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_266" name="note_266" + href="#noteref_266">266.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xi. 16.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_267" name="note_267" + href="#noteref_267">267.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Micah vi. 6-8.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_268" name="note_268" + href="#noteref_268">268.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Smith, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Old Testament in + Jewish Church</span></span>, p. 379.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_269" name="note_269" + href="#noteref_269">269.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xlv. 18-25.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_270" name="note_270" + href="#noteref_270">270.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Vv. 18-20. In ver. 20 we should read + with the LXX. <span class="tei tei-q">“in the seventh month, on the + first day of the month,”</span> etc.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_271" name="note_271" + href="#noteref_271">271.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Vv. 21-25. Some critics, as Smend and + Cornill, think that in ver. 14 we should read fifteenth instead of + fourteenth, to perfect the symmetry of the two halves of the year. + There is no MS. authority for the proposed change.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_272" name="note_272" + href="#noteref_272">272.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Smend.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_273" name="note_273" + href="#noteref_273">273.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Exod. xxiii. 14-17 (Book of the + Covenant, with which the other code—Exod. xxxiv. 18-22—agrees); + Deut. xvi. 1-17.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_274" name="note_274" + href="#noteref_274">274.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. Lev. xxiii. 4-44 (Law of + Holiness); Numb. xxviii., xxix.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_275" name="note_275" + href="#noteref_275">275.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">It is usual to speak of these + ceremonies in Ezekiel as festivals. But this seems to go beyond the + prophet's meaning. Only a single sacrifice, a sin-offering, is + mentioned; and there is no hint of any public assemblage of the + people on these days. It was the priests' business to see that the + sanctuary was purified, and there was no occasion for the people to + be present at the ceremony. The congregation would be the ordinary + congregation at the new moon feast, which of course did not + represent the whole population of the country. No doubt, as we see + from the references below, the ceremony developed into a special + feast after the Exile.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_276" name="note_276" + href="#noteref_276">276.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. Lev. xxiii. 23-32; Numb. xxix. + 1-11.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_277" name="note_277" + href="#noteref_277">277.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. Deut. xvi. 9, with Lev. xxiii. 10 + f., 15 t. In the one case the seven weeks to Pentecost are reckoned + from the putting of the sickle into the corn, in the other from the + presentation of a first sheaf of ripe corn in the Temple, which + falls within the Passover week. The latter can only be regarded as + a more precise determination of the former, and thus Unleavened + Bread must have coincided with the beginning of barley + harvest.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_278" name="note_278" + href="#noteref_278">278.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Deut. xvi. 13.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_279" name="note_279" + href="#noteref_279">279.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xlv. 22.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_280" name="note_280" + href="#noteref_280">280.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xlvi. 12: cf. xliv. 3.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_281" name="note_281" + href="#noteref_281">281.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">2 Kings xvi. 15: cf. 1 Kings xviii. + 29, 36.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_282" name="note_282" + href="#noteref_282">282.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ezra ix. 5.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_283" name="note_283" + href="#noteref_283">283.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Numb. xxviii. 3-8; Exod. xxix. + 38-42.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_284" name="note_284" + href="#noteref_284">284.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xlvi. 13-15.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_285" name="note_285" + href="#noteref_285">285.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Psalm v. 3, probably used at the + presentation of the morning tamîd. A more distinct recognition of + the spiritual significance of the <em class= + "tei tei-emph"><span style="font-style: italic">evening</span></em> + sacrifice is found in Psalm cxli. 2.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_286" name="note_286" + href="#noteref_286">286.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">2 Kings xii. 17.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_287" name="note_287" + href="#noteref_287">287.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Cf. ch. xliii. 21.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_288" name="note_288" + href="#noteref_288">288.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Another explanation, however, is + possible, and is adopted by Smend and Davidson. Assuming that a + burnt-offering was offered on the first day, and holding the whole + description to be somewhat elliptical, they bring the entire + process within the limits of the week. This certainly looks more + satisfactory in itself. But would Ezekiel be likely to admit an + ellipsis in describing so important a function? I have taken for + granted above that the seven days of the double sacrifice are + counted from the <span class="tei tei-q">“second day”</span> of + ver. 22.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_289" name="note_289" + href="#noteref_289">289.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ver. 26.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_290" name="note_290" + href="#noteref_290">290.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">טִהֵר (ver. 20).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_291" name="note_291" + href="#noteref_291">291.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">הִטֵּא a denominative form from הֵטְא + = sin (ver. 22).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_292" name="note_292" + href="#noteref_292">292.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">כִּפֵּר (ver. 26).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_293" name="note_293" + href="#noteref_293">293.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See Smith, <span class= + "tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Old Testament in + Jewish Church</span></span>, p. 381.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_294" name="note_294" + href="#noteref_294">294.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xlv. 20.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_295" name="note_295" + href="#noteref_295">295.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xlv. 15, 17.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_296" name="note_296" + href="#noteref_296">296.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">As distinguished from sins, + בִּשִׁנָנָה, or through inadvertence. See Numb. xv. 30, 31.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_297" name="note_297" + href="#noteref_297">297.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Psalm li. 16, 17.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_298" name="note_298" + href="#noteref_298">298.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">See his Burnet Lectures on the + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Religion + of the Semites</span></span>, to which, as well as to his + <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style="font-style: italic">Old + Testament in the Jewish Church</span></span>, the present chapter + is largely indebted.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_299" name="note_299" + href="#noteref_299">299.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xlvii. 1-12.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_300" name="note_300" + href="#noteref_300">300.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Chs. xlvii. 13-xlviii. 35.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_301" name="note_301" + href="#noteref_301">301.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Amos ix. 13.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_302" name="note_302" + href="#noteref_302">302.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ch. xxxiv. 25-29.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_303" name="note_303" + href="#noteref_303">303.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Rev. xxii. 1, 2.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_304" name="note_304" + href="#noteref_304">304.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Isa. viii. 6.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_305" name="note_305" + href="#noteref_305">305.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Engedi, <span class="tei tei-q">“well + of the kid,”</span> is at the middle of the western shore; + Eneglaim, <span class="tei tei-q">“well of two calves,”</span> is + unknown, but probably lay at the north end. The eastern side is + left to the Arabian nomads.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_306" name="note_306" + href="#noteref_306">306.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ver. 11.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_307" name="note_307" + href="#noteref_307">307.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">I do not myself see much objection to + supposing that it leaves the sea near Tyre and proceeds about due + east to Hazar-enon, which may be near the foot of Hermon, where + Robinson located it. In this case the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“entrance to Hamath”</span> would be the south end of + the <span class="tei tei-hi"><span style= + "font-style: italic">Beḳa'</span></span>, where one strikes north + to go to Hamath. This would correspond nearly to the extent of the + country actually occupied by the Hebrews under the judges and the + monarchy. The statement that the territory of Damascus lies to the + north presents some difficulty on any theory. It may be added that + Hazar-hattikon in ver. 16 is the same as Hazar-enon; it is + probably, as Cornill suggests, a scribe's error for נצרה ענון (the + locative ending being mistaken for the article).</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_308" name="note_308" + href="#noteref_308">308.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Smend, for example, points out that if + we count the Levites' portion as a tribal inheritance, and include + Manasseh and Ephraim under the house of Joseph (as is done in the + naming of the gates of the city), we have the sons of Rachel and + Leah evenly distributed on either side of the <span class= + "tei tei-q">“oblation.”</span> Then at the farthest distance from + the Temple are the sons of Jacob's handmaids, Gad in the extreme + south, and Dan, Asher, and Naphtali in the north. This is + ingenious, but not in the least convincing.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_309" name="note_309" + href="#noteref_309">309.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ver. 18.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_310" name="note_310" + href="#noteref_310">310.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Vv. 31-34. It is difficult to trace a + clear connection between the positions of the gates and the + geographical distribution of the tribes in the country. The fact + that here Levi is counted as a tribe and Ephraim and Manasseh are + united under the name of Joseph indicates perhaps that none was + intended.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_311" name="note_311" + href="#noteref_311">311.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Ver. 19.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_312" name="note_312" + href="#noteref_312">312.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Neh. xi. 1, 2.</dd> + + <dt class="tei tei-notelabel"><a id="note_313" name="note_313" + href="#noteref_313">313.</a></dt> + + <dd class="tei tei-notetext">Rev. xxi. 2, 3, 22, 23.</dd> + </dl> + </div> + <hr class="doublepage" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-top: 5.00em; margin-bottom: 5.00em"> + <div id="pgfooter" class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 4.00em; margin-top: 4.00em"> + <pre class="pre tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE EXPOSITOR'S BIBLE: THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL*** +</pre> + <hr class="doublepage" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <a name="rightpageheader75" id="rightpageheader75"></a><a name= + "pgtoc76" id="pgtoc76"></a><a name="pdf77" id="pdf77"></a> + + <h1 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 3.46em; margin-top: 3.46em"> + <span style="font-size: 173%">Credits</span></h1> + + <table summary="This is a list." class="tei tei-list" style= + "margin-bottom: 1.00em; margin-top: 1.00em"> + <tbody> + <tr> + <th class="tei tei-label tei-label-gloss">September 27, + 2014 </th> + </tr> + + <tr> + <td class="tei tei-item tei-item-gloss"> + <table summary="This is a list." class="tei tei-list" + style="margin-bottom: 1.00em; margin-top: 1.00em"> + <tbody> + <tr class="tei tei-labelitem"> + <th class="tei tei-label"></th> + + <td class="tei tei-item">Project Gutenberg TEI + edition 1</td> + </tr> + + <tr class="tei tei-labelitem"> + <th class="tei tei-label"></th> + + <td class="tei tei-item"><span class= + "tei tei-respStmt"><span class= + "tei tei-name">Produced by Charlene Taylor, Colin + Bell, David King, and the Online Distributed + Proofreading Team at <http://www.pgdp.net/>. + (This file was produced from images generously made + available by The Internet + Archive.)</span></span></td> + </tr> + </tbody> + </table> + </td> + </tr> + </tbody> + </table> + </div> + <hr class="doublepage" /> + + <div class="tei tei-div" style= + "margin-bottom: 3.00em; margin-top: 3.00em"> + <a name="rightpageheader78" id="rightpageheader78"></a><a name= + "pgtoc79" id="pgtoc79"></a><a name="pdf80" id="pdf80"></a> + + <h1 class="tei tei-head" style= + "text-align: left; margin-bottom: 3.46em; margin-top: 3.46em"> + <span style="font-size: 173%">A Word from Project + Gutenberg</span></h1> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This file + should be named 46975-h.html or 46975-h.zip.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">This and all + associated files of various formats will be found in: <a href= + "http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/4/6/9/7/46975/" class= + "block tei tei-xref" style= + "margin-top: 1.80em; margin-right: 3.60em; margin-bottom: 1.80em; margin-left: 3.60em"> + <span style= + "font-size: 90%">http://www.gutenberg.org</span><span style= + "font-size: 90%">/dirs/4/6/9/7/46975/</span></a></p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Updated + editions will replace the previous one — the old editions will be + renamed.</p> + + <p class="tei tei-p" style="margin-bottom: 1.00em">Creating the + works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law + means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, + so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the + United States without permission and without paying copyright + royalties. 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