Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Ezekiel 33:21

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Ezekiel 33:21. In the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month — Instead of the twelfth year, the eleventh is the reading of seven of Kennicott's MSS., one of De Rossi's, and the Syriac. My own, mentioned in the preceding chapter, reads with the present text. This was on Wednesday, Jan. 25, A.M. 3416 or 3417.

One that had escaped out of Jerusalem — After it had been taken by the Chaldeans.

Came unto me, saying, THE CITY IS SMITTEN. — This very message God had promised to the prophet, Ezekiel 24:26.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

News from Jerusalem (33:21-33)

As soon as news reached the exiles that Jerusalem had fallen as Ezekiel had foretold, Ezekiel knew that the new phase of his work was to begin. The former restrictions on his speech and movements were lifted (21-22; cf. 24:25-27).
Ezekiel received news also of certain selfish and dishonest practices among the Jews who were left in the country areas of Judah. Some of these people had seized the land of those taken into exile. They argued that if Abraham (only one person) had been given the right to inherit Canaan, surely they (a much greater number) had the right to accumulate property there (23-24).
God’s reply through Ezekiel is clear. The Jews scattered in Judah have no right to possess any of the land, since they commit the same sins as the Jerusalemites - sins for which Jerusalem was destroyed and its people taken into captivity (25-26). Those who happened to escape the Babylonians are not the people who will repossess the promised land. On the contrary, they will be punished as the Jerusalemites were punished (27-29).
Meanwhile the exiles in Babylon had developed a more favourable attitude towards Ezekiel. Now that his prediction of the fall of Jerusalem had come true, they were convinced that he was a true prophet. As a result they came to listen to what else he had to say (30). But they were concerned only with any advantages that they might gain to make life easier for themselves in Babylon. They listened to Ezekiel as they might listen to an entertainer. They took no notice of his moral instruction (31-32). Only after they had been restored to the promised land would people understand fully that this was the goal for which Ezekiel had been trying to prepare them (33).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came to me, saying, The city is smitten. Now the hand of Jehovah had been upon me in the evening, before he that was escaped came; and he had opened my month, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.”

MESSAGE OF THE FALL OF JERUSALEM

“The twelfth year, tenth month, fifth day” Brace, following the Septuagint (LXX) and Syriac versions, changed this to “the eleventh year,” giving a date of January 19,586 B.C.F. F. Bruce in the New Layman’s Bible Commentary, p. 889. The date from the the Hebrew text of the Old Testament is January 8, 585 B.C. Keil pointed out that the reason for some scholars favoring that date about a year earlier is lodged in the fact that this news of the fall of the city came to Ezekiel about eighteen months after the event, a time lapse some consider to be too long. However, Keil favored the Hebrew text of the Old Testament reading, pointing out that, “The distance between Jerusalem and Babylon, along with the fearful confusion that followed the catastrophe would easily have allowed eighteen months to pass before Ezekiel got the word.”Carl Friedrich Keil, Keil-Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company), p. 70.

Keil also defended the later date against the allegation of some scholars that Ezekiel himself contradicted himself by declaring in Ezekiel 26:1-2 that he received intelligence of the fall of the city in the eleventh year, not in the twelfth. Keil wrote: “Such an interpretation is founded upon a misinterpretation of the passage quoted. It is not stated in Ezekiel 26:1-2 that Ezekiel received his information from a fugitive, or from any man whatever, but simply that God revealed it to him.”Ibid., p. 71.

“He opened my mouth… I was no longer dumb” This indicates that the prophecies against the foreign nations (Ezekiel 29-32) were transmitted in writing and were not really spoken.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

The date shows an interval of 112 years from the taking of Jerusalem Jeremiah 52:12. The general news that the city was taken must have reached them, but it was only when the messenger arrived that the prophet’s mouth was opened. It is not improbable that a body of men after the destruction of the city joined their brethren in Chaldaea; if so this would account for the lapse of time, and supply a reason why Ezekiel on their arrival should commence a new series of prophecies.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 33

Now as we get into chapter 33 God now begins to instruct those captives who are in Babylon.

Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he sees the sword come upon the land, he blows the trumpet, and warns the people; Then whosoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and takes not warning; if the sword comes, and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, he did not take warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned; and the sword comes, and takes away any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me ( Ezekiel 33:2-7 ).

Now God is commissioning Ezekiel to speak His word to the captives, the people of God there in the land of Babylon. And God is holding Ezekiel responsible for speaking the word of God to them. And God likens it unto a watchman that has been set up to warn the people of an impending invasion. If the watchman sees the enemy coming and he blows the trumpet to warn the people, then he has fulfilled his obligation. His responsibility was complete when he blew the trumpet and gave warning. What the people do with the warning is not in the responsibility of the watchman. He cannot help what the people do with the warning that he gave. His job was to give the warning. The people could respond however they wanted to the warning. It was then their responsibility how they responded. And so God said, "Now I have set you like a watchman. If you don't warn them, then you are responsible and I will hold you responsible for them. But if you warn them, then they are responsible for themselves."

In our Christian witnessing, I think that it is important that we realize that we are much like a watchman. God has set us to give a warning unto people. Now, what they do with it is their business. God has not commissioned us, really, to argue people in to the kingdom of heaven, or to pressure or to force people into the kingdom of heaven. God has commissioned us to witness His truth, and what people do with that witness is their business. And I realize that there's nothing I can do beyond witnessing for the Lord. It is interesting to me how that there are some people that when you witness to them it's like they've been waiting for you all their lives. And they're just ready to accept. They are so eager, really, that they don't always even give you the chance to finish your witness. And there are others that you give the same witness to, and it's like it's falling on deaf ears. It's like they don't even hear you. It's like they haven't even heard anything you've said. And it doesn't seem to penetrate at all. It has no effect upon them. Now, this causes me to realize that the Holy Spirit is the one that has to do the work of conviction and the drawing of these people to Jesus Christ. My responsibility is as a watchman just to blow the trumpet, to declare, "The Lord is coming soon." Now what you do with that is your own business.

And so God said to Ezekiel, "Now look, you're like a watchman, Ezekiel. Your responsibility is to give the people My word. That's all. What they do with it after that is their responsibility. But I'm going to hold you responsible to warn them, to give them My word."

So when I say to the wicked, O wicked man, you will surely die; if you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand. Nevertheless, if you warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul ( Ezekiel 33:8-9 ).

The Lord gave him much the same kind of a commission back at the beginning of the book in the third chapter of Ezekiel.

Therefore, thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we thus then live? ( Ezekiel 33:10 )

The question, very important question: if our transgressions and our sins be upon us and they are destroying us, how should we then live?

Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? ( Ezekiel 33:11 )

And so here we see the heart of God and we understand now a bit of the truth of God and not the perversion that has been fostered by Satan through the ages that God is cruel and harsh and almost relishes judging. Not so. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, any wicked. But God cries unto them to turn.

I often hear the complaint: how can a God of love send a man to hell? Well, the complaint itself is wrong. Because the Bible does not teach that God actually sends men to hell. They go there by their own choice, against everything that God has done to keep them from hell. Now, God has given to us free choice. I can choose what I want. God doesn't force me to serve Him. He doesn't force me to love Him. He gives me that choice, and He respects the choice that I make. But God does everything short of violating my choice to bring me into His kingdom. But if I refuse every innovation of God towards me, every invitation of the Spirit, if I do despite to the Spirit of grace, trample under foot the Son of God, account the blood of His covenant wherewith He was sanctified an unholy thing. If I say, "Aw, the blood of Jesus Christ, means nothing to me." If I am stubborn, rebellious, and I hang in there, I can make it into hell, but it's the hardest trip in the world. Not easy to go to hell. You've got to fight against God every step, and finally you have to step over Jesus Christ, who actually sort of lays Himself out in your path to stop you from your madness. But the madness of man.

God says, "Turn ye, turn ye, for why would ye die, O house of Israel?" The path that they have taken is a path of destruction. They are pining away in their transgressions and sins. And God is crying to them to turn.

Therefore, thou son of man, say to the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trusts in his own righteousness, and commits iniquity, all of his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. Again, when I say to the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turns from his sin, and does that which is lawful and right; If the wicked restores the pledge, and gives again that which was robbed, if he walks in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. And none of his sins that he has committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live ( Ezekiel 33:12-16 ).

Isn't that glorious? God'll never mention any of your past iniquities again as you turn to Jesus Christ. Of course, this is written in the pre-grace age. This is written under the old law of the covenant. But what is true under this as far as God not remembering our sins again is true under grace, the grace of God whereby we have that forgiveness of sins.

Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord isn't equal ( Ezekiel 33:17 ):

"God isn't fair." How many times we've heard this complaint against God. "God isn't fair." This is the underlying complaint, really, whenever a person says, "How can a God of love... ?" you know that they are challenging the fairness of God. No matter what they say after that. There is that subtle challenge of the fairness of God. And how many times the fairness of God has been challenged by man. And here the children of Israel were challenging, "The way of the Lord isn't equal."

God says, "You tell them,"

their way isn't equal. When the righteous turns from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, he shall even die thereby. But if the wicked turns from his wickedness, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. Yet ye say, the way of the Lord is not equal, O ye house of Israel, I will judge every one of you after your ways ( Ezekiel 33:17-20 ).

Now, at this point,

It came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month ( Ezekiel 33:21 ),

So we're coming into a whole interesting aspect here now.

that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten ( Ezekiel 33:21 ).

And so the news finally arrived. It was a year earlier that Jerusalem fell. But one of the persons who had escaped finally comes to Ezekiel bringing him the news that Jerusalem was smitten.

Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, before he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb ( Ezekiel 33:22 ).

Now the Lord, you remember, told Ezekiel that he was going to be dumb until they got word of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. So the Lord opened his mouth and he was no more dumb.

Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; and the land is given us for an inheritance ( Ezekiel 33:23-24 ).

So the Lord is saying to Ezekiel, "Though Nebuchadnezzar has conquered Jerusalem and has set up Gedaliah as a governor, yet the hearts of the people are still rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar." They are saying, "Look, Abraham was only one man and God gave him the land, and we are many so we can take the land still." And so even at the time of Gedaliah they were not really totally subdued. The people were still rebellious in their hearts. And so God is speaking to Ezekiel concerning the attitude that the people had who were back there in the land. Of course, Jeremiah was with them. Jeremiah kept telling them to just surrender to Babylon, things would go well, and if they dared to resist then they would be destroyed out of the land. They did not listen to Jeremiah either.

Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; You eat with the blood ( Ezekiel 33:25 ),

Now these are the indictments against these people saying, "Oh, the land is ours, you know. Abraham was only one and God gave him the land; we are many so the land is ours." And God says, "Look, just tell them that they eat with the blood." That is, they were not killing the food as God required in the law, thoroughly bleeding the animals, but they were strangling the animals or killing them in ways by which the blood remained in the animal and they were eating with the blood. They were lifting up their eyes towards idols. They were shedding blood. And God says,

shall you possess the land? ( Ezekiel 33:25 )

You know, here you're committing all of these evil things against My law and you think I'm gonna let you possess the land?

For ye stand upon your sword, you work abomination, and you defile every one his neighbor's wife: and shall you possess the land? ( Ezekiel 33:26 )

God says, "You're incredible. I can't believe you."

Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, and none pass though. Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate, because of all of their abominations which they have committed. Also, thou son of man, the children of the people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak to one another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and let's hear the word that comes from the LORD ( Ezekiel 33:27-30 ).

Now, Ezekiel, they're still talking about you and in their houses they'll say, "Hey let's go down and see what the word of the Lord is from the prophet. Let's go down and see Ezekiel, see what God has to say."

And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as though they were my people, and they hear thy words, but they won't do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart is going after their covetousness ( Ezekiel 33:31 ).

Now the people are all talking about you, Ezekiel, saying, "Hey, let's go down to the prophet and hear the word of the Lord." And they come and they sit there before you, just like they were My people. And they hear the words that you're saying, but they're not going to do them.

Now in James we read that a man who is a hearer of the word and not a doer is a man who is deceiving himself. A lot of deception going on, because so often a person thinks, "Well, I study the Word of God," or, "I listen to the Word of God," or, "I hear the Word of God," or, "I know the Word of God." That's not what cuts it. Are you doing? "Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only" ( James 1:22 ).

So God's indictment against these people because they're coming and they were listening to the prophet, but they were so filled with their own covetousness they weren't doers of the Word.

And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that has a pleasant voice ( Ezekiel 33:32 ),

They just enjoy hearing you talk.

you can play well on an instrument ( Ezekiel 33:32 ):

They were going for entertainment.

for they hear thy words, but they do them not. And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) ( Ezekiel 33:33 )

Boy, when God says it like that you know, hey, it is. No stopping.

then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them ( Ezekiel 33:33 ).

When all these things that you told them happens, then they'll know. Right now they're just listening and you're an entertainment to them.

It's interesting how that so many people do go to the house of the Lord for entertainment. You know, it's their place of entertainment. It's a good socially accepted place of good entertainment. And so many churches are catering to these people who are looking for entertainment.

I heard this story of a Baptist pastor who came to his (and it could be any church) came to his assistants and said, "Fellows, the board is going to meet tonight and determine our salaries for the next year. And we're having a difficult time making our budget as it is. So it looks like it's going to be really slim as far as any pay raises this next year. And I think it's very important that we, all of us, just spend the day together praying because if we don't get pay raises, it's going to be a hard tough year. And they're going to be really taking a look at the budget tonight and things really look very bad for any pay hikes. So, let's just gather together and let's just pray that God will somehow work a miracle so that we can all get a raise in pay this next year." And so they decided in order that their prayers really be very spiritual they would pray in Gregorian chants. And so the assistant pastor began, "Oh Lord, you know that it's hard to live on $15,000 a year. I pray Thee Lord, that You'll help the board to be gracious and maybe give me a raise." And the pastor then offered his prayer and he said, "Yes, Lord, things are tough, and $22,000 a year is hard to live on when I have all of these expenses that I'm not reimbursed for. And so, Lord, please work and grant me a raise in pay." And then the music director, the one in charge of the entertaining programs for the church said, "Lord, You know that $50,000 a year is a little hard to get by on, but there's no business like show business, like show business, you know."

But it's sort of a sad indictment against those churches that have found it necessary to put on an entertaining program for people in order to draw the crowds. People with itching ears who will not endure sound doctrine. And yet, such is the case in so many places, where people go for entertainment.

And so they were coming to the prophet for entertainment. He had a good voice; could play instrument well. "And they sit before you and they do hear your words, but they're not going to do them. You're unto them like a lovely song, but when this comes, and it will come, they will know that there was a prophet among them." "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

On the fifth day of the tenth month of the twelfth year of the Jews’ exile, namely, on January 19, 585 B.C., word reached the exiles from refugees who had come from Jerusalem. [Note: Parker and Dubberstein, p. 28.] They announced that Jerusalem had fallen to Nebuchadnezzar. The siege of Jerusalem began on the tenth month, the tenth day, and the ninth year of King Zedekiah’s reign (2 Kings 25:1; 588 B.C.). The city fell on the fourth month, the ninth day, and the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign (2 Kings 25:2-7; 586 B.C.). Thus the siege lasted 18 months. The news of Jerusalem’s fall reached the exiles in Babylon about five months after the city fell in 586 B.C. According to one method of reckoning, it took 18 months for news of Jerusalem’s fall to reach the exiles, but it seems more probable that it took about five months, which was apparently the normal time it took to make this trip (cf. Ezra 7:6-9). [Note: See the commentators for a more detailed study of the problem.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The date and setting of these messages 33:21-22

Ezekiel’s last prophecy about the judgment coming on Judah and Jerusalem ended with an announcement that a fugitive would escape Jerusalem’s destruction and come and report the city’s fall to the exiles (Ezekiel 24:25-26). At that time God would open Ezekiel’s mouth and he would be dumb no longer (Ezekiel 24:27). Now the messenger arrived and God opened the prophet’s mouth.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. Israel and the Promised Land 33:21-33

Ezekiel next recorded six messages about Israel’s restoration to the Promised Land.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity,.... Of Jeconiah's captivity, when Ezekiel with others were carried into Babylon; see Ezekiel 1:2

in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month; which was a year, four months, and some days, after the city of Jerusalem was taken; for that was destroyed in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, and so of the captivity, and in the fifth month, and tenth day of the month.

2 Kings 25:2. It is much it was not known at Babylon before; though so it might, and yet not one that escaped came to Ezekiel sooner to give him an account of it, which he had seen with his eyes. The Syriac version reads it, in the "eleventh year"; and so makes it but a few months after the destruction; and it may be observed that it is promised by the Lord, Ezekiel 24:26, that on the day the city was taken, one should escape, and bring the prophet the news; that is, directly, immediately, in a very short time, as soon as it was possible that he could arrive to him; and yet, as taken notice, here were a year and almost five months before he reached him, which seems pretty strange. The difficulty may be solved in this manner: Ezekiel reckons from the captivity of Jeconiah, which began in the month Chisleu; and the computation in 2 Kings 25:2, is from Zedekiah's reign, which is to be reckoned from the month Nisan, and from the first Nisan of his reign; for it is a rule with the Jews, h that the beginning of the year for kings is the first of Nisan; so that the tenth month from the captivity is the sixth from Nisan; whence it appears there was not a full month from the city being burnt to the news being brought to Ezekiel; which was time short enough, in such a troublesome season, to take a journey from Jerusalem to Babylon; for Zedekiah not being crowned before the Nisan following the captivity, the computation of his reign did not begin till that Nisan, which makes this difference in the chronology. According to Bishop Usher i, this messenger came to Ezekiel the twenty fifth of January, the fourth day of the week (Wednesday), in 3417 A.M. or before Christ 587:

that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me; as it was foretold and promised he should, Ezekiel 24:26:

saying, the city is smitten; the city of Jerusalem; the walls were broken down, the houses burnt, and the whole destroyed.

h Misn. Roshhashanah, c. 1. sect. 1. i Annales Vet. Test. A. M. 3417.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      21 And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten.   22 Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.   23 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,   24 Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.   25 Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land?   26 Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land?   27 Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.   28 For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.   29 Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.

      Here we have,

      I. The tidings brought to Ezekiel of the burning of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans. The city was burnt in the eleventh year of the captivity and the fifth month, Jeremiah 52:12; Jeremiah 52:13. Tidings hereof were brought to the prophet by one that was an eye-witness of the destruction, in the twelfth year, and the tenth month (Ezekiel 33:21; Ezekiel 33:21), which was a year and almost five months after the thing was done; we may well suppose that, there being a constant correspondence at this time more than ever kept up between Jerusalem and Babylon, he had heard the news long before. But this was the first time he had an account of it from a refugee, from one who escaped, who could be particular, and would be pathetic, in the narrative of it. And the sign given him was the coming of such a one to him as had himself narrowly escaped the flames (Ezekiel 24:26; Ezekiel 24:26): He that escapes in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thy ears, to hear it more distinctly than ever, from one that could say, Quæque ipse miserrima vidi--These miserable scenes I saw.

      II. The divine impressions and influences he was under, to prepare him for those heavy tidings (Ezekiel 33:22; Ezekiel 33:22): The hand of the Lord was upon me before he came, and had opened my mouth to speak to the house of Israel what we had in the former part of this chapter. And now he was no more dumb; he prophesied now with more freedom and boldness, being by the event proved a true prophet, to the confusion of those that contradicted him. All the prophecies from Ezekiel 24:1-32; Ezekiel 24:1-32 have relation purely to the nations about, it is probable that the prophet, when he received them from the Lord, did not deliver them by word of mouth, but in writing; for he could not Say to the Ammonites, Say unto Tyrus, Say unto Pharaoh, c., so and so, but by letters directed to the persons concerned, as Zacharias, when he could not speak, wrote and herein he was as truly executing his prophetic office as ever. Note, Even silenced ministers may be doing a great deal of good by writing letters and making visits. But now the prophet's mouth is opened, that he may speak to the children of his people. It is probable that he had, during these three years, been continually speaking to them as a friend, putting them in mind of what he had formerly delivered to them, but that he never spoke to them as a prophet, by inspiration, till now, when the hand of the Lord came upon him, renewed his commission, gave him fresh instructions, and opened his mouth, furnished him with power to speak to the people as he ought to speak.

      III. The particular message he was entrusted with, relating to these Jews that yet remained in the land of Israel, and inhabited the wastes of that land, Ezekiel 33:24; Ezekiel 33:24. See what work sin had made. The cities of Israel had now become the wastes of Israel, for they lay all in ruins; some few that had escaped the sword and captivity still continued there and began to think of re-settling. This was so long after the destruction of Jerusalem that it was some time before this that Gedaliah (a modest humble man) and his friends were slain; but probably at this time Johanan, and the proud men that joined with him, were at the height (Jeremiah 43:2); and before they came to a resolution to go into Egypt, wherein Jeremiah opposed them, it is probable that the project was to establish themselves in the wastes of the land of Israel, in which Ezekiel here opposed them, and probably despatched the message away by the person that brought him the news of Jerusalem's destruction. Or, perhaps, those here prophesied against might be some other party of Jews, that remained in the land, hoping to take root there and to be sole masters of it, after Johanan and his forces had gone into Egypt. Now here we have,

      1. An account of the pride of these remaining Jews, who dwelt in the wastes of the land of Israel. Though the providence of God concerning them had been very humbling, and still was very threatening, yet they were intolerably haughty and secure, and promised themselves peace. He that brought the news to the prophet that Jerusalem was smitten could not tell him (it is likely) what these people said, but God tells him, They say, "The land is given us for inheritance,Ezekiel 33:24; Ezekiel 33:24. Our partners being gone, it is now all our own by survivorship, or, for want of heirs, it comes to us as occupants; we shall now be placed alone in the midst of the earth and have it all to ourselves." This argues great stupidity under the weighty hand of God, and a reigning selfishness and narrow-spiritedness; they pleased themselves in the ruin of their country as long as they hoped to find their own account in it, cared not though it were all waste, so that they might have the sole property--a poor inheritance to be proud of! They have the impudence to compare their case with Abraham's, glorying in this, We have Abraham to our father. "Abraham," say they, "was one, one family, and he inherited the land, and lived many years in the peaceable enjoyment of it; but we are many, many families, more numerous than he; the land is given us for inheritance." (1.) They think they can make out as good a title from God to this land as Abraham could: "If God gave this land to him, who was but one worshipper of him, as a reward of his service, much more will he give it to us, who are many worshippers of him, as the reward of our service." This shows the great conceit they had of the own merits, as if they were greater than those of Abraham their father, who yet was not justified by works. (2.) They think they can make good the possession of this land against the Chaldeans and all others invaders, as well as Abraham could against those that were competitors with him for it: "If he, who was but one, could hold it, much more shall we, who are many, and have many more at command than his 300 trained servants." This shows the confidence they had in their own might; they had got possession, and were resolved to keep it.

      2. A check to this pride. Since God's providences did neither humble them nor terrify them, he sends them a message sufficient to do both.

      (1.) To humble them, he tells them of the wickedness they still persisted in, which rendered them utterly unworthy to possess this land, so that they could not expect God should give it to them. They had been followed with one judgment after another, but they had not profited by those means of grace as might be expected; they were still unreformed, and how could they expect that they should possess the land? "Shall you possess the land? What! such wicked people as you are? How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land?Jeremiah 3:19. Surely you never reflect upon yourselves, else you would rather wonder that you are in the land of the living than expect to possess this land. For do you now know how bad you are?" [1.] "You make no conscience of forbidden fruit, forbidden food: You eat with the blood," directly contrary to one of the precepts given to Noah and his sons when God gave them possession of the earth, Genesis 9:4. [2.] "Idolatry, that covenant-breaking sin, that sin which the jealous God has been in a particular manner provoked by to lay your country waste, is still the sin that most easily besets you and which you have a strong inclination to: You lift up your eyes towards your idols, which is a sign that though perhaps you do not bow your knee to them so much as you have done, yet you set your hearts upon them and hanker after them." [3.] "You are as fierce, and cruel, and barbarous as ever: You shed blood, innocent blood." [4.] "You confide in your own strength, your own arm, your own bow, and have no dependence on, or regard to, God and his providence: You stand upon your sword (Ezekiel 33:26; Ezekiel 33:26); you think to carry all before you, and make all your own, by force of arms." How can those expect the inheritance of Isaac (as these did) who are of Ishmael's disposition, that had his hand against every man (Genesis 16:12), and Esau's resolution to live by his sword?Genesis 27:40. We met with those (Ezekiel 32:27; Ezekiel 32:27) who, when they died, thought they could not lie easy underground unless they had their swords under their heads. Here we meet with those who, while they live, think they cannot stand firmly above ground unless they have their swords under their feet, as if swords were both the softest pillows and the strongest pillars; though it was sin, it was sin, that first drew the sword. But, blessed be God, there are those who know better, who stand upon the support of the divine power and promise and lay their heads in the bosom of divine love, not trusting in their own sword,Psalms 44:3. [5.] "You are guilty of all manner of abominations, and, particularly, you defile every one his neighbour's wife, which is an abomination of the first magnitude, and shall you possess the land? What! such vile miscreants as you?" Note, Those cannot expect to possess the land, nor to enjoy any true comfort or happiness here or hereafter, who live in rebellion against the Lord.

      (2.) To terrify them, he tells them of the further judgments God had in store for them, which should make them utterly unable to possess this land, so that they could not stand it out against the enemy. Do they say that they shall possess the land? God has said they shall not, he has sworn it, As I live, saith the Lord. Though he has sworn that he delights not in the death of sinners, yet he has sworn also that those who persist in impenitency and unbelief shall not enter into his rest. [1.] Those that are in the cities, here called the wastes, shall fall by the sword, either by the sword of the Chaldeans, who come to avenge the murder of Gedaliah, or by one another's swords, in their intestine broils. [2.] Those that are in the open field shall be devoured by wild beasts, which swarmed, of course, in the country when it was dispeopled, and there were none to master them and keep them under, Exodus 23:29. When the army of the enemy had quitted the country still there was no safety in it. Noisome beasts constituted one of the four sore judgments,Ezekiel 14:15; Ezekiel 14:15. [3.] Those that are in the forts and in the caves, that think themselves safe in artificial or natural fastnesses, because men's eyes cannot discover them nor men's darts reach them, there the arrows of the Almighty shall find them out; they shall die of the pestilence. [4.] The whole land, even the land of Israel, that had been the glory of all lands, shall be most desolate,Ezekiel 33:28; Ezekiel 33:28. It shall be desolation, desolation, all over as desolate as desolation itself can make it. The mountain of Israel, the fruitful mountains, Zion itself the holy mountain not excepted, shall be desolate, the roads unfrequented, the houses uninhabited, that none shall pass through; as it was threatened (Deuteronomy 28:62), You shall be left few in number. [5.] The pomp of her strength, whatever she glories in as her pomp and trusts to as her strength, shall be made to cease. [6.] The cause of all this was very bad; it is for all their abominations which they have committed. It is sin that does all this mischief, that makes nations desolate; and therefore we ought to call it an abomination. [7.] Yet the effect of all this will be very good: Then shall they know that I am the Lord, am their Lord, and shall return to their allegiance, when I have made the land most desolate. Those are untractable unteachable indeed that are not made to know their dependence upon God when all their creature-comforts fail them and are made desolate.