Ezekiel Chapter 7
1 Moreover the LORD's word came to me, saying,
2 "You, son of man, the Lord GOD says to the land of Israel, 'An end! The end has come on the four corners of the land.
3 Now is the end on you, and I will send my anger on you, and will judge you according to your ways. I will bring on you all your abominations.
4 My eye will not spare you, neither will I have pity; but I will bring your ways on you, and your abominations will be amongst you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'
5 "The Lord GOD says: 'An evil! A unique evil! Behold, it comes.
6 An end has come. The end has come! It awakes against you. Behold, it comes.
7 Your doom has come to you, inhabitant of the land! The time has come! The day is near, a day of tumult, and not of joyful shouting, on the mountains.
8 Now I will shortly pour out my wrath on you, and accomplish my anger against you, and will judge you according to your ways. I will bring on you all your abominations.
9 My eye won't spare, neither will I have pity. I will punish you according to your ways. Your abominations will be amongst you. Then you will know that I, the LORD, strike.
10 " 'Behold, the day! Behold, it comes! Your doom has gone out. The rod has blossomed. Pride has budded.
11 Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness. None of them will remain, nor of their multitude, nor of their wealth. There will be nothing of value amongst them.
12 The time has come! The day draws near. Don't let the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn; for wrath is on all its multitude.
13 For the seller won't return to that which is sold, although they are still alive; for the vision concerns the whole multitude of it. None will return. None will strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.
14 They have blown the trumpet, and have made all ready; but no one goes to the battle; for my wrath is on all its multitude.
15 " 'The sword is outside, and the pestilence and the famine within. He who is in the field will die by the sword. He who is in the city will be devoured by famine and pestilence.
16 But those of those who escape, they will escape and will be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning, everyone in his iniquity.
17 All hands will be feeble, and all knees will be weak as water.
18 They will also clothe themselves with sackcloth, and horror will cover them. Shame will be on all faces, and baldness on all their heads.
19 They will cast their silver in the streets, and their gold will be as an unclean thing. Their silver and their gold won't be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath. They won't satisfy their souls or fill their bellies; because it has been the stumbling block of their iniquity.
20 As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things therein. Therefore I have made it to them as an unclean thing.
21 I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a plunder; and they will profane it.
22 I will also turn my face from them, and they will profane my secret place. Robbers will enter into it, and profane it.
23 " 'Make chains; for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the worst of the nations, and they will possess their houses. I will also make the pride of the strong to cease. Their holy places will be profaned.
25 Destruction comes! They will seek peace, and there will be none.
26 Mischief will come on mischief, and rumour will be on rumour. They will seek a vision of the prophet; but the law will perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders.
27 The king will mourn, and the prince will be clothed with desolation. The hands of the people of the land will be troubled. I will do to them after their way, and according to their own judgements I will judge them. Then they will know that I am the LORD.' "
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Ezekiel Chapter 7 Guide
The second denunciation dealt with the completeness of judgment. Its keynote was expressed in the words, "an end." The prophet declared that an end on the land and the people had been determined on, emphasizing that this final judgment would be accomplished by the act of God in order that they might know Him.
The prophet then proceeded to describe that end. Its first manifestation would be the paralysis of the people, so that when the trumpet was blown for the battle, and all was ready, none would move forward, being overcome by terror and grief. Such a method of judgment would be a clear demonstration of the activity of Jehovah. For a people armed and ready for battle to be suddenly smitten with a nameless terror and an overwhelming consciousness of weakness would be, to use the terms of our own day, phenomenal and supernatural. This paralysis of courage would issue in an overwhelming sense of poverty, not in the absolute lack of silver and gold, but in a wild casting away of silver in the streets and a sense of the uncleanness of gold, because these material riches would be useless as means of deliverance from Jehovah's wrath. All this would finally produce the confession of overwhelming perplexity, and no interpreter would be found. This second denunciation ended as did the first, by indicating the purpose of the vengeance. "They shall know that I am the Lord."
From "An Exposition of the Whole Bible" by G. Campbell Morgan.
Ezekiel Chapter 7 Commentary
Chapter Outline
- The desolation of the land. -- (1-15)
- The distress of the few who should escape. -- (16-22)
- The captivity. -- (23-27)
Verses 1-15
The abruptness of this prophecy, and the many repetitions, show that the prophet was deeply affected by the prospect of these calamities. Such will the destruction of sinners be; for none can avoid it. Oh that the wickedness of the wicked might end before it bring them to an end! Trouble is to the impenitent only an evil, it hardens their hearts, and stirs up their corruptions; but there are those to whom it is sanctified by the grace of God, and made a means of much good. The day of real trouble is near, not a mere echo or rumour of troubles. Whatever are the fruits of God's judgments, our sin is the root of them. These judgments shall be universal. And God will be glorified in all. Now is the day of the Lord's patience and mercy, but the time of the sinner's trouble is at hand.
Verses 16-22
Sooner or later, sin will cause sorrow; and those who will not repent of their sin, may justly be left to pine away in it. There are many whose wealth is their snare and ruin; and the gaining the world is the losing of their souls. Riches profit not in the day of wrath. The wealth of this world has not that in it which will answer the desires of the soul, or be any satisfaction to it in a day of distress. God's temple shall stand them in no stead. Those are unworthy to be honoured with the form of godliness, who will not be governed by its power.
Verses 23-27
Whoever break the bands of God's law, will find themselves bound and held by the chains of his judgments. Since they encouraged one another to sin, God would dishearten them. All must needs be in trouble, when God comes to judge them according to their deserts. May the Lord enable us to seek that good part which shall not be taken away.
From the "Concise Commentary on the Bible" by Matthew Henry.