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John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 21:21

For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways ,.... That is, he would stand there; the prophet knew that it was certain it should be, and therefore represents it as if it was; he had, by a spirit of prophecy, seen, that when the king of Babylon was come to such a place, on the borders of the desert of Arabia, where the road from Babylon parted, where two ways met, the one leading to Jerusalem on the right, and the other to Rabbath on the left, he should... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 21:22

At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem ,.... All his divinations, whether by arrows, or by images, or by liver, all directed him to his right hand, to turn to that which led to Jerusalem; and thus what appeared to him to be the effect of divination was overruled by the providence of God, to direct him to go and do what he designed he should: to appoint captains to open the mouth in the slaughter ; upon which he appointed his several captains and officers their distinct bodies... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 21:23

And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight ,.... That is, the Jews shall laugh at this divination as a vain thing, as a Heathenish practice, and of which nothing would come; and even at the prophet's account of it, and his prophecy concerning the king of Babylon coming to invade them; they looked upon them all as of a piece, trusting to their false prophets, who assured them that they should not be delivered into his hands: to them that have sworn oaths ; a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 21:24

Therefore thus saith the Lord God ,.... Because of their vain confidence, added to their perjury and perfidy: because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered ; their old sins, by committing new ones, both against the Lord, and against the king of Babylon: in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear ; both in their religious and civil actions; in the worship of God, and in their covenants and agreements with men; their sins were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 21:25

And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel ,.... Meaning Zedekiah, the then reigning prince; who is so called, because he had profaned or violated the oath and covenant he made with the king of Babylon, as well as because of other sins he was guilty of; and his being a prince of Israel was an aggravation of his crimes: now, though it is "not fit" in common, or for ordinary persons, "to say to a king thou art wicked, and to princes ye are ungodly", Job 34:18 , yet a prophet from the Lord,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 21:26

Thus saith the Lord God, remove the diadem, and take off the crown ,.... That is, from Zedekiah; and as these are the regalia and ensigns of royal dignity, taking them off signifies the deposition of him as a king, the stripping him of his kingly power and authority: an earthly crown is a corruptible and fading one, at most it continues but during this life, and sometimes not so long; it does not always sit firm; sometimes it is tottering and shakes, and sometimes quite fails off to the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 21:27

I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it ,.... The crown and kingdom of Judah; which being expressed three times, has not respect, as Kimchi thinks, to the three generations, in which the crown ceased after the captivity, as those of Asir, Shealtiel, Pedaiah; and in the fourth generation was restored to Zerubbabel; for he was no king, nor was there any of David's line after; nor were the Maccabees or Hasmoneans properly kings; but the phrase denotes the utter abolition of the kingly power,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 21:28

And thou, son of man, prophesy, and say ,.... Here begins a new prophecy, or rather an enlargement on part of the former; two ways being marked out for the sword of the Chaldeans to come in; the one leading to Jerusalem, the other to Rabbath of the Ammonites; the prophecy being finished concerning the former, here an account is given of the latter; how the sword should move that way, and what execution it would do: thus saith the Lord God concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 21:29

Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee ,.... The Ammonites had their seers, soothsayers, diviners, and false prophets, which they are bid to be aware of, and are cautioned against hearkening to, Jeremiah 27:3 , these told them they were in the utmost safety, and that the king of Babylon would not come against them; or, if he did, would not succeed, when his sword was drawn and furbished for the destruction of them: to bring thee upon the necks of the slain,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 21:30

Shall I cause it to return into his sheath ?.... The drawn and furbished sword of the Chaldeans? no, I will not; it shall never return or be put up until the Ammonites are utterly consumed. Some read these words in the imperative, as the Targum, "return the sword to its sheath;' so the Vulgate Latin version, "return to thy sheath"; and so may be considered as a direction to the Ammonites to put up their swords, and not stand in their own defence, since it would be to no purpose; though... read more

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