And the sticks whereon thou writest ,.... Or art about to write the above things, according to order and direction: shall be in thine hand before their eyes ; shall be held up to them to look at for some time, and observe the cement of the two sticks; and learn and lay up in their minds what is meant by this emblem; and be assured that what is hereafter said as a further explication of it shall certainly be fulfilled. read more
And say unto them, thus saith the Lord God ,.... Or, as the Targum, "thou shalt prophesy to them;' for what follows is a prophecy of what shall be in the latter day: behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the Heathen, whither they be gone , or, "from among the Gentiles" F2 מבין הגויים "e medio ipsarum gentium", Junius & Tremellius; "ex gentibus", Starckius; "e vel medio gentium", Piscator, Cocceius. ; not only the Chaldeans, where they were carried... read more
And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel , As they were in the times of David and Solomon, who were both types of the Messiah; and to whose times is referred this prophecy by the ancient Jews F5 Zohar in Gen. fol. 85. 4. , as then to have its accomplishment: and one king shall be king to them all , not Zerubbabel, nor Nehemiah, nor Judas Maccabaeus; for these were neither of them kings; and much less such as reigned for ever, as it is said this king... read more
Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols ,.... With their dung , or dunghill gods F7 בגלוליהם "diis stercoreis suis", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus; "stercoribus suis", Cocceius, Starckius. ; either with the idols of the Gentiles, or their own: after their return from the Babylonish captivity, the Jews were no more addicted to idolatry; and the image worship of the Papists is an abhorrence to them at this day, and a stumblingblock to them in their... read more
And David my servant shall be king over them ,.... The King Messiah, as Kimchi interprets it; and so Abarbinel F9 Mashmiah Jeshuah, fol. 47. 4. Vid. Sepher Ikkarim, l. 2. c. 28. and others; being of the seed of David, and of whom David was an eminent type; and who, as Mediator, is the Lord's servant, and as man appeared in the form of one: this shows that this prophecy looks further than the times of deliverance from the Babylonish captivity: and they all shall have one shepherd :... read more
And they shall dwell in the land which I have given to Jacob my servant ,.... Abraham and Isaac are not mentioned, as Kimchi observes, because they had other children, who did not inherit the land; only Jacob, because the land was given to him, and his seed alter him: wherein your fathers have dwelt ; and so the more desirable to them; and whose inhabitation and possession of it were a pledge of theirs: and they shall dwell therein, even they and their children, and their children's... read more
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them ,.... So the covenant of grace is called, Isaiah 54:10 , one principal article of which is peace and reconciliation made between God and his people by the blood of Christ, agreed on in that covenant, from whence it has its name: now here it signifies that this covenant should be made known to the converted Jews, and their interest in it; in virtue of which they shall see that peace is made for them by the blood of Christ; and shall have a... read more
My tabernacle also shall be with them ,.... The symbol of his presence: the meaning is, that he shall dwell in them by his Spirit and grace; and everyone of them shall be the temple of the living God, in whom he will walk and dwell: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people ; which is repeated for the confirmation of it; see Ezekiel 37:23 . read more
And the Heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel ,.... Or the Gentiles, the converted Gentiles, shall observe and take notice of the gracious dealings of God with his people the Jews; that he calls them with an holy calling; implants principles of grace and holiness in them; separates and consecrates them for his service, and enables them to walk holily, soberly, and righteously: when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore ; when his worship shall be set up... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 37:15-28
Here are more exceedingly great and precious promises made of the happy state of the Jews after their return to their own land; but they have a further reference to the kingdom of the Messiah and the glories of gospel-times. I. It is here promised that Ephraim and Judah shall be happily united in brotherly love and mutual serviceableness; so that whereas, ever since the desertion of the ten tribes from the house of David under Jeroboam, there had been continual feuds and animosities between... read more