Say unto them, as I live, saith the Lord ,.... The following is the answer returned from the Lord by the prophet to their above complaint and reasoning; to which is premised the oath of God, showing the certainty, reality, and sincerity of what is said, which might be depended on as true: I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked , &c.; See Gill on Ezekiel 18:23 , Ezekiel 18:31 , Ezekiel 18:32 , read more
As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked - From this to the twentieth verse inclusive is nearly the same with Ezekiel 18, on which I wish the reader to consult the notes. read more
The hope and the way of life. Taking these words apart from their immediate application, as we may do without departing from their spirit and inner meaning, we are invited to think of— I. HUMAN HOPELESSNESS . "Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we pine away in them." The men into whose lips these words are put are very far from being the only ones to whom they apply. All men everywhere may say the same—all who live on in conscious departure from the will of God. 1.... read more
Men's misconception of God's government. Men are naturally prone to merge themselves in the nation. This was, perhaps, a stronger habit among the Jews than among us. They could not understand how that, while God punished the nation, he could protect the individual. Israel may be depressed in fortune, while yet Daniel and his companions are elevated. Sodom may be destroyed, but Lot shall be preserved. I. SUFFERING OFTEN BLINDS MEN 'S EYES TO GOD 'S EQUITABLENESS . It is... read more
Say unto them , etc. To meet that despair the prophet has to fall back on the truth which he had proclaimed once before ( Ezekiel 18:32 ). He must appear as uttering a message of pardon resting on the unchanging character of the great Absolver. Now, as ever, it is true that he willeth not the death of the wicked, that all punishment (in this world, at least) is meant to lead to repentance, and that for those who repent there is the hope of restoration and of life. No righteousness in the... read more
God's desire for the world's salvation. This is a Divine oath. God swears by his own life (see Hebrews 6:13 ). This shows how certain are the words spoken, how earnestly God desires men to accept them, and how difficult it is for men to believe them. I. MEN HAVE FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT GOD HAS NO PLEASURE IN THE DEATH OF THE WICKED . Doctrines of reprobation were once popular. People thought that God destined the greater part of mankind... read more
Ezekiel 33:10-11. If our transgressions be upon us, &c. If the unpardoned guilt of our sins lie upon us, and we be punished for them in the wasting of our country, the burning of our city, the abolishing the public worship of God, &c.; and we pine away in them Experience their bitter consequences in famine and disease, and in a variety of other calamities; how shall we live? How then can the promises of life belong to us? How can such assurances be true as were given us Eze... read more
33:1-39:29 RETURN TO THE LANDA new phase in Ezekiel’s work (33:1-20)Up till now Ezekiel’s messages have been concerned mainly with God’s judgment - first his judgment on Jerusalem, then his judgment on other nations. Now that Jerusalem has fallen (see v. 21), the prophet concentrates more on the task of building up the exiles. He wants them to be a new people who will be ready to repossess the land when God’s time comes. This, however, is going to involve some stern warnings. Ezekiel is... read more
As H live, he. Figure of speech Delete. App-6 . saith the Lord GOD = [is] Adonai Jehovah's oracle, See note on Ezekiel 2:4 . turn ye. Note the Figure of speech Epizeuxis . App-6 . evil. Hebrew. ra'a. App-44 . why will ye die . . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis . App-6 . read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 33:10-20
These verses are the substance of what we had before (Ezek. 18:20) and they are so full and express a declaration of the terms on which people stand with God (as the former were of the terms on which ministers stand) that it is no wonder that they are here repeated, as those were, though we had the substance of them before. Observe here, I. The cavils of the people against God's proceedings with them. God was now in his providence contending with them, but their uncircumcised hearts were not... read more