Ezekiel 39:11-16

Ezekiel 39:11-Nehemiah : . To cleanse the holy land from the defilement caused by the corpses of these heathen hordes, the common people were to spend seven months in collecting and burying them, in a place appointed for that purpose east of the Dead Sea; and after that, to ensure the absolute holiness of the land, permanent officials were to be appointed to go through it scrupulously marking every spot where even a bone was found— that it might be buried in the proper place, and the land cleansed of all defilement. (In Ezekiel 39:11 after “ place” add, with LXX, “ of renown.” For “ of them that pass through,” read with different pointing “ of the Abarim,” i.e. some valley at the N.E. corner of the Dead Sea. For “ it shall stop, etc.” we should perhaps read, “ and they— the Israelites— shall close (the mouth of) the valley.” Hamon means multitude. In Ezekiel 39:14 omit “ them that pass through.” The first half of Ezekiel 39:16 is obscure.)