Ezekiel 16:40 - Exposition

The punishment of stoning was, as a rule, inflicted by the "congregation" ( Numbers 15:36 ), or by the men of the city (Le Ezekiel 20:2 ). Other forms of punishement for impurity were those of the sword and burning, as in Le Ezekiel 20:14 ; Ezekiel 21:9 . The thrusting through (better, hewing; the word is not found elsewhere) probably points to mutilation after death, as in the case of Agog ( 1 Samuel 15:33 : comp. 19:29 ; Daniel 2:5 ; Daniel 3:29 ). in this case the "congregation" or "company" is the army of the Chaldeans, and each form of punishment has its counterpart in the various agencies which they employed for the punishment of the city.