HarperCollins Study Bible, page 302
An Everlasting Covenant
59Yes, thus says the Lord GOD: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath, breaking the covenant; 60yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant. 61Then you will remember your ways, and be ashamed when Ih take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and give them to you as daughters, but not on account of myi covenant with you. 62I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the LORD, 63in order that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I forgive you all that you have done, says the Lord GOD.
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a Gk Syr: Heb Live! I made you a myriad
b Cn: Heb ornament of ornaments
c Meaning of Heb uncertain
d Meaning of Heb uncertain
e Heb adds let it be his
f Meaning of Heb uncertain
g Another reading is Edom
h Syr: Heb you
i Heb lacks my
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16.1–63 An extended discourse in which Jerusalem is understood as God’s adulterous wife.
16.1–7 Jerusalem the orphan.
16.2 Make known…her abominations has legal connotations.
16.3 Land of the Canaanites, ancient Syro-Palestine, which is roughly equivalent to Lebanon and Israel today. Jerusalem was under Jebusite (or Canaanite) control before David conquered it. Amorite culture is generally associated with Syria and the Transjordan; Hittite with ancient Anatolia (but some Hittites lived in Syro-Palestine, e.g., Uriah the Hittite, 2 Sam 11.3). In biblical traditions, Amorites and Hittites are generally the pre-Israelite population. These three ethnolinguistic categories—Canaanite, Amorite, and Hittite—define Jerusalem’s origin as different from that of Israel, which traced its lineage through Abraham to Nahor (see Gen 11.22–26). Jerusalem is a “foreigner.”
16.4–5 Standard birth rituals were not performed, possibly because the parents intended to commit infanticide by exposure in a field.
16.6–7 God discovers the foundling and admonishes her to remain alive. And grow up, in Hebrew “I made you a myriad” or “I made you flourish.” In this translation, God assists the child at the very first instance.
16.8–14 On the image of covering with a garment in order to symbolize an intent to marry, cf. Ruth 3.9. I pledged myself to you…and you became mine echoes standard covenant language (e.g., Ex 6.7). God performs various ministrations on behalf of his new wife. They involve cleansing, clothing and jewelry, and special food.
16.15–34 Jerusalem, understood now as an adulterous wife, commits various sinful acts. Hos 2 and Jer 2–3 also liken Israel to an unfaithful wife.
16.16 Using textiles, the wife makes colorful shrines, whether for veneration of other deities or for illicit sexual practice (or both, as in sacral prostitution) is unclear.
16.17–19 Using precious metals and garments the woman makes and clothes male images and sets food before them.
16.20–21 Children born to the woman are sacrificed; cf. Jer 19.4–6; 32.35, which attribute child sacrifice to veneration of Baal.
16.23–26 The wife is indicted for having built a structure (platform), whether ritual or not is uncertain, where she engaged in prostitution (cf. ch. 23). Egyptians, allusion to a treaty made with Egypt.
16.27–29 God’s sentence includes punishment by the daughters of the Philistines, but mention of whoring with Assyria and Babylon (Chaldea) continues the tone of indictment. The order of foreign nations parallels a sketch of Israelite history: slavery in Egypt, conflict with Philistia, and confrontation with the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires.
16.30–34 Jerusalem gave presents to rather than received income from those with whom she had intercourse.
16.35–43 God will punish Jerusalem by using the foreign nations with whom she has committed adultery.
16.40 See Deut 22.22–24 for laws concerning adultery, which involve death by stoning.
16.41 Burn your houses. On destruction by fire, see 23.47.
16.44–52 Though mother-daughter imagery continues, siblings now appear: Samaria the elder and Sodom the younger. Sodom’s sins centered on injustice (v. 49); Samaria’s sins remain unnamed. Both cities had already been destroyed, Sodom in the distant past (Gen 19), Samaria in 721 BCE. Jerusalem has, however, committed more abominations (v. 51) than either sister.
16.53–58 Restoration for Sodom, Samaria, and Jerusalem. (Cf. Jer 12.14–17 on the concept of restoration of many Syro-Palestinian cities and states.) The goal of the restoration is, however, their suffering disgrace and being ashamed (v. 54).
16.57 Aram, in Hebrew; a variant manuscript tradition reads “Edom” cf. 25.12.
16.59–63 An everlasting covenant.
16.59 Oath, covenant, complementary terms; in taking an oath one makes a covenant (cf. Deut 29.12). Deuteronomic vocabulary and rhetoric make it clear that the prophet alludes to the Sinai covenant.
16.60 References to an earlier covenant and an everlasting covenant suggest that the latter refers to a new covenant. Cf. 37.26; Jer 31.31–34.
16.61 God will introduce new kinship relationships. Samaria and Sodom, which had earlier been “sisters,” will now become daughters of Jerusalem.
16.62 God will, ultimately, absolve Jerusalem of her sin.
EZEKIEL 17
The Two Eagles and the Vine
1The word of the LORD came to me: 2O mortal, propound a riddle, and speak an allegory to the house of Israel. 3Say: Thus says the Lord GOD:
A great eagle, with great wings and long pinions,
rich in plumage of many colors,
came to the Lebanon.
He took the top of the cedar,
4broke off its topmost shoot;
he carried it to a land of trade,
set it in a city of merchants.
5Then he took a seed from the land,
placed it in fertile soil;
a planta by abundant waters,
he set it like a willow twig.
6It sprouted and became a vine
spreading out, but low;
its branches turned toward him,
its roots remained where it stood.
So it became a vine;
it brought forth branches,
put forth foliage.
7There was another great eagle,
with great wings and much plumage.
And see! This vine stretched out
its roots toward him;
it shot out its branches toward him,
so that he might water it.
From the bed where it was planted
8it was transplanted
to good soil by abundant waters,
so that it might produce branches
and bear fruit
and become a noble vine.
9Say: Thus says the Lord GOD:
Will it prosper?
Will he not pull up its roots,
cause its fruit to rotb and wither,
its fresh sprouting leaves to fade?
No strong arm or mighty army will be needed
to pull it from its roots.
10When it is transplanted, will it thrive?
When the east wind strikes it,
will it not utterly wither,
wither on the bed where it grew?
11Then the word of the LORD came to me: 12Say now to the rebellious house: Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them: The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and its officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon. 13He took one of the royal offspring and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath (he had taken away the chief men of the land), 14so that the kingdom might be humble and not lift itself up, and that by keeping his covenant it might stand. 15But he rebelled against him by sending ambassadors to Egypt, in order that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape? 16As I live, says the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king resides who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant with him he broke—in Babylon he shall die. 17Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in war, when ramps are cast up and siege walls built to cut off many lives. 18Because he despised the oath and broke the covenant, because he gave his hand and yet did all these things, he shall not escape. 19Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, I will surely return upon his head my oath that he despised, and my covenant that he broke. 20I will spread my net over him, and he shall be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treason he has committed against me. 21All the pickc of his troops shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind; and you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken.
Israel Exalted at Last
22Thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will take a sprig
from the lofty top of a cedar;
I will set it out.
I will break off a tender one
from the topmost of its young twigs;
I myself will plant it
on a high and lofty mountain.
23On the mountain height of Israel
I will plant it,
in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,
and become a noble cedar.
Under it every kind of bird will live;
in the shade of its branches will nest
winged creatures of every kind.
24All the trees of the field shall know
that I am the LORD.
I bring low the high tree,
I make high the low tree;
I dry up the green tree
and make the dry tree flourish.
I the LORD have spoken;
I will accomplish it.
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a Meaning of Heb uncertain
b Meaning of Heb uncertain
c Another reading is fugitives
17.1–24 The two eagles, the vine, and the cedar.
17.2 Riddle and allegory normally refer to different kinds of sayings. On riddle in the OT, cf. Judg 14.12–19. Allegory, translated proverb in 12.23; 16.44, 18.2. Hence, though there may be allegorical elements in ch. 17, the Hebrew word itself does not define these verses as an allegory.
17.3–10 Most of the important symbols allude to kings and international politics from 598 to 588 BCE.
17.3–6 The cedar, traditionally associated with Lebanon, is a majestic tree; cf. ch. 31; Ps 92.12. A great eagle, Nebuchadnezzar, who took a city of merchants into exile. Topmost shoot, Jehoiachin. Seed, vine, Zedekiah, who was placed on the throne by and was initially loyal to Nebuchadnezzar.
17.7–8 Another great eagle, the pharaoh Psammetichus II, to whom Zedekiah expressed allegiance, abandoning his oath of loyalty to the Neo-Babylonians. This transfer of loyalty is expressed by the imagery of transplanting.
17.9–10 Various symbols (pull up its roots, the east wind) refer to Nebuchadnezzar’s attack and siege (January 588–August 587 BCE) of Zedekiah in Jerusalem. Rhetorical questions underline the impossibility of survival.
17.11–15 In prose the prophet recounts the individuals and events to which earlier poetry alludes. As with the poem, the prose version concludes with a series of questions.
17.16–21 Two divine oaths. The first (vv. 16–18) foresees Zedekiah’s death in Babylonian exile due to inadequate Egyptian military assistance. Zedekiah is condemned for having violated his treaty obligation to Nebuchadnezzar. The second (vv. 19–21) focuses on the military defeat, capture, and exile of Zedekiah as acts of God.
17.21 The pick, or “fugitives” as attested in some Greek manuscript traditions.
17.22 God, instead of a great eagle (v. 3), will plant a cedar shoot in Israel.
17.23 The mountain height, possibly Zion (Ps 48.1–2), which would be consistent with a replanting or restoration of the Davidic house (cf. Isa 11.1; Jer 23.5–6; 33.15). Every kind of bird (cf. Gen 7.14), along with the reference to a high mountain and a singular tree, provides cosmic scale for the deity’s action.
17.24 Typical for Ezekiel, God’s action redounds to his glory and demonstrates the deity’s ability to enact a word. Bring low…make high, a rhetorical figure that defines God’s power; cf. 1 Sam 2.7; Pss 75.7; 147.6.
EZEKIEL 18
Individual Retribution
1The word of the LORD came to me: 2What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”? 3As I live, says the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die.
5If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right—6if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period, 7does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 8does not take advance or accrued interest, withholds his hand from iniquity, executes true justice between contending parties, 9follows my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances, acting faithfully—such a one is righteous; he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD.
10If he has a son who is violent, a shedder of blood, 11who does any of these things (though his fathera does none of them), who eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor’s wife, 12oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes to the idols, commits abomination, 13takes advance or accrued interest; shall he then live? He shall not. He has done all these abominable things; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.
14But if this man has a son who sees all the sins that his father has done, considers, and does not do likewise, 15who does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, 16does not wrong anyone, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, 17withholds his hand from iniquity,b takes no advance or accrued interest, observes my ordinances, and follows my statutes; he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; he shall surely live. 18As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, he dies for his iniquity.
19Yet you say, “Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?” When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. 20The person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own.
21But if the wicked turn away from all their sins that they have committed and keep all my statutes and do what is lawful and right, they shall surely live; they shall not die. 22None of the transgressions that they have committed shall be remembered against them; for the righteousness that they have done they shall live. 23Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord GOD, and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live? 24But when the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity and do the same abominable things that the wicked do, shall they live? None of the righteous deeds that they have done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which they are guilty and the sin they have committed, they shall die.
25Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? 26When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. 27Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. 28Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die. 29Yet the house of Israel says, “The way of the Lord is unfair.” O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?
30Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according to your ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin.c 31Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord GOD. Turn, then, and live.
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a Heb he
b Gk: Heb the poor
c Or so that they shall not be a stumbling block of iniquity to you
18.1–32 Justice for the individual.
18.1–4 A popular saying prompts reflection and rejection by both Ezekiel and Jeremiah (Jer 31.29–30). Quoting such terse Israelite sayings is typical of Ezekiel, e.g., 12.21;16.44. The saying grows logically out of provisions for the unlimited liability of covenant punishment, which regularly extended well beyond the individual violating a stipulation, e.g., “to the third and fourth generation” (Ex 20.5). By contrast, Ezekiel provides a postulate that focuses on God’s concern for all lives. Individuals will live or die according to their own deeds.
