Ezekiel 5:7

Therefore thus saith the Lord God,.... Having observed their sins, and which are still enlarged upon, the Lord proceeds to denounce his judgments against them: because ye multiplied more than the

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done

Ye multiplied: there is some difficulty in assigning what it is they multiplied in, either numbers of people, benefits received from God, luxury, pride, tumultuousness, with increase of your riches; or in idols, superstitions, and appendant wickednesses. This last seems most agreeable with the text; the rest may not be excluded. According to the judgments of the nations; while you have exceeded the nations in superstition and idolatry, you have fallen short of them in the moralities of their life, and done less good than they, taught by a far more imperfect law than-you, .

Ezekiel 5:7 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye multiplied more than the nations that [are] round about you, [and] have not walked in my statutes, neither have kept my judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that [are] round about you;Ver. 7. Because ye multiplied,] scil., Your transgressions and superstitions, or because ye have abounded with blessings, and made me so ill a requital. Some render it Quia tumultuastis vos plus quam vicinae gentes; and indeed there were many murders committed among them, and many revolts from foreign princes whom they had sworn to serve. Neither have done according to the judgment of the nations.] But have outsinned them, qui deos suos quamvis viles et multos non mutant, who change not their gods (as you have done me, Jeremiah 2:10-11), but follow the natural light of reason (some of them at least do so, Romans 2:14), which you have debauched. See 1 Corinthians 5:1 Ezekiel 16:46-48.

(7) Because ye multiplied.—Rather, Because ye have raged, as the same word is translated in Psalms 2:1, and as its meaning is given in the lexicons. The meaning is, because they had shown more self-will and opposition to God. Neither have done according to the judgments of the nations.—These words admit of either of two senses: “neither have kept those natural laws observed by the heathen,” and in this case the Israelites would have been represented as worse in their actual conduct than the surrounding heathen; or, “neither have kept your Divine laws as the heathen have observed those laws which they know by the light of nature and tradition.” The latter we conceive to be the true sense here. If Israel did precisely what the heathen did, they would be far more unfaithful (See Ezekiel 11:12.) In Ezekiel 16:47, also, they are distinctly charged with being even more corrupt than the heathen; and there, too, the thought is plainly that they had sinned against more grace. (See Excursus III.) C: ON CHAPTER 5:7.The expression in this verse, and also that in Ezekiel 16:47, are explained in the commentary as meaning that the Israelites were not absolutely worse than the heathen, but only relatively, in view of their opportunities and privileges; yet the language in both places, as well as in many other passages of the prophets, seems on its face to be absolute. The question may, therefore, be naturally asked whether it is justifiable to interpret it in a relative sense, and if so, on what grounds? The answer to these questions must be sought in a consideration of the whole character and history of Israel, which will show that what might be only a relatively greater wickedness in them according to a human standard, becomes, under the circumstances, an absolutely greater sin against God. It certainly is not true that the Israelites as a nation habitually committed sins which were, in themselves considered, of greater enormity than the abominations of the heathen; nor is it to be supposed that they were originally chosen of God because they had a worse disposition than any other people. How, then, did they come to be regarded by Him as worse, and how did they come to have a greater proclivity to evil? The law of the moral government of the world, that responsibility is proportioned to privilege, is much insisted upon in Scripture; and hence the neglect or misuse of privilege leads to a severer condemnation than if the privilege had never been given. This law is in accordance with the fact of universal experience that grace, when resisted, hardens the heart and alienates it further from God. It is only in view of this fact that we can account for the rejection of our Lord by those among whom His mighty works were done. The same fact explains the strong terms in which the prophets continually reproach their people.

5–17. Explanation of the four preceding symbols Jerusalem, set in the midst of the nations and favoured of God above them all, has even exceeded them in wickedness (Ezekiel 5:5-6). Therefore God’s judgments upon her shall be unparalleled in severity, first in the horrors of the siege, and secondly in the terrible miseries of pestilence, famine and blood that shall follow it (Ezekiel 5:7-17).

Because ye multiplied - Some prefer: Because ye have raged tumultuously.” Neither have done according to the judgments - (or, ordinances) of the nations The reproach is that the Israelites have not

7. Because ye multiplied — R.V., “Because ye are turbulent;” but Cornill’s emendation seems commendable: “because ye are rebellious.” Neither have done according to the judgments of the nations — Not