the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
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Bishop's Bible
Ezekiel 21:23
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But the people in Jerusalem will think this is all a big mistake. They will not believe that this could happen, because they had made a peace agreement with Babylon's king. But the king will remind them that they are guilty of breaking that agreement, and he will take them captive."
The people of Jerusalem will think it is a false omen, because of their treaty with the Babylonians. But the king of Babylon will remind the people of their rebellion. Then he will attack and capture them.
"And it will be to them like a false divination in their eyes; they have sworn solemn oaths. But he makes guilt known, so that they may be seized.
The people of Jerusalem have made agreements with other nations to help them fight Babylon. So they will think this prediction is wrong, but it is really proof of their sin, and they will be captured.
But those in Jerusalem will view it as a false omen. They have sworn solemn oaths, but the king of Babylon will accuse them of violations in order to seize them.
And it shall be to them as a false reading in their sight, who have sworn oaths to them; but he brings iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.
And it shall be to them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.
"It will seem like a false divination in their eyes, those who have sworn solemn oaths [of allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar]. But he will remind them of their guilt [by rebelling and violating their oath], that they may be caught.
But to them it will seem like a false divination. They have sworn solemn oaths, but he brings their guilt to remembrance, that they may be taken.
It shall be to them as a false divination in their sight, who have sworn oaths to them; but he brings iniquity to memory, that they may be taken.
And he shal be as counceling in veyn goddis answer bifor the iyen of hem, and seruynge the reste of sabatis; but he schal haue mynde on wickidnesse, to take.
And it shall be unto them as a vain divination in their sight, which have sworn oaths unto them: but he bringeth iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.
It will seem like a false omen to the eyes of those who have sworn allegiance to him, but it will draw attention to their guilt and take them captive.
Everyone in Jerusalem had promised to be loyal to Babylonia, and so none of them will believe that this could happen to them. But Babylonia's king will remind them of their sinful ways and warn them of their coming captivity.
And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, who have sworn oaths unto them; but he bringeth iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.
And this answer given by secret arts will seem false to those who have given their oaths and have let them be broken: but he will keep the memory of evil-doing so that they may be taken.
The word of Adonai came to me:
And this shall be a false divination in their sight, for them that have sworn oaths; but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:
And it shall be vnto them as a false diuination in their sight, to them that haue sworne oathes: but he will call to remembrance the iniquitie, that they may be taken.
The people who promised to obey him will not believe this. But he will make them remember their guilt so that they may be taken.
But to them it will seem like a false divination; they have sworn solemn oaths; but he brings their guilt to remembrance, bringing about their capture.
And it shalbe vnto them as a false diuination in their sight for the othes made vnto them: but hee will call to remembrance their iniquitie, to the intent they should be taken.
And it shall be as a false divination to them; but he will call to remembrance their iniquity, that they may be captured.
Though it will become to them a veritably false divination in their eyes, even when hound by oaths to theme Yet he calling to mind iniquity, will determine that it shall he captured.
And he shall be in their eyes as one consulting the oracle in vain, and imitating the leisure of sabbaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity that they may be taken.
But to them it will seem like a false divination; they have sworn solemn oaths; but he brings their guilt to remembrance, that they may be captured.
And he was to them as one using divination before them, and he himself recounting his iniquities, that they might be borne in mind.
The people of Jerusalem won't believe this because of the treaties they have made. But this prediction is to remind them of their sins and to warn them that they will be captured.
It will seem like false divination to those who have sworn an oath to the Babylonians, but it will draw attention to their guilt so that they will be captured.
It shall be to them as a false divination in their sight, who have sworn oaths to them; but he brings iniquity to memory, that they may be taken.
And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.
And it will be to them like practicing divination falsely in their eyes; they have sworn oaths for themselves. But he will bring their guilt to remembrance so as to seize them.
And it shall be to them an empty divining before their eyes, those who have sworn oaths to them. But he will remember iniquity, that they may be taken.
And it hath been to them as a false divination in their eyes, Who have sworn oaths to them, And he is causing iniquity to be remembered to be caught.
Neuertheles, as for ye soythsayenge, they shall holde it but for vanite, euen as though a iest were tolde them: Yee and they them selues remembre their wickednesse, so that by right they must be take and wonne.
"To the Judah leaders, who themselves have sworn oaths, it will seem like a false divination, but he will remind them of their guilt, and so they'll be captured.
And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.
"And it will be to them like a false divination in their eyes; they have sworn solemn oaths. But he brings iniquity to remembrance, that they may be seized.
And it will be to them like a worthless divination in their eyes; they have sworn solemn oaths. But he brings iniquity to remembrance, that they may be seized.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
as a: Ezekiel 11:3, Ezekiel 12:22, Isaiah 28:14, Isaiah 28:15
to them that have sworn oaths: or, for the oaths made unto them, Ezekiel 17:13-19, 2 Chronicles 36:13
but: 2 Kings 24:20, 2 Kings 25:1-7, Jeremiah 52:3-11
call: Ezekiel 21:24, Ezekiel 29:16, Numbers 5:15, 1 Kings 17:18, Revelation 16:19
Reciprocal: Psalms 7:12 - he will Jeremiah 44:21 - did Ezekiel 13:6 - lying Ezekiel 17:19 - surely Ezekiel 23:24 - I will set
Cross-References
Then toke Abimelech sheepe and oxen, men seruauntes and women seruauntes, & gaue [them] vnto Abraham, and delyuered hym Sara his wyfe agayne.
And he dwelt in the wyldernesse of Paran, and his mother got hym a wyfe out of the lande of Egypt.
And at the same season, Abimelech and Phicol his chiefe captayne spake vnto Abraham, saying, God [is] with thee in all that thou doest:
And nowe therefore, sweare vnto me euen here by God, that thou wylt not hurt me, nor my chyldren, nor my chyldrens children: but that thou shalt deale with me and the countrey where thou hast ben a straunger, accordyng vnto the kyndnesse that I haue shewed thee.
And I wyll make thee sweare by the Lorde God of heauen, and God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wyfe vnto my sonne of the daughters of the Chanaanites, amongest which I dwel:
Whiche aunswered: We sawe most certainly that the Lord was with thee, and we sayde: let there be nowe an oth betwixt vs, euen betwixt vs and thee, and let vs make a league with thee:
Nowe therfore come on, and let vs make a league I and thou, which may be a wytnesse betwene me and thee.
The God of Abraham, and the God of Nachor, and the God of theyr father, be iudge betwixt vs. And Iacob sware by the feare of his father Isahac.
Thou shalt feare the Lorde thy God and serue hym, and shalt sweare by his name.
Nowe therfore, I pray you sweare vnto me by the Lorde, that as I haue shewed you mercie, ye shall also shewe mercie vnto my fathers house, and geue me a true token:
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight,.... That is, the Jews shall laugh at this divination as a vain thing, as a Heathenish practice, and of which nothing would come; and even at the prophet's account of it, and his prophecy concerning the king of Babylon coming to invade them; they looked upon them all as of a piece, trusting to their false prophets, who assured them that they should not be delivered into his hands:
to them that have sworn oaths; a description of the Jews, who had with their king Zedekiah sworn allegiance to the king of Babylon; which oaths they had violated, taking others to the king of Egypt; or, "because they were bound by oaths to them" s; meaning either the Egyptians, who had bound themselves by oaths to protect the Jews; and therefore they feared nothing from this pretended divination and prophecy, as they judged them to be, though they had not kept faith with the Chaldeans themselves; or the Jews, because of the Egyptians who had entered into an alliance with them, confirmed by oaths; and this had made them secure, on this they depended. The Targum takes the words as if they signified "seven times seven"; and gives this strange paraphrase of them, accounting for the vain confidence of the Jews;
"and their divinations were lies in their eyes, and the enchantments with which he enchanted them; for they knew not that he had observed forty nine times (i.e. his arrows, images, and liver), and an answer was returned upon the word, till the time came to him in which they should be delivered into his hands:''
but he will call to remembrance the iniquity: that is, Nebuchadnezzar would call to mind the perfidy and perjury of the king of Judah, in breaking covenant with him, and violating his oath. Some think that the Chaldeans that were with Nebuchadnezzar were not satisfied at first that it was a true divination that was made, they being set upon the taking of Rabbath first; but Nebuchadnezzar, remembering and putting them in mind of the treachery of Zedekiah, reconciled them to it, and determined them in the expedition against the Jews:
that they may be taken; as birds in a snare, or beasts in a net, and be carried captive.
s שבעי שבעות להם "quia obstrieti jurameutis eis suat", Piscator.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The third word of judgment. The king of Babylon’s march upon Judaea and upon the Ammonites. Destruction is to go forth not on Judah only, but also on such neighboring tribes as the Ammonites (compare Jeremiah 27:2-3).
Ezekiel 21:19
Appoint thee - Set before thee.
Choose thou a place, choose it - Rather, “mark a spot, mark it,” as upon a map, at the head of the two roads, one leading to Jerusalem, the other to Ammon. These were the two roads by one or other of which an invading army must march from Babylon to Egypt.
Ezekiel 21:21
The Chaldaean king is depicted standing at the entrance of the holy land from the north, meditating his campaign, using rites of divination that really belonged to the Akkadians, a primitive race which originally occupied the plains of Mesopotamia. The Accadians and the Etruscans belong through the Finnish family to the Turanian stock; this passage therefore shows a characteristic mode of divination in use among two widely separated nations; and as the Romans acquired their divination from the conquered Etruscans, so the Chaldaeans acquired the same art from the races whose soil they had occupied as conquerors.
He made his arrows briqht - Rather, he shook his arrow; a mode of divination much in practice with the Arabians. It was usual to place in some vessel three arrows, on one of which was written, “My God orders me;” on the other, “My God forbids me;” on the third was no inscription. These three arrows were shaken together until one came out; if it was the first, the thing was to be done; if the second, it was to be avoided; if the third, the arrows were again shaken together, until one of the arrows bearing a decided answer should come forth.
Images - Teraphim (Genesis 31:19 note).
He looked in the liver - It was the practice both of the Greeks and the Romans (derived from the Etruscans) to take omens from the inspection of the entrails (especially the liver) of animals offered in sacrifice.
Ezekiel 21:22
The divination for Jerusalem - The lot fixing the campaign against Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 21:23
It shalt be unto them - The Jews in their vain confidence shall look upon the hopes gathered from the divinations by the Babylonians as false and groundless.
To them that have sworn oaths - According to some, “oaths of oaths are theirs;” i. e., they have the most solemn oaths sworn by God to His people, in these they trust, forgetful of the sin which broke the condition upon which these promises were given. More probably the allusion is to the oaths which the Jews had sworn to Nebuchadnezzar as vassals Ezekiel 17:18-19; therefore they trust he will not attack them, forgetting how imperfectly they had kept their oaths, and that Nebuchadnezzar knew this.
But he will call to remembrance the iniquity - The king of Babylon will by punishment remind them of their perjury 2 Kings 25:6-7; 2 Chronicles 36:17.
Ezekiel 21:25
Profane - Rather, “wounded,” - not dead but - having a death-wound. The prophet, turning from the general crowd, addresses Zedekiah.
When iniquity shall have an end - i. e., at the time when iniquity shall be closed with punishment. So in Ezekiel 21:29.
Ezekiel 21:26
The diadem (“the mitre,” the unique head-dress of the high priest) shall be removed, and the crown taken off (this shall not be as it is), the low exalted, and the high abased. Glory shall be removed alike from priest and king; the present glory and power attached to the government of God’s people shall be quite removed.
Ezekiel 21:27
It shall be no more - Or, “This also shall not be;” the present state of things shall not continue: all shall be confusion “until He come” to whom the dominion belongs of right. Not Zedekiah but Jeconiah and his descendants were the rightful heirs of David’s throne. Through the restoration of the true line was there hope for Judah (compare Genesis 49:10), the promised King in whom all power shall rest - the Son of David - Messiah the Prince. Thus the prophecy of destruction ends for Judah in the promise of restoration (as in Ezekiel 20:40 ff).
Ezekiel 21:28
The burden of the Song of the Sword, also in the form of poetry, is again taken up, directed now against the Ammonites, who, exulting in Judah’s destruction, fondly deemed that they were themselves to escape. For Judah there is yet hope, for Ammon irremediable ruin.
Their reproach - The scorn with which they reproach Judah (marginal references).
The sword ... the glittering - Or, “the sword is drawn for the slaughter; it is furbished that it may detour, in order that it may glitter.” In the Septuagint (and Vulgate) the sword is addressed; e. g., Septuagint, “Arise that thou mayest shine.”
Ezekiel 21:29
Whiles ... unto thee - A parenthesis. The Ammonites had their false diviners who deluded with vain hopes.
To bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain - To cast thee (Ammon) upon the heap of slaughtered men.
Shall have an end - Shall have its final doom.
Ezekiel 21:30
Shall I cause it to return ... - Or, Back to its sheath! The work of the sword is over.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Ezekiel 21:23. To them that have sworn oaths — To Zedekiah and his ministers, who had bound themselves by the oath of the Lord to be faithful to the Chaldeans, and to pay them the promised tribute. The oaths may refer, farther, to the alliances formed with the Egyptians, Ammonites, and others. They will not believe that Nebuchadnezzar shall suceeed against them, while they expect the powerful assistance of the Egyptians.
