(a) Of Jeconiah's captivity and of the reign of Zedekiah, 2Ki 25:1.

(b) Called Tebeth, which contains part of December and part of January: in which month and day Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem.

2 Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day.

3 And utter a parable to the rebellious house, and say to them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Set on a {c} pot, set it on, and also pour water into it:

(c) By which was meant Jerusalem.

4 Gather its {d} pieces into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.

(d) That is the citizens and the chief men of it.

5 Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the {e} bones under it, and make it boil well, and let them boil its bones in it.

(e) Meaning, of the innocents whom they had slain, who were the cause of the kindling of God's wrath against them.

6 Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot {f} whose scum is in it, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out {g} piece by piece; let no {h} lot fall upon it.

(f) Whose iniquities and wicked citizens there yet remain.

(g) Signifying that they should not be destroyed all at once, but little by little.

(h) Spare no estate or condition.

7 For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a {i} rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;

(i) The city showed her cruelty to all the world, and was not ashamed of it, neither yet hid it.

8 That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.

9 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.

10 Heap on wood, {k} kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.

(k) Meaning that the city would be utterly destroyed and that he would give the enemies an appetite for it.

11 Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed.

12 {l} She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire.

(l) The city has flattered herself in vain.

13 In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I {m} have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee.

(m) I laboured by sending my prophets to call you to repentance but you would not.

14 I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall {n} they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.

(n) That is, the Babylonians.

15 Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

16 Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the {o} desire of thy eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.

(o) Meaning his wife in whom he delighted, as in Eze 24:18.

17 Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind thy turban upon thee, {p} and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat {q} not the bread of men.

(p) For in mourning they went bare headed and barefooted and also covered their lips.

(q) That is, which the neighbours sent to them that mourned.

18 So I spoke to the people in the morning: and at evening my wife died; and I did {r} in the morning as I was commanded.

(r) Meaning the morning following.

19 And the people said unto me, Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?

20 Then I answered them, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

21 Speak to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will {s} profane my sanctuary, the {t} excellence of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.

(s) By sending the Chaldeans to destroy it, as in Geneva Eze 7:22.

(t) In which you boast and delight.

22 And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.

23 And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another.

24 Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do: and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

25 Also, thou son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters,

26 That he that escapeth in that day shall come unto thee, to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?

27 In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.