P R E F A CЕ. I MOST gratefully acknowledge the important helps which I have received in my attempt to explain the prophet Ezekiel; as they will stamp on the following work its principal value. His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury very obligingly allowed me a transcript of Archbishop Secker's valuable notes, from the manuscripts bequeathed to the Lambeth library; and likewise of that judicious writer's dissertation on the vision of the temple, which is inserted in its proper place. Dr. Woide, of the British Museum, deserves to be as well known for his courtesy in furnishing assistance to editors, as for the literary productions with which he has favoured the public. To this eminent scholar I am indebted for copying Archbishop Secker's remarks; for collations of a Coptic version supposed to be of the second century, and of the Pachomian manuscript of the Septuagint version, ascribed to the tenth or eleventh century; for an English translation of the very learned J. D. Michaelis's annotations, subjoined to his German version of the bible; and for a curious extract relating to Ezekiel, translated from Professor Eichhorn's 2 introduction to the Old Testament, written also in the German language, and highly esteemed in that country. Learned notes on Ezekiel were also transmitted to me by the Rev. Mr. Henry Dimock, my worthy contemporary at Pembroke College in the University of Oxford, 1 IT is uncertain whether Ezekiel calls himself a 3 priest, or the son of a priest. 4 Josephus says that he was carried to Babylon in his 1 See Bishop Lowth's preface to Isaiah, p. lxvii. 2 Leipsic. 1783. 8vo. 3 Ezek. i. 4. The construction in the original is doubtful. The word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel the son of Buzi the priest. may be construed with Ezekiel, according to the Greek, the Vulgate, and our English version; or with Buzi, according to the points in the Arabic. The former construction is favoured by the close of Isai. xxxvii. 2. 1 youth, with three thousand other captives of rank, at the time of Nebuchadnezzar's expedition to Jerusalem in the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah. The warlike and victorious king of Babylon made another descent on Judah, within so short an interval as three months and ten days after the conquest of Jehoiakim: at which time Jerusalem was so pressed by a vigorous siege, that Jehoiachin, who succeeded his father Jehoiakim in the throne of Judah, was 1 compelled to a surrender; and so great a number of captives was taken to Babylon, that none remained in the conquered country except the poorest of the people. We may justly conclude that Ezekiel became an exile in the course of that calamitous year when Jerusalem was twice subdued; and probably at the latter period, as the captivity of Jehoiachin is the era from which he commonly 2 dates his prophecies; and as the date from the beginning of his own captivity, which 3 occurs in two places, may reasonably be supposed to coincide with his other general mode of computation. 4 The king of Chaldea * planted his Jewish captives at Tel-abib, and other places on the river Chebar; which flows into the east side of the Euphrates at Circesium, or Carchemish, near two hundred miles northward of Babylon. This was the scene of Ezekiel's prophecies, which were continued through a course of 5 twenty two years: here he was present in body, though in visionary representation he was sometimes taken to Jerusalem. That we may better understand the propriety and force of these divine revelations, the circumstances and disposition of the Jews in their own country, and in their state of banishment, and the chief historical events of that period, should be stated and considered. 7 Zedekiah, uncle to the captive king Jehoiachin, was advanced by Nebuchadnezzar to the kingdom of Judah: and the tributary King bound himself to subjection by a solemn 8 oath in the name of Jehovah. But, notwithstanding the divine judgments which had overwhelmed Judah during the reigns of his two immediate predecessors, 9 he did evil in the sight of God, who alone could 10 save by few or by many. Jerusalem was so idolatrous, impure, oppressive, and blood-thirsty, 1 2 Kings xxiv. 8-16. 2 C. i. 2. &c. 3 C. xxxiii. 21. xl. l. 4 C. i. 1, 3. iii. 15, 23. x. 15, 20. 5 From the 5th to the 27th year of Jehoiachin's captivity. C. i. 2. xxix. 17. 6 C. viii. 3. xl. 2. 7 2 Kings xxiv. 17. 8 2 Chron. xxxvi. 13. Ezek. xvii. 18. 92 Chron. xxxvi. 12. 10 1 Sam. xiv. 6. 1 7 4 6 8 that God is represented as smiting his hands together through astonishment at such a scene of iniquity. The prophet Jeremiah was rejected, insulted, and persecuted. False prophets abounded; whose language was, 2 Ye shall not serve the King of Babylon: 3 I have broken the yoke of the King of Babylon. They even limited the restoration of the sacred vessels, and the return of Jehoiachin and his fellow-captives, to so short an interval as two years. Zedekiah, blinded by his vices and by these delusions, flattered by the embassies which he had received from 5 Edom Moab Ammon Tyre and Sidon, and probably submitting with his accustomed timidity to the advice of evil counsellors, rebelled against his powerful conqueror, and sent ambassadors into Egypt for assistance. Hence arose a third invasion of the Chaldeans. Pharaoh Hophrah, King of Egypt, did not advance to the assistance of Zedekiah till Jerusalem was besieged. The Babylonians raised the siege, perhaps with a design of distressing the Egyptians in their march, and of giving battle when advantage offered: but Pharaoh, with great perfidy and pusillanimity, 9 returned to his own country, and left the rebellious and perjured King of Judah to the rage of his enemies. Before the siege was thus interrupted, Zedekiah endeavoured to conciliate the favour of God by complying so far with the Mosaic law as to proclaim the sabbatical year a year of 10 liberty to Hebrew servants. But such was his impiety, and so irresolute and fluctuating were his counsels, that on the departure of the Chaldeans he "revoked his edict. Upon which God, by his prophet Jeremiah, proclaimed 12 liberty to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine and commissioned these messengers of his wrath to avenge him on his people. When the siege was resumed, we have a further instance of Zedekiah's extreme infatuation; his rejection of 13 Jeremiah's counsel, given him by the authority of God, to preserve himself, his family, and his city, by a surrender to the Chaldeans. Thus after a siege of 14 eighteen months, Jerusalem was stormed and burnt; 15 Zedekiah was taken in his flight; his sons were slain before his eyes; his eyes were afterwards put out, agreeably to the savage custom of eastern conquerors; and he was carried in chains to Babylon. 1 Ezek. xxii. 13. See also Jer. v. 1. 8 Jer. xxxvii. 5. 9 Jer. xxxvii. 7. ; vii. 6. 2 Jer. xxvii. 9. 3 Jer. xxviii. 2. 4 Jer. xxviii. 3, 4. 5 Jer. xxvii. 3. 7 Ezek. xvii. 15. 10 Exod. xxi. 2. 11 Jer. xxxiv. 11. 12 Jer. xxxiv. 17. 13 Jer. xxxviii. 17. 14 Jer. xxxix. 1, 2. 1 The exiles on the river Chebar were far from being awakened to a devout acknowledgment of God's justice, by the punishment inflicted on them. They continued 1 rebellious and idolatrous; they hearkened to 2 false prophets and prophetesses; and they so alienated God that he 3 refused to be enquired of by them. In vain did their great prophet Ezekiel endeavour to attract and win them by the charms of his flowing and insinuating eloquence; in vain did he assume a more vehement tone, to awe and alarm them by heightened scenes of calamity and terror. We know few particulars concerning the Jews in Babylon. They enjoyed the instruction and example of the prophet Daniel; who was carried away captive to that city in the third year of Jehoiakim, eight years before the captivity of Ezekiel. Jeremiah cautioned them not to be deceived by their false prophets and diviners; against some of whom he denounced fearful judgments. He exhorted them to 6 seek the peace of the city where they dwelt, to take wives, build houses, and plant gardens, till their restoration after seventy years. He also comforted them by a prediction of all the evil which God designed to inflict on Babylon: he assured them that none should remain in that proud city, but that it should be desolate for ever. The messenger, when he had read the book containing these denunciations, was commanded to 7 bind a stone to it, and cast it into the Euphrates, and say, "Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil which I will bring on her." It further appears, by divine hymns now extant, that God vouchsafed to inspire some of these Babylonian captives with his holy spirit. 8 Nebuchadnezzar appointed 9 Gedaliah Ruler of the people that remained in Judea: and the scattered military 10 commanders and their men, together with other Jews who had taken refuge in the neighbouring countries, submitted to his government on the departure of the Chaldeans. The Jews employed themselves in " gathering the fruits of the earth; and a calm succeeded the tempest of war: but it was soon interrupted by the turbulence of this devoted people. Ishmael slew Gedaliah; and compelled the wretched remains of the Jews 1 Ezek. ii. 3. xx. 39. 2 Ezek. xiii. 2, 17. 3 C. xx. 3. 4 Dan. i. 1. 6 Jer. xxix. 5, 6, 7, 10. 7 Jer. li. 59-64. 8 See ps. lxxix. cii. cvi. cxxxvii. 92 Kings xxv. 23. Jer. xl. 5. 10 Jer. xl. 7, 11. 5 Jer. xxix. 8, 9, 15, 21. 11 Jer. xl. 12. |