A Prophecy of Esau and Jacob

Chapter 37 contains a prophecy of both the Jews’ and Israelites’ return from captivity to their own land; of the union of the each tribes with one another; their restoration is represented by a vision of dry bones made alive. Such a major world event is known as the Second Exodus but is this the start of the Millennium?

The Dead shall be resurrected, so says the Sciptures

“Thy dead men shall live; together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead” Isaiah 26:19

“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” Daniel 12:2

Why are many resurrected to shame and everlasting contempt. One reason is that so many of today’s Christainity are deceived into believing Sunday is the day of worship. But God’s Sabbaths remain the same as the Jews have always kept them; and thus the Sabbaths are greatly despised and poluted, drawing God’s judgement and fury to consume them:

But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They walked not in My statutes and they despised My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and My Sabbaths they greatly polluted. “‘Then I said I would pour out My fury upon them in the wilderness to consume them. Ezekiel 20:13

Ezekiel 37

¹ The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

— since Ezekiel’s message is for the endtime and meant for the house of Israel, which is the United States and its European allies and “thy remnant shall fall by the sword . . . and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire”

— that is, if those remnant are put to the sword, and any residue be put to the fire, then no more would be left, reaffirming there is no place of safety for those hopeful to have one. Second, any living would have to be resurrected from the valley of dry bones;

— further details and enlightenment could be derived from Ezekiel 23:

And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire, Ezekiel 23:25

— the Targum says,

“The spirit of prophecy from before the Lord rested upon me; and He brought me out by the spirit of prophecy which rested upon me from before the Lord, and He set me down in the midst of the plain (valley), and it was full of human bones.”

² and caused me to pass by them round about; and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and lo, they were very dry. — this dryness reaffirms they are from the dead;

— or if they are living, they are useless except for the fire. Or, together with their shepherd, they are either BLIND or DUMB, but they could also be DEAF, for it was prophesied:

“His watchmen are BLIND; they are all ignorant; they are all DUMB dogs, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber” Isaiah 56:10

— the Targum affirms they were very dry, says,

“And He led me by them round about, round about; and behold, they were very many upon the face of the plain; and behold, they were very dry.”

³ And He said unto me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, Thou knowest.” — and he said unto me, son of man, can these bones live? ~ is there any probability to believe they shall live?

— the Targum says,

“And He said to me: Son of man, can these bones live? And I said: O Lord God, it is revealed before You.“

⁴ Again He said unto me, “Prophesy upon these bones and say unto them, ‘O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. — so these dry bones are prophesied to be able to hear; hence their Deafness taken away;

— the Targum says,

“And He said to me: Prophesy over these bones, and you shall say to them: O dry bones, receive the word (decree) of the Lord.“

⁵ Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. — the word of prophecy from the Lord, indicating, as usual, it it a prophecy and a reference to a future time;

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will bring breath (spirit) into you, and you shall live.”

⁶ And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.’”

— God said of these dry bones “and ye shall know that I am the Lord” implying that they never have known God, at best pretenders claiming they are Christians;

— how could they? In today’s world, no less than 99.99 percent of professing Christians don’t even know the basic tenet of understanding the Oracles of God!

— the Targum says,

“And I will put sinews upon you, and I will bring up flesh upon you, and I will spread skin over you, and I will put spirit in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

— the Targum says,

“And I prophesied as I was commanded; and there was a sound as I prophesied, and behold, a shaking (commotion); and the bones drew near, each bone to its fellow.”

⁸ And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them.

— these from the house of Israel would be resurrected, but because they still need breath, they are resurrected into only a mortal life, not spiritual as yet. Most of the time, these sheep have been fleeced by their shepherd; and are only told lies after lies;

— the Targum says,

“And I looked, and behold, there were sinews upon them, and flesh came up, and skin was spread over them from above; but there was no spirit (breath) in them.”

⁹ Then said He unto me, “Prophesy unto the wind. Prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’”

— and breathe upon these slain or dead, that they may live; as in the proper form of living men; and yet no principle of spiritual life in them; but, like Adam’s body, of the earth, earthly, and breathless, till the Lord stirred up their spirits;

— the Targum says,

“And He said to me: Prophesy to the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit: Thus says the Lord God: From the four winds come, O spirit, and enter into these slain, and they shall live.”

¹⁰ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

— among these in this great army in the flesh would probably be (1) Pharaoh, the one during the Exodus (2) Nebuchadnezzar and (3) Judas Iscariot: they would be great characters during the Millennium to preach and witness to the whole whole how sinful they were and how they come to the conclusion that God, the God of Israel, in his kindness and mercy, is Greater than all!

— the Targum says,

“And I prophesied as He commanded me; and the spirit (breath) entered into them, and they lived, and they stood up on their feet, an army very, very great.”

¹¹ Then He said unto me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried and our hope is lost. We are cut off from our parts.’

— these bones are the whole house of Israel; this phrase takes in the ten tribes, as well as the two tribes of Benjamin and Judah inclusive.

— in Isaiah 8:14 it is expressed as the “two houses of Israel” or “both houses of Israel;” which means the house of Judah could also be expressed as the house of Israel! ~ and depending on context, the house of Israel could only meant the 2-tribes house of Judah as in Ezekiel 8:6,11,12 and Matthew 15:24;

More from Ezekiel 12:15, after God had scattered them among the nations and disperse them in the countries; then “the whole house of Israel” shall all be coming back, all in their Land of Promise, between the two Great Rivers: the Nile and the Euphrates!

And further details of the “whole house of Israel” from Ezekiel 36:4

“therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are round about”

— the “mountains of Israel;” that is, concerning the United States, France and the United Kingdom (including Canada, Australia and New Zealand);

— and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys; the hills: Ireland, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries: Denmark (including Greenland), Norway, and Sweden, Finland and Iceland; and the valleys, the low countries: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg;

— and to the rivers (or ravines), where during the nineteenth century, the British Navy were known to “Rule the Waves;” their colonies, their new territories; and the United States having been plowing up and down the five oceans with her Seven Fleets since the British Navy left the scene;

— the “whole house of Israel” would include the house of Judah, which today, is the modern state of Israel already well established in the Promised Land;

— the Targum says,

“And He said to me: Son of man, these bones are the whole House of Israel; behold, they say: Our bones are dried up, our hope is severed (lost), we are perished (cut off) from ourselves.”

¹² Therefore prophesy and say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, prophesy and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves, and I will bring you up from your graves, O My people, and I will bring you into the land of Israel.”

¹³ And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up out of your graves,

— from God’s perspective, death is both unclean and an insignificant event, hence he forbid his priests to come near the dead among his people; but the high priests, only their parents and close relation (Leviticus 21:1-11); all others are forbidden;

— the Targum says,

“And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and when I bring you up from the midst of your graves, O My people.”

¹⁴ and shall put My Spirit in you and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land. Then shall ye know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it, saith the Lord.’”

— this phase ye or they “shall know that I am the Lord” or a variation here implies that neither those teaching in the synagogues nor those in their numerous churches know God today! Hence this re-affirms they are all either BLIND or DUMB, and they could also be DEAF, for it was prophesied in Isaiah 56:10

— the Targum says,

“And I will put My Spirit in you and you shall live, and I will settle you upon your land; and you shall know that I, the Lord, have decreed by My Word (Meimra) and I will establish (fulfill) it, says the Lord.”

¹⁵ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, — the Targum renders it as the word of prophecy from the Lord. If Ezra sees it as a prophecy, it is a reference to a futuristic time.

¹⁶ “Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick and write upon it, ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write upon it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’

— earlier in Ezekiel 36:1 these are described as “the mountain of Israel;” this prophecy is concerning the top dog, the United States; followed by its European allies, UK and France;

— and in Ezekiel 36:4 “the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys;” these are the hills: Ireland, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, Finland, and Iceland; and the valleys, the low countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg;

— the Targum says,

“And you, son of man, take for yourself one tablet (board) and write upon it: ‘For the tribe of Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions’; and take another tablet and write upon it: ‘For the tribe of Joseph, which is the tribe of Ephraim, and all the house of Israel, his companions.'”

¹⁷ And join them one to another into one stick, and they shall become one in thine hand.

— the Targum says,

“And you shall bring them near, one to another, for yourself into one tablet; and they shall become one in your hand.”

¹⁸ And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, ‘Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?’

— the Targum says,

“And when the children of your people shall speak to you, saying: ‘Will you not show (declare) to us what these things mean to you?'”

¹⁹ say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in Mine hand.’

— behold and they shall be one stick; that is, that they shall no longer be two kingdoms; hence the twelve tribes will come together and form One Kingdom;

— the Targum says,

“Prophesy to them: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am bringing near the tribe of Joseph, which is the tribe of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them upon him, with the tribe of Judah, and I will make them one people, and they shall be one before Me.”

²⁰ And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

— the Targum says,

“And the tablets upon which you write shall be in your hand before their eyes.”

²¹ “And say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the nations whither they have gone, and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land.

— “and bring them into their own land” that is, from God’s perspective, the land they are now residing are not considered their land;

— the Targum says,

“Prophesy to them: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am bringing near the children of Israel from among the nations where they were exiled; and I will gather them from all around, and I will bring them into their own land.”

²² And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel, and one King shall be King to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.

— and I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel, as they were during the times of David and Solomon;

— the Targum says,

“And I will make them one people in the land, on the holy mountain of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all; and they shall no longer be two nations, and they shall no longer be divided into two kingdoms anymore.”

²³ Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned and will cleanse them. So shall they be My people, and I will be their God.

— the Targum says,

“And they shall no longer defile themselves with their idols, nor with their abominations, nor with all their rebellions; and I will redeem them from all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned before Me, and I will cleanse them; and they shall be a people before Me, and I will be their God.”

²⁴ “‘And David My servant shall be King over them, and they all shall have one Shepherd. They shall also walk in My judgments, and observe My statutes, and do them. — is this the Millennium? Is this the same King David of ancient Israel? Or is he an equivalent?

— and they shall also walk in my judgements, and keep my statutes, and do them; these would definitely include the statutes and ordinances which they had dismissed as “ceremonial” law;

— and since the Temple will be rebuilt; and which the Jews, who control Jerusalem, will be performing them for and on behalf of all the other tribes of Jacob, and for all other nations;

“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. (Genesis 49:8) — Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, comes in for the supremacy;

— thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; that is, always ready to strangle its enemies to death;

— thy father’s children shall bow down before thee; before the kings that should spring from this tribe of Judah, and should rule over all the rest of the eleven tribes, as David and Solomon had done, to whom civil adoration and respect should be given to them.

— the Targum says,

“And My servant David shall be king over them, and one provider (leader) shall be for them all; and in My judgments they shall walk, and My statutes they shall keep and perform them.”

²⁵ And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob My servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they and their children and their children’s children for ever. And My servant David shall be their Prince for ever. — is this the Millennium? Is this the same King David of ancient Israel? Or is he a type, or an equivalent?

— the Targum says,

“And they shall dwell upon the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, in which your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell upon it, they and their children and their children’s children forever; and David My servant shall be a king to them forever.”

²⁶ Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. — the Temple will be rebuilt, and the Glory of God, the Shekhinah will return; for more see Ezekiel chapter 40 to chapter 48;

— the Targum says,

“And I will decree for them a covenant of peace; an eternal covenant it shall be with them; and I will bless them and multiply them, and I will place My Sanctuary in their midst forever.”

²⁷ My tabernacle also shall be with them. Yea, I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

— the Targum says,

And I will cause My Shekhinah to dwell among them; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be a people before Me.”

²⁸ And the nations shall know that I, the Lord, do sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.’” — the Temple will be filled with the Glory of God; the Shekhinah will be manifested before all the nations of the world.

— the Question remains, is this the start of the Millennium? If so the Messiah (Christ) and His saints would rule the world, some over one city, others ten. Would these saints be given power over the nations, yet so powerless with no power to allow their subjects, Gog and Magog, to go all the way to Jerusalem and mount a war against its inhabitants? And all the way from east Asia, say China, Korea or even Japan? It seems inconceivable. Or, is “My servant David” a form of John the Baptist that came in the name of Elijah? Your thoughts?

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. Malachi 4:5

— the Targum says,

“And the nations shall know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My Sanctuary is in their midst forever.”

Ezekiel 38

The Gog and Magog Prophecy of Ezekiel 38 and 39 had been over narrated by various shepherd of different shades to further their illusions; but enough to cause their sleepy sheep to wake up once in a while if any fire broke out in the Middle-East.

This Gog and Magog Prophecy comes after Ezekiel 20 to 21: The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South! after the Psalm 83 Prophecy; after Ezekiel 29 to 30: A Greater “Out of Egypt” Exodus; after Ezekiel 36 and 37: the Return of the Full House of Israel!

Only AFTER all the above have been fulfilled, would Gog and Magog Prophecy appear on the scene.

Notice ALL his shepherd are either blind or dumb; or both:

“His watchmen are BLIND; they are all ignorant; they are all DUMB dogs, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber” Isaiah 56:10

Then the Lord said unto me, ‘The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them. They prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought and the deceit of their heart’” Jeremiah 14:14

¹ And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

² “Son of man, set thy face against Gog, in the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him — Gog¹⁴⁶³ גוג (Agag ⁹⁰אגג) of the land of Magog, is an abbreviated expression for “Gog from the land of Magog;”

— Magog, Meshech and Tubal, these are the sons of Japheth; Gomer, and his son, Togarmah, are mentioned later in verse 6; omitting the Japhetic tribes of Madai, Javan and Tiras; Genesis 10:2), and led by their chief, Gog, Russia; and Gog is acting as their Chief; their Prince;

The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. ³And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah ⁴And the sons of Javan: Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim. Genesis 10:2-4

— in Revelation 20:8, after the thousand years are over, “Gog and Magog” might be a term adopted by John either as mystical names or symbolic names of rebellious nations against the eminence of those ruling from Jerusalem; or rebelling “against the mountains of Israel” with Jerusalem as its Capital;

— second opinion says the countries of Gog and Magog, which they call Gug and Mungug; from hence came the Turks, even from Tartary; Josephus (Antiqu.l.1.c.6.sect.1) says that the posterity of Magog are called Scythians, and these inhabited Tartary; so some commentaries make Gog to be the general of the Ishmaelites or Edomites or Turks. This land of Magog is the same with Cathaia or Scythia, that part of Tartary from whence the Turks came;

— most old maps of the posterity of Japheth went north and dwelled in Anatolia or somewhere nearby, which is where Turkey today, and hence the phase “in the land of Magog” is referring to the land where Turkey is situated today; prominent support of this second opinion comes from Joel Richardson;

— a third opinion; could the term chief or title “Gog” be translated as Agag or as the Amalekitish kings instead? The name Gog occurs only in connection with Magog, except in 1 Chronicles 5:4. In Numbers 24:7 the Agag in the Masoretic was translated as “Gog” in the Septuagint. And since Gog was not a son of those listed in the table of nations (Genesis 10), it is most probable that Gog and Agag was a dynastic name of the kings of Amalek, a grandson of Esau; just as Pharaoh was used as a dynastic name for the ancient Egyptians, Caesar of Rome; or of more modern times, the Czar of Russia;

There shall come a man out of his seed, and he shall rule over many nations; and the kingdom of Gog shall be exalted, and his kingdom shall be increased. Numbers 24:7 (Septuagint) “Agag” in the Masoretic; throughout history there is no concept of any “kingdom of Gog” but a “kingdom of Agag” could be conceptualized as the kingdom of the Amalekites; and hence by extension, it would be a posterity of Esau;

— a fourth opinion confirms the third, it arose from the Targum, the prophecy of Eldad and Medad (Number 11:26 Jonathan), referring to endtime, “Behold, a king will arise from the land of Magog, at the end of the days” which says similarly a king will arise from the land of Magog at the end of the days. Thus this solidifies that Gog is a dynastic title of a king, a king of the Amalekite vigour for their hatred of Israel;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, accept prophecy against Gog [of] the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.”

³ and say, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. — Gog is not a name among the sons of Japheth, but designated as from the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal;

— some from the first opinion identify Moscow as Meshech and Tobolsk as Tubal; a country called Ros; from whence the Russians came;

— the Targum says,

“And you shall say: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am sending My anger (wrath) against you, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.”

⁴ And I will turn thee back and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armor, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords;

— “Gog and Magog” seems to have a evil design for the mountains of Israel, hailing a war cry: “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance,” sounding like a decree from today’s Ayatollah of Iran, hence drawing God’s response;

— the Targum says,

“And I will entice (lure) you, and I will put armor (hooks) upon your jaws, and I will bring you out and all your armies, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in perfection; a vast camp armed with round shields and bucklers, all of them holding swords.”

⁵ Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them, all of them with shield and helmet; — Persia, or Elam (for more, see Jeremiah 49), today’s Iran, these, with Ethiopia, and Libya, are known to be from among the sons or grandsons of Ham (or with a mix with Shem)

— the Targum says,

“Persians, Ethiopians (Kushites), and Libyans (Putites) are with them; all of them armed with round shields and helmets.”

⁶ Gomer and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters and all his bands — Gomer, the eldest son of Japheth, is here mentioned; and many people with thee; in Revelation 20:8 Gog and Magog shall go out to deceive the nations to the four quarters of the earth;

— but here, Persia (which, today is Iran) is from the east; Ethiopia or Cush is from the south; Libya or Put represents the west; and the house of Togarmah is from the north; that is, all four directions; and representatives from all the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham and Japheth;

— the Targum identifies the house of Togarmah to “Germamya,”

“Gomer and all its armies; the province of Germany, the ends of the North, and all their armies; many nations who are with you.”

⁷ “‘Be thou prepared and prepare for thyself, thou and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them. — TLB translation says “Be prepared! Stay mobilized. You are their leader, Gog!”

— the Targum says,

“Be prepared and get ready, you and all your armies (camps) that have gathered upon you; and you shall be for them a guard (an object of watch/target).”

⁸ After many days thou shalt be visited. In the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste; but it is brought forth out of the nations and they shall dwell safely, all of them.

— after many days thou shalt be visited; this expression “after many days” indicates that what is predicted through Ezekiel’s eyes is far into the future; hence it is our endtime days, or our near future;

— led by “Gog and Magog” ‘in the latter years,’ numerous rebellious nations will launch an attack on the mountains of Israel from all directions; note: mountainS in plural, indicating more nations are then within the land between the great Rivers, the Nile and the Euphrates (for more, see “I am thy shield!” (Genesis 15);

— the nation of ‘Israel’ today is only one nation; but here until the end of chapter 39, it is against “the mountains of Israel” indicating that the United States, the United Kingdom and France have returned to the Land of Promise between the two Great Rivers (for more, see “I am thy shield!” (Genesis 15) and Return of the Full House of Israel);

— note that (1) Damascus or Syria is not among “Gog and Magog” by which time a larger portion of Syria, including Damascus, it capital; would have been destroyed; Isaiah 17; (2) Lebanon, including Tyre and Sidon; (3) Jordan, known by its biblical name as Ammon and or Moab; would all have been absorbed into Greater Israel!

— the Targum says,

“After many days you shall appoint (order) your armies; at the end of years you shall come into the land that has returned from those slain by the sword, gathered from many nations, onto the mountains of the land of Israel which had been a continual waste; and they were exiled from among the nations, and now they all dwell in safety.”

⁹ Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm. Thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou and all thy troops, and many people with thee. — ‘in the latter years,’ yet not within the Millennium where wars and fighting would have stopped;

— the Targum says,

“And you shall go up, coming in tumult (storm); like a cloud that rises and covers the land you shall be, you and all your armies and the many nations that are with you.”

¹⁰ “‘Thus saith the Lord God: It shall also come to pass that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought; — is this the Millennium? If so, Satan would be bound and he won’t be able to influence the nations?

— at the same time shall things come into thy mind; when the Israelites shall be in their own land, dwelling in great security; and when Gog and his companions shall make preparation to enter into their land suddenly and furiously;

— and thou shall think an evil thought, suggesting Satan is still around, with many schemes and devices; to do mischief, to dispossess them of their land, and plunder their substance;

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: And it shall be at that time, thoughts (fancies) shall rise up upon your heart, and you shall devise evil plans.”

¹¹ and thou shalt say, “I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates”

— evil thoughts abound with these nations, thus this couldn’t be the Millennium where all people would be given a new heart with a new spirit;

— the Targum says,

“And you shall say: I will go up against a land that dwells in tranquility; I will come upon a people who are quiet and dwell in safety; all of them dwelling without a wall, and they have no bars or gates.”

¹² to take a spoil and to take a prey, to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited and upon the people who are gathered out of the nations, who have gotten cattle and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land.

— this intended plundering by Gog as the chief of numerous rebellious nations and peoples with him against a reconstituted Israel will be met with God’s judgement and retribution of his might;

— the Targum says,

“To plunder spoil and to take booty; to gather your armies against the ruins that are now inhabited, and against the people gathered from among the nations, who have prospered in goods and possessions, dwelling upon the strength (center) of the land.”

¹³ Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, “Art thou come to despoil us? Hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?”’

— Sheba refers to an ancient kingdom located in southwestern Arabia, known for its wealth and trade. The Queen of Sheba is a prominent figure in Jewish and Islamic traditions, famous for her visit to King Solomon to test his wisdom and witness his riches; Dedan (now part of Al-‘Ula, Saudi Arabia) was an oasis and city-state of north-western Arabia;

— and “Tarshish and all her strong lions;” Tarshish could be Malta, Sicily or some coastline along the Mediterranean Sea; the Targum interpretes this as “and the merchants of the sea, and all their kings;” whereas the Septuagint says the “Carthaginian merchants, and all their villages.” So who really is modern-day Tarshish “with all the young lions”? Ancient Carthage

— all these nations joining together to inquire of the advancing armies of Gog: “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off their silver and golds and to plunder?” Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait would be anxious, wondering if the confederate would come to the Persian Gulf to loot off their wealth?

— the Targum says,

“Sheba and Dedan, and the merchants of the sea, and all its kings, shall say to you: ‘Have you come to plunder spoil? Have you gathered your armies to take booty? To carry off silver and gold, to take away goods and possessions, to plunder a great spoil?'”

¹⁴ “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: On that day when My people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?

— the nations would be tested whether they could learn from the Israelites experience or if not, they could face God’s judgement and retribution of his might; this while King David would be ruling over the Israelites Ezekiel 37:24-25

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: Thus says the Lord God: Is it not so, that at that time, when My people Israel dwell in safety, you shall know the punishment of My power?”

¹⁵ And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company and a mighty army.

— in relation to Jerusalem, Gog, the chief of their princes, a confederation of nations, is indicated as coming from the north. So who is their Chief? The two major nations lying north of Jerusalem are Turkey and Russia;

— most Evangelicals including the CoG Communities say Gog is Russia; whereas Joel Richardson says Gog is Turkey; so who is this chief, Gog, from the land of Magog? Both Russia and Turkey lying north of Jerusalem. During medieval times, the Turks managed to overthrow the Byzantine Roman Empire, conquered Constantinople and then claimed the whole Anatolia as their homeland. No small feat, so we’ll have to wait and see;

— the Targum says,

“And you shall come from your place, from the ends of the north, you and many nations with you, all of them riders of horses; a vast camp (army) and a mighty people.”

¹⁶ And thou shalt come up against My people of Israel as a cloud to cover the land. It shall be in the latter days; and I will bring thee against My land, that the nations may know Me when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

— the timing is during “the latter days” so in this context it is before the Millennium; the Targum says, “that the people may know the vengeance of my power, when I shall be sanctified in thee, who shall see thy vengeance, O Gog;’

— the Targum says,

“And you shall go up against My people Israel like a cloud that rises and covers the land; at the end of days it shall be. And I will bring you against the land of the House of My Presence (Shekhinah), so that the nations may know the punishment of My power, when I am sanctified through you while they are looking upon your punishment, O Gog.”

¹⁷ “‘Thus saith the Lord God: Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old times by My servants the prophets of Israel who prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

— besides Ezekiel, there would be other prophets that spoke of Gog, hence the plural form of prophet;

— the Targum affirms there would be numerous prophets, prophesying over many years, saying,

“Thus says the Lord God: Are you the one of whom I spoke in the days of old by the hand of My servants, the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days from of old for many years, to bring you against them?”

¹⁸ And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that My fury shall come upon My face. — these are rebellious Gentile nations allied around Gog who are stubborn and refuse to learn from the experiences of the Israelites;

— the Targum says,

“And it shall be at that time, on the day that Gog comes against the land of Israel, says the Lord God, My anger and My wrath shall be kindled.”

¹⁹ For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath have I spoken: Surely on that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel,

— why this “great shaking” in Israel only; more probably it is because Gog and his confederate are there in the land of Israel; or is this inclusive of the whole world?

— or perhaps this is about a scene in Isaiah 24:20; and if it is the earth, this would be inclusive of the whole world, which shall reel to and fro like a drunkard; the cities in confusion; the land utterly emptied!

“The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again” Isaiah 24:20

— the Targum says,

“And when My punishment is revealed, in the burning of the fire of My anger, I have decreed by My Word: surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake (shaking) upon the land of Israel.”

²⁰ so that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at My presence; and the mountains shall be thrown down and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

— this scene runs parallel like when the Israelites were at the foot of Mount Sinai when the mountain quaked with thunders getting louder and louder, with Moses speaking with God in a voice also like thunders that frightened the Israelites as written in Exodus 19:18–20;

¹⁸ And Mount Sinai was altogether in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

¹⁹ And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long and waxed louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice.

²⁰ And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mount; and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount, and Moses went up. Exodus 19:18-20

— the Targum says,

“And the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, and all the creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the people who are upon the face of the earth, shall shake (shudder) before Me; and the mountains shall be torn down (thrown down), and the towers shall fall, and every high wall shall be cast down to the ground.”

²¹ And I will call for a sword against him throughout all My mountains, saith the Lord God. Every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

— this will be a civil war within “Gog and Magog” warring among the confederate, with numerous nations swords against each other’s throats;

— the Targum says,

“And I will summon against him the sword to fall upon the mountains of Israel, My people, says the Lord God; the sword of a man shall be against his brother.”

²² And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him and upon his troops and upon the many people that are with him an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone.

— and I will plead against them with pestilence and with blood; not only the sword against the confederate and the sword of Gog’s soldiers against one another; but the Lord himself would plead with them by his laws and commandments, “and they shall also walk in my judgements and keep my statutes and do them” or be executed judgement against them;

— and send a pestilence in his army, which should destroy vast numbers of it; as the army of Sennacherib was destroyed by one when he went before Jerusalem; and make a great slaughter among them by that and other judgements;

— or with six plagues; namely, pestilence, blood (by guns or by the sword certainly), torrential rains, hailstones, fire and brimstone;

— the Targum says,

“And I will take vengeance (exact punishment) from him with death (pestilence) and with slaughter; and mighty rain and hailstones, fire and brimstone will I rain upon him and upon his armies, and upon the many nations that are with him.”

²³ Thus will I magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am the Lord.’

— “and I will be known in the eyes of many nations” could be known by another term, “the times of the Gentiles;”

For the day is near, Even the day of the Lord is near;
It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles. Ezekiel 30:3

— the “day of the Lord” had been mistaken as Sunday; but it is the times of the Gentiles where God revealed himself to them as he had earlier revealed to the Israelites, and Gentiles would be given an opportunity to learn all of God’s ordinances and statutes, his laws and his judgements;

— and even observe his Sabbaths: weekly, annual and land Sabbath; those who refuse to obey will similarly be horse-whipped with “hailstones, fire and brimstone” like the Israelites before them; given an opportunity, and after that, a judgement;

— and lastly, “and they shall know that I am the Lord,” (together with verse 16 “that the nations may know Me”) indicate these Gentiles would have learned their lessons, repented and survive at the end; that is, all nations, all nations without exception, would have their share of opportunity for warning, repentance and redemption during their judgements before the Glory of God;

— the Targum says,

“And I will be magnified and I will be sanctified, and I will reveal My power (might) before the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Posted in Ezekiel

Chapter 35 is a prophecy of the destruction of Edom, who had threatened Israel, their hatred and slaughter of the Israelites, finally led to their own downfall.

But who are the posterity of Edom/Esau today? The answer lies in the book of Obadiah which deals with the posterity of Esau. And Jonathan Targum identifies Esau (Sepharad of the Southland identified) as Ispamia! Obadiah 1:20; the Targum identified Sepharad with Spain, hence, Spanish Jews are called Sephardim.

Wikipedia: Sepharad (/sɛfəræd/or səˈfɛərəd/ Hebrew: סְפָרַד Sp̄āraḏ; also Sefarad, Sephared, Sfard) is the Hebrew name for Spain. A place called Sepharad, probably referring to Sardis in Lydia (‘Sfard’ in Lydian), in the Book of Obadiah (Obadiah 1:20, 6th century BC) of the Hebrew Bible. The name was later applied to Spain.

Ezekiel 35

¹ Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — as the Targum says, the word of prophecy from the Lord; that is, another prophecy as the next verse says.

² “Son of man, set thy face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it — Son of man set thy face against Mount Seir; which derived its name from Seir the Horite, who first possessed it; and was succeeded by Esau and his posterity, the Edomites; (Genesis 36:8; Deuteronomy 2:12), so that the country of Edom or Idumea is intended here;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, receive a prophecy against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it.”

³ and say unto it, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out Mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. — behold, O Mount Seir, I am against thee: not the face of the prophet only, but the face of God himself was against them;

— the Targum says, “behold, I send my fury upon thee.”

⁴ I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. — “and thou shalt know that I am the Lord” indicates the children of Edom repented, they do know God ultimately and survive!

— the Targum says,

“Your cities I will lay in ruins, and you shall be a desolation; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

⁵ Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end,

— because thou hast had a perpetual hatred; subsisting in the posterity of Esau against the posterity of Jacob, because the latter supplanted the former, and got the birthright from him;

“And Esau harbored hatred in his heart against Jacob, his brother, because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him.
“And Esau said in his heart, ‘I will not do as Cain did, who killed Abel during their father’s lifetime and then their father had another son, Seth.

“Rather, I will wait until the days of mourning for my father have passed, and then I will kill Jacob my brother, and I will be the sole heir.’” Genesis 27:42 Jonathan

— when the Israelites were struggling out of Egypt, it started when the Edomites refused permission for them to pass through their land (Numbers 20:14-21); to their invasion of Judah (II Chronicles 20:10-11); to their aiding Nebuchadnezzar in the overthrow of Jerusalem (Obadiah 1:1,13);

— to the outrageous conduct of the Herods and their dynasty centuries later against God’s plan during the days of Christ and the apostles. The Herods were Idumaeans or Edomites;

— then the Spanish Inquisition: under Papal control, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in the 1480-1590s have around 150,000 Jews prosecuted for various offences. 3,000–5,000 were executed, particularly in the initial 50 years, mostly by burning at the stake. Others included penance and public flogging, exile, enslavement on galleys, and prison terms from years to life, together with the confiscation of all property: Wikipedia

— the Targum says,

“Because you had an everlasting enmity, and you delivered the children of Israel into the hands of those who kill with the sword, in the time of their breaking, in the time of the final payment for their sins.”

— (more at the end: “Rage it, rage it, even to the foundation thereof!” Psalms 137:7)

⁶ therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will prepare thee for blood, and blood shall pursue thee. Since thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee. — therefore, as I live; is a form of an oath; the Lord swears by himself, because he couldn’t swear any greater;

— since thou hast loved cruelty, and taken delight in shedding blood, vengeance and slaughter shall pursue thee, and thou shalt fall into the hands of those that will be as eager to shed blood;

— the Targum says, “they that slay with the sword shall pursue you”

“Therefore, as I live, says the Lord God, surely I will make you for killing, and those who kill with the sword shall pursue you; surely, blood (guilt) shall pursue you.”

⁷ Thus will I make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth. — this was fulfilled; for the Nabatheans having driven the Edomites out of their ancient habitations in the time of the Babylonish captivity;

— they then settled themselves in the southern part of Judea, where they were afterward conquered by Hyrcanus, and were obliged to embrace the Jewish religion;

— the Targum says,

“And I will make Mount Seir a desolation and an astonishment, and I will destroy from it the one who passes through and the one who returns.”

⁸ And I will fill his mountains with his slain men; in thy hills and in thy valleys and in all thy rivers shall they fall that are slain with the sword. — take them as a whole, there is nothing like them in the world, especially those living near Petra;

— the Targum says,

“And I will fill its mountains with its slain; on your heights and in your hills and in all your valleys, those slain by the sword shall fall (be cast) in them.”

⁹ I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. — thy cities shall not be restored to thee again;

— not only Mount Seir, but all the rest of the mountains, in Idumea; where they shall flee for refuge, and the enemy shall pursue them, and slay them; and where their carcasses will fall in such numbers, as to cover the mountains with them;

— and ye shall know that I am the Lord when they shall see all these things exactly accomplished, that the omniscient God of Israel could foretell events and come to their senses, thus they survive rather having their names remember no more;

— the Targum says,

“I will make you an everlasting desolation, and your cities shall not be inhabited; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

¹⁰ “‘Because thou hast said, “These two nations and these two countries shall be mine and we will possess it,” though the Lord was there, — these two nations; these are Israel and Judah, the covenant people after Solomon, the northern and the southern Israels, Samaria and Jerusalem;

— the Targum says,

“Because you said: ‘The two nations and the two lands shall be mine, and I will inherit them’; but before the Lord, the thoughts of the heart are revealed.”

¹¹ therefore, as I live, saith the Lord God, I will even do according to thine anger and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I have judged thee.

— when I have judged thee: so God is known by the judgements that he executeth, like Petra in the picture above or to Jerusalem in AD 70, when such wicked ones are taken in their own works, as snares which themselves have laid;

— Petra, “when I have judged thee” is now described as:

“This land, once so rich in flocks and herds, so mighty in its rock-hewn cities, so extensive in its commercial activities, so renowned for the architectural splendor of its palaces, is now a desolated and deserted wilderness. Its whole population consists of three or four miserable tiny villages. No merchant would now dare to enter it; its highways are unused; its cities are in ruins.” Studylight (Plumptre)

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, as I live, says the Lord God, I will act according to your anger and according to your fury which you practiced out of your hatred toward them; and I will be revealed to do good to them when I take vengeance from you.”

¹² And thou shalt know that I am the Lord, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, “They are laid desolate. They are given us to consume.”

— and that God have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel; by clapping their hands and stamping their feet, rejoicing against the people of Israel and Judah literally, and the churches and people of God figuratively.

For thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoiced in heart with all thy contemptuous hate against the land of Israel, Ezekiel 25:6

— the Targum says,

“And you shall know that I, the Lord, have heard all your provocations (outrage) which you spoke against the mountains of the land of Israel, saying: ‘They are desolated; they are delivered to us for destruction.'”

¹³ Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against Me and have multiplied your words against Me; I have heard them. — blasphemies against Israel and against me; God regards what is said or done against his people as done against God himself;

— the Targum says,

“And you magnified yourselves against Me with the words of your mouths, and you multiplied your words against Me; before Me, they are heard.”

¹⁴ Thus saith the Lord God: When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate. — this gives the requisite antithesis to Ezekiel 35:15; as Edom rejoiced over the destruction of Judah, the whole earth that overjoyed at her desolation would face similar fate;

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: When the whole earth rejoices, I will make you a desolation.”

¹⁵ As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee. Thou shalt be desolate, O Mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it; and they shall know that I am the Lord.’”

— and finally the remnant of Israel are not lead into “a place of safety” but are to be “scattered into all the winds.”

. . . and I will execute judgements in thee [Israel], and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds, Ezekiel 5:10

— the Targum says,

“Just as you rejoiced over the inheritance of the House of Israel because their land was desolated, so will I do to you; a desolation you shall be, O Mount Seir, and all of Edom, all of it; and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

— even though all Edom were made desolate, but at the end, “and they shall know that I am the Lord;” that is, eventually, they would repent and survive.

~~~

The Lord was asked to remember in Psalms 137 against the Edomites who had asked that Jerusalem be razed to its foundations:

Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem’s fall, who said, “Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof!” Psalms 137:7.

To call for the razing of the Temple of God “Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof!” is a heavy crime against the God of the Most High. The Almighty dwelled there and these Edomites cheered the Babylonians to burn it down? Madness! Just Madness!

And again, a reminder of those or any who clap their hands and stamp their feet against the fall of Israel will be punished severely.

For thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoiced in heart with all thy contemptuous hate against the land of Israel, Ezekiel 25:6

Ezekiel 36

The house of Israel verses the house of Judah

Although Isaiah 8:14 refers to “both houses of Israel” or the “two houses of Israel” it is actually the combined full house of Jacob, the full twelve or thirteen tribes. But Ephraim headed the northern house of Israel while Judah headed the southern house of Judah.

For detailed studies on Ephraim and Manasseh (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe 

(4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn

But Jacob was given a new name, Israel, in which the full house of Israel as in Ezekiel 20:40, the twelve tribes are all included. And after King Solomon, the single house of Jacob or now call Israel was broken into two, the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah.

Hence, the names of the two houses are separated, namely the 10-tribes “house of Israel” and the 2-tribes “house of Judah.” Further, the “two houses of Israel” in Isaiah 8:14 is redefined as “the house of Jacob” in Isaiah 8:17.

State it in another way, the word “Israel” has five (or even six) possible meanings:

(1) Jacob’s name was given as Israel, since the angel gave him a new name, Israel; Genesis 32:28

(2) Jacob said, “and let my name be named on them” Genesis 48:16; that is, the name “Israel” is to be installed to the children of Joseph: Ephraim and Manasseh;

(3) the children of Israel, or all the house of Israel in Ezekiel 20:40 in the sense of all the progeny of Jacob, all twelve tribes; sometimes expressed as the “whole house of Israel;”

(4) the house of Israel in Ezekiel 4:3-5 as a single northern “house of Israel” which would mean the ‘first’ house of Israel or the house of 10-tribes Israel; and then another as;

(5) the ‘second’ house of Israel or the 2-tribes house of Judah as in Ezekiel 4:6; this happened during Rehoboam reign when the kingdom was broken into the house of Israel (north) and the house of Judah (south); in this context, the house of Israel could be the 2-tribes Israel as in Ezekiel 8:6,11,12 and Matthew 15:24;

(6) Israel, the modern state of Israel, established in 1917 by the Balfour declaration and gained independence in 1948.

In understanding prophecies, the third and fourth meanings are mostly in use; the others very rarely. Still, it may seem confusing, but one should be able to separate the two by sounding out the context.

For understanding who the modern tribes of Judah and Joseph are, the best book to have expounded this subject is “Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright” by J.H. Allen (1847-1930).

¹ “Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel and say, ‘Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord.

— repeats of “the mountains of Israel;” this prophecy is concerning the desolations of the United States, the United Kingdom and France. And “Israel” mentioned 14 times in this chapter alone, is judged in relation to other nations;

— the Targum says,

“And you, son of man, prophesy concerning the mountains of Israel, and say: ‘O mountains of Israel, receive the Word of the Lord!'”

² Thus saith the Lord God: Because the enemy hath said against you, “Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession,”’

— because the enemy, particularly the Edomites or Idumeans, had said against you, aha: rejoicing at the calamity of Israel as in the preceding chapter; and who are chiefly meant; and also the Ammonites and Tyrians,

“and say unto the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God: Because thou saidst, “Aha,” against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity,” Ezekiel 25:3;

— and be reminded of the original prophecy between the rivalry of Esau and Jacob:

“And Esau harbored hatred in his heart against Jacob, his brother, because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him.

“And Esau said in his heart, ‘I will not do as Cain did, who killed Abel during their father’s lifetime and then their father had another son, Seth.

“Rather, I will wait until the days of mourning for my father have passed, and then I will kill Jacob my brother, and I will be the sole heir.’” Genesis 27:42 Jonathan

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: Because the enemy said against you, ‘Aha! (Joy!)’ and ‘The ancient high places have become a possession for us!'”

³ therefore prophesy and say, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Because they have made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the nations, and ye are taken up on the lips of talkers and are an infamy (gossip: the state of being well known for some bad quality or deed; or scoffing) of the people,

— and Edomites shall swallow you on every side; their southern neighbours were like ravenous beasts of prey, gaping upon them with their mouths; and they were brought down by the king of Babylon, helped their destruction; and everyone shared in the spoil by plundering them;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, prophesy and say: ‘Thus says the Lord God: Because they magnified themselves and because they planned to destroy and to desolate you from all around, so that you would become an inheritance for the remnant of the nations, and you became a subject of lip-talk and the rumor of the people.'”

⁴ therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the nations that are round about”

— “the mountains of Israel;” that is, concerning the United States, France and the United Kingdom (including Canada, Australia and New Zealand);

— not only were mountains spoken to, but now, “and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys;” these are the hills: Ireland, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries: Denmark (including Greenland), Norway, and Sweden, Finland, and Iceland; and the valleys, the low countries: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg;

— the rivers of the mountains of Israel are their maritime trade routes that flow into foreign land: British West Indies, Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands; Gibraltar, Malta, Suez Canal, Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, Madras, Bombay and Calcutta, Sri Lanka, Penang, Malacca, Singapore, Hong Kong …

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, O mountains of Israel, receive the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the slopes, to the desolate ruins and to the abandoned cities, which have become a prey and a mockery to the remnant of the nations that are all around.”

⁵ therefore thus saith the Lord God: Surely in the fire of My jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the nations and against all Edom, who have appointed My land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out as a prey.’

— to those neighbouring nations that “have appropriated My land for a possession” (Septuagint) were Ammon, Moab and Edom; with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey; with the utmost joy they joined Nebuchadnezzar’s army when he invaded the land of Judea and besieged Jerusalem;

— out of pure malice and spite to the Jewish people, in order to eject them from their land, that it might become a prey to them; who said, “Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof!”

Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem’s fall, who said, “Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof!” Psalms 137:7

— the posterity of Edom; being singled out above all others; Rashi and Jewish writings identify the posterity of Esau, Edomites (Magdiel) as Rome; however the prophet Obadiah identifies the posterity of Esau as Spain; together, Italy (Rome) and Spain, they are the core Catholic nations today; and this hybrid entity is further analyzed in

(1) Obadiah; and (2) The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: If I have not decreed by My Word, in the fire of My vengeance, against the remnant of the nations and against all the Edomites—who gave the land of the House of My Presence to themselves for an inheritance, with joy of the whole heart and with neglect (contempt) of soul, in order to drive it out for a prey.”

⁶ Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My fury, because ye have borne the shame of the nations.

— because ye have borne the shame of the nations; their reproaches and scoffings, their injuries and abuses; all were resented by the Lord; surely they shall bear their shame; the punishment that which is justly due to them for reproaching and putting to shame the people of God;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the slopes: ‘Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I have decreed by My Word in My anger and in My fury: Because you have received (borne) the shame (humiliation) of the nations…'”

⁷ Therefore thus saith the Lord God: I have lifted up Mine hand. Surely the nations who are about you, they shall bear their shame. — surely the nations that around you shall bear their shame; the punishment of their shame; that which is justly due to them for reproaching and putting to shame the people of God:

— or they shall be a laughing stock to others, and be reproached and derided themselves, and so be paid in their own coin; a just retaliation for their treatment of those from the house of Jacob;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I have established by My Word (sworn an oath): Surely the nations that are around you, who plundered you—they shall receive (bear) their own shame.”

⁸ “‘But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people of Israel, for they are at hand to come. — “at hand to come” means they would be safely back to the Land of Promise;

— or the original land of Judea and Samaria; there ye shall shoot forth your branches; that is, the branches from the trees that grew upon them; the vines and the olive trees, planted on hills and mountains;

— these branches would come from their colonies: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa; American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; Gibraltar; Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Mayotte, Réunion;

— the Targum says,

“But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall succeed in your produce, and you shall offer up (yield) your fruit for My people Israel; for the day of My redemption is near to come.”

⁹ For behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown. — they shall return to their own border in the Promise Land, land promised to Abraham (for more, see “I am thy shield!” Genesis 15)

— the Targum says,

“For behold, I am revealed to you, and I will turn by My Word to do good to you; and you shall be tilled and you shall be sown.”

¹⁰ And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the wastes shall be built. — all the house of Jacob, all the tribes of Israel, the ten tribes as well as the other two: for all shall return;

— in fact, a large portion of Judah had already returned; the Targum says,

“And I will multiply men upon you, the entire House of Israel, all of them; and the cities shall be inhabited, and the ruins shall be rebuilt.”

¹¹ And I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall increase and bring fruit. And I will settle you according to your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

— and I will settle you after your old estates; that is, you mountains shall be inhabited by those that formerly dwelt in you, and you shall be enjoyed by your right owners; by those who had you in possession from the beginning, from the times of Joshua; by whom you were settled on them by lot, according to their several tribes. These land shall to be taken back from Ammon, Moab and Edom (verse 5 above);

— the Targum says,

“And I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall multiply and increase; and I will settle you as in your earlier times, and I will do better for you than at your beginning; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

¹² Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even My people Israel; and they shall possess thee and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men. — a clearer picture could be derived from reading The Message Bible:

“‘But you, Mountains of Israel, will burst with new growth, putting out branches and bearing fruit for my people Israel. My people are coming home! Do you see? I’m back again. I’m on your side.

You’ll be plowed and planted as before! I’ll see to it that your population grows all over Israel, that the towns fill up with people, that the ruins are rebuilt. I’ll make this place teem with life—human and animal. The country will burst into life, life, and more life, your towns and villages full of people just as in the old days.

I’ll treat you better than I ever have. And you’ll realize that I am God. I’ll put people over you—my own people Israel! They’ll take care of you and you’ll be their inheritance. Never again will you be a harsh and unforgiving land to them. Ezekiel 36:11-12 MSG

— the Targum says,

“And I will multiply men upon you—even My people Israel—and they shall possess you, and you shall be an inheritance for them; and you shall no longer continue to bereave them.”

¹³ Thus saith the Lord God: Because they say unto you, “Thou, land, devourest up men and hast bereaved thy nations,” — some say to you, “The land of Israel is known for devouring its people and depriving them of their children,” Voice

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: Because they say to you, ‘You are a slayer of men, and you have been a bereaver of your people.'”

¹⁴ therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord God. — because some say, the land of Israel is known for devouring its people, by famine, sword, or pestilence and depriving them of their children, thus saith the Lord God, that shall cease;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, men shall no longer be slain [within you], and your people you shall no longer bereave (finish off); says the Lord God.”

¹⁵ Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the nations any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord God.’” — not that “any more” repeated three times for emphasis;

— neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord God; fall by famine, sword, or pestilence, or any other judgment caused by sin:

— or, “thou shalt not bereave” and which the Targum and many versions follow: now what is promised is its full accomplishment upon the full return of the house of Jacob from their ‘Babylonish’ captivity.

CSB says: I will no longer allow the insults of the nations to be heard against you, and you will not have to endure the reproach of the peoples anymore; you will no longer cause your nation to stumble. This is the declaration of the Lord God.’” Ezekiel 36:14-15

For more, see A Greater “Out of Egypt” Exodus

— the Targum says,

“And I will no longer cause you to hear the humiliation of the nations, and the reproach of the peoples you shall no longer receive; and your people you shall no longer finish off (stumble); says the Lord God.”

¹⁶ Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — as the Targum says, the word of prophecy from the Lord; that is, another prophecy regarding the house of Israel as the next verse indicates.

¹⁷ “Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings; their way was before Me as the uncleanness of a removed woman. — the comparison with the house of Israel is as a woman to be cleansed who has been set apart for uncleanness;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, when the House of Israel dwelt upon their land, they defiled it by their ways and by their deeds; like the defilement of a woman in her impurity was their way before Me.”

¹⁸ Therefore I poured My fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it. — God’s fury upon the house of Israel was shed because of her idols and for the blood they had shed upon the land; the innocent and righteous blood;

— the Targum says,

“And I poured out My fury upon them because of the innocent blood which they shed upon the land, and because of the worship of their idols with which they defiled it.”

¹⁹ And I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries; according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

— the house of Israel dispersed like the Egyptians, and they were dispersed through the countries like the Gypsies; or blown about as chaff, stubble, or any such like thing, by the wind;

— according to Israel’s self proclaimed standards and according to their doings I judged them; condemned and punished them as their evil ways and wicked works deserved;

— the Targum says,

“And I exiled them among the nations, and they were scattered throughout the provinces; according to their evil ways and according to their corrupt deeds, I punished them.”

²⁰ And when they entered unto the nation whither they went, they profaned My holy name, when they said to them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of His land.’

— among the nations, they profaned my holy name; by their pornography, sexual immorality and promiscuity, by their violation of both tablets of laws; by their gun violence, family breakdown, homelessness;

— among other nations, they use dirty language while invoking God’s name, whereby they gave the Gentiles an occasion to reproach them, their religion, and their God, Romans 2:24;

— and not only do they promote LGBTQIA+ and other filths but being hubris and narcissistic they also try to promote and enforce them onto other nations; in doing so “they profaned My holy name,” so said the Lord!

— the Targum says,

“And they entered among the nations where they were exiled; and they profaned My Holy Name, because it was said of them: ‘If these are the people of the Lord, then how is it that they have gone out (been exiled) from the land of the House of His Presence (Shekhinah)?'”

²¹ But I had pity for Mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations whither they went. — but for my holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned my holy name among the nations whither you go;

— the Targum says,

“And I had pity (compassion) for My Holy Name, which the House of Israel had profaned among the nations where they were exiled.”

²² “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the nations whither ye went.

— it is emphasized that God would restore his people, not for their sakes, not for the house of Israel’s sake, but for his own;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, say to the House of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Not for your sake do I act, O House of Israel, but rather for My Holy Name, which you have profaned among the nations where you were exiled.”

²³ And I will sanctify My great name which was profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. — to sanctify is the opposite of to profane;

— God will restore his great name to its holy state which has been desecrated in every nation by the nation of Israel! After all these things come to pass, God will reveal his holiness through Israel right before our eyes, then these Gentile nations will know that I am the Lord God;

— the Targum says,

“And I will sanctify My great Name, which was profaned among the nations, which you profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when I am sanctified through you before their eyes.”

²⁴ For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

— the mention of “I will take you . . . out of all countries” shows Ezekiel’s prophecy to have been directed beyond their time or immediate future; second, this haven’t been fulfilled yet; but the sound bites could be heard from the ground now;

— the Targum says,

“And I will bring you near from among the nations, and I will gather you from all the provinces, and I will bring you in to your own land.”

²⁵ “‘Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you.

— that cleansing is the removal of already contracted defilement, especially idolatry, one such example is facing the East, worshipping the Sun; Christmas, which honor the Mithraism; Easters, a celebration of Ishtar, the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility and sex;

— the Targum says,

“And I will forgive your sins just as they are purified with sprinkling water and with the ashes of the heifer of the sin-offering; and you shall be clean from all your defilements, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.”

²⁶ A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. — this is a scene flashing forward into the Millennium in the days of the Messiah;

— the Targum says,

“And I will give you a fearing heart, and a fearing spirit I will put within you; and I will shatter the heart of the wicked, which is as hard as stone, from your flesh; and I will give you a heart that fears before Me to do My will.”

²⁷ And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgements and do them. — “and ye shall keep My judgements” or ye shall be careful to keep them or understand God’s judgement; one significant judgement was implemented in AD 70; as some sects faced their judgement and were sent to their death?

— these sects faced their adverse judgement and “disappeared” in the AD 70 inferno: All Sadducees, Herodians, Boethusians, Essenes, together with the House of Shammai Pharisees and those of its military arm, the Zealots. They all had their days of vengeance and disappeared from history. Were they receiving their judgement?

— but history recorded only two sects that escaped the inferno of AD 70:

(1) The early Christians, known as Nazarenes in Acts 24:5. They escaped to a northern town called Pella, west of the Jordan River;

(2) some Pharisees, those of the House of Hillel; they were headed by a rabbi, Johanan ben Zakkai, the head of the Sanhedrin, who escaped to Yavne and, later, his followers re-emerged as Rabbinic Jews, who established the Hillel Calendar, which was revealed by Hillel II in about AD 359 concerning the rules of the calendar.

For more, see AN AUTOPSY OF JERUSALEM IN THE AD 70 INFERNO

— the Targum emphasizes God’s spirit is holy, hence his spirit is the Holy Spirit; and is not a seperate being

“And I will put My Holy Spirit within you, and I will act so that you shall walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments and perform them.”

²⁸ And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God. — this is flashing forward into the Millennium in the days of the Messiah;

— and ye shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers; not only shall be brought into it, but shall inhabit it, and continue there, and that in great safety and plenty; because this land between the rivers is the gift from God, and what he gave to their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, by promise so long ago, and to their posterity;

— the Targum says,

“And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be before Me as a people, and I will be to you a God.”

²⁹ “‘I will also save you from all your uncleannesses; and I will call for the corn and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. — this is flashing forward into the Millennium in the days of the Messiah;

— the Targum says,

“And I will save (redeem) you from all your defilements; and I will bless the grain and increase it, and I will not bring famine upon you.”

³⁰ And I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the nations. — more details of the Millennium could be found from Ezekiel 40 to Ezekiel 48;

— the Targum says,

“And I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you shall no longer receive the reproach of famine among the nations.”

³¹ Then shall ye remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.

— only then would they remember, but not now where they is full of pride, arrogance and jingoism: “If we have to use force, it is because we are America. We are the indispensable nation. We stand tall. We see further into the future” Madeleine Albright.

— the Targum says,

“And you shall remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not right; and you shall groan, and you shall be weary/loathing of yourselves because of your sins and because of your abominations.”

³² Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel! — not for their sakes, not for the house of Israel’s sake, but for God’s own; as you would be ashamed and confounded of your own ways;

— the Targum says,

“Not for your sake do I act, says the Lord God, let it be known to you; be ashamed and humbled because of your ways, O House of Israel.”

³³ “‘Thus saith the Lord God: In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be rebuilt. — again, this is flashing forward into the Millennium in the days of the Messiah;

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: On the day that I cleanse you from all your sins, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the ruins shall be rebuilt.”

³⁴ And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.

— the Targum says,

“And the land that was desolate shall be tilled (worked), instead of it being a wasteland in the eyes of everyone who passes by.”

³⁵ And they shall say, “This land that was desolate has become like the Garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities have become fortified and are inhabited.” — more details of the Millennium could be found from Ezekiel 40 to 48;

— the Targum says,

“And they shall say: This land of Israel which was desolate has returned to be like the Garden of Eden; and the cities that were ruined, desolate, and pulled down are now settled as strong, fortified cities.”

³⁶ Then the nations that are left round about you shall know that I, the Lord, build the ruined places and plant that which was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it.’

— “I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it;” God has spoken of it by his prophets; he has promised it in his word, and he will surely do it; there is certainly no Plan B, for he is true and faithful to his promises, and able to perform;

— but many false shepherds have claimed that because of Israel’s sin, God’s project of the OT had failed, his numerous promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob nullified, and then the Almighty God quickly revert to another plan, Plan B: a new redemptive process calls the “Covenant of Grace!”

— the Targum says,

“And the nations that remain round about you shall know that I the Lord have rebuilt the demolished places and established the desolate places; I the Lord have decreed by My Word (Meimra), and I will establish (fulfill) it.”

³⁷ “Thus saith the Lord God: I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them. I will increase them with men like a flock. — yet again I’m going to do what Israel asks. I’ll increase their population as with a flock of sheep;

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: Furthermore, this [request] I will grant when asked through My Word (Meimra) for the House of Israel, to do for them: I will multiply them in men and I will make them prosper in cattle.”

³⁸ As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know that I am the Lord.” — during the Millennium, all the solemn days and festivals listed in Leviticus 23; all will be kept;

— God said of the house of Israel that “they shall know that I am the Lord” this implies that they do not know God at this time, despite many claim they are Christians, a few pretentious at best. How could they? In today’s world of professing Christians, no less than 99.99 percent of them disgracefully don’t even know the Oracles of God!

— the Targum elaborates that those people who keep the feasts such as the Passover in Jerusalem, are holy people

“Like the holy people, like the people who are cleansed and come to Jerusalem at the time of the Passover festivals; so shall the cities of the land of Israel that were ruined be full of the people of the House of Israel, and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Posted in Ezekiel

Chapter 33 specifies the duty of a watchman and the sins of his people; it contains a vindication of the justice of God; a threatening of destruction to those who remained in the land after the taking of the city of Jerusalem; and in chapter 34, it highlights the hypocrisy of the prophets who choose to feed themselves rather than feed the flock.

Earlier, we have established that although Ezekiel has his face set toward Jerusalem, this prophecy is meant for the house of Israel “for many years to come” (Ezekiel 12:27); that is, at the endtime. And, here, remember, the top dog of the house of Israel is primarily the United States of America, and secondarily its European allies.

For understanding who the modern tribes of Judah and Joseph are, the best book to have expounded this subject is “Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright” by J.H. Allen (1847-1930).

More on (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe 

(4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn

Further, the word “Israel” has five (or even six) possible meanings:

(1) Israel in place of Jacob, since the angel gave Jacob a new name, Israel; Genesis 32:28

(2) Jacob said, “and let my name be named on them” Genesis 48:16; that is, the name “Israel” is to be installed to the children of Joseph: Ephraim and Manasseh;

(3) the children of Israel, or all the house of Israel as in Ezekiel 20:40 in the sense of all the progeny of Jacob, all twelve tribes; sometimes expressed as the “whole house of Israel;”

(4) the house of Israel as in Ezekiel 4:3-5 as a single northern “house of Israel” which would mean the ‘first’ house of Israel or as the house of 10-tribes Israel; and then another as;

(5) the ‘second’ house of Israel as the 2-tribes house of Judah as in Ezekiel 4:6; this happened during Rehoboam reign when the kingdom was broken into the house of Israel (north) and the house of Judah (south); in this context, the house of Israel could be the 2-tribes Israel as in Ezekiel 8:6,11,12 and Matthew 15:24;

(6) Israel, the modern state of Israel, established in 1917 by the Balfour declaration and gained independence in 1948.

In understanding prophecies, the third and fourth meanings are mostly in use; the others, very rarely. Still, it may seem confusing, but one should be able to separate the two by sounding out the context.

Ezekiel 33

¹ Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the word of prophecy from the Lord, as the Targum renders it.

² “Son of man, speak to the children of thy people and say unto them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man from their borders and set him as their watchman, and

— the prophet Ezekiel is a watchman to the house of Israel; his appointment to be a watchman is extremely important as it is derived from God and not from the people;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, prophesy to the children of your people and say to them: A land, if I bring upon it those who kill with the sword, and the people of the land take one man from among them and appoint him for them as a watchman (lookout).”

³ if when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet and warn the people,

— if what he seeth the sword come upon the land; or those that kill with the sword; as soon as he observes a body of armed men, more or less, marching towards the borders of the land with a manifest intention to enter and invade it;

— he blow the trumpet and warn the people; by blowing the trumpet, the signal they would understand that an enemy was at hand or near; or warn them by word of mouth where he could do it and when it was necessary;

— the Targum says,

“And he sees those who kill with the sword coming upon the land, and he blows the Shofar and warns the people.”

⁴ then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet and taketh not warning, if the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. — if the sword come and take him away; those that kill with the sword, no blame can be laid upon any but himself; the watchman will be clear;

— the Targum says,

“And whoever hears the sound of the Shofar and does not take warning, and the killers with the sword come and take him—the guilt of his killing shall be upon his own head.”

⁵ He heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning: his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. — as a watchman to the house of Israel, his duty is to warn sinners of their misery and impending danger;

— the Targum says,

“The sound of his Shofar he heard, yet he did not take warning; the guilt of his killing shall be upon him. But he who took warning has saved his life.”

⁶ But if the watchman see the sword come and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, if the sword come and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.’

— but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hands; he shall be punished for not doing his duty,

— for not giving the due warning of danger, on which account the man was surprised with the enemy and taken away unawares; and therefore his death shall be laid to the watchman and he must be answerable for it;

— the Targum says,

“But the watchman, if he sees those who kill with the sword coming and does not blow the Shofar, and the people are not warned, and the killers with the sword come and take a soul from them—he is remembered [taken] for his own guilt, but his blood I will require from the hand of the watchman.”

⁷ “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee as a watchman unto the house of Israel. Therefore thou shalt hear the word at My mouth and warn them from Me.

— the book of Ezekiel is primarily directed to the children of Israel; all other nations, without exception, are periphery:

³ And He said unto me, “Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against Me. They and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very day;

⁴ for they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God.’ Ezekiel 2:3-4

— this prophecy is meant for the house of Israel, which is primarily the United States of America, and secondarily its European allies;

— therefore thou shalt hear the word from my mouth, and warn them from me; the Targum says, “thou shalt receive the word from my Word, and warn them from sinning before me.”

— the Targum says,

“And you, son of man, I have appointed you as a teacher for the House of Israel; and you shall receive a word from My Memra (Word/Command) and you shall warn them against sinning before Me.”

⁸ When I say unto the wicked, ‘O wicked man, thou shalt surely die,’ if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand — the watchman must answer for the blood of all that perish through his negligence;

— the Targum says,

“When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die,’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way—that wicked man shall die for his own guilt, but his blood I will require from your hand.”

⁹ Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. — blood had by this time been shed, but the watchman is to be cleared “if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it,”

— the Targum says,

“But you, if you warn the wicked from his way to return from it, and he does not return from his way—he shall die for his own guilt, but you have saved your soul.”

¹⁰ “Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel: ‘Thus ye speak, saying, “If our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them, how should we then live?”’

— son of man to speak unto the “house of Israel” re-emphasizing a prophecy which is meant for the United States and its European allies; foremost, most are not keeping the Sabbaths;

— the Targum says,

“And you, son of man, say to the House of Israel: Thus you have said, saying, ‘Because our debts and our sins are set upon us, and in them we are melting away—how then shall we live?'”

¹¹ Say unto them: ‘As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?’

— again the “house of Israel” re-emphasizing a prophecy which is meant for the United States and its European allies; their sabbath which is Sundays, where the original keepers were the Samaritans, brought from the Assyrians to corrupt the children of Israel;

— and those who persist in their blindness will be horsewhipped! Nar, those who resist would suffer Judgement by the sword, by famine, by pestilence and spending years in captivity to reflect and repent there;

— the Targum says,

“Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I do not desire the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked return from his way and live. Return, return from your evil ways! For why should you die, O House of Israel?'”

— for more see 

(1) Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline; and

(2) The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

¹² Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people: ‘The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression. As for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness, neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.’

— a good person’s righteous life won’t save him when he decides to sin, and a bad person’s wicked life won’t prevent him from repenting his wickedness;

— the Targum says,

“And you, son of man, say to the children of your people: The merit of the righteous shall not save him on the day of his sin; and as for the guilt of the wicked, he shall not stumble by it on the day he returns from his sin; and the righteous shall not be able to endure by [his past] on the day of his sin.”

¹³ When I shall say to the righteous that he shall surely live, if he trust to his own righteousness and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. — Exodus 31:14 “Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore, for it is holy unto you. Every one who defileth it shall surely be put to death;

— for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall “be cut off from among his people.” The punishment for breaking the Sabbath was death. When someone is put to death, obviously he “hath committed a sin, he shall die for it” or cut off from among his people; Exodus 31:14;

— these sects of the Jews faced their days of vengeance by FIRE and disappeared in the AD 70 inferno: all the Sadducees, Herodians, Boethusians, Essenes, together with the House of Shammai Pharisees and those of its military arm, the Zealots. They all faced their days of vengeance and disappeared from history. Were they receiving their “fire”?

— the Targum says,

“When I say to the righteous, ‘He shall surely live,’ and he trusts in his merit and commits a lie (falsehood/injustice)—all his merits shall not be remembered; and for his lie that he has committed, in it he shall die.”

¹⁴ Again, when I say unto the wicked, ‘Thou shalt surely die,’ if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right,

— the Targum says,

“And when I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and he returns from his sins and performs true judgment and merit (righteousness).”

¹⁵ if the wicked restore the pledge, give back that which he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die. — history recorded only two sects that escaped the inferno of AD 70:

(1) The Christians, known as Nazarenes in Acts 24:5. They escaped to a northern town called Pella, west of the Jordan River.

(2) Some Pharisees, those of the House of Hillel. They were headed by a Pharisaic rabbi, Johanan ben Zakkai, the head of the Sanhedrin, who was smuggled out of besieged Jerusalem in a coffin. They escaped to Yavne and, later, his followers re-emerged as Rabbinic Jews, who established the Hillel Calendar, which was revealed by Hillel II in about AD 359 concerning the rules of the calendar.

— the Targum says,

“The wicked returns the pledge, he pays back the robbery, he walks in the statutes of life so as not to commit a lie (falsehood); he shall surely live and not die.”

¹⁶ None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him. He hath done that which is lawful and right: he shall surely live. — they survive (1) the Christians, known as Nazarenes; and (2) certain Pharisees, who became the Rabbinic Jew today;

— the Targum says,

“All his sins that he committed shall not be remembered against him; he has performed true judgment and merit (righteousness); he shall surely live.”

¹⁷ “Yet the children of thy people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ But as for them, their way is not equal. — instead of turning away and by repenting, the house of Israel complains even further; that His way is not according to the rules of justice and equity;

— the Targum says,

“And the children of your people say, ‘The good ways of the Lord are not explained (clear) to us’; but it is their own ways that are not right.”

¹⁸ When the righteous turneth from his righteousness and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. — a re-instatement of verse 13 above;

— the Targum says,

“When the righteous returns from his merit and commits a lie (falsehood), he shall die because of them.”

¹⁹ But if the wicked turn from his wickedness and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. — a re-instatement of verses 14-15 above;

— the Targum says,

“And when the wicked returns from his sins and performs true judgment and merit (righteousness)—because of them, he shall endure.”

²⁰ Yet ye say, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one according to his ways.” — the wicked still obstinately persists in their false charges: “The way of the Lord is not equal,”

— the Targum says,

“And you said, ‘The good ways of the Lord are not explained (clear) to us.’ I will exact punishment from you, O House of Israel, each man according to his ways.”

²¹ And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, that one who had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, “The city is smitten!” — that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me; as it was foretold and promised he should, Ezekiel 24:26;

— saying, the city is smitten; the city of Jerusalem; the walls were broken down, the houses burnt and the whole destroyed;

— the Targum says,

“And it was in the twelfth year, in the tenth month, on the fifth of the month of our exile, there came to me a fugitive from Jerusalem, saying: ‘The city has been broken!'”

²² Now the hand of the Lord was upon me in the evening before he that had escaped came, and He had opened my mouth until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb. — and had opened my mouth as he promised he would, Ezekiel 3:26-27 so that he spoke freely and boldly;

— the Targum says,

“And a prophecy from before the Lord was with me in the evening, before the arrival of the survivor; and He opened my mouth by the time he came to me in the morning. And my mouth was opened, and I was silent no longer.”

²³ Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the word of prophecy from the Lord, as Ezra would renders it.

²⁴ “Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes in the land of Israel speak, saying, ‘Abraham was one, and he inherited the land. But we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.’

— ‘if Abraham, being only a single person, had the whole region of Judea and Samaria (and more) given him, there is much greater reason to conclude, that God will preserve the possession of more to us, who are a numerous part of Abraham’s posterity,’

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, those who dwell in these ruins on the land of Israel are saying: ‘Abraham was alone in the world, yet he inherited the land; and we are many—to us the land has been given for an inheritance!'”

²⁵ Therefore say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Ye eat meat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood. And shall ye possess the land? — eating meat with its blood is a sin, and so with lift up your eyes toward your idols;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore say to them: ‘Thus says the Lord God: You eat [flesh] over the blood of the innocent, and you lift your eyes to the worship of your idols, and you shed the blood of the innocent—and yet you imagine you will inherit the land?'”

²⁶ Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbor’s wife. And shall ye possess the land?’ —shall you possess the land? Can such sinners flatter themselves that they shall inherit the land promised to a righteous and good forefather, and to the like seed?

— the Targum says,

“You stood upon your strength (your weapons), you committed abomination, and each man defiled his neighbor’s wife—and yet you imagine you will inherit the land?”

²⁷ Say thou thus unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that are in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.

— and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured; a reminder of “so will I send upon you famine and evil beasts” Ezekiel 5:17.

“For thus saith the Lord God: How much more when I send My four sore judgements upon Jerusalem; the sword and the famine and the noisome beast and the pestilence; to cut off from it man and beast?” Ezekiel 14:21

— the Targum says,

“Thus shall you say to them: ‘Thus says the Lord God: As I live, surely those who are in the ruins shall fall by the sword, and those who are in the open field I have given to the wild beasts to be devoured, and those who are in the fortresses and in the caves shall die by the pestilence.'”

²⁸ For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. — could this period of the land been desolated ties in with Israel 190 and Judah’s 40 years of iniquities? see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline; “mountains of Israel” would be a reference to the United States, United Kingdom and France;

— for in II Chronicles 36:21 it says, “The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.” This is a reference to Jeremiah 25:11

— the Targum says,

“And I will make the land a desolation and a waste, and the pride of its strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that no one passes through.”

²⁹ Then shall they know that I am the Lord, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.’ — and they “shall know that I am the Lord” indicating that neither those teaching in the synagogues nor those in their numerous churches know God today! But are all sleeping!

His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Isaiah 56:10

— the Targum says,

“And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations which they have committed.”

³⁰ “Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, ‘Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord.’

— every man to his brother, saying, come, l pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord; let us go perhaps we shall hear some new thing, which would be pleasing;

— the Targum says,

“And you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and one speaks with another, each man to his brother, saying: ‘Come now, and let us hear what the word is that comes forth from before the Lord.'”

³¹ And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

— “for with their mouth they show much love” such as grace of God, covernent of Grace, or even the throne of grace, “but their heart goeth after their covetousness,”

— the Targum says,

“And they will come to you like the coming of men who are students, and My people will sit before you; they hear your words, but they will not do them. For they make mockery with their mouths, and their hearts go astray after their ill-gotten gains (mammon of violence).”

³² And lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear thy words, but they don’t do them;

— songs of mercies like ‘Amazing Grace’ or flattering like ‘How Great Thou Art,’ ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic,’ or ‘Praise Ye the Lord, the Almighty.’ They are so popular and endearing with “pleasant voice” and “play well on an instrument” that the flock are so mesmerized that God’s commandments are swept aside;

— the Targum says,

“And behold, you are to them like the music of flutes, whose voice is sweet and which is good for playing; and they hear your words, but to do them—they are not willing.”

³³ And when this cometh to pass — lo, it will come — then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.” — and when this cometh to pass; the prophecy before delivered out, concerning the desolations in the land of Israel; that is, by the sword, pestilence, and wild beasts;

— lo, it will come; whatever is predicted by the Lord; in the mouth of his prophets, certainly comes to pass: then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them; that Ezekiel was one such prophet by the exact accomplishment of his predictions;

— the Targum says,

“And when it comes—behold, it is coming!—then they shall know that a prophet has been among them.”

Ezekiel 34

In this chapter, God is against the shepherds of Israel, that is, their rulers, both in church and state, are called to an account, as having been very much accessory to the sin and ruin of Israel, by their neglect of the duties of their station.

¹ And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the word of prophecy from the Lord, as the Targum renders it.

² “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

— Woe be to the shepherds! ~ false teachers, pastors, ministers, those that fleeceth the flock; they have been principal causes of many sins, and exemplary actors in other sins;

— for which many woes are exposed; many already are to come, and the rest will come, in which woes these wolves in sheep’s skin have more than their ordinary share;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, prophesy against the leaders of Israel; prophesy and say to them, to the leaders: ‘Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the leaders of Israel who were providing for themselves! Should not the leaders provide for the people (the flock)?'”

³ Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe yourselves with the wool, ye kill the ones that are fed; but ye feed not the flock. — but ye feed not the flock; did not govern the people well,

— by doing justice and judgement among men; did not deliver out words of truth and sound teachings, to feed the minds of men with which is the duty of those that preside in the church of God;

— the Targum says,

“The best (of the property) you eat, and the clean wool you wear; the fattened ones you slaughter—but the people you do not provide for.”

⁴ The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

— these are shepherds who neglect their duty, and abuse the trust reposed in them; sheep wander and lose themselves, shepherds should seek such and bring them home;

— the Targum says,

“The weak you did not strengthen, and the sick you did not heal, and the broken you did not bind up, and those who were scattered you did not bring back, and those who were lost you did not seek; but with force you ruled over them, and with hardness.”

⁵ And they were scattered because there is no shepherd, and they became meat to all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. — and they became meat to all beasts; the Targum says, “and they were delivered to all the kingdoms of the people to be consumed;”

— such beasts as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Ammonites, Moabites, and others; and also be applied to false teachers, those grievous wolves, which spare not the flock, into whose hands members of churches fall when neglected by their shepherds;

— the Targum says,

“And they were scattered for lack of a leader (provider), and they were delivered to be destroyed by all the kingdoms of the nations, and they wandered.”

⁶ My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill; yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. — through all the mountains; when endangered, affrighted, pursued, they got upon the mountains; or it may refer to their wandering after idols worshipped in high places;

— the Targum says,

“My people wandered on all the mountains and on every high hill; and over all the face of the earth My people were scattered, and there was none to inquire [after them] and none to seek [them].”

⁷ “‘Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: — ye prophets and teachers of the Scriptures, who ought to have attended to the word of God, to his doctrines of truth;

⁸ As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because My flock became a prey and My flock became meat to every beast of the field because there was no shepherd, neither did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and fed not My flock,

— neither did my shepherds search for my flock; that was scattered, and carried captive, and became a prey to others; but these shepherds fed themselves;

— the Targum says,

“‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘surely because My people have become a prey, and My people were delivered to be destroyed by all the kingdoms of the nations for lack of a leader, and the leaders did not inquire after My people, but the leaders provided for themselves and did not provide for My people…'”

⁹ therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. — repeated from verse 7 above, for emphasis;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, O wicked leaders, return to the Torah and I will be ready to have mercy upon you; listen to the teaching of the Torah and receive the word of the Lord.”

¹⁰ Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require My flock at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the flock, neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more. For I will deliver My flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

— thus saith the Lord, Behold, I am against the shepherds; they have made me their enemy by their negligence and abuse of their power, and I will appear and act as such; they have been enemies to my sheep, though pretending to be their shepherds;

— I will be an open enemy to them; and will require my flock at their hands; I will require a severe account from their kings and princes (who acquiesce with LGBTqia+ agenda to gain popularity); their priests and prophets (who generally teach a false sabbath);

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am sending My anger against the leaders, and I will require My people from their hand; and I will cause them to cease from providing for the people, and the leaders shall provide for themselves no more. And I will deliver My people from their hand, and they shall not be delivered into their hands to be destroyed.'”

¹¹ “‘For thus saith the Lord God: Behold I, even I, will both search My sheep and seek them out. — I, even I: the construction is emphatically in the Hebrew and well expressed here; I will search my sheep in all countries and in all places where they are;

— the Targum says,

“For thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am revealing Myself, and I will inquire after My people and I will seek them out.'”

¹² As a shepherd seeketh out his flock on the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I seek out My sheep and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered on the cloudy and dark day.

— the cloudy day; when the storm first began to arise from abroad or at home; here in persecutions, there in warlike preparations;

— the Targum says,

“As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is in the midst of his sheep and separates them, so will I seek out My people; and I will deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on the day of clouds and darkness.”

¹³ And I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers and in all the inhabited places of the country. — “mountains of Israel” see comments in v14 below;

— from all parts of the world; whom he searches for, and effectually calls by his spirits, and separates them from the rest of the world and brings them into his churches, and among his people;

— the Targum says,

“And I will bring them out from among the nations, and gather them from the provinces, and bring them into their own land; and I will provide for them upon the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land.”

¹⁴ I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

— the high mountains of Israel; the phrase is “the mountain (H2022 hā·rê) of the height of Israel” (as in Ezekiel 17:23; 20:40); notice a subtle difference in the singular number; the reason for the singular is that Ezekiel spoke of the central seat of the kingdom, Mount Zion, where the Messiah would appear to teach them; but in Ezekiel 34:6 the same H2022 is he·hā·rîm (plural);

— the Targum noted this difference and expresses as such,

“With good provision I will provide for them, and upon the Holy Mountain of Israel shall be their dwelling; there they shall dwell in a beautiful place, and with good provision they shall be provided for upon the mountains of Israel.”

— that is, from Mount Zion shall go forth the Law and othe ordinances, and these would be carried out by the other mountains of Israel, other nations of Israel, and from these to the rest of the world.

¹⁵ I will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. — and God will bring them out from the nations, to Jerusalem and the Promised Land;

— the Targum says,

“‘I will provide for My people, and I will cause them to dwell in security (with confidence),’ says the Lord God.”

¹⁶ I will seek that which was lost and bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that which was sick. But I will destroy the fat and the strong: I will feed them with judgement. — God will feed them with sound judgement; he will judge, chastise and punish them;

— the Targum says,

“Those who were lost I will seek, and those who were uprooted I will bring back; the broken I will bind up, and the sick I will sustain; but the sinners and the guilty I will destroy, and I will provide for My people with justice.”

¹⁷ “‘And as for you, O My flock, thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the hegoats. — behold, God will judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats: between the smaller and weaker cattle, the sheep and the lambs;

— now, the Lord, as he observed a difference between them, he would make this manifest and take the part of the one against the other; even the part of the weaker against the stronger;

— the Targum says, “behold, judge between man and man, sinners and the ungodly,”

“And as for you, My people, thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I judge between man and man—between the sinners and the guilty.'”

¹⁸ Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? And to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?

— from the Message Bible

“‘And as for you, my dear flock, I’m stepping in and judging between one sheep and another, between rams and goats. Aren’t you satisfied to feed in good pasture without taking over the whole place? Can’t you be satisfied to drink from the clear stream without muddying the water with your feet? Why do the rest of my sheep have to make do with grass that’s trampled down and water that’s been muddied? Ezekiel 34:17-19 MSG

— the Targum says,

“Is it too little for you that you are provided for with good provision, that you must trample the remainder of your provision with your feet? And you drink clarified (pure) water, but the remainder you trample (foul) with your feet?”

¹⁹ And as for My flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. — the Targum of the whole verse says, “and my people eat the residue of the food of your ministers, and drink the residue of the drink of your ministers,’

— the Targum says,

“And My people eat the remainder of what your feet have used (trodden), and they drink the remainder of what your feet have used (fouled).”

²⁰ “‘Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them: Behold I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. — behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle;

— the Targum says “between the rich man and the poor man,”

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: ‘Behold, I am revealing Myself, and I will judge between the rich man and the poor man.'”

²¹ Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns till ye have scattered them abroad, — because you fat sheep bully the weak, you fleeceth the flock, push them around, and threaten them with your horns until you scatter them to distant mountains;

— the Targum says,

“Because with side and with shoulder you have pushed, and with force you have broken all the suffering ones, until you scattered them among the provinces.”

²² therefore will I save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. — therefore will I save my flock; or redeem my people; that is, by his Son as his Shepherd and Servant:

— the Targum says,

“And I will save (redeem) My people, and they shall no longer be delivered for spoil; and I will judge between man and man.”

²³ And I will set up one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them, even My servant David. He shall feed them, and He shall be their Shepherd. — this reunites the house of Israel and the house of Judah; and even all Gentiles;

— the Targum says,

“And I will raise up over them one leader (provider) who shall provide for them—My servant David; he shall provide for them, and he shall be a leader (provider) for them.”

²⁴ And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them. I, the Lord, have spoken it.

— the Targum emphasizes David’s Kingship:

“And I, the Lord, will be a God to them, and My servant David shall be a King in their midst; I, the Lord, have decreed it by My Word.”

²⁵ “‘And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land; and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. — evil beasts: during the Babylonish captivity evil beasts had exceedingly increased, through seventy years’ desolation in Judea;

— the Targum says,

“And I will decree for them a covenant of peace, and I will bring to an end harmful beasts from the land; and they shall dwell in the wilderness in security (confidence), and they shall move about (travel) in the forests.”

²⁶ And I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing, and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. — “My hill” is Mount Zion; a similar figurative language in Isaiah 31:4;

— the Targum says,

“And I will cause them to dwell round about My Holy House, and they shall be blessed; and I will bring down for them the early rain in its season; they shall be rains of blessing.”

²⁷ And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves by them.

— the trees of the fields and orchards will bear abundant fruit, the soil of the fields will produce ample crops, and My people will rest securely within their land. They will know that I am the Eternal when I destroy the dominion of their oppressors and liberate them from those who made them slaves;

— the Targum says,

“And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield its produce; and they shall be upon their land in security (confidence). And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the yoke of their strength and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.”

²⁸ And they shall no more be a prey to the nations, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. — the wilderness or pasture-country and the woods, the places most exposed to beasts and birds of prey, become places of security;

— the Targum says,

“And they shall no longer be a spoil for the nations, and the kingdoms of the earth shall not destroy them; and they shall dwell in security (confidence), and there shall be none to make them afraid (none to cause them to wander).”

²⁹ And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the nations any more. — never again will famine strike their land; never again will other nations sneer at them;

— the Targum says,

“And I will raise up for them a permanent planting, and they shall no longer be wandering in famine in the land; and they shall no longer bear the shame (humiliation) of the nations.”

³⁰ Thus shall they know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are My people, saith the Lord God. — they “shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them”

— indicating that neither those teaching in the synagogues nor those in their churches know God is with them; “even the house of Israel, [who] are My people” know who God is today!

— the Targum says,

“And they shall know that I, the Lord their God, My Word (Memra) is in their support, and they are My people, the House of Israel, says the Lord God.”

³¹ And ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.’” — these words at the conclusion of the chapter, explain the metaphor; namely, that what was said of a flock and its shepherds, is to be understood of men and their shepherds, ministers;

— and of God’s people, whom their ecclesiastical ministers misled and oppressed, but whom God watches over, provides for, and takes care as a real shepherd does. This, too, lays an obligation upon civil princes, governors and magistrates, to govern faithfully and justly the people whom they were committing their trust;

— the Targum reminded us these are the leaders of Israel, saying,

“And you are My people, the people upon whom My Name is called—the House of Israel are you; I am your God, says the Lord God.”

Posted in Ezekiel

Four chapters (29 to 32) are allocated to Egypt, indicating its importance, but why so if it wasn’t related somehow to the house of Israel?

Chapter 31 opens with the Lord speaking to the Pharaoh of Egypt, giving him an example of Assyria, and to anyone else, as a warning of what could happen to them (or us) too.

Ezekiel 31

¹ And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the beginning of a new oracle; again, this is directed against Pharaoh king of Egypt.

² “Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: “‘Whom art thou like in thy greatness? — and to his multitude; the multitude of his subjects, in whom the Pharaoh trusted and of which he boasted;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and to his multitude: To whom are you compared in your strength?”

³ Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of a high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.

— behold, the king of Assyria is compared to a large and flourishing cedar, for the extent of his dominions, the prosperous state of his empire, and his exaltation above all other princes, which drew upon him their envy;

— here grew the tallest, most stately, broad and flourishing ones; and in its branches all the birds of the heaven made their nests, and under its boughs all the beasts of the field brought forth, and in its shadow sat great nations of all kinds;

— the Targum says,

“Behold, the Assyrian was like a cedar in Lebanon, whose branches were beautiful and whose boughs gave shade, and it was lofty in height, and its roots were sent out over the springs of water.”

⁴ The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.

— the waters made the king of Assyria great; the waters of the river Tigris, near to which stood the city of Nineveh, the metropolis of the Assyrian monarchy; the traffic brought by which river made it rich and great, and the whole empire, and its king;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore its height was raised above all the kings of the nations, and its armies became many, and its rulers grew strong because of the assistance of many people, which (God) gave to it to strengthen it.”

⁵ Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters when he shot forth. — his height was exalted; his majesty, grandeur, power, glory and his pride too ran up on high;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore he was exalted in his strength above all the kings of the earth; and his armies became many, and his supporters prevailed over many people in his prevailing.”

⁶ All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young; and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.

— and under the Assyrian dwelt all great nations; under his protection, care, and government, many large kingdoms and states were; yea, all were either subject to him, or sought to be his friends and allies: this explains the figurative expressions above;

— the Targum says, “he prevailed in his strength through the multitude of his mighty men; for his terror was upon many nations.”

⁷ Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches, for his root was by great waters. — and it became beautiful in its stature, in the length of its tendrils, for its roots were upon abundant waters;

— the Targum says,

“With his armies he conquered all the fortified cities, and under his rulers he subjected all the provinces of the earth, and in the shadow of his kingdom dwelt all the many nations.”

⁸ The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him; the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches, nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.

— the cedars; kings, the greatest and most magnificent, are from the Assyrian; the fir trees; the chestnut, are emblem of lesser kings and kingdoms;

— the Targum says,

“Mighty kings could not prevail against him, because of the strength of the power that was with him from before the Lord; rulers could not stand before his armies, and mighty men could not endure his supporters, because of the strength of the power that was with him from before the Lord; none was like him in his strength.”

⁹ I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches, so that all the trees of Eden that were in the garden of God envied him.

— so that all the trees of Eden, that were in the garden of God, envied him, the Pharaoh king of Egypt; all the kings of the earth, though they dared not openly speak against him, or oppose him; yet they inwardly grieved at and secretly grudged his grandeur and majesty, superior to theirs;

— the Targum says,

“I have made him beautiful by the multitude of his mighty ones; and all the kings of the east trembled before him, because of the strength of his power, which he had from the Lord.”

¹⁰ “‘Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height, — speaking of the Pharaoh king of Egypt;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because you have grown tall in height, and he set his dominion over the kingdoms, and his heart became proud in his strength;”

¹¹ I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mightiest of the nations. He shall surely deal with him. I have driven him out for his wickedness. — speaking of the Pharaoh king of Egypt; delivered into “the mightiest of the nations,” for which Nebuchadnezzar is also known for;

— the Targum says,

“And I will deliver him into the hand of the mighty one of the nations; he shall surely take retribution from him; because of his guilt, I have driven him out.”

¹² And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off and have left him. Upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow and have left him.

— by this is signified the destruction of the power of the Egyptians by the Babylonians;

— the Targum says,

“And strangers, the mighty of the nations, destroyed him and cast him down; upon the mountains and in all the valleys his armies fell, and his supporters were scattered in all the crevices of the earth; and all the peoples of the earth went down from the shadow of his kingdom and abandoned him.”

¹³ Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches, — fowls and beasts are all “his multitude” verse 2 above;

— the Targum says,

“Upon the carcass of his slain, all the birds of the heaven dwelt; and upon the corpses of his armies, all the beasts of the field rested.”

¹⁴ to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height—all that drink water. For they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.

— for they, all “his multitude,” are delivered unto death in the nether parts of the earth; they are mortal as other men; who will not spare them because of their crowns and sceptres; and when they will be laid in the grave, in the lowest parts of the earth, who used to sit upon elevated thrones of state;

— the Targum says,

“To the end that all the kings of the East should not be exalted in their strength, and should not set their dominion over the kingdoms, and that all who exercise power should not pride themselves in their strength; for they are all delivered to death, to the lower earth, in the midst of the children of men, with those who go down to the pit, the house of destruction.”

¹⁵ “‘Thus saith the Lord God: In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning. I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed; and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.

— speaking of the Pharaoh king of Egypt; all “his multitude” to mourn for him;

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I brought him down to Sheol, they mourned for him; distress covered the world, and the provinces were laid waste, and many nations trembled; the faces of kings were darkened because of him, and all the kings of the nations clapped their hands over him (in grief).”

¹⁶ I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.

— speaking of the Pharaoh king of Egypt; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water; the greatest kings and potentates of the world, the chief and principal of the Assyrian empire; all that ruled over multitudes of people, and partook of their wealth and riches, and were supported in grandeur and dignity; who had been in the state of the dead before this time;

— the Targum says,

“At the sound of his fall, I made the nations tremble, when I brought him down to Sheol with those who go down to the pit, the house of destruction; and all the kings of the East, the rulers and the wealthy of property, all who exercise power, were comforted in the lower earth.”

¹⁷ They also went down into hell with him unto them that are slain with the sword, and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the nations. — all “his multitude” will go down into hell with the Pharaoh king of Egypt;

— the Targum says,

“They also went down with him to Sheol, with those slain by the sword; and his rulers were broken, their strength (shattered) in the midst of the kingdom.”

¹⁸ To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth. Thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain by the sword. “‘This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord God.’”

— this is Pharaoh, and all his multitude, saith the Lord God; this account represents Pharaoh, his grandeur, his pride, and his ruin; this shows what will be the end of him, and of his numerous subjects. The Septuagint renders it, “so will be Pharaoh” in like manner will he fall, and all his people with him for the Lord God has said it, and it shall assuredly come to pass.

— the Targum says,

“To whom are you like thus in glory and greatness among the kings of old? Yet you shall be brought down with the kings of old to the lower earth; in the midst of the wicked you shall lie with those slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God.”

Ezekiel 32

Chapter 32 continues with a prophecy against either Egypt or the Pharaoh from chapter 29; making four chapters in all, which is about 10 percent of the book of Ezekiel, which is of significance to take note of, but why?

This chapter opens with a lamentation for the Pharaoh of Egypt, giving him a warning of being carried away by Babylon.

¹ And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — in the twelfth year; that is, of Jehoiachin’s captivity, about which time this prophecy is focused on;

— the Targum says,

“And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first of the month, that the word of prophecy from before the Lord was with me, saying:”

² “Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say unto him, “‘Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas; and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubled the waters with thy feet and fouled their rivers.

— Son of man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh the king of Egypt; a “young lion” would be more appropriately applied to Judah, Genesis 49:8-9; by comparison, Egypt would an old lion, if he is also an lion;

— whale; rather, any monster of the waters; here, the crocodile of the Nile; but as a lion on dry land, a crocodile in the waters; that is, an object of terror everywhere;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say to him: You were mighty among the nations, and you are like a monster in the seas; and you came forth with your armies, and you made the nations tremble with your supporters, and you laid waste to their provinces.”

³ “‘Thus saith the Lord God: I will therefore spread out My net over thee with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in My net. — the king of Egypt is compared to a large fish taken in a net; so would Judah, so with Ephraim;

— and there is a prophesied snare for all people and nations of the earth;

Fear and the pit and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall come to pass that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit, and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare; for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. Isaiah 24:17-18

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: I will spread My net over you with a company of many nations, and you shall be caught in My snare.”

⁴ Then will I leave thee upon the land; I will cast thee forth upon the open field and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee. — God will bring the king of Egypt to land, and left dead to be the prey of the fowls of the air and beasts of the field for food;

— the Targum says,

“And I will cast you upon the land; upon the open field I will throw your carcass; and I will cause all the birds of the heaven to dwell upon you, and I will sate the beasts of all the earth with you.”

⁵ And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height.

— and fill the valleys with thy height; his huge army, and with which he prided and lifted up himself, and thought himself safe in; which should fall in such great numbers as to cover the plains and valleys where the battle was fought;

— the Targum says,

“And I will lay the flesh of your slain upon the mountains, and the valleys shall be filled with the corpses of your armies.”

⁶ I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.

— and the rivers shall be full of the carcasses and blood of his army; they should lie on mountains and valleys, on the land and in the rivers; as the rivers of Egypt of old were;

— the Targum says,

“And I will drench the land of your pleasures with your blood upon the mountains; and the watercourses shall be filled from you.”

⁷ And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. — the “heaven” being an emblem of a kingdom itself; the “sun” of an emperor or king, or kingly power; the “moon” of the queen, or of the priesthood; the “stars” of nobles, princes, counsellors;

— the Targum says,

“And distress shall cover you when I extinguish the brightness of the glory of your kingdom from the heavens; they shall become few, along with your armies which were as numerous as the stars; a king with his armies shall cover you like a cloud that rises and covers the sun, and like the moon in the daytime, its light shall not shine.”

⁸ All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord God. — the Targum says, “tribulation as darkness shall cover thy land.”

⁹ “‘I will also vex the hearts of many people when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known. — I will also downgrade the status of your nation; the expression intensify the bitterness of the downfall;

— into countries which thou hast not known; at a distance from Egypt, and which had no commerce nor communication with them, nor were their friends and allies;

— the Targum says,

“And I will agitate the heart of many peoples when I bring the broken (survivors) of your war among the nations, to provinces which you have not known.”

¹⁰ Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee when I shall brandish My sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall.

— amazed; astonished and puzzled, not knowing what resolutions to take, what advice to follow, or what to do;

— they shall tremble; be greatly afraid, least an enemy like Nebuchadnezzar, who was used as God’s sword, should smite them in the day of thy fall; not kings for their subjects, nor subjects for their kings, but every man for himself;

— the Targum says,

“And I will make many peoples desolate because of you, and their kings shall be astonished at you with great astonishment when I bring upon you those who kill with the sword while they are watching; and they shall tremble for their own lives, each man for himself, on the day of the fall of your slain.”

¹¹ “‘For thus saith the Lord God: The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee; — three times Nebuchadnezzar was described as “Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant,” (Jeremiah 25:9, 27:6, 43:10);

— a savaging Nebuchadnezzar was just an instrument being used by God to horse-whipped Israel into shape; and now, to horse-whipped Egypt; and the same with Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd and shall perform all My pleasure,’ even saying to Jerusalem, ‘Thou shalt be built,’ and to the temple, ‘Thy foundation shall be laid,’ (Isaiah 44:28);

— the Targum says,

“For thus says the Lord God: The slayers of the sword of the King of Babylon shall come upon you.”

¹² by the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them. And they shall despoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed. — “thy multitude” this is not talking of the Pharaoh but as a type for the Israelites and her alliance;

— the Targum says,

“By the swords of the mighty I will cast down your armies—the powerful ones of the nations, all of them; and they shall plunder the strength of Egypt, and all her multitude shall be destroyed.”

¹³ I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from beside the great waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them.

— there should so few remain of men and beasts, that the waters of the rivers would not be disturbed, either by men passing over them, and doing any business upon them, or by beasts drinking at them;

— the Targum says,

“And I will destroy all her cattle from beside the many waters; and the feet of man shall no longer disturb them, and the hooves of cattle shall not disturb them.”

¹⁴ Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the Lord God. — like oil; emblem of quietness; no longer shall they descend violently on other countries as the overflowing Nile, but shall be still and sluggish in action;

— the Targum says, “there will I cause the people to rest, and I will lead their kings quietly, saith the Lord God.”

¹⁵ When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country shall be destitute of that whereof it was full, when I shall smite all them that dwell therein, then shall they know that I am the Lord.’

— “then shall they know that I am the Lord” indicates they wouldn’t be put to an end, but come to know that God eventually is known for his justice and good judgement;

— the Targum says,

“When I make the land of Egypt a desolation, and the land shall be desolate of all that fills it, when I bring a strike upon all who dwell in it; then they shall know that I am the Lord.”

¹⁶ “This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her. The daughters of the nations shall lament her; they shall lament for her, even for Egypt, and for all her multitude, saith the Lord God.”

— the daughters of the nations: this tells us who they are that shall lament Egypt, the provinces and cities of their neighbouring nations; or literally, the daughters, the tender-hearted virgins and women abroad;

— the Targum says,

“The prophet said: This prophecy is a lamentation, and it shall be for a lamentation; the villages of the nations shall wail it; over Egypt and over all her multitude they shall wail it, says the Lord God.”

¹⁷ It came to pass also in the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the month itself is not mentioned, but since the previous prophecy was in the twelfth, or last month of the year, this could be in the same;

— the Targum says,

“And it came to pass in the twelfth year, on the fifteenth of the month, that the word of prophecy from before the Lord was with me, saying:”

¹⁸ “Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt and cast them down, even her and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth with them that go down into the pit.

— “wail for the multitude of Egypt and cast them down; unto the nether parts of the earth” ~ the Gypsies, have been cast down as an itinerant people scattered across various parts of central Europe and the Balkans (Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, the Czech and Slovak republics, and Hungary) and Southern France, as well as Turkey;

— but allegedly to have originated from northern India, yet only scanty evidence are given and none seems to be living there today. In fact all evidence point to the fact that they have originated from Egypt, and scattered around various countries;

— “And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and will disperse them through the countries” Ezekiel 29:12

— today, Gypsies are known as Roma, but in Hebrew, their name is derived from the Egyptian city of Zoan, known as “the royal city of the Pharaohs” or Tanis (as the Targum says), at one time the royal and capital of the country; and this is from Wikipedia (Romani people):

Hebrew: צוענים‎, romanized: Tzoanim. Derives either from the biblical Egyptian city of  Zoan, or from the linguistic root צ־ע־נ‎, meaning “wander”

The English term Gypsy (or Gipsy) originates from the Middle English gypcian, short for Egipcien.

— and from the French and others’ entries:

French: gitan/tsigane, English gypsy, gipsy / dʒɪpsiː/, Irish: giofóg, Spanish/Catalan/Italian gitano, Basque: ijito, Turkish: çingene, all from Greek: Αἰγύπτιος, romanized: Aigýptios “Egyptian” (corrupted form: Γύφτος, Gýftos), and Hungarian: fáraónépe from Greek: φαραώ, romanized: pharaó “pharaoh” referring to their Egyptian provenance. And the medieval French referred the Romanies as Égyptiens;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, prophesy over the multitude of Egypt and bring her down—her and the villages of the mighty nations; prophesy that they shall be delivered to the lower earth, with those who go down to the pit of the house of destruction.”

¹⁹ ‘Whom dost thou pass in beauty? Go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.’

— instead of “the nations” it is the uncircumcised used 10 times with a pejorative connotation in this chapter alone; so why such a change? Perhaps the true message of these admonition is directed against Israel, and only using Egypt as a type!

— go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised; go down to the grave, and take thy place, and lie there among the wicked and most profligate of mankind, and such as might be most despised by the Egyptians, since they were already of the un-circumcision;

— the Targum says, “Whom do you surpass in strength? Go down and sleep with the guilty.”

²⁰ They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword. She is delivered to the sword; draw her and all her multitudes. — by the sword; either of one another in civil war, or of their neighbours they invaded, or of Babylonians that invaded them;

— the Targum says,

“In the midst of those slain by the sword they shall be cast; to the sword they shall be delivered, to destroy them and all their multitude.”

²¹ The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: ‘They are gone down; they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.’

— again, this subtle shift from heathen or ‘Egypt’ to the uncircumcised seems unnatural; unless this prophecy is an encrypted message concerning the destiny for both houses of Judah and Israel, where they were expected to be circumcised?

— second, the phrase “slain by the sword” or a small variant of it, are used nine times on this chapter alone; this seems to add weight that this is an encrypted message concerning the destiny for both houses of Israel and Judah during their 190/40 years of captivity for their iniquity in Ezekiel 4!

— the Targum says,

“The strongest of the mighty shall speak with him from the midst of Sheol, with his helpers; they have gone down, they lie there—the guilty ones, those slain by the sword.”

²² “Assyria is there and all her company; his graves are about him, all of them slain, fallen by the sword,

— Ashur is there, and all her company; in the state of the dead, or in a most desolate and ruinous condition; the great Assyrian monarchy, their kings, their princes, nobles, generals, soldiers and the vast subjects in all their dominions;

— the Targum says,

“There is Assyria and all her armies; all around them are their graves; all of them slain, who were killed by the sword.”

²³ whose graves are set in the sides of the pit and her company is round about her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living. — “all of them slain, fallen by the sword” similar to “slain by the sword”

— also “the land of the living” is continuous repeated from verse 23 to 27, and then again verse 32? But why so many repeats? Could this tied in with The Sword and Flaming Fire from the South!

— the Targum says,

“Whose graves were delivered to the sides of the pit of the house of destruction, and their armies were all around their graves; all of them slain, who were killed by the sword, who were delivered to breaking because they ruled [harshly] in the Land of Israel.”

²⁴ “There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, who caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.

— Elam was consequently renamed Persia; “all of them slain, fallen by the sword” and “uncircumcised” repeated;

— the Targum says,

“There is Elam and all her multitude, all around them are their graves; all of them slain, who were killed by the sword, who descended as guilty ones to the lower earth, who were delivered to breaking because they ruled [harshly] in the Land of Israel; and they have received their humiliation with those who go down to the pit of the house of destruction.”

²⁵ They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude. Her graves are round about him, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword. Though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit. He is put in the midst of them that are slain.

— “all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword” ~ surely this is talking of both houses of Judah and Israel instead of Egypt!

— the Targum says,

“In the midst of the slain, a place of their rest was appointed for them with all their multitude; all around them are their graves. All of them are guilty ones, slain by the sword, who were delivered to breaking because they ruled [harshly] in the Land of Israel; and they received their humiliation with those who go down to the pit of the house of destruction; in the midst of the slain they were delivered.”

²⁶ “There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude. Her graves are round about him, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living.

— again, “all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword” continuous repeats with small variation. Also “the land of the living” is continuous repeated from verse 23 to 27, and then again verse 32? But why so many repeats?

— the Targum says,

“There are Meshech and Tubal and all their armies; all around them are their graves. All of them are guilty ones, slain by the sword, who were delivered to breaking because they ruled [harshly] in the Land of Israel.”

²⁷ And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, who are gone down to hell with their weapons of war; and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.

— “with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, who are gone down to hell” repeats with small variation; also “the land of the living” is continuous repeated from verse 23 to 27, and then again verse 32? But why so many repeats unless they are meant to be for both houses of Judah and Israel?

— the Targum says,

“And they shall not lie with the mighty who were killed from among the guilty, who went down to Sheol with their weapons of war; and they placed their swords under their heads, and their sins were upon their bones; because the mighty were delivered to breaking because they ruled [harshly] in the Land of Israel.”

²⁸ Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.

— the word “sword” is used 16 times, mostly about being slain or fell by the sword in this chapter along, showing much emphasis about how their fate lies. Also, “in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword” ~ a variant of the same;

— the Targum says,

“And you, in the midst of the guilty you shall be broken, and you shall lie with those slain by the sword.”

²⁹ “There is Edom, her kings and all her princes, who with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword. They shall lie with the uncircumcised and with them that go down to the pit.

— Edom; the posterity of Esau, the name of the country too in which they dwelt, “shall lie with the uncircumcised and with them that go down to the pit” ~ another variant;

— the Targum says,

“There is Edom, her kings and all her princes, who were delivered in their might with those slain by the sword; they shall lie with the guilty and with those who go down to the pit of the house of destruction.”

³⁰ “There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who are gone down with the slain. With their terror they are ashamed of their might, and they lie uncircumcised with them that are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit.

— there are here six nations, Asshur, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, Edom, Sidon, which added to Egypt make up seven, “they lie uncircumcised with them that are slain by the sword” ~ another variant;

— the Targum says,

“There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who descended with the slain; in their being broken from their might, they are ashamed; and they lie as guilty ones with those slain by the sword, and they have received their humiliation with those who go down to the pit of the house of destruction.”

³¹ “Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord God. — Pharaoh and all his army are slain with the sword, “slain by the sword,” repeated;

— the Targum says,

“Pharaoh shall see them and be comforted over all his multitude; those slain by the sword—Pharaoh and all his armies, says the Lord God.”

³² For I have caused My terror in the land of the living; and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord God.”

— even Pharaoh and all his multitude, “laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword” ~ another variant; also “the land of the living”

— Egypt was described as “the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his river” (Ezekiel 29:3) are now being “are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude.” What a drastic fall! But is this talking of the house of Israel at the endtime? The United States has eleven fleets roaming up and down the five oceans around the world today!

Under “Romani people” from Wikipedia:

The English term Gypsy (or Gipsy) originates from the Middle English gypcian, short for Egipcien. The Spanish term Gitano and French Gitan have similar etymologies. They are ultimately derived from the Greek Αιγύπτιοι (Aigyptioi), meaning Egyptian, via Latin.

This designation owes its existence to the belief, common in the Middle Ages, that the Romani, or some related group (such as the Middle Eastern Dom people), were itinerant Egyptians. This belief appears to be derived from verses in the Biblical Book of Ezekiel (29:6 and 12–13) which refer to the Egyptians being scattered among the nations by an angry God.

In his book The Zincali: an account of the Gypsies of Spain, George Borrow notes that when they first appeared in Germany, it was under the character of Egyptians doing penance for their having refused hospitality to Mary and her son. As described in Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the medieval French referred to the Romanies as Egyptiens.

As Gypsies, these Egyptians endured God’s judgment, being deprived of a homeland, scattered throughout the nations, and despised by every towns and villages they encountered. Yet, they were not regarded as known by God, which were a special term reserved only for both houses of Israel.

Notice the composite message of sweetness and bitterness to the house of Israel below!

“You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities” Amos 3:2

“And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone” Deuteronomy 28:64

Hence, could what these Gypsies have been going through were to provide a glimpse of what the house of Israel would be going through?

And speaking of a rebellious house, that this, the house of Israel:

¹⁴ And I will scatter toward every wind all who are about him to help him, and all his troops; and I will draw out the sword after them.

¹⁵ And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall scatter them among the nations and disperse them in the countries.

¹⁶ But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine and from the pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the nations whither they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 12:14-16

— the Targum says,

“For the mighty were delivered to breaking because they ruled [harshly] upon the earth; and they shall lie in the midst of the guilty with those slain by the sword—Pharaoh and all his multitude, says the Lord God.”

Posted in Ezekiel

Chapter 27 and 28 continue with the same prophecy and lamentation against Tyre that started in Chapter 26. Why three chapters? Something must be rather significant.

Whereas Chapter 26 centers on Tyre, chapter 27 branches out to surrounding territories and trading outposts. And chapter 28 starts with the prince of Tyre but goes beyond the temporal, from the prince of Tyre to the king of Tyre. And why such subtle change?

Ezekiel 27

¹ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,

² “Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyre, — take up a lamentation for Tyre; this compares to the mournful lamentations as practiced at funerals;

— the Targum says, “And you, son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyre.”

³ and say unto Tyre, ‘O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, who art a merchant of the people for many isles, thus saith the Lord God: “‘O Tyre, thou hast said, “I am of perfect beauty.”

— who art a merchant of the people for many isles; these came from several quarters to trade with her in her markets; and who supplied other isles and countries with all sorts of commodities, for which they either resorted to her, or she sent by ships unto them;

— the Targum says,

“And say to Tyre, who dwells at the entry of the sea-harbors, who supplies merchandise to the nations for many islands: Thus says the Lord God: O Tyre, you have said, ‘I am perfect in my beauty.'”

⁴ Thy borders are in the midst of the seas; thy builders have perfected thy beauty. — thy borders are the seas, fixed by the Lord himself;

— Tyre stood about half a mile from the continent, surrounded with the waters of the sea, till it was made a peninsula by Alexander;

— thy builders have perfected thy beauty. The Sidonians were the first builders of the city and which was afterwards perfected by other builders, who also brought the art of ship buildings in her to such a perfection which made her famous throughout the ancient world;

— the Targum says,

“Your borders are in the midst of the seas; your architects (builders) have perfected your construction.”

⁵ They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir; they have taken cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee.

— they made masts from cedars; large poles for the yards and sails to be fastened to, for receiving the wind necessary in navigation; especially for large vessels; most were made from the cedars of Lebanon; the Tyrians are said to be the first inventors of navigation;

— the Targum says,

“Of cypress trees from Senir they built all your planks for you; cedars from Lebanon they took to make masts for you.”

⁶ Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; the company of the Ashurites have made thy benches of ivory, brought out of the isles of Cyprus. — isles of Chittim; some consider Chittim the Old Testament name for Cyprus;

— the Targum says,

“Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; your gate-thresholds (benches) were planks of boxwood inlaid with ivory, brought as a gift from the province of Apulia.”

⁷ Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee. — isles of Elishah; Elishah was mentioned among the sons of Javan; the regions referred to are the coasts of Asia Minor;

— the Targum says,

“Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, to serve as your banner; blue and purple from the province of Italy was your canopy (covering).”

⁸ The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were thy mariners; thy wise men, O Tyre, that were in thee, were thy pilots. — thy wise men, O Tyrus, that were in thee, were thy pilots; such, as had learnt the art of navigation;

— the Targum says,

“The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers, bringing merchandise into your midst; your own wise men, O Tyre, were within you—they were your pilots (leaders).”

⁹ The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy caulkers; all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to trade for thy merchandise. — all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to occupy thy merchandise; ships from all parts were in her harbours, which brought goods into her, and carried goods out of her, by way of merchandise;

— so the Targum says, “all that go down into the sea, and the ships; they were rowers, and they brought merchandise into the midst of thee.”

¹⁰ “‘They of Persia and of Lud and of Phut were in thine army, thy men of war. They hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness.

— the Targum says,

“Persians, Lydians, and Libyans were in your army, your men of war; shields and helmets they hung in you; they increased your splendor.”

¹¹ The men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadims were in thy towers. They hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect.

— the Targum says,

“The men of Arvad with your army were upon your walls all around, and even the Cappadocians were in your towers; they hung their shields upon your walls all around; they have perfected your beauty.”

¹² “‘Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs. — Tarshish; identified as Tartessus in Spain; Spain was rich in the metals named, which were exported to Tyre.

— the Targum says,

“From the sea they brought merchandise into your midst because of the abundance of all wealth; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they supplied your treasuries.”

¹³ Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants; they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market. — these are Japhet’s sons as documented in Genesis 10:2;

— Javan: Greece and the Ionian settlements; Tubal & Meshech: Tribes located in the mountainous regions of Anatolia (Turkey), famous for their metallurgy; so Tyre was even trading with people from the far east, from east Asia;

— the Targum says,

“Javan, Tubal, and Meshech—they were your merchants; with the lives of men and vessels of copper, they brought merchandise into your midst.”

¹⁴ Those of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules — is listed in Genesis 10:3 as the third son of Gomer, and grandson of Japheth, brother of Ashkenaz and Riphath.

— Togarmah is again mentioned in Ezekiel as a nation from the “far north.” Ezekiel 38:6 mentions Togarmah together with Tubal as supplying soldiers to the army of Gog. Ezekiel 27:14 mentions Togarmah together with Tubal, Javan and Meshech as supplying horses to the Tyrians;

— the Targum identifies “Beth Togarmah” (usually identified with Armenia or parts of Eastern Turkey) as Garmamya,

“From the province of Germany, they brought horses, horsemen, and mules as merchandise into your midst.”

¹⁵ The men of Dedan were thy merchants; many isles were the merchandise of thine hand; they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and — Dedan (now part of Al-‘Ula, Saudi Arabia); a descendant of Ham through Cush, was an oasis and city-state of north-western Arabia;

— the Targum says,

“The sons of Dedan were your merchants; the inhabitants of many islands brought merchandise into your midst; with horns of mountain goats, ivory from elephants, and peacocks, they returned your tribute.”

¹⁶ Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making; they traded in thy fairs with emeralds, purple, and embroidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate. — the Syrians had these to trade with at Tyre; in fact Tyre was later absorbed into Syria;

— the Targum says,

“From Aram they brought merchandise into your midst because of the abundance of your wealth; with wraps of purple and embroidered work, and fine linen, colorful patterns, and precious stones and pearls, they supplied your treasuries.”

¹⁷ Judah and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants; they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm. — Judah; the two tribes, or kingdom of Judah; the land of Israel; the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes until their dispersion;

— the Targum says,

“Judah and the Land of Israel were your merchants; with wheat of ‘richush’ (finest quality) and parched grain, and honey and oil and balsam, they supplied your shops.”

¹⁸ Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making, for the multitude of all riches, in the wine of Helbon and white wool. — wine of Helbon; identified with a village of the same name, three and a half hours north of Damascus.

— the Targum says,

“From Damascus they brought merchandise into your midst because of the abundance of your riches, from the multitude of all wealth; with wine of Helbon (cooked/refined) and white wool of Milat.”

¹⁹ Dan also and Javan, going to and fro, traded in thy fairs; bright iron, cassia, and calamus were in thy market. — Dan also and Javan, going to and fro, occupied in thy fairs; either the inhabitants of the tribe of Dan; or of Laish, sometime called Dan;

— the Targum says,

“Vedan and Javan brought merchandise with ‘shirin’ (bracelets/chains); with wrought iron, cassia, and sweet cane, they supplied your shops.”

²⁰ Dedan was thy merchant in precious clothes for chariots. — Dedan and Sheba occur both among the descendants of Ham;

— the Targum says,

“From Dedan they brought merchandise into your midst, with precious garments for chariots (or riding).”

²¹ Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they traded with thee in lambs and rams and goats; in these were they thy merchants. — regions which afforded good pasturage for sheep and goats for their altars and for sacrifices;

— the Targum says,

“Arabia and all the princes of Nebaioth were your merchants; with calves, rams, and goats—in these they conducted your trade.”

²² The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants; they traded in thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold. — according to Josephus Sheba was also the home of the biblical “Princess Tharbis” said to have been the first wife of Moses when he was still Prince of Egypt;

— Raamah or Rama is a name found in the Bible (Hebrew: רעמה, Ra‛mâh), means “lofty” or “exalted” and also may mean “thunder.” The name is first mentioned as the fourth son of Cush, who is the son of Ham, who is the son of Noah in Genesis 10:7

— the Targum says,

“The merchants of Sheba and Raamah—they were your merchants; with the chief of all spices and with all kinds of precious stones and gold, they supplied your treasuries.”

²³ Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad were thy merchants. — those who live at ease enriching themselves are to be lamented, if they are not prepared for trouble;

— the Targum says,

“Haran, and Nisibis, and Adiabene, the merchants of Sheba, the provinces of Assyria and Media—they were your merchants.”

²⁴ These were thy merchants in all sorts of things—in blue clothes, and embroidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords and made of cedar, among thy merchandise.

— the Targum says,

“They were your merchants in the perfection of all kinds of excellence: in cloaks of blue, and chests of cedar, in boxes of brilliant colors woven with patterns, wrapped in skins, tied with cords of fine linen, and sealed with engraved signets—the work of the sea—placed in towers of myrtle wood; in these was your trade.”

²⁵ The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market, and thou wast replenished and made very glorious in the midst of the seas. — even the ships of Tarshish sung or spake great things of Tyre’s riches, like sing praises;

— the Targum says,

“In ships of the sea they were sailing and bringing merchandise into your midst; and you became enriched and very powerful in the heart of the seas.”

²⁶ Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters; the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas. — the prophet now, in metaphorical language, speaks of the danger into which the rulers and statesmen of Tyre had brought her by their pride and ill-concerted measures;

— the Targum says,

“Into great waters they brought you, and they plundered you; a king who is as strong as the east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas.”

²⁷ Thy riches and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy caulkers, and the traders of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin.

— thy riches and all thy company, shall fall into the midst of the seas; shall be as utterly ruined and destroyed as if they were sunk in the sea by a shipwreck;

— the Targum says,

“Your wealth and your possessions, your merchandise, your sailors and your leaders, those who repair your leaks and the bringers of your shop-merchandise, and all your men of war who are in you, and all your company that is in your midst—they shall fall into the heart of the seas on the day of the fall of your slain.”

²⁸ The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots. — thy pilots, or governors, as the Targum says; the sense is, that such should be the cry of the principal men of the city when it should be taken;

²⁹ And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea shall come down from their ships; they shall stand upon the land, — the most mighty and magnificent kingdoms and states, sooner or later, would come down;

— the Targum says,

“And all who handle the oar shall descend from their ships; the sailors and all the leaders of the sea shall stand upon the land.”

³⁰ and shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly and shall cast up dust upon their heads; they shall wallow themselves in the ashes. — shall cry bitterly; with great weeping, howling, and shrieking;

— the Targum says,

“And they shall make their voices heard over you and cry out bitterly; they shall cast dust upon their heads and wallow in ashes.”

³¹ And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird themselves with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing. — and they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee; either by shaving their heads, or tearing off their hair, as mourners in distress have been used to do;

— the Targum says,

“And they shall make themselves utterly bald for you, and they shall gird themselves with sackcloth; and they shall weep for you with bitterness of soul, and they shall perform a bitter lamentation.”

³² And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee and lament over thee, saying, “What city is like Tyre, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea?” — in the midst of the sea: alas! what was once her safeguard is now her grave, what enriched her once hath now swallowed all up at once;

— the Targum says,

“And in their mourning they shall take up a lamentation for you, and they shall wail over you: ‘Who is like Tyre? There is none like her, she who is silenced in the midst of the sea!'”

³³ When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filled many people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise. — thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and pithy merchandise;

— by taking off the goods of their subjects, whereby they were able to pay their taxes, and support them in their grandeur and dignity; as well as by furnishing them gold and silver, and precious stones; or by the toll and custom of the goods traded;

— the Targum says,

“When your merchandise went out from among the nations, you satisfied many peoples; with the abundance of your wealth and your possessions, you enriched the kings of the earth.”

³⁴ In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall. — thy merchandise and trade shall cease, and the mixed multitude of traders from all over the world shall perish; mariners and soldiers, and persons of every rank and degree, age and gender;

— the Targum says,

“Now you are broken, you who used to supply merchandise to the nations; in the depths of the sea, your merchandise and all your company within you have fallen.”

³⁵ All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid; they shall be troubled in their countenance.

— and their kings shall be sore afraid; that it will be their turn next; and as well knowing that they were less able to contend with so mighty a monarch as the king of Babylon was, or Alexander the great, than Tyre;

— the Targum says,

“All the inhabitants of the islands are appalled at you, and their kings are seized with a great trembling; their faces are marked (distorted) with grief.”

³⁶ The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more.’”” — the merchants of the peoples hiss at thee?

— how fickle are mankind! Tyre was then the most popular and powerful nation on earth; but the very merchants who were delighted to be “her traffickers” are here revealed as hissing at their former leader;

— “They totally disowned her; they hissed at her in a derogatory manner, perhaps thinking thereby to gain favor with the Babylonians;

— could this prophecy speak of the United States and her G7 compatriots? Could the Global South all rise up and hissed at Nato and the G7?

— and never shalt be any more; historically Tyre was still an important city centuries later during the times of Alexander the Great, so this must be for the endtime; and is this a prophecy against Tyre that has no promise of restoration? Seems so as the end of chapter 26 says the same thing that Tyre “shalt be no more;”

— other concluding versions for Tyre: from now on you are nothing; and you will never exist again; and you are gone forever; for you are gone, never to return;

— the Targum says,

“Merchants among the nations are appalled at you; you have become as though you never were, and so shall you be forever.”

Ezekiel 28

Chapter 28 is still a prophecy of the destruction and a lamentation of Tyre, starting as the “prince of Tyre,” but ends up as the “king of Tyre.” God has a mysterious way of conveying his messages!

¹ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, — as before, with another prophecy against the city of Tyre, now Prince of Tyre in verse 3 but subtly shifting to the King of Tyre in verse 12;

² “Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: “‘Because thine heart is lifted up and thou hast said, “I am a god, I sit in the seat of God in the midst of the seas,” yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God.

— because thy heart is lifted up in pride and self-conceit; and thou hast said: Namely, in thy heart; I am a god I am like a god. I sit in the seat of God;

— I sit in the seat of God; words indicating the speaker’s pride and arrogance; the language, though primarily here applied to the “king” of Tyre, as similar language is to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon;

— inaccessible by mortals; indicating this prince of Tyre goes beyond the temporal, became the king of Tyre; (while the Hebrew uses Nagid (Prince/Leader), the Targum uses Malka (King); as the Targum says,

“Son of man, say to the king of Tyre: ‘Thus says the Lord God: Because your heart is proud and you have said, “I am a god (angel/mighty one); I sit in the seat of the mighty in the heart of the seas”; yet you are a man and there is no use for you (as a god), though you have set your heart as the heart of a god.'”

³ Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee. — the Septuagint render it by way of interrogation, “art thou not wiser than Daniel?

— it is just like Nebuchadnezzar’s pride but under God who said of him Daniel 4:30-31. Yet thou art man, and not God;

— the Targum says,

“Behold, you are wiser than Daniel! No secret can be hidden from you!”

⁴ With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasuries. — thou art wiser than Daniel, with thy wisdom and with thy understanding thou hast gotten thee riches;

— through skill in navigation and trade, for which the Tyrians and their princes were famous, they acquired great wealth: by carnal techniques has amassed vast treasures and has brought immense riches into the pope’s and churches’ coffers, and the paying of three tithes among the CoG Communities when temple services had been abolished long ago;

— the Targum says,

“By your wisdom and by your understanding, you have acquired for yourself possessions, and you have gathered gold and silver into your treasuries.”

⁵ By thy great wisdom and by thy traffic hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches. — and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches; which are apt to puff up and swell with a vain opinion of themselves;

— and to make haughty, insolent, and scornful, in their behaviour to others; the whore of Rome is represented as proud, vain, and haughty, Revelation 18:7

— the Targum says,

“By your great wisdom and by your extensive trade, you have increased your hosts (armies/wealth); and your heart is lifted up because of your hosts.”

⁶ “‘Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God, — thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God; seeking thine own glory; setting up thyself above all others;

— assuming that to thyself which belongs to God; and making thyself equal to him, or showing thyself as if thou art God; as the Targum says,

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because you have considered in your heart that you are as a god…”

⁷ behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. — “strangers” refugees: Afghans, Syrians, Iraqis, Palestinians, Sudanese, Moroccans, Algerians and Libyans; Mexicans, Haitians and Venezuelans are coming;

— “the terrible of the nations” the most heinous and depraved of the nations, the strangers: al-Qaeda, ISIS and their affiliates; “and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom;”

— their beautiful city and spacious buildings, the palaces of their king and nobles, their walls and towers erected and warriors so well skilled in military affairs;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, behold, I am bringing against you strangers, the most powerful of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and they shall destroy the splendor of your majesty.”

⁸ They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. — “and thou shalt die the deaths in the midst of the seas” ~ that die in a sea battles, whose carcasses are thrown overboard, and devoured by fishes;

— the Targum says,

“To the pit they shall bring you down, and you shall die the death of those pierced by the sword in the heart of the seas.”

⁹ Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, “I am God”? But thou shalt be a man, and no god in the hand of him that slayeth thee. — but thou art just be another mortal; and no God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee;

— the Targum says,

“Will you indeed say, ‘I am a god,’ before the one who kills you? But you are a man, and there is no use for you (as a god)—you are in the hand of those who destroy you!”

¹⁰ Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God.’” — thou shalt die the deaths of those like the heathens; or the death of the wicked;

— the Targum says,

“The death of the wicked you shall die, by the hand of strangers; for I have decreed it by My Word, says the Lord God.”

¹¹ Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — below is another scene, or a prophecy concerning the ruin of the king of Tyre;

— the Targum says,

“And the word of prophecy from before the Lord was with me, saying:”

¹² “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say unto him, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: “‘Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

— take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, who is before called the prince of Tyre (Ezekiel 28:2); and who he was. Note a subtle change of scene, from “the prince” to “the king” of Tyre;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him: ‘Thus says the Lord God: You were like a vessel of design, prepared in wisdom and perfected in beauty.'”

¹³ Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering: the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold; the workmanship of thy taborets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

— now this prophecy of Tyre has moved beyond the temporal; he was in the garden of Eden, for none other than Adam and Eve has there being another being in the Garden of Eden;

— the Targum says,

“With a multitude of goods and luxuries you were pampered, as if you dwelt in Eden, the garden of the Lord. All wealth, pride, and honor were given to you. All precious stones were arranged upon your clothing: ruby, topaz, and emerald; beryl, onyx, and jasper; sapphire, turquoise, and carbuncle, set in gold—all these were the workmanship of your finery. Because of them, your heart grew proud; but you did not consider your own body, which was made with cavities and holes—those necessities without which it is impossible for you to exist. From the day you were created, they were prepared with you.”

¹⁴ Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth, and I have set thee so; thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

— that is, “the anointed cherub that covereth;” the Targum understands all this of regal power, and renders it, “thou art a king anointed for a kingdom:”

— for out of the throne of God went thunders and lightnings, the cherub’s sword of fire is identified with the lightning-flash, and that in its turn met the thunderbolts of God;

— the idea of a holy mountain of God, as being the seat of the king of Tyre; the Targum says, “and over the holy people thou hast thought to rule.” So perhaps he was supposed to rule, over a kingdom, but because of iniquity, that privilege was taken away;

— the Targum says,

“You were a king anointed for kingdom, and I gave you greatness; and you were upon the holy mountain of the Lord, but you treated it with contempt, and over the holy people you thought to rule.”

¹⁵ Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. — this being, the adversary, was created; till iniquity was found in him; pride, blasphemy against God, and contempt of his people, as well as violence and deceit;

— thy heart has lifted itself up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom together with thy splendor: all these characteristics were found in “the king of Tyre;”

— the Targum says,

“You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until falsehood was found in you.”

¹⁶ By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned; therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God; and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

— and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire; from among the creation (people, angels) of God;

— the Targum says,

“Through the abundance of your merchandise, your treasuries were filled with robbery and you sinned; and I will remove you (treat you as profane) because you treated the holy mountain of the Lord with contempt; and I will destroy you, O great king, because you thought to rule over the holy people.”

¹⁷ Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness. I will cast thee to the ground; I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. — thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; riches, wealth, power and authority.

— thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness; outward lustre and glory, which dazzled his eyes;

— I will cast thee to the ground; I will bring down thy pride, dethrone thee, and make thee sit in the dust; sully and darken all thy brightness;

— the Targum says,

“Your heart became proud because of your power; you corrupted your wisdom because of the splendor of your majesty. I have cast you to the ground; I have made you a warning for kings, to look upon you (and learn).”

¹⁸ Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic. Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee; it shall devour thee; and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

— and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth, in the sight of all them that behold thee; the kings and merchants of the earth, who shall stand and look on the city as it is burning, and when reduced to ashes; which denotes the utter destruction of it, Revelation 18:9

— the Targum says,

“Through the multitude of your sins, by the falsehood of your trade, you have profaned your sanctuaries; therefore I will bring nations who are as powerful as fire, because of your willful sins they shall destroy you; and I will turn you into ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who see you.”

¹⁹ All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.’”

— at thy fall; that such a mighty cherub, and powerful prince, should be destroyed; thus all that know thee shall be astonished at thee;

— and never shalt thou be any more; similar to Ammon, this prophecy against the anointed cherub, the king of Tyre has no promise of restoration;

— the Targum says,

“All who knew you among the nations are appalled at you; you have become as though you never were, and so shall you be forever.”

²⁰ Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — with another prophecy as before, against the city of Sidon, from where Jezebel hailed from;

— the Targum says,

“And the word of prophecy from before the Lord was with me, saying:”

²¹ “Son of man, set thy face against Sidon, and prophesy against it — Sidon is a city in Lebanon, but further north of Tyre;

— Tyre, and its sister city Sidon, both in Lebanon, were pagan to the center of their existence. It was Jezebel, the daughter of Eth-Baal, king of the Sidonians, who brought the whole pagan institution into Israel in the days of Ahab, precipitating the contest with Elijah on Mount Carmel;

— incidentally, Tyre and Sidon’s influence demonstrated the godless influence of Israel’s apostate kings and their foreign wives; Jezebel was the wife of Ahab. Together they instituted the worship of Baal and Asherah on a national scale. Later, in Revelation 2:20, Jezebel is associated as a false prophetess for seducing and fornicating an endtime church;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, receive a prophecy against Sidon, and prophesy against it.”

²² and say, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: “‘Behold, I am against thee, O Sidon, and I will be glorified in the midst of thee; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have executed judgments in her and shall be sanctified in her.

— I will be glorified; when my judgements make my justice, power, sovereignty and truth appear, both you Sidonians and others about, shall confess my glory and ascribe honour to me;

— the Targum says,

“And you shall say: ‘Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am sending My anger against you, O Sidon; and I will be glorified in your midst; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I execute acts of judgment in you and am sanctified through her.'”

²³ For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

— “and they shall know that I am the Lord” repeated four times in this chapter (verses 22, 23, 24, 26) — Sidon survives, unlike Tyre, which perished and be remembered no more: Ezekiel 26:21

— the Targum says,

“And I will send into her death (pestilence) and slaughter in her streets, when the slain fall in her midst by My bringing against her those who kill with the sword from all around; and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

²⁴ And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all who are round about them, who despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord God. — a pricking brier; that is,  a vexation to the house of Israel; or as thorns to their sides;

— the Targum of the whole says, “and there shall be no more to the house of Israel a king that doth evil (or hurt), or a governor that oppresses all round about them that spoil them;” the Septuagint “no more be in the house of Israel a thorn of bitterness;”

²⁵ “‘Thus saith the Lord God: When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to My servant Jacob.

— the house of Israel are now scattered; the land they live now are never declared their land; their land is the one “given to My servant Jacob”

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: When I gather the house of Israel from among the nations where they were scattered, and I am sanctified through them in the sight of the nations, then they shall dwell upon their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob.”

²⁶ And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God.’”

— and they shall know that I am the Lord their God; Sidon survives, after they could see the hand of God in it, acknowledge his justice, and confess that their gods were idols, and that the God of Israel is the only true God;

— Gentiles that knowing or unknowingly despised them shall be severely punished;

— the Targum says,

“And they shall dwell upon it in confidence, and they shall build houses and plant vineyards; and they shall dwell in confidence when I execute acts of judgment upon all who plunder them from their neighbors round about; and they shall know that I am the Lord their God.”

Flashing forward, see Ezekiel 36 & 37 – Return of the Full House of Israel

Posted in Ezekiel

Chapter 25 continues with the same prophecy against the Ammonites which started in Chapter 21. We might speculate why the Ammonites were singled out here for this special oracle; but it might have pertained to the murder of Gedaliah, by the hand of Ishmael and the Ammonites gave these killers refuge.

Second, when Nebuchadnezzar took his route to Jerusalem, and destroyed the city, he went about without making any attempt upon the Ammonites; which so flushed the Ammonites that they laughed at their destruction, and insulted the Jews as if their God couldn’t save them.

And thirdly, Tobiah was an Ammonite, who along with Sanballat the Horonite and Geshem the Arabian, attempted to hinder Nehemiah’s efforts to rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. And besides taking over the storerooms of the Temple for his own use, Tobiah corrupted the Jewish high priest Eliashib with Samaritan’s view of some Temple practices; thus profaning God’s Sanctuary.

And finally, the Ammonites are modern Jordan (or are they; or that a new group of people, the Jordanians, had replaced the ancient Ammonites) sitting on land allocated to three of the tribes of Israel, and they maybe taking back their ancestral Promised land, land that could even stretch further East and North toward the Euphrates River.

Ezekiel 25

¹ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, — as the Targum says, the word of prophecy from the Lord; that is, another prophecy as the next verse confirms it.

² “Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them; — the Ammonites; the posterity of Lot by the younger daughter, near neighbours, but bitter enemies to the Jews and who hated their religion; prophesy against them;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, accept a prophecy against the children of Ammon, and prophesy against them.”

³ and say unto the Ammonites, ‘Hear the word of the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God: Because thou saidst, “Aha,” against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity,

— note the double-fold judgement; (1) against the land of Israel; and (2) against the house of Judah;

— and against the house of Judah; it is wicked to rejoice at the calamities of any, especially of God’s people when they went into captivity; the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who were carried captives by Nebuchadnezzar;

— (1) first deportation, under Jehoiakim (succeeded Jehoahaz, who replaced Josiah but reigned only 3 months); began giving tribute to Nebuchadnezzar in 605 BC; purportedly including Daniel;

— (2) second deportation under Jeconiah, (reign: 598 – 597 BC);

— (3) third under Zedekiah (reign 597–586 BC); which completed the destruction of Judah;

— and gave the utmost pleasure to their enemies the Ammonites; who were so disrespectful as to rejoice at the destruction of God’s temple: “’Aha,’ against My sanctuary” which they abhorred; this brutish and barbarous behaviour of theirs is resented by the Lord;

— the Targum affirms the second reason in the introduction, saying,

“And say to the children of Ammon: ‘Accept the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God: Because you said “Joy!” over My Sanctuary because it was profaned, and over the land of Israel because it was desolated, and over the house of Judah because they went into exile…'”

⁴ behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the East as a possession; and they shall set their palaces in thee and make their dwellings in thee. They shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.

— the ancient men of the East for a possession; the Chaldeans, the Medes and Persians, they lay eastward of Jerusalem; and/or it may be the Arabians, who are often called the men of the East;

— the men of the East in modern era could be the locusts of Revelation 9, who have power to sting like scorpions; from the East (more like from the south-east, but still East), often the Arabian, Mohammedans or Saracens, where it could be meant a swarm of endtime Muslims, are compared to grasshoppers, or locusts: Judges 7:12; “all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts.”

— and from the Message Bible

God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, face Ammon and preach against the people: Listen to the Message of God, the Master. This is what God has to say: Because you cheered when my Sanctuary was desecrated and the land of Judah was devastated and the people of Israel were taken into exile, I’m giving you over to the people of the east. They’ll move in and make themselves at home, eating the food right off your tables and drinking your milk. I’ll turn your capital, Rabbah, into pasture for camels and all your villages into corrals for flocks. Then you’ll realize that I am God. Ezekiel 25:3-5 MSG

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, behold, I am delivering you to the children of the East for an inheritance; and they shall dwell in their palaces within you, [and set up] their dwellings; they shall eat the goodness of your land, and they shall plunder your possessions.”

⁵ And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels and Ammon a couching place for flocks; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. — Rabbah was the capital of Ammon; today is Amman;

— and I will make Ammon or Rabbath a stable for camels; creatures much used by eastern nations, especially the Arabians; who pitching their tents about Rabbah, the royal city;

— the Targum says,

“And I will make Rabbah a dwelling place for camels, and [the land of] the children of Ammon a place for the folds of flocks of sheep; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

⁶ For thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoiced in heart with all thy contemptuous hate against the land of Israel, — because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with thy feet: gestures expressive of joy and gladness;

— the Ammonites; therefore, behold, I will stretch out my hand against thee, and give thee to the nations for booty, and cut thee off from the peoples, and exterminate thee from the lands; for the ancient king of Babylon had a design against them, at the same time he came against Jerusalem, and was in doubt for a while which he should attack first; see Ezekiel 21:20

— the Targum says,

“For thus says the Lord God: Because you clapped with your hand and stamped with your foot, and you rejoiced with all the contempt of [your] soul against the land of Israel…”

⁷ behold, therefore I will stretch out Mine hand upon thee and will deliver thee as spoil to the nations; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries. I will destroy thee, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.’

— and I will cut thee off from the people; Ammon, thou shalt no more be accounted among the nations, but cease from being a people;

— “and thou shalt know that I am the Lord” indicates the Ammonites repented, they would know God ultimately and survive! Yet, ironically, they “cease from being a people,”

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, behold, I am lifting the stroke of My power against you, and I will give you for plunder to the nations; and I will cut you off from among the peoples, and I will destroy you from among the countries; I will desolate you, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

⁸ “Thus saith the Lord God: ‘Because Moab and Seir do say, “Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen,” — the Moabites were first prophesied of, and then the Edomites who both joined in mocking, behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathens;

— Moabites mocks: Judah fares no better with them than with the rest of the nations, who do not profess and serve the same God they do; yet they are fallen into the hands of the king of Babylon;

— and yet are brought into the same miserable circumstances, and left in them, as others are; where is their God they boast of, and their superior excellence to the rest of the world? ~ thus blasphemously, as well as wickedly, did they insult them, which was provoking to the Lord;

— the Targum renders it interrogatively, “in what way do the house of Judah differ from all people?” ~ the Septuagint, “behold, are not the house of Israel and Judah in like manner as all the [other] nations?”

⁹ therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country; Bethjeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim; — I will open the side or border; that is, lay it open to attack from the side or border of their enemies into the cities, from his frontier;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, behold, I am breaking the strength of Moab, [starting] from their towns, from their fortresses unto their open borders; the joy of their land: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim.”

¹⁰ unto the men of the East with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations. — this prophecy against Ammon and the Ammonites has no promise of restoration;

— this seems to contradict verse 7 above where “thou shalt know that I am the Lord.” One apparent solution could be that there are several tribes of Ammonites; and some live, but others perish!

— the Targum says,

“[Together] with the children of the East, against the children of Ammon, and I will deliver it for an inheritance; so that the memory of the children of Ammon shall no longer be among the nations.”

¹¹ And I will execute judgements upon Moab, and they shall know that I am the Lord.’ — and Moab, the Moabites was Lot by incest with his eldest daughter; they, too, would suffer the same fate, no, not quite, as “and they shall know that I am the Lord,” indicates they will survive and come to acknowledge God;

— the Targum says,

“And upon Moab I will execute the punishment of judgments, and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

¹² “Thus saith the Lord God: ‘Because Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended and revenged himself upon them, — because Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance: the Edomites bore an old grudge against the Jews,

— not only because their father Jacob had got the birthright and blessing from their father Esau; but also because they were made tributaries to them in David’s time, and afterwards severely chastised by Amaziah (II King 14); these things they laid up in their minds, and vowed revenge whenever they had an opportunity; and now one offered at the destruction of Jerusalem, which they took;

— Edom dwelt to the South of the house of Jacob in ancient history; a study of the book of Obadiah incorporates the prophecy of Edom in more details; but briefly here, it is Spain in Europe and the Latinos in the Americas, who live South of the children of Israel in ancient times as well as today;

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: Because the Edomites have acted with the strength of vengeance against the House of Judah, and have incurred [great] guilt, and have taken revenge upon them…”

¹³ therefore thus saith the Lord God: I will also stretch out Mine hand upon Edom and will cut off man and beast from it, and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.

— one possibility is that the Ottoman Turks (or today’s Turkey) are the sons of Teman, a grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:15); hence, perhaps, they could be another branch of the house of Esau;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: I will lift the stroke of My power against Edom, and I will cut off from it man and beast; and I will make it a ruin from the south, and the inhabitants of Dedan shall be slain by the sword.”

¹⁴ And I will lay My vengeance upon Edom by the hand of My people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to Mine anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance, saith the Lord God.’

— by the hand of my people Israel; this points distinctly to the fact that Edom should be accomplished by the hand of the Israelites, a prophecy which was fulfilled when they were conquered by John Hyrcanus, and compelled to submit to circumcision as a mark of absorption into the Jewish people;

— some nations that “clap thine hands and stamp your feet” when these happen again will get a Spanking so bad that their names will be remembered no more; but here, “they shall know My vengeance;”

— the Targum says,

“And I will place My retribution upon Edom by the hand of My people Israel; and they [the Edomites] shall be delivered up, and they [Israel] shall take vengeance upon Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath; and they shall know My retribution, says the Lord God.”

¹⁵ “Thus saith the Lord God: ‘Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge and have taken vengeance with a scornful heart to destroy it for the old hatred, — with a spiteful heart; with hatred to them, and contempt of those of the house of Israel;

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: Because the Philistines have acted in vengeance, and have taken revenge with contempt of soul to destroy, [out of] an enmity that is from of old.”

¹⁶ therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will stretch out Mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. — the Philistines lies to the West of Judah; much of their land were destroyed; Ashkelon had been absorbed into the house of Israel; others soon to come;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am lifting the stroke of My power against the Philistines; and I will destroy the people who are guilty of being destroyed, and I will eliminate the remnant of the seacoast.”

¹⁷ And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay My vengeance upon them.’” — “and they shall know that I am the Lord,” indicates they will survive and eventually come to acknowledge God;

— “when I shall lay my vengeance upon them,” that is, they will see the hand of God in it, acknowledge his justice, and confess that their gods were idols, and that the God of Israel is the only true God;

— the Targum says,

“And I will execute upon them great retributions with the strength of anger; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I place My retribution upon them.”

Ezekiel 26

¹ And it came to pass in the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

² “Son of man, because Tyre hath said against Jerusalem, ‘Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people; she is turned unto me; I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste,’

— son of man, because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem, aha…. as rejoicing at her destruction, and insulting over her in it; which was scornful and inhuman, and resented by the Lord;

— the Targum says,

“Son of man, because Tyre has said concerning Jerusalem: ‘Joy! The one who provided merchandise to all the nations is broken; [the trade] has turned to come to me; I shall be filled [now that] she is laid waste.'”

³ therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against thee, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to roll up.

— and God will cause many nations to come up against thee, O Tyre, as the sea causeth his waves to come up; the Chaldean army, consisting of soldiers of many nations; who for their number, noise, and fury, are compared to the raging waves of the sea;

— so the Targum says, “I will bring up against thee, O Tyre, an army of many nations, as the sea ascendeth in the raging of its waves.”

⁴ And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers. I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock. — Tyre, at that time the most famous city for trade and commerce in the world; and make her like the top of a rock means Tyre will be made barren;

— the Targum says,

“And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; and I will uproot her dust from her, and I will make her like the smoothness of a naked rock.”

⁵ It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God; and it shall become a spoil to the nations. — the army of many nations, one that besieged it for thirteen years was under Nebuchadnezzar;

— the Targum says,

“It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea; for I have decreed it by My Word, says the Lord God; and she shall become a spoil for the nations.”

⁶ And her daughters who are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the Lord. — and they shall know that I am the Lord when they shall see all these things exactly accomplished, that the omniscient God could foretell events and come to their senses, thus they survive rather having their names remember no more;

— the Targum says,

“And the inhabitants of her villages which are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

⁷ “For thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will bring upon Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings from the north, with horses and with chariots and with horsemen and companies, and many people. — “king of kings” because of the many nationals to his sway, whose kings were his vassals; hence king of kings;

— Nebuchadnezzar, was king of Babylon, a king of kings from the NORTH, but at the endtime, the prophecised SWORD (Ezekiel 20:45to 21:5) is destined to come from the SOUTH!

— the Targum says,

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am bringing against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, from the north—a king of kings—with horses, and with chariots, and with horsemen, and an army, and a vast people.”

⁸ He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field; and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a siege mound against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee. — and lift up the buckler against thee;

— or “shield” that is, as the Targum says, “set against thee such who are armed with shields,”

“The inhabitants of your villages which are in the field he shall slay with the sword; and he shall build a siege-wall against you, and heap up a mound against you, and will set up against you those who batter with shields.”

⁹ And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers. — and with his axes he shall break down thy towers; the word here used signifies anything made of iron, as swords, spears, hammers, and axes; the latter, being more proper to demolish towers;

— the Targum says,

“And the stroke of his battering engines he shall set against your walls, and your towers he shall break down with his iron tools.”

¹⁰ By reason of the abundance of his horses, their dust shall cover thee. Thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen and of the wheels and of the chariots when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach.

— he shall enter into thy gates; Nebuchadnezzar, without fear, shall enter and possess his conquest, which Tyre at last yielded to him after thirteen years of hard siege;

— the Targum says,

“From the multitude of his horses, their dust shall cover you; from the sound of horsemen and wheels and chariots, your walls shall shake, when he enters your gates as one enters a city that has been breached through its wall.”

¹¹ With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets. He shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground. — Josephus wrote: “that Nebuchadnezzar besieged Tyre thirteen years,” before the fruits fell onto the ground. Tyre had a large fleet and were very rich with merchandise;

— the Targum says,

“With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets; he shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong pillars shall go down to the ground.”

¹² And they shall make a spoil of thy riches and make a prey of thy merchandise; and they shall break down thy walls and destroy thy pleasant houses; and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water.

— and they shall make a spoil of thy riches; the Chaldean army, when they entered the city, and got possession of it, would plunder it, and divide the riches of it among them;

— the Targum says,

“And they shall spoil your riches and make a prey of your merchandise; they shall break down your walls and destroy your pleasant houses; and your stones, and your timber, and your dust, they shall lay in the midst of the sea.”

¹³ And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease, and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard. — and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard; neither vocal nor instrumental music; and this could one day be the case of Rome, of which Tyre was a type, Revelation 18:22

— the Targum says,

“And I will cause the noise of your songs to cease; and the sound of your harps (lyres) shall be heard no more.”

¹⁴ And I will make thee like the top of a rock; thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon. Thou shalt be built no more; for I the Lord have spoken it, saith the Lord God. — and I will make thee like the top of a rock; that is, smooth and bare; and thou shall be a place to spread nets upon; and thou shalt be built no more;

— the Targum says,

“And I will make you a smooth rock; you shall be a place for the spreading of nets; you shall be built no more; for I, the Lord, have decreed it by My Word, says the Lord God.”

¹⁵ “Thus saith the Lord God to Tyre: Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee?

— the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God to Tyre: Shall not the islands shake at the sound of your fall, when the slain groan, and when the slaughter is made in your midst?”

¹⁶ Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes and put off their embroidered garments. They shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment and be astonished at thee.

— the princes, governors and rulers of other countries that dwell by the sea: by which he signifies that her destruction would be so horrible that all the world would hear of it, trembled and be afraid;

— all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones; all the princes and rich merchants (or the merchants who are as princes) of Sidon, Carthage, and other maritime cities that maintained a trade with Tyre, and got great wealth by that means, shall express a deep grief and concern for thee;

— the Targum says,

“And all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones; they shall lay aside their robes and strip off their embroidered garments; they shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and they shall tremble every moment and be astonished at you.”

¹⁷ And they shall take up a lamentation for thee and say to thee: “‘How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited by seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, who cause their terror to be on all that haunt it! — see how high, how great Tyre had been; see how low Tyre has became;

— the Targum says,

“And they shall take up a lamentation for you, and say to you: ‘How you have perished, you who were inhabited from the midst of the seas, the renowned city that was strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants; how they were delivered to destruction, all her inhabitants!'”

¹⁸ Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure.’ — shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall? all those that dwell upon the sea-coast near thee shall be thrown into a consternation at the news of thy being taken and destroyed;

— the Targum says,

“Now shall the islands tremble in the day of the fall of your slain; and the islands that are in the sea shall be dismayed at your departure into exile.”

¹⁹ “For thus saith the Lord God: When I shall make thee a desolate city like the cities that are not inhabited, when I shall bring up the deep upon thee and great waters shall cover thee, — and great waters shall cover thee; either, literally, the waters of the sea, or metaphorically, great afflictions shall cover thee;

— the Targum says,

“For thus says the Lord God: When I make you a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; when I bring up the deep upon you, and great waters shall cover you.”

²⁰ when I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit with the people of olden times, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited, and I shall set glory in the land of the living.”

— when buried under the sea she goes down into the abode of the dead, and possibly he regards the “places desolate of old” as also gone down and gathered in the underworld;

— the Targum says,

“And I will bring you down with those who descend to the pit of the house of destruction, to the people of old; and I will make you dwell in the nether parts of the earth, in the desolate places of old, with those who descend to the pit of the house of destruction, so that you shall not be inhabited; and I will set joy in the land of Israel.”

²¹ I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more. Though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord God.”

— Oops, it seems here that Tyre “shalt be no more,” seems contrary to what verse 6 says, “and they shall know that I am the Lord.” Perhaps verse 6 was meant for the time of Nebuchadnezzar, but here it’s the endtime? Any other possibilities?

— the Targum says,

“I will make you as if you had never been, and so shall you be; and you shall be sought, but you shall never be found again forever, says the Lord God.”

Posted in Ezekiel

Chapter 23 exposes the harlotries of the house of Israel, or the ten tribes, under the name of Aholah, which they committed with the Assyrians, of whom they had learned them, are exposed, and their punishment for them are declared.

And then the harlotries of the house of Judah, or the two tribes, under the name of Aholibah, are represented as greater than those of the ten tribes. Together they constitute the “two houses of Israel” or “both houses of Israel” as expressed in Isaiah 8:14.

Ezekiel 23

¹ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, — the word of prophecy from the Lord, as the Targum renders it. So Ezra expounds it as a prophecy and a reference to our endtime (Ezekiel 12:27).

² “Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother, — the daughters of one mother; the two of them were from one nation, separated into two in the days of Rehoboam;

— the Targum says, “Son of man, prophesy concerning two provinces which are like two women, who were the daughters of one mother.”

³ and they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth. There were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.

— “they played the harlot in Egypt …” the proof of this is their apostasy with their reverence and worship of the Golden Calf which took roots in Egypt;

— the Targum says

“And they strayed in Egypt, after the worship of their idols they strayed; there they worshipped idols, and there they corrupted their deeds.”

⁴ And the names of them were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; and they were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. Thus were their names: Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem, Oholibah.

— in allegory, Samaria represents the idolatries of the house of Israel or the ten tribes, under the name of Aholah, which they committed with the Assyrians, and their punishment for them is declared; and Aholibah represents the idolatries of Judah or the two tribes;

— the Targum says

“And their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; and they served before Me and prospered with sons and daughters; and their names [refer to]: Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem is Oholibah.”

⁵ “And Oholah played the harlot when she was Mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors, — for the Assyrians; this is Menachem the son of Gadi (II Kings 15:19), who gave tribute to Pul king of Assyria in order “that his hands might be with him to strengthen the kingdom in his hand;”

— Samaria was like an adulterous woman; for had their true God for worship, they would not have needed the kings of Assyria for alliance, but playing the harlot with her neighbours;

— the Targum says

“And Oholah strayed from after My service, and she desired to stray after her lovers, after the Assyrians, her neighbors.”

⁶ who were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses. — clothed with blue; richly apparelled and as the humour of that nation, in rich and beautiful blue, very magnificent to the eye;

— the Targum says

“Clad in perfect [blue] garments, governors and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.”

⁷ Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria and with all on whom she doted. With all their idols she defiled herself.

— and she bestowed her harlotries upon them; her adulterous heart and her promiscuous spirit she bestowed upon them, for she desired them as harlots;

— the Targum says

“And she desired to stray after them—all the choice young men of Assyria; and with all that she desired, and with all the worship of their idols, she was defiled.”

⁸ Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt; for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity and poured their whoredom upon her. — and they bruised the breasts of her virginity; who before retained the pure worship of God, and was like a chaste virgin;

— and poured their whoredom upon her; expressions of the numerous acts of idolatry committed together by them;

— the Targum says

“And the worship of idols that was with her from Egypt she did not leave; for they made her serve their idols, and they taught her evil deeds, and they poured their idolatry upon her.”

⁹ Therefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted. — wherefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers; if Samaria is the United States today could she be lured by “her most trusted lovers”? Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines?

— since the 2020s it seems like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Germany, Brazil and Indonesia are beginning to pursue their own foreign policies at odd with the United States;

— the Targum says

“Therefore, I delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, after whom she desired to stray.”

¹⁰ These uncovered her nakedness. They took her sons and her daughters and slew her with the sword; and she became notorious among women, for they had executed judgement upon her.

— for they had executed judgement upon her; that is, the “Assyrians” who were the instruments in God’s hand in doing justice and inflicting judgements on her. God is the true executor in their Assyrian captivity, same as the Romans in 70 AD during the Jerusalem inferno;

— the Targum says

“They [the Assyrians] revealed her shame; her sons and daughters they took captive, and her people they killed with the sword; and she became a [byword] name among the provinces, and they executed the retribution of judgments within her.”

¹¹ “And when her sister Oholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her — and in her whoredoms more than her sister; guilty of more harlotries than the ten tribes as in the times of Manasseh;

— the Targum says

“And her sister Oholibah saw [this], and she corrupted her desire more than she [her sister], and [she corrupted] her idolatry more than the idolatry of her sister.”

¹² She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbors, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men.

— Judah also flirted with the Assyrians, her neighbours (see II Kings 16:7); today the modern state of Israel flirted with the Abrahamic Accords: between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, an extension of an earlier Oslo Accords;

— the Targum says

“After the sons of Assyria she desired to stray; governors and rulers [who were] neighbors, clothed in perfect garments, and horsemen riding upon horses—all of them desirable young men.”

¹³ Then I saw that she was defiled, that they both took one way, — I saw that she was corrupted, defiled; that her heart was already set on her idols; that they both, Samaria and Jerusalem; that Judah fell into the same idolatrous practices as Israel;

— the Targum says

“And it was revealed before Me that she was defiled; one way [one path] they both set for themselves.”

¹⁴ and that she increased her whoredoms. For when she saw men portrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, — vermilion, the peculiar color of the Chaldeans, as purple was of the Assyrians;

— the Targum says

“And she added to her idolatry; she saw men depicted upon the wall, images of the Chaldeans [Babylonians] depicted with pigments [vermilion/colors].”

¹⁵ girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, in the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity

— of Chaldea; the land of their nativity; either where these heroes were born whose images were portrayed; or where Abraham was born, putting them in mind of the idolatries of their ancestors, where they were now returning to;

— the Targum says

“Girded with belts on their loins, with wound turbans on their heads; the appearance of all of them like warriors, the likeness of the Babylonians, the province of the Chaldeans, the land of their birth.”

¹⁶ and as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea. — the trading relationship between Judæa and Babylon was so close that many of the people had seen the Babylonians personally, while others knew of them through their report;

— the Targum says

“And she desired to stray after them according to the sight of her eyes; and she sent messengers to them, to the province of the land of the Chaldeans.”

¹⁷ And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them. — and they defiled her with their whoredom; or with their idols, as the Targum says;

— they drew them into their idolatrous practices; which were defiling them, and by whom they were corrupted from their own God;

— the Targum says

“And the Babylonians came to her for a bed of love, and they defiled her with their idols; and she was defiled by them until her soul became disgusted with them.”

¹⁸ So she uncovered her whoredoms and uncovered her nakedness. Then My mind was alienated from her, as My mind was alienated from her sister. — then my mind was alienated from her; as a virtuous husband is alienated from an adulterous wife;

— the Targum says

“And her shame was revealed, and her disgrace was seen; and My Word (Memra) rejected her, just as My Word rejected her sister.”

¹⁹ Yet she multiplied her whoredoms in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt. — not literally playing the whores: this refers to remembering their idolatries in Egypt, which she now resolves to act over again;

— the Targum says

“And she increased her idolatry, to remember the days of old in which she strayed when she was in the land of Egypt.”

²⁰ For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses and whose issue is like the issue of horses. — and asses and horses are introduced to show the intensity of their lust;

— the Targum says

“And she desired to be subservient to them, whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys, and whose flow is like the flow of horses.”

²¹ Thus thou called to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth.” — in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth: committing fornication, that is, harlotry with them; signified by pressing and bruising the breasts and paps of virgins;

— the Targum says

“And you remembered the sins of your sinful counsel from of old, from your deeds in Egypt, [when you pursued] love for the sake of the sins of your youth.”

²² “Therefore, O Oholibah, thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side:

— the kings of Judah played alternately Egypt against Babylon, and Babylon against Egypt. Jehoahaz was displaced by Necho for Jehoiakim, who then turned to the Chaldaeans, and afterward rebelling sought aid from Egypt;

— behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee; the Chaldeans, whom they had formerly loved, and in whose alliance they were, and whose idols they worshipped;

— the Targum says

“Therefore, Oholibah, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am openly bringing your lovers against you—those with whom your soul has become disgusted—and I will bring them against you from every side.”

²³ the Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses.

— Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa; possibly words expressive of rank, or names of small Chaldaean tribes, selected for their resemblance to expressive Hebrew words;

— the Targum says

“The Babylonians and all the Chaldeans; [men of] Pekod, Shoa, and Koa; all the Assyrians with them; desirable young men, governors and rulers, all of them mighty men of renown, all of them riding upon horses.”

²⁴ And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, who shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about; and I will set judgement before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgements.

— and I will set judgement before them, and they (your enemies) shall judge thee according to their judgements; that is, I will deliver you into their hands, and they shall judge and condemn you; not according to my laws and yours, but according to their own laws;

— they shall deal with you as rebels and covenant breakers, as Zedekiah was: he broke the covenant with the king of Babylon, and rebelled against him: and this was fulfilled when he fell into his hands, and when he slew his children before his face, and then put out his eyes;

— the Targum says

“And they shall come against you with weapons of war, with chariots and wheels, and a camp of nations [armed] with shields and helmets; they shall set themselves against you round about. And I will place before them the retribution of judgments, and they shall take vengeance on you according to their laws.”

²⁵ And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.

— they shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword; as gallants use their harlots when they leave them, or jealous husbands their adulterous wives, disfiguring them, that they may be marked and known what they are, and be despised by others;

— as has been the custom in some countries, particularly with the Egyptians, to cut off the noses of adulterous persons; here it is to be understood figuratively: by the “nose” is meant the king, who is higher than his people, as the nose is the highest part in a man’s face;

— and by the “ears” the priest who caused a noise to be heard when he entered into the temple with his bells; or rather because it was the priest’s office to attend to the word of God, to teach the people; in general;

— so the Targum paraphrases it,

“And I will set My retribution upon you, and they shall take vengeance on you in fury; your nobles and your honorable ones they shall exile, and your people shall be killed by the sword; they shall take your sons and your daughters captive, and the beauty of your land shall be burned with fire.”

— the city of Jerusalem, the temple, the king’s palaces, the houses of the great men and others in it which were all burnt with fire when taken by the Chaldeans, Jeremiah 52:13;

— and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire; so would all be consumed? No remnant at all? (more details at the end of this chapter).

²⁶ They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes and take away thy fair jewels. — flash forward to our time; the Nazis took all the gold, silvers and any jewellery or ornament from the Jews before pushing them into their gas chambers;

— the Targum says

“And they shall strip you of your precious garments, and they shall take away the vessels of your praise.”

²⁷ Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee and thy whoredom brought from the land of Egypt, so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more. — nor remember “Egypt” any more, with love, trust or desire of any relationship with her, but all thy remembrance of Egypt shall be with deep shame and loathing;

— the Targum says

“And I will abolish the sins of your sinful counsel from you, and the worship of your idols that was with you when you were in the land of Egypt; and you shall no longer lift up your eyes to them, and the idols of the Egyptians you shall remember no more.”

²⁸ For thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of those whom thou hatest, into the hand of those from whom thy mind is alienated,

— for thus saith the Lord God, I will deliver thee into the hand of them whom thou hatest; historically the the Chaldeans and Babylonians, before loved by her, and flirted upon, but now hated and rebelled against;

— but who are those enemies of the future? where they are to fall into similar hands; and this the Lord threatens to bring upon them for their sins; and he having said it, would be be performed; and it is to be repeated in the endtime;

— the Targum says

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am handing you over into the hand of those whom you hate, into the hand of those with whom your soul has become disgusted.”

²⁹ And they shall deal with thee hatefully, and shall take away all thy labor and shall leave thee naked and bare; and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be uncovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.

— naked; both literally thou shalt not have clothes to cover thy nakedness; and figuratively, thou shalt be left in a most disgraced state, and the shame of all thy harlotries shall not cover thee;

— the Targum says

“And they shall take vengeance on you in enmity, and they shall take all [the fruit of] your labor, and they shall leave you wandering and abandoned; and the shame of your error shall be revealed, along with the sins of your sinful counsel and your rebelliousness.”

³⁰ I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the nations, and because thou art polluted with their idols. — because thou hast gone whoring after the heathens, and because thou art polluted with their idols;

— imitated them in their idolatries; worshipped the same dunghill gods as they did, with which it was no wonder they should be polluted, and become abominable unto God;

— the Targum says

“Your sins caused these things to happen to you, because you strayed after the nations and were defiled by the worship of their idols.”

³¹ Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand. — thy sister; Samaria and the ten tribes, both great idolatresses and played harlotaries;

— therefore will I give her cup into thine hand; the cup of her vengeance, as the Targum says; inflict the same punishment on the two tribes as on the ten, and suffer them to be carried captive as they had been.

³² “Thus saith the Lord God: “Thou shalt drink of thy sister’s cup deep and large; thou shalt be laughed to scorn and held in derision; it containeth much.

— it containeth much; the cup of humiliation already drunk by Samaria was large, and filled with pain and sorrow, yet Jerusalem must drink it amid the derision and for laughter of her neighbours;

— the Targum says

“Thus says the Lord God: You shall drink the cup of your sister’s retribution—mighty and strong; you shall be for laughter and for mockery, because of the greatness of the distress that shall come upon you.”

³³ Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of dismay and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria. — with the cup of astonishment and desolation; their punishment would be so great, their condition so desolate, that it should astonish them, and bereave them of their senses;

— the Targum says

“Behold, as one who is drunk and intoxicated you shall be filled, [with] a cup of desolation and destruction, the cup of the retribution of your sister, Samaria.”

³⁴ Thou shalt even drink it and suck it out, and thou shalt break the shards thereof, and pluck off thine own breasts. For I have spoken it, saith the Lord God. — and pluck off thine own breasts; as men in their drunken fits, being like mad men, tear their own flesh;

— the Targum emphasizes, “and you shall tear your own flesh,”

“And you shall drink it and finish it, and you shall receive its retribution; and you shall tear your own flesh, for I have decreed it by My Word (Memra), says the Lord God.”

³⁵ “Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Because thou hast forgotten Me and cast Me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.”

— therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms; that is, the guilt of their sins, the punishment of their harlotries and idolatries; and shame and confusion for them.

— because thou hast forgotten me; his word, worship and ordinances and did not attend unto them, but worshipped strange gods: so the Targum says “thou hast forgotten Me and cast Me behind thy back.”

³⁶ The Lord said moreover unto me: “Son of man, wilt thou judge Oholah and Oholibah? Yea, declare unto them their abominations, — yea, declare unto them their abominations; their abominable sins, their murders, adulteries and harlotries;

— set them in a true light before them, in all their aggravated circumstances; that, if it can be, they may be brought to a true sight and sense of them, into repentance; be ashamed of them, loath them, confess them and forsake them;

— the Targum says

“And the Lord said to me: Son of man, will you rebuke Oholah and Oholibah? Then declare to them their abominations.”

³⁷ that they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands; and with their idols have they committed adultery and have also caused their sons, whom they bore unto Me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.

— that they have committed adultery; either literally, adultery with their neighbours’ wives, which was a prevailing sin with this people; or figuratively, spiritual adultery, that is, idolatry and harlotaries; and blood is in their hands;

— the Targum says,

“For they have committed adultery, and the blood of the innocent is shed in their hands; and after the worship of their idols they have strayed; and even their children, who were destined to emerge from them as a holy offspring before Me, they passed over to them [the idols] for worship.”

³⁸ Moreover this they have done unto Me: They have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and have profaned My Sabbaths. — defiled my sanctuary; my holy things, house, altar, sacrifices, and oblations; a part of the temple or churches put for the true worship of God;

— SabbathS; notice the plural, Sabbaths; and instead of observing the Sabbaths, they observe by following the sun-worshipping Samaritans, where they observe the SUN; on SUNday; facing the East; their backs against the Temple;

— others, the Church of God Communities would always have their “wavesheaf offering” and Pentecost on a SUNday, Whitsundays; another way of paying homage to the SUN;

— the Targum says

“Furthermore, they provoked Me: they defiled My Sanctuary on that same day, and My Sabbaths they profaned.”

³⁹ For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into My sanctuary to profane it; and lo, thus have they done in the midst of Mine house.

— and, lo, thus they have done in the midst of mine house; set up idols there, and worshipped them; as they did in the Temple itself;

And He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’S house, and behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun toward the east. Ezekiel 8:16

— the Targum says

“And when they slaughtered their children for the worship of their idols, they entered My Sanctuary on that same day to profane it; and behold, thus they have done in the midst of My Sanctuary!”

⁴⁰ And furthermore, ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and lo, they came, for whom thou didst wash thyself, painted thy eyes, and decked thyself with ornaments,

— for whom thou didst wash thyself, painting thy eyes, and decked thyself with ornaments; just as harlots do to make themselves sedusive to their lovers;

— who use washes and paint, as Jezebel did, and dress themselves in their best clothes, and adorn themselves in the best manner they can. Harlots had their particular attire, by which they were known, Proverbs 7:10

— the Targum says

“And furthermore, you sent for men coming from afar, to whom a messenger was sent, and behold, they came! To the place you had prepared, you set up marketplaces and established palaces.”

⁴¹ and sattest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set Mine incense and Mine oil. — upon a stately bed; a magnificent, rich bed, on which women sat to feast, when men leant on their sides, which would not have been a comely posture to a woman;

— the Targum says

“And you reclined upon a low couch of honor, and a table filled with every good thing you set before them; and My incense of spices and My oil you placed upon them.”

⁴² And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her; and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness, who put bracelets upon their hands and beautiful crowns upon their heads.

— Sabeans; not content with the princely, handsome Assyrians, the sisters brought to themselves the rude hordes of Sabeans (Job 1:15); sometimes reads “robbers,”

— the Targum says

“And the sound of a peaceful multitude was within her; and with men from the common crowd, drunkards were brought from the wilderness; and they placed bracelets upon their hands and a crown of glory upon their heads.”

⁴³ “Then said I unto her that was old in adulteries: ‘Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with them?’ — the Targum says, “now she will leave her idols, and return to thy worship; but she returned not,”

— the Targum says

“And I said to the congregation of Israel, whose people were swallowed up in sins: ‘Now she will leave her idols and return to My worship’; but she did not return.”

⁴⁴ Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot; so went they in unto Oholah and unto Oholibah, the lewd women.

— as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot; with the same heat of lust, with the same greediness and eager desire as young men do when they go into a brothel where beautiful harlots live;

— the Targum says

“And they went into her as one goes into an innkeeping woman (harlot); so they went into Oholah and into Oholibah, the women of the harlotry whose counsel was sins.”

⁴⁵ And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses and after the manner of women that shed blood, because they are adulteresses and blood is in their hands. — stoning was the punishment of adulterers and putting to death with the sword like that of murderers;

— the Targum says

“And righteous men, in their presence, shall exact retribution from them—the retribution of adulteresses and the retribution of those who shed blood; for they have committed adultery, and the blood of the innocent is shed in their hands.”

⁴⁶ “For thus saith the Lord God: I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and despoiled. — to be removed; to be carried away captive into the land of Chaldea;

— and spoiled and plundered by the rapine of the soldiers in their own land and by the cruelty of their masters to whom they shall be slaves in a strange land;

— the Targum says

“Thus says the Lord God: Prophesy that armies shall come up against them, and I will deliver them over to destruction and to spoil.”

⁴⁷ And the company shall stone them with stones and dispatch them with their swords. They shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.

— they shall slay their sons and their daughters; when they broke into the city, and took it; or when they found them making their escape, and hiding themselves in secret places;

— and burn up their houses with fire; as they did; the temple, the king’s palace, the houses of noblemen, and all the houses in Jerusalem; see Jeremiah 52:13

— the Targum says

“And the armies shall pelt them with sling-stones, and they shall cut them down with their swords; their sons and their daughters they shall kill, and their houses they shall burn with fire.”

⁴⁸ Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do according to your lewdness. — that all women may be taught not to do after your lewdness;

— that is, that all provinces, as the Targum says, all kingdoms; states, churches and people, hearing and reading the judgements of God on this people for their idolatry, may learn to shun it; it is even an instruction to us, at this distance, not to commit idolatry as they did,

— the Targum says

“And I will abolish the sins of the sinful counsel from the land, and all the provinces shall be chastened (disciplined), and they shall not act according to your sinful counsel.”

⁴⁹ And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols; and ye shall know that I am the Lord God.”

— only after such judgement and punishment would they know that I am the Lord God; which means the modern people who call themselves Christians, are not what they call themselves, but just Pretenders (to be Christians);

— the Targum says

“And the sins of your sinful counsel shall be placed upon you, and the sins of the worship of your idols you shall receive; and you shall know that I am the Lord God.”

~~~

More on verse 25 “thy remnant shall fall by the sword.” Since Ezekiel’s message is for the endtime and meant for the house of Israel, which is the United States and its European allies and “and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.” — if those remnant are put to the sword, then no more will be left, reaffirming there is no place of safety for those hopeful to have one.

But wait, this apparently contradicts Ezekiel 12:16, where “But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine and from the pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.“

Or, after testifying all their abominations to the nations, then they are put down by the sword? The last “residue shall be devoured by the fire?” A remnant of martyrs?

Your thoughts for this apparent contraction, please; thanks. Or indeed a remnant of martyrs is on its way?

Ezekiel 24

This chapter prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple; but as said before, it is also meant for the house of Israel at the endtime.

By the sign of flesh boiling in a pot are shown the miseries that would come; and by the sign of Ezekiel’s being forbidden to mourn for the sudden death of his wife is that the calamities coming on the captives would be so astonishing as to exceed all expressions of sorrow.

¹ Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — in the tenth month (Tevet), in the tenth day of the month (double-tenth); Jehoiachin’s captivity (by which all these prophecies are dated) coincided with Zedekiah’s reign;

— the date here given is therefore the same as in Jeremiah 39:1; Jeremiah 52:4; II Kings 25:1, and was afterwards observed by the Jews as a fast (Zechariah 8:19). It was on this day Nebuchadnezzar laid the siege of Jerusalem;

— the Targum says

“And the word of prophecy from before the Lord was with me in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, saying:”

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. — this day was the tenth day of the month, in the tenth month (Tevet; a double-tenth; hence remember in Zechariah 8:19);

— although this parable is set “against Jerusalem,” this message is actually meant for the house of Israel which is the United States and its European allies;

— the Targum says

“Son of man, write for yourself the name of the day, even of this very day; the king of Babylon has leaned (pressed) against Jerusalem on this very day.”

³ And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it. — the pot on the fire represented Jerusalem besieged by the Chaldeans: all orders and ranks were within the walls, prepared as a prey for the enemy;

— pour water into it; fill it with water; for as the pot full of water on the fire till the water be thoroughly heated, so shall Jerusalem be filled with the judgements of God;

— the Targum says

“And prophesy a prophecy to the rebellious people, and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Prophesy that armies shall come up against this city, and also a siege-work shall be set against her to receive the siege.”

⁴ Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece — the thigh and the shoulder; choice meats; that is, the most distinguished of the people; the princes and gentry, the wealthiest, to the slower process of boiling;

— the Targum says

“Gather her princes into her; every man who wages war, the armies of the nations—fill her [with them].”

⁵ Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it; and make it boil well, and let them boil the bones of it therein. — analogies clearly visible in this parable: the pot or cauldron (in v3 above) is the city;

— the choices of the flesh is its people (kings and queens, princes and princesses, nobles, magistrates, priests and rulers of the people); the immense fire under it is the fire of war; the setting of the cauldron on the fire is the beginning of the siege;

— the rust in the pot (introduced later) is the inherent wickedness of the people; the “choice bones (Ezekiel 24:4)” are the bones with meat attached to them; being “choice” bones indicates that the nobility and the landed gentry will also be ruined by the war; the “bones under the cauldron (Ezekiel 24:5)” are the large bones used, along with the logs for fuel;

— the removal of the flesh from the cauldron indicates the destruction of the whole city, rich and poor alike, high and low, indiscriminately, whether by sword, by pestilence, by famine or into captivity by deportation;

— the emptying of the cauldron indicated the removal of the city’s population; the cauldron’s still being rusted indicated Jerusalem’s worthlessness, at that time, as regarded God’s eternal purpose, entailing, of course, the necessity for its complete destruction;

— the Targum says

“Bring the kings of the nations near, and also arrange her supports (siege-towers) with them; hasten its time, and also the slain shall be cast into her midst.”

⁶ “‘Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein and whose scum is not gone out of it! Bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it. — scum is extraneous matter or impurities risen to or formed on the surface of a liquid often as a foul filmy covering;

— to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not disposed; when a pot boils, a scum arises, and appears upon the top of the water, which the cook usually takes them off;

— this indicates the filthiness and wickedness of the people, which would be seen and exposed by the judgements of God; yet should not be removed, but continue on them, unrepented of, and therefore unpardoned. It signifies that they would remain hardened in their sins;

— and that the judgements of God would have no effect upon them to bring them to repentance; and that God would have no mercy on them, or pardon their sins;

 — the Targum says,

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Woe to the city that sheds innocent blood in its midst! Which is like a pot whose filth (rust) is in it, and its filth has not departed from it. Exile upon exile the people shall be taken out, because repentance was not performed within her.”

⁷ For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust. — she set it upon the top of a rock; where it could not soak in as when spilled upon soft earth: this indicates her openness and impudence in shedding blood, as not being ashamed nor afraid of its punishment;

— but as rather glorying in it; perhaps there may be some allusion to the tops of hills and mountains where idolatry was committed, attended with shedding of human blood:

— she poured it not upon the ground to cover it with dust; she did not take any methods to hide her sin; having no sense of the heinousness of it, nor any consciousness of guilt, or any remorse or repentance; respect it had to a law which obliged to cover blood shed with dust, Leviticus 17:13;

— the Targum of the whole says, “because innocent blood which is shed in the midst of her; with pride and with a high arm she shed it; she shed it not through ignorance, that she might repent of 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. — they ought to have put away their transgressions, as the scum, which rises by the heat of the fire, is taken to the top of the pot; that it might be easily seen and not be forgotten;

— the Targum says

“To execute retribution, to take vengeance with strength, I have revealed their sins—because they shed innocent blood openly—so that it may not be forgiven (or forgotten).”

⁹ “‘Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great. — God’s hand shall be seen inflicting all those sore afflictions on them; judgements are a fire, the fuel whereof is to be great; for it is a fire that consumes the bloody city;

— the Targum says

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Woe to the city that sheds innocent blood in its midst! I, too, will make its destruction great.”

¹⁰ Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned. — spice it well; either to take away the noisome smell, or to express the pleasing savour of this justice to God;

— the Targum says

“Multiply the kings, gather the armies, arrange the siege-engines (supports), and prepare the warriors against her; and her mighty men shall be confounded (shattered).”

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. — that the scum may be consumed; the abominable wickedness of this people; since they were not brought to repentance, they with their sins should be consumed;

— the Targum says

“And I will leave the land desolate, so that the gates of her cities shall be desolated and come to an end; and the workers of her uncleanness (idolatry) shall be melted away in her midst, and her sins shall come to an end.”

¹² She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her; her scum shall be in the fire. — the United States has wearied herself with lies; lies serving her idols, which were lying vanities; by trusting to her alliances of nations, which deceived her; or by committing sin, in which there was no satisfaction;

Lies, and continuous lies, one of the main characteristics of the United States, Ephraim:

“Ephraim surrounds me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit” Hosea 11:12

— the Targum says

“She is filled with contentions (rebellions), and the workers of evil will not depart from her; in fire she shall be burned because of the greatness of her sins.”

¹³ In thy filthiness is lewdness. Because I 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.

— they ought to have put away their transgressions, as the scum, which rises by the heat of the fire, is taken from the top of the pot, but they grew worse;

— the Targum says

“Because you were defiled with the counsel of sins, since I [tried to] cleanse you but you would not be cleansed of your uncleanness, you shall not be clean again until I have satisfied My fury upon you.”

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 they judge thee, saith the Lord God.’”

— I the Lord have spoken it; it shall come to pass; what God has said shall be accomplished; his word shall not return void and empty, or be without effect:

“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’” Isaiah 46:9-10 

— the Targum says

“I, the Lord, have decreed by My Word; it is coming and it shall be established. I will not withhold, nor will I spare, nor will I have mercy. According to your evil ways and according to your corrupt deeds I have exacted retribution from you, says the Lord God.”

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

¹⁶ “Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke; yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. — I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke; meaning Ezekiel’s wife; who very probably was of a beautiful countenance;

— this lovely object of his affection the Lord signifies he would take away from him by death unto himself; that is, suddenly and at once;

— and so the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, “with a sudden stroke;” the Septuagint: behold I take from the desire of thine eyes by violence;

— and from the Message Bible

God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, I’m about to take from you the delight of your life—a real blow, I know. But, please, no tears. Keep your grief to yourself. No public mourning. Get dressed as usual and go about your work—none of the usual funeral rituals.” Ezekiel 24:15-17 MSG

— the Targum says

“Son of man, behold, I am taking from you the delight of your eyes by death; but you shall not lament, nor shall you weep, and you shall not shed tears.”

¹⁷ Forbear to cry. Make no mourning for the dead. Bind the attire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men.”

— though mourning for the dead is a duty, these things are now forbidden to Ezekiel in his sorrow, because the state of the nation was in such a dire situation;

— the Targum says

“Sigh in silence; for your dead you shall not make mourning; your Tefillin shall be upon you, and your shoes you shall put on your feet; you shall not wrap [your face] over your mustache, and the bread of mourners you shall not eat.”

¹⁸ So I spoke unto the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded. — and at even my wife died; suddenly, as it was said she would; this shows who is meant by the desire of his eyes, and what by taking her away;

— and Ezekiel did as he was commanded in the morning; neither moaned, nor sighed, nor wept, nor shed a tear, nor used any of the common ceremonies of mourning, but dressed and ate as at other times; this was the next morning after his wife died;

— the Targum says

“And I spoke with the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening; and I did in the [following] morning as I was commanded.”

¹⁹ And the people said unto me, “Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?” — the people came to me, asking, “Tell us why you’re acting like this. What does it mean, anyway?”

— the Targum says

“And the people said to me: ‘Will you not tell us what these things mean to us, that you are acting [this way]?'”

²⁰ Then I answered them, “The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the word of the Lord came unto Ezekiel; ordering him to do all he did; for he did nothing of himself, but all according to God’s will;

— the Targum says

“And I said to them: ‘The word of prophecy from before the Lord was with me, saying…'”

²¹ Speak unto the house of Israel, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will profane My sanctuary, the excellency 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.

— notice; God is speaking to the house of Israel, not to the house of Judah! Thus saith the Lord of hosts, behold, I will profane my Sanctuary; the Temple, but could he has meant the palaces, the houses of the princes, the royalties, the rich and the noble?

— since this is God speaking to the house of Israel how would this parallel for the common people in the endtime? New York city? London? Paris? Bombed back to the Stone Age, like Aleppo?

— the Targum says

“Say to the House of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am profaning My Sanctuary, the glory of your strength, the delight of your eyes, and the beloved of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword.”

²² And ye shall do as I have done: Ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men. — and ye, the house of Israel, shall do as Ezekiel had done; do not cover your lips; as a token of mourning; 

— the Targum says, there shall be none to comfort them, or send bread to them; they shall all be alike mourners;

“And you shall do just as I have done: you shall not wrap [your faces] over your mustache, and the bread of mourners you shall not eat.”

²³ And your attires shall be upon your heads and your shoes upon your feet. Ye shall not mourn nor weep, but ye shall pine away [meaning: to become thin and weak because of sadness or loss] for your iniquities and mourn one toward another.

— and mourn one toward another; that is, in secret; because of their enemies; so great should be their miseries and calamities, that they should be struck dumb, and quite astonished and stupefied with them; that they should not be able to vent their sorrow by any outward act of mourning;

— the Targum says

“And your Tefillin shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet; you shall not lament, nor shall you weep; but you shall melt away in your sins, and you shall groan, each man to his brother.”

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.’ — when the prophecy is fulfilled, and all these calamities come upon the city and temple, ye shall know (after much trials and tribulations) that I am the Lord;

— ye “shall know that I am the Lord” indicating that neither those teaching in the synagogues nor those in their numerous churches know God today; but are all sleeping!

— the Targum says

“And Ezekiel shall be to you for a sign; according to all that he has done, you shall do; when it [the destruction] comes, you shall know that I am the Lord God.”

²⁵ “Also, thou son of man, shall it not be on 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,

— as for you, on the day I seize their strength, the joyous aspect of their pride, the desire of their eyes, sons and daughters, their complete delight, and all their grandchildren;

— the Targum says

“And you, son of man, shall it not be on the day when I take from them the house of their sanctuary, the glory of their strength, the joy of their praise, [when] the delight of their eyes and the beloved of their soul is taken from them—that which is better to them than their sons and their daughters?”

²⁶ that he that escapeth on that day shall come unto thee to cause thee to hear it with thine ears? — on that day, despite being difficult for any fugitive to come on the day of the destruction;

— therefore this is the meaning: On that day that the fugitive will come to you to let you hear [of the destruction] with your own ears, on that day, their mouth will be opened; to let you hear with your own ears: to announce the news that the city has been struck;

— and from the Message Bible

“And you, son of man: The day I take away the people’s refuge, their great joy, the delight of their life, what they’ve most longed for, along with all their children—on that very day a survivor will arrive and tell you what happened to the city. You’ll break your silence and start talking again, talking to the survivor. Again, you’ll be an example for them. And they’ll recognize that I am God.” Ezekiel 24:25-27 MSG

— the Targum says

“On that day, a survivor shall come to you, to cause you to hear the report (the news) with your [own] ears.”

²⁷ On that day shall thy mouth be opened to him who has 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.”

— the Divine voice seems to decree for Ezekiel a period of temporary silence and inactivity. Perhaps Ezekiel 3:25 should read, “I will lay bands on thee and bind thee;” at any rate, he is restrained in some way, whether, as some suppose, by some physical restraint or merely by the angry incredulity of his hearers, from proclaiming his message in public;

— Ezekiel does not open his mouth, except in his own house to those who consult him privately (Ezekiel 8:1), until his message was delivered and confirmed by the fall of Jerusalem (Ezekiel 3:21-27)

— the Targum says

“In that day your mouth shall be opened upon the arrival of the survivor, and you shall prophesy and you shall not be silent anymore; and you shall be to them for a sign, and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Posted in Ezekiel

Earlier, we have established that although Ezekiel has his face set toward Jerusalem, his prophecy is meant for the house of Israel at the endtime “for many years to come” (Ezekiel 12:27). Here, he is re-emphasizing “the Sword from the South.”

In fact, the word “Sword” being repeated over and over again, occurs fourteen times in this chapter alone, doubled and thriced for its significance. And remember, this prophecy is meant for the house of Israel which is primarily the United States of America, the United Kingdom and France and secondarily their European allies.

For understanding who the modern tribes of Judah and Joseph are, the best book to have expounded this subject is “Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright” by J.H. Allen (1847-1930).

For detailed studies on Joseph, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn

For a more detailed Study of Ezekiel 20:45 to 21:5 about this serious subject, see The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

Ezekiel 21

¹ And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — here is the Lord’s explanation of the riddle of the last chapter;

— it is declared that the word of the Lord was a “prophesy against the land of Israel” and the whole land, that all might know it was his decree against a wicked and rebellious people;

— in the Targum it is Ezekiel 21:6 Jonathan: “And the word of prophecy from before the Lord was with me, saying:”

² “Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;

— “against the land of Israel” ~ the sword glitters to the terror of those against whom it is drawn; that is, this message for the house of Israel is meant for the United States and its European allies;

— many believe Russia and China are the main threat of the United States; but no, American threat in these two chapters comes from the South! And for Western Europe, the threat comes from the South of Europe; that is, North and Central Africa, and perhaps even the Indian sub-continent, which is also South;

— some interprets “set thy face toward Jerusalem” to mean a prophecy against Judah by the then Nebuchadnezzar; but this is working backward, since the kingdom of Judah had already fallen, and Ezekiel himself were among his captives by the river Chebar (Ezekiel 1:1), and, second, this Ezekiel warning were never delivered to the house of Judah before or during that fall before Babylon; and, thirdly, this warning message was mainly to the northern house of Israel at the endtime:

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:7 Jonathan), says, “Son of man, receive a prophecy against Jerusalem, and instruct (prophesy) against the Sanctuaries, and prophesy against the Land of Israel.”

— the Septuagint says, “Son of man, set thy face against Thæman, and look toward Darom, and prophesy against the chief forest of Nageb,” — this references to “the Negev” or “the south”

For more on the South, a prophecy of Esau or Edom, see Obadiah

Another on the South, The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

For another Captivity: see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline

³ and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth My sword out of his sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked. — the green trees are the righteous, the dry trees are the wicked;

— and will draw forth my Sword out of his sheath; a similar situation occurred earlier to ancient Judah when the Chaldean army rushed out of Babylon into Judea and made the inhabitants captives;

— but the Chaldean was from the North toward the South (Ezekiel 1:4), but this is different and something new; this is from the South toward the North (Ezekiel 20:47, 21:4!) Poor thing, among the wicked the righteous will also be “cut off” ~ there is no place of safety that many among the endtime pretentious that are hoping for;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:8 Jonathan) says,

“And say to the Land of Israel, thus says the Lord: Behold, I send My anger against you, and I will draw My sword from its sheath, and I will exile from you the righteous in order to destroy your wicked.”

— the Septuagint repeats the “south to north” scene, saying,

 “and thou shalt say to the forest of Nageb, Hear the word of the Lord; thus saith the Lord, even the Lord; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour in thee every green tree, and every dry tree: the flame that is kindled shall not be quenched, and every face shall be scorched with it from the south to the north.”

⁴ Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall My sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north,

— his sheath against all flesh from the South to the North; oh, okay, this might give us a clue what “set your face toward the South” and “kindle a fire in thee. . . from the South” are meant at the end of the preceding chapter;

— this Sword will come from the South! This is serious Anger from God! This Sword isn’t just unwanted immigrants, these are warriors, conquering warriors set to slaughter!! For those in Europe, they might come from the whole of Africa; and for the United States, they might come from the whole South, all the Latinos of South America! And “against all flesh;”

— (and flaming flame in Ezekiel 20:47) but in this chapter a subtle change: “My Sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the South to the North.” ~ that is, all flesh will die! Okay this view might be over the top, but then again, why so much emphasis of the Sword in this chapter?

— Jonathan on Obadiah 1:20 renders Sepharad as Ispamiah: Spain (Rashi quoting the Targum: Sepharad shall inherit the cities of the Southland as Spain); the Targums identified Ispamiah or Sepharad (Obadiah 1:20) with Spain, hence, Spanish Jews are called Sephardim; Zarephath and the exile of Jerusalem which is in Sepharad shall inherit the cities of the southland.

— Wikipedia: Sepharad (/sɛfəræd/or səˈfɛərəd/ Hebrew: סְפָרַד Sp̄āraḏ; also Sefarad, Sephared, Sfard) is the Hebrew name for the Iberian Peninsula, consisting of both modern-time Western Europe’s Spain and Portugal. A place called Sepharad, probably referring to Sardis in Lydia (‘Sfard’ in Lydian), in the Book of Obadiah. The name was later applied to Spain;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:9 Jonathan) says

“Because I have exiled from you the righteous in order to destroy your wicked, therefore My sword shall go out from its sheath against all flesh from South to North.”

⁵ that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn forth My sword out of his sheath. It shall not return any more.’ — more about the Sword! it shall not return any more;

— that is, into its sheath, until it has done all its work; meaning that the invading army should not return to their own land until they had executed the whole will of God upon the endtime house of Israel; this is the fire that should not be quenched;

— one Report by McKinsey says of the 60 millions Latinos in US that had migrated from the South; they often live in ‘deserts’ where adequate housing, groceries are hard to find. “Nearly 9 in 10 of the Latino residents in such communities lived in five states: California, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Texas.”

— McKinsey: Latinos are projected to make up 22.4 percent of the US labor force by 2030 and more than 30 percent by 2060 (Latinos population to 111.2 million by ’60); is McKinsey’s analysis wrong?

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:10 Jonathan) says

“Because I have exiled from you the righteous in order to destroy your wicked, therefore My sword shall go out from its sheath against all flesh from South to North.”

⁶ Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins [‘hearts’ in other versions], and with bitterness sigh before their eyes. — sigh, therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; as if thy loins were broke, and go as if they were, and sigh as thou goest;

— or as a woman in travail, having her hands upon her loins as ready to break, and in the utmost distress; or heave, and groan, and sigh, till the girdle of the loins is broke, and by these motions and gesture show the miserable state of this people, and how much thou art affected with it;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:11 Jonathan) says

“And you, son of man, sigh; with shivering loins and with bitterness you shall sigh before their eyes.”

⁷ And it shall be, when they say unto thee, ‘Why sighest thou?’ that thou shalt answer, ‘For the tidings, because it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water.’ Behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord God.”

— ‘why sighest thou?’ . . . because it cometh” ~ the report of an invading army from the South, with a Sword approaching and besieging their land, the land of modern Israel, which Ezekiel had heard from the Lord;

— and the thing itself was just at hand, and would certainly be so bad; that was the issues that affected Ezekiel, and caused so much sorrow and lamentations;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:12 Jonathan) says

“And it shall be, when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the report (news), for it is coming; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall grow weak, and every spirit shall be faint, and all knees shall flow with water; behold, it is coming and it shall be established, says the Lord God.'”

⁸ Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

— (Ezekiel 21:13 Jonathan) “And the word of prophecy from before the Lord was with me, saying:”

⁹ “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus saith the Lord. Say: “‘A sword, a sword is sharpened and also furbished! — a Sword, a Sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished; it is sharpened that it may make a slaughter;

— it is furbished that it may be as lightning: the rod for the house of Israel; primarily the United States of America, the United Kingdom and France; and secondarily their European allies. And it is given to be furbished, that it may be handled: the Sword, it is sharpened, yea, it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer from the South;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:14 Jonathan) says

“Son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God; Say: A sword! The sword of the King of Babylon shall slay, and the sword of the children of Ammon shall be doubled and destroy.”

¹⁰ It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter. Should we then make mirth? It contemneth the rod of My son, as every tree.

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:15 Jonathan) says

“To perform a slaughter it is drawn; to perform retribution it is sharpened, because the tribe of the House of Judah and Benjamin rejoiced over the tribes of Israel when they went into exile because they worshipped idols; and [now] they themselves have returned to err after images of wood.”

¹¹ “‘And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled; this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished to give it into the hand of the slayer. — three times elsewhere (Jeremiah 25:9,27:6,43:10) God describes Nebuchadnezzar as “my servant;” yet he was a slayer;

— the Babylonians are slayers as affirmed by the Targum (Ezekiel 21:16 Jonathan)

“And He gave their retribution to be delivered into the hand of the King of Babylon; it is the stroke of the sword, it shall be their punishment—to deliver them into the hand of slayers.”

¹² Cry and howl, son of man! For it shall be upon My people; it shall be upon all the princes of Israel. Terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon My people; smite therefore upon thy thigh.

— cry and wail, son of man; for it is upon “the princes of Israel” that is, (1) primarily the royal families and nobles of Britain, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden [but not including Spain although they have princes, ‘cos they are the posterity of Esau]: they are delivered over to the Sword with my people;

— these “princes of Israel” also include (2) the likes of Bill Gates, George Soros, Michael Bloomberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch and the Rockefellers; the Rothschilds, who spanned numerous generations centered in the City of London and in other western capital cities;

— but most importantly, the former Prince Andrew; smite therefore upon thy thigh; as one grieved in spirit, in great distress and anguish, or the sense of a terrible and irreparable evil happening, as experienced by Jeremiah:

Surely after I was turned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh. I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I bore the reproach of my youth.’ Jeremiah 31:19

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:17 Jonathan) says

“Cry and wail, son of man! For it [the sword] has come among My people; it is among all the princes of Israel. Those slain by the sword were gathered and came against My people from all around; therefore, smite your thigh [in grief].”

— the Septuagint says

And it shall come to pass, if they shall say to thee, Wherefore dost thou groan? that thou shalt say, For the report; because it comes: and every heart shall break, and all hands shall become feeble, and all flesh and every spirit shall faint, and all thighs shall be defiled with moisture: behold, it comes, saith the Lord.

¹³ Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? It shall be no more, saith the Lord God.’ — and what if the sword disdain or scorn even the rod?

— here God foretells, that if the princes of Israel should despise, or not accept the correction or punishment brought upon them by the trial, these princes would be entirely broken, and be no more!

— and from the Message Bible

¹² “Yell out and wail, son of man.
    The sword is against my people!
The princes of Israel
    and my people—abandoned to the sword!
Wring your hands!
    Tear out your hair!

¹³ “‘Testing comes.
    Why have you despised discipline?
You can’t get around it.
    Decree of God, the Master.’

^14-17 “So, prophesy, son of man!
    Clap your hands. Get their attention.
Tell them that the sword’s coming down
    once, twice, three times.
It’s a sword to kill,
    a sword for a massacre,
A sword relentless,
    a sword inescapable—
People collapsing right and left,
    going down like dominoes.
I’ve stationed a murderous sword
    at every gate in the city,
Flashing like lightning,
    brandished murderously.
Cut to the right, thrust to the left,
    murderous, sharp-edged sword!
Then I’ll clap my hands,
    a signal that my anger is spent.
        I, God, have spoken.” Ezekiel 21:12-17 MSG

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:18 Jonathan) says

“For the prophets prophesied over them and they did not return [to God]; and what shall be their end? Say: Even the tribes of the House of Judah and Benjamin shall surely go into exile, and because of their evil deeds they shall not endure, says the Lord God.”

¹⁴ “Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain. It is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their secret chambers.

— “sword” mentioned three times in this verse, emphasizing its intensity and importance; against those hide behind their secret chambers; behind royal protection;

— and smite thine hands together; the meaning of the clapping of the hands, smiting the hands together is an indication of violent grief; normally accompanied by loud crying and wailing;

— “Let the sword be doubled the third time…” the sword shall overtake them, not merely in the open battlefield, but in the chambers whither they flee to hide themselves; showing and power of the Sword coming against the “the princes of Israel” ~ all hope of escape would certainly be gone;

— which entereth into their privy chambers; that is, their most protected palaces, underground bunkers and forts; where “the princes of Israel” should endeavour to hide themselves, but in vain, like Saddam Hussein, none shall escape; their privy hideouts and palaces could not be kept in secret to secure them;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:19 Jonathan) says

“And you, son of man, prophesy and smite hand against hand; and let the sword be doubled and tripled—it is the sword of the slain; it is the sword of retribution for the great slaughter that makes them tremble.”

¹⁵ I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint and their ruins be multiplied. Ah! It is made bright; it is sharpened for the slaughter. — the sword against all their gates, that is, against all security of “the princes of Israel”

— Gill: I have set the point of the sword against all their gates…. the word rendered “point” is nowhere else used, and is differently translated: by some the “fear” of the Sword; by others the “cry” of the Sword, or of those that are slain with it, as the Targum paraphrases it, “those that slay with the sword.”

— their ruins be multiplied; literally, their stumbling blocks be multiplied. The thought is that in the coming desolation trouble shall be on every side and in their perplexity occasions for ill-advised action shall arise all around;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:20 Jonathan) says

“In order to break their heart and to multiply their stumbling-blocks, at all their gates I have appointed the slayers of the sword; Woe! The sword is drawn to slay, it is sharpened to destroy.”

¹⁶ Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set. — Gather thyself up, O princes of Israel, to the right or to the left. Another rendering is: “Turn thee backwards! get thee to the right! Set thee forwards! Get thee to the left!”

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:21 Jonathan) says

“Draw yourself and slay from the south, and destroy from the north; to wherever your face is summoned (prepared).”

¹⁷ I will also smite Mine hands together, and I will cause My fury to rest. I, the Lord, have said it.” — God will also smite his hands together in show of his wrath; he will encourage the slayers to go on. God even said he needs to express His fury so he could find rest; and he will bring vengeance upon vengeance;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:22 Jonathan) says,

“And I also will bring retribution upon retribution, and I will cause My fury to rest; I, the Lord, have decreed it by My word.”

¹⁸ The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying,

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:23 Jonathan) says, “And the word of prophecy from before the Lord was with me, saying:”

¹⁹ “Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; both shall come forth out of one land. And choose thou a place; choose it at the head of the way to the city.

— by the spirit of prophecy Ezekiel foresaw Nebuchadnezzar’s march from Babylon, and Ezekiel was asked to choose the two ways, by one or other of which the invading army must march from Babylon to Judea and Jerusalem;

— from the Voice

The word of the Eternal came to me: ¹⁹ Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of Babylon’s king to take. Have both roads begin in the same place. Make a signpost, and put it at the fork in the road: ²⁰ one road leading the sword to Ammon and its capital, Rabbah; the other road leading to Judah and its fortified capital, Jerusalem. Ezekiel 21:18-20 Voice

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:24 Jonathan) says

“And you, son of man, prepare for yourself two ways for the slayers of the sword of the King of Babylon to come; from one land both of them shall go out. And prepare a place (signpost); at the head of the fork of the road to the city, prepare a place.”

²⁰ Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah in Jerusalem, the fortified. — normally the Babylonians came from the North, but through Rabbah of the Ammonites would be from the East; either way is deadly;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:25 Jonathan) says

“Prepare a way for the slayers of the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and against the House of Judah, who went out from Jerusalem to dwell in fortified cities.”

²¹ For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked at the liver.

— to use divination; that is, consulting witchcraft; he consulted with images (“teraphim”) that is, household gods, like what Rachel store from her father, Genesis 31:19,34, and she died of childbirth;

— he looked in the liver; it was a more scientific practice of the ancients to make an inspection of the entrails (especially the liver) of animals offered in sacrifice, to fruitlessly judge the success or failure of an undertaking;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:26 Jonathan) says

“For the King of Babylon stood at the mother of the crossroads, at the head of the two ways, to practice divination: he shot with arrows, he consulted with images (idols), he looked at the liver.”

²² At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem: to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a siege mound, and to build a fort.

— and ‘Head for Jerusalem!’ says the Message Bible and from the Voice:

The king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road and he decides by divination which of the two roads to take. He draws straws, he throws god-dice, he examines a goat liver. He opens his right hand: The omen says, ‘Head for Jerusalem!’ So he’s on his way with battering rams, roused to kill, sounding the battle cry, pounding down city gates, building siege works. Ezekiel 21:21-22 MSG

Kings never go into battle without first looking for signs and omens. War is too risky—even for Babylon—not to have the blessings of the gods. The Babylonian king stops at the crossroads: which way should he go? So he calls for his priests to consult the gods for signs. Their mediation may be something like drawing straws. At times it involves the ancient practice of “reading” the liver of a sacrificial animal. When a king wants to make sure his decision is the correct one, he uses several forms of divination. The ancients do not believe in chance; they believe their gods are involved in orchestrating their lives and decisions. In this case, Babylon’s king happens to be correct because the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is directing him to take the road to Jerusalem. Ezekiel 21:21-22 Voice

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:27 Jonathan) says

“In his right hand was the lot for Jerusalem: to appoint generals to open the gates so that slayers may enter, to lift the voice with the blast of the horn, to appoint generals against the gates, to cast up a mound, and to build a siege-wall.”

²³ 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 shall be unto them as a false vision; that is, these mockers and unbelievers shall laugh at this prophecy as a vain thing;

— the Voice “Everyone in Jerusalem will believe the omen to be false because they had pledged loyalty to Babylon. But his actions will remind the doubters of their guilt, and they will be taken prisoners,”

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:28 Jonathan) says

“And the divination was in their eyes like false divination, like omens that were hissed (whispered) to them; and they did not know that forty-nine times he [the King] had waited and reconsidered the matter, until the hour came that they should be delivered into his hand.”

²⁴ “Therefore thus saith the Lord God: ‘Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye have come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:29 Jonathan) says “ye shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon;”

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because you have brought your guilt to remembrance, in that your rebellions are revealed, so that your sins appear in all your deeds; because you have been brought to remembrance, into the hand of the King of Babylon you shall be delivered.”

²⁵ And thou, profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come when iniquity shall have an end, — the details given in the above few verses were about ancient Judah and its invasion, but Ezekiel’s message is for the endtime;

— “wicked prince of Israel” ~ singular, that is, this wicked prince of Israel stands out above the general wickedness of all the other princes; so who will he be, we need to wait and see;

— such details are written in coded language and only God knows what all these messages are to play out; so we may have to observe how world events eventuates in the next couple of years; which means these comments will need to be updated every now and then. Be patient, we’ll get there;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:30 Jonathan) says,

“And you, guilty of death, O wicked prince of Israel, whose day of breaking (ruin) has arrived, the time of the retribution for his sins.”

²⁶ thus saith the Lord God: “‘Remove the diadem and take off the crown; this shall not be the same. Exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high;

— thus saith the Lord God, remove the diadem, and take off the crown; that is, from Zedekiah; and as these are the regalia and ensigns of royal dignity, taking them off signifies the deposition of someone as a king;

— “exalt him that is low” is to exalt the Zarah line from the Pharez line. For more details, see “Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright” by J.H. Allen

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:31 Jonathan) says,

“Thus says the Lord God: Remove the mitre from Seraiah the High Priest, and abolish the crown from Zedekiah the King; [God] said: this and that shall not remain in its place; they shall surely be exiled; Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, [the office] which was not his, he shall take it; and Zedekiah, [the crown] which was his, it shall be removed from him.”

²⁷ I will overturn, overturn, overturn it. And it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it to Him.’

— from Jerusalem to Ireland, from to Scotland and then finally to England; thus three overturns, until he come whose right it is; the right of the crown and final king of Israel as scepter holder; also the Messiah, being descended from a royalty of kings of the house of Judah, and of the seed of David;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:32 Jonathan) says

“Because of the sins they committed, like their sins I will take retribution from them. Even for this one [Gedaliah] it shall not endure, until I bring upon him the retribution of Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and I will deliver him into his hand.”

²⁸ “And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus saith the Lord God concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; even say thou: “‘The sword, the sword is drawn; for the slaughter it is furbished to consume because of the glittering”

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:33 Jonathan) says,

“And you, son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God concerning the children of Ammon and concerning their reproach; and you shall say: The sword, the sword is drawn to slay! It is sharpened to destroy, in order that it may have a [flashing] glitter.”

²⁹ while they [the Ammonites] see vanity unto thee, while they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked whose day is come when their iniquity shall have an end. — the Ammonites, today’s Jordan, an Islamic country, also had lying prophets among them;

— according to the Book of Nehemiah, Tobiah was an Ammonite official who attempted to hinder Nehemiah’s efforts to rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. He also influenced and corrupted the Jewish high priest, Eliashib, and took over the storerooms of the Temple for his own use;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:34 Jonathan) says,

“While they prophesy falsely to you, while they divine lies to you, to deliver your neck like the necks of the slain wicked ones, whose day of breaking has arrived, the time of the visitation of their evil.”

³⁰ Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity. — they, today’s Jordan, would be judged in their own land, and could be destroyed;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:35 Jonathan) says,

“Return the sword to its sheath; in the place where you were created, in the land of your dwelling (sojourn), I will exact punishment from you.”

³¹ And I will pour out Mine indignation upon thee; I will blow against thee in the fire of My wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, and skillful to destroy. — the false prophets of the Ammonites made false prophecies of victory; they would never recover their power, but in time would be wholly forgotten;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:36 Jonathan) says,

“And I will pour out My fury upon you; with the fire of My retribution I will blow against you; and I will deliver you into the hand of wicked men, who are skilled in destruction.”

³² Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land. Thou shalt be no more remembered; for I the Lord have spoken it.’”

— thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; such large numbers shall be slain everywhere, that the land shall flow with the blood of them; who shall lie unburied, and rot, and putrefy upon the ground:

— and thou shalt be remembered no more. This prophecy against Ammon and the Ammonites has no promise of restoration; and although they were not to be carried away captive as Judah, they were to perish in his own land; for the Lord have spoken it (more below);

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:37 Jonathan) says,

“To nations that are as strong as fire you shall be delivered, to be destroyed; the guilt of your slaughter shall be in the midst of the land; your memory shall not enter (be remembered); for I, the Lord, have decreed it by My Word.”

~~~~

This prophecy against Ammon has no promise of restoration. Why? We might speculate why the Ammonites were singled out here for this special oracle; but it might have pertained to the share they had in the murder of Gedaliah, by the hand of Ishmael and the Ammonites gave these killers refuge;

Second, in historic time, when Nebuchadnezzar took his route to Jerusalem, and destroyed the city, returned to Babylon, he went about without making any attempt upon the Ammonites; which so flushed the Ammonites that they insulted the Jews and laughed at their destruction, as if their God whom they served could not save them.

And thirdly, Tobiah was an Ammonite, perhaps a governor, who along with Sanballat the Horonite and Geshem the Arabian, attempted to

(1) hinder Nehemiah’s efforts to rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile, and he

(2) influenced the Jewish high priest Eliashib, and took over the storerooms of the Temple for his own use; and Tobiah, an Ammonite

(3) conspired with Sanballat the Samaritan of the law for the returning Jews their renegade way of observing Passover and Shavuot (Pentecost); and

(4) where the holiest site for the Temple should be, which the Jews believe is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem but the renegade “mixed” population Samaritans believe is Mount Gerizim near modern Nablus in ancient Shechem.

And finally, the Ammonites are modern Jordan (or are they; or that a new group of people, the Jordanians, had replaced the ancient Ammonites) sitting on land allocated to three of the tribes of Israel east of the Jordan, and the house of Israel may soon be taking their ancestral Promised land back, land that could even stretch to the Euphrates River.

Ezekiel 22

In Chapter 10, God’s four judgements — SWORD, war. FAMINE, occasioned by drought. PESTILENCE, epidemic diseases which sweep off a great part of the inhabitants of the land of Israel. And in this chapter it is BLOOD! Which is repeated 8 times for emphasis.

¹ Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the Targum says, the word of prophecy from the Lord; that is, another prophecy;

² “Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? Yea, thou shalt show her all her abominations. — the bloody city?… or, “city of blood” or “cities of blood” so called on account of murders perpetrated in her as in the United States with so much gun violence today;

— the Targum says

“And you, son of man, will you judge, will you judge the city that sheds innocent blood within it? Then make known to her all her abominations.”

³ Then say thou, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself. — this is a reference to cities in the house of Israel;

— and maketh idols against herself, to defile herself; being guilty, not only of murder, but of idolatry; she was an idol maker and an idol worshipper; and which was against herself, as well as against God;

— the Targum says

“And you shall say: Thus says the Lord God: O city that sheds innocent blood within it, the time of its breaking has arrived; and they serve idols within it in order to become defiled.”

⁴ Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed, and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years. Therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the nations and a mocking to all countries.

— “I have made thee a reproach among the nations” ~ this is a prophecy of what will soon happen as indicated in the future tense used in the next verse, “Those that are near, and those that are far from thee, shall mock thee.”

— mockings from all countries and shedding of blood could indicate civil war within the nation, see Is Britain on the Brink of Civil War?

— the Targum says

“By the guilt of the innocent blood you shed, you have become liable; and by the service of the idols you served, you have become defiled. You have brought near the day of your breaking, and the time of your evil (doom) has arrived. Therefore, I have given you up as a reproach to the nations and a mockery to all the provinces.”

⁵ Those that are near and those that are far from thee shall mock thee, who art infamous and much vexed. — the “much vexed” refers to the internal confusion, commotions and social disorders which characterised the decaying state of the nation;

— the Targum says

“Those near and those far from you shall mock you; O you who are defiled of name and abundant in turmoil.”

⁶ “‘Behold, the princes of Israel, every one was in thee to their power to shed blood. — behold, the princes of Israel; those that belonged to (1) the royal family, princes and princesses, (2) the rich and nobles of the land, governors, city chiefs, oligarchs, members of Parliament or Congressmen of a nation;

— the Targum says

“Behold, the princes of Israel—each according to his power were within you, in order to shed innocent blood.”

⁷ In thee have they made light of father and mother. In the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger. In thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow. — filial respect for fathers and mothers was one of the most frequently enjoined precepts of the law (see Leviticus 19:32; Leviticus 20:9);

— they vexed the fatherless and the widow; that were weak and helpless and had none to protect them, father and husband being dead; when, according to their first rank and station as princes, they ought to have been their defenders; but, instead of that, distressed, afflicted, and grieved them;

— the Targum says

“Father and mother they have treated with contempt within you; toward the stranger they have practiced oppression in your midst; orphan and widow they have wronged within you.”

⁸ Thou hast despised Mine holy things and hast profaned My Sabbaths. — the people hast despised mine holy thing; the holy place, the Temple and its worship;

— holy persons, the priests that officiated there; holy sacrifices offered up by them; the holy word of God read and explained; and there all holy ordinances administered. These words are directed at Jerusalem, the holy city, and to its inhabitants, who ought to have been holy men;

— and hast profaned my sabbaths; by doing their own work, and neglecting the service of God; and is not merely a ritual violation but as a symptom and cause of the city’s wider collapse—bloodshed, injustice, sexual immorality and other exploitation;

“If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable, and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words,” Isaiah 58:13

Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctify them. Ezekiel 20:12

— the Targum says

“My holy things you have despised, and My Sabbath days you have profaned.”

⁹ In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood, and in thee they eat upon the mountains. In the midst of thee they commit lewdness [indecency or obscenity].

— men that carry tales; informers and trepanners, or persons that, corrupted with money, give in false witness against the innocent; and the princes of Israel (v6 above) had hands in it; spreading lies about WMD that Saddam Hussein had and going to war against Iraq;

— in the midst of thee they commit lewdness; a general word for all manner of uncleanness, as adultery, fornication, incest, and all those injuies suffered by minors through the years by those circulating pedophiles around Epstein’s orbit;

— the Targum says

“Men of slander (informers) were within you in order to shed innocent blood; and upon the mountains they served idols within you; indeed, they committed sinful counsel in your midst.”

¹⁰ In thee have they uncovered their fathers’ nakedness. In thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution. — the worst of heathens, there have been and are some that incestuously defile their fathers’ bed;

— the Targum says

“The nakedness of a father they have uncovered within you; a woman in her state of impurity they have humbled/afflicted within you.”

¹¹ And one hath committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife, and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law, and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father’s daughter.

— horrible, shameless doings! the father-in-law committing incest with the wife’s daughter, and brothers defile their own sisters; all this against the light of nature, the law of civilized nations, and the law of God;

— the Targum says

“And a man has committed an abomination with his neighbor’s wife; and a man has defiled his daughter-in-law with sinful counsel; and a man has humbled (violated) his sister, the daughter of his father, within you.”

¹² In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood. Thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained from thy neighbors by extortion, and hast forgotten Me, saith the Lord God.

— innocent blood, as the Targum clarifies; judges upon the bench, whose office it is to take the part of the innocent, and clear him from unjust charges; and protect him from the violence of wicked and unreasonable men; that lay things to his charge, which, if true, would require blood;

— and yet men in such offices took bribes to bring in the innocent guilty, and pass sentence of death on him; which is a most shocking iniquity indeed: to take bribes in pecuniary matters is very wicked; but to do it in cases which affect life is most dreadfully cruel;

— or if it is to be understood of such persons who take bribes to bear false witness against a man, to the taking away of his life, it is a very heinous and detestable sin; for, as for a set of jurymen bribed to bring in a wrong verdict, which would be equally a most enormous crime;

— and from the Message Bible;

“‘Your leaders, the princes of Israel among you, compete in crime. You’re a community that’s insolent to parents, abusive to outsiders, oppressive against orphans and widows. You treat my holy things with contempt and desecrate my Sabbaths. You have people spreading lies and spilling blood, flocking to the hills to the sex shrines and fornicating unrestrained. Incest is common. Men force themselves on women regardless of whether they’re ready or willing. Sex is now anarchy. Anyone is fair game: neighbor, daughter-in-law, sister. Murder is for hire, usury is rampant, extortion is commonplace. Ezekiel 22:6-12 MSG

— the Targum says

“They have accepted bribes within you in order to shed innocent blood; interest and usury you have taken, and you have profited from your neighbors through oppression; and My worship you have abandoned, says the Lord God.”

¹³ “‘Behold, therefore I have smitten Mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.

— behold, therefore, I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made; as one amazed at it; or as filled with indignation against it; or as grieved and distressed at it; or else as rejoicing at the punishment going to be inflicted on them for it;

— and from the Message Bible;

“‘Now look! I’ve clapped my hands, calling everyone’s attention to your rapacious greed and your bloody brutalities. Can you stick with it? Will you be able to keep at this once I start dealing with you? “‘I, God, have spoken. I’ll put an end to this. I’ll throw you to the four winds. I’ll scatter you all over the world. I’ll put a full stop to your filthy living. You will be defiled, spattered with your own mud in the eyes of the nations. And you’ll recognize that I am God.’” Ezekiel 22:13-16 MSG

— the Targum says

“And behold, I have brought My retribution upon you because of the sins of your forced monetary gain which you committed, and because of the innocent blood that was shed within you.”

¹⁴ Can thine heart endure or can thine hands be strong in the days that I shall deal with thee? I, the Lord, have spoken it, and will do it. — can thine hands be strong, to hold the sword, and manage against the warlike Nebuchadnezzar and his army?

— the Targum says,

“Will your heart remain firm, or will your hands be strong, for the days that I am destined to deal with you? I, the Lord, have decreed it by My Word, and I will establish it.”

¹⁵ And I will scatter thee among the nations and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee. — in the process of sanctifying you, the house of Israel, you’ll be scattered and dispersed throughout various provinces of other nations, as chaff is by the winds;

— the Targum says

“And I will exile you among the nations and scatter you among the provinces; and I will bring an end to your filthiness from within you.”

¹⁶ And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the nations, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord.’” — take thine inheritance in thyself; formerly thou wast my inheritance; but now, full of guilt, thou art no longer mine, but thine own inheritance to thyself; “in the sight of the heathen,”

— from the Message Bible

“‘Now look! I’ve clapped my hands, calling everyone’s attention to your rapacious greed and your bloody brutalities. Can you stick with it? Will you be able to keep at this once I start dealing with you? “

‘I, God, have spoken. I’ll put an end to this. I’ll throw you to the four winds. I’ll scatter you all over the world. I’ll put a full stop to your filthy living. You will be defiled, spattered with your own mud in the eyes of the nations. And you’ll recognize that I am God.’” Ezekiel 22:13-16 MSG

— and in this process of sanctifying you, God himself would be sanctified, as the Targum says

“And I will be sanctified through you in the eyes of the nations; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

¹⁷ And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — as the Targum says, the word of prophecy from the Lord;

¹⁸ “Son of man, the house of Israel has to Me become dross [something regarded as worthless; rubbish]. All they are brass and tin and iron and lead in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.

— from the Message Bible

God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, the people of Israel are slag to me, the useless byproduct of refined copper, tin, iron, and lead left at the smelter—a worthless slag heap. So tell them, ‘God, the Master, has spoken: Because you’ve all become worthless slag, you’re on notice: I’ll assemble you in Jerusalem.

As men gather silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into a furnace and blow fire on it to melt it down, so in my wrath I’ll gather you and melt you down. I’ll blow on you with the fire of my wrath to melt you down in the furnace. As silver is melted down, you’ll be melted down. That should get through to you. Then you’ll recognize that I, God, have let my wrath loose on you.’” Ezekiel 22:17-22 MSG

— the Targum says

“Son of man, the House of Israel has become dross to Me; all of them are like a mixture of copper, tin, iron, and lead inside a furnace; they have become the dross of silver.”

¹⁹ Therefore thus saith the Lord God: ‘Because ye have all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. — indeed judgement appeared in 70 AD; “all become dross” in the hands of the Romans, but it was actually God gathering them for judgement;

— the Targum says

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Because you have all become as dross, therefore, behold, I am gathering you into the midst of Jerusalem.”

²⁰ As they gather silver and brass and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it to melt it, so will I gather you in Mine anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you.

— several metals of the baser sort are here mentioned, by a gradation from the better to the worse; tin being not so good as brass, and iron of less value than either, and “I will leave you there and melt you”

— (a) the Essenses, who formulated their own calendar, but God is a jealous Being; and they melted away;

— (b) the Sadducees (who observed a Passover and Pentecost similar to the Samaritan’s) where both defiled the tenets from the Sanhedrin and were wiped out by the Sword and by Fire!

— the Targum says

“As one gathers silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it to melt it; so will I gather [you] in My anger and in My wrath, and I will leave (place) you there and destroy you.”

²¹ Yea, I will gather you and blow upon you in the fire of My wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof. — and I will leave you there, and melt you; that is, I will leave you to the sword, famine, and pestilence, to be destroyed by them;

— or with fire at the burning of the city: or, “I will rest” as the refiner does; having put his metal into the furnace, and blown the fire, sits still till all are melted;

— the Targum says

“And I will gather you and I will strengthen against you the fire of My retribution, and you shall be melted in its midst.”

²² As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out My fury upon you.’”

— today more than 98.5 percent of Christians are honoring the SUN by observing SUNday. They have “their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the SUN toward the east,” Ezekiel 8:16 (more at the end);

— the Targum says

“As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; and you shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out My wrath upon you.”

²³ And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the Targum says, “A word of prophecy from before the Lord came to me, saying…”

²⁴ “Son of man, say unto her: ‘Thou art the land that is not cleansed nor rained upon in the day of indignation.’

— the Targum says

“Son of man, say to her: You are the Land of Israel; a land that is not cleansed, and good deeds were not performed in her that would protect her on the day of the curse (wrath).”

²⁵ There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey. They have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

— the Targum says

“The company of her scribes is in her midst like roaring lions to kill; they have killed people; they have taken wealth and honor; they have increased her widows within her.”

²⁶ Her priests have violated My law and have profaned Mine holy things. They have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shown difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

— and Judah’s 70 years in captivity was because of a neglect of the land Sabbath!

¹⁹ And they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all the palaces thereof with fire and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
²⁰ And those who had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia,
²¹ to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths; for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years. II Chronicles 36:19-21

— the Targum says

“Her priests have done violence to My Torah and have profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and the secular, and they have not made known the difference between the impure and the pure; they have hidden their eyes from My Sabbath days, and My Will has been profaned among them.”

²⁷ Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

— the princes in the midst of Israel; those that belonged to the royal family, the rich and nobles of the land, governors, city chiefs, members of Parliament of Congress of a nation.

— the Targum says

“Her princes in her midst are like wolves snatching prey, to shed innocent blood, to destroy souls, in order to receive the money of lies (dishonest gain).”

²⁸ And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity and divining lies unto them, saying, ‘Thus saith the Lord God,’ when the Lord hath not spoken. — saying, thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken; herein mimicking the true prophets, who came in the name of the Lord,

— and usually prefaced their prophecies with a thus saith the Lord; and so did these false prophets, when the Lord said nothing to them, and gave them no commission to speak in his name, or say the things they did;

— the Targum says

“And the false prophets within her are like those who build a wall and plaster it with plain mud (untempered mortar) without straw; they prophesy lies and teach them falsehoods, saying: ‘Thus says the Lord God,’ when from before the Lord it was not spoken.”

²⁹ The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy; yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.

— from the Message Bible

^26-29 “‘Your priests violated my law and desecrated my holy things. They can’t tell the difference between sacred and secular. They tell people there’s no difference between right and wrong. They’re contemptuous of my holy Sabbaths, profaning me by trying to pull me down to their level. Your politicians are like wolves prowling and killing and rapaciously taking whatever they want. Your preachers cover up for the politicians by pretending to have received visions and special revelations. They say, “This is what God, the Master, says . . .” when God hasn’t said so much as one word. Extortion is rife, robbery is epidemic, the poor and needy are abused, outsiders are kicked around at will, with no access to justice.’

^30-31 “I looked for someone to stand up for me against all this, to repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land so I wouldn’t have to destroy it. I couldn’t find anyone. Not one. So I’ll empty out my wrath on them, burn them to a crisp with my hot anger, serve them with the consequences of all they’ve done. Decree of God, the Master.” Ezekiel 22:28-30 MSG

— the Targum says

“The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery; they have wronged the poor and the needy, and they have oppressed the stranger/convert without justice.”

³⁰ And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.

— God looks for helpers but He found none; no repairer of the breach volunteer willing to act as intercessor, nor restorer of path to truth; no mediator for the people, as Abraham for Sodom, Moses for Israel; or any, like Aaron, that stood between the living and the dead to slay the plague;

— the Targum says

“And I sought from them before Me a man who has good deeds, who would stand in the breach before Me and seek mercy for the people of the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found none.”

³¹ Therefore have I poured out Mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath. Their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God.” — I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: by the Sword, Famine, Pestilence and Captivity;

— the Targum says

“And I have poured out My indignation upon them; with the fire of My retribution I have consumed them; I have placed the retribution for their ways upon their own heads, says the Lord God.”

For a more detailed Study (see Ezekiel 20:45 to chapter 21:5) about this subject, The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South! click here

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Today more than 98.5 percent of Christians are honoring the SUN by observing SUNday. They have “their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the SUN toward the east,” Ezekiel 8:16.

Others, following the SUN-worshipping Samaritans, the Church of God Communities are showing their contempt for God by having their “wavesheaf offering” and Pentecost on a SUNday. Always on SUNdays. And these are supposedly in God’s sanctuary, but God says He is a jealous God, so these pretentious Christians could be spewed out of His mouth! No? Regardless, there are those being described in Revelation 3:17 — wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: or else I will spew thee out of My mouth (v16,19).”

Despite the above, there’ll be a remnant that are spared: “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and who cry because of all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof,” Ezekiel 9:4. These remnants “who sigh and who cry” will be marked with a letter ת in ink on the forehead.

Posted in Ezekiel

The following two chapters concern both the house of Israel and the house of Judah.

Although Isaiah 8:14 refers to “both houses of Israel” or the “two houses of Israel” it implies the single whole house of Jacob, the full twelve tribes.

But Jacob was given a new name, Israel, in which the full house of Israel as in Ezekiel 20:40, the twelve tribes are all included. And after King Solomon, the single house of Jacob was broken into two, the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah.

Hence, the names of the two houses are separated, namely the 10-tribes “house of Israel” and the 2-tribes “house of Judah.” Further, the “two houses of Israel” in Isaiah 8:14 is redefined as “the house of Jacob” in Isaiah 8:17.

State it in another way, the word “Israel” has five (or even six) possible meanings:

(1) Israel in place of Jacob, since the angel gave Jacob a new name, Israel; Genesis 32:28

(2) Jacob said, “and let my name be named on them” Genesis 48:16; that is, the name “Israel” is to be installed to the children of Joseph: Ephraim and Manasseh;

(3) the children of Israel, or all the house of Israel in Ezekiel 20:40 in the sense of all the progeny of Jacob, all twelve tribes; sometimes expressed as the “whole house of Israel;”

(4) the house of Israel in Ezekiel 4:3-5 as a single northern “house of Israel” which would mean the ‘first’ house of Israel or the house of 10-tribes Israel; and then another as;

(5) the ‘second’ house of Israel or the 2-tribes house of Judah as in Ezekiel 4:6; this happened during Rehoboam reign when the kingdom was broken into the house of Israel (north) and the house of Judah (south); in this context, the house of Israel could be the 2-tribes Israel as in Ezekiel 8:6,11,12 and Matthew 15:24;

(6) Israel, the modern state of Israel, established in 1917 by the Balfour declaration and gained independence in 1948.

In understanding prophecies, the third and fourth meanings are mostly in use; the fifth very rarely. Still, it may seem confusing, but one should be able to separate the two by sounding out the context.

For understanding who the modern tribes of Judah and Joseph are, the best book to have expounded this subject is “Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright” by J.H. Allen (1847-1930).

~~ chap8&14end;19,33&36beg ~~

Chapter 19 starts with a riddle of a lioness with her two whelps among other young lions. So what does each of them represent? The riddle seems to be a prophecy over the complexities of the house of Israel and the royal house of Judah spread out over the next two and a half thousands years.

The scepter, which belongs to the royal house of Judah, are mentioned only twice in the book of Ezekiel, both in this chapter. And earlier, we have established that this Ezekiel prophecy was for a time far into the future (Ezekiel 12:27). In fact it’s for the endtime, our time, and so here we are.

Ezekiel 19

The best book to have expounded this riddle is “Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright” by J.H. Allen (1847-1930).

God declares the end from the beginning; He knows and accomplishes His eternal plan with perfect foresight and sovereignty.

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’ Isaiah 46:10.

Thus from the beginning the Lord had declared a mysterious prophecy regarding both the house of Judah and the house of Israel. Here in this chapter it shows how the planting and rebuilding of David’s throne had survived beyond captivity into the land of Israel and beyond.

¹ “Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, — so this chapter is a lamentation for the princes of Israel; notice it started at the beginning with a lamentation and at the end it says: “This is a lamentation and shall be a lamentation,” for the princes of Israel; but who are the princes of Israel?

— “the princes of Israel” that is, these are not those who administer his Temple, but further out; (1) primarily the royal families and nobles of Britain, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden [but not including Spain although they have princes, ‘cos they are the posterity of Esau]:

— the princes of Israel are from the royal house of Judah but sprung off into Israel and beyond; kings and princes who were entrusted with power and authority to exercise the laws of the nation; and who should have been wise counsellors of the people, but to God, these princes are the men who give wicked counsel and Ezekiel was asked to mourn for them;

— (2) from Ezekiel 11:1-2 that is, rulers and governor; cities chiefs; from God’s point of view, “men who devise mischief and give wicked counsel,” mayors and their rich and influential: plus the likes of elites: Bill Gates, George Soros, Michael Bloomberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch, the Rockefellers; and most important, the Rothschilds, who spanned numerous generations centered in the City of London and in other western capital cities;

² and say: “‘What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions; she nourished her whelps among young lions. — the princes of Israel includes the royal family from king David that had spread her wings over many nations;

— the Targum says

“And you shall say: How was the Assembly of Israel like a lioness! Among the kings she crouched; among the rulers she reared her children.”

³ And she brought up one of her whelps; it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.

— the Targum says

“And she reared one of her sons; he became a king. He learned to slaughter a slaughtering; he killed people.”

⁴ The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt. — this young lion could well be Joseph, who was sold as a slave into Egypt, later his sons, headed by Ephraim, the younger yet the ‘firstborn’ of Joseph, were to led the house of Israel;

— the Targum says

“And the nations heard about him; he was caught in their net, and they brought him in chains (shackles) to the land of Egypt.”

⁵ Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion. — the house of Israel, headed by Ephraim, went into captivity, the lioness waited but her hope was lost as this young lion never came back; so the mother’s hope now lies with another whelp; the house of Judah;

— the Targum says

“And she saw that her hope was cut off and lost; and she took another of her sons and appointed him as king.”

⁶ And he went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey and devoured men. — the house of Judah grew and became a nation;

— the Targum says

“And he walked among the kings; he became a king. And he learned to slaughter a slaughtering; he killed people.”

⁷ And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate and the fullness thereof by the noise of his roaring. — the subject ‘he’ is now her enemies, Judah’s enemies;

— the Targum says

“And he shattered its palaces, and their cities he destroyed; and the land and its fullness were desolated by the sound of his tumult (roaring).”

⁸ Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit. — first the Assyrians came to lay a siege against the house of Judah but they were repelled off. A while later the Chaldeans came and managed to conquer this young nation;

— the Targum says

“And the nations gathered against him from all around, from the provinces; and they spread their net over him; in their trap (lattice-work) he was caught.”

⁹ And they put him under guard in chains (put him in a cage as some versions say), and brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him into prison, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

— this young lion, “brought to the king of Babylon,” is clearly established to be house of Judah, the scepter holder, but its royal family had vanished;

— no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel; but yes, upon only a smaller hill of Israel: Ireland;

— the Targum says

“And they put him in collars (cages) with chains, and they brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into strongholds, so that his voice should no longer be heard upon the mountains of Israel.”

¹⁰ “‘Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters; she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. — thy mother is like a vine in thy blood; having royal blood, this lioness is the royal family that had established herself over many nations;

— the Targum says

“The Assembly of Israel, when she performs the Torah, is like a vine planted by a spring of water; its foliage is beautiful and its branches provide shade; it is planted by many waters.”

¹¹ And she had strong rods for the scepters of them that bore rule; and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.

— a rod or scepter is an emblem of authority; with numerous offspring and prosperity this royal family would split and spread into numerous other royal families that ruled over many nations in throughout Europe, both East and West;

— the Targum says

“And there were in her powerful rulers and mighty kings, to subjugate kingdoms; and he (the king) exalted himself in his strength over his kingdom, and he became famous (conspicuous) in his greatness among the multitude of his mighty ones.”

¹² But she was plucked up in fury; she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit. Her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.

— many of the royal families were overcame “cast down” by revolutions: – France (1830), Portugal (1910), Russia (1917), Germany (1918), Hungary (1918), Italy (1946), Romania (1947), Greece (1974);

— her strong rods withered and fire consumed them; their monarchies died one way or another, these nations all became republics;

— the Targum says

“And she was uprooted in strength from the land, the house of the Shekhinah (Divine Presence); to another land she was exiled. And a king who is strong as the east wind killed her people; they were moved and exiled—the rulers of strength—and the nations who are strong as fire consumed them.”

¹³ And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground. — a few royal families remains, planted on dry and thirsty ground; powerless and without authority;

— instead of ruling over a nation like king David did, they only reign; that is, in name only: Britain, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden;

— the Targum says

“And now she is like a vine planted in the wilderness, in a desolate and parched land.”

¹⁴ And fire has gone out from a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a scepter to rule.’ This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.”

— and fire is gone out of a rod of her; this speaks of the eventual destruction of the royal family; she hath no strong rod; few of the royal blood of Judah or only weak ones will be left. And from that time onward, perhaps, the royals would remain weak or simply vanish upon the throne of Israel;

—any that remains would end up in captivity or else fire would consume them; “a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation.”

— the Targum says

“And the nations who are strong as fire came, because of her willful sins; they killed her people, and there were no more powerful rulers or mighty kings in her to subjugate kingdoms. The prophet said: This is a lamentation (prophecy of wailing), and it shall be for a lamentation.”

— this chapter starts with lamentation and ends with lamentation; that is, dark days lay ahead for their children as fire is ready to devour them as it devours her fruit. As the catastrophe shall be so complete, there will be a lot of mourning as lamentation will be compounded by further lamentation.

Ezekiel 20

This chapter is a continuation of lamentation for the princes and people of the house of Israel, on account of what had already befallen them, and what is yet to come.

Among God’s concerns, hallowing or polluting the Sabbaths being the main issue, mentioned six times (verses 12,13,16,20,21,24) in this chapter alone, more than in any other chapters.

These are those that are left after one third died of famine and pestilence, another third of the sword, and these are those left over or those that survive in captivity.

The identities of the various tribes above are largely drawn from the researches done by Steven Collins and Yair Davidiy below; although there are some variants between them. Both, however, are erroneous in their identities of Ephraim and Manasseh.

For more on the true identity of Ephraim and Manasseh, see (1) The Birthrights (2) Ephraim and Manasseh (3) Ephraim as the Thirteenth Tribe (4) Who is this lying Ephraim? (5) The Ox with horns of a Unicorn

For understanding who the modern tribes of Judah and Joseph are, the best book to have expounded this subject is “Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright” by J.H. Allen (1847-1930).

¹ And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me.

— these were either some of the elders that were carried captive, who came to inquire how long they should continue in exile; or what methods they should use to free themselves from it;

— and sat before me; it is usually after some great calamities would these elders humble themselves and come to seek the Lord, by which time (verse 3 below) Ezekiel is forbidden to tell them that he would not be inquired of by them. During peace time these same people are usually contented to ignore God;

— the Targum says

“And it was in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month; the prophet said: men from the elders of Israel came to seek instruction from before the Lord, and they sat before me.”

² Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,

³ “Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel and say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Have ye come to inquire of Me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.’

— as I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you; knowing their wickedness and hypocrisy, which were detestable to him, and therefore would not hear what they had to say, nor give them any answer, or direct them what they should do;

— the Targum says

“Son of man, prophesy to the elders of Israel and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Is it to seek instruction from before Me that you have come? As I live, I will not be consulted by you through My Word, says the Lord God.”

⁴ Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers; — cause them to know the abominations of their fathers:

— God reminded them of the sins which were abominable in themselves and unto God, by which they would be led to see the abominable evils which they also had been guilty of, in which they had imitated their fathers;

— the Targum says

“Will you reprove (judge) them, will you reprove them, son of man? The abominations of their fathers make known to them.”

⁵ and say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: On the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up Mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made Myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up Mine hand unto them, saying, “I am the Lord your God.”

— here begins the account of their fathers; of God’s unmerited goodness to them since their deliverance from Egypt, and of their sins and how it fared with them;

— the Targum says

“And you shall say to them, thus says the Lord God: In the day that I chose Israel, and I established for them by My Word a covenant for the seed of the house of Jacob; and I revealed Myself to redeem them in the land of Egypt, and I established by My Word to them, saying: I am the Lord your God.”

⁶ on the day that I lifted up Mine hand unto them to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands,

— which is the glory of all lands; that is, either which fertility, signified by milk and honey, is the glory of all lands, being so fruitful, is more glorious or desirable than any other country; it greatly surpassing all others in its situation, soil, and climate;

— the Targum says, “which is the praiseworthy of all provinces:” that is, was praised and commended by the inhabitants of all other provinces for the plenty in it; which must needs be very great, to support so large a number of inhabitants in it, and yet its compass but small;

⁷ then said I unto them: “Cast away every man of ye the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” — evidence from this verse shows the Israelites were still deeply indulged in things Egypt’s; the golden calf being the principle idol;

— the Targum says

“And I said to them: Let every man cast away the abominations from before his eyes, and with the worship of the idols of the Egyptians do not defile yourselves; I am the Lord your God.”

⁸ But they rebelled against Me and would not hearken unto Me. They did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt. “‘Then I said, “I will pour out My fury upon them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.”

— the Targum says

“But they rebelled against My Word (Memri) and were not willing to receive the prophets; every man the abominations of his eyes they did not distance, and the worship of the idols of the Egyptians they did not leave. And I said (thought) to pour out My fury upon them, that My anger might be fulfilled against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.”

⁹ But I wrought for My name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the nations among whom they were, in whose sight I made Myself known unto them in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

— “I wrought for my name’s sake” this is a reference to the fact that God on several occasions did not judge Israel according to what they certainly deserved; but, that in order to prevent the nations from questioning God’s ability to protect his people, simply went on and blessed them in spite of their sins. Two examples of this are found in Exodus 32:12 and in Numbers 14:16

— the Targum says

“And I acted for the sake of My Name, so that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they were; for I revealed Myself to redeem them in their eyes, to bring them out from the land of Egypt.”

¹⁰ Therefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.

— the Targum says

“And I brought them out from the land of Egypt, and I brought them into the wilderness.”

¹¹ And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgements, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. — God’s statutes and Judgements are dedicated to his servants to implement, starting with the Great Assembly, later the Sanhedrin. Today this Sanhedrin has been re-established here, inheriting and embedded with the following mandates:

¹⁸ “Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes; and they shall judge the people with just judgement;

¹⁹ Thou shalt not distort judgement; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a bribe; for a bribe doth blind the eyes of the wise and pervert the words of the righteous. Deuteronomy 16:18-19

¹¹ According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee and according to the judgement which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do. Thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall show thee to the right hand nor to the left;

¹² And the man who will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest who standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die; and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel;

¹³ And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously. Deuteronomy 17:11-13

“I create darkness; I create evil; I, the LORD, do all these things” Isaiah 45:7. And what happened in 70 AD in Jerusalem and Judea when God exercised His judgement?

History recorded only two sects that escaped this inferno:

(1) The Nazarenes as the early Christians were known in Acts 24:5. Many died as martyrs but according to Eusebius, some received divine warning and escaped to a northern town called Pella, west of the Jordan River.

(2) Pharisees of the House of Hillel escaped to Yavne. These were headed by a rabbi, Johanan ben Zakkai, the head of the Sanhedrin; he was smuggled out of besieged Jerusalem in a coffin. Later, his followers re-emerged as Rabbinic Jews who established the Hillel Calendar, which was revealed by Hillel II in about AD 359 concerning the rules of the Calendar.

And two sects that died like as if they were Sodom and Gomorrah:

(1) The Sadducees: their main heresies — Greatly influenced by their neighbouring Sun-worshipping Samaritans, their Passover celebrated on the Early Fourteenth; their Pentecost always counted a morrow after the weekly Sabbath; and ends always on a Sunday.

(2) The Essenes: their main heresies — A Calendar different from one established by the Sandhdrin; with their Passover always falling on a Wednesday. This means they celebrated the holy day on a different day and squabble over the one ordained by God operating in the Jerusalem Temple.

For an indepth Study, see AN AUTOPSY OF JERUSALEM IN THE AD 70 INFERNO

¹² Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctify them.

— the Targum says

“And also My Sabbath days I gave to them, to be for a sign between My Word (Memri) and them, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.”

¹³ But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They walked not in My statutes and they despised My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and My Sabbaths they greatly polluted. “‘Then I said I would pour out My fury upon them in the wilderness to consume them.

History recorded two prominent sects that died during this AD 70 Judgement:

(a) The Sadducees and Boethusians, following the heretic Samaritan way of observing Passover, kept it on the night of the fourteenth; they perished in the inferno;

(b) The Essenes, after they had repudiated the calendar that was sanctioned by the Sanhedrin, then went about presumptuously making one of their own. They all perished in God’s FURY by either the flaming Sword or the consuming Fire.

— the Targum says

“But the house of Israel rebelled against My Word (Memri) in the wilderness; in My statutes they did not walk, and My judgments they loathed—which if a man performs them, he shall live by them the life of the world (eternal life); and My Sabbath days they profaned greatly. And I said (thought) to pour out My fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.”

¹⁴ But I wrought for My name’s sake, that it should not be polluted before the nations, in whose sight I brought them out. — “I wrought for my name’s sake” ~ this is repeated from verse 9 for emphasis;

— the Targum says

“And I acted for the sake of My Name, so that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I brought them out.”

¹⁵ Yet also I lifted up My hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands,

— the Targum says

“And I also established by My Word (Memri) to them in the wilderness, so as not to bring them into the land which I gave—producing milk and honey; it is the praise (glory) of all lands.”

¹⁶ because they despised My judgements and walked not in My statutes, but polluted My Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols. — today more than 98.5 percent of pretending Christians are worshipping God by honoring the SUN by observing SUNday;

— they have “their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the SUN toward the east,” Ezekiel 8:16

— the Targum says

“Because they loathed My judgments and in My statutes they did not walk, and My Sabbath days they profaned; for after the worship of their idols their heart wandered.”

¹⁷ Nevertheless Mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.

— the Targum says

“And My Word (Memri) spared them from destroying them, and I did not make a full end of them in the wilderness.”

¹⁸ “‘But I said unto their children in the wilderness: “Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgements, nor defile yourselves with their idols.

— the Targum says

“And I said to their children in the wilderness: In the decrees (statutes) of your fathers do not walk, and their laws (customs) do not keep, and with the worship of their idols do not defile yourselves.”

¹⁹ I am the Lord your God: Walk in My statutes, and keep My judgements, and do them;

— the Targum says

“I am the Lord your God; in My statutes (covenants) walk, and My judgments keep, and perform them.”

²⁰ and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.”

— others, following the SUN-worshipping Samaritans, the Church of God Communities are showing their contempt by having their “wavesheaf offering” and Pentecost on a SUNday; always on SUNdays;

— and the Sabbaths are God’s sign, “that ye may know that I am the Lord your God,” ~ unfortunately these pretenders could be spewed out of His mouth! No? Regardless, there are those being described in Revelation 3:17 ~ wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: or else I will spew thee out of My mouth (v16,19);”

— the Targum says

“And sanctify My Sabbath days, and they shall be for a sign between My Word (Memri) and you, to know that I am the Lord your God.”

²¹ Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against Me. They walked not in My statutes, neither kept My judgements to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted My Sabbaths. “‘Then I said I would pour out My fury upon them to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness.

— again, God’s FURY would be poured out for polluting His Sabbaths! The crime might seem innocuous but God’s judgement is that they would be cut off;

— the Targum says

“But the children rebelled against My Word (Memri); in My statutes they did not walk, and My judgments they did not keep to perform them—which if a man performs them, he shall live by them the life of the world (eternal life); and My Sabbath days they profaned. And I said (thought) to pour out My fury upon them, that My anger might be fulfilled against them in the wilderness.”

²² Nevertheless I withdrew Mine hand and wrought for My name’s sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the nations, in whose sight I brought them forth.

— “I withdrew Mine hand and wrought for my name’s sake” ~ again, this is repeated from verse 9 and 14 with some variations for emphasis;

— “polluted in the sight of the nations,” in the midst of so much lies and deceits before the nations, even Kevin Rudd could see and label Donald Trump as “the most destructive president in history” and a “traitor to the West;”

— the Targum says

“And I brought back the stroke of My power, and I acted for the sake of My Name, so that it should not be profaned in the eyes of the nations, before whose eyes I brought them out.”

²³ I lifted up Mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them through the countries,

— the Targum says

“I also established by My Word (Memri) to them in the wilderness, to exile them among the nations and to scatter them among the lands.”

²⁴ because they had not executed My judgements, but had despised My statutes and had polluted My Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols. — beware! repeats of offending His Sabbaths for emphasis. And God’s judgement is that they would be cut off;

— the Targum says

“Because My judgments they did not perform, and in My statutes (covenants) they loathed, and My Sabbath days they profaned, and after the idols (errors) of their fathers were their eyes.”

²⁵ Therefore I gave them also statutes that were not good and judgements whereby they should not live;

— the Targum emphasizes that rejecting God’s prophets is among the reasons why many of the children of Israel would either be killed or be sent into exile

“And also I, because they rebelled against My Word (Memri) and did not wish to receive My prophets, I distanced them and delivered them into the hand of their enemies; and after their foolish inclination they went, and they performed decrees that were not right and customs (laws) by which they would not be established.”

— Ezekiel a prophet himself, warned “and they did not want to accept My prophets” emphasizing that Israel ignored divine warnings at every stage of their history; hence God hands them over to the “hand of their enemies” and the “foolishness of their hearts.”

²⁶ and I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all who openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord.’

— the Targum says

“And I declared them unclean (defiled them) through their gifts, in their passing through [to the fire] every firstborn child, so that I might make them desolate; so that they might know that I am the Lord.”

²⁷ “Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel and say unto them, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me, in that they have committed a trespass against Me.

— the Targum says

“Therefore, prophesy to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them: Thus says the Lord God: Yet again in this your fathers provoked Me, in that they dealt falsely with My Word (Memri).”

²⁸ For when I had brought them into the land for which I lifted up Mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their sweet savor, and poured out there their drink offerings.

— the Targum says

“And I brought them into the land which I established by My Word (Memri) to give to them; and they saw every high hill and every thick-branched tree, and there they slaughtered their provocative sacrifices, and they placed there the worship of their offerings, and they poured out there their libations.”

²⁹ Then I said unto them: What is the high place whereunto ye go?’” (And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.)

— the Targum says

“And I said to them: What is this high place (Bamah) to which you go to be misled (to stray) there? And its name has been called ‘High Place’ (Bamata) until this very day.”

³⁰ “Therefore say unto the house of Israel, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? And commit ye whoredom after their abominations?

— the Targum says

“Therefore, say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Is it in the way of your fathers that you are defiling yourselves, and after their abominations (filth) that you are wandering (erring)?“

³¹ For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you.

— the Targum says

“And in the lifting up of your gifts, in passing your children through the fire, you are defiling yourselves with all the worship of your errors (idols) until this very day; and shall I be inquired of by you through My Word (Memri), O house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you through My Word.”

³² “‘And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all: in that ye say, “We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone.”

— the Targum says

“And that which rises upon your spirit shall never come to be, [that] which you are saying: ‘Let us be like the nations, like the clans (families) of the provinces, to worship the errors (idols) of wood and stone.'”

³³ “‘As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out, will I rule over you.

— the Targum says

“As I live, says the Lord God, if not with a strong hand, and with an uplifted arm, and with poured-out wrath, I will rule as King over you.”

³⁴ And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out;

— this is flashing forward to the Second Exodus; for more about a “fury poured out,” see A Greater “Out of Egypt” Exodus;

— the Targum says

“And I will bring you out from among the nations, and I will gather you from the provinces where you were scattered among them, with a strong hand, and with an uplifted arm, and with poured-out wrath.”

³⁵ and I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. — “I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples” ~ this new wilderness was not a geographical wilderness like the wilderness of Egypt, but a wilderness, “of strange peoples, unusual social customs, etc,”

— it was the wilderness of their captivity in an unknown civilization, the Assyrian; and the vast majority of Israel would not pass that test of being an Israelite, any more than their fathers had passed it in the former wilderness, Egypt;

— most of them, enamored with the wealth and splendor of modern “civilization” would never leave for a return to Palestine, even when free to do so. Such persons were described as, “Separated by the refining process, and not allowed to participate in the restoration,”

— the Targum says

“And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and I will take vengeance upon (judge) you there, face to face.”

³⁶ As I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God.

— the Targum says

“Just as I took vengeance (exacted punishment) from your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I take vengeance (exact punishment) from you, says the Lord God.”

³⁷ And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;

— the Targum says

“And I will cause the decree of My judgment to rest upon you, and I will bring you into the tradition (masoret) of the covenant.”

³⁸ and I will purge out from among you the rebels and them that transgress against Me. I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

— lots of purgings to undergo before the house of Israel “shall know that I am the Lor; at this moment they are either all pretenders or deceitful shepherd!

“Then the Lord said unto me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them. They prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought and the deceit of their heart.” Jeremiah 14:14

— the Targum says

“And I will separate (set apart) from among you those who rebelled and those who dealt falsely with My Word (Memri); from the land of their sojourning I will bring them out, but to the Land of Israel they shall not enter; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

³⁹ “‘As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God: Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto Me; but pollute ye My holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.

— “go ye, serve every one his idols” this is the same kind of commandment that God gave to Judas Iscariot, when he said, “What thou doest, do quickly.” God never restrains anyone from evil who has already made up his mind to do more evil: “We lied, We cheated, We stole… It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment.” That would appear to be the condition of those elders who sat in front of Ezekiel;

— the Targum says

“And you, O house of Israel, thus says the Lord God: Every man to the worship of his errors (idols)—go, serve! And [if] after you have repented you are [still] not willing to receive My Word (Memri)—then My holy Name you shall no longer profane with your gifts and with your errors.”

⁴⁰ For in Mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve Me. There will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.

— “all the house of Israel” shall serve God; all of them in the land, serve Me; “all hostilities and separation between Israel and Judah shall cease;” this is in great contrast we have today:

“Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still” Isaiah 9:21

— the vast majority of today’s professing Christianity (99.99 percent) in the house of Ephraim and Manasseh make one fundamental error against his brother Judah in studying The Oracles of God.

— the Targum says

“For on My holy mountain, on the holy mountain of Israel, says the Lord God, there they shall serve before Me, even all the house of Israel, all of them in the Land of the Living; there their offerings shall be accepted with favor, and there I will require your set-apart portions and the first-fruits of your gifts, with all your holy things.”

⁴¹ I will accept you with your sweet savor when I bring you out from the people and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the nations.

— and I will be sanctified in you before the nations; the outside world will take notice of the power and eminence of God, in the conversion and restoration of house of Israel, and praise and glorify him on account of His doing; and when He will be visibly feared, served, and worshipped, in the midst of Israel;

— again, this is flashing forward to the Second Exodus; for more about a “fury poured out,” see A Greater “Out of Egypt” Exodus;

— the Targum says

“As an offering for favor your offerings shall be accepted with pleasure, when I bring you out from among the nations and gather you from the provinces where you were scattered among them; and I will be sanctified through you in the eyes of the nations.”

⁴² And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I lifted up Mine hand to give it to your fathers. — again, lots of purgings to undergo before the house of Israel “shall know that I am the Lord.” Currently, their pastors are either pretenders or deceitful shepherd!

— the Targum says

“And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I bring you into the Land of Israel, the land which I established (swore) by My Word (Memri) to give to your fathers.”

⁴³ And there shall ye remember your ways and all your doings wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.

— the Targum says

“And you shall remember there your ways and all your deeds by which you were defiled; and you shall be weary (disgusted) of yourselves, and you shall see (behold) all your evils that you have done.”

⁴⁴ And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have wrought with you for My name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God.’”

— again and again, lots of purgings to undergo before the house of Israel “shall know that I am the Lord.” At this moment all their preachers are either pretenders or deceitful shepherd!

— the Targum says

“And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for the sake of My Name, [and] not according to your evil ways nor according to your corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, says the Lord God.”

⁴⁵ Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

— the Targum version continues with Ezekiel 21:1 Jonathan, “And the word of prophecy from before the Lord was with me, saying:”

⁴⁶ “Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the southland.

— Ezekiel was commissioned to address the south; a prophesy against the forest of the southland; this prophecy “against” indicates something with a bad outcome, which could be literal or could be symbolic, or even both;

— but remember again that this prophecy meant is for the house of Israel and is “of the times that are far off (Ezekiel 12:27); far into the future, this time, our time;

— both the Masoretic and the Targum (Ezekiel 21:2 Jonathan) emphazise a prophecy against the South, which says

“Son of man, receive a prophecy toward the way of the South, and instruct (prophesy) against the South, and prophesy against the forest of the field of the South.”

⁴⁷ And say to the forest of the south: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree. The flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

— this “forest” is a metaphor for the inhabitants south of Judah, especially those in the southern region; and this “kindle a fire” could be literal: the southern United States and southern Europe could be “kindled with fire” and much of the farmland could be in drought and be burnt up and eventually led to famine;

— but it could also be symbolic, where the south of United States (Mexico and much of the Latin Americas) and the south of Europe (North and Central Africa, and perhaps the Indian sub-continent) could be burnt with famine and civil unrest that led to huge unwanted migration to the north;

— and it shall devour every green and dry tree; all sorts of persons should be consumed, high and low, rich and poor, good and bad; and if good men should suffer, comparable to green trees, which fire will not so easily burn, not being fit fuel for it; then much more bad men, who were by far the most numerous, comparable to dry trees, and so fit fuel for the flames, and easily consumed thereby;

— and this flaming flame will spread from the south to the north: “and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned;”

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:3 Jonathan) says

“And say to the forest of the South: Receive the Word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am kindling a fire in you, and it shall kill in you every moist tree and every dry tree; the destroying flame shall not be quenched, and all faces shall be scorched (marked) by it, from the South to the North.”

⁴⁸ And all flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.’” — by this “all flesh shall see that I” the God of heaven will be manifested to all the rest of the nations;

— “it shall not be quenched” that is, God’s plan wouldn’t be quenched; God needs not have a Plan B, all that He has in mind is Plan A; otherwise He wouldn’t be able to declare the end from the beginning; those who preach otherwise are just deceitful workers:

Then the Lord said unto me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them. They prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought and the deceit of their heart. Jeremiah 14:14

“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’” Isaiah 46:9-10

— God doesn’t need a Plan B; the Targum (Ezekiel 21:4 Jonathan) reaffirms His original Plan shall stand

“And all sons of flesh (all mankind) shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.”

⁴⁹ Then said I, “Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Doth he not speak parables?’” — parables, riddles and enigmas; sobering thoughts, isn’t it?

— Ezekiel felt trapped; when he speaks clearly, they rebel against him; when he speaks in parables, they treat it as “performance art” so he spoke as if it were a parable; the details were left to the hearers to figure what all those metaphors were meant to be;

— the Targum (Ezekiel 21:5 Jonathan) says

“And I said: Receive my warning, O Lord God! Behold, they are saying of me: ‘Is he not [merely] a teller of parables?’“

For a detailed Study, see The Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

Posted in Ezekiel

Chapter 17 starts with a riddle of two eagles and a vine and some mysteries along the historical footpath in the complexities of the house of Judah and the house of Israel. The best book to have expounded this riddle is “Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright” by J.H. Allen (1847-1930).

In summary, this chapter is a mysterious prophecy as a form of a riddle to both Judah and Israel, which shows how the planting and rebuilding of David’s throne had survived beyond the captivity.

“And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; and say,

Thus says the Lord God; A great eagle… came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar: he cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants.

He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree. And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature… and shot forth sprigs” (Ezekiel 17:1-6).

An Amazing Commission—and a Breach Healed!

The great eagle at the beginning of the riddle was the king of Babylon, who took Zedekiah captive. From verse 1 to 6 it describes the destruction of Zedekiah’s Pharez lineage. The execution of his sons is the cropping off of the cedar’s young twigs. The “vine of low stature… [shooting] forth sprigs” reflects Judah’s freedom to movement while in captivity in Babylon.

The second great eagle (v7) refers to Jeremiah who took the princess from Babylon to Egypt, and later, beyond the seas to the British Isles.

This part of the prophecy pertained to the first eagle of Ezekiel’s riddle—the rooting up and tearing down of the existing throne in Judah. But within this same prophecy, the planting and building up is also addressed, which is the work of the second eagle performed by prophet Jeremiah.

Verses 22-23 go on to describe what was Jeremiah’s commission to re-establish David’s throne in another location. God says that He will take of the highest branch—the seed of King Zedekiah—and set it or plant it.

The “tender young twig” of verse 22 could be none other than one of the king’s daughters that Jeremiah took with him to plant in the British Isles. Thus, the “high mountain and eminent” depicts the nations of Israel as God knew they were destined to become, once the birthright promise was realized.

God states that it will eventually be known that it was He who brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree (v24). In light of this, notice a parallel Scripture in Isaiah:

“And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward” (Isaiah 37:31).

Jeremiah presented this young Hebrew princess—Tea Tephi—to the Zarah line ruling in the British Isles! Her marriage and children would continue the scepter and the dynasty promised David—and heal the breach.

Ezekiel 17

¹ And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the word of prophecy from the Lord, as the Targum renders it.

² “Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel, — again, this “house of Israel” is emphasized; that in this chapter, the prophecy concerns chiefly the transferring of the “tender young twig” into the United Kingdom;

— the Targum says

“Son of man, present a riddle and speak a parable concerning the House of Israel.”

³ and say, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers which had diverse colors, came unto Lebanon and took the highest branch of the cedar.

— a great eagle; which is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, as it is explained, Ezekiel 17:12; who is compared to an eagle for his power and authority, that being the king of birds, and for his swiftness and voracity in conquering and subduing kingdoms; see Jeremiah 48:40

— the Targum says

“And you shall say: Thus says the Lord God: ‘A great eagle, with great wings, with long pinions, covered with feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the topmost branch of the cedar.'”

⁴ He cropped off the top of its young twigs and carried it into a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants. — young twigs mentioned, and tender ones, which are meant the princess of the land;

— the Targum says

“The head of its young twigs he plucked, and he brought it to a land that was idle from service (the land of Canaan), and before the House of Israel entered it, in a city of merchants he set it.”

⁵ He took also of the seed of the land and planted it in a fruitful field. He placed it by great waters and set it as a willow tree. — the seed of the land; Zedekiah, brother of Jehoiachin, and all their young twigs, their children;

— the Targum says

“And he took of the seed of the land and placed it in a good field for sowing; he set it as a plant by abundant waters, he made it a planted vine.”

⁶ And it [the seed] grew and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him and the roots thereof were under him. So it became a vine, and brought forth branches and shot forth sprigs.

— this indicates that children were born unto them that were in captivity, but that they grew and flourished toward him; Nebuchadnezzar, to whom the Jews were tributary;

— the Targum says

“And he took of the seed of the land and placed it in a good field for sowing; he set it as a plant by abundant waters, he made it a planted vine.”

⁷ “‘There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers; and behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her planting. — there was also another great eagle, with great wings and many feathers:

— most (John Gill, Adam Clarke, etc; though J.H. Allen is indecisive or ambiguous) identify this second eagle as the Pharaoh of Egypt, but the Pharaoh never came to the land of Judea to capture the land and take the seed; and the entourage fled on their own to Egypt on foot;

— hence it seems more like whoever took Jeremiah and the king’s daughters to the British Isles fit this character of another great eagle with great wings; it remains a mystery but whoever took Jeremiah and the king’s daughters in its ship or ships, would most probably be the second eagle that flew over the great seas to transplant the tender twigs there;

— the Targum says

“And there was another great eagle, with great wings and many feathers; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent its branches toward him, that he might water it from the beds of its plantation.”

⁸ It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.’ — following the trail of Tea Tephi, this would led Jeremiah and the king’s daughters to Ireland . . .

— the Targum says

“In a good field, by abundant waters, it was planted, to produce branches and to bear fruit, to become a mighty vine.”

⁹ Say thou, ‘Thus saith the Lord God: Shall it prosper? Shall he not pull up the roots thereof and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? It shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.

— Shall it prosper? Could the tender twig not pull up the roots thereof; like the first eagle, Nebuchadnezzar, being provoked by the rebellion of the king of Judah and his people?

— a translation of the riddle of the tender twig from the Voice

Now I, the Eternal Lord, ask, will that vine continue to flourish? Won’t the [second] eagle pull it out of the lush, fertile soil by its roots, strip it of its fruit, and leave it to wither? It won’t take much strength or many people to pull it up by the roots. Ezekiel 17:9-10 Voice

— the Targum says

“Say: Thus says the Lord God: ‘Shall it prosper? Will he not cut off its roots and pluck off its fruit, and all the leaves of its growth shall wither and fall? And not with a mighty army or with many people [will they need to come] to uproot it from its roots.'”

¹⁰ Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? Shall it not utterly wither when the east wind toucheth it? It shall wither in the furrows where it grew.’”

— the mystery remains whether it shall prosper? it shall not; their own strength, even with the help of the king of Egypt, perhaps will not be able to protect them from the rage of the king of Babylon;

— the Targum says

“And behold, though it is planted, shall it prosper? Will it not utterly wither as soon as the east wind touches it? In the beds of its plantation, it shall wither.”

¹¹ Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — again, the Lord assures Ezekiel;

¹² “Say now to the rebellious house: ‘Know ye not what these things mean?’ Tell them: ‘Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;

— and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes (but princess were left off here) thereof, and led them with him to Babylon; the king of Judea, and the princes of it; Jeconiah and his nobles, who had been carried captive into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar; for Ezekiel was among these captives;

— the Targum says

“Say now to the rebellious people: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Say: ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and he took its king and its princes, and he brought them to himself to Babylon.'”

¹³ and hath taken of the king’s seed and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath from him. He hath also taken the mighty of the land, — and hath taken of the king’s seed, one of the royal family, signified by the seed of the land;

— the Targum says

“And he took of the royal seed and made a covenant with him, and brought him into an oath; and the mighty of the land he took [away].”

¹⁴ that the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand. — that the king’s seed will take roots and grow, continuing a bloodline, which is a kingdom;

— the Targum says

“That the kingdom might be weak, so as not to exalt itself; to keep its covenant, so as to serve him.”

¹⁵ But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape that doeth such things? Or shall he break the covenant and be delivered?

— but he rebelled against him; Zedekiah and his court rebelled against the king of Babylon, broke the covenant he entered into, and violated his oath;

— Zedekiah violated his oath by sending his ambassadors to Egypt; the Targum says

“But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, to give him horses and many people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape who does these things? And he who changes (breaks) the covenant, shall he escape?”

¹⁶ As I live, saith the Lord God, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.

— surely in the place where the king dwelleth in Babylon, where Nebuchadnezzar dwelt, that made Zedekiah king of Judah; which is mentioned, to point out the ingratitude of Zedekiah toward the king of Babylon, but instead, send envoys to Egypt, asking for horses and an army to help him (verse 15 above);

— the Targum says

“As I live, says the Lord God, surely in the place of the king who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he changed—with him, in the midst of Babylon, he shall die.”

¹⁷ Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in the war, by casting up siege mounds and building forts to cut off many persons.

— by casting up mounts, and building forts; that is, when Nebuchadnezzar should besiege Jerusalem, and raise mounts, and build fortifications, in order to take the city, and destroy its inhabitants; as he did, Jeremiah 52:4

— the Targum says

“And not with a mighty army or with many people shall Pharaoh perform for him [a successful] battle, when [the enemy] heaps up mounds and builds siege-walls to destroy many lives.”

¹⁸ Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand and hath done all these things, he shall not escape. — he shall not escape; divine vengeance, just and proper punishment for his sins;

— the Targum says

“And he despised the oath by changing (breaking) the covenant; and behold, he gave his hand to Pharaoh, and all these things he has done—he shall not escape.”

¹⁹ Therefore thus saith the Lord God: As I live, surely Mine oath that he hath despised and My covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head. — even it will I recompense upon his own head; he shall personally bear the punishment due to such crimes;

— the Targum says,

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: ‘As I live, surely My oath which he despised and My covenant which he changed (broken), I will bring the retribution of his way upon his own head.'”

²⁰ And I will spread My net upon him, and he shall be taken in My snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against Me.

— and I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare; see Ezekiel 12:13; where the same expressions are used, and of the same person;

— the Targum says

“And I will spread My net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare; and I will lead him to Babylon, and I will exact punishment from him there for the falsehood which he committed against Me.”

²¹ And all his fugitives with all his troops shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds; and ye shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it.

— shall fall by the sword; the enemy shall overtake, and cut in pieces; the few that do escape shall be scattered abroad among strangers, who will show them very little kindness;

— the Targum says

“And all his mighty men, in all his armies, shall be slain by the sword; and those who remain shall be scattered to every wind; and you shall know that I, the Lord, have decreed it by My Word.”

²² “‘Thus saith the Lord God: I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon a high mountain and eminent (of a person famous and respected). 

— the highest branch of the high cedar would be Zedekiah, king of Judah; I (through the second eagle) will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one (the feminine gender);

— and by the “top” and “young twigs” of the highest branch of the cedar, or of the chief tribe in Israel, are meant the royal house and family of David, and the chief of the tribe of Judah; and by the “tender one” is designed the tender gender, the daughters;

— and the Targum says,

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘And I will bring near [a ruler] from the kingdom of the House of David, which is likened to a high cedar, and I will establish him; from the children of his children, a tender one, I will increase and establish by My Word on a high and exalted mountain.'”

And the fulfilment was as followed;

Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people who were in Mizpah, even the king’s daughters and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites. Jeremiah 41:10

²³ In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs and bear fruit and be a goodly cedar, and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.

— in the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; in the highest part of the land of Israel, which during that time those at “the height of Israel” could well be in the British Isles (Israel in the isles of the sea, Isaiah 24:15), led by Ephraim. (Ephraim followeth after the east wind, Hosea 12:1)

— the Targum says

“On the holy mountain of Israel I will establish him; and he shall gather armies, and perform mighty deeds, and he shall be a mighty king; and all the righteous and all the humble shall rely upon him; in the shadow of his kingdom they shall dwell.”

²⁴ And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish. I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it.’”

— all the trees of the field shall know; as the cedar represents the kingdom of Israel, so the other trees represent all other earthly powers who shall ultimately acknowledge the work of the Lord

— “I, the Lord, have spoken and have done it;” runs parallel with what Isaiah says:

“Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,’” Isaiah 46:9-10

— the Targum says

“And all the kings of the nations shall know that I, the Lord, have humbled the kingdom that was strong, and strengthened the kingdom that was weak; I have humbled the kingdom of the nations which was as strong as a green tree, and I have strengthened the kingdom of the House of Israel which was as weak as a dry tree; I, the Lord, have decreed it by My Word, and I will establish it.

Ezekiel 18

Earlier, we have established that this prophecy that Ezekiel delivered was for many years to come (Ezekiel 12:27), and the message is primarily and principally for the United States of America and secondarily for its European allies. Here the prophecy on the house of Israel continues. . .

¹ The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, — the word of prophecy from the Lord, as the Targum renders it. So Ezra expounds it as a prophecy and a reference to our time.

² “What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? — that is, as the Targum explains it, “the fathers have sinned, and the children are smitten,” or punished, as the ten tribes for the sins of Jeroboam;

— the Targum says

“What is it to you that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: ‘The fathers have sinned, and the children are smitten?'”

³ As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. — as surely as I live, I, the Eternal Lord, declare you will not quote this proverb in Israel anymore;

— the Targum says

“As I live, says the Lord God, surely you shall no longer have [cause] to use this proverb in Israel.”

⁴ Behold, all souls are Mine. As the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. — all souls are mine; therefore I can deal with all, being My own creation, as I please, Jeremiah 18:6;

— the soul that sinneth, it shall die; the soul that continues in sin, without repentance towards God, shall be separated from the presence of God, and endure his wrath to all eternity;

— the Targum says

“Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so the soul of the son—they are [equal] before Me; the person who sins, he [alone] shall die.”

⁵ But if a man be just and do that which is lawful and right, — and do that which is lawful and right; or “judgement” and “justice” ~ true judgement and justice;

— the Targum says

“And if a man be righteous, and does true judgment and justice.”

⁶ and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor’s wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,

— neither hath been guilty of adultery; or by marrying one divorced, not having committed fornication; which divorces were common among the people, or marrying such one so divorced;

— the Targum says

“Upon the mountains he does not worship idols, and his eyes he does not lift up to the worship of the idols of the House of Israel; and the wife of his neighbor he does not defile, and to a woman who is impure he does not approach.”

⁷ and hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath despoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

— the Targum says

“And [if] a man does not oppress; the pledge for a debt he returns; he does not commit robbery; his bread he gives to the hungry, and the naked he covers with clothing.”

⁸ he that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgement between man and man,

— hath executed true judgement; whether in office as a judge; or as an arbitrator chosen to decide matters in controversy between one and another, and that does everything just and right between man and man;

— the Targum says

“With interest he does not give, and usury he does not take; from falsehood he withdraws his hand; true judgment he performs between man and man.”

⁹ hath walked in My statutes and hath kept My judgements to deal truly; he is just: he shall surely live, saith the Lord God.

— God’s statutes and Judgements are dedicated to his servants to implement, starting with the Great Assembly, later the Sanhedrin. Today this Sanhedrin has been re-established here, inheriting and embedded with the following mandates

¹⁸ “Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes; and they shall judge the people with just judgement.

¹⁹ Thou shalt not distort judgement; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a bribe; for a bribe doth blind the eyes of the wise and pervert the words of the righteous. Deuteronomy 16:18-19

¹¹ According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do. Thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall show thee to the right hand nor to the left.

¹² And the man who will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest who standeth to minister there before the Lord thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die; and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.

¹³ And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously. Deuteronomy 17:11-13

I create darkness; I create evil; I, the LORD, do all these things (Isaiah 45:7). And what happened in AD 70 in Jerusalem and Judea when God exercised His judgement?

(a) The Sadducees and Boethusians, following the heretic Samaritan way of observing Passover, kept it too early on the night of the fourteenth; they perished in the inferno;

(b) The Essenes, after they had repudiated the calendar that was sanctioned by the Sanhedrin, then went about presumptuously making one of their own. They all perished by either the flaming Sword or the consuming Fire. AN AUTOPSY OF JERUSALEM IN THE AD 70 INFERNO

— the Targum says

“In My covenants he has walked, and My judgments he has kept to perform truth; he is righteous, he shall surely live, says the Lord God.”

¹⁰ “If he beget a son who is a robber, a shedder of blood, and who doeth the like to any one of these things, — a robber; one implies robbery with violence, perhaps, as that of a housebreaker;

— the Targum says

“And [if] he begets a wicked son, a shedder of blood, and he does to his brother any one of these [sins].”

¹¹ and who doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains and defiled his neighbor’s wife,

— the Targum says

“And he [the father] did none of these [sins]; but he [the son] worshiped idols upon the mountains, and defiled the wife of his neighbor.”

¹² hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath despoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,

— the Targum says

“The poor and the needy he has oppressed; he has committed robbery; the pledge he has not returned; and toward the worship of idols he has lifted up his eyes; an abomination he has committed.”

¹³ hath given forth upon usury and hath taken increase — shall he then live? He shall not live, a decisive answer to the former question; he hath done all these abominations: he shall surely die. His blood shall be upon him;

— the Targum says

“With interest he gave, and usury he took—shall he live? He shall not live! All these abominations he has committed; he shall surely die; the guilt of his slaying (his blood) shall be within him.”

¹⁴ “Now, lo, if he beget a son who seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth and doeth not the like, — another case: a son who walks not in the steps of an unrighteous father, but in the ways of God; for example, Josiah, the pious son of guilty Amon; Hezekiah, of Ahaz;

— the Targum says

“And behold, he begets a son, and he sees all the sins of his father which he committed; and he saw, and did not do like them.”

¹⁵ who hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbor’s wife,

— the Targum says

Upon the mountains he does not worship idols, and his eyes he does not lift up to the worship of the idols of the House of Israel; and the wife of his neighbor he does not defile.”

¹⁶ neither hath oppressed any, hath not withheld the pledge, neither hath despoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry and hath covered the naked with a garment; — “despoiled by violence:” not unlike the looting of the Old Summer Palace by Anglo-French forces in 1860;

— the Targum says

“And [if] a man does not oppress; a pledge he does not take; and robbery he does not commit; his bread he gives to the hungry, and the naked he covers with clothing.”

¹⁷ who hath taken off his hand from the poor, who hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed My judgements, hath walked in My statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father: he shall surely live.

— the Targum says

“From [harming] the poor he withdrew his hand; interest and usury he did not take; My judgments he performed, in My covenants he walked; he shall not die for the sins of his father; he shall surely live.”

¹⁸ As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, despoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.

— the Targum says

“His father, because he oppressed with oppression, committed robbery against his brother, and did that which is not right among his people—behold, he died in his sins.”

¹⁹ “Yet say ye, ‘Why? Doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father?’ When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all My statutes and hath done them, he shall surely live.

— the Targum says

“And you say, ‘Why does the son not suffer for the sins of the father?‘ But the son has done judgment, truth, and justice; all My covenants he has kept and performed them; he shall surely live.”

²⁰ The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

— but sometimes, one goes through great sufferings though no fault of his or her own, to develop righteous character, like Job and many others did; these will be rewarded enormously at the end;

— or as the Targum paraphrases it, “the son shall not be punished for the sins of the father, nor shall the father be punished for the sins of the son.”

²¹ But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all My statutes and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live: he shall not die.

— the Targum says

“And the wicked man, if he turns from all his sins that he has committed, and keeps all My covenants, and does true judgment and justice, he shall surely live; he shall not die.”

²² All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him. In his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. — that is, if the wicked will turn from all his sins;

— the Targum says

“All his sins (debts) which he committed shall not be remembered against him; by the merit which he has performed, he shall be established (shall live).”

²³ “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should return from his ways and live?

— the Targum says

“Do I truly desire the death of the wicked, says the Lord God? Is it not rather when he turns from his way, that he may be established (live)?”

²⁴ But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

— but if the righteous man turn from his righteousness, and doeth wickedness, should he live? All the righteousness that he hath done shall not be remembered: for his unfaithfulness that he hath committed, and for his sin that he hath sinned, for these he shall die;

— the Targum says

“And when the righteous man turns from his righteousness and performs falsehood, doing according to all the abominations that the wicked man does—shall he live? All his merit that he performed shall not be remembered; for the falsehood that he lied and the sins (debts) that he sinned—in them he shall die.”

²⁵ “Yet ye say, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not My way equal? Are not your ways unequal? — note the subject of study is the house of Israel, not the house of Judah;

— from the Message Bible

“Do I hear you saying, ‘That’s not fair! God’s not fair!’? “Listen, Israel. I’m not fair? You’re the ones who aren’t fair! If a good person turns away from his good life and takes up sinning, he’ll die for it. He’ll die for his own sin. Likewise, if a bad person turns away from his bad life and starts living a good life, a fair life, he will save his life. Because he faces up to all the wrongs he’s committed and puts them behind him, he will live, really live. He won’t die. Ezekiel 18:25-28 MSG

— the Targum says

“And you say, ‘The good way of the Lord is not explained (clear) to us.‘ Hear now, O House of Israel: Is it My good way that is not explained? Is it not your own ways that are not right (proper)?“

²⁶ When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity and dieth in it, for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

— the Targum says

“And when the righteous man turns from his merit and performs falsehood, and dies upon them—for the falsehood which he has performed, he shall die.”

²⁷ Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. — he shall save his soul from famine, pestilence, the sword, or captivity; he shall be preserved, and not be involved in calamities and distress;

— the Targum says

“And when the wicked man turns from his sins (debts) which he has performed, and performs true judgment and justice, he shall sustain (establish) his soul.”

²⁸ Because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live: he shall not die. — in God’s judgement of AD 70, both the Nazarenes and the Hillel branch of Pharisees survived . . . (more below)

— the Targum says

“And he saw, and turned from all his sins (debts) which he had performed; he shall surely live, he shall not die.”

²⁹ Yet saith the house of Israel, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ O house of Israel, are not My ways equal? Are not your ways unequal? — yet the house of Israel complains; the way of the Lord is not equal;

— the Targum says

“And the House of Israel said, ‘The good way of the Lord is not explained (clear) to us.‘ Is it My good way that is not explained to you, O House of Israel? Is it not your own ways that are not right (proper)?“

³⁰ “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin. — you complain of the injustice of my ways; so what if I judge you according to your ways? 

— the Targum says

“Therefore, each man according to his ways I will exact punishment from you, O House of Israel, says the Lord God; Return to My worship, and remove from yourselves the worship of idols, so that they shall not be a stumbling block of sin for you.”

³¹ Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why will ye die, O house of Israel? — this chapter emphasizes on numerous times the house of Israel, rather than the house of Judah;

— earlier we have established that Ezekiel’s messages were actually meant for those living far into the future, in our time, the message to the modern house of Israel, the chief of whom is Ephraim, the United States of America;

— the Targum says

“Remove far from you all your sins (debts) which you have committed; and make for yourselves a fearing heart and a fearing spirit; for why should you die, O House of Israel?”

³² For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God. Therefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

— the Targum says

“For I do not desire the death of the guilty one who is to die, says the Lord God; Return to My worship, and be established (live).”

~~~

The JUDGEMENT, and it is GOD’S JUDGEMENT

But which sects managed to escape from the Romans during the AD 66 to 70 siege of Jerusalem? History recorded only two sects that escaped this inferno:

(1) The Christians, known as Nazarenes in Acts 24:5. Many died as martyrs but according to Eusebius, some received divine warning and escaped to a northern town called Pella, west of the Jordan River.

(2) Pharisees of the House of Hillel escaped to Yavne. These were headed by a rabbi, Johanan ben Zakkai, the head of the Sanhedrin; he was smuggled out of besieged Jerusalem in a coffin. Later, his followers re-emerged as Rabbinic Jews who established the Hillel Calendar, which was revealed by Hillel II in about AD 359 concerning the rules of the Calendar.

And two sects that died like as if they were Sodom and Gomorrah:

(1) The Sadducees: their main heresies — Greatly influenced by their neighbouring Sun-worshipping Samaritans, their Passover celebrated on the Early Fourteenth; their Pentecost always counted a morrow after the weekly Sabbath; and ends always on a Sunday.

(2) The Essenes: their main heresies — A Calendar different from one established by the Sandhdrin; with their Passover always falling on a Wednesday. This means they celebrated the holy day on a different day and squabble over the one ordained by God operating in the Jerusalem Temple.

For an indepth Study, see AN AUTOPSY OF JERUSALEM IN THE AD 70 INFERNO

Posted in Ezekiel

Earlier, we have established that this prophecy that Ezekiel’s warning message was not to be fulfilled during his time, but that its timing was a great distance into the future (Ezekiel 12:27), into our time and the message is primarily for the United States of America and secondarily its European allies.

Remember, the Targum, whose origin was in the Aramaic language, could be traced to Ezra speaking to the returning exiles who couldn’t understand Hebrew, but was expounded to them in a language they could understand.

Ezekiel 15

¹ And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the word of prophecy from the Lord, as the Targum renders it. So if Ezra sees it as a prophecy, it is a reference to the future; into the endtime, our time.

² “Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest? — the house of Israel is often compared to a vine, so why is this vine tree more valuable than any other tree; it’s certain that the vine is esteemed only on account of its fruit;

— the Targum says

“Son of man, what makes the vine‑wood different from all the other trees that grow in the forest?”

³ Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? Or will men take a peg from it to hang any vessel thereon? — shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? Is there one good piece of timber in the whole vine fit for building a house, or ship, as there is in the oak, elm, or other wild forest trees?

— will the carpenter and joiner, the house or ship builder, employ it to build houses, make beams, rafters, floors, build ships with, make masts of, or any vessel or utensil for the use of man?

— the Targum says

“Can wood be taken from it to do [any] work? Or can a peg be taken from it to hang any vessel upon it?”

⁴ Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the middle of it is burned. Is it meet for any work? — behold, the vine or the wood is cast into the fire for fuel, that is; a vine tree when cut down, or a branch when cut off, else it is good for nothing;

— and that is generally put to use; it is suggested it would be the end of the house of Israel; who, like a wild vine, were fuel for the fire of his wrath;

— the fire devoureth both ends of it; the branch cast into it, and so is quickly consumed. In Isaiah 9:12 “the Syrians before, and the Philistines behind, and they devour Israel with open mouth;”

— the Targum says

“Behold, it is given to the fire to be consumed; the fire devours its two ends, and its middle is charred. Is it [now] fit for any work?”

⁵ Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work. How much less shall it be meet yet for any work when the fire hath devoured it and it is burned? — if the wood is cast into the fire, the wood is useless for any purpose; but what if it have been cast into the fire, and half burned, what of it then?

— from the Message Bible:

“I don’t think so. At best it’s good for fuel. Look at it: A flimsy piece of vine, thrown in the fire and then rescued—the ends burned off and the middle charred. Now is it good for anything?

“Hardly. When it was whole it wasn’t good for anything. Half-burned is no improvement. What’s it good for?” Ezekiel 15:4-5 MSG

— the Targum says

“Behold, when it was whole, it was not fit for [any] work; how much less [now], when the fire has devoured it and it is charred, shall it yet be fit for [any] work?”

⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord God: As the vine tree among the trees of the forest which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

— so this was fulfilled to Jerusalem in AD 70 , where “I have given to the fire for fuel;” to be burnt, as other trees of the forest are, and along with them; again in 132-135 AD; and could reoccur during the endtime for the house of Israel;

For indepth Study, AN AUTOPSY OF JERUSALEM IN THE AD 70 INFERNO

— the Targum says

“Therefore, thus says the Lord God: Like the vine-tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given over to the fire to be consumed, so have I given over the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

⁷ And I will set My face against them: they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them. — the house of Israel will be surrounded at all sides, fires everywhere, no place to run to;

— they shall go from one calamity to another; those that escaped the famine and pestilence will fall by the sword; and those that escaped famine, sword and pestilence, would be carried into captivity; or, “Out of the frying pan into the flame;”

— the Targum says

“And I will set My retribution against them; because of the words of the Torah which were given out of the fire, they have transgressed; and the nations who are as strong as fire shall destroy them; and you shall know that I am the Lord, when My anger rests upon them.”

— or another way of saying, “I will execute my vengeance on them, because of the words of the law, which were given out of the midst of fire; they have transgressed, and people who are strong as fire shall consume them.”

⁸ And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord God.”

— a clue for time of desolation perhaps. The house of Judah had evidently failed to observe the land’s one-year-in-seven Sabbath which was set at 70 years, so the period of iniquity was for a deficit of 490 years;

— for in II Chronicles 36:21 it says, “The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah.” This is a reference to Jeremiah 25:11;

— so, as to better understand Ezekiel 4, could the iniquity of the house of Israel set at 190 years (Septuagint) while that of the house of Judah set for 40 years all due to the abomination for not keeping the land sabbath?

For an indepth Study, see Ezekiel 4 – 390/40 Years Timeline

— the Targum says

“And I will make the land a desolation, because they have committed a falsehood (treachery), says the Lord God.”

Ezekiel 16

¹ Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, — the Targum renders it, the word of prophecy from the Lord. So if Ezra sees it as a prophecy, it is a reference to the future; into the endtime, our time.

² “Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations — cause Jerusalem to know; their men and women, even shepherds, often are so blind as not to perceive their guilt which is patent to all. “Jerusalem” represents the whole kingdom of Judah;

— the Targum says

“Son of man, rebuke the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and show them their abominations.”

³ and say, ‘Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem: Thy birth and thy nativity are of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite and thy mother a Hittite.

— thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite; Abraham and Sarah, who were, properly speaking, the one the father, the other the mother, both were Chaldeans; and neither Amorites nor Hittites; but because they dwelt among them, are so called; and since before their conversion they were idolaters, as those were;

— besides, the Jews who descended from Judah, and from whom they have their name, very probably sprung from ancestors who might be Amorites and Hittites: since Judah married the daughter of a Canaanite, and such an one seems to be Tamar, he took for his son Er, and by whom he himself had two sons, Pharez and Zarah;

— the Targum says

“And you shall say, thus says the Lord God to the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Your dwellings and your birth are from the land of the Canaanite; there I revealed Myself to Abraham your father between the pieces, and I made known to him that you would go down to Egypt; with an uplifted arm I redeemed you, and for the merit of your fathers, I drove out from before you the Amorites and destroyed the Hittites.”

⁴ And as for thy nativity, on the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to soothe thee. Thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.

— thy navel was not cut; alluding to what is done to a newborn infant, when the midwife immediately takes care to cut the navel string, by which the child adheres to its mother, and takes in its breath and nourishment in the womb;

— thou wast not salted at all; which was done, either by sprinkling salt upon it, or using salt and water as a laundry detergent of uncleanness, to prevent putrefaction, to dry up the humours, and harden the flesh, and consolidate the parts;

— or from the MSG (the Message Bible)

“‘On the day you were born your umbilical cord was not cut, you weren’t bathed and cleaned up, you weren’t rubbed with salt, you weren’t wrapped in a baby blanket. No one cared a fig for you. No one did one thing to care for you tenderly in these ways. You were thrown out into a vacant lot and left there, dirty and unwashed—a newborn nobody wanted.” Ezekiel 16:4-5 MSG

— the Targum says

“And even when your fathers went down to Egypt, sojourners in a land not their own, enslaved and afflicted—the Congregation of Israel was like a child cast out upon the open field; whose umbilical cord was not cut, and who was not washed in water to be cleansed, and was not rubbed with salt, and was not wrapped in swaddling clothes.”

— the text refers above: neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee: which also is done, to an infant as soon as born, to cleanse it from the menstruous blood, to make the flesh sleek, and smooth, and amiable; which is done in hot water.

⁵ No eye pitied thee to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the loathing of thy person on the day that thou wast born.

— but thou wast cast out in the open field; alluding to infants exposed by their unnatural parents, or unkind nurses, and left in an open field, or any desert place to perish for want, unless some kind providence appears for them;

— this open field may be the land of Egypt, where Jacob and his posterity were, being driven out of Canaan by a famine; and where, after the death of Joseph, they were exposed to the hardships and cruelties of the Egyptians;

— and this loathing of thee on the day that thou wast born, the Targum paraphrases it, “and he (Pharaoh) decreed a full decree to cast your male children into the river, to destroy you when you were in Egypt;”

— the Targum says

“The eye of Pharaoh did not pity you to do for you even one good thing, to have mercy upon you; but he decreed against you a final decree, to cast your males into the river to destroy you, during the time you were in Egypt.”

⁶ “‘And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, “Live”; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, “Live.” — the Israelites were trodden under foot by the Egyptians, when they made them to serve with rigour, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field;

— these could be a reminder of the house of Israel happening again, this time for 190 years (Septuagint) instead of the 210 years in Egypt;

— the Targum says

“And because the covenant of your fathers was remembered before Me, I revealed Myself to redeem you; for it was revealed before Me that you were afflicted in your enslavement; and I said to you: ‘By the blood of circumcision, I will have pity on you’; and I said to you: ‘By the blood of the Passover, I will redeem you.'”

— the text paraphrases it, “for it was manifest before me that you were afflicted in your bondage as they sighed and cried because of their bondage, the Lord looked upon them with an eye of pity and compassion, and delivered you.”

⁷ I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxed great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments. Thy breasts are fashioned and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare.

— and thine hair is grown; an euphemism, expressive of puberty, which in females was after twelve years of age, and coming of age;

— the Targum says

“A myriad, like the plants of the field, I made you; and you increased and became strong, and you became seeds (families) and tribes; and like the good deeds of your fathers, the time for the redemption of your congregation arrived, while you were [still] enslaved and afflicted.”

⁸ “‘Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread My skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness. Yea, I swore unto thee and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest Mine.

— God espoused Israel and took her under his protection as a husband doth his wife;

— the Targum says

“And I revealed myself to Moses in the bush, for it was revealed before Me that the time had come for your liberation, and I protected you by My word, and I removed your sins, and I swore by My word to liberate you, as I had sworn to your ancestors — said the Lord God — to be a people serving before Me.”

⁹ Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. — these verses describe the purifications and preparations for marriage to one of high rank;

— the Targum says

And I liberated you from Egyptian slavery and removed their strong dominion from you and led you in freedom.

¹⁰ I clothed thee also with embroidered work and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. — and I clothed you with various garments: silk, the desirable things of your enemies;

— Wikipedia (silk): The production of silk originated in China in the Neolithic period, although it would eventually reach other places of the world (Yangshao culture, 4th millennium BC). Silk production remained confined to China until the Silk Road opened at some point during the latter part of the 1st millennium BC, though China maintained its virtual monopoly over silk production for another thousand years;

— the Targum says

And I dressed you in embroidered garments from your enemies’ treasure, and placed a shoe of glory on your feet, and sanctified from among you the priests to be serving before Me in a linen turban, and the high priest in colored garments.

¹¹ I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands and a chain on thy neck. — God gives Israel the Torah itself—written on stone tablets and delivered through Moses—and sanctifies the nation through His Name; of such intimacy as the marriage gifts to Rebekah;

— the Targum says

And I fixed before you the correct words of the Torah, written on two tables of stone, and I gave them by the hand of Moses, and in the sanctity of My great Name I sanctified you.

¹² And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head. — a jewel on thy forehead; literally, a nose-ring on thy nostril, the custom of the time sanctioning this mode of ornament;

— the Targum says

And I gave you the ark of My covenant among you, and the cloud of My glory hovered over you, and an angel sent from before Me leading ahead of you.

¹³ Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver, and thy raiment was of fine linen and silk and embroidered work. Thou didst eat fine flour and honey and oil; and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.

— and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom;

— the Targum embedded with dominion over all other nations,

And I gave My tabernacle among you, affixed with gold and silver and linen and colored embroidered hangings, and manna as good as fine flour and honey and oil; I fed you and I enriched you and strengthened you and made you prosper and have dominion over all kingdoms.

¹⁴ And thy renown went forth among the nations for thy beauty; for it was perfect through My comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.

— the Targum says

And your name went out, congregation of Israel, among the nations, in your beauty, for complete was My glory that I set upon you — said the Lord God.

¹⁵ “‘But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and played the harlot because of thy renown, and poured out thy fornications on every one that passed by: and your beauty was his. — but thou didst trust in thine own beauty; as the early American pilgrims did upon the new land bestowed on them;

— in their outward prosperity and grandeur; in their riches, wealth, and wisdom; and in the extent of their dominions, as Manifest Destiny dictates; and in such men as America’s Founding Fathers: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, James Monroe and Benjamin Franklin;

— together with numerous other key players of their time, structured the democratic government of the United States and left a legacy that has shaped the world, are apt to put their trust and confidence, and to be elated with, and grow proud and haughty, as a woman because of her beauty;

— and playedst the harlot because of thy renown; now playing the the role of a harlot among the nations round about them, for their wisdom, riches, and power; which was a snare unto them, as a woman’s beauty is to her; and they were admired and courted, and complimented by their neighbours, and so drawn into idolatrous practices, as women into fornication and adultery by their passing admirers;

— idolatry, which is meant here, is frequently signified by playing the harlot, or by fornication and adultery: or “thou playedst the harlot in thy name” alluding to the custom of harlots, notorious infamous ones, who used to set their names over the apartments, to direct men unto them; and so it may indicate how famous and notorious the Israelites were for their idolatries, and how impudent in them;

— Rashi interprets this of the calf of the wilderness, and other idolatries which the tribe of Dan committed there; but it rather respects the idolatries committed from the times of Solomon to the captivity, which were many, and often repeated;

— the Targum says

“But you trusted in your beauty and you went astray because of your fame; and you joined yourself to worship idols with every passerby, and it was not right for you to do so.”

¹⁶ And of thy garments thou didst take, and decked thy high places with divers colors and played the harlot thereupon. The like things shall not come, neither shall it be so. — this declares how the idolaters put their chief delight in those things which please the eyes and outward senses;

— the Targum says

“And you took your garments and made for yourself high places covered with the vestments of [idolatrous] priests, and you went astray after them; it was not as is right, and not as is fitting.”

¹⁷ Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of My gold and of My silver, which I had given thee, and madest for thyself images of men and didst commit whoredom with them, — a beautiful woman, now taking the image of a man, as described by John Gill:

— Gill: some were in the shape of women, others in the shape of men; here only male images are mentioned, because the idolatrous Israelites are represented by an adulterous woman committing adultery, with men; and these were made by themselves, of their jewels of gold and silver; or of their golden and silver vessels, which they had to eat and drink out of; these, they melted down and made idols of them in the form of men;

— just as the molten calf was made of the earrings of the women, Exodus 32:3; to which some refer this passage: and as it was a piece of egregious folly in themselves to part with their jewels and plate for such purposes, and of great ingratitude to God, their benefactor;

— and didst commit whoredom with them: the images: that is, idolatry, which is spiritual adultery;

— the Targum says

“And you took the vessels of your glory, from My gold and My silver that I had given to you, and you made for yourself images of males, and you went astray after them.”

¹⁸ and tookest thy embroidered garments and covered them; and thou hast set Mine oil and Mine incense before them. — the land being a land of olive oil; or which was to light the lamps in the temple with; or was used in sacrifice to the Lord; and the incense, which was offered on the altar of incense; these were set upon the altars of idols;

— the Targum says

“And you took your embroidered garments and covered them (the idols); and My oil and My incense of spices you placed before them.”

¹⁹ My meat also which I gave thee; fine flour and oil and honey, wherewith I fed thee; thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savor; and thus it was, saith the Lord God;

— meat, fine flour, oil and honey; much of these luxuries are well intended for the early years of the United States of America; the Targum says

“And My goodness which I gave to you—fine flour, oil, and honey which I fed you—you placed them before them (the idols) as sacrificial offerings for worship; did not all these things happen? says the Lord God.”

²⁰ Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto Me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this thy whoredoms a small matter,

— hast sacrificed the children unto the idols; this is a terrible development of idolatries; that is all the daily distractions away from God of our new generation of western societies;

— the Targum says

“How you have increased provocation before Me, O Congregation of Israel! For you took your sons and your daughters, who were destined to produce a holy generation before Me, and you slaughtered them as sacrificial offerings for worship [to idols]. Was your idolatry a small thing in your eyes?”

²¹ that thou hast slain My children and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?

— to qualify as a nation of priests (Exodus 19:6), they need to pass through the fire by way of purification and dedication; else they would fill the Temple with so much filths;

— the Targum says

“And you slaughtered My children, and you gave them over by passing them through [the fire] for them (the idols).”

²² And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare and wast polluted in thy blood.

— this what God will do dealings with the house of Jacob; with their ingratitude; forgetting the miserable condition they were in Egypt, and their trials and protection through the surrounding nations;

— the Targum says

“And in all the sins of your abominations and your idols, you did not remember the days of old, when you were cast out and abandoned, afflicted in your enslavement.”

²³ “‘And it came to pass after all thy wickedness (Woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord God), — woe, woe unto thee; this parenthetical exclamation has an awful effect coming;

— like a lightning flash of judgement the show the indignation of the Lord amidst the black clouds of Israel’s guilt; these woes might correspond with the three woes of Revelation 8 & 9:

And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the other voices of the trumpets of the three other angels, which are yet to sound!” Revelation 8:13

— the Targum says

“What will be your end because of all your wickedness? The prophet said: ‘Woe to you because you have sinned! Woe to you because you have not repented!’ says the Lord God.”

²⁴ that thou hast also built unto thee a brothel house, and hast made thee a high place in every street. — such arched rooms used as brothels in connection with the worship of idols for licentious purposes;

— the Targum says

“And you built for yourself altars, and you made for yourself high places in every street (plaza).”

²⁵ Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.

— thy beauty to be abhorred; that is, spiritual fornication; she had yielded so much that, like a worn-out prostitute, her tempters became weary of her;

— the Targum says

“At the head of every crossroads you built your high places, and you profaned your holiness; and you joined yourself to worship your idols with every passerby, and you multiplied your idolatry.”

²⁶ Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbors, great of flesh, and hast increased thy whoredoms to provoke Me to anger. — even with the golden calf of the wilderness, the Israelites turned with avidity to the worship of Egypt;

— and during the subsequent ages, and remained ever ready to develop herself, as in the calves of Jeroboam (1Kings 12:28-30), and then claiming Bethel and Dan as centers of worship instead of Jerusalem;

— the Targum says

“And you went astray after the Egyptians, your neighbors, abundant in wealth; and you multiplied your idolatry to provoke anger before Me.”

²⁷ Behold, therefore I have stretched out My hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of thy lewd way.

— the daughters of the Philistines: idolaters, but they are more honest than the Israelites; they were constant to their own god, and did not, as the Israelites, lewdly go a whoring with every neighbouring idol they saw;

— the Targum says

“And behold, I have lifted the stroke of My might against you, and I have withheld My goodness; and I have delivered you into the hand of your enemies, the villages of the Philistines, who—had I sent My prophets to them, they would have humbled themselves—yet you did not turn from your way of sinful counsel.”

²⁸ Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them and yet couldest not be satisfied. — playing whore with the Assyrians; and yet couldn’t be satisfied;

— with their idols, and worshipping them, but sought out new gods, and new modes of worship; like a lewd woman, who having prostituted herself to one, adds to another, yet remains insatiable, and seeks out for more lovers;

— the Targum says

“And you went astray after the Assyrians, because you did not know the Torah; and you went astray after them, and you did not even know how to repent (return).”

²⁹ Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea, and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith.

— thou hast multiplied thy idolatries in Canaan by sending unto Chaldea to borrow from thence the Chaldean rites, to add to the abominations already practiced in Canaan, before the carrying away of Jehoiachin to Chaldea;

— the Targum says

“And you multiplied your idolatry to join yourself to the people of Canaan, to walk in the laws of the Chaldeans; and even with this, you did not know the Torah.”

³⁰ “‘How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman,

— having a weak heart; unstable, like water that melts away. Neither hast strength of judgement to discern the truth and purity of religion, nor hast strength of resolution to hold fast to it;

— the Targum says

“How strong was the wickedness of your heart, says the Lord God, when you did all these things—the deeds of a shameless woman (a harlot) who has mastery over herself.”

³¹ in that thou buildest thine eminent place at the head of every way and makest thine high place in every street, and hast not been as a harlot in that thou scornest hire,

— from MSG

“‘What a sick soul! Doing all this stuff—the champion whore! You built your bold brothels at every major intersection, opened up your whorehouses in every neighborhood, but you were different from regular whores in that you wouldn’t accept a fee” Ezekiel 16:30-31 MSG

— the Targum says

“In your building your altars at the head of every crossroads, and your high places you made in every street; yet you were not like a shameless woman who is sustained by a fee.”

³² but as a wife that committeth adultery, that taketh strangers instead of her husband! — that takes other men into her bed instead of her husband, not for the sake of gain, but lust;

— and this is the case of modern Ephraim, who are a lying people and an idolatrous generation; who took strange gods to worship instead of the true God, who had been a husband to them;

— the Targum emphasises that it is the Congregation of Israel on target

“The Congregation of Israel is like a woman who is beloved by her husband, yet she commits adultery against him; she abandons her husband and goes astray after strangers.”

³³ Gifts are given to all whores, but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom. — she give gifts to all whores; the Egyptians, Assyrians and other allies, money, to gain friendship, and procure alliances with them;

— the Targum says

“To all shameless women they give a fee; but you gave your fees to all your lovers, and you bribed them to come to you from all around with your idolatry.”

³⁴ And it is the contrary in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms; and in that thou givest a reward and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.

— whereas none follow thee to commit whoredoms; the house of Jacob, the Israelites followed the examples, customs, and practices of the Gentiles, in worshipping of their idols; but the Gentiles did not follow them, they kept to their own gods;

— again, the Targum emphasises that it is the Congregation of Israel on target

“And there was in you a difference, O Congregation of Israel, from the [other] nations in your idolatry; and after you, there was none who went astray like you; and in your giving a fee, while no fee was given to you, you became a thing of strangeness (a wonder).”

³⁵ “‘Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord! — the sentence to be pronounced; O harlot, hear the word of the Lord; adjudging to be slain with the sword, to be stoned and burned; the crime for which is to be read in the name of the harlot;

— the Targum identifies the harlot as the Congregation of Israel

“Therefore, because your deeds are like those of a shameless woman, O Congregation of Israel, receive the Word of the Lord.”

³⁶ Thus saith the Lord God: Because thy filthiness was poured out and thy nakedness uncovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children which thou didst give unto them,

— thy filthiness; literally, thy brass, that is, money, which, with which she hired and bribed her lovers as said, Israel had lavished upon surrounding nations;

— the Targum says

“Thus says the Lord God: Because your shame was revealed and your disgrace was uncovered in your straying after your lovers; and because of all the sins of the worship of your abominable idols; and because of the guilt of the blood of your children whom you slaughtered for them.”

³⁷ behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated. I will even gather them round about against thee and will uncover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.

— to gather all your lovers, with “all them that thou hast hated” and American allies (Germany, Italy, Turkey, S Arabia, UAE, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, S Korea, the Philippines and even Japan) will take their own interests first, team up with enemies of the United States (Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran, N Korea, Russia and China) and ALL will turn against America;

— nar, it is not these countries’ doings, but it is God’s judgement that will cause these groupings to be against the United States, and it is again God’s will through his spirits that will trap the United States in a snare (And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my [not China’s nor Russia’s] snare, Ezekiel 17:20; and he will be like a pig caught in a cage squealing away to no avail) to uncover her nakedness;

— the Targum says

“Therefore, behold, I am gathering all your lovers whom you took pleasure in straying after, and all whom you loved along with all whom you hated; I will gather them against you from all around, and I will reveal your shame to them, and they shall see all your disgrace.”

³⁸ And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy. — and God will judge thee as women that break her marriage covenant, defile the marriage bed, and were adulteresses, who by the law of Moses should be punished with death;

— the Targum says

“And I will exact from you the retribution of adulteresses and those who shed blood; and I will deliver you to be slain in anger and in wrath.”

³⁹ And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place and shall break down thy high places. They shall strip thee also of thy clothes and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare.

— they shall strip thee also of thy clothes; thy fairjewels, alluding a lot to prostitutes, their maintainers in the end stripping them of all they had given them;

— thy idol temples, shall break down thy high places; lots of palaces, museums, on display of these treasures, now; but shall leave thee naked and bare;

— lots of stolen arts “take thy fair jewels” the vessels of thy glory; the vessels of the sanctuary of gold and silver of other countries, and their own household furniture, with all their riches (from the Opium War booties, the Old Summer Palace looting, etc) and substance from other countries, will be laid naked and have to be returned;

— a parallel Scripture affirming the same in Obadiah:

“As you have done [unto others], it shall be done to you; your dealings will return upon your own head” Obadiah 1:15

— the Targum says

“And I will deliver you into their hands, and they shall tear down your walls and destroy your high places; and they shall strip you of your precious garments and take away your glorious vessels, and they shall leave you cast out and abandoned.”

⁴⁰ They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones and thrust thee through with their swords.

— a company, an assembled army; against you and your idol worship, as God also have an assembly, but it shall be of the “Chaldeans” and others, to destroy you for your idolatry;

For lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs. Habakkuk 1:6,

— and thrust thee through with their swords; such as attempted to escape out of the city, or fell into the hands of the enemy when it was taken, to be slain with the sword;

— this might be foreshadowing what’s to come in Ezekiel 20 to 21: the Flaming Sword and Fire from the South!

— the Targum says

“And they shall bring up against you armies, and they shall stone you with sling-stones, and they shall cut you to pieces with their swords.”

⁴¹ And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgements upon thee in the sight of many women; and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.

— and they shall burn thine houses with fire; as the houses in Jerusalem were by Nebuchadnezzar’s army, even the temple, the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, and the houses of great men, even all the houses in the city; shall be burned with fire;

— the Targum says

“And they shall burn your houses with fire, and they shall execute judgments of retribution upon you in the sight of many nations; and I will cause you to cease from being like a shameless woman, and you shall give a fee no more.”

⁴² So will I make My fury toward thee to rest, and My jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet and will be no more angry. — after his judgement executed, God will be quiet, and will be no more angry: the effects of his anger cease, and he at peace with Israel, and they with him;

— the Targum says

“And I will cause My fury to rest upon you, and My jealousy shall pass away from you; and I will be quiet, and My anger shall be no more.”

⁴³ Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast made Me fret in all these things, behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord God; and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations.

— and from the Voice

“Because you failed to remember the days of your youth but instead you infuriated Me with countless perverted love affairs, I will pay you back for every ounce of indecency you instigated. I, the Eternal Lord, proclaim this. Did you not add vulgar acts to your streak of shocking sins?” Ezekiel 16:43 Voice

— the Targum says

“Because you did not remember the days of old, and you provoked anger before Me with all these things; behold, I also have placed the retribution for your ways upon [your] head, says the Lord God; for you did not take counsel to repent from all your abominations.”

⁴⁴ “‘Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, “As is the mother, so is her daughter.” — saying, as is the mother, so is her daughter; an ancient and common proverb, used to express a likeness and agreement between persons their nature and disposition, in their behaviour, conduct, and conversation;

— so the Targum says: “as are the works of the mother, so those of the daughter.” That is, once practised by the Amorites and Hittites, they are now continued by the Israelites.

⁴⁵ Thou art thy mother’s daughter, who loatheth her husband and her children, and thou art the sister of thy sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite;

— the Targum says

“Why have you become a daughter to the land of Canaan, to do like the deeds of the people whose fathers were destroyed with the children? And a sister to Sodom and Gomorrah, whose fathers were destroyed with the children? Was not your mother Sarah among the Hittites, yet she did not do like their deeds? and your father Abraham was among the Amorites, yet he did not walk in their counsel?”

— the Targum asks and then explains, “was not your mother Sarah among the Hittites? [but] she did not do according to their works; and though your father Abraham was among the Amorites, [yet] he walked not in their counsels.”

⁴⁶ And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters, who dwell at thy left hand; and thy younger sister, who dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters. — the temple looked to the east; Samaria was on its left, and Sodom on its right hand;

— Samaria, she and her daughters; the initial inhabitants maybe be Israelites, but starting with Jeroboam, they adopted idolatories, worshipping their calves at Dan and Bethel. The fanciful Samaritans came later, but they added more idolatories as Sun-worshippers.

— today more than 98.5 percent of Christians are honoring the SUN by observing SUNday. They have “their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the SUN toward the east,” Ezekiel 8:16. At even (erev) on the Fourteenth, onset to begin their passover, the Samaritans face the west as the SUN is setting. How awesome the sight is, exclaims Fred Coulter, for such a surreal ceremony to take place;

— others, following the SUN-worshipping Samaritans, the Church of God Communities are showing their contempt by having their “wavesheaf offering” and Pentecost on a SUNday; always on SUNdays. And these are supposedly in God’s sanctuary, but God says He is a jealous God, so these pretenders could be spewed out of His mouth! No? Regardless, there are those being described in Revelation 3:17 ~ wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: or else I will spew thee out of My mouth (v16,19).”

— Sodom and her daughters; witness the proliferation of LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (questioning), intersex, asexual (agender)); are prevalent in western societies. Thou “madest for thyself images of men,” Ezekiel 16:17). Women been changed into men, and men into women, all images of what they did in Sodom;

— Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that count darkness as light, and light as darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20

— the Targum says

“And your elder sister is Samaria, she and her villages, who dwells at your left; and your sister who is smaller than you, who dwells at your right, is Sodom and her villages.”

⁴⁷ Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done according to their abominations, but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways.

— as if that were a very little thing; these Samaritan Sun-worshipping, were considered as inconsequential; innocuous;

— innocuous, just like the ‘apple’ offered to Eve; “it was pleasant to the eyes” same as the proliferation of LGBTQIA+; no big deal! And they all look upon any criticism with contempt!

— “Not only did you imitate the ways and follow the shocking actions of your sisters, but soon you became even more corrupt than they ever were.” The Voice translation;

— the Targum says, if they had walked in their ways, their sin would have been small

“And if you had [only] walked in their ways and done according to their abominations, your guilt would have been small; but you increased your corruption more than they in all your ways.”

⁴⁸ As I live, saith the Lord God, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. — as I live, saith the Lord God; this is an oath, which the Lord God swore;

— who, because he couldn’t swear by any greater, he swore by himself; and this he did to confirm, that the sins of modern house of Israel were greater than those of Samaria and Sodom; which might not be easily believed, but it is as true as he is the living God;

— the Targum says

“‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘if Sodom your sister, she and her villages, did as you have done, you and your villages!'”

⁴⁹ Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy;

— pride; which was the sin of the devils, and the cause of their ruin; the sin of our first parents, by which they fell, and destroyed themselves, and their posterity;

— the Targum says

“Behold, this was the guilt of Sodom your sister: Pride, satiety of bread, and tranquility and quiet were hers and her villages; and the hand of the poor and the needy she did not strengthen.”

⁵⁰ and they were haughty and committed abomination before Me. Therefore I took them away as I saw good. — and they were haughty; Sodom and her daughters, the inhabitants of that place, and the cities adjacent; they lifted up themselves above God and man;

— the Targum says

“And they became arrogant and committed abominations before Me; and I exiled them (removed them) according to what was revealed before Me.”

⁵¹ Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.

— but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they; than Samaria and her daughters, or the ten tribes; or more guilty than Sodom and Samaria;

— the Targum says

“And Samaria did not sin even like half of your sins; but you increased your abominations more than they, and you have made your sisters appear righteous by all your abominations which you have done.”

⁵² Thou also, who hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou. Yea, be thou confounded also and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.

— hast judged thy sisters; had approved the judgements upon Samaria and Sodom; as it is always easy for man to approve judgements upon the sins of others; but now this must be brought home to herself for her own greater sins;

— the Targum says

“You also, accept your humiliation, you who interceded for your sisters; because of your sins, which are more abominable than theirs, they are more righteous than you. So you too, be ashamed and accept your humiliation, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.”

⁵³ “‘When I shall bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her daughters and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring back the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them,

— and from the Voice

⁵² Face your humiliation; your sisters will fare better in judgment in light of your wickedness. Compared with your despicable deeds, they are more righteous than you. You should be ashamed of yourself! You have to live with your disgrace; for compared to you, your sisters seem righteous!

⁵³ However, I am going to restore the fortunes of your sisters—Sodom and her daughters, Samaria and her daughters—and I’ll restore your fortunes too. ⁵⁴ You still must live with your disgrace and bear the shame for what you have done, for your two sisters will be comforted in comparison with your wickedness. Ezekiel 16:52-54 Voice

— the Targum says

“And I will bring back their captivity to them: the people of Sodom and her villages, and the people of Samaria and her villages; and I will bring back the exile of your people in the midst of them.”

⁵⁴ that thou mayest bear thine own shame and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them. — bear thine own shame; by being put on a level with those whom thou has much despised;

— the Targum says

“In order that you may accept your humiliation, and that you may be humbled because of all that you have done, in your comforting them.”

⁵⁵ When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

— the Targum says

“And your sisters, Sodom and her villages, shall return to their former state; and Samaria and her villages shall return to their former state; and you and your villages shall return to your former state.”

⁵⁶ For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride, — you didn’t mention your sister Sodom when you were feeling proud of yourself;

— the Targum provides an insight as to why the Congregation of Israel failed to use Sodom as a moral lesson

“And Sodom your sister was not [a subject of] instruction in your mouth in the day of your arrogance.”

⁵⁷ before thy wickedness was uncovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria and all who are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, who despise thee round about.

— but that was before your evil was exposed! Now you are looked down upon by everyone: the daughters of Syria; all of her neighbors, even the daughters of Philistia, they all despise you!

— the Targum says

“Before your wickedness was revealed, as at the time [you were] reproached by the villages of Aram and all its surroundings, the villages of the Philistines, who plundered you round about.”

⁵⁸ Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the Lord. — thou hast borne your own abominations, openly and publicly; your iniquities were written as it were upon your foreheads, and to be seen of all; your punishment was due unto yourselves;

— the Targum says

“The sins of your evil counsel and the service of your abominations, you have accepted them (borne them), says the Lord.”

⁵⁹ “‘For thus saith the Lord God: I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, who hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant. — you will get what you deserve from Me because you have despised My oath and broken our covenant;

— the Targum says

“For thus says the Lord God: ‘I will exact retribution from you according to what you have done, who despised the oath to change (break) the covenant.'”

⁶⁰ Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. — the covenant to be established shall be an everlasting covenant;

— the Targum says

“And I will remember My covenant that was with you in the days of old; and I will establish for you an eternal covenant.”

⁶¹ Then thou shalt remember thy ways and be ashamed when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger; and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.

— then shalt thou remember thy ways, and be ashamed; it brings persons to a sense of their sins, and to an ingenuous acknowledgment of them, with shame and blushing;

— I will give them unto thee for daughters; all the heathen nations, not merely Sodom and Samaria, are meant by “thy sisters, elder and younger;”

— the Targum says

“And you shall remember your ways and be humbled when you bring near the provinces that are greater than you together with those that are smaller than you; and I will deliver them to you to be obedient [to you], though you did not perform the Torah.”

⁶² And I will establish My covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord, — thou “shall know that I am the Lord” expressed numerous times, reaffirming that neither those teaching in the synagogues nor those in their numerous churches know God today!

— the Targum says

Look – this was the debt of Sodom your sister: pride, plenty of bread, and ease and tranquility were hers and her villages, yet the hand of the poor and hungry she did not strengthen.

⁶³ that thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.’”

— from the Message Bible

“‘God, says, I’ll do to you just as you have already done, you who have treated my oath with contempt and broken the covenant. All the same, I’ll remember the covenant I made with you when you were young and I’ll make a new covenant with you that will last forever.

You’ll remember your sorry past and be properly contrite when you receive back your sisters, both the older and the younger. I’ll give them to you as daughters, but not as participants in your covenant. I’ll firmly establish my covenant with you and you’ll know that I am God.

You’ll remember your past life and face the shame of it, but when I make atonement for you, make everything right after all you’ve done, it will leave you speechless.’” Ezekiel 16:59-63 MSG

“I HAVE SEEN A HORRIBLE THING IN THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL” HOSEA 6:10

— the Targum says

And they claimed themselves superior, and did an abomination before Me, so I exiled them, just as has been revealed from before Me.

Posted in Ezekiel