Ezekiel 12:19

Eze 12:19 And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, [and] of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.

Ver. 19. They shall eat their bread with carefulness.] Better fast than feed on such bread. Men may sooner by their carking care add a furlong to their grief, than a cubit to their comfort, saith one.

Because of the violence.] The Jews were ever, and are still, a covetous and cruel people.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

people of the land--the Jews "in the land" of Chaldea who thought themselves miserable as being exiles and envied the Jews left in Jerusalem as fortunate.

land of Israel--contrasted with "the people in the land" of Chaldea. So far from being fortunate as the exiles in Chaldea regarded them, the Jews in Jerusalem are truly miserable, for the worst is before them, whereas the exiles have escaped the miseries of the coming siege.

land . . . desolate from all that is therein--literally "that the land (namely, Judea) may be despoiled of the fulness thereof"; emptied of the inhabitants and abundance of flocks and corn with which it was filled.

because of . . . violence-- (Psa 107:34).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(19) Unto the people of the land,—i.e., of the land of Chaldæa: Ezekiel’s fellow-captives. All these prophecies, though concerning Jerusalem and its people, were immediately addressed to the exiles, and their teaching was primarily for them. It is not unlikely, however, as St. Jerome says, that all these prophecies of Ezekiel were sent to Jerusalem, and the corresponding utterances of Jeremiah, made in Jerusalem, were sent to Chaldæa.

From all that is therein.—The margin, which is the literal rendering, explains this: “The land shall be stripped of its richness and excellence, of all that makes it desirable.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. Jerusalem and of the land] Rather: Jerusalem in (lit. upon) the land.

because of the violence] The punishment of violence is violence. The internal wrong and oppression shall be avenged by a crushing violence and destruction from without. Amo_3:9-11. The phrase “desolate from all that is therein,” lit. from its fulness, means desolate and emptied of its fulness.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Tell them therefore,.... Plainly and boldly, with the greatest assurance and confidence, as from God himself:

thus saith the Lord God, I will make this proverb to cease; by quickly accomplishing the things which they, by this proverb, represented as at a great distance, and what would never be brought about:

and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; when the things predicted shall take place:

but say unto them, the days are at hand, and the effect of every vision; the time is hastening on, and will quickly come, when every prophecy shall be fulfilled: it was in the sixth year of Jehoiachin's captivity that these prophecies were delivered out; and in the ninth year Nebuchadnezzar came with his army, and besieged Jerusalem; so that the days were at hand; in three years' time there began an accomplishment of the above predictions, which were scoffed at in the proverb used.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The people of the land - Chaldaea.

Of the inhabitants - In respect to “the inhabitants.”

Desolate from, all that is therein - i. e., stripped of all its inhabitants and of all its wealth.

At one and the same time, Jeremiah was prophesying in Jerusalem, and Ezekiel in Chaldaea; the prophecies of the former were sent to the exiles, and those of Ezekiel to the dwellers at Jerusalem, that the guiding hand of One God in different places might be made clear (Jerome).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Explain the meaning of this unusual and uncomfortable manner of eating and drinking

unto the people; the common sort of people, distinguished from rulers, of the land of Chaldea, in which the Jews were captives. Tell thy fellow captives who grudge and repent their coming hither, where they have much sorrow, yet some safety, plenty, and rest.

Of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who are not yet captivated; their sorrows are coming, and their state will be worse than yours.

Of the land of Israel; nor will it be better with, those that dwell in the countries round about Jerusalem, they will flee for refuge into Jerusalem, and there perish. Eat their bread with carefulness; their very comforts shall be uncomfortable to them.

Her land; Jerusalem’s land, so called because it was the head city thereof.

May be desolate; because that it is already, or shortly shall be, waste, emptied, though it was full of inhabitants, wealth, and plenty.

Violence; injustice, oppression, and tyranny of the Jews toward one another, Jer 6:7; 20:8; Eze 7:23; and this grown an epidemical sin, Eze 22:9,12, from highest to lowest.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The people - Thy fellow captives. And of the land - Those that dwell in the countries round about Jerusalem. Her land - Jerusalem's land, so called because it was the head city thereof. Desolate - Because it shortly shall be laid waste, emptied of inhabitants, wealth and plenty. Violence - Injustice, oppression and tyranny of the Jews toward one another.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

the land will be despoiled of its fullness

The word "fullness" refers to everything in the land. The word "despoiled" means that people will empty the land of everything in it. This can be stated in active form. AT: "others will empty the land of everything in it" (See: Active or Passive)

the cities that were inhabited will be desolate

This can be stated in active form. AT: "the cities where people lived will be desolate" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

Lord Yahweh

Jerusalem

Israel

bread

desolate

waste

know

Yahweh

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

of its fullness Of its wealth.

because of the violence of all who dwell therein Because of the iniquity of the violence of its dwellers.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.