Ezekiel 17:18

Eze 17:18 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.

Ver. 18. Seeing he despised the oath.] Despised it ex fastu quodam, out of pride and disdain, as the word signifieth, as Pascenius the Papist jeereth at King James for inventing the oath of allegiance. There is in our chronicles a memorable story of one Sir Ralph Percy, slain upon Hegely Moor, in Northumberland, by the Lord Mountacute, general for Edward IV He would in no way depart the field, though defeated; but, in dying, said, I have saved the bird in my breast, meaning his oath to King Henry VI {a} Had false Zedekiah done so, he had, for this once at least, escaped; but ambition - whose motto is said to be Sic mea fata sequor So I follow my destiny - was his ruin.

{a} Speed.

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.

Because he took the Name of God in vain, and brake his oath which he had confirmed by giving his hand: therefore the Prophet declareth that God would not suffer such perjury and infidelity to escape punishment.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

given his hand--in ratification of the oath (Kg2 10:15; Ezr 10:19), and also in token of subjection to Nebuchadnezzar (Ch1 29:24, Margin; Ch2 30:8, Margin; Lam 5:6).

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

Verse 18. Seeing he despised the oath] This God particularly resents. He had bound himself by oath, in the presence of Jehovah, to be faithful to the covenant that he made with Nebuchadnezzar, and he took the first opportunity to break it; therefore he shall not escape.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ezekiel repeals again, that, even speaking, Zedekiah could not succeed, since he violated the treaty for we yesterday said that this persuasion is always fixed in men’s minds, that treaties are sacred, and cannot be broken with impunity. Since, therefore, the sacredness of treaties was always prevalent among men, Ezekiel here pronounces that the issue would be disastrous, because Zedekiah despised his oath when he broke the treaty after stretching out his hand. He describes a gesture, as I think, customary among men — that of stretching forth the hand when they wish to witness a covenant. The alliance, then, between the Egyptians and the Jews is here described by an outward gesture, because Zedekiah stretched forth his hand, and yet had violated it in this way: but since he perfidiously revolted from King Nebuchadnezzar, to whom he had pledged his faith, he has done all this, says he, therefore he shall not be liberated. It follows —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare,.... See Gill on Eze 12:13; where the same words are used, and of the same person:

and I will bring him to Babylon; though, as it is said in the place referred to, he should not see it, his eyes being put out before he was brought thither:

and I will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me; for though it was breaking covenant and oath with a Heathen prince, yet it was a trespass against God, in whose name they were made; and his being laid in prison at Babylon, and kept there to the time of his death, was the Lord's pleading with him, and judging of him; it was a reproof for his sins, and a condemnation of him and them.

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

Hand. Swearing perhaps to both (Haydock) the Egyptian and to the Chaldean monarch.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

This verse gives us the reason of this unhappy enterprise, which is summed up in wilful, presumptuous, and most unparalleled perjury. Zedekiah

had given his hand; a solemn confirming of the oath, or covenant, and it implies the voluntary act of Zedekiah in swearing, which makes the perjury so much the fouler.

All these things; too bad to be named, and most unbecoming any one that was a beneficiary, and had so much from the bounty of one that was not obliged to do any thing for him.

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

Vers. 18, 19. The broken covenant.

In turning to Egypt for protection Zedekiah had broken faith with Nebuchadnezzar; but he had done worse, for he had broken the covenant between God and the house of David.

I UNFAITHFULNESS TO MAN IS UNFAITHFULNESS TO GOD. All sin against man is also sin against God. The second table of commandments lies upon the first, and a breach of the one involves a breach of the other. David confesses that he had sinned against God, and God only, (Psa_51:4) though his crime was directly committed against Uriah the Hittite. The penitent prodigal charges himself with having sinned against heaven as well as before his father. (Luk_15:18) God enters into all earthly arrangements. The oath is a direct call upon God to do this; but without any such solemn appeal God cannot but take note of all we say and do, and as the Guardian of truth and justice he will consider any earthly unfaithfulness as wrong against himself.

II THOSE WHO ARE PLEDGED TO THE SERVICE OF GOD ARE ESPECIALLY UNFAITHFUL TO HIM WHEN THEY ARE UNFAITHFUL TO THEIR FELLOW MEN. Zedekiah was the king of a covenant nation, and his throne was bound by God"s solemn covenant with David. He was, therefore, in an especial sense a servant of God. If the servant behaves ill in the world his Master must take note of the fact. It is a wrong against the Master, who is dishonoured by his shameful conduct. When a professedly Christian man shows a lack of integrity before the world, his sin is intensified by contrast with his high profession. It is bad for the common person to be faithless, but when a knight of honoured title shows the same failure of character, he brings disgrace upon his order. If one who stands before men as a Christian proves himself to be dishonourable in business, he injures the holy Name of his Master, and he breaks faith with the God whom he has promised to serve.

III UNFAITHFULNESS TO A COVENANT WITH GOD IS A HEINOUS SIN. The Jews were peculiarly privileged; therefore their sin was especially guilty. They were bound to fidelity by exceptional pledges; their disloyalty was, therefore, the more culpable. Christians now stand in the ancient position of the Jews.

1. Christians are peculiarly privileged. They not only receive the general mercies of God which all men may share. They are partakers of his choicest covenant blessings. Jesus Christ, who has pledged the new covenant in his blood, has brought with it the highest blessings. For Christians to fall into sin is doubly guilty.

2. Christians are especially pledged. If we take the Christian name we incur the Christian obligations. The vows of God are then upon us. We are pledged to loyalty to Christ. It is no common sin to break vows of Christian service. The prophet called this sin in Israel adultery. It carries the shame and guilt of that outrage on honour.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Given his hand - Solemnly confirming the oath.

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

he gave his hand He promised in good faith and raised his hand in a covenant.

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.