Ezekiel 5:15

Eze 5:15 So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that [are] round about thee, when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I the LORD have spoken [it].

Ver. 15. So it shall be a reproach and taunt.] See this fulfilled, Lam 2:15-16.

An instruction.] They shall enjoy thy folly, grow wise by thy harms. I will make thee an example to the heathen. {a}

An astonishment.] A terror, some render it.

{a} Exemplum. - Vulg.

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.

Eze 5:15-17. So it shall be an instruction to the nations — They shall learn from such an example of vengeance to fear me, and be afraid of my judgments. When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine — Hail, tempest, drought, mildew, locusts, all which contribute to make a famine. So will I send upon you famine and evil beasts — Wild beasts multiply in a land when it becomes uninhabited, Exo 23:29. This likewise is a punishment which, among others, was threatened against the Jews by Moses: see the margin. Pestilence and blood shall pass through thee — Blood signifies any unusual sort of death, and may denote here such a pestilence as would destroy multitudes; or that, in addition to destruction by pestilence, they should be slaughtered by their enemies throughout their land.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

instruction--literally, "a corrective chastisement," that is, a striking example to warn all of the fatal consequences of sin. For "it shall be"; all ancient versions have "thou," which the connection favors.

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

He further explains how the Jews should be devastated and become a reproach among the nations. Now, he does not speak of their dispersion, but uses two words for one idea: he puts חרפה, cherepheh, which signifies a reproach, and adds גדופה, gedopheh, which signifies a taunt and a mocking: but this could not take place without the slaughter of the people. Unless the profane heathen had some ground for it, there was no reason why they should utter their taunts and hissings against the Jews. Hence destruction and complete slaughter are comprehended under the words reproach and taunt, or laughing-stock. But this sentence belongs to the former verse: there it was said, I will make thee: here, thou shalt be Meanwhile the execution of God’s vengeance is marked; when, therefore, God reproaches us, we are compelled to lie under the power of his hand, because an attempt to resist him is vain. We shall wrestle, indeed, as the ungodly do, but unless we yield willingly, the violence of his power will crush us. Hence we must observe the context: I will make thee a reproach, and thou shalt be one, because God signifies that his threats should not be either empty or in vain. He adds, thou shalt be a correction: מוסר, moser, signifies discipline and instruction, but is often used for that correction which springs from a sense of God’s wrath. When, therefore, God chastises his people, if they repent, they are said to profit by his discipline, since they have learnt themselves to be sinners by the punishments which he has inflicted on them. But he says that the Jews should be a correction to the profane nations, because they should grow wise by their punishments; for while we apply examples to our use, this is a timely correction, since we do not wait till God strikes us; but when he takes vengeance on the despisers of his law at a distance, if we are moved by such examples, this is, as I said, correction in good time: for the Prophet now applies it to the nations, not without the disgrace of the elect people: as if he had said that their punishment would be so notorious that the very blind would recognize them, and tremble at the perception of their import.

Afterwards he adds — in astonishment These words, indeed, do not seem sufficiently in agreement with the Jews being for a wonder and a correction; but the Prophet does not simply mean that those who perceived the judgment of God should be either stupid or docile, he only means that in God’s severity material would be proposed for all, as well of correction as of astonishment, so that they should be horrified when they saw God treating his elect people so harshly. For he adds, when I shall execute judgments on thee in wrath, and in fury, and in burnings of anger. He confirms what we saw before, namely, that God’s judgment would be remarkable, because he had so long borne with a reprobate people. Since he had so long borne their impiety, he broke forth at length in one impulse, and then exercised the formidable judgment of which he speaks. This is the reason why he says the nations shall be astonished when I execute my judgments upon thee. What, then, were these judgments? — in truth, anger, and burning, and furious rebukes. Here the Prophet seems verbose; but he could not be too much so, since the sluggishness of the people was so great that they were not moved by any prophecies. As we have formerly seen, he had been, doubtless, derided by those Jews in Chaldea, who as yet remained at home tranquil, as it were, in their nests. “Does he, the wretched exile, threaten us? let him be content with his own lot: since God has spared us, he seems to be stirred up to vex us by envy alone; but we have no reason to fear the envy of a captive and an exile.” Since, then, the Prophet knew that he was contemptible among the Jews, it was necessary to heap up such forms of speech, that his teaching might have more weight: nor does he look: at the Jews alone, but at those people also who had been dragged into the same exile; for he has to advise them, for the reasons which we have formerly explained. Now, therefore, we understand his meaning when he speaks concerning anger and burning, and adds, at the same time, burning rebukes He adds also, I Jehovah have spoken it: which he will repeat at the last verse of the chapter. And this confirmation is also very useful, because when both the Israelites and the Jews looked at a mortal and abject man, a captive and a slave of an impious people, they would doubtless have despised all his prophecies. Hence he sets God before them, by which he means that he was not the author of the threats, but spoke only from the mouth of God, as the organ of the Spirit. 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.

15. So it shall be] So shall she be, i.e. Jerusalem. The ancient versions, however, give: and thou shalt be.

an instruction] i.e. a lesson of warning, cf. ch. Eze_23:48, “that all women may be taught (take warning) not to do after your lewdness.” Cf. Deu_29:23 seq.

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.

So it shall be a reproach and a taunt,.... The subject of the reproaches and taunts of the enemy; see Jer 24:9; this is repeated for the greater confirmation of it:

an instruction; or "discipline", or "correction" (x). The meaning is, that the Gentiles, seeing the judgments of God upon the Jews, would hereby learn righteousness, forsake their sins, amend their ways, and fear, the Lord:

and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee; being amazed that such judgments should fall upon a people that had been so highly favoured of God; and at their stupidity, hardness, and incorrigibleness under them:

when I shall execute judgments in thee in anger and in fury, and in furious rebukes; a heap of words, not only denoting the certainty of divine judgments, but the greatness and fierceness of divine wrath, in the execution of them; that these were not fatherly chastisements, rebukes in love, but the effects of vindictive justice:

I the Lord have spoken it; or those things, as the Arabic version; and as sure as I have spoken, I will do. The Targum is,

"I the Lord have decreed in my word;''

and so in Eze 5:13; where it is added, and I will confirm or accomplish.

(x) "disciplina", Pagninus; "castigatio", Vatablus, Starckius.

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

Scoff. Literally, "blasphemy;" which is here used improperly, to denote derision. (Worthington)

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).

A reproach: see Eze 5:14.

A taunt; a very proverb among men.

An instruction; sinners like thee shall learn by thy miseries what they may expect from me, and they shall acknowledge Divine justice in all.

When I shall execute judgments, in highest degrees of severity.

I the Lord; I, who can do it, because almighty; who may do it, because provoked; who will do it, because they repented not; I have spoken, and will do it, as Jer 25:9.

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

A reproach and a taunt, etc. An echo of Deu_28:37. The accumulation of synonyms in both clauses of the verse iseminently characteristic of Ezekiel"s style. Word follows word, like the strokes of a sledge hammer. The word for "instruction" is that which occurs so often in the Book of Proverbs (Pro_1:2, Pro_1:3, and in twenty-two other passages). In Deu_11:12; Isa_53:5; Jer_30:14, the Authorized Version renders it "chastisement," and that sense is manifestly implied here. Jerusalem was, as it were, to be the great object lesson in God"s education of mankind. And the final stroke of all is that the words were not the prophet"s own, but "I the Lord have spokes it." The words reappear in ver. 17.

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

Taunt - A very proverb among them. Instruction - Sinners shall learn by thy miseries, what they may expect from me.

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

General Information:

Yahweh continues to speak to the people of Israel and Judah.

in wrath and fury

The words "wrath" and "fury" mean basically the same thing and emphasize that Yahweh is very angry. AT: "because I will be very angry with you" (See: Doublet)

will send out harsh arrows of famine against you

The word "arrows" is a metonym for the sharp pains that people feel when they have had no food for a long time. AT: "will make you feel the pain of intense hunger" (See: Metonymy)

increase the famine on you

"make the famine more severe for you" or "make the famine last longer for you" or "make sure that there is less and less for you to eat"

break your staff of bread

A "staff" was something that people leaned upon to support them. This phrase is a metaphor that means removing the supply of food that the people were depending upon. See how "staff of bread" is translated in Ezekiel 4:16. AT: "cut off your food supply" (See: Metaphor)

Plague and blood will pass through you

Sickness and violent death are spoken of as if they were soldiers going through the city killing everyone they could. AT: "Many people will die of disease, and many others will die in war" (See: Personification)

I will bring a sword against you

The word "sword" is a metonym for soldiers who kill people using swords. AT: "I myself will cause soldiers to come and kill you" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

Jerusalem

condemn

judge

wrath

rebuke

famine

staff

bread

plague

blood

sword

declare

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

and a taunt A disgrace.

a chastisement Heb. מוּסָר torments.

and an astonishment A wonder.

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.