1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel to me, and sat before me. 2 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 3 Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? 4 Therefore speak to them, and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet; I Yahweh will answer him therein according to the multitude of his idols; 5 that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. 6 Therefore tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Return, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 7 For everyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live in Israel, who separates himself from me, and takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet to inquire for himself of me; I Yahweh will answer him by myself: 8 and I will set my face against that man, and will make him an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and you shall know that I am Yahweh. 9 If the prophet is deceived and speak a word, I, Yahweh, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 10 They shall bear their iniquity: the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him who seeks (to him); 11 that the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, says the Lord Yahweh. 12 The word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 13 Son of man, when a land sins against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand on it, and break the staff of its bread, and send famine on it, and cut off from it man and animal; 14 though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, says the Lord Yahweh. 15 If I cause evil animals to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the animals; 16 though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only should be delivered, but the land should be desolate. 17 Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and animal; 18 though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only should be delivered themselves. 19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath on it in blood, to cut off from it man and animal; 20 though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, they should deliver neither son nor daughter; they should but deliver their own souls by their righteousness. 21 For thus says the Lord Yahweh: How much more when I send my four severe judgments on Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil animals, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and animal! 22 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be carried forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth to you, and you shall see their way and their doings; and you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought on it. 23 They shall comfort you, when you see their way and their doings; and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, says the Lord Yahweh.
This prophecy Ezekiel 14:1-11 is a reproof of those who consult the false prophets. Some of the chief exiles come to Ezekiel as to one who has authority; but he, endowed with the genuine prophetic spirit, sees deep into their hearts, and finds the idols of self-will and unsubmissiveness set up therein. The prophet warns them that God will not be inquired of in such a spirit as this.
Here God threatens those hypocrites who pretended to worship him, while they loved and practiced idolatry, Ezekiel 14:1-11. He declares his irreversible purpose of punishing so guilty a nation, in behalf of which no intercession of the people of God shall be of any avail. The gross idolaters of Jerusalem and Judah shall be visited with God's four sore judgments, famine, Ezekiel 14:12-14; wild beasts, Ezekiel 14:15, Ezekiel 14:16; the sword, Ezekiel 14:17, Ezekiel 14:18; and pestilence, Ezekiel 14:19-21. A remnant shall be delivered from the wrath coming upon the whole land, Ezekiel 14:22, Ezekiel 14:23.
INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 14
In this chapter are contained the displeasure of God at hypocritical idolaters that sought unto him, and at the false prophets; the judgments that should come upon them, and which should not be averted by the intercession of the best of men; and yet a promise that a remnant should be saved. The elders of Israel are said to sit before the prophet, Ezekiel 14:1; to whom the Lord gives an account of them, Ezekiel 14:2; and orders the prophet what he should say to them, that the Lord would answer them himself, Ezekiel 14:4; and that he should bid the house of Israel repent and turn from their idols, or else the Lord would set his face against them, and cut them off, both them and the false prophets they sought unto; and this is threatened in order to reform them, and continue them his covenant people, Ezekiel 14:6; and then the judgment of famine is particularly threatened; to avert which, the prayers of the best of men would be of no effect, Ezekiel 14:12; and next the judgment of noisome beasts, with the same intimation, Ezekiel 14:15; likewise the sword, Ezekiel 14:17; and also the pestilence, Ezekiel 14:19; and much less when they should be all sent together, Ezekiel 14:21; and the chapter is concluded with a promise that a remnant should be saved; which would be a comfort to the captives of Babylon, and accounts for what the Lord had done, or would do, in Jerusalem, Ezekiel 14:22.
(Ezekiel 14:1-11) Threatenings against hypocrites.
(Ezekiel 14:12-23) God's purpose to punish the guilty Jews, but a few should be saved.
Attitude of God Towards the Worshippers of Idols, and Certainty of the Judgments
This chapter contains two words of God, which have obviously an internal connection with each other. The first (Ezekiel 14:1-11) announces to the elders, who have come to the prophet to inquire of God, that the Lord will not allow idolaters to inquire of Him, but will answer all who do not turn from idolatry with severe judgments, and will even destroy the prophets who venture to give an answer to such inquirers. The second (Ezekiel 14:12-23) denounces the false hope that God will avert the judgment and spare Jerusalem because of the righteousness of the godly men therein.
*More commentary available by clicking individual verses.