Ezequiel 15

Ezequiel 15:1-8

15:1 "Son of man" See SPECIAL TOPIC: SON OF MAN. 15:2 "how is the wood of the vine better" The vine is often used as a symbol of Israel (cf. Ezek. 19:10; Ps. 80:8-16; Isa. 5:1-7; Hosea 10:1; Rom. 11:17-22). In this brief parable Judah and Jerusalem are given to Neo-Babylon for the burning (cf. Ezek. 19:12; 23:25; Jer. 21:10; 32:28-29; 39:8; 52:13; 2 Chr. 36:19). Grapevines are not good fuel for cooking because they burn too hot and too quickly! It is also too soft to be used for furniture or construction. One cannot even make a tent peg out of vine wood! It is useless except for producing fruit, but Israel did not produce (cf. Deut. 32:32; Isa. 5:1-7; Jer. 2:21)! The prophets often symbolized idolatry as an imported vine (cf. Isa. 17:10; Ezek. 8:17). The personification of trees is not unusual in the OT. Note Jdgs 9:7-15! Parables and riddles are common ways for eastern people to express themselves. In reality chapters 15, 16, and 17 form this genre of literature. 15:4 "fuel. . .consumed" There are two terms (the NOUN, lit. "food," BDB 38 and the VERB, BDB 37, KB 46) which form a wordplay found only in Ezekiel (cf. Ezek. 15:4,6; 21:32). ▣ "fire" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FIRE. 15:6 "give" The VERB (BDB 678, KB 733, Qal PERFECT) is used twice in this verse and again in Ezek. 15:7 and 9. YHWH's judgment of Jerusalem is sure. 15:7 "I set (lit. "give") My face against them" See note at Ezek. 14:8. This phrase also appears in the Levitical passage on covenant disobedience (i.e. covenant curses for disobedience, cf. Lev. 26:17), which is alluded to three times in this chapter (and often in Ezekiel). ▣ "Though they have come out of the fire, yet fire will consume them" If they (i.e. the inhabitants of Jerusalem) escape one of the four judgments of YHWH, another will get them (cf. 1 Kgs. 19:17; Isa. 24:18; Amos 9:1-4). It is possible that this refers to the first two groups of Judeans who were exiled in 605 and 597 B.C. and who were currently in Babylon. They are the potential repentant remnant that YHWH will begin again with (cf. Ezek. 6:7-9; 14:22-23). 15:8 "I will make the land desolate" "Desolate" (BDB 1031) is a recurrent threat in Jeremiah (15 times) and Ezekiel (21 times). This threat is first stated in the curses of Lev. 26:33 and reiterated by Isaiah (6 times). ▣ "acted unfaithfully" This VERB (BDB 591, KB 612, Qal PERFECT) is first used in Ezek. 14:13 (see note there) and 17:20; 18:24; 20:27; 39:29. The term is mentioned specifically in the penalties for covenant disobedience in Lev. 26:40. It does not appear in Isaiah or Jeremiah. In Ezek. 20:27 the covenant people had a history of disobedience starting from the Exodus (i.e. Exodus 32; Neh. 9:16-32) and continuing. This parable's imagery sets the literary stage for Jesus' condemnation of Israel in His day (cf. Matt. 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19)! I have come to believe that Jesus' Olivet Discourse, Paul's "man of lawlessness" text, and John's book of Revelation all refer to the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Please look at my exegetical verse-by-verse commentaries on these texts (free online).