Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 15:1-8

"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any tree, the vine-branch which is among the trees of the forest? Shall wood be taken thereof to make any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon? Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire hath devoured both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned: is it profitable for any work? Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be meet for any work! Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As the vine-tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will set my face against them; they shall go forth from the fire, but the fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I set my face against them. And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord Jehovah." — Ezekiel 15:1-8 (ASV)

This short chapter contains a single simile and its application, designed to show that Israel, having failed to fulfill the purpose for which they had been chosen, was worthless and could have no other end than destruction.

What is the vine tree?—The comparison of Israel to a vine or to a vineyard is common in Scripture (Psalms 80:8–13; Isaiah 5:1–7; Jeremiah 2:21; Hosea 10:1; Matthew 21:33–41, and elsewhere) and is very fitting. For the vine, bringing forth its appointed fruit, was among the most precious of the earth’s produce; but failing this, it was utterly worthless for anything but fuel.

The fact that Israel did not yield the required fruit is not specifically mentioned, as it is taken for granted here and abundantly expressed in the connected prophecies. The fruit of righteousness, as our Lord has shown in John 15:1-8 under the same figure of the vine, is possible only through a steadfast clinging to the Source of righteousness, and this was the point at which the Jews of this time had signally failed.

How much less will it be suitable?—The worthlessness of the wood of the vine having been shown in Ezekiel 15:3, and it having been said in Ezekiel 15:4 that it is therefore cast into the fire, the climax is reached here. According to Ezekiel 15:4, it is burned off at the ends, and then the remnants are also pushed into the fire to be burned, just as one would do with grape branches to save the trouble of cutting them up. This comparison is carried out in Ezekiel 15:7.

They shall go out from one fire, and another fire...—The words one and another are not in the original and may be omitted, and the articles inserted: they go out from the fire, and the fire devours them. This was exactly the condition of Israel. Partially consumed in the fire of divine judgments, they had been overtaken again and again. The ends were already gone; now the midst of it was to be burned up—the final result, as always, being a recognition of God.