Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 18:6

Charles Ellicott Commentary

Ezekiel 18:6

1819–1905
Anglican
Charles Ellicott
Charles Ellicott

Charles Ellicott Commentary

Ezekiel 18:6

1819–1905
Anglican
SCRIPTURE

"and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor`s wife, neither hath come near to a woman in her impurity," — Ezekiel 18:6 (ASV)

Eaten upon the mountains. —The various sins here specified are all enumerated again, with others, and charged upon Jerusalem in Ezekiel 22:2-12. The specific practice of eating upon the mountains is mentioned in Ezekiel 18:9 and refers to the feasts in connection with sacrifices to idols which were commonly held in high places. The Lord Himself, indeed, was also worshipped in high places, in express violation of the law (Deuteronomy 12:17–18), but the connection here points to the sacrificial idol-feasts (1 Corinthians 10:7).

The lifting up of the eyes to the idols is probably meant to express any longing after them short of actual worship . The other sins mentioned in this verse were expressly forbidden in the law (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:19), and were to be punished either with death (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22) or with excommunication (Leviticus 20:18).