Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 25

Set your face against the Ammonites. —It has already been mentioned that the pronouncements against the four neighboring nations of Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia are all contained in one prophecy. This prophecy was evidently spoken after the fall of Jerusalem and, consequently, after the date of Ezekiel 26:1. The Ammonites, descended from Lot’s incest with his younger daughter, had been persistent enemies of Israel for centuries.

They had joined the Moabites in their oppression of Israel under Eglon (Judges 3:13), and in a later attack, they were subdued by Jephthah (Judges 11:32–33). They fought with extreme cruelty and insolence against Saul (1 Samuel 11:2–11). They also insulted and waged war against David (2 Samuel 10:1–6) and were utterly crushed by him (2 Samuel 12:31).

Their idolatries were favored by Solomon (1 Kings 11:7). Uniting with Moab and Edom, they attacked Judah under Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:1–25) but utterly failed and were tributary to his descendant, Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:8). Again, they fought with Jotham and were reduced by him to heavy tribute (2 Chronicles 27:5). Not long before this time, they had occupied the vacant cities of Gad (Jeremiah 49:1).

At this time, they had joined Nebuchadnezzar’s army against Judah (2 Kings 24:2). From Ezekiel 25:3, it appears that their hostility arose not only from national jealousy but also from a special hatred against the Jewish religion . They are the frequent subject of prophetic denunciation (Isaiah 11:14; Jeremiah 49:1–6; Amos 1:13–15; Zephaniah 2:8–11).

To the men of the east. —Literally, sons of the east, i.e., the various nomadic tribes inhabiting the Eastern deserts, who occupy the country to this day. They are described as its possessors, not its conquerors; the conquest was effected by Nebuchadnezzar. In Ezekiel 21:20-23, he was represented as hesitating whether to attack Judah or Ammon first, and was divinely directed to the former; in this attack, some of the Ammonites joined his army, but he nevertheless afterwards carried out his purpose and desolated their country. (See Ezekiel 21:28.)

Palaces. —The word properly means an enclosure for folding cattle. The same word is used in connection with tribes of the desert in Genesis 25:16; Numbers 31:10, and in both is translated castles, a singularly inappropriate sense. It afterwards came to mean a dwelling-place of any kind.

The Ammonites and Moabites appear to have practically constituted one nation, the latter being, for the most part, the settled, and the former the nomadic portion. After the conquest of Nebuchadnezzar, the Ammonites gradually dwindled away until lost from history.

The Ptolemies founded the city Philadelphia on the site of Rabbah, and there are still extensive ruins there belonging to the period of the Roman occupation; but the Ammonites had no part in either of these successive cities. The place is now utterly without inhabitants, and the most recent traveller says, “Lonely desolation in a rich country was the striking characteristic.”

Rabbah was the only important town belonging to the Ammonites. It has become literally a stable for the camels of the wandering Bedouins. In the parallel clause the “Ammonites” represent the land which they inhabit.

Clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet. —See Ezekiel 6:11 and Note there.

For a spoil. —This is the sense of the margin of the Hebrew; its text is represented by our margin, meat or food. The word in the text occurs only here, but a compound of it is found in Daniel 1:5 and Daniel 11:26. The figure seems to be the same as that which speaks of devouring the people.

Shalt know that I am the Lord. —This frequent close of the denunciatory prophecies against Israel in the former chapters is here also used at the close of each message in this chapter, and of many of the other prophecies against foreign nations. It refers not to a penitent recognition of the Lord, but to an experience of His wrath so plain that they can no longer refuse to acknowledge His power .