Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 7

The four corners. This is a frequent Scriptural phrase for every part (Revelation 7:1). The origin of the expression is to be found, not in any supposed popular belief that the earth was square, but in the fact that so many common things had just four sides or four corners (Exodus 27:2; Job 1:19; Acts 10:11, etc.). Consequently, the phrase naturally became a common expression of universality.

The phrase An end, the end, is a repetition for the sake of emphasis. It occurs again in Ezekiel 7:6, and, in varied words, also in Ezekiel 7:10, Ezekiel 7:12, and Ezekiel 7:26.

Ezekiel 7:3–4 are repeated almost exactly in Ezekiel 7:8-9. The frequent repetitions in this chapter are designed and give great force to the denunciation of woe. The phrase Your abominations are in the midst of you, signifies that these abominations call down punishment upon them, as appears from the parallel in Ezekiel 7:9.

An only evil. —That is, an evil so all-embracing as to be complete in itself, and need no repetition. Compare the same thought in Nahum 1:9, affliction shall not rise up the second time. Some manuscripts, and the Chaldee, by the alteration of one letter, read evil after evil, as in Ezekiel 7:26.

The morning is come unto thee. —The word here used is not the usual one for morning. This word occurs elsewhere only in Ezekiel 7:10 and Isaiah 28:5, where it is translated crown. There is much difference of opinion both as to its derivation and its meaning. The most probable sense is circuit —“the circuit of your sins is finished, and the end has come upon you.”

The sounding again of the mountains. —This is again a peculiar word, occurring only here; but it is nearly like and probably has the same meaning as the word in Isaiah 16:10, Jeremiah 25:10, denoting the joyous sounds of the people, especially at harvest-time, filling the land and echoing back from the mountains. Instead of this, there will be the tumult (or rather, the trouble) of the day of war. (See the opposite contrast in Exodus 32:17-18.)

The Lord that smites. — In Ezekiel 7:4 it is only said, Ye shall know that I am the LORD, without saying in what respect; here this is specified—they shall know that God is a God of judgment, and that these calamities are from Him.

The morning is gone forth.— The word here is the same as in Ezekiel 7:7, and used in the same sense: the circle is complete, the end is reached, sin has brought forth death.

“The rod” is commonly understood to mean the Chaldean conqueror. However, since the word is the same for rod and for tribe, and is very often used in the latter sense, it is more consistent with the context to understand a play on words here. This then alludes to the rods of the tribes in Numbers 17:8.

There, the rod of Aaron was made to bud and blossom by divine power as evidence that he had been chosen by God. Here, the rod representing the tribe at Jerusalem, in its self-will and pride, has budded and blossomed to its destruction. So the description continues in the next verse: Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness. This means not a rod for punishing wickedness, but rather that violence has developed into a wicked people.