John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 16:26

"Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians, thy neighbors, great of flesh; and hast multiplied thy whoredom, to provoke me to anger." — Ezekiel 16:26 (ASV)

I mentioned at the beginning of the chapter that the Prophet blames the Jews not for one single kind of fornication, but for two different kinds. Interpreters do not observe this, but think that the Prophet is always speaking about idols and superstitions. But if we prudently weigh all the circumstances, what I have said will not appear doubtful: namely, that the Jews were condemned not only for corrupting the worship of God with their perverse fictions, but also for fleeing, now to the Egyptians, now to the Assyrians, and thus involving themselves in unlawful covenants.

It is a very common method for the Prophets to call such covenants fornications, for just as a wife ought to remain under the protection of her husband, so God wished the Jews to be content under His protection. But as soon as any danger frightened them, they tremblingly fled to Egypt, Assyria, or Chaldea.

We see, then, that they had in some sense renounced God's help, since they could not rest under His protection but were hurried here and there by a vague impulse. After the Prophet had denounced their superstitions, he now addresses another crime: namely, the Jews involving themselves in forbidden treaties.

He begins with Egypt. God had clearly forbidden the chosen people to have any dealings with Egypt. Even if God had not made known the reason, they still ought to have obeyed His command. But I have already explained the reason why God was unwilling for the Israelites to enter into any covenant with the Egyptians: because He wished to test their faith and patience, and to see if they would flee to His help—their sacred anchor, as it were—when any danger pressed upon them.

There was also another reason: from the time God drew His people out from there, He wished them to be separated from that nation which had raged so cruelly against their miserable guests. As far as the Chaldeans and Assyrians are concerned, the first reason also applied, in that it was not lawful for them to distrust God's aid in their dangers.

Now, therefore, we understand the Prophet’s meaning when he says, that the Jews had committed fornication with the sons of Egypt. He adds, they were gross in flesh. He means that they were foul and immodest, and were inflamed with disgraceful lust. He uses a coarser simile later, for the treachery of this detestable people could not be sufficiently condemned.

The Prophet here says reproachfully, You have committed fornication with the Egyptians, like a licentious woman acting most shamefully. He adds, You have multiplied your fornications—he speaks to the people as a woman, as we have previously seen—in order to irritate me. Here the Prophet takes away all excuse for error from the wicked people.

Therefore, he says that since they so wandered after these impure desires, they had not fallen through ignorance, for they knew well enough what God had commanded in His law. And there is no doubt that they darkened their own minds, as the wicked always dig hiding places for themselves and have specious pretexts by which they not only hide their malice before men but also deceive themselves.

Hence, it is probable that the Jews were not free from such pretenses. But, on the other hand, we must note that they were abundantly instructed by God's law about what was lawful and right. Since, therefore, through neglect of the law they were so ravenous in wicked desires, the Prophet says that they had deliberately entered into a contest with God.

For if anyone raises the question whether it is lawful to enter into an alliance with the ungodly, the answer is easy: we must beware of all alliances that may bring us under the same yoke, for we are by nature sufficiently inclined toward all vices, and when we invent new occasions for sin, we tempt God.

And when anyone joins himself in too great familiarity with the ungodly, it is just like using a fan to inflame his corrupt desires, which, as I have said, were already sufficiently intense in his mind. We must take care, therefore, as much as possible, not to make agreements with the ungodly.

But, if necessity compels us, this conduct cannot be thought wrong in itself, as we see that Abraham entered into an agreement with his neighbors, though their religion was different (Genesis 21:27, 32). But because he could not otherwise obtain peace, that was a kind of agreement by which Abraham hoped to acquire peace for himself (Genesis 14:13; Isaiah 51:2).

Nor did he hesitate to use the assistance of allies when he rescued his nephew. But if we seek the principle and the reason that induced Abraham to enter into a treaty with his neighbors, we shall find his intention was nothing other than to dwell at home in peace and to be safe from all injury.

He was solitary, as Isaiah calls him. He had, indeed, a numerous family but no offspring, and hence he could not avoid making treaties with his neighbors. But when the Lord placed the people in the land of Canaan on the condition of defending them there, protecting them on all sides, and opposing all their foes, we see them enclosed, as it were, by His protection, so as to render all treaties useless, since they could not make treaties with either the Egyptians or the Assyrians without at the same time withdrawing themselves from God's aid.

As far as we are concerned, I have said that we have more freedom, if we are only careful that the lusts of the flesh do not entice us to seek alliances that may entangle us in the sins of others; for it is difficult to retain the favor of those with whom we associate unless we entirely agree with them.

If they are ungodly, they will draw us into contempt of God and adulterous rites, and so it will happen that one evil will spring from another. Nothing, therefore, is better than to exercise caution, to look to God alone, and to have our minds fixed on Him, not allowing any kind of alliance unless necessity compels us.

And even then, we must prudently ensure that no condition is included in it that might lead us away from the pure and sincere worship of God, since the devil is always cleverly plotting against the sons of God and draws them into hidden snares. Therefore, when we are about to contract an alliance, we should always take care that our liberty is not diminished in any way, and that we are not drawn aside by stealthy and hidden methods from the simple worship of God.