John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 17:1-2

"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;" — Ezekiel 17:1-2 (ASV)

In this chapter, the Prophet shows that the Jews were utterly foolish in thinking themselves safe, since they had God as their adversary. At the end of the chapter, he indeed promises the restoration of the Church and heralds the kingdom of Christ. However, the principal part of the chapter is primarily concerned with this teaching: that the Jews were utterly foolish in promising themselves safety for the city, the temple, and their kingdom, for, as was now evident, they had violated the covenant of God, and He had rejected them.

When deprived of God’s help, what could they do? This was egregious folly to hope for a prosperous state of their kingdom when their power was diminished and cut off, and they were reduced almost to the most dire straits. But since the Prophet’s discourse cannot be fully understood without a knowledge of the history, I will therefore begin there: When Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah king, he also made him tributary to himself.

He was made king at the will, or rather by the capricious desire, of the king of Babylon, when Jeconiah was led captive (2 Kings 24:15–17; 2 Chronicles 36:10; Jeremiah 37:1). Jeconiah had not sinned greatly, but when he saw himself unable to resist, he surrendered himself with his mother and children. He was carried away to Babylon and there was treated humanely and even splendidly, although not royally.

Nebuchadnezzar, foreseeing much trouble if he set any of his satraps over Judea and fearing daily tumults, appointed Mattaniah king, to whom he gave the name Zedekiah. This was the last king. Already, as I have said, the royal dignity was greatly diminished: it was tributary to Nebuchadnezzar, and Zedekiah’s authority was only precarious.

His position depended on the will of his conqueror, and the one who placed him on the throne could remove him as often as he pleased. A short time later, when he saw that Nebuchadnezzar was at a distance, he made an agreement with the king of Egypt and thought he would have sufficient help if Nebuchadnezzar should return with an army.

And the Egyptians, as we have said elsewhere, were quite eager for this treaty. For they saw the Babylonian monarchy gradually increasing, and it was probable that, when the Jews were utterly subdued, Nebuchadnezzar would not be content with those boundaries but would attack Egypt similarly and absorb that kingdom, as he had done others.

Thus, a reason for their entering into the treaty was clear, since the king of Egypt thought that Judea would be a defense if Nebuchadnezzar should come down with his army; and certainly, the Jews would have to receive the assault first. Be that as it may, Zedekiah, by despising his oath, as we will see, revolted to the Egyptians. When Nebuchadnezzar later demanded tribute, Zedekiah refused, relying on the covenant he had made with the Egyptians.

We now see how foolish the Jews were in being carelessly complacent in that miserable state to which they had been reduced. For when their power was unbroken, they could not sustain the attack of the king of Babylon; their king was then merely a figurehead, nothing but a shadow. Yet they indulged in pride not only against Nebuchadnezzar but also against the Prophets and God Himself, as if they were flourishing in wealth, power, and complete prosperity.

Therefore, Ezekiel now refutes and rebukes this arrogance. He shows how easy it was for the Babylonians to overthrow them again, since when they had previously attacked them, the Jews were easily subdued and compelled to surrender.

But I come to the words Son of man, set forth in enigma. The noun and the verb correspond to each other; therefore, if one wishes, one could render the Prophet’s words by saying, “enigmatize an enigma.” For the Prophet here speaks of allegorical language; חידה (chideh) signifies the same as “allegory,” where the words are different from the meaning—that is, where the meaning is wrapped up in obscure complexities. We know, however, that God sometimes spoke enigmatically when unwilling to be understood by the impious and disbelieving.

But here the obscurity of the sentence has another purpose: namely, that the Jews should be awakened, and this prophecy should penetrate their minds. We know their extreme stubbornness, and therefore, if the Prophet had spoken simply and in his accustomed language, they would not have been so attentive. This, therefore, is the reason God orders him to speak enigmatically.

He now adds, משל ומשל (vemeshel meshel). We know that meshel is a remarkable sentence and is the word used by Solomon as the title of his proverbs. משל (meshel), then, means the same as a maxim; but it is sometimes understood as likeness. In this place, God denounces destruction upon the Israelites in an allegory in such a way as to illustrate His language with a comparison, since otherwise it would have been obscure.

Be this as it may, God prefaced His address in such a way that the Jews might acknowledge the message to be no common one, but that it should affect them seriously. The usual reason for speaking enigmatically—namely, that the Jews were unworthy of the doctrine of salvation—does not apply here, since the Prophet will very shortly explain what he had previously uttered in figure and allegory.

It is indeed true that Christ spoke in parables to the people because the disciples alone were capable of direct and clear teaching. Of unbelievers, also, Isaiah says, Prophecy shall be to you a sealed book. Hence I will speak with this people in a strange and barbarous tongue, and they shall not proceed beyond the rudiments (Matthew 13; Mark 4; Luke 8; Isaiah 29:11–12).

But, as I have said, the obscurity of this teaching was only a preparation, so that the people would pay close attention to the subject set before them here.