John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 6:11

"Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Smite with thy hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas! because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel; for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence." — Ezekiel 6:11 (ASV)

This confirms what we have previously seen concerning the slaughter of the ten tribes. The kingdom of Israel had indeed been afflicted, but because those remaining in their own country thought themselves free from further calamity, and gave themselves up to their idolatries more and more, it was therefore necessary that final destruction should be denounced against them.

Since, then, words moved them but little, God adds a sign, according to His custom in obstinate cases.

He orders the Prophet to show that the land was cursed by clapping his hands and by extending his legs and feet. Divide, therefore, your feet; for this is what men are accustomed to do when they denounce something gravely, or burn with indignation: they extend their legs in opposite directions; so I have rendered it verbally separate your feet: the clapping of the hands has the same purpose.

God wishes by this gesture that His word should be confirmed, not for the Prophet's sake, but for the sake of the obstinacy of those who were deaf to all words, as we have said.

Hence we truly comprehend how great was the stupidity of men, who, when God was thundering from heaven, yet remain secure, and do not cease to follow after their own desires: even when God inspires terror, they do nothing but laugh — this is monstrous.

And yet we see it was an old disease, and I wish we today were free from what Ezekiel experienced.

Lastly, it is just as if he had been commanded to bring the Israelites into his presence. When, therefore, he was commanded to cry, Alas! or, Oh! upon all the abominations of the house of Israel, there is no doubt that his gesture as well as his exclamation ought to be effective. The reason also is added — that all shall perish by sword, pestilence, and famine.

We have said that these three kinds of punishment are always proposed, not because God strikes the despisers of His law with pestilence, the sword, and famine only, but because this method is more known and more common. God has innumerable hidden methods of punishing transgressors; but since, as I have said, this scourge is more used, therefore the Prophets more frequently mention it.

The result is that destruction was near for the kingdom of Israel, which they had never thought of, because God avenges the wickedness of His people not only by war, but also by pestilence and famine. Sometimes, by the figure of a part for the whole, these three punishments also comprehend others.

And we know with how many miseries war is filled; for when men once begin to take up arms, the gate is opened to robberies and plundering, burnings, slaughters, debaucheries, and all violence. In war, all humanity and fairness are buried.

Then, as for famine, we know that it usually makes men ravenous. In pestilence, the husband will desert the wife, every family is invaded by death, orphanhood afflicts one, and widowhood another.

Since, therefore, these scourges of God bring with them infinite miseries, it is not to be wondered at if the Prophets use war, pestilence, and famine for brevity, when they signify that those who provoke God too long shall perish.

Now follows a clearer explanation —