John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 6:13

"And ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the places where they offered sweet savor to all their idols." — Ezekiel 6:13 (ASV)

Now he again announces that they will know what they have long neglected. But here a different knowledge from the former seems to be indicated; for he recently said that they should remember in such a way as to be ashamed, and acknowledge that the slaughters predicted by the Prophets had not been in vain. However, here he mentions nothing of this kind, but only speaks of that experiential knowledge which is common to the ungodly.

And indeed, this doctrine seems to be extended indiscriminately to all the common people. For although for the most part they did not benefit from it, yet all perceived that God was a judge, because the proof of His vengeance was so clear and conspicuous that they were compelled to feel, whether they wanted to or not, that their punishment was just.

We may perceive, then, that the Prophet intends the phrase—then you will know, etc.,—in a wide sense, because he addresses all the Israelites without exception, even those who would perish. For, as we said, such was the character of that knowledge that it only frightened them and did not bend them to humility.

And truly, the words that follow show only the terrible vengeance of God—when they will be slain, he says (that is, will fall) near their idols—but, as we have said, they would more clearly acknowledge God’s vengeance from this fact: that He rendered their false gods an object of ridicule.

But, as I have said before, the Prophet uses a contemptuous name when speaking of idols. Therefore, since they fell near their idols—under whose confidence and protection they thought they would always be safe—and since the idols themselves were thus involved in the condemnation, this made God’s vengeance more manifest.

And this is the reason, as I have previously suggested, why the Prophet enters into these details. What follows serves the same purpose—namely, the circuit of all their altars. This, then, was the profanation of all altars: being defiled by carcasses dragged over them and then sprinkled with human blood.

But he also points out the places where they worshipped false gods. For, as we have said, lofty places were chosen for them; but here he mentions lofty hills, and then the tops of the mountains. Moreover, as idol-worshippers multiplied for themselves various and numerous rites, when they grew tired of their high places, they resorted to shady valleys, for their altars were under trees, where they offered incense.

The Prophet therefore pronounces that there was no place that God did not condemn with infamy. Therefore, when he says that the incense had a pleasing smell, the opposite is undoubtedly intended, since this incense was detestable to God: just as an unchaste woman who desires to please an adulterer provokes her husband’s wrath, so God here silently complains that He was provoked by that detestable incense with which the Israelites wished and desired to gratify their idols.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, since You not only present to us this day the ancient examples of Your anger, by which we may be kept within Your pure and perfect worship, but also have so clearly manifested Yourself to us, through Your only-begotten Son, that we cannot go astray unless we are completely irrational—grant, I pray, that we may be not only teachable and moral, but attentive to that doctrine which is contained in Your gospel, so that we may be directed by this perfect light, until we at last arrive at the full and solid communion with the Sun of Righteousness, Christ, Your Son.—Amen.