John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 6:5

"And I will lay the dead bodies of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars." — Ezekiel 6:5 (ASV)

By these words, the Prophet indicates that God’s wrath would be made clear, because he imprints certain marks by which it could be judged that the Israelites had provoked his anger, since they had departed from the pure and genuine order of the law. He says, therefore, I will place the carcases of the sons of Israel before their idols, when the carcasses were so mixed with the idols, from this it became apparent that God was deeply offended.

For we know that it was detestable in all sacrifices for either human bones or carcasses to be joined with the victims. Consequently, the religion of the Israelites was openly condemned by this sign, so that unless they had been utterly blind, they would have to acknowledge all their worship to have been abominable.

We understand, therefore, God’s purpose when he says, that he would cast the carcases of the sons of Israel before their idols: it is as if he had said, I will defile all your rites that seem sacred to you, and I will make them stink even before the unbelievers.

But how? For the altar is polluted by contact with a carcass; yet the carcasses shall be cast there, so that the contagion may spread to the altars.

And I will sprinkle, he says, your bones around your altars. Lastly, he indicates that he would profane with their own carcasses those sacred rites which the Israelites had fabricated for themselves. By this, it is understood that they would be doubly disgraced, as they defiled by these pollutants what they had thought beautiful.

The Prophets constantly proclaimed that these rites were folly and an abomination, yet those who were attached to these superstitions still pleased themselves. Therefore, when God’s servants achieved nothing with their sacred admonitions, at last tangible proof was given: their altars were polluted, and that by their own defilement.

For in this, God’s remarkable vengeance was revealed, as I have said previously.