John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 7

Ezekiel seems too verbose here, for he repeats the same sentiments almost in the same words. But the reason I have presented must be noted: if God had only given His commands briefly, when the people were not only slow to believe but also of a perverse disposition, His message would have proven cold and ineffective.

For this reason, as we have seen, he uses many words and now repeats the same ideas. He now changes his expression because he needed by all means to stimulate that laziness, or rather sluggishness, with which the people struggled. Another thing to be noted is that he did not come only once by God’s command to preach to the people, but he was often sent to rouse their minds. For if he had included in one message everything God had commanded, the Israelites might have thought of God’s judgment for a time, but a prophecy uttered only once would have easily escaped them. Besides, when Ezekiel testifies that he was sent by God, and afterwards returns and affirms that he brings new commands, this was more effective in influencing their minds.

Now we see the meaning of the phrase, the word was given by Jehovah. For this prophecy is distinguished from the former, and yet the subject matter is the same, with no difference, as it seems to be part of the same discourse. This is indeed true, but he had to be sent twice so that the people might understand that what he heard from God’s mouth was to be repeated not only once, but twice and continually. This was because it was sufficiently clear that God was anxious for their safety, as He never ceased to exhort them.

Thus, therefore, says the Lord Jehovah concerning the land of Israel: an end is coming, an end upon the four corners of the land. Here God seems to refer to the moderate punishments He had already inflicted on the kingdom of Israel. For we know that they often felt God’s hand, but when some respite was given to them, they thought they had escaped. So they forgot their wickedness and continued in it so carelessly that it was very clear they despised God, except when He oppressed them with His dreadful power.

This seems to be the meaning of the word end, and it is emphatically repeated: an end is coming, an end upon the four corners of the land. He indeed speaks of 'wings,' but intends this metaphorically for the four different regions. God, therefore, rebukes the Israelites for their obstinacy because, though often chastised, they did not stop transgressing, not supposing that anything more grievous could happen.

He therefore uses the word end, as if He said, 'Until now I have treated you moderately.' And surely God had shown a remarkable example of mercy in punishing the Israelites so lightly when He could have utterly cut them off.

Therefore, since He had restrained Himself so much in punishing, the sluggishness of the people was all the more intolerable for that reason, as they thought everything was over as soon as God withdrew His hand.

An end, He says, an end is come; that is, after this you must not hope for any moderation. 'I see there is no hope of repentance in you, and so I will utterly consume you.' And He adds, on the four corners of the land, as He had just said, in all your dwellings. Again, therefore, He teaches that no part of the land will be free from the slaughter which He predicts.

He puts the word end a third time, and repeats it even a fourth and a fifth time. From this we gather that those miserable people, although admonished more than enough by both teaching and experience, were still like brute animals, so that they always promised themselves some way of escape, and were not struck by the fear with which the Prophet sought to strike them.

They did not think that an end was really coming, but said, "Oh! Something will remain; some will escape." And this, therefore, was their pride. Therefore, the Prophet does not repeat the same word in vain: Now, he says, the end is come. When he says, the end has come, he signifies that the Israelites vainly and foolishly trusted in the future, because they had not yet experienced extreme severity.

God, as He had said, had been lenient with them regarding punishment. What then did they do? When they perceived such forbearance in God, they thought that it would always be so. Therefore, the Prophet marks the difference between the past and future, as if to say that God’s vengeance, as they had formerly known it, was moderate, but now nothing else remained but for God to utterly tear them up and consume them.

Now, therefore, there is an end concerning you. Previously, the Prophet had spoken in the third person, but now he was directing his message to the whole land of Israel. Concerning the four corners of the land, he had said, Now, he says, the end comes upon you.

Then he adds, I will send My indignation upon you. God indeed had given signs of His anger, but He had not been so severe that the Israelites ceased from flattering themselves.

When, therefore, the Prophet speaks of God’s own indignation, it undoubtedly signifies that God was so offended that He would not restrain Himself as He had formerly done.

This is also the meaning of the following words: I will judge you according to your ways. They had been judged previously, but only in part, for God had given them time for repentance, if they had been curable. But now, when God measures their judgment against their sins, He means that nothing was lacking for extreme severity.

And God explains this more clearly at the end of the verse: I will put upon you all your abominations; that is, I will cast your own burden upon you. For although God had begun to exact just punishment for their superstitions, they had not yet suffered a burden greater than they deserved. Therefore, God now pronounces that all their abominations should come upon their own heads, so that they would be utterly buried.

In other words, he reinforces his own declaration, that God will not spare them, nor will he be persuaded. For when hypocrites hear the praises of God which are assigned to him in Scripture, namely, that he is merciful and long-suffering (Numbers 14:18; Psalms 103:8), they seize upon them and fashion for themselves the material of foolish and perverse confidence.

God here pronounces that his pity would not be accessible to the wicked, who persist in repelling it far from them. And this is noteworthy, because nothing is more natural than to be intoxicated with false hope when we hear that God is merciful, unless we know for what purpose he testifies this concerning himself: namely, that sinners may turn to him, and may fearlessly call upon him, and implore his mercy, of which they have such remarkable testimony.

But hypocrites always become worse, while at the same time they wish God to be favorable to them. Therefore, when he says, his eye will not spare, neither would he pity them, his intention must be observed: that wicked and ungodly men should not think his clemency is prepared for them, to which they have previously shut the door.

Because I will put your ways upon you — that is, I will cast your wickedness against you. We see then that the people’s sins were placed before them, and, as it were, lay there as long as God spared them. Now, therefore, he first indicates that they should have no cause for quarrel or complaint, because he will cast against them the iniquities which they had heaped upon him.

Then he also silently accuses them of false security, because they never could be brought to repentance while God sustained and tolerated their sins. And your abominations, he says, shall be in the midst of you. They were so from the first, as far as their guilt was concerned, but God had not yet poured out his anger.

He says, therefore, your abominations shall be in the midst of you, because it would then become clear that their obstinacy against God would not go unpunished. Again he repeats, you shall know that I am Jehovah.

It is quite clear that by their obstinacy they compelled God to speak in this way, since they despised Ezekiel. But although they pretended to some piety, it cannot be doubted that they would despise God himself.

Therefore, he sharply reproves their impiety, because they denied that God was God whenever they withdrew their confidence from the teaching of the holy man.

If we read אחת (acheth) or אחר (acher), the sense seems to me the same—an evil, another evil has come: that is, one evil has come from another, or one evil has come followed by another. In other words, when one evil has come, another will soon follow.

Some explain it in a way that seems harsh and unsatisfactory to me: one evil has come, and this evil is so severe that at its first impulse it is sufficient for complete slaughter—so subtly do they explain it.

But it seems to me that the Prophet's sense flows best as follows: one evil shall come upon another. This means there will be no end to God heaping evils upon evils until the very name of the whole people becomes extinct. And this appears to me to be said so that the Israelites should not, in their usual way, suppose themselves safe if God gives them a short respite.

For when a slight intermission happens, the impious erect their crests and keep up their spirits, thinking that God is at peace with them. Since, therefore, hypocrites take any intermission as if they had made their peace with God, the Prophet therefore says, one evil shall come upon another. It follows—

The whole context has the same meaning: namely, that although the Israelites are deaf, they are compelled to pay attention to God’s continued threats. The Prophet, therefore, strikes their ears because he was not immediately heeded, and again he speaks of the end: An end is come, he says, an end is come. Here Ezekiel does not strive to use graceful figures of speech but was rather compelled by necessity to use the repetitions we see.

For the end about which he speaks had difficulty penetrating their minds, as they were always supposing that God could be appeased by various means. Therefore, since they assured themselves that something would remain and dismissed what the Prophet taught about the end, he had no choice but to threaten them often, though he could scarcely persuade them.

Hence, An end is come, an end is come: it has been watchful against you; behold, it is come. When he says it has watched, he signifies haste. This is not because God had suddenly avenged the wickedness of the ten tribes, but rather, it is in response to the lethargy of those who indulged in a vain confidence and dreamed that God’s judgment was far distant.

That diabolical proverb — "Le terme vaut l’argent," is still common in the mouths of many, and such impiety has been prevalent in all ages.

Therefore, when God suspends His judgments, the reprobate boast excessively, as if they could continue in sin with impunity. For this reason, the Prophet says, The end is watching—that is, hastening—because although God had delayed, He would no longer refrain from destroying the Israelites.