John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 7:4

"And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity; but I will bring thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah." — Ezekiel 7:4 (ASV)

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.