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1 Moreouer the Spirit lift me vp, and brought me vnto the East gate of the Lords house, which looketh Eastward: and behold at the doore of the gate fiue and twenty men; among whom I saw Iaazaniah the sonne of Azur, and Pelatiah the sonne of Benaiah, Princes of the people.
2 Then said he vnto me; Sonne of man, these are the men that deuise mischiefe, & giue wicked counsel in this city.
3 Which say, It is not neere, let vs build houses: this citie is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
4 ¶ Therefore prophecie against them, prophecie, O sonne of man.
5 And the Spirit of the Lord fell vpon me, and said vnto me, Speake, thus saith the Lord; Thus haue ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your minde, euery one of them.
6 Ye haue multiplyed your slaine in this citie, and yee haue filled the streetes thereof with the slaine.
7 Therefore thus sayth the Lord God; Your slaine whom ye haue laid in the middest of it, they are the flesh, and this citie is the cauldron: but I wil bring you foorth out of the middest of it.
8 Ye haue feared the sword, and I will bring a sword vpon you, saith the Lord God.
9 And I will bring you out of the middest thereof, and deliuer you into the hands of strangers, and will execute iudgements among you.
10 Yee shall fall by the sword, I will iudge you in the border of Israel, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
11 This citie shall not be your cauldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the middest thereof, but I will iudge you in the border of Israel.
12 And ye shall know that I am the Lord: for yee haue not walked in my statutes, neither executed my iudgements, but haue done after the maners of the heathen that are round about you.
13 ¶ And it came to passe, when I prophecied, that Pelatiah the sonne of Benaiah died: then fell I downe vpon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said; Ah Lord God, wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?
14 Againe the word of the Lord came vnto me, saying;
15 Sonne of man, thy brethren, euen thy brethren, the men of thy kinred, and all the house of Israel wholly are they, vnto whom the inhabitants of Ierusalem haue sayd; Get yee farre from the Lord: vnto vs is this land giuen in possession.
16 Therefore say, Thus sayth the Lord God; Although I haue cast them farre off among the heathen, and although I haue scattered them among the countreys, yet will I be to them as a little Sanctuarie in the countreys where they shall come.
17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will euen gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countreys where ye haue beene scattered, and I will giue you the land of Israel.
18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof, and all the abominations thereof from thence.
19 And I wil giue them one heart, and I wil put a new spirit within you: and I will take the stonie heart out of their flesh, and will giue them an heart of flesh,
20 That they may walke in my statutes, and keepe mine ordinances, and doe them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things, and their abominations, I wil recompense their way vpon their owne heads, saith the Lord God.
22 ¶ Then did the Cherubims lift vp their wings, and the wheeles besides them, and the glory of the God of Israel was ouer them aboue.
23 And the glory of the Lord went vp from the middest of the citie, and stood vpon the mountaine, which is on the East side of the citie.
24 ¶ Afterwards the spirit tooke me vp, and brought me in vision by the spirit of God into Caldea to them of the captiuity: so the vision that I had seene, went vp from me.
25 Then I spake vnto them of the captiuity, all the things that the Lord had shewed me.
Divine judgments against the wicked at Jerusalem. (1-13) Divine favour towards those in captivity. (14-21) The Divine presence forsakes the city. (22-25)1-13 Where Satan cannot persuade men to look upon the judgment to come as uncertain, he gains his point by persuading them to look upon it as at a distance. These wretched rulers dare to say, We are as safe in this city as flesh in a boiling pot; the walls of the city shall be to us as walls of brass, we shall receive no more damage from the besiegers than the caldron does from the fire. When sinners flatter themselves to their own ruin, it is time to tell them they shall have no peace if they go on. None shall remain in possession of the city but those who are buried in it. Those are least safe who are most secure. God is often pleased to single out some sinners for warning to others. Whether Pelatiah died at that time in Jerusalem, or when the fulfilment of the prophecy drew near, is uncertain. Like Ezekiel, we ought to be much affected with the sudden death of others, and we should still plead with the Lord to have mercy on those who remain.
14-21 The pious captives in Babylon were insulted by the Jews who continued in Jerusalem; but God made gracious promises to them. It is promised, that God will give them one heart; a heart firmly fixed for God, and not wavering. All who are made holy have a new spirit, a new temper and dispositions; they act from new principles, walk by new rules, and aim at new ends. A new name, or a new face, will not serve without a new spirit. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. The carnal heart, like a stone, cannot be made to feel. Men live among the dead and dying, and are neither concerned nor humbled. He will make their hearts tender and fit to receive impressions: this is God's work, it is his gift by promise; and a wonderful and happy change is wrought by it, from death to life. Their practices shall be agreeable to those principles. These two must and will go together. When the sinner feels his need of these blessings, let him present the promises as prayers in the name of Christ, they will be performed.
22-25 Here is the departure of God's presence from the city and temple. It was from the Mount of Olives that the vision went up, typifying the ascension of Christ to heaven from that very mountain. Though the Lord will not forsake his people, yet he may be driven away from any part of his visible church by their sins, and woe will be upon them when He withdraws his presence, glory, and protection.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.