Ezekiel 21:4

Translation
King James Version
Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
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KJV (with Strong's)
Seeing H3282 then that I will cut off H3772 from thee the righteous H6662 and the wicked H7563, therefore shall my sword H2719 go forth H3318 out of his sheath H8593 against all flesh H1320 from the south H5045 to the north H6828:
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Complete Jewish Bible
Since I am going to rid you of both righteous and evildoers, my sword will also go out of its scabbard against everyone, from the Negev to the north.
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Berean Standard Bible
Because I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked, My sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.
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American Standard Version
Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
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World English Bible Messianic
Seeing then that I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
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Geneva Bible (1599)
Seeing then that I will cut off from thee both the righteous and wicked, therefore shall my sworde goe out of his sheath against all flesh from the South to the North,
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Young's Literal Translation
Because that I have cut off from thee righteous and wicked, Therefore go out doth My sword from its scabbard, Unto all flesh, from south to north.
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See also
Ezekiel 20:47Ezekiel 7:2Ezekiel 6:11Ezekiel 6:14
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Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Ezekiel 21:4 unveils a terrifying pronouncement of divine judgment against Judah and Jerusalem, revealing God's unwavering resolve to execute a comprehensive and devastating calamity. Through the powerful metaphor of a drawn sword, the Lord declares that His judgment will sweep across the entire land, affecting both the righteous and the wicked in its immediate, temporal impact. This stark declaration underscores the severity of the nation's pervasive rebellion and the imminence of its destruction by the Babylonian forces, leaving no corner of the land untouched.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Ezekiel 21 is a pivotal chapter within the larger prophetic book, often referred to as the "Sword Song" or "Sword of the Lord." It immediately follows a series of oracles concerning Jerusalem's impending destruction and the defilement of the Temple, as seen in Ezekiel 8-11, and a parable of the two eagles and the vine in Ezekiel 17 depicting the treachery of Judah's kings. This chapter specifically amplifies the theme of judgment, using the vivid imagery of a sharpened, unsheathed sword to symbolize God's instrument of wrath. Verse 4 is a direct and chilling declaration within this extended oracle, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of the coming devastation that will spare no one within the land, setting the stage for the detailed description of the sword's path and purpose in the subsequent verses of Ezekiel 21. The oracle continues to build in intensity, with God commanding Ezekiel to prophesy against Jerusalem and the land of Israel, preparing the people for the inevitable.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: The prophet Ezekiel ministered during the Babylonian exile, which began with the first deportation in 597 BC. His primary audience included both the exiles in Babylon and those remaining in Jerusalem. At this time, Jerusalem was either under siege or facing imminent destruction by Nebuchadnezzar's forces, with the final fall occurring in 586 BC. Despite repeated warnings and previous deportations, the people in Judah, particularly the leadership and false prophets, clung to a false sense of security, believing Jerusalem and its Temple were inviolable due to God's presence there. This belief was rooted in a misinterpretation of God's covenant promises and a failure to acknowledge their persistent idolatry, injustice, and moral decay, as detailed in passages like Ezekiel 8. Ezekiel's prophecies, including this verse, were designed to shatter this delusion, demonstrating that God's judgment was not merely a foreign invasion but a divine act against a rebellious people. The geographical markers "from the south to the north" would resonate deeply with the audience, signifying the full extent of their land, from the Negeb desert to the northern reaches of their territory.
  • Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Ezekiel and the broader prophetic corpus. Foremost is the theme of Divine Judgment and Sovereignty, as God explicitly states, "I will cut off" and "my sword shall go forth," asserting His direct agency and ultimate control over the unfolding historical events. The startling declaration that "I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked" highlights the theme of Corporate Judgment, where the physical consequences of national sin affect all within the community, regardless of individual moral standing. This does not negate God's ultimate spiritual distinction between individuals, as clearly articulated in Ezekiel 18, but emphasizes the shared temporal suffering of a nation under judgment. The "sword" itself is a potent Metaphor for Divine Wrath and War, a recurring motif throughout the Old Testament, signifying the inevitable and destructive consequences of unrepentant rebellion against God. This passage shatters any illusion of immunity, emphasizing the Holiness of God and His unwavering commitment to justice, even against His own covenant people, demonstrating that His covenant does not preclude righteous discipline for persistent sin.

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • cut off (Hebrew, kârath', H3772): This primitive root (H3772) means "to cut (off, down or asunder)." By implication, it can mean to destroy or consume. Significantly, it is also used to describe the act of covenant-making (originally by cutting flesh and passing between pieces), which ironically underscores the breaking of the covenant by Judah. In Ezekiel 21:4, its use emphasizes a decisive, irreversible removal or severance, signifying the complete destruction and removal of the people from their land, whether through death or exile. It underscores the finality and severity of God's judgment, a complete and utter termination of their presence in the promised land.
  • sword (Hebrew, chereb', H2719): Derived from a root meaning "drought" (H2719), this noun refers to a cutting instrument, specifically a sword, knife, or other sharp implement, from its destructive effect. In prophetic literature, the "sword" is a powerful and frequent symbol of divine judgment, war, and devastation. Here, it is not merely a human weapon but "my sword," belonging to God, indicating that the impending destruction is directly orchestrated by Him as an instrument of His righteous wrath. Its destructive power is directly linked to its capacity for "cutting," reinforcing the action implied by kârath.
  • righteous (Hebrew, tsaddîyq'), wicked (Hebrew, râshâʻ', H6662): These two terms (H6662 and H7563, respectively) represent the moral poles of humanity. Tsaddîyq denotes someone who is just, lawful, or righteous, adhering to God's standards. Râshâʻ describes someone morally wrong, an actively bad person, guilty, or ungodly. The shocking juxtaposition in this verse—that God will cut off both—highlights the indiscriminate nature of the temporal national judgment. While God always distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked in terms of eternal destiny and spiritual standing, the physical calamities of war and exile would sweep across the entire population, affecting all who resided in the land. This emphasizes the pervasive nature of the national sin that necessitated such a comprehensive judgment.

Verse Breakdown

  • "Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked,": This opening clause establishes the divine decree and its astonishing scope. The phrase "Seeing then that" (Hebrew: yaʻan) indicates the reason or cause for the action, linking it to the nation's pervasive sin and rebellion, though the specific offenses are not enumerated in this verse. The direct declaration "I will cut off" (Hebrew: kârath) emphasizes God's active agency and sovereign initiation of the impending judgment. The most jarring and unsettling aspect is the inclusion of "the righteous and the wicked," signaling that the immediate, physical consequences of the national catastrophe—war, famine, exile, and death—would be so pervasive that no inhabitant of the land, regardless of their individual moral standing, would be exempt from the temporal suffering. This does not negate God's ultimate justice or His ability to preserve individuals spiritually, but it underscores the corporate nature of the judgment on the land for its collective apostasy.
  • "therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath": This clause reveals the instrument and the unyielding resolve of God's judgment. "Therefore" links the preceding statement to the action, showing the direct consequence of the nation's state. "My sword" explicitly identifies the instrument of destruction as belonging to God, emphasizing His sovereignty and direct involvement in orchestrating the impending invasion. The vivid imagery of the sword "going forth out of his sheath" (Hebrew: yâtsâʼ from taʻar) signifies that it is fully drawn, ready for battle, and unstoppable. It conveys a sense of finality, an unyielding commitment to execute judgment without hesitation or retreat, implying that the time for repentance has passed and the decree is immutable.
  • "against all flesh from the south to the north:": This concluding phrase defines the comprehensive reach of the impending devastation. "Against all flesh" (Hebrew: bâsâr) signifies every person, every living being within the land, emphasizing the totality and universality of the judgment. This is not a partial or limited punishment but one that encompasses the entire population. The geographical markers "from the south to the north" (Hebrew: negeb to tsâphôwn) represent the entire expanse of Judah, from its southernmost borders to its northernmost points. This merism underscores that no part of the land, and no one within it, would escape the sweeping judgment, reinforcing the idea of a complete and inescapable divine reckoning.

Literary Devices

Ezekiel 21:4 is rich in literary devices that amplify its message of impending doom and divine resolve. The most prominent is Metaphor, where "my sword" is a powerful representation of God's divine wrath and the instrument of His judgment, specifically the Babylonian army. This sword is further enhanced by Personification, as it is depicted as actively "going forth out of his sheath," suggesting an almost sentient, unstoppable force unleashed by God, imbued with His purpose and power. The phrase "from the south to the north" employs Merism, a rhetorical device where two contrasting parts represent the whole, effectively conveying the idea of a total, comprehensive judgment across the entire land of Judah, leaving no region untouched. The startling declaration that God will "cut off... the righteous and the wicked" contains an element of Paradox or Hyperbole, emphasizing the extreme and pervasive nature of the national calamity, which would sweep up all inhabitants in its immediate temporal consequences, even if individual spiritual distinctions remained in God's ultimate reckoning. This shock factor serves to underscore the profound depth of the nation's sin and the severity of God's response.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Ezekiel 21:4 profoundly illustrates God's unyielding commitment to justice and holiness, even when it involves severe judgment upon His own covenant people. It challenges the simplistic notion that righteousness guarantees temporal immunity from national calamity. While God ultimately distinguishes between the righteous and the wicked in terms of eternal destiny and individual accountability, this verse highlights the corporate nature of judgment for widespread national sin. The suffering of the righteous alongside the wicked in such a context serves as a sobering reminder of the interconnectedness of a community and the pervasive consequences of societal rebellion against God. It underscores that God's sovereignty extends over all aspects of history, using even pagan nations as instruments of His righteous indignation against sin, demonstrating that His justice will prevail over all unrighteousness.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

Ezekiel 21:4 serves as a potent reminder of the gravity of sin and the unwavering justice of God. While believers today live under the New Covenant of grace, the principles of God's character revealed here remain eternally true: He is holy, just, and will not tolerate unrepentant rebellion indefinitely. This passage calls us to a profound humility and a serious examination of our own lives and the societies in which we live. It urges us not to presume upon God's grace or to believe that our individual piety will always shield us from the temporal consequences of a fallen world or the collective sins of our communities. Instead, it compels us to cultivate true righteousness, to intercede fervently for our nations, and to trust in God's ultimate plan, even when His ways are mysterious or painful. It reminds us that true security is found not in earthly structures or perceived immunity, but in a steadfast relationship with the sovereign Lord who holds all things in His hand, and whose justice is as sure as His mercy.

Questions for Reflection

  • How does the idea of "the righteous and the wicked" being cut off challenge my understanding of divine justice and individual accountability in a corporate context?
  • What does the imagery of God's "sword" reveal about His character and His unyielding response to pervasive sin?
  • In what ways might a community's collective sin bring about consequences that affect everyone, even those striving for righteousness within it?
  • How should this passage shape my prayers for my nation and my commitment to living righteously and advocating for justice within it?

FAQ

Why would God cut off the righteous with the wicked?

Answer: This verse highlights the corporate nature of judgment for widespread national sin. While God always distinguishes between individuals in terms of their eternal destiny and spiritual standing (as seen in Ezekiel 18), the physical consequences of a national catastrophe like war, famine, or exile often affect all inhabitants of a land, regardless of their personal piety. The righteous may suffer temporally alongside the wicked, not as a sign of God's injustice, but as an unavoidable consequence of living within a rebellious society under divine judgment. It underscores the severity of the nation's sin and the pervasive nature of its consequences, demonstrating that the land itself becomes "unclean" and must be purged.

What does 'the sword of the Lord' symbolize in this context?

Answer: The "sword of the Lord" is a powerful and recurring metaphor in prophetic literature. In Ezekiel 21:4, it symbolizes God's divine wrath, judgment, and the instrument He uses to execute His justice. While it literally refers to the invading Babylonian army, it emphasizes that this invasion is not merely a geopolitical event but a direct act orchestrated by God Himself. It conveys the idea of an unstoppable, devastating force unleashed by God against a rebellious people, signifying the finality and severity of His judgment. It represents the active, decisive, and inescapable nature of God's retribution for unrepentant sin.

How does this prophecy relate to the New Covenant or Christian understanding?

Answer: While Ezekiel 21:4 describes a specific historical judgment under the Old Covenant, its underlying principles remain relevant. It underscores God's unchanging holiness, His justice, and the seriousness of sin. Under the New Covenant, the ultimate "cutting off" or separation is spiritual, between those who are in Christ and those who are not. Believers are saved from the wrath to come through Christ's atoning sacrifice (Romans 5:9). However, the passage reminds us that even in a fallen world, nations and individuals can still experience temporal consequences for widespread unrighteousness, and that God remains sovereign over all history, working out His purposes, even through difficult circumstances. It also foreshadows the ultimate, perfect judgment Christ will execute at the end of time.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Ezekiel 21:4, with its terrifying imagery of God's sword cutting off both righteous and wicked, finds its ultimate theological resolution and profound transformation in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament judgment on Judah was indiscriminate in its temporal sweep, Christ's work on the cross provided the definitive means by which the righteous are eternally distinguished and preserved from divine wrath. The "sword" of God's judgment, which threatened to consume all, was ultimately sheathed in the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, who bore the full weight of sin for humanity. Jesus, the truly righteous One, was "cut off" from the land of the living (Isaiah 53:8) so that all who believe in Him might not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). He became sin for us, though He knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Ultimately, while Ezekiel's sword brought temporal devastation to a nation, Christ's return will wield a different kind of sword—the "sharp sword" of His mouth (Revelation 19:15)—to execute a final, perfect, and eternally discriminate judgment, separating the sheep from the goats (Matthew 25:31-46), ensuring that true righteousness is eternally vindicated and wickedness finally condemned.

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Commentary on Ezekiel 21 verses 1–7

The prophet had faithfully delivered the message he was entrusted with, in the close of the foregoing chapter, in the terms wherein he received it, not daring to add his own comment upon it; but, when he complained that the people found fault with him for speaking parables, the word of the Lord came to him again, and gave him a key to that figurative discourse, that with it he might let the people into the meaning of it and so silence that objection. For all men shall be rendered inexcusable at God's bar and every mouth shall be stopped. Note, He that speaks with tongues should pray that he may interpret, Co1 14:13. When we speak to people about their souls we should study plainness, and express ourselves as we may be the best understood. Christ expounded his parables to his disciples, Mar 4:34. 1. The prophet is here more plainly directed against whom to level the arrow of this prophecy. He must drop his word towards the holy places (Eze 21:2), towards Canaan the holy land, Jerusalem the holy city, the temple the holy house. These were highly dignified above other places; but, when they polluted them, that word which used to drop in the holy places shall now drop against them: Prophesy against the land of Israel. It was the honour of Israel that it had prophets and prophecy; but these, being despised by them, are turned against them. And justly is Zion battered with her own artillery, which used to be employed against her adversaries, seeing she knew not how to value it. 2. He is instructed, and is to instruct the people, in the meaning of the fire that was threatened to consume the forest of the south: it signified a sword drawn, the sword of war which should make the land desolate (Eze 21:3): Behold, I am against thee, O land of Israel! There needs no more to make a people miserable than to have God against them; for as, if he be for us, we need not fear, whoever are against us, so, if he be against us, we cannot hope, whoever are for us. And God's professing people, when they revolt from him, set him against them, who used to be for them. Was the fire there of God's kindling? The sword here is his sword, which he has prepared, and which he will give commission to; it is he that will draw it out of its sheath, where it had laid quiet and threatened no harm. Note, When the sword is unsheathed among the nations God's hand must be eyed and owned in it. Did the fire devour every green tree and every dry tree? The sword in like manner shall cut off the righteous and the wicked. Good and bad were involved in the common calamities of the nation; the righteous were cut off from the land of Israel when they were sent captives in Babylon, though perhaps few or none of them were cut off from the land of the living; and it was a threatening omen to the land of Israel that in the beginning of its troubles such excellent men as Daniel and his fellows, and Ezekiel, were cut off from it and conveyed to Babylon. But though the sword cut off the righteous and the wicked (for it devours one as well as another, Sa2 11:25), yet far be it from us to think that the righteous are as the wicked, Gen 18:25. No; God's graces and comforts make a great difference when his providence seems to make none. The good figs are sent into Babylon for their good, Jer 24:5, Jer 24:6. It is only in outward appearance that there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked, Ecc 9:2. But it speaks the greatness of God's displeasure against the land of Israel. Well might it be said, His eye shall not spare, when it shall not spare, no, not the righteous in it. Since there are not righteous men sufficient to save the land, to make the justice of God the more illustrious the few that there are shall suffer with it, and God's mercy shall make it up to them some other way. Did the fire burn up all faces from the south to the north? The sword shall go forth against all flesh from the south to the north, shall go forth, as God's sword, with a commission that cannot be contested, with a force that cannot be resisted. Were all flesh made to know that God kindled the fire? They shall be made to know that he has drawn forth the sword, Eze 21:5. And, lastly, Shall the fire that is kindled never be quenched? So when this sword of the Lord is drawn against Judah and Jerusalem the scabbard is thrown away, and it shall never be sheathed: It shall not return any more, till it has made a full end. 3. The prophet is ordered, by expressions of his own grief and concern for these calamities that were coming on, to try to make impressions of the like upon the people. When he has delivered his message he must sigh (Eze 21:6), must fetch many deep sighs, with the breaking of his loins; he must sign as if his heart would burst, sigh with bitterness, with other expressions of bitter sorrow, and this publicly, in the sight of those to whom he delivered the foregoing message, that this might be a sermon to their eyes as that was to their ears; and it was well if both would work upon them. The prophet must sign, though it was painful to himself and made his breast sore, and though it is probable that the profane among the people would ridicule him for it and call him a whining canting preacher. But, if we be beside ourselves it is to God; and, if this be to be vile, we will be yet more so. Note, Ministers, if they would affect others with the things they speak of, must show that they are themselves in the greatest sincerity affected with them, and must submit to that which may create uneasiness to themselves, so that it will promote the ends of their ministry. The people, observing the prophet to sigh so much and seeing no visible occasion for it, would ask, "Wherefore sighest thou? These sighs have some mystical meaning; let us know what it is." And he must answer them (Eze 21:7): "It is for the tidings, the heavy tidings, that we shall hear shortly; the tidings come (the judgments come which we hear the tidings of), they come apace, and then you will all sigh; nay, that will not serve. every heart shall melt and every spirit fail; your courage will all be gone and you will have no animating considerations to support yourselves with. And, when heart and spirit fail, it will follow of course that all hands will be feeble and unable to fight, and all knees will be weak as water and unable to flee or to stand their ground." Those who have God for them when flesh and heart fail have him to be the strength of their heart; but those who have God against them have no cordial for a fainting spirit, but are as Belshazzar when his thoughts troubled him, Dan 5:6. But some people are worse frightened than hurt; may not the case be so here and the event prove better than likely? No: Behold it cometh, and shall be brought to pass. It is not a bugbear that they are frightened with, but according to the fear so is the wrath, and more grievous than is feared.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–7. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 35, 36, and following) And I will bring you into a desert of peoples, and there I will judge you face to face. Just as I contended with your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, says the Lord. And I will subject you to my scepter, and I will bring you into the bonds of the covenant, and I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked: from their place of residence I will bring them out, and they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. Thus says the Lord: I will do for you who are in Babylon, and now serve idols, what I did for your ancestors in Egypt. I will lead you into the desert of the peoples, and there I will judge you face to face, just as I contended with them in judgment when they came out of Egypt. And after I have judged you, I will subject you to my scepter and rule, and I will make a covenant with you and bring you into your land with the bonds of love, so that bound by my love, you will never be able to depart from me. But I will choose from among you the transgressors and the wicked, who persist in the hardness of their hearts in evil deeds, not for possession, but for rejection. And I will indeed bring them out of the land of their dwelling, so that when they are brought out, they will not enter the land of Israel; but they will perish in various regions. And by the distinction between good and evil, you shall know that I am the Lord, who judges all things. The rest of the discourse hastens, and we briefly go through each point, in order to provide only the meaning to the readers.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Chapter 21, Verse 1 onwards) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and drop toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel, and say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, and I will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. Seeing then that I will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked: therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh, from the south to the north. And all flesh shall know that I am the Lord, for I have drawn my sword out of its sheath, the sword that cannot be returned. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Therefore, son of man, prophesy and set your face against Jerusalem, and behold their sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel, and say to the land of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, and I will draw my sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. Thus my sword will go forth from its sheath over all flesh from the South to the North, and all flesh will know that I, the Lord, have brought forth my sword from its sheath; it will not return again. For as it was said before: They say of me, is not this one speaking in parables? And the people demanded a clear judgment: therefore what the Lord spoke metaphorically or in parable, and as others interpret, as a proverb, he now speaks more clearly, that the desert of Nageb and Darom and Theman are Jerusalem, and its temple, the Holy of Holies, and all the land of Judah; and the flame which will consume the desert is to be understood as the devouring sword, which has been brought forth from its sheath, to strike down the righteous and the wicked. For this is a green wood and a dry wood. Hence the Lord says: If they do these things in the green wood, what will they do in the dry? (Luke 23:31) For this reason, I do not know what they were thinking, the Seventy interpreted it as unfair and unjust, as if both did not mean the same. And what he had said there: And all flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it, that is, the wood or the flame, and it shall not be extinguished, he speaks here in other words: That all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn forth my sword from its sheath never to be returned. For truly, the fire against Jerusalem is not extinguished, nor is the burning sword recalled, because there is little time in between, and Jerusalem with its temple is burned by the fire of Babylon.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Ver. 23, 24 onwards) Again, I raised my hand against them in the wilderness, to scatter them among the nations and disperse them in the lands, because they had not performed my judgments, and had rejected my commandments, and had violated my Sabbaths, and their eyes had been after the idols (or thoughts) of their fathers. Therefore, I also gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments in which they would not live, and I defiled them in their offerings (or transgressions), as they offered (or led astray) everything that opens the womb because of their sins (for which the Septuagint translated, to destroy them and what they had overlooked): and they will know that I am the Lord. Where in the Old Testament, against their children, who fell in the wilderness, the Lord lifted up His hand to scatter them among the nations, Scripture does not say; but it is to be believed that this was done in accordance with what is reported here. Or he signifies by this, that after they entered the promised land, they were given over at various times, for many sins, to different nations and kings, and at that time the commandments of the Lord, which were good according to their nature, and the judgments by which believers could live, were made not good for them, since they were in no way able to keep the precepts of the law in captivity, and to do what the divine word commanded. He did not say, 'I gave them evil commandments,' but, 'not good commandments.' For it does not immediately follow that what is not good is evil, as the Apostle teaches, it is good for a man not to touch a woman; but because of incontinence, let each possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor (I Cor. VII). And if he does not do this, it is neither good nor evil. Therefore, God gave them, dispersed among the nations, not good commandments, that is, he allowed them to follow their own thoughts and desires, to do what is not appropriate. And he defiled them in his gifts: just as a Priest separates lepers from the people, and shows that they are defiled; while they offer to idols what they should offer to God. And they pass everything that opens the womb through the fire of Baal, that is, the firstborn; so that after they have deserted God and been handed over to the worship of idols, then they may understand that He is the Lord whom they have provoked to anger by their own fault. Symmachus interpreted this passage more explicitly, treating the future as past. Therefore, I will also give them bad precepts and judgments for which they will not live, and I will defile them because of their gifts, as they consecrate and offer everything that opens the womb, so that I may destroy them, and they will know that I am the Lord. And the meaning is this: because I have seen the sons of the fathers equaling the wickedness of their ancestors and doing the same things for which they offended God, I wanted to divide them into nations and disperse them throughout the whole world, and give them bad precepts and judgments in which they would not live, so that I may defile them with their gifts, for they consecrated everything that opens the womb to idols, and I may destroy them forever, and they will know that I am the Lord. Through which he showed that he had not given them good commandments who dwelt in the wilderness, but to those whom he wanted to scatter among the nations, and to make foreigners in the whole world, he gave them a desire for things that he did not give: so that there they would do good commandments of God, not good because of their own fault, while they exhibited to idols what God had commanded to be exhibited. This can also be said, that before the offense, they received only the Ten Commandments; but after idolatry and blasphemy, they received multiple ceremonies of the law, so that they would offer victims to God rather than to demons, and by comparison with sacrilege, what was not good in itself became lighter, and by no means evil, because it was offered to God, and yet not good, because they offended the author of good.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Ezekiel
(Verse 27, 29 onwards) Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them: Thus says the Lord God: Moreover, your fathers have blasphemed against me and have treated me with contempt, even as they spurned me. And I brought them into the land that I had lifted my hand to give them ((Vulgate adds: that land)): they saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices and presented there the irritation of their offerings, and they placed there the fragrance of their sweetness, and they poured out their ((Vulgate is silent on this)) libations there. And I said to them, 'What is the high place to which you are going?' And its name was called the High Place until this day. Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: As for your fathers, they have provoked Me to anger by their iniquities, by the fact that they have fallen away from Me. So I brought them into the land that I had lifted My hand in an oath to give them.' They saw every high hill and every leafy tree, and there they offered their sacrifices. They also presented there the provocation of their gifts, and they set there their pleasing aroma, and they poured out there their drink offerings. And I said to them: What is abbana, because you enter there? And they called its name abbana until this day. I wanted, he said, to scatter them in the wilderness, and to give them not good precepts, so that they would sacrifice to idols what they should have offered to me, and consecrate all their first-fruits to them by fire, so that I might kill them and destroy them. But when he says, I wanted, he shows that he did not do what he wanted. And that which follows: 'And they shall know that I am the Lord,' is not found in the Septuagint. For it did not seem fitting to them to know after their destruction that he himself is the Lord. But you, son of man, speak again to them, that is, to the elders of the house of Israel, who have come to inquire of you: Your fathers, from whom you have descended, have also blasphemed against me and held me in contempt; after I brought them into the land which I had given them to possess, they turned against me to provoke me. For when they saw every high hill and leafy tree, they would sacrifice on the mountains and in the groves and thickets, and offer victims to the idols, and pour out libations. And when I saw this, I said to them: What is this, Bama? for it is called high: or why do you enter into such a place which you have chosen for yourselves in all the hills, so that even today these places are called Bamoth, and the ancient error retains its original name? Regarding Bama, which we translate as excelsum, there is an error in the Septuagint edition, where it is written as ἀββανὰ, which does not resonate in the Hebrew language. Bama can mean 'in which' if the two syllables are divided into two words, but in the present context, that sense does not fit. However, wherever it is written in the Books of Kings and Chronicles: 'The people still sacrificed and offered incense on the high places,' Bama in the singular and Bamoth in the plural mean 'high places.'
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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