TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Ezekiel 7:16–22. His four-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
We have attended the fate of those that are cut off, and are now to attend the flight of those that have an opportunity of escaping the danger; some of them shall escape (Eze 7:16), but what the better? As good die once as, in a miserable life, die a thousand deaths, and escape only like Cain to be fugitives and vagabonds, and afraid of being slain by every one they meet; so shall these be.
I.They shall have no comfort or satisfaction in their own minds, but be in continual anguish and terror; for, wherever they go, they carry about with them guilty consciences, which make them a burden to themselves.
1.They shall be always solitary and under prevailing melancholy; they shall not be in the cities, or places of concourse, but all alone upon the mountains, not caring for society, but shy of it, as being ashamed of the low circumstances to which they are reduced.
2.They shall be always sorrowful. Those have reason to be so that are under the tokens of God's displeasure; and God can make those so that have been most jovial and have set sorrow at defiance. Those that once thought themselves as the lions of the mountains, so daring were they, now become as the doves of the valleys, so timid are they, and so dispirited, ready to flee when none pursues and to tremble at the shaking of a leaf. They are all of them mourning (not with a godly sorrow, but with the sorrow of the world, which works death), every one for his iniquity, that is, for those calamities which they now see their iniquity has brought upon them, not only the iniquity of the land, but their own: they shall then be brought to acknowledge what they have each of them contributed to the national guilt. Note, Sooner or later sin will have sorrow of one kind or other; and those that will not repent of their iniquity may justly be left to pine away in it; those that will not mourn for it as it is an offence to God shall be made to mourn for it as it is a shame and ruin to themselves, to mourn at the last, when the flesh and the body are consumed, and to say, How have I hated instruction! Pro 5:11, Pro 5:12.
3.They shall be deprived of all their strength of body and mind (Eze 7:17): All hands shall be feeble, so that they shall not be able to fight, or defend themselves, and all knees shall be weak as water, so that they shall neither be able to flee nor to stand their ground; they shall feel a universal colliquation: their knees shall flow as water, so that they must fall of course. Note, It is folly for the strong man to glory in his strength, for God can soon weaken it.
4.They shall be deprived of all their hopes and shall abandon themselves to despair (Eze 7:18); they shall have nothing to hold up their spirits with; their aspects shall show what are their prospects, all dreadful, for they shall gird themselves with sackcloth, as having no expectation ever to wear better clothing. Horror shall cover them, and shame, and baldness, all the expressions of a desperate sorrow, Isa 17:11. Note, Those that will not be kept from sin by fear and shame shall by fear and shame be punished for it; such is the confusion that sin will end in.
II.They shall have no benefit from their wealth and riches, but shall be perfectly sick of them, Eze 7:19.
Those that were reduced to this distress were such as had had abundance of silver and gold, money, and plate, and jewels, and other valuable goods, from which they promised themselves a great deal of advantage in times of public trouble. They thought their wealth would be their strong city, that with it they could bribe enemies and buy friends, that it would be the ransom of their lives, that they could never want bread as long as they had money, and that money would answer all things; but see how it proved.
1.Their wealth had been a great temptation to them in the day of their prosperity; they set their affections upon it, and put their confidence in it. By their eager pursuit of it they were drawn into sin, and by their plentiful enjoyment of it they were hardened in sin; and thus it was the stumbling-block of their iniquity; it occasioned their falling into sin and obstructed their return to God. Note, There are many whose wealth is their snare and ruin. The gaining of the world is the losing of their souls; it makes them proud, secure, covetous, oppressive, voluptuous; and that which, it well used, might have been the servant of their piety, being abused, becomes the stumbling-block of their iniquity.
2.It was no relief to them now in the day of their adversity; for,
(1.)Their gold and silver could not protect them from the judgments of God. They shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord; they shall not serve to atone his justice, or turn away his wrath, nor to screen them from the judgments he is bringing upon them. Note, Riches profit not in the day of wrath, Pro 11:4. They neither set them so high that god's judgments cannot reach them nor make them so strong that they cannot conquer them. There is a day of wrath coming, when it will appear that men's wealth is utterly unable to deliver them or do them any service. What the better was the rich man for his full barns when his soul was required of him, or that other rich man for his purple, and scarlet, and sumptuous fare, when in hell he could not procure a drop of water to cool his tongue? Money is no defence against the arrests of death, nor any alleviation to the miseries of the damned.
(2.)Their gold and silver could not give them any content under their calamities.
[1.]They could not fill their bowels; when there was no bread left in the city, none to be had for love or money, their silver and gold could not satisfy their hunger, nor serve to make one meal's meat for them. Note, We could better be without mines of gold than fields of corn; the products of the earth, which may easily be gathered from the surface of it, are much greater blessings to mankind than its treasures, which are with so much difficulty and hazard dug out of its bowels. If God give us daily bread, we have reason to be thankful, and no reason to complain, though silver and gold we have none.
[2.]Much less could they satisfy their souls, or yield them any inward comfort. Note, The wealth of this world has not that in it which will answer the desires of the soul, or be any satisfaction to it in a day of distress. He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, much less he that loses it.
(3.)Their gold and silver shall be thrown into the streets, either by the hands of the enemy, who shall have more spoil than they care for or can carry away (silver shall be nothing accounted of; they shall cast that in the streets; but the gold, which is more valuable, shall be removed and brought to Babylon); or they themselves shall throw away their silver and gold, because it would be an incumbrance to them and retard their flight, or because it would expose them and be a temptation to the enemy to cut their throats for their money, or in indignation at it, because, after all the care and pains they had taken to scrape it together and hoard it up, they found that it would stand them in no stead, but do them a mischief rather. Note, The world passes away, and the lusts thereof, Jo1 2:17. The time may come when worldly men will be as weary of their wealth as now they are wedded to it, when those will fare best that have least.
III.God's temple shall stand them in no stead, Eze 7:20-22.
This they had prided themselves in, and promised themselves security from (Jer 7:4; Mic 3:11); but this confidence of theirs shall fail them. Observe,
1.The great honour God had done to that people in setting up his sanctuary among them (Eze 7:20): As for the beauty of his ornament, that holy and beautiful house, where they and their fathers praised God (Isa 64:11), which was therefore beautiful because holy (it was called the beauty of holiness, and holiness is the beauty of its ornament; it was also adorned with gold and gifts) - as for this, he set it in majesty; every thing was contrived to make it magnificent, that it might help to make the people of Israel the more illustrious among their neighbours. He built his sanctuary like high palaces, Psa 78:69. It was a glorious high throne from the beginning, Jer 17:12. But,
2.Here is the great dishonour they had done to God in profaning his sanctuary; they made the images of their counterfeit deities, which they set up in rivalship with God, and which are here called their abominations and their detestable things (for so they were to God, and so they should have been to them), and these they set up in God's temple, than which a greater affront could not be put upon him. And therefore,
3.It is here threatened that they shall be deprived of the temple, and it shall be no succour to them: Therefore have I set it far from them, that is, sent them far from it, so that it is out of the reach of their services and they are out of the reach of its influences. Note, God's ordinances, and the privileges of a profession of religion, will justly be taken away from those that despise and profane them. Nay, they shall not only be kept at a distance from the temple, but the temple itself shall be involved in the common desolation (Eze 7:21); the Chaldeans, who are strangers, and therefore have no veneration for it, who are the wicked of the earth, and therefore have an antipathy to it, shall have it for a prey and for a spoil; all the ornaments and treasures of it shall fall into their hands, who will make no difference between that and other plunder. This was a grief to the saints in Zion, who complained of nothing so much as of that which the enemy did wickedly in the sanctuary (Psa 74:3); but it was the punishment of the sinners in Zion, who, by profaning the temple with strange gods, provoked God to suffer it to be profaned by strange nations, and to turn his face from those that did it as if he had not seen them and their crimes and from those that deprecated it as not regarding them and their prayers. Let the soldiers do as they will; let them enter into the secret place, into the holy of holies, as robbers; let them strip it, let them pollute it; its defence has departed, and then farewell all its glory. Note, Those are unworthy to be honoured with the form of godliness who will not be governed by the power of godliness.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
(Verse 19.) Their silver will be thrown away in the streets, and their gold will be like garbage. Septuagint: Their silver will be thrown away in the streets, and their gold will be despised. In the midst of flight and captivity, they will throw away their riches and the weight of gold and silver on the streets, only seeking to save their own lives, so that they are not burdened by what was once luxury. Otherwise, according to the anagoge, all the silver of the captives and fugitives from Jerusalem will be thrown away in the streets, on the wide and spacious road that leads to death, because they have abandoned the narrow path of salvation. But all gold will be considered worthless, even esteemed as dung and filth. For one cannot have purity who is outside the Church of the Lord.
Their silver and gold will not be able to save them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. And this is not found in the Septuagint. Without a doubt, during times of siege and famine, it does not free those hungry for gold and silver, and their teeth are blunted like the hardest stone. Finally, it follows:
They will not satisfy their souls, and their bellies will not be filled. In the presence of evil, we have learned that many rich people, depleted by poverty, have had the end of beggars, among silk, gems, and weights of gold and silver. But the silver and gold of those who are outside the Church cannot free the souls of the possessors on the day of the Lord's wrath; instead, it shows that they will have eternal hunger and be tormented with an empty stomach. This testimony confirms it, saying: The redemption of a man's soul is his own wealth (Prov. XIII, 8). Our true riches are those which Christ's truth has taught us (Luke 16), who commanded us to make for ourselves friends with unrighteous wealth, who will receive us into eternal dwellings.
Because a scandal of iniquity has occurred among them. Therefore, he says, the possessors of gold and silver will not be satisfied, nor will their stomachs be filled, because this very gold and silver has become a scandal of their crimes. But it signifies idols, which are made of gold and silver, condemn their own creators. For this reason, the Seventy translated it: because the torments of their iniquities were such that they would be tormented in their own iniquity and understand that they have turned the gifts of God into blasphemy.
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Summary
Ezekiel 7:19 delivers a potent prophetic indictment against Judah, vividly portraying the utter futility of material wealth in the face of God's impending and inescapable judgment. It depicts a desperate scene where silver and gold, once coveted, are cast away as worthless, incapable of providing deliverance, satisfaction, or sustenance during the "day of the wrath of the LORD." The verse starkly reveals that these very riches, rather than being a source of security, became a "stumblingblock" that led the people deeper into iniquity and ultimately to their downfall.
Context
Literary Context
Ezekiel 7 is a pivotal chapter, marking the "end" (v. 2, 3, 6) of Israel's long-suffering period prior to the final destruction of Jerusalem. It immediately follows a series of symbolic actions and visions (Ezekiel 4-5) and a prophecy against the mountains of Israel (Ezekiel 6), all pointing to the coming desolation. Chapter 7 functions as a comprehensive summary of the judgment, detailing its swiftness, totality, and the various ways it will manifest—through famine, plague, sword, and the utter breakdown of society. Verse 19 specifically addresses the economic and social chaos, where the very foundations of their perceived security (wealth) become a source of their ruin, directly linking their idolatry of riches to their impending doom. The subsequent verses (Ezekiel 7:20-22) describe the desecration of the temple, further emphasizing the complete collapse of their religious and social order.
Historical & Cultural Context
The prophecy of Ezekiel 7:19 is set against the backdrop of the Babylonian siege and impending destruction of Jerusalem (586 BCE). For centuries, the people of Judah, particularly the elite, had accumulated wealth through trade and tribute, often relying on it for security and status. This wealth was frequently acquired through unjust means and was often used to fund idolatrous practices, such as the construction of high places and altars to foreign gods. In ancient Near Eastern societies, precious metals were not just currency but also symbols of power, divine favor, and national strength. The act of "casting silver in the streets" would have been a profoundly shocking and humiliating reversal of values, signifying the complete breakdown of their economic system and the loss of all that they once held dear. This was a direct consequence of their covenant disobedience, particularly their idolatry, which included placing trust in material possessions over God.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Ezekiel and the broader prophetic literature. It underscores the worthlessness of worldly wealth in judgment, a recurring motif throughout the prophets (e.g., Proverbs 11:4). The "day of the wrath of the LORD" is a central concept, signifying divine reckoning for sin, a theme also prominent in books like Zephaniah. Furthermore, the explicit identification of wealth as a "stumblingblock of their iniquity" highlights the theme of idolatry, where the pursuit and trust in material possessions become a substitute for allegiance to God. This form of covetousness is consistently condemned as idolatry in both Old and New Testaments (e.g., Colossians 3:5). Finally, the inability of wealth to "satisfy their souls" points to the theme of true satisfaction, which can only be found in God, not in perishable earthly goods (John 6:35).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From an unused root meaning "to shimmer," this word refers to the precious metal, often associated with value, beauty, and wealth. In this context, its shimmering quality contrasts sharply with its impending worthlessness, highlighting the transient nature of earthly glory when confronted with divine judgment.
This feminine noun denotes an "outburst of passion," "anger," or "rage." When applied to the LORD (Hebrew, Yᵉhôvâh'), it describes a fierce, righteous indignation and a decisive, punitive action against sin, emphasizing the severity and inevitability of the judgment.
This word signifies an "obstacle" or a "cause of falling or ruin," both literally and figuratively. Here, it powerfully illustrates how their wealth, instead of providing security or blessing, became the very instrument of their spiritual and physical downfall, leading them into deeper sin and ultimately to judgment.
Verse Breakdown
"They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed:"
This clause paints a vivid picture of abandonment and devaluation. What was once hoarded and prized is now discarded in public spaces, indicating a complete reversal of values. The precious metals, symbols of security and status, are no longer desired, perhaps due to the chaos of siege, famine, or the realization that they cannot buy safety or food. The passive "shall be removed" suggests either a forced confiscation by invaders or a desperate act of discarding by the people themselves, signifying their utter worthlessness in the face of impending doom.
"their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD:"
This is the core theological statement. The inability of wealth to "deliver" (Hebrew, nâtsal', to snatch away or rescue) them underscores its impotence against divine judgment. "The day of the wrath of the LORD" (Hebrew, yôwm_ ʻebrâh _Yᵉhôvâh') is a specific, appointed time of God's righteous anger and decisive intervention against sin, where human resources prove utterly useless.
"they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels:"
This clause highlights the physical and spiritual emptiness that accompanies the judgment. Even if they could somehow retain their wealth, it would not provide sustenance during famine ("fill their bowels," referring to the stomach/intestines) nor bring inner peace or contentment ("satisfy their souls," referring to their inner being, appetite, or life-force). This emphasizes that true satisfaction and life come from God alone, not from material possessions.
"because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity."
This final clause provides the reason for wealth's futility and the judgment itself. Their silver and gold were not merely neutral possessions; they became an "obstacle" or "ruin" (Hebrew, mikshôwl') that led them into "iniquity" (Hebrew, ʻâvôn', perversity, moral evil, sin). Their trust in riches, their covetousness, and their use of wealth for idolatrous purposes directly contributed to their spiritual corruption and thus became the very cause of their judgment.
Literary Devices
Ezekiel 7:19 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message. The most prominent is Symbolism, where silver and gold represent not just material wealth but also the false security and idolatrous trust of the people. Their abandonment in the streets symbolizes the utter collapse of their value system and the futility of human endeavor apart from God. The phrase "day of the wrath of the LORD" is a powerful Metonymy, standing for the entire period of divine judgment and its devastating consequences. The verse also utilizes Juxtaposition, contrasting the past value and pursuit of wealth with its present worthlessness, emphasizing the dramatic reversal brought about by God's judgment. Finally, the personification of wealth as a "stumblingblock of their iniquity" is a striking Metaphor, vividly illustrating how their covetousness actively led them into sin and ultimately to their ruin.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Ezekiel 7:19 serves as a timeless theological statement on the transient nature of earthly possessions and the ultimate sovereignty of God in judgment. It underscores the profound truth that no amount of material wealth or human ingenuity can stand against the righteous wrath of the Almighty. The verse reveals that idolatry, whether of physical idols or the more subtle idolatry of covetousness, inevitably leads to spiritual and physical ruin. True security and satisfaction are found not in what we possess, but in the One who possesses all things and holds the power of life and death. This passage powerfully calls humanity to re-evaluate its priorities, recognizing that only God can deliver and truly satisfy the soul.
Reflection and Application
Ezekiel 7:19 challenges us to profoundly re-examine our relationship with material possessions and our ultimate source of security. In a world that often equates wealth with success, happiness, and safety, this verse stands as a stark prophetic corrective. It forces us to confront the uncomfortable truth that in moments of true crisis, whether personal or global, the things we accumulate and trust in can become utterly meaningless, even detrimental. Our "silver and gold" might be our financial portfolios, our careers, our social status, or even our health—anything we rely on more than God. The "day of the wrath of the LORD" can manifest in various forms, from personal hardships and societal collapse to the ultimate eschatological judgment. This passage calls us to cultivate a radical dependence on God, to seek spiritual riches that endure, and to find our satisfaction in Him alone, recognizing that true deliverance comes only from His hand. It compels us to ask if our possessions are serving as stumblingblocks to our walk with God, diverting our allegiance and leading us into sin.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "the day of the wrath of the LORD" mean in this context?
"The day of the wrath of the LORD" refers to a specific, divinely appointed time of intense, righteous judgment against the people of Judah for their persistent sin and idolatry. Historically, it primarily refers to the Babylonian invasion and the subsequent destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BCE, which Ezekiel prophesied while in exile. This "day" was characterized by famine, plague, war, and societal collapse, where all human institutions and sources of security, including wealth, proved utterly useless. Theologically, it also points to a broader principle of divine reckoning for sin, which can manifest in various ways throughout history and culminates in the final eschatological judgment. It is a day when God's patience runs out, and His justice is fully executed, as seen in other prophetic warnings like Zephaniah 1:14-18.
How does wealth become a "stumblingblock of their iniquity"?
Wealth becomes a "stumblingblock" when it diverts a person's allegiance and trust from God, leading to sin. In the context of Ezekiel 7:19, the people of Judah had placed their confidence in their silver and gold, rather than in the Lord, for their security and well-being. This trust in material possessions is a form of idolatry, as it elevates created things above the Creator. Furthermore, the pursuit of wealth often led to injustice, oppression, and corruption, as seen in other prophetic critiques (e.g., Amos 2:6-7). The accumulation of riches can also foster a false sense of self-sufficiency, making people feel they don't need God. Thus, their wealth, instead of being a blessing used for God's glory, became an obstacle that tripped them into deeper sin, ultimately leading to their downfall and judgment. The New Testament similarly warns against the deceitfulness of riches and the love of money, identifying covetousness as idolatry (Colossians 3:5).
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Ezekiel 7:19 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the stark contrast between the fleeting value of earthly treasures and the eternal, incomparable worth of Christ. The "day of the wrath of the LORD" that consumed Judah's wealth foreshadows the greater, ultimate judgment from which only Christ can deliver. Humanity's "silver and gold"—our self-righteousness, our achievements, our material security—are utterly worthless to "deliver" us from the wrath to come. Only the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, can rescue us from the penalty of our sin. Furthermore, the inability of wealth to "satisfy their souls" points to Christ as the sole source of true and lasting satisfaction. He declared, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst", offering a spiritual sustenance that gold and silver can never provide. The "stumblingblock of their iniquity" is overcome by Christ, who became a "stumbling block" to those who reject Him but the cornerstone of salvation for those who believe. In Christ, we are called to lay up "treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal", recognizing that true, eternal riches are found only in Him and His kingdom, not in the perishable things of this world.