John Chrysostom — Commentary on Scripture

Exodus 32:19

And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

And Moses broke their tablet, having written for them, as it were, certain words; just as a schoolmaster would do, who having taken up the writing tablet and found it badly written, throws away the tablet itself, desiring to show great anger; and if he has broken it, the father is not angry. For he indeed was busy writing, but they were not attending to him. Turning themselves other ways, [they] were committing disorder. And as in school they strike each other, so also on that occasion he bade them strike and slay each other.

Exodus 32:32

Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

For such is the compassion of the saint that he thinks death with his children sweeter than life without them. He will also make the special season his advocate and shelter himself behind the sacred festival of the Passover and will remind the emperor of the season when Christ remitted the sins of the whole world.

Ezekiel 1:2-3

In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,

Whenever God is going to reveal some sight beyond all expectation to his servants, he leads them out of the cities to a place free from tumult.

Ezekiel 2:5

And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

He says “whether they hear or refuse,” not out of ignorance but in case any of the obstinate should say that the prediction was what made them disobedient in the first place. He therefore expresses himself in terms of “whether they will” and “it may be.” For though they had been obstinate towards his servants, they ought to have shown reverence to the dignity of the Son.

Ezekiel 2:6

And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

The soul that enjoys the watering that comes from the words of God produces in abundance, flourishes and teems with the fruit of the Spirit. But when a soul has become dry, is left uncared for and needs such watering, it becomes desert, its vines grow wild, it produces an abundance of thorns. And these thorns have the natural characteristics of sin. For where there are thorns, there will you find snakes, serpents, scorpions and every power of the devil.

Ezekiel 3:12

Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place.

Did you see how great is the holy dread in heaven and how great the arrogant presumption here below? The angels in heaven give him glory; these heretics on earth carry on meddlesome investigations. In heaven they honor and praise him; on earth we find curious busybodies. In heaven they veil their eyes; on earth the busybodies are obstinate and shamelessly try to hold their eyes fixed on his ineffable glory. Who would not groan, who would not weep for them because of this ultimate madness and folly of theirs?

Ezekiel 3:19

Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

We learn from Ezekiel that, provided the guardian gives warning as to what it is necessary to avoid and it is necessary to choose, he delivers his own soul, even if no one pays any attention to him.

Ezekiel 9:4

And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

I have heard many, after such experience, blame themselves and say, “What advantage is it that I have grieved? I have not recovered my money, and I have injured myself.” But if you have grieved on account of sin, you have blotted it out and reaped the greatest pleasure. If you have grieved for your brothers who have fallen, you have both encouraged and comforted yourself and have also restored them; and even if you were not to profit them, you have an abundant recompense. And that you may learn that grieving for those who have fallen, though we should not at all benefit them, still brings us a large reward, hear what Ezekiel says, or rather, what God speaks through him. For when he had sent certain messengers to overturn the city and to consume all the dwellings with sword and fire, along with their inhabitants, God charges one of them, “Set a mark on the forehead of those that groan and are in anguish.” And after charging the others and saying, “Begin from my holy ones,” he goes on to add, “but do not touch whoever has the sign on him.”

Ezekiel 9:8 · 2 passages

And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?

You see, even if it is the wicked who perish, nevertheless the souls of good people are likely to show compassion when they see people being punished; and you will find each of the good people and the inspired writers making earnest supplication for them.

It is, after all, the practice of the prophets and the just to grieve not only for themselves but for the rest of humanity. If you are inclined to check that, you will find them all giving evidence of this compassion—for example, you can listen to Isaiah’s words, “Don’t put yourself out to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people”; or Jeremiah, … “Who will pour water on my head and provide a fountain of tears for my eyes?” or Ezekiel, “Alas, Lord, will you destroy what remains of Israel?”

Ezekiel 13:19

And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?

There were probably in the time of our ancestors also some who … “did the works of the false prophets”; … a thing, by the way, done (I think) by some even today. When, for example, we say that he who calls his brother a fool will go into hell fire, others will say, what? Impossible, they say. And again, when we say that the “covetous person is an idolater,” in this too again they make excuses and say the expression is hyperbolical. And in this way they underrate and explain away all the commandments.

Ezekiel 14:14 · 2 passages

Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

Considering all these things, let us prepare for our departure from here. For even if the day of general consummation never comes to us, the end of each one is at the doors, whether they are old or young; and it is not possible for people, after they have gone from here, either to buy oil any more or to obtain pardon by prayers, though he who does the pleading be Abraham, or Noah, or Job or Daniel. While we have opportunity, let us store up for ourselves beforehand much confidence, let us gather oil in abundance, let us remove all into heaven, that in the fitting time, and when we most need them, we may enjoy all; by the grace and love toward people.

No one may despair, though hitherto he may have been careless, of setting his hopes on nothing else, after God’s mercy, but on his own virtue. For if these were no better for such a kindred, even though they were of the same house and lineage with Christ, until they gave proof of virtue, what favor can we possibly receive, when we plead with righteous kin and brethren, unless we are exceedingly dutiful and have lived in virtue?… But even if it is Ezekiel who does the pleading, he will be told, “though Noah comes, and Job and Daniel, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters.” … For it is true that the prayers of the saints have the greatest power, but only on condition of our repentance and amendment of life.

Ezekiel 14:20

Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

There will be no one then, the text is saying, able to rescue from there a victim of his own indifference, whether brother or father or mother. Why do I say brother or father or mother? Not even the just themselves, who have good grounds for confidence, will be of any assistance to us then if we have now been guilty of indifference.… See the magnitude of the threat and the kind of just people he brought forward as examples. These men, you see, at a critical time proved a source of salvation even to others: Noah saved his wife and sons when that terrible deluge overwhelmed the world; Job likewise proved a source of salvation even to others; and Daniel rescued many from death when that awful barbarian in his quest for things beyond human nature wanted to do away with the Chaldeans, the magi and Gazarenes.… Rather, we should make this alone the object of attention: if we have virtuous forebears, to imitate their virtue; if the contrary is true and we come from disreputable forebears, not to think any handicap results from this but to fall to the labors virtue involves, no harm ensuing f…

There will be no one then, the text is saying, able to rescue from there a victim of his own indifference, whether brother or father or mother. Why do I say brother or father or mother? Not even the just themselves, who have good grounds for confidence, will be of any assistance to us then if we have now been guilty of indifference.… See the magnitude of the threat and the kind of just people he brought forward as examples. These men, you see, at a critical time proved a source of salvation even to others: Noah saved his wife and sons when that terrible deluge overwhelmed the world; Job likewise proved a source of salvation even to others; and Daniel rescued many from death when that awful barbarian in his quest for things beyond human nature wanted to do away with the Chaldeans, the magi and Gazarenes.… Rather, we should make this alone the object of attention: if we have virtuous forebears, to imitate their virtue; if the contrary is true and we come from disreputable forebears, not to think any handicap results from this but to fall to the labors virtue involves, no harm ensuing from this, to be sure.

Ezekiel 16:2

Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations,

What do you say, prophet? God punishes, and shall I grieve for those whom he is punishing? Certainly. For God, who punishes, wants us to grieve, since he does not want to punish us, and he grieves when carrying out punishment. Do not rejoice at this. One will say, “If they are justly punished, we ought not to grieve.” What we ought to grieve for is this, that they were found worthy of punishment. When you see your son undergoing medical or surgical treatment, do you not grieve? You do not say to yourself, “What is this?” This cutting is for health, to speed his recovery; it is for his deliverance, this burning? But for all that, when you hear him crying out and unable to bear the pain, you grieve, and the hope of health being restored is not enough to carry off the shock to nature.

Ezekiel 16:3

And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.

If we are on the alert, these evils that came into life as a result of the sins of our forebears will in no way be able to harm us, because in fact they go no further than the level of terminology. It was the first formed human being who through the fall brought on the punishment of death and was responsible for spending his life in pain and distress, and it was he who was the cause of servitude. But Christ the Lord came and permitted all these evils to occur only at the level of terminology, provided we are of the right mind. You see, death is now not death but only carries the name of death—or, rather, even the very name has been abolished.

Ezekiel 16:8

Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.

Do not infer from these things that it is about punishment only, but also about the boundless longsuffering of God.

Ezekiel 16:23

And it came to pass after all thy wickedness, (woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD;)

I do marvel. You behave in the same way to me, who have been hitherto unknown to you, when even to the Father, of whom you have so much experience, you have done the very same. You have forsaken him, you have run to the devils, drawing to yourselves wicked lovers. With this Ezekiel too was continually upbraiding them.

Ezekiel 16:49

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

Do not ask those things from God that you receive from the devil. For it is God’s part to give a contrite and humbled heart, sober, self-possessed and awestruck, full of repentance and compunction. These are his gifts, since it is these things that we most need.

Ezekiel 17:6

And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.

[Ezekiel] calls the city of Jerusalem a vine; but in saying that it stretched out its branches towards the eagle and that its roots were under him, he refers to the treaties and alliances made with him and that it cast itself on him.