Глава 21

Ezekiel 21:1–2. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: For this cause the prophets, son of man, set thy face against Jerusalem, and look upon their holy things, and the prophets upon the land of Israel, Since they believe that what has been said is simply a parable and not the truth, then clearly show them that the oak grove of Nagev, that is, the midday and southern one, is Jerusalem itself. Ezek.21:3. And you said to the land of Israel: This says Adonai the Lord: Behold, I am against you, and I will draw My sword from its sheath, and I will consume from You the unrighteous and the lawless. It is clear that he calls punishment a sword, and a scabbard, that is, the sheath of the sword, he calls long-suffering, after which punishment is finally openly inflicted on those worthy of it. And, showing the justice of the punishment, by the way, he added: “And I will consume from You the unrighteous and the lawless.” Then he announces that he will follow at the same time with other nations living in the middle. Ezek.21:4. As long as I consume from You the unrighteous and the wicked, then My sword will come out of its sheath, Ezek.21:5. and who will not return. Because of the iniquities that you have, like a sword from the vagina, drawing out the army, I will give the Chaldeans and those living between you and the Chaldeans the same punishment, and I will make sure that everyone will know by experience that I have power over everyone, and I have lawfully subjected them to this disaster. Ezek.21:6. And you, son of man, sigh in the contrition of your loins, and in your pain rise up before their eyes. Let your compassion follow what you say, and teach them through your lamentations that what you say is true. Ezek.21:7. And it shall come to pass, if they say to you, Why are you crying? and you speak of the proclamation that it is coming, and every heart will be broken, and every hand will be weakened, and every flesh and every spirit will come forth, and every limb will be defiled with wetness: “Behold, it is coming, and it will be,” says the Lord Adonai. It is necessary that they ask you as you groan, wanting to find out the cause of your suffering. And you answer those who ask: foreseeing future misfortunes, sad news and thus the fear instilled in everyone, I groan and lament about the misfortunes of my fellow tribes. Ezek.21:8. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Ezek.21:9. son of man, prophets and words: this says the Lord Adonai: shout, sword, sword, sharpen, become enraged, Ezekiel 21:10. as if you cut off the sections, sharpen yourself, so that you will shine, and prepare for scattering: destroy the seedlings, reject all wood. Again, in a figurative sense, he refers to the sword as the punishment that, through the Babylonians, was imposed on the Jews and other nations living in the midst. And it seems to me that God Himself commands the sword to sharpen, shine, kill and uproot every tree, teaching this that this will happen by His permission, and not by the power of the Babylonians, but by His effectiveness all this will be accomplished. Similarly, in Deuteronomy, what God Himself said: “I will sharpen My sword like lightning, and My hand will receive judgment, and I will take vengeance on the enemy, and I will repay those who hate Me. I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword will cut off flesh” (Deut. 32:41, 42). For in these words he called “sword and arrows” a punitive force that inflicts worthy punishment on those subject to responsibility. Then he adds: Ezek.21:11. And he was prepared to hold his hand: the sword was sharpened, ready to eat, given to be in the hands of those who cut. For this sword, having become prepared, was given to those capable of punishing; means Chaldeans. Similarly, the Prophet Isaiah said what God said about the king of Babylon or Assyria: “will food be glorified by the ax without cutting it? or will the saw ascend without attracting? Likewise, if anyone takes up a rod or a tree” (Is. 10:15); and again: “Woe to the Assyrians, the rod of My wrath and My wrath is in their hand” (Is. 10:5). Therefore, there he called the punitive force a rod, an ax and a saw, weapons that destroy plants, but here he called it a sword, sophisticated and shining when punishing those subjected to it, and handed over to the Babylonians as executioners. But above he called this punishment fire, with the intention of using many names to frighten and bring to repentance those devoted to wickedness. To this he adds: Ezek.21:12. Cry and lament, O son of man, because this was among the people among all the elders of Israel: those who dwell near Me were under the sword with My people: Can anything compare with this goodness? He punishes truthfully, and commands the Prophet to cry, because he does not punish voluntarily, but is forced by the lawlessness of the people. He commands the Prophet, like a woman, to marvel that not only the people, but also their princes were put under the sword, and what is most sad is “those who dwell near Me,” as it is said, “they were put under the sword with My people.” For the priests, having participated with the people in lawlessness, began to participate in punishment; It was them who called them “dwelling nearby,” as living inside in the divine church, and since sacred services were entrusted to them. For this reason, clasp your hands, Ezek.21:13. as if I was justified. And what if the tribe rejects it? It will not be, says the Lord Adonai. Express the excessiveness of the disaster with applause and marvel at the veracity of the punishment, because those who remain will benefit greatly from this punishment; it will become the beginning of justification for the Jews. For, although this tribe is now rejected, separated from other nations (and this means the entire Jewish people); but it will rise again and be returned. To confirm what has been said, it is enough that the Master and Lord Himself says it. Ezek.21:14. And you, son of man, prophets, clasp your hands and strengthen the sword: the third sword is to the ulcers: the sword is great to the ulcers, He calls the militia against Jerusalem the third sword, in the ninth year of the reign of Zedekiah, and it was the fourth in number; but since no blood was shed in what happened under Jehoiachin, the king voluntarily went out to Nebuchadnezzar with his mother, wife and commanders, and was thus taken captive to Babylon, then what happened under Zedekiah is rightly called the third, including battles and military invasions, and not just invasions. This is why he says: “The third sword of ulcers is great.” Then the Prophet informs why he is commanded to applaud. Ezek.21:15. for if their hearts are broken, and their infirmities increase in all their gates, they are given over to be beheaded by the sword: Do and say what can frighten them, “let their hearts be broken,” that is, by predicting disasters, let the stubbornness of their hearts be broken; To intimidate them, it is enough that they will be given over to murder, and all the gates will be filled with the dead. Then, in some personification, God represents His permission. fortunately it is sharp and quick to cut, fortunately it is quick to shine. Ezek.21:16. Pass like lightning, sharpened on the right hand and on the left, and even if your face rises up. The sword is mutually sharp, sharpened on both sides, its blade is very sophisticated, emitting a shine like lightning. Therefore, says God, clear the road in whichever direction you want, left or right; You will have me as an assistant. This is what he expressed by adding: Ezek.21:17. And I will clasp My hand to your hand, and I will send forth My wrath, as the Lord has spoken to you. Therefore, blessed Jeremiah said: “The Lord knows that man cannot bear his way; man will go lower and correct his way” (Jer. 10:23), teaching that something like this does not happen without assistance or permission from above. God acts, producing what is due to Him, and allowing other things according to another method of economy, giving place to human freedom, and punishing sins in this way. Ezekiel 21:18. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Ezekiel 21:19–20. And you, son of man, make two ways for yourself, so that you can put the sword on the king of Babylon, two people will come out from the country of one, prepare a butting hand at the beginning of the city's path, and make a butting hand from the beginning of the path, so that you can bring the sword against Rabbi the sons of Ammon, and against Judah in Jerusalem. As in a picture, depict one path dividing into two, one going straight to Jerusalem, the other extending to Rabbab of the sons of Ammonih. since Nebuchadnezzar, setting out on a campaign from Babylon, took up arms against both Judah and the Ammonites, God predicts this through the Prophet. He named it: “Rabbav of the sons of Ammon”, because there is another city of the same name, or Rabbav of Ammon. And this last one, that is, Ammon, as others say, is now called Philadelphia in Arabia, which to this day in the native language is called the city of Ammon. To this God adds: Ezek.21:21. The king of Babylon will begin on the old path, at the beginning of both paths, to cast sorcery with sorcery, like a rod that boils, and to question the sculpted, and to enmite in the wombs. Having taken a path that divides into two paths, one of which leads to Judea and the other to Rabbab, the king of Babylon will perform magic with a rod, as well as by examining the sacrificial entrails in order to find out who he should take up arms against first. And while this was happening, says the Prophet, Ezekiel 21:22. At his right hand came the magic against Jerusalem, to set up a fort, and to open his mouth with a cry, and to lift up his voice with a trumpet call: to set up a fort before its gates, and to pour in dust, and to set up archers. You should know that demons do not know anything about the future, but, guessing only about events, they undertake to predict, and sometimes they guess successfully, but often they are mistaken; and you can not only see this from the deeds themselves, but also learn this from the Divine Scripture. For, having predicted victory for Achaab through the mouth of the false prophet Zedekiah, they sinned against the truth; Ahab, having fought, was not only defeated, but also killed. But in the present case, knowing the law given to Israel, seeing that the Israelis were not behaving in accordance with these instructions, also hearing prophetic predictions, the demons knew from everything God’s indignation at Israel. Therefore, with sorcery they foreshadowed this to the wicked king, namely, that he must first take up arms against Jerusalem, make forts and embankments, and use all other military weapons. But when the king of Babylon was engaged in this, those threatened with a siege neglected this, not relying on their virtue, but suffering from insensibility. And announcing this, God said: Ezekiel 21:23. And that one casting magic upon them before them, seventeening their sevenths, that is, they were in such a disposition as if the sorcery had meant good things for them; for this was meant by the words: “before them,” that is, as if the sorceries were done in their favor, and they behave as if celebrating weeks of weeks; It was one of the three greatest holidays. But events, God says, will not conform to their opinions. For it is said: “And remember their iniquity,” so that they may be taken. For the remembrance of their iniquity will be the reason that they will be taken captive. Ezekiel 21:24. For this reason says Adonai the Lord: before you remember your iniquities, before your wickedness was revealed, as if it were your sin, in all your iniquities and in all your undertakings: before you remember them, you will be in them. You became the culprits that the enemies were brave and the demons spoke the truth; the craftiness of your undertakings and the excessiveness of wickedness deprived you of My mercy, and made you subject to the enemies, who, through sorcery, invaded you, see that the events correspond to sorcery. So, since you have shown them loyalty, you will rightly be captured and given over to punishment. After this, the Prophet addresses the princes, the king, and the priests, and says: Ezek.21:25. And you are a filthy one, a wicked one, O elder of Israel, whose day is coming at the time of the end of iniquity. Ezekiel 21:26. This says the Lord Adonai: take off the turban and put aside the crown, this will not be so, For your iniquity, priest, the priestly turban will be removed from you; and you, king, by living in wickedness, deprived yourself of your crown. Therefore, let both powers lay down their signs, for this siege is not like the previous ones, your kingdom is over. Explaining the reason, the Prophet continues: You have humbled what is high and exalted what is humble through unrighteousness, Having used untruth as an aid, he humiliated what was high in virtue, and exalted what was low in untruth with words, violating justice. Therefore God says: Ezek.21:27. It’s a lie, a lie, I’ll put it down, Therefore, I will punish you for this untruth. Then he adds: and he will not be like that: until he comes, it is worthy of Him, and I will deliver it to Him. Although this siege is heavier than the previous ones, I will not completely extinguish the spark of the royal family, “until he comes, He is worthy,” and to whom it is fitting to reign, I will hand over the kingdom to Him. Blessed Paul also says this: “until the seed came to whom he was promised: the Angels were brought into service by the hand of the Intercessor” (Gal. 3:19). And Patriarch Jacob, blessing Judas, said: “A prince will not fail from Judah, nor a ruler from his feet, until he comes.” To whom it is due: “And He is the desire of the tongues” (Gen. 49:10). Therefore, here too he makes clear the kingdom of the Lord Christ, saying: “And He will not be like this until He comes, He deserves it, and I will deliver it to Him.” For although Jerusalem suffered siege and destruction from Nebuchadnezzar, it was not the same as it suffered from the Romans after the saving cross. After the first capture, after seventy years, the city was built again and returned to its former prosperity, but after the saving cross it was subjected to extreme desolation. The Jews themselves do not dare to approach its borders. prohibited by law. Therefore, God said: “And He will not be like this”, that is, what is the future, for I will preserve the generation, “until He comes, He is worthy, and I will betray Him”, that is, when He appears to Whom the promises relate, then, having betrayed the kingdom to Him, I will betray them to their final destruction. After this, he turns the prophecy to the Ammonites, because out of hostility towards the Jews they rejoiced at their misfortunes. Ezekiel 21:28. And you, son of man, are prophets, and say: this says Adonai the Lord to the sons of Ammonim, and to their reproach. And you say: to the sword, to the sword, drawn for the cut, drawn for the end, move as if you shine. Ezekiel 21:29. In your vain vision, and sometimes there is false hostility towards you. It was not the sword that conjured magic, it was those who acted with the sword that conjured magic. God called sorcery and vision false, as alien to the truth. For, although the devil then foretold the truth, but, since the divine prophets had previously foretold God's verdict, what he heard from them, he passed off as his own foreshadowing. And the destructive demons, devoted to wickedness, told Nebuchadnezzar through sorcery what they had borrowed from the prophets, and through false prophets they proclaimed the opposite to the Jews, promising them peace and the flight of their enemies, so that for disobedience and contradiction to God, having lost God’s usual providence for them, they would be handed over to their enemies as punishment, and as a result of this, their prophecies would turn out to be true. So God, having commanded the sword to be laid on those who lived lawlessly and unlawfully, since their limit and end had come, commands, saying: Ezek.21:30. Return to your scabbard, and do not stand in this place in which you were born; the imam of your land will judge you. And you, the Babylonians, whom I call the sword, says God, as having done what I commanded, not here, but on your own land, I will punish you for your wickedness. Ezek.21:31. And I will pour out My wrath on you; I will blow on you the fires of My wrath. This expressed how easy everything is for God’s power, for just as it is not difficult to blow, there is no difficulty and it is very convenient to subject you to punishments of all kinds. and I will deliver you into the hands of barbarian men who create destruction. . Ezek.21:32. There will be poison in the fire, your blood will be in the midst of your land: your memory will not be, beyond the words of the Lord. This makes clear the uprising of the Medes and Persians against Babylon, who, besieging the city walls, brought in all kinds of siege weapons, and at night on a holiday, invading the fortifications, captured the entire city and burned most of it, filling the houses and all the streets with blood.