Глава 9

Ezek.9:1. And cry in my ears with a great voice, saying, The vengeance of the city is drawing near: and every one hath the vessels of destruction in his hand. Then he explains what vessels these are. Ezek.9:2. And behold six men came from the high gate looking to the north, and each one had an ax in his hand. Since an idol was placed on the northern side, and the wives mourned Tammuz, then, of necessity, entry and punishment are given from there. You should remember what was said above, namely, that the fourth part of the inhabitants of the city, as God said, will be put to death. Therefore, look, the punitive forces are ready to carry out a certain punishment. One Angel struck down many thousands of Assyrians, one was also commanded to kill the firstborn of Egypt, but here the punishment of the Jews is entrusted to six men, due to the excessiveness of their wickedness. And one man in the midst of them was clothed with a robe, and a belt of sapphire about his loins: The seventh wears priestly vestments, because he belonged to those who do not punish, but serve those who are worthy of salvation. Since God commanded to honor the seventh day, here he shows the seventh in a venerable form. and they went down and stasha near the copper altar. This altar was placed in the courtyard in front of the church. Ezek.9:3. And the glory of the God of Israel went up from the Cherubim, which was upon them, into the unveiled house: Since he is preparing to pronounce a sentence on a city, he does this outside the holy places, because from them salvation is given, and not punishment is sent. and calling her husband, she was wrapped in a garment, who had a belt around her loins. Ezek.9:4. And the Lord said to him: go through the midst of the city of Jerusalem, and give signs on the faces of the men who groan and suffer because of all the iniquities that happen among them. It is a good thing to admonish and give advice to those who sin, but when they contradict and do not obey, crying is necessary and useful. Therefore, blessed Paul said: “Who is faint, and does not faint? whoever is tempted, and I am not liquefied” (2 Cor. 11:29)? And again: “Let not my God come again to humble me among you, and I will mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented” (2 Cor. 12:21). Therefore, these ones who mourned and moaned about the iniquity of the people were also pious. Why do they differ, so as not to become participants in the punishment? Having given this commandment, says the Prophet, God commands the rest: Ezek.9:5. Go into the city after him, and cut him off, and have no mercy on your eyes, and have no mercy. Ezek.9:6. Beat the old man, the young man, the virgin, the child, and the wives for consumption: but touch not all who have a sign on them; begin from My sacred ones. I will also say in the words of Blessed Paul: “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hand of the living God” (Heb. 10:31); I will also add the words of the God-wise David: “Blessed are those who keep judgment and do righteousness at all times” (Ps. 105:3); for on “the day of cruelty the Lord will deliver them.” We find both in what has now been said by the Prophet: some are mercilessly flogged with the whole race, and the punishment extends to every age, while others are righteously saved and remain free from communication with the first. God commands the punitive forces to begin with those sanctified by Him, not in the proper sense calling them saints, but because they were considered holy, as set apart for worship. For this is not said about holy places, as some believed, but about people sanctified for the service of God. And this is clear from the subsequent words of the prophecy, for after this the Prophet adds: And the beginning came from the old men who ran inside the house. He commands to kill inside the house, because lawlessness was committed there; there they will justly suffer punishment. For the Prophet says: Ezek.9:7. And he said to them: desecrate the house, and fill the paths of the dead, going forth, and cut them off. since they themselves desecrated the house of God with idols, the righteous Judge commands the same to be done by beating the lawless. And they came out and struck the city. Ezek.9:8. And suddenly there was a slaughter, and I was left alone, and I fell on my face, and cried out and said: O Lord, Adonai is cruel to me, when You consume the remains of Israel, when You pour out Your wrath on Jerusalem! The prophet is philanthropic and bows to mercy. Such was Blessed Paul, who prayed “to be excommunicated from Christ” for the Jews (Rom. 3:3). But the Lord calms this benevolent servant and explains to him the justice of the punishment. For he says: Ezek.9:9. The house of Israel and Judah are greatly exalted in wickedness, And by this aggravation he expressed the excessiveness of the intensified evil. for the land was filled with many people, and the city was filled with unrighteousness and uncleanness, as if he had decided: The Lord has left the earth, and the Lord does not see. They dare to do this, says God, having convinced themselves that I am not supervising and do not see what is being done.