Ezekiel 20-48, Volume 29

Leslie C. Allen, Bruce M. Metzger, David Allen Hubbard, Glenn W. Barker, John D. W. Watts, James W. Watts, Ralph P. Martin, Lynn Allan Losie

• Publisher: Zondervan Academic
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9780310588665
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Commentary

The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship.

Overview of Commentary Organization

• Introduction—covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology.
• Each section of the commentary includes:
• Pericope Bibliography—a helpful resource containing the most important works that pertain to each particular pericope.
• Translation—the author's own translation of the biblical text, reflecting the end result of exegesis and attending to Hebrew and Greek idiomatic usage of words, phrases, and tenses, yet in reasonably good English.
• Notes—the author's notes to the translation that address any textual variants, grammatical forms, syntactical constructions, basic meanings of words, and problems of translation.
• Form/Structure/Setting—a discussion of redaction, genre, sources, and tradition as they concern the origin of the pericope, its canonical form, and its relation to the biblical and extra-biblical contexts in order to illuminate the structure and character of the pericope. Rhetorical or compositional features important to understanding the passage are also introduced here.
• Comment—verse-by-verse interpretation of the text and dialogue with other interpreters, engaging with current opinion and scholarly research.
• Explanation—brings together all the results of the discussion in previous sections to expose the meaning and intention of the text at several levels: (1) within the context of the book itself; (2) its meaning in the OT or NT; (3) its place in the entire canon; (4) theological relevance to broader OT or NT issues.
  • General Bibliography—occurring at the end of each volume, this extensive bibliographycontains all sources used anywhere in the commentary.

Exodus, Old and New (20:1–44)

Bibliography

Baltzer, D. Ezechiel und Deuterojesaja. BZAW 121. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1971, 2–11. Bettenzoli, G. Geist der Heiligkeit. Traditionsgeschichtliche Untersuchung des QDŠ-Begriffes im Buch Ezechiel. Florence: Istituto di Linguistica, Universita di Firenze, 1979, 195–205. Blank, S. H. “Isaiah 52:5 and the Profanation of the Name.” HUCA 25 (1954) 1–8. Bligh, J. Galatians: A Discussion of St Paul’s Epistle. London: St Paul Publications, 1969. Coats, G. W. Rebellion in the Wilderness. Nashville: Abingdon, 1968, 231–41. Falk, Z. W. “Gestures Expressing Affirmation.” JSS 4 (1959) 268–69. Fishbane, M. Text and Texture. Close Readings of Selected Biblical Texts. New York: Schocken Books, 1979, 131–32. Freedy, K. S., and Redford, D. B. “The Dates in Ezekiel in Relation to Biblical, Babylonian and Egyptian Sources.” JAOS 90 (1970) 462–85. Galbiati, E. La struttura litteraria dell’ Esodo. Rome: Edizione Paoline, 1956. Gese, H. “Ezechiel 20,25f und die Erstgeburtsopfer.” Beiträge zur alttestamentlichen Theologie. FS W. Zimmerli. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1977, 140–51. Graffy, A. A Prophet Confronts His People: The Disputation Speech in the Prophets. AnBib 104. Rome: Biblical Institute Press, 1984. Greenberg, M. “MSRT HBRYT, ‘The Obligation of the Covenant’ in Ezekiel 20:37.” The Word of the Lord Shall Go Forth. FS D. N. Freedman, ed. C. L. Meyers and M. O’Connor. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1983, 37–46. Heider, G. C. The Cult of Molek: A Reassessment. JSOTSup 43. Sheffield: JSOT, 1985. ———. “A Further Turn on Ezekiel’s Baroque Twist in Ezek 20:25–26.” JBL 107 (1988) 721–24. Hoffmann, Y. “Ezekiel 20—Its Structure and Meaning.” BMik 63 (1975) 473–89 (Heb.). van Hoonacker, A. “Ezéchiël xx 25–26.” Le Muséon 12 (1893) 126–54. Krüger, T. Geschichtskonzepte im Ezechielbuch. BZAW 180. Berlin: de Gruyter, 1989, 199–281. Lust, J. “Ez. XX,4–26 une parodie de l’histoire religieuse d’Israël.” ETL 43 (1967) 487–527. Malamat, A. “The Twilight of Judah: In the Egyptian–Babylonian Maelstrom.” Congress Volume, Edinburgh, 1974. VTSup 28. Leiden: Brill, 1975, 123–45. Mulder, M. J. “Ezekiel xx 39 and the Pešitta Version.” VT 25 (1975) 233–37. Murray, D. F. “The Rhetoric of Disputation: Re–examination of a Prophetic Genre.” JSOT 38 (1987) 95–121. Neher, A. “A Reflection on the Silence of God: ‘I Will Not Be Inquired of by You.’ ” Judaism 16 (1967) 434–42. Pons, J. “Le vocabulaire d’Ez 20. Le prophète s’oppose à la vision deutéronomiste de l’histoire.” Ezekiel and His Book. ed. J. Lust. Leuven: University Press, 1986, 214–33. Reventlow, H. Wächter über Israel. Ezechiel und seine Tradition. BZAW 82. Berlin: Töpelmann, 1962, 75–78. Tsevat, M. “The Basic Meaning of the Biblical Sabbath.” The Meaning of the Book of Job and Other Biblical Studies. New York: Ktav, 1980, 39–52. Zimmerli, W. “Le nouvel ‘exode’ dans la message des deux grands prophètes de l’Exil.” Maqqél shâqqédh. FS W. Fischer. Montpellier: Cause Graille Castelnau, 1960, 216–27. ———. “Das Phänomenon der ‘Fortschreibung’ im Buche Ezechiel.” Prophecy. FS G. Fohrer, ed. J. A. Emerton. BZAW 150, Berlin: de Gruyter, 1980, 174–91.

Translation

1In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, some of Israel’s elders came to consult Yahweh, and they sat down in front of me. 2I received a communication from Yahweh: 3“Human one, speak with Israel’s elders and tell them: This is the message of the Lord Yahweh.a Have you come with the intent of consulting me? Upon my life, I am not going to let myself be consultedb by you—so runs the Lord Yahweha oracle. 4Would you pass judgment on them, would you pass judgment, please,a human one? Inform them of the shocking history of their ancestors, 5tell them: This is the message of the Lord Yahweh. At the time I chose Israel, I raised my hand in an affirmation to the descendants of Jacob’s family. I made myself known to them in Egypt and I raised my hand, affirming to them: ‘I am your God Yahweh.’ 6Then it was that I raised my hand with a promise to them of an exodus from Egypt to a country I had searched out for them—flowing with milk and honey, it was the most beautiful country in the world. 7I told them, ‘Throw away, every one of you, the detestable objects of worship your eyes gloat over, and stop contaminating yourselves with Egyptian idols: I am your God Yahweh.’ 8But they defied me and refused to listen to me. They did not throw awaya those detestable objects they gloated over nor did they abandon the Egyptian idols. I had a mind to drench them with my fury, to give full vent to my anger against them, while they were still in Egypt. 9But I acted in the interests of my name, not wanting the nations they lived among to take a debased view of it, after they had witnessed my making myself known to Israel with promise of an exodus from Egypt. 10I did bring about their exodus from Egypt, and I provided entry into the wilderness. 11I gave them my rules, I made known to them my standards, upon whose performance human life depends. 12I also gave to them my sabbaths, as a symbol of our relationship, wanting them to appreciate that I am Yahweh, the one who sets them apart as holy. 13However, the community of Israel defied me in the wilderness. They did not meet my standards, and they rejected my rules upon whose performance human life depends, and they utterly desecrated my sabbaths. I had a mind to finish them off in the wilderness, drenching them with my fury. 14But I acted in the interests of my name, not wanting a debased view of it to be taken by the nations who had witnessed their exodus I had brought about. 15However, I did raise my hand in the wilderness, affirming to them that I would not give them entry into the country I had given thema—flowing with milk and honey, it was the most beautiful country in the world. 16The reason was that they had rejected my rules and not met my standards, and they had desecrated my sabbaths; instead, their bent was to give allegiance to their idols. 17Yet I turned a compassionate eye on them rather than annihilate them; I did not finish them off in the wilderness.

18“I told their children in the wilderness: ‘Don’t take over your parents’ standards, don’t adopt their rules and don’t contaminate yourselves with their idols. 19I am your God Yahweh. Meet my standards, keep my rules and put them into practice. 20Set aside my sabbaths as holy and let them serve as a symbol of our relationship. These are the ways to appreciate that I am your God Yahweh.’ 21The children defied me, however. They did not meet my standards, they did not put into practice my rules on whose performance human life depends, anda they desecrated my sabbaths. So I had a mind to drench them with my fury, to give full vent to my anger in the wilderness. 22But I held back my hand,a acting in the interests of my name, not wanting the other nations to take a debased view of it after witnessing their exodus I had brought about. 23However, I did raise my hand in the wilderness, affirming to them that I would scatter them among other nations, I would disperse them in foreign countries, 24because they had not complied with my standards, they had rejected my rules, desecrated my sabbaths and could not keep their gloating eyes off their parents’ idols. 25Also I gave them no–good rules, standards that did not nourish life. 26I made their gifts a means of contaminating themselves, when theya surrendered every firstborn son. I wanted to devastate them—and I wanted them to appreciate that I am Yahweh.b

27“Speak then to the community of Israel, human one, and tell them: This is the message of the Lord Yahweh. Here is another way your ancestors showed contempt for me, breaking faith with me. 28I gave them entry into the country which I had raised my hand in affirmation that I should give them. Yet whenever they saw a high hill or a leafy tree, they chose those places to slaughter their sacrifices, make their infuriating offerings,a...