“The princes of Judah
Have become
Like those
Who remove the landmark.
To them,
I will pour out
My wrath
Like water.”
The princes of Judah were not safe from Yahweh. They were like the people who move landmarks. They tried to take advantage of the situation, by tying to extend their territory. Thus, Yahweh was going to pour out his wrath on them like gushing water.
“Says Yahweh God!
‘On that day,
When Gog comes
Against the land
Of Israel,
My wrath
Will be aroused.
In my jealousy,
In my blazing wrath,
I declare.
‘On that day
There shall be
A great shaking
In the land
Of Israel.’”
The mood of Yahweh changed as Gog actually attacked Israel. Up to this point, Yahweh had been egging Gog on to attack Israel. But now, there was a complete reversal. On the day of the attack, Yahweh would be angry and jealous, as his wrath would be aroused. There would be a great tumult in Israel. Let us see what happens next.
“The word of Yahweh
Came to me.
‘Son of man!
When the house
Of Israel
Lived
On their own soil,
They defiled it
With their ways,
With their doings.
Their conduct was,
In my sight,
Like the uncleanness
Of a woman
In her menstrual period.
Thus,
I poured out my wrath
Upon them
For the blood
That they had shed
Upon the land.
I poured out my wrath
Upon them
For the idols
With which
They had defiled it.
I scattered them
Among the nations.
They were dispersed
Through the countries.
I judged them
In accordance
With their conduct.
I judged them
In accordance
With their deeds.’”
Once again, the word of Yahweh came to Ezekiel, the son of man, but without a specific date. Yahweh said that when the house of Israel lived on their own soil, they defiled it with how they acted. They were unclean, like the uncleanness of the menstrual female, who was considered to be unclean at the time of her period. They had shed blood throughout the land. They had worshipped idols, thus defiling the land. Yahweh then poured out his wrath and scattered them among the various nations. Thus, they were dispersed throughout the different countries. Yahweh judged them according to their conduct and their deeds.
“Thus says Yahweh God!
‘I will destroy
The idols.
I will put an end
To the images
In Memphis.
There shall no longer
Be a prince
In the land of Egypt.
Thus I will put fear
Into the land of Egypt.
I will make Pathros
A desolation.
I will set fire
To Zoan.
I will execute
Acts of judgment
On Thebes.
I will pour my wrath
Upon Pelusium,
The stronghold of Egypt.
I will cut off
The hordes of Thebes.
I will set fire
To Egypt.
Pelusium shall be
In great agony.
Thebes shall be
Breached.
Memphis will face
Adversaries by day.”
Yahweh, via Ezekiel, said that he was going to destroy the idols and images of the city of Memphis, the capital of lower Egypt. They would face daily adversaries. There would be no longer a prince in Egypt. Yahweh was going to put fear into the people of Egypt. He was going to decimate Pathros and set a fire in Zoan, that later became known as Tanis, in the northeast Delta area. He was going to execute his judgment on Thebes, current day Karnak, by getting rid of the multitude of people there, when the walls would be broken down. He was going to pour out his wrath on the stronghold of Pelusium that was east of Zoan, so that it would be in great agony.
“Then I thought
That I would pour out
My wrath
Upon them.
I would spend
My anger
Against them
In the midst
Of the land
Of Egypt.
But I acted
For the sake
Of my name.
It should not be
Profaned
In the sight
Of the nations
Among whom
They lived,
In whose sight
I have made
Myself known
To them.
I will bring them
Out of the land
Of Egypt.
So I led them
Out of the land
Of Egypt.
I brought them
Into the wilderness.”
Yahweh wanted to pour out his wrath on them right there and then in the land of Egypt, because he was angry with them. However, he acted for the sake of his name. He did not want to profane his name in the sight of other nations among whom the Israelites had lived. He did not want to embarrass his name among those who had heard that Yahweh was bringing them out of the land of Egypt. So he ended up leading them out of the land of Egypt into the wilderness.
“I will judge you
As a woman
Who commits adultery.
I will judge you
As one who sheds blood.
I will bring
Blood upon you
In wrath,
In jealousy.
I will deliver you
Into their hands.
They shall throw down
Your platform.
They shall break down
Your lofty places.
They shall strip you
Of your clothes.
They will take
Your beautiful objects.
They will leave you naked.
They will leave you bare.”
Yahweh was going to pass judgment on Jerusalem. He was going to treat Jerusalem like a woman who had committed adultery. He was going to judge her as one who had shed blood. Yahweh was going to bring his wrath and jealousy upon her. He was going to hand her over to her former lovers. They would throw down her platforms and break up her lofty places that were at the street corners and in the public squares. They would strip her of her clothes and take her beautiful jewels. Finally, they would leave her naked and bare.
“‘Thus will I spend
My wrath
Upon the wall.
I will spend
My wrath
Upon those
Who have smeared it
With whitewash.
I will say to you.
The wall is no more.
Those who smeared it,
Are no more.
The prophets of Israel,
Who prophesied
Concerning Jerusalem,
Saw visions of peace
For it,
When there was no peace.’
Says Yahweh God.”
Yahweh said that he has spent his wrath on the wall and those who smeared it with whitewash. The wall is gone. It is no more. Neither are those who smeared it. They both have been destroyed. Those false Israelite prophets who saw visions of peace for Jerusalem would not see peace. Thus Yahweh has spoken via Ezekiel.
“Yet I persistently sent
To you
All my servants,
The prophets,
Saying,
‘I beg you not to do
This abominable thing
That I hate!’
But they did not listen
Or incline their ear.
They did not turn
From their wickedness.
They continued to make
Offerings to other gods.
So my wrath,
With my anger,
Was poured out.
I kindled a fire
In the towns of Judah
As well as in the streets of Jerusalem.
They became a waste.
They became a desolation,
As they still are today.”
Once again, Yahweh reminded these Judeans in Egypt that he had warned them, since he had persistently sent his prophet servants to tell them to stop doing those hated abominable things. However, they never listened to these prophets. They never turned away from their wicked ways of presenting offerings to other gods. Thus Yahweh, the God of Israel, got mad. He poured out his wrath on the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem. They both became a waste and desolation, like they were today, at the time of this oracle.
“Give heed to me!
Yahweh!
Listen to what my adversaries say!
Is evil a recompense for good?
Yet they have dug a pit for my life.
Remember how I stood before you
To speak good for them.
I asked you
To turn away your wrath
From them.”
Jeremiah starts out asking Yahweh, God, to hear him. He also wanted him to hear what his enemies had said. Why was evil given as a compensation for good things? They have dug a pit for his life, so that he might be killed. Jeremiah wanted Yahweh to remember how he had stood before Yahweh and spoke good things about them. He had wanted Yahweh to turn his wrath away from them. Now these same people were trying to kill him.
“Cut off your hair!
Throw it away!
Raise a lamentation
On the bare heights!
Yahweh has rejected
The generation
That provoked his wrath.
Yahweh has forsaken
The generation
That provoked his wrath.
The people of Judah
Have done evil in my sight.’
Says Yahweh.
‘They have set their abominations
In the house
That is called by my name.
They defile it.’”
Yahweh wanted Jeremiah to go into mourning by cutting off his hair. He should get rid of his hair and lament from the heights because Yahweh, in his wrath, has rejected and forsaken this generation. The people of Judah, in specific, have done evil in the sight of Yahweh. They have placed abominations of false idol gods in his house. Thus they have defiled the Temple.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 