“‘I will make known
My holy name
Among my people Israel.
I will not let
My holy name
Be profaned anymore.
The nations
Shall know
That I am Yahweh,
The Holy One
In Israel.’”
There is no doubt that Yahweh, via Ezekiel, wanted to protect and make known this holy name, especially among the people of Israel, but also among the various nations. He did not want his holy name profaned anymore. In case there was any doubt, he was Yahweh, the holy one of Israel.
“I will take you
From the nations.
I will gather you
From all the countries.
I will bring you
Into your own land.
I will sprinkle
Clean water
Upon you.
You shall be clean
From all
Your unclean situations.
I will cleanse you
From all
Your idols.”
Yahweh, via Ezekiel, was going to gather all the Israelites from the various nations and countries where they had gone. He was going to bring them into their own land, cleansing them with a sprinkling of clean water. They would be cleaned up from their unclean situation that was due to all their idol worshiping.
“Therefore,
Say to
The house of Israel.
Thus says Yahweh God!
‘It is not for your sake,
O house of Israel!
That I am about to act,
But for the sake
Of my holy name.
You have profaned it
Among the nations
To which you came.
I will sanctify
My great name.
You have profaned it
Among the nations.’
Says Yahweh God!
‘The nations will know
That I am Yahweh,
When through you,
I display my holiness
Before their eyes.’”
Yahweh, via Ezekiel, explained to the house of Israel that he was acting to protect his own name. It was not for their own sake, but for his good reputation that he was about to bring them back from wherever they were scattered. Yahweh was going to sanctify his great name that had been profaned among the various nations. These various countries would know that he was Yahweh God, when he displayed his great holiness through the Israelites.
“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.
“I will scatter the Egyptians
Among the nations.
I will disperse them
Throughout the lands.
I will strengthen
The arms
Of the king of Babylon.
I will put my sword
In his hand.
But I will break
The arms of Pharaoh.
He will groan
Before him
With the groans
Of one mortally wounded.
I will strengthen
The arms
Of the king of Babylon.
But the arms of Pharaoh
Shall fall.
They shall know
That I am Yahweh
When I put
My sword
Into the hand
Of the king of Babylon.
He shall stretch it out
Against the land of Egypt.
I will scatter
The Egyptians
Among the nations.
I will disperse them
Throughout the countries.
Then they will know
That I am Yahweh.”
Yahweh was going to scatter and disperse the Egyptians among the various nations. He was going to strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon with his own sword. At the same time, he was going to break the arms of the Pharaoh who would groan, as if he were mortally wounded. Then Yahweh repeated himself. He was going to strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but break the arms of Pharaoh, who would fall. Then everyone would know that Yahweh was God. The king of Babylon would stretch out his hand with the sword of Yahweh against Egypt. The king of Babylon would scatter and disperse these Egyptians among the various nations.
“Thus says Yahweh God.
‘You have clapped
Your hands.
You have stamped
Your feet.
You have rejoiced
With all the malice
Within you
Against the land of Israel.
Therefore,
I have stretched out
My hand
Against you.
I will hand you over
As plunder
To the nations.
I will cut you off
From the people.
I will make you
Perish
Out of the countries.
I will destroy you.
Then you will know
That I am Yahweh.’”
Yahweh, via Ezekiel, said that the Ammonites had maliciously clapped their hands and stamped their feet in rejoicing over the bad situation of Israel. Thus Yahweh was going to stretch out his hand against these Ammonites. He was going to make them plunder for the various nations, since they would be cut you off from all the other countries. They were going to perish because Yahweh was going to destroy them. Thus they would finally realize that Yahweh was God. Unlike Jeremiah, there was no mention of a future restoration for Ammon.
“Who has found
Her place?
Who has entered
Her storehouses?
Where are the rulers
Of the nations?
Where are those
Who lorded it over
The animals on earth?
Where are those
Who have made sport
Of the birds of the air?
Where are those
Who hoarded up
Silver with gold
In which people trust ?
Where are those
With no end
To their getting?
Where are those
Who schemed
To get silver?
Where are those
Who are anxious?
There is no trace
Of their works.
They have vanished.
They have gone down
To Hades.
Others have arisen
In their place.”
Baruch talks about the vanity and uselessness of various life pursuits as in wisdom literature. What happens to people who store up treasures in a storehouse? Where are all the rulers of the various nations? Where are all the people who felt superior to animals. Where are the sportsmen who tried to shoot the birds in the air with their arrows? What happened to all those who hoarded up and put their trust in silver and gold? Where are all the people who never had enough? Where are those who schemed to get silver? Where are all the people who were so anxious? Baruch’s response is simple and clear. There is no trace of any of these people and their works. They have vanished and gone to hell, Hades, the Greek word for Sheol, the shadowy underworld that we often call hell. However, there are always others to take their place to do the same thing over and over again.
Tet
“Her gates have sunk
Into the ground.
Yahweh has ruined them.
He has broken her bars.
Her king
Is among the nations.
Her princes
Are among the nations.
Guidance of the law
Is no more.
Her prophets obtain
No vision
From Yahweh.”
The gates of Jerusalem have sunk into the ground. Yahweh has ruined the bars on the gates that are now broken. The king and the princes have been scattered among the various nations, so that there is no longer any guidance about the law. The prophets no longer have any visions or oracles from Yahweh. This verse starts with the Hebrew consonant letter Tet. Each verse after this will use the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet in this acrostic poem.
“I,
Yahweh,
Love justice.
I hate robbery.
I hate wrongdoing.
I will faithfully give them
Their recompense.
I will make an everlasting covenant
With them.
Their descendants
Shall be known among the nations.
Their offspring
Shall be among the people.
All who see them
Shall acknowledge
That they are a people
Whom Yahweh has blessed.”
Yahweh, speaking in the first person singular, says that he loves justice. He hates robbery and all wrongdoing. He will keep his everlasting covenant with his people. He will faithfully compensate them. They will have well known descendants among the various nations and people. Everybody who sees them will realize that they are a people that Yahweh has blessed.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 