“Therefore,
Son of man!
Speak to
The house of Israel!
Say to them!
‘Thus says Yahweh God!
In this again,
Your ancestors
Blasphemed me.
They dealt treacherously
With me.’”
Yahweh once again told Ezekiel to speak to the house of Israel. He wanted Ezekiel to tell them that their ancestors had blasphemed him. They had treated him treacherously. Their ancestors were not good people.
“Woe to you!
Destroyer!
You yourself have not been destroyed!
You treacherous one!
With whom no one has dealt treacherously!
When you have ceased to destroy,
You will be destroyed.
When you have stopped dealing treacherously,
You will be dealt with treacherously.”
This section seems to be a later addition of prayers led by a prophet in the various religious services. The prophetic term destroyer here refers to Babylon. Although it has not yet been destroyed, it will be. No has dealt treacherously with them, but they have dealt treacherously with others. The destroying days of Babylon are numbered. They will be dealt with treacherously.
“Rouse yourself!
Come to my help!
See!
You!
Yahweh!
God of hosts!
God of Israel!
Awake!
Punish all the nations!
Spare none of those
Who treacherously plot evil!”
Selah
David wanted to wake up Yahweh. This is a direct appeal for help. He wanted the God of hosts, the God of Israel, to see and punish all the other nations. None were to be spared. Anyone who was treacherously plotting evil should be punished without exception. This section ends with a melodic musical interlude meditative pause, Selah.
“Trypho dealt treacherously with the young king Antiochus. He killed him. He became king in his place. He put on the crown of Asia. He brought great calamity on the land.”
About 142 BCE, Trypho killed Antiochus VI, who would have been only about 7 years old and had ruled from 145 BCE, when he was about 4 years old. Obviously, Trypho had been doing everything, as indicated in the previous chapter. He just wanted to get rid of the young child. He put the crown of Asia on his head. Thus bad things were going to happen to him since obviously he could not claim any royal blood in his family.
“Then King Demetrius sent Nicanor, one of his honored princes, who hated and detested Israel. He commanded him to destroy the people. So Nicanor came to Jerusalem with a large force. He treacherously sent to Judas and his brothers this peaceable message.
‘Let there be no fighting between you and me.
I shall come with a few men to see you face to face in peace.’”
King Demetrius I sent Nicanor, one of his friendly princes who hated Israel. He had escaped with him from Rome. The king told him to destroy the Israelite people. Thus Nicanor set out for Jerusalem with a large army force. He sent a treacherous note to Judas that he wanted to stop the fighting. He wanted to meet with him face to face to get a peace treaty. We will have to see where this goes.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 