Eze 15:1-8.
THE
WORTHLESSNESS OF THE
VINE AS
WOOD
ESPECIALLY
WHEN
BURNT,
IS THE
IMAGE OF THE
WORTHLESSNESS AND
GUILT OF THE
JEWS,
WHO
SHALL
PASS FROM
ONE
FIRE TO
ANOTHER.
This chapter represents, in the way of a brief introduction, what the
sixteenth chapter details minutely.
2, 3. What has the vine-wood to make it pre-eminent above other
forest-wood? Nothing. Nay, the reverse. Other trees yield useful
timber, but vine-wood is soft, brittle, crooked, and seldom large; not
so much as a "pin" (the large wooden peg used inside houses in the East
to hang household articles on,
Isa 22:23-25)
can be made of it. Its sole excellency is that it should bear fruit;
when it does not bear fruit, it is not only not better, but inferior to
other trees: so if God's people lose their distinctive excellency by
not bearing fruits of righteousness, they are more unprofitable than
the worldly
(De 32:32),
for they are the vine; the sole end of their being is to bear fruit to
His glory
(Ps 80:8, 9;
Isa 5:1,
&c.; Jer 2:21;
Ho 10:1;
Mt 21:33).
In all respects, except in their being planted by God, the Jews were
inferior to other nations, as Egypt, Babylon, &c., for example, in
antiquity, extent of territory, resources, military power, attainments
in arts and sciences.
or than a branch--rather, in apposition with "the vine tree." Omit
"or than." What superiority has the vine
if it be but a branch among the trees of the forest, that is, if,
as having no fruit, it lies cut down among other woods of trees?
4. cast into . . . fire--
(Joh 15:6).
both the ends--the north kingdom having been already overturned by
Assyria under Tiglath-pileser; the south being pressed on by Egypt
(2Ki 23:29-35).
midst of it is burned--rather, "is on flame"; namely, Jerusalem,
which had now caught the flame by the attack of Nebuchadnezzar.
Is it meet for any work--"it," that is, the scorched part still
remaining.
5. If useless before, much more so when almost wholly burnt.
6. So will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as being utterly
unprofitable
(Mt 21:33-41; 25:30;
Mr 11:12-14;
Lu 13:6-9)
in answering God's design that they should be witnesses for Jehovah
before the heathen
(Mt 3:10; 5:13).
7. And I will set my face against
them--(See on
Le 17:10).
from one fire . . . another--(Compare
Isa 24:18).
"Fire" means here every kind of calamity
(Ps 66:12).
The Jewish fugitives shall escape from the ruin of Jerusalem, only to
fall into some other calamity.
8. trespass--rather, "they have perversely fallen into perverse
rebellion." The Jews were not merely sinners as the other nations,
but revolters and apostates. It is one thing to neglect what we
know not, but quite another thing to despise what we profess to worship
[JEROME], as the Jews did towards God and the law.
Ezekiel 15 Bible Commentary
Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown
Eze 15:1-8. THE WORTHLESSNESS OF THE VINE AS WOOD ESPECIALLY WHEN BURNT, IS THE IMAGE OF THE WORTHLESSNESS AND GUILT OF THE JEWS, WHO SHALL PASS FROM ONE FIRE TO ANOTHER.
This chapter represents, in the way of a brief introduction, what the sixteenth chapter details minutely.
2, 3. What has the vine-wood to make it pre-eminent above other forest-wood? Nothing. Nay, the reverse. Other trees yield useful timber, but vine-wood is soft, brittle, crooked, and seldom large; not so much as a "pin" (the large wooden peg used inside houses in the East to hang household articles on, Isa 22:23-25) can be made of it. Its sole excellency is that it should bear fruit; when it does not bear fruit, it is not only not better, but inferior to other trees: so if God's people lose their distinctive excellency by not bearing fruits of righteousness, they are more unprofitable than the worldly (De 32:32), for they are the vine; the sole end of their being is to bear fruit to His glory (Ps 80:8, 9; Isa 5:1, &c.; Jer 2:21; Ho 10:1; Mt 21:33). In all respects, except in their being planted by God, the Jews were inferior to other nations, as Egypt, Babylon, &c., for example, in antiquity, extent of territory, resources, military power, attainments in arts and sciences.
or than a branch--rather, in apposition with "the vine tree." Omit "or than." What superiority has the vine if it be but a branch among the trees of the forest, that is, if, as having no fruit, it lies cut down among other woods of trees?
4. cast into . . . fire-- (Joh 15:6).
both the ends--the north kingdom having been already overturned by Assyria under Tiglath-pileser; the south being pressed on by Egypt (2Ki 23:29-35).
midst of it is burned--rather, "is on flame"; namely, Jerusalem, which had now caught the flame by the attack of Nebuchadnezzar.
Is it meet for any work--"it," that is, the scorched part still remaining.
5. If useless before, much more so when almost wholly burnt.
6. So will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as being utterly unprofitable (Mt 21:33-41; 25:30; Mr 11:12-14; Lu 13:6-9) in answering God's design that they should be witnesses for Jehovah before the heathen (Mt 3:10; 5:13).
7. And I will set my face against them--(See on Le 17:10).
from one fire . . . another--(Compare Isa 24:18). "Fire" means here every kind of calamity (Ps 66:12). The Jewish fugitives shall escape from the ruin of Jerusalem, only to fall into some other calamity.
8. trespass--rather, "they have perversely fallen into perverse rebellion." The Jews were not merely sinners as the other nations, but revolters and apostates. It is one thing to neglect what we know not, but quite another thing to despise what we profess to worship [JEROME], as the Jews did towards God and the law.