In this chapter the prophet foretells the judgments of God upon the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, and Philistines, for their ill usage of the Jews; on the Ammonites, Ezek. 25:1–7, on the Moabites, Ezek. 25:8–11, on the Edomites, Ezek. 25:12–14, on the Philistines, Ezek. 25:15–17.

The word of the Lord came unto me After he had done prophesying to the Jews, he is bid to prophesy against the Gentiles, the nations that lay nearest the Jews: saying; as follows:

Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites Who were of the posterity of Lot, implacable enemies of the Jews; who hated their religion, and envied their wealth and happiness; against these the prophet is bid to “set his face”; to look that way where they lived, and to put on a frowning…

And say unto the Ammonites Either to their ambassadors at Babylon, or merchants there; or by letters to them, the prophet being in Chaldea, at a distance from them: hear the word of the Lord God; not Chemosh their idol, nor their lying oracles, but the word of the true and living God; which is…

Behold, therefore, I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession The Chaldeans and Syrians, which were on the east side, as Jarchi; or the Medes and Persians, as Kimchi, which lay more eastward; or it may be the Arabians, who are commonly called the men of the east; who were a part of…

And I will make Rabbath a stable for camels Creatures much used by the eastern nations, especially the Arabians; who pitching their tents about Rabbath, the royal city, the metropolis of the children of Ammon, would convert the houses, and even palaces in it, into stables for their camels.

For thus saith the Lord God Their sin and punishment are further enlarged upon: because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with thy feet: gestures expressive of joy and gladness, , the Ammonites clapped their hands together, and leaped and skipped for joy, when they heard of the calamities…

Behold, therefore, I will stretch out mine hand upon thee In just retaliation for clapping their hands against his people; and which hand of the Lord they would find to be a heavy one, and which they would not be able either to resist or bear.

Thus saith the Lord God By his servant the prophet, to whom the word of the Lord came; as concerning the Ammonites, so likewise concerning the Moabites, as follows: because that Moab and Seir do say; that is, the Moabites, and the Edomites, which latter are meant by Seir, that being the seat of…

Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities Or, “the shoulder of Moab” [[18]]; that part of their country where their greatest strength lay, So the Targum renders it, “the strength of Moab;” where their principal cities were, their frontier towns, and fortified places, as…

Unto the men of the east with the Ammonites, and I will give them in possession Or, “against the Ammonites”, as the Targum; that is, way should be made for the same people of the east, the Chaldeans or Arabians, that came against the Ammonites and destroyed them, to enter into the land of Moab and…

I will execute judgments upon Moab For though the Chaldeans and Arabians were the instruments of their ruin, their destruction was of the Lord; it was his hand that was upon them, and his vengeance that was executed on them, for their hard sayings against his people; for though he had spoke against…

Thus saith the Lord God Concerning Seir or the Edomites, the prophecy concerning the Moabites being finished: because that Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance: or, “revenging a revenge” [[21]]; the Edomites bore an old grudge against the Jews, not only because their…

Therefore thus saith the Lord God Because of such base and barbarous usage, from a people that were originally brethren: I will also stretch out mine hand upon Edom, and will cut off man and beast from it; by the army of Nebuchadnezzar, by the sword of the Chaldeans, and by famine and pestilence,…

And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by fie hand of my people Israel This was fulfilled in the times of the Maccabees, when Judas Maccabins overthrew and conquered them, “Then Judas fought against the children of Esau in Idumea at Arabattine, because they besieged Gael: and he gave them a great…

Thus saith the Lord God Once more, and concerning another enemy of the people of Israel, and who had been of old an implacable one: because the Philistines have dealt by revenge: for what they suffered in the times of Saul, when Goliath was slain by David, and their army was discomfited; and for…

Therefore thus saith the Lord God Because of such wretched malice and despiteful usage: behold, I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines; as is foretold, , and I will cut off the Cherethims: one of the tribes of the Philistines, a principal part of their country, which lay to the south, ,…

And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes By way of retaliation for their vengeance and fury, wrath and malice, against his people; suggesting, that the judgments inflicted on them, for quantity and quality, should be very great: and they shall know that I am the Lord, when…