Ezek. 24 By the parable of a boiling pot is showed the destruction of Jerusalem, the bloody city, Ezek. 24:1–14. Ezekiel is forbidden to mourn for the death of his wife, Ezek. 24:15–18, to denote that this calamity of the Jews shall be beyond all expressions of sorrow, Ezek. 24:19–24.

In the ninth year of the captivity of Jeconiah, and those that were carried away with him; it falls in also with the year of Zedekiah’s reign, though the prophet, and the captives now in Babylon, reckon not by this, but by the former. The tenth month; which answers to part of December and January.

Write; set it down, and in such manner, with such witness, that it may be proved. The name of the day, most punctually, set it down. The king of Babylon; Nebuchadnezzar, who in person it is like was there at first to encourage, direct, and settle the siege, though he withdrew from it for his…

Utter a parable; in somewhat a dark, yet apt similitude, or in an allegory, declare what they should know and consider. Rebellious house: see Ezek. 2:3, Ezek. 2:6. Set on a pot; set upon the fire a pot, or caldron. Set it on; do it quickly, be sure to do it: this pot is Jerusalem.

The pieces; which are to put into this pot. Every good piece, i.e. all the chief of the inhabitants of the land, the wealthiest, who in the time of this invasion will flee from their country-houses to live in safety in Jerusalem.

Take the choice; pick out the very best in the flock, that is, the greatest, richest, most powerful for authority and interest in the nation and city. Burn; or, heap together in order to burn, to make a fire with.

All this allegory contains woeful and heavy tidings, misery and desolation to them that are represented by it. The bloody city; see Ezek. 22:2–3; Jerusalem, which is this pot. Whose scum is therein; filthiness, her abominations, all her lewdness, are still within.

Her blood, innocent blood which she hath shed, is in the midst of her; openly and publicly, without fear, or shame, or reluctance. Set it upon the top of a rock, where it might be long seen, cared not to hide her murders, as the next words clear it.

This provoked the anger of the Lord, and raised his fury against them. To come up, into the face of God, (after the manner of man,) as Ezek. 38:18. To take vengeance; to God it appertains to take vengeance, to punish such sinners according to the nature of their sin.

Woe to the bloody city! see Ezek. 24:6. I will even make the pile for fire great; God’s hand shall be seen inflicting all those sore afflictions on them.

This is God’s word, either what he will do pursuant of the 8th verse; or his word to the prophet, to typify to the people what should be done, or to the Chaldean army, to hasten what they were to do in destroying the city. Heap on wood; make full preparations.

Set it, the hieroglyphic pot, empty; the water, flesh, bones, all consumed, i.e. the citizens all wasted with sword, famine, or pestilence, the city left as an empty, overboiled pot. Upon the coals thereof; signifying the burning of the city itself, after the emptying of its inhabitants.

She; the nation of the Jews, and the city Jerusalem. Hath wearied; either her God, (so the French translation,) by her repeated sins, and pertinacy in them, as elsewhere, Isa. 1:14, Isa. 7:13, Isa.

In thy filthiness, in thy sinning, is lewdness; deliberate resolution grown up to obstinacy and boldness, with impudence that will not be corrected. I have purged thee; used all sorts of proper means to purge, advice, reproof, chastisements, threats of sorer sufferings, by prophets, by the rod,…

This verse scarce hath its like I think in the book of God, so fully doth it ratify and confirm all, and prevents all their evasions. I the Lord have spoken it: this is Ezekiel’s saying, Nay, it is the Lord that hath spoken it. It shall come to pass. But perhaps it may not be.

Behold; consider what I tell, and will do. I take away from thee; by death I take from thee, but it is I the Lord, and I take her to myself, though from thee.

Forbear to cry; restrain and curb thy sorrows, neither sigh nor lament. Make no mourning for the dead; when thou carriest her out to burial, make no mourning for her. Bind the tire of thine head; adorn and trim up thy head, as thou wast used to do; go not bare-headed, as Lev. 10:6, Lev.

I spake unto the people; told them what God had told me, and which I expected would be. In the morning; it is likely he had this revelation in the night, or evening before, and he tells them betimes in the morning, what God would do in taking away his wife, and what he must not do when she is dead,…

The people said; some of the ordinary sort, the people, not rulers or priests. Tell us; explain, and declare whether there be not, and what it is that we are to learn by this. These are types, but what do they mean?

Now he is commissioned to declare the meaning of that he did. Speak unto the house of Israel; to them at Babylon by word of mouth, but to them at Jerusalem by letter, or messenger.

Ye shall do as I have done, when you are in captivity, where you cannot, may not use your own customs and rites on these or any other occasions. Ye shall not cover your lips: Ezek. 24:17. Nor eat the bread of men: see Ezek. 24:17.

See Ezek. 24:16–17. Ye shall pine away; you shall languish with grief and secret sorrow, when you shall not dare to show it openly, lest you irritate your tyrannical masters, who will expect that nothing grieve you that rejoiceth them.

Ezekiel is unto you a sign; in what he doth you may see what you shall do; so Ezek. 4:3, Ezek. 12:6. And so was Isaiah, Isa. 8:18. When this cometh; when your necessities and enemies shall force you to do as I have done, make you write after this copy.

Shall it not be? the question is to be resolved affirmatively, it shall be. In the day; in the day of the taking the city of Jerusalem. When I take from them; though Nebuchadnezzar was the means or instrument, God did act by him, who did God’s work more than his own.

He; so few escape, that the prophet seems to confine it to one. That escapeth the common destruction when Jerusalem was sacked. Shall come unto thee, purposely to declare how God hath made good his threats.

Shall thy mouth be opened, to speak freely to him that brings the news, and to the Jews afterward. And thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb; from this prophecy for eighteen months during the siege he doth not prophesy of Israel, but of other nations.