God answers idolaters according to their own heart, 1-5. They are exhorted to repent, for fear of judgments, by means of seduced prophets, 6-11. God's irrevocable sentence of famine, 12-14; of noisome beasts, 15, 16; of the sword, 17, 18; and of pestilence, 19-21. A remnant shall be reserved for example of others, 22, 23.
1 Then some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 3 "Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart and put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face. Should I be inquired of at all by them? 4 Therefore, speak to them, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Every man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart and puts the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face and comes to the prophet, I, the LORD, will answer him who comes according to the multitude of his idols, 5 So that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols."'
6 "Therefore, say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Repent, turn yourselves from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 7 For everyone of the house of Israel or of the stranger who sojourns in Israel who separates himself from me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning me, I, the LORD, will answer him by myself. 8 And I will set my face against that man, make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people. And you shall know that I am the LORD.
9 "And if the prophet is deceived when he has spoken a thing, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet. And I will stretch out my hand upon him and destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 10 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity. The punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him who seeks him, 11 So that the house of Israel may no longer go astray from me, neither be polluted anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people, and I may be their God,"' says the Lord GOD."
12 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, 13 "Son of man, when the land sins against me by trespassing grievously, I will stretch out my hand upon it, break the staff of the bread thereof, send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it. 14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver their own souls only by their righteousness," says the Lord GOD. 15 "If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they lay it waste so that it is desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the beasts, 16 Though these three men were in it, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters. Only they shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. 17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, 'Sword, go through the land, so that I cut off man and beast from it,' 18 Though these three men were in it, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters. But only they shall be delivered themselves. 19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my fury upon it in blood to cut off man and beast from it, 20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live," says the Lord GOD, "they shall deliver neither son nor daughter. They shall deliver only their own souls by their righteousness."
21 For thus says the Lord GOD: "How much more when I send my four severe judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, the famine, the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off man and beast from it! 22 Yet behold, therein shall be left a remnant who shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters. Behold, they shall come forth to you, and you shall see their way and their doings. And you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it. 23 And they shall comfort you when you see their ways and their doings. And you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it," says the Lord GOD.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Ezekiel, Chapter 14[➚]
John Gill's Chapter Summary:
In this chapter are contained the displeasure of God at hypocritical idolaters who sought to him and at the false prophets; the judgments that should come upon them, and which should not be averted by the intercession of the best of men; and yet a promise that a remnant should be saved. The elders of Israel are said to sit before the prophet (Ezekiel 14:1); to whom the Lord gives an account of them (Ezekiel 14:2-3); and orders the prophet what he should say to them, that the Lord would answer them himself (Ezekiel 14:4-5); and that he should bid the house of Israel repent and turn from their idols, or else the Lord would set his face against them and cut them off, both them and the false prophets they sought to; and this is threatened in order to reform them and continue them his covenant people (Ezekiel 14:6-11); and then the judgment of famine is particularly threatened, to avert which, the prayers of the best of men would be of no effect (Ezekiel 14:12-14); and next the judgment of noisome beasts, with the same intimation (Ezekiel 14:15-16); likewise the sword (Ezekiel 14:17-18); and also the pestilence (Ezekiel 14:19-20); and much less when they should be all sent together (Ezekiel 14:21); and the chapter is concluded with a promise that a remnant should be saved, which would be a comfort to the captives of Babylon, and accounts for what the Lord had done, or would do, in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 14:22-23).