The final desolation of Israel, 1-15. The mournful repentance of those who escape, 16-19. The enemies defile the sanctuary because of the Israelites' abominations, 20-22. Under the type of a chain is shown the miserable captivity of all orders of men, 23-27.
1 Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Also, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel: 'An end, the end has come upon the four corners of the land. 3 Now the end has come upon you, and I will send my anger upon you. I will judge you according to your ways and recompense upon you all your abominations. 4 And my eye shall not spare you, neither will I have pity. But I will recompense your ways upon you, and your abominations shall be in the midst of you. And you shall know that I am the LORD.'
5 "Thus says the Lord GOD: 'An evil, a single evil, behold, has come. 6 An end has come. The end has come. It watches for you. Behold, it has come. 7 The morning has come upon you, O you who dwell in the land. The time has come. The day of trouble is near, and not of joyful shouting upon the mountains. 8 Now I will shortly pour out my fury upon you and accomplish my anger upon you. And I will judge you according to your ways and will recompense you for all your abominations. 9 And my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity. I will recompense you according to your ways and your abominations that are in the midst of you. And you shall know that I am the LORD who smites.
10 'Behold the day, behold, it has come. The morning has gone forth. The rod has blossomed, pride has budded. 11 Violence has risen into a rod of wickedness. None of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs, neither shall there be wailing for them. 12 The time has come. The day draws near. Do not let the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn, for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof. 13 For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they were yet alive, for the vision is concerning the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return, neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.
14 'They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready, but no one goes to the battle, for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof. 15 The sword is outside, and the pestilence and the famine inside. He who is in the field shall die with the sword, and he who is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him. 16 But those who escape of them shall escape and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, each for his iniquity. 17 All hands shall be feeble and all knees shall be weak as water. 18 They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, horror shall cover them, shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads. 19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be as an unclean thing. Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels because it is the stumbling-block of their iniquity.
20 'As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty, but they made the images of their abominations and of their detestable things therein; therefore, I have set it far from them. 21 And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for plunder and to the wicked of the earth for loot, and they shall pollute it. 22 My face I will also turn from them, and they shall pollute my secret place, for the robbers shall enter into it and defile it.
23 'Make a chain, for the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence. 24 Therefore, I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses. I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease, and their holy places shall be defiled. 25 Destruction comes. They shall seek peace, but there shall be none. 26 Mischief shall come upon mischief and rumor shall be upon rumor. Then they shall seek a vision of the prophet, but the law shall perish from the priest and counsel from the elders. 27 The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled. I will do to them after their way, and according to their judgments I will judge them. And they shall know that I am the LORD.'"
Matthew Henry Commentary - Ezekiel, Chapter 7[➚]
John Gill's Chapter Summary:
This chapter contains a prophecy of the speedy destruction of the Jews, as being just at hand, of the particular judgments that should come upon them, of the horror that should seize them and the distress that all ranks of men among them should be in, a few only escaping, who are described as in mournful circumstances. The destruction in general is denounced as being very near, the end having come, which is often repeated, and as it is represented as sudden, so without mercy, which is declared (Ezekiel 7:1-14); the particular judgments, sword, pestilence, and famine, are mentioned (Ezekiel 7:15), and the few that should escape are compared to mourning doves (Ezekiel 7:16); the trembling, horror, and shame that should be upon all are intimated (Ezekiel 7:17-18); the unprofitableness of their gold and silver to deliver them and the unsatisfying nature of these things are expressed (Ezekiel 7:19); the profanation and destruction of their temple are prophesied of (Ezekiel 7:20-22); and for their murder, rapine, and oppression, it is threatened that their houses should be possessed by the worst of heathens, and their holy places defiled, and one calamity should come upon another, then their application to prophets, priests, and ancient men for counsel would be in vain (Ezekiel 7:23-26); and king, prince, and people should be in the most melancholy and distressed circumstances (Ezekiel 7:27).
[v.25] - "Destruction" - Or, "anguish," or, "shuddering."