Page 58 - NOTES ON EZEKIEL

52 NOTES ON EZEKIEL.

them: they shall remove and go into captivity. An<f
the prince that is among them shall bear upon his
shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall
dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall
cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.
My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall b&
taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon
to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it,
though he shall die there. And I will scatter toward
every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his*
bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.
And they shall know that I am Jehovah, when I shall
scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the-
countries. But I will leave a few men of them from*
the sword, from the famine,and from the pestilence; that
they may declare all their abominations among the-
heathen whither they come; and they shall know that
I am Jehovah.” (Ver. 8—16.) It is assumed that an*
action, so strange on the prophet’s part as preparing'
for departure by day, and taking it muffled in the dark­
ness of night, would arouse the Jews; and here was the-
answer he must give. The prince in Jerusalem, Zede-
kiah, and all the house of Israel there, were intended
by this “ burden” or “ oracle.” And very strikingly
were both this prediction and Jeremiah’s fulfilled to the*
letter. Josephus says that the king fancying a contra­
diction made up his mind to believe neither. Certaitt
it is that Zedekiah did not escape the Chaldeans, but
was delivered into the hands of the Babylonian king,,
and spoke to him mouth to mouth, and his eyes beheld
his eyes; equally certain that after being taken in
snare he was brought to Babylon, and yet did not see*