Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 5:8
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, [am] against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.
8. in the sight of the nations ] The nations saw Israel’s wickedness, and they shall also see her judgments, and they shall know that Jehovah is God alone.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Execute judgments – As upon the false gods of Egypt Exo 12:12; Num 33:4.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Therefore; it is very just what God doth, he hath cause more than enough given him to do so.
Behold; take notice, and consider me, not as now for you, but against you. You look to the instruments, to the rod, but, behold, I am, even I am, against you, against thee, O Jerusalem.
Will execute judgments; I will act in severities that shall convince you it is my hand that wields the sword. You despised my holy law, my judgments as a rule of life, but you shall now feel my judgments that you shall die under. The Chaldeans will kill you, but I condemn you. They will be cruel, but I will be just in the execution; and who can be for thee, when I will be against thee in this dreadful manner?
In the sight of the nations; as notorious as thy sins, so shall thy punishment be. The very heathen shall see my hand in it, and own my justice.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. I, even Iawfully emphatic.I, even I, whom thou thinkest to be asleep, but who am ever reigningas the Omnipotent Avenger of sin, will vindicate My righteousgovernment before the nations by judgments on thee.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Therefore thus saith the Lord God, behold, even I, [am] against thee,…. Or, “behold, I [am] against thee, even I” u; who am the Lord God omnipotent, great King, and a dreadful one; and a terrible thing it is for a people to have the mighty God against them; or for any to fall into the hands of the living God: this is repeated to show that it certainly was so; and that the Lord was set upon it; and determined to come forth against them in the way of his judgments, as follows:
and will execute judgments in the midst of thee, in the sight of the nations; that is, inflict punishments upon them for their disregard to his righteous judgments, which should take place in the midst of them, and consume them all around; and should be so manifest as to be seen by all the nations about them.
u “ecce ego ad te, etiam ego”, Pagninus, Montanus; “ecce ego contra te, etiam ego”, Starckius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Now follows the threat, that God was prepared to take vengeance. Behold, I, even, I, am against you The particle גם , gam, “even,” is used as we in French say, yea, even: I, even I. We now see that the repetition is emphatic, as if God asserted a horrible destruction to be hanging over the Jews. For he wishes to inspire them with fear, since he assures them that he will prove an avenger. Though I do not receive Jerome’s comment, for he says, that angels and other ministers of God’s wrath are excluded, because God determined to destroy the Jews by himself. This we know to be false, for he made use of the Assyrians and Chaldeans. Since then those people were his scourges, it follows, that angels and men are not excluded when God pronounces himself an avenger. But he increases the weight of the punishment when he says, I, even I, am he with whom thou shalt have to do Now he adds, I will execute judgments, by which word jurisdiction, as they call it, is intended. What Jerome and those interpreters who follow him affirm is not correct, that by this name God’s justice is asserted, as if he meant, that he would not be cruel in exacting punishment, nor yet unjust nor too rigid. For to execute judgment means merely to exercise jurisdiction, and an earthly judge is said to exercise justice when he sits on his tribunal, even if he perverts justice and equity. This, indeed, cannot be the case with God, although the word allows of it. Besides, there is a suitable antithesis between the doctrinal judgments and the actual ones; God complained that the Jews did not execute his judgments: now he threatens that he himself would execute them, because he will vindicate his law by punishments.
The sum of the whole is that he will execute judgments in the midst of Jerusalem, because he will ascend a tribunal and compel the wicked to plead their cause, and to render an account of their life. God, therefore, then executed his judgments when he manifested his vengeance by means of the Chaldeans, and so famine was a part of his punishment, as well as the sword and the pestilence. For while he delays, he seems to have ceased from his duty, and then the impious indulge themselves as if he had forgotten to execute judgment. Therefore, in opposition to this, he denounces that he would execute judgments: as if he had said, I will appear as judge although you think me asleep. For he says, he will execute judgments in the midst of Jerusalem, before the eyes of the Gentiles, by which assertion he means, that their punishments would be remarkable, and such as might be easily considered by all the nations: for we know that the Gentiles were then blind, for they thought that good and evil happened by chance. But God affirms, that his judgments will be so manifest that the blind will be, as it were, eye-witnesses. Now it follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) In the sight of the nations.The conspicuousness of Israels position (see under Eze. 5:5) made it necessary that the punishment for their failure to keep Gods law should be as public as their sin. All had seen their unfaithfulness; all must see the consequent judgment.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Will execute judgments Rebellion against the righteous decrees of Jehovah concerning right actions and acceptable worship brings upon the nation righteous decrees of punishment. In the Hebrew there is a word play which cannot be rendered into English.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eze 5:8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, [am] against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.
Ver. 8. Behold, I, even I, am against thee. ] Whether thou wilt believe it or not. Thou boldest it unlikely, but shalt find it true, and that I am very serious, not saying these things in terrorem only. Ecce me adversum te venientem, so some render it; Behold I am upon my march against thee, and will punish thee surely, severely, suddenly.
And will execute judgments.
In the sight of the nations.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos, App-6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
even I: Eze 15:7, Eze 21:3, Eze 26:3, Eze 28:22, Eze 35:3, Eze 39:1, Lev 26:17-46, Deu 29:20, Jer 21:5, Jer 21:13, Lam 2:5, Lam 3:3, Zec 14:2, Zec 14:3, Mat 22:7
in the: Eze 25:2-6, Eze 26:2, Eze 29:6, Eze 29:7, Eze 35:10-15, Deu 29:23-28, 1Ki 9:8, 1Ki 9:9, Jer 22:8, Jer 22:9, Jer 24:9, Jer 50:7, Lam 2:15-17
Reciprocal: Gen 6:17 – behold Exo 14:17 – behold Jer 4:12 – give sentence Jer 23:39 – even I Jer 50:31 – I am Eze 5:14 – the nations Eze 11:9 – and will Eze 13:8 – behold Eze 16:41 – and execute Eze 25:11 – I will Eze 30:19 – General Eze 34:10 – I am Eze 34:11 – I Nah 2:13 – I am
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 5:8. It may be observed that mucti of Ezekiel’s writing seems to be directed more especially against Jerusalem than against the nation generally. That can be explained by the fact that most of the nation was already in exile and suffering their punishment., while Jerusalem as a city was still standing and facing the third and last stage of the captivity. Jerusalem was the capital city and was largely responsible for the state of corruption among the people through the power and example of the leaders, hence God declared, “I am against thee.