Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 6:3
And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, [even] I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.
3. to the rivers ] the ravines; the gorges where there were streams and thick trees, and where idolatrous worship was practised (ch. Eze 35:8, Eze 36:4; Eze 36:6), cf. Isa 57:5, “that slay the children in the valleys (a different word) under the clefts of the rocks; among the smooth stones of the valley is thy portion; they, they are thy lot; even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered an oblation” (Jer 2:23).
your high places ] The word properly means a height or hill (ch. Eze 36:2), then a sanctuary situated on such a height (1Sa 9:13), and finally any sanctuary (Isa 16:12, and so in Moabitish, Moabstone, 50:3), particularly in Israel the rural sanctuaries. These sanctuaries had probably been mainly Canaanitish (Deu 12:2; Lev 26:30), but had been adopted by Israel and devoted to the service of Jehovah (ch. Eze 20:28). Along with the sanctuaries themselves no doubt much of the native religious practice was also adopted. After a long struggle these rural high places were abolished by Josiah, and public service of Jehovah confined to the temple at Jerusalem, though they grew up again under Manasseh. Even the worship of Jehovah at such sanctuaries would be very corrupt, and in the last years of the kingdom the worship of other deities was no doubt also practised. This prophet condemns all worship at the high places as “abominations.” This does not appear to be with him a question of mere locality or number of sanctuaries; he considers the high places to be Canaanitish and the service at them no worship of Jehovah.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Rivers – Or, ravines, which were, like the mountains, favorite seats of idol-rites 2Ki 23:10.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Ye mountains; ye that dwell in the mountains, ye secure, fearless, and rude mountaineers, hear and consider what God speaks against you, for thus saith the Lord God to you, on mountains and hills of Israel ye dwell and commit idolatry.
To the rivers; to those who either by rivers sides worshipped idols, or who accounted rivers among their gods.
To the valleys; to those that worshipped their idols in low and shadowy valleys. In all these places the Jews had either their several gods, or performed a several kind of worship, or, contrary to command, worshipped their God and set up altars to him there.
A sword upon you; that shall slay you inhabitants, waste your mountains and valleys, destroy your altars, and abolish your worship.
I, by the enemy, will destroy your high places; places of your idolatrous or superstitious worship; by the sword of those that serve idols your idols shall be destroyed, and you with them, unless ye repent.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. riversliterally, the”channels” of torrents. Rivers were often the scene andobjects of idolatrous worship.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And say, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God,…. Since the people of the Jews would not hear the word of the Lord, the mountains are called upon to hear it; unless the inhabitants of the mountains are meant:
thus saith the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys: these are addressed, because idols were worshipped here; as upon the mountains and hills, so by rivers of water, and also in valleys, as in the valley of Hinnom idols were worshipped; upon mountains and hills, because they thought themselves nearer to heaven; by rivers, because of purity; and in valleys, because shady and obscure, and had something solemn and venerable in them:
behold I, [even] I, will bring a sword upon you; that is, upon the idolaters, which worshipped in these places; otherwise different instruments, as pick axes, c. would have been more proper. The Targum paraphrases it,
“them that kill with the sword”
meaning the Chaldeans, who doubtless are intended:
and I will destroy your high places; the temples and altars, built on high places, and devoted to idolatrous worship, as follows:
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Now a clearer expression follows in the third verse: Thou shalt say, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. Here an audience is required of the mountains which they could not give, but that has respect to mankind, as I have just said. God, therefore, requires the mountains to listen, so that men may understand that an inanimate thing may be endued with sense, if their stupidity is considered. For at length God enforced his judgments against the mountains of Israel. Although, therefore, they could not hear the Prophet speaking, yet they took up his instruction, because it was efficacious in them, and God at length in reality proved that he had not spoken in vain. The event, therefore, openly made the mountains in some way attentive. Neither could they escape the judgment which had been openly denounced. Now he adds, Thus saith Jehovah to the mountains and the hills Ezekiel now addresses not mountains only, as he had been commanded: hence he seems to exceed the prescribed command, for he had been sent to mountains and hills only, but now he says, hear ye mountains, hear ye hills, hear ye valleys. But we said yesterday that prophets sometimes speak briefly, and sometimes explain more fully what they had uttered but shortly. God, therefore, at the beginning spoke only of mountains, but he doubtless comprehended valleys, and the flowing down of rivers, because the Prophet only explains what he had said in one word: hence he speaks to mountains and hills, and then to the pouring down of waters or torrents Jerome translates it rocks, and the Hebrews call whatever is violent אפיק, aphik, hence when there is any violent course they use this word; and so we may understand in this place either rocks or flowing down of waters or torrents, no matter which. But since he afterwards adds valleys, this explanation is to me probable, that the Prophet indeed understands either torrents or the rushing down of waters. Here we must also remark, that those parts are marked out where the Israelites had erected perverse and adulterous worship: for we know that mountains were filled with superstitions, and so also valleys, though the reason was different: for when they erected their altars on the mountains they thought themselves near God, but when they descended into the valleys, their rites were thus performed in shade and obscurity, and thus they thought themselves in this way hidden as it were in a sanctuary. It is sufficiently known that they exercised their idolatries in the mountains as well as the valleys. This, therefore, is the reason why the Prophet here shows that the whole land of Israel was polluted with defilement. Behold, says he, I bring a sword against you. Hence we infer that when the Prophet addresses the mountains, yet he speaks for the sake of man. For the sword could not injure the mountains: for one stone would break a hundred, nay a thousand swords, and yet remain entire. God, therefore, had threatened the mountains with slaughter in vain, nay, when mention is made of the sword, we know that death is understood: for the cause is put for the effect. Hence God addresses men indirectly, but when he directs his discourse to the mountains he shows that men themselves are deaf, and therefore turns away his face from them, and addresses mute elements and inanimate things: and I will destroy, says he, your lofty things He now explains what I have taught before, that mountains, and hills, and valleys, and descending waters are named, because perverse and impure worship flourished there. For by “lofty things,” the Spirit doubtless intends whatever the Israelites had mixed of their own imaginations to corrupt the worship of God. They properly call altars lofty, because they were erected in high and conspicuous places. But the species is here put for the genus. Meanwhile, God signifies that he so abominates all fictitious worship that he cannot bear the sight of the places. The stones indeed of which the altars were built we know to be harmless: for places are not polluted by idolatry of their own will; for as far as the world was created by God it always retains its own nature, but as far as man is concerned, the places themselves were polluted, and the contagion renders them hateful to God. Hence this is put for the detestation of idolatry. He continues the same sentiment, and first denounces that altars should be laid waste. Now it follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) To the rivers, and to the valleys.These words stand to each other in the same relation as mountains and hills, that is, they are specifications of the same general character. The word frequently occurring, and uniformly translated in Ezekiel rivers, would be better rendered ravines. It is a deep sort of valley, along which, at times, a stream might run. Such places were also favourite places for idolatrous rites (see 2Ki. 23:10; Isa. 57:5-6; Jer. 7:31; Jer. 32:35), especially for the worship of the Phoenician Astaroth, the female divinity worshipped in conjunction with Baal. The same putting together of mountains and hills, valleys and ravines, occurs again in Eze. 35:8; Eze. 36:4; Eze. 36:6. By the expression, I, even I, strong emphasis is placed on the fact that these judgments are from God. Inasmuch as, like most other events in the world, they were to be wrought out by human instrumentality, the attention might easily be taken up with the secondary causes; but by thus declaring them beforehand, and claiming them as His own work, God would make it evident that all was from Him.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Ye mountains hear the word of the Lord This apostrophe to the “mountains and to the hills, to the gorges, and to the valleys,” is in accordance with the most effective style of speech. The places where these crimes against Jehovah were most commonly practiced (Eze 35:8; Eze 36:4; Eze 36:6; Isa 57:5-7; Jer 2:23) are made to represent the criminals themselves.
I will destroy your high places Altars of sacrifice were always placed on elevations. These “high places” were, no doubt, chiefly idolatrous (see Lev 26:30; Num 22:41), although it is certain that on some of these altars had been erected to Jehovah (Eze 20:28). But the worship of Jehovah at such sanctuaries was made illegal after the erection of the temple; and it must have been almost as corrupt as the Canaanitish idolatry. When priests or Levites broke away from the prescribed form in Jerusalem they were no longer in good standing in the Jewish Church, and were under great temptation to introduce into their nominal worship of Jehovah novel and superstitious elements. They could hardly expect Jehovah’s favor while disobeying his explicit commands as to the place and manner of worship, and, therefore, the high places originally dedicated to Jehovah seem to have early degenerated into idolatrous sanctuaries (1Ki 13:33-34; 1Ki 14:23-24; Jer 7:31, etc.).
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eze 6:3. To the mountains, &c. Every part of the country had been defiled with idolatry. The altars built for idol worship were generally placed upon mountains and hills: the shady valleys and river-sides were also used for the same purpose, particularly for the sacrificing of children to Moloch: so that the prophet denounces a general judgment against the whole defiled and idolatrous country. By the mountains of Israel, says Houbigant, we are to understand the whole country. The reader will observe the great similarity of the denunciations in this prophet with those in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. See particularly Deu 12:2. Jer 2:20; Jer 3:6. Eze 18:6. Philippians 2 king of Macedon, in his expedition against Sparta, sacrificed to the gods on each of the hills, one of which was called Olympus, and the other Eva. Polyb. l. v. p. 372. ed. Casaub. Cyrus, just before his death, offered sacrifices to Jupiter, the sun, and the other gods, . Cyropaed. l. viii. p. 647. ed. Hutchinson. 4to.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 6:3 And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, [even] I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.
Ver. 3. Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you. ] Because ye are polluted by man’s sins, and so made hateful unto me. For as God thinks the better of the places wherein he is sincerely served, yea, where his saints are born, Psa 87:5 or make abode, Isa 49:16 so the worse of such places where Satan’s seat is.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the Lord GOD. Hebrew Adonai Jehovah. See note on Eze 2:4.
rivers: or, ravines. Compare Eze 36:4, s. Hebrew aphikim. See note on “channels”, 2Sa 22:16.
Behold, Figure of speech Asteriemos. App-6.
bring a sword. See note on Eze 5:17.
destroy your high places. Reference to Pentateuch (Lev 26:30).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Ye: Eze 36:1-4, Eze 36:8, Jer 22:29, Mic 6:2
to the mountains: Jer 2:20, Jer 3:6, Jer 3:23
and I will: Lev 26:30, Isa 27:9
Reciprocal: Gen 6:17 – behold Exo 14:17 – behold Lev 26:25 – will bring Jer 17:3 – and thy Jer 23:39 – even I Eze 7:3 – and I Eze 18:2 – the land Eze 33:2 – When I bring the sword upon a land Eze 34:11 – I
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 6:3. The thought of the preceding verse is maintained in this, and the impersonation Is extended to include other geographical parts of the land. None of them has any responsibility in the corruptions being condemned, but the impression of guilt should be greater before the mind of the guilty ones by such an all-out picture of the scene. The particular complaint is literally denoted by the words high places.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
6:3 And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the {a} mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, [even] I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.
(a) He speaks of all the places where the Israelites accustomed to commit their idolaters, threatening them with destruction.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Ezekiel was to announce to his audience of exiles that God would bring warriors against Israel’s mountains, hills, ravines, and valleys, namely, the places where the people worshipped at pagan shrines (cf. 2Ki 23:10). The object of His judgment would be the high places of worship that stood throughout the land. [Note: See Dyer, "Ezekiel," p. 1238, for a brief history of the high places in Canaan.] God would destroy the altars, and the people who worshipped before them would fall slain around them. The idols would not be able to defend their worshippers. The Lord would defile these altars with the bones of the Israelites who died before them (cf. Lev 26:30; 2Ki 23:20; Psa 53:5; Psa 141:7; Jer 8:1-2). Scattered animal bones often marked these places of sacrifice, but human bones would pollute them in the future. Pagan altars of all types that the people had built would be broken down throughout the country along with the cities. Many people would die, and God’s people would know that He had judged them.
"Judgment is a pervasive theme of all the prophets of Israel, but none exceeds Ezekiel in the abundance and intensity of his messages of divine retribution. Moreover, none reiterates as much as Ezekiel the pedagogical purposes of the visitations of the Lord: ’that they [Israel and the nations] might know Yahweh.’ Judgment, then, is not only retributive but redemptive. God’s purpose in judgment is not to destroy the peoples He has created but to bring them back into harmony with His creation purposes for them." [Note: Merrill, p. 372.]