Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 33:2
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:
2. of their coasts ] of their number, from among them, cf. 2Ki 9:17.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 2. Son of man – if the people of the land take a man] The first ten verses of this chapter are the same with Eze 3:17-22; and to what is said there on this most important and awful subject I must refer the reader. Here the PEOPLE choose the watchman; there, the Lord appoints him. When God chooses, the people should approve.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The prophet, after three years silence enjoined him now hath his mouth opened by new commission.
To the chidldren of thy people; to the Jews in general, to who he had not spoken since what he spake in the 24th chapter,
Say unto them; propound a parable unto then
When; if at any time.
The sword; war, or any sore judgment.
Take a man; choose out a man who live on the borders, and knows the avenues and the ways the enemy will most likely come to assault them. Set him for their watchman; appoint him to watch the coasts, that they may not be surprised.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. to the children of thypeoplewhom he had been forbidden to address from Eze 24:26;Eze 24:27, till Jerusalem wasoverthrown, and the “escaped” came with tidings of thejudgment being completed. So now, in Eze33:21, the tidings of the fact having arrived, he opens hisheretofore closed lips to the Jews. In the interval he had prophesiedas to foreign nations. The former part of the chapter, at Eze33:2-20, seems to have been imparted to Ezekiel on the eveningprevious (Eze 33:22), being apreparation for the latter part (Eze33:23-33) imparted after the tidings had come. This accounts forthe first part standing without intimation of the date, which wasproperly reserved for the latter part, to which the former was theanticipatory introduction [FAIRBAIRN].
watchman Eze33:1-9 exhibit Ezekiel’s office as a spiritual watchman; so inEze 3:16-21; only herethe duties of the earthly watchman (compare 2Sa 18:24;2Sa 18:25; 2Ki 9:17)are detailed first, and then the application is made to the spiritualwatchman’s duty (compare Isa 21:6-10;Hos 9:8; Hab 2:1).”A man of their coasts” is a man specially chosen for theoffice out of their whole number. So Jud18:2, “five men from their coasts“; also theHebrew of Ge 47:2;implying the care needed in the choice of the watchman, the spiritualas well as the temporal (Act 1:21;Act 1:22; Act 1:24-26;1Ti 5:22).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people,…. The Jews, of whom the prophet was; and designs those who were with him in the captivity; and who, having behaved so ill, the Lord will not own them for his people, but calls them the prophet’s people, and the children of them:
and say unto them, when I bring the sword upon a land; a foreign enemy with an army to invade it, or any other judgment; for there is no public calamity whatever that comes upon a people, but what is by the order, direction, or permission of the Lord. The Targum is,
“those that kill with the sword;”
an army of men that enter into a land sword in hand, with an intent to conquer and destroy: if the people of the land take a man of their coasts: that lives upon their borders, and so is acquainted with all the places where it is most likely an enemy should enter; or a man out of the midst of them, as the Targum; so this phrase sometimes signifies, Ge 47:2, one of their own people, who might be thought to have their good and safety at heart, and might be trusted:
and set him for their watchman: on some place of eminence; on the walls, or in a tower of a frontier town, from whence he might descry the enemy coming at a distance.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(2) Set him for their watchman.The same figure as in Eze. 3:17. Eze. 33:2-9 form the introduction to this renewed commission, and closely correspond to Eze. 3:17-21. Yet these verses have also a distinct retrospective object, and explain to the people why he had hitherto spoken to them so much of judgments and in such warning tones; this had been his duty, both in obedience to Gods commands and in regard for their welfare, and it would still be his duty in the future. The passage is too clear to need comment.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Eze 33:2. Son of man The reader will find in the third chapter, from Eze 33:17-22 what is here repeated in the ten first verses of this chapter. Instead of, Of their coasts, Houbigant reads, from among them.
Of their coasts Out of their borders: The proper places to station watchmen.
When the prophet had confirmed his predictions of evil both to the Jews and Heathens by exemplifications of the like predictions already fulfilled among the latter; he proceeds to apply home the conclusion arising hence, by an expostulation and pathetic address to the hearts and consciences of the Jews.But to what Jews is this addressed? To the Jews who were already in captivity. In order then that this address might make the stronger impression on them, and produce its wished-for effect, he immediately subjoins an information, which he here presents as having been just then received, of the actual capture and destruction of the city of Jerusalem, agreeably to his foregoing prophesies against it: the accomplishment of which prediction against the Jews themselves, joined to his historic narrations before of the accomplishment of many others against the Heathens, both complete his arguments in favour of the credit and veracity of his predictions against Egypt or other nations, and also prove by a conspicuous example the truth of that maxim with which he had concluded his late address to the captive Jews, “That God will judge every one after his ways, both Jews and Heathens.”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 33:2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:
Ver. 2. Speak to the children of thy people. ] I say, “of thy people”; for I can scarce find in my heart to own them, they be so bad.
When I bring the sword upon a land.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Son of man. See note on Eze 2:1.
children = sons.
a = one.
man. Hebrew. ish, App-14.
coasts = borders: i.e. one man out from within the border. of their land.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
speak: Eze 33:17, Eze 33:30, Eze 3:11, Eze 3:27
When I bring the sword upon a land: Heb. A land when I bring a sword upon her, Eze 6:3, Eze 11:8, Eze 14:17, Eze 14:21, Eze 21:9-16, Lev 26:25, Jer 12:12, Jer 15:2, Jer 15:3, Jer 25:31, Jer 47:6, Jer 47:7, Zec 13:7
set: Eze 33:7, 2Sa 18:24-27, 2Ki 9:17-20, Isa 21:6-9, Isa 56:9, Isa 56:10, Isa 62:6, Jer 51:12, Hos 9:8
Reciprocal: Psa 127:1 – the watchman Son 3:3 – watchmen Jer 4:5 – Blow Jer 6:17 – I Jer 31:6 – a day Eze 3:17 – I have Eze 33:12 – say Mar 13:34 – and commanded Act 20:26 – that 2Ti 4:5 – watch Heb 13:17 – watch
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
33:2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say to them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their territory, and set him for their {a} watchman:
(a) He shows that the people ought to continually have governors and teachers who may have a care over them, and to warn them ever of the dangers which are at hand.