Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 11:21
But [as for them] whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.
21. But those who cleave to their abominations shall receive the recompense of their ways there is no peace saith the Lord to the wicked (Isa 48:22).
The language “whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things” is without parallel or meaning; elsewhere it is: whose heart walketh after their idols (ch. Eze 20:16, Eze 33:31, after their covetousness). A different class of persons is referred to from those spoken of in Eze 11:17-20, either the population in Jerusalem or more naturally those in general who follow idols. The text requires some amendment: but as for those whose heart goeth after their detestable things their way will I recompense.
Eze 11:22-25 . The manifestation of Jehovah rises from over the city and moves eastward to the Mount of Olives. The city is abandoned by Jehovah (Hos 5:15). The prophet does not pursue the movement further. The glory passes out by the eastern gate, by which also it returns into the new temple (ch. Eze 43:1-4). The prophet is carried back by the spirit to the captivity; to which he narrates all he had seen.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 21. But as for them whose heart walketh] Them whose affections are attached to idolatry, they shall have such reward as their idols can give them, and such a recompense as Divine justice shall award them.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For all those promises, and in the best times, some there will be who will refuse to own God and obey him, whose state shall as much differ as their practices did from the people of God.
As for them, whoever they be.
Heart, soul and affections, whose choice and love,
walketh after; either secretly adhereth to or provideth for the service of idols, called here detestable things, as Eze 11:18, Eze 5:11; and to express the obstinacy of this idolatry, it is called a
heart walking after a heart: idolatry is a bewitching sin, and steals away the heart and the promoters of idolatry propose the plausiblest arguments, as if idols had hearts and affections toward their worshippers to do them good; the expression in the Hebrew is somewhat unusual and harsh to our ear, but this I take to be the meaning.
Their abominations; their idols, and idol worship, and dependencies.
Recompense; pay them in their own coin: they forsake me, I will forsake them; they profane my name and temple, I will give them up as common to be profaned by the Chaldeans. Their way tends to this, and shall end in this, and nothing more just.
Upon their heads, i.e. on each man, and in such manner as shall destroy the contumacious. Or, on those that are as heads of the people and ringleaders in obstinacy of sinning, such as the twenty-five, Eze 11:1, and who shall be examples of my speedy and irresistible vengeance, as Pelatiah was.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. whose heart . . . after . . .heart of . . . detestable thingsThe repetition of “heart”is emphatic, signifying that the heart of those who so obstinatelyclung to idols, impelled itself to fresh superstitions in onecontinuous tenor [CALVIN].Perhaps it is implied that they and their idols are much alike incharacter (Ps 115:8). Theheart walks astray first, the feet follow.
recompense . . . way upon . .. headsThey have abandoned Me, so will I abandon them; theyprofaned My temple, so will I profane it by the Chaldeans (Eze9:10).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But [as for them],…. Who remained in Jerusalem, and were not carried captive, but continued in their, own land, and worshipped idols, the same as in Eze 11:15;
whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations; not images of gold and silver, which cannot be said to have a heart; but devils and evil spirits worshipped in them, who are well pleased and delighted with the worship given them; so that the hearts of the devils worshipped, and the hearts of the idolatrous worshippers, were alike and agreed; wherefore their hearts were very different from those before mentioned; so far from having one heart, that their hearts were double and divided, partly after God, and partly after their idols; and so far from walking in the statutes of the Lord, that they were walking after the will of their idols, and in the worship of them; which were abominable and detestable to God, and all good men. The Targum is,
“and after the worship of their idols, and of their abominations, their heart wanders.”
I will recompense their ways upon their own heads, saith the Lord God, that is, punish them according to their deserts, by the sword, famine, pestilence, and captivity.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The phrase which the Prophet uses is indeed harsh: he says, their heart goes after heart, so that some interpret this of imitation: namely, since God promises that he will be an avenger if any of the people conduct themselves after bad examples and unite in alliance with the wicked, just as if they glued together their hearts and affections, but that is harsh. The repetition is therefore superfluous, and the Prophet means nothing else than that God will be avenged if the Israelites follow their own heart, so as to walk in their own foulness and abominations. First of all we must understand the reason why the Prophet uses this sentiment. God had liberally poured out the treasures of his mercy, but since, hypocrites have always been mixed with the good, at the same time that they confidently boast themselves members of the Church, and use the name of God with great audacity; so that the Prophet uses this threat that they may not think all the promises which we hear of to belong to themselves promiscuously. For there were always many reprobate among the elect people, because not all who sprang from father Abraham were true Israelites. (Rom 9:6.)
Since therefore it was so, the Prophet properly shows here that what he had previously promised was peculiar to God’s elect, and to the true and lawful members of the Church, but not to the spurious, nor to the degenerate, nor to those who are unregenerated by the true and incorruptible seed. This is the Prophet’s intention. But lest there might seem to be too much rigor when God, as it were, armed comes down into the midst to destroy all who do not repent, the Prophet here declares their crime — namely, because their heart walks after their heart, that is, thine heart draws itself, and so the word heart is twice repeated. It is indeed a superfluous repetition but emphatic, when he says, that the heart of those who so pertinaciously adhere to their own superstitions is then impelled by its own self to new motions, so that by its continual tenor it goes always towards superstitions. Hence I will be an avenger, says God. Hence as often as God proposes to us testimonies of his favor, let each descend into himself and examine all his affections. But when any one lays hold of his own vices let him not please himself in them, but rather groan over them, and strive to renounce his own affections that he may follow God: neither let him harden himself in obstinacy, so that his heart may not proceed and rush continually towards evil, as is here said.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(21) I will recompense their way.In striking contrast to the mercy granted to the repentant, is set forth here, as in Rev. 21:8, the Divine wrath upon the impenitent. It has never been promised that all men shall be brought to a true sense of their relations to God, for human responsibility, and consequently power of choice, is not removed; but Gods grace is never in vain, and if it does not lead to blessing through its acceptance, must result in greater condemnation through its rejection. (Comp. 2Co. 2:16.)
The heart of their detestable things, is a figurative expression. Idols in themselves are inanimate things, but the heart of the people was so given to the spirit of idolatry and alienation from God, that the abstract, as usual with this prophet, is represented in this concrete, figurative form.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. Whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things Better, as Vulgate, whose heart goeth after their detestable things (Eze 20:16). As for the Jerusalemites whose hearts cleave impenitently to their idols,
I will recompense their way upon their own heads the prophet’s intercession cannot avert that judgment (Eze 11:13).
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“But as for those whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads,” says the Lord Yahweh.
God now finished off His comment on Eze 11:15 with reference to the presumptious people of Jerusalem. But it was not so much their presumption that excluded them, it was their sin. They were boasting in what Yahweh had given them even while they were saturated in idolatry. Had their hearts been set towards Yahweh things might have been different. But their hearts were not with Yahweh. Their hearts were continually with their idols and their detestable ways, their sexual perversions and their child sacrifices, their violence and their injustice, and their persecution of godly people. So He would bring their way on their own heads. What they were sowing they would reap.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 11:21. But as for them, &c. But whoever turn their hearts to idols and detestable things, I, &c.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 11:21 But [as for them] whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.
Ver. 21. But as for them. ] This is added lest any wicked men should misapply the promises, as they do qui sperando praesumunt et praesumendo pereunt.
whose: Ecc 11:9, Jer 17:9, Mar 7:21-23, Heb 3:12, Heb 3:13, Heb 10:38, Jam 1:14, Jam 1:15, Jud 1:19
their detestable: Eze 11:18, Jer 1:16, Jer 2:20
I will: Eze 9:10, Eze 20:31, Eze 20:38, Eze 22:31, Jer 29:16-19
Reciprocal: Isa 65:6 – but Jer 16:11 – walked Jer 16:18 – the carcases Eze 5:11 – detestable Eze 7:4 – but Eze 11:12 – General Eze 14:3 – these men Eze 16:43 – I also Eze 23:49 – they shall
Eze 11:21. There were some of the Jews who would not give up their love of sin and they were destined to be given over to the ravages of the exile. That, is why the period of the captivity was to reduce the nation to a remnant. {See Ezr 2:64.)
Eze 11:21. But as for them Whoever they be, and some there will be in the best times, who will refuse to own God for their God, and truly to love and obey him. Whose heart walketh after their detestable things Whose judgment and choice, or whose will and affections, go after their idols and iniquities, their lusts and vices. I will recompense their way upon their own heads Their state shall differ as much as their practice does, from that of the people of God: I will treat them according to their ways.
In the present, the Lord promised to bring judgment down on those who pursued the detestable and abominable idolatries that had polluted His people.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)