Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 25:2

Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them;

Eze 25:2

I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste.

Designs of avarice defeated

All their (the Tyrians) care was to get estates and enlarge their trade, and they looked upon Jerusalem not as an enemy, but as a rival. Tyre promised herself that the fall of Jerusalem would be an advantage to her in respect of trade and commerce, that now she shall have Jerusalems customers. To be secretly pleased with the death or decay of others, when we are likely to get by it, with their fall when we may thrive upon it, is a sin that does most easily beset us. This comes from a want of that love to our neighbour as to ourselves which the law of God so expressly requires, and from that inordinate love of the world as our happiness which the love of God so expressly forbids. And it is just with God to blast the designs and projects of those who thus contrive to raise themselves upon the ruins of others; and we see they are often disappointed (M. Henry.)

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Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 2. Set thy face against the Ammonites] We have already seen, Eze 21:19, c., that when Nebuchadnezzar left Babylon he was in doubt whether he should besiege Riblath, the capital of the Ammonites, or Jerusalem, the capital of the Jews, first: and having used his divination. he was determined, by the result, to attack Jerusalem the first. He did so and the Ammonites, seeing the success of his arms, made friends with him, and exulted in the ruin of the Jews. God resents this, and predicts their downfall with that of Edom, Moab, and the Philistines. The fulfilment of this prediction is not noted in Scripture: but Josephus tells us, that about five years after the taking of Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar turned his arms against the Ammonites and Moabites, and afterwards against Egypt; and having subdued those nations, he returned to Babylon. Joseph. Antiq., l. x., c. ii. Berosus states, as quoted by Josephus, contra App., that Nebuchadnezzar subdued Syria, Arabia, Phoenicia, and Egypt: and consequently, that he had brought under his dominion the Ammonites, Moabites, and Idumeans, who were included among the Philistines. See Calmet.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Set thy face against: the phrase you have Eze 20:46. It includeth anger, menaces, and intention of mind.

The Ammonites; the posterity of Lot by the younger daughter, near neighbours, but bitter enemies to the Jews. Prophesy against them; leave recorded what heavy things shall befall them in after-days.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites,…. Who were of the posterity of Lot, implacable enemies of the Jews; who hated their religion, and envied their wealth and happiness; against these the prophet is bid to “set his face”; to look that way where they lived, and to put on a frowning countenance, and a menacing aspect: “strengthen thy face”, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions render it; look boldly at them:

and prophesy against them; deliver out the following prophecy concerning them.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(2) Set thy face against the Ammonites.It has already been mentioned that the utterances against the four contiguous nations of Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia are all contained in one prophecy, and that this prophecy was evidently spoken after the fall of Jerusalem, and, consequently, after the date of Eze. 26:1. The Ammonites, descended from Lots incest with his younger daughter, had been for centuries persistent enemies of Israel. They had joined the Moabites in their oppression of Israel under Eglon (Jdg. 3:13), and in a later attack had been subdued by Jephthah (Jdg. 11:32-33); they fought with extreme cruelty and insolence against Saul (1Sa. 11:2-11); they insulted and warred against David (2Sa. 10:1-6), and were utterly crushed by him (2Sa. 12:31); their idolatries were favoured by Solomon (1Ki. 11:7); uniting with Moab and Edom, they attacked Judah under Jehoshaphat (2Ch. 20:1-25), but utterly failed, and were tributary to his descendant, Uzziah (2Ch. 26:8); again they fought with Jotham, and were reduced by him to heavy tribute (2Ch. 27:5); and not long before this time they had occupied the vacant cities of Gad (Jer. 49:1). Now they had joined Nebuchadnezzars army against Judah (2Ki. 24:2). From Eze. 25:3 it appears that their hostility arose not only from national jealousy, but from an especial hatred against the Jewish religion (comp. also Psa. 83:7). They are the frequent subject of prophetic denunciation (Isa. 11:14; Jer. 49:1-6; Amo. 1:13-15; Zep. 2:8-11).

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

2. Prophesy against them Or, upon, that is, concerning them. The same Hebrew particle is used when no threat is being pronounced.

The Ammonites These were the hereditary enemies of Israel, and very cruel in war. (See Eze 21:28-32; 1 Samuel 11; 2Sa 10:1; 2Sa 10:11 ; 2Sa 10:14; 2Ki 24:2; Psa 83:7; Jer 27:3; Jer 40:14; Jer 49:1; Lam 2:15-16; Zep 2:5; Zep 2:11; Neh 4:13.) These Beni Ammon, “sons of Ammon” (Eze 25:5), were quite probably the descendants of the Katabani of South Arabia, who call themselves in a very ancient inscription walad Amm, “children of Amm.” They are closely connected with the Moabites, not only in many biblical passages, but in a very old Minaean text (South Arabia) in which the female slaves of a temple are said to have been brought from Egypt, Moab, Ammon, etc. (Glaser). In biblical times they seem to have possessed a settled residence east of the Jordan, from which they declared the Israelites had driven them (Jdg 11:13); but their ancestors were doubtless of a wandering disposition, probably being included with the Edomites and Moabites in the general term Menti, or “shepherds,” who appear on the Egyptian monuments as inhabitants of the Sinaitic peninsula fifteen hundred years or more before Abraham’s time. “They are strange looking men, with hooked noses, rounded at the point, wide nostrils, and full lips. The beard is long and the whiskers cover all the lower part of the cheek. The type is Jewish rather than Bedouin, and recalls the profiles of the tribute bearers of Jehu on the Assyrian black obelisk.” Sayce, Races of the Old Testament.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments