Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 36:3
Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they have made [you] desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and [are] an infamy of the people:
3. Because ] lit. because, because, Eze 13:10. The passage throughout betrays passionate feeling on the part of the prophet. His patriotism is aglow as the loved mountains of his native land rise before his mind; cf. the pathetic words in reference to the exiled king, Eze 19:9. Hence the excitation and solemnity displayed in introducing the prophecy, which itself is expressed ( Eze 36:7 seq.) only after four or five commands to utter it ( Eze 36:3-6). For made desolate gaped for might be read, Isa 42:14.
and ye are taken up ] Or, and are come up upon the lips, Deu 28:37; Lam 2:15; Dan 9:16 (niph. not unusual in this verb, Jer 37:5).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The residue of the pagan – Those of the surrounding nations which had survived Jerusalems fall, and may have profited by it.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Because they, Edomites, and others with them,
have made you desolate; first broken your strength, wasted your cities, and burnt the temple, and waylaid you, to cut off them that were escaped at last.
Swallowed you up; devoured you, as hungry beasts devour the prey.
On every side; from all coasts of the land, through the whole.
That ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen; that such of the heathen as remained here might have, what they no where else could have, being the scum and worst of men, an inheritance and possession; so unnatural was Edom, that east out his own kindred, to bring in the vilest of men and the most barbarous strangers.
Ye are taken up in the lips of talkers; you are the subject on which wild and foul mouths discourse, which is explained, in that the people ever talked of them with reproach, and branding them as infamous. This was foretold to Israel, Jer 24:9, and they were advised to prevent it.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. Literally, “Because,even because.”
swallowed you upliterally,”panted after” you, as a beast after its prey; implying thegreedy cupidity of Edom as to Israel’s inheritance (Psa 56:1;Psa 56:2).
lips of talkersliterally,”lips of the tongue,” that is, of the slanderer, theman of tongue. Edom slandered Israel because of the connection of thelatter with Jehovah, as though He were unable to save them. Deu 28:37;Jer 24:9 had foretold Israel’sreproach among the heathen (Da9:16).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Therefore prophesy and say, thus saith the Lord God,…. Who heard all the enemy said, and knew all their designs and purposes, their schemes and devices:
because they have made you desolate; ravaged their country, destroyed their cities, burnt their temple, and carried them captive, and left the land without men or cattle:
and swallowed you up on every side; all their neighbours, being their enemies, were like ravenous beasts of prey, gaping upon them with their mouths; and, observing the low condition into which they were brought by the king of Babylon, helped forward the destruction; and everyone shared in the spoil and plunder nearest to them they could conveniently come at:
that ye might be a possession to the residue of the Heathen; either to those that were left in the land by the king of Babylon, or to the rest of the Heathen nations round about them:
ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and are an infamy of the people; reproached, defamed, and made a proverb and byword, by every foul mouthed prating fellow.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(3) In the lips of talkers, and are an infamy.A phrase equivalent to a by-word and a reproach. (Comp. Deu. 28:37; 1Ki. 9:7, &c.) In the previous clause the words, have swallowed you up, should rather be pant for you, the word being taken from the snuffing and panting of wild beasts. It was after this fashion that the residue of the heathen, all those whom the conquests of Nebuchadnezzar had yet left, panted for the possession of the lands of Israel.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Because The Hebrew repeats this word to make it doubly emphatic. Jehovah’s judgments are never arbitrary. (Compare “therefore,” Eze 36:4-6.)
Heathen Rather, nations.
And are an infamy of the people R.V., “and the evil report of the people.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“Therefore prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh, because, even because they have made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side, that you might be a possession to the residue of nations, and you are taken up on the lips of gossips, and the evil report of the people. Therefore you mountains of Israel hear the word of the Lord Yahweh, Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountain and to the hills, to the watercourses (streams and rivers) and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities which are forsaken, who are become a prey and a derision to the residue of the nations who are round about, therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom, who have appointed my land to themselves for a possession, with all joy in their heart, with malice of soul, to cast it out as a prey.”
Note the continual use of ‘therefore’ (see also Eze 36:6-7) and the way the sentences pile up. It is intended to indicate the depths of feeling behind the words. The words were spoken in passion.
God was angry because His people, having been made desolate, had been made further desolate by what was left of the scavenging surrounding nations, who had swallowed them up and sought to take possession of them. He was also angry that they had become the subject of casual conversation and rumour and evil reports (Eze 36:3). So He in turn has spoken against those nations (Eze 36:5), and He declared to the land of His inheritance (‘My land’) (Eze 36:5), which those nations were trying to possess, that He would take further action (Eze 36:7).
‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh to the mountain and to the hills, to the watercourses (streams and rivers) and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities which are forsaken, who are become a prey and a derision to the residue of the nations who are round about.’ Note the complete description taking in every part of the land. It indicated that He was fully aware of its position and was concerned for every part of it. Not one part would be ignored.
‘Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the residue of the nations, and against all Edom, who have appointed my land to themselves for a possession, with all joy in their heart, with malice of soul, to cast it out as a prey.’ Indeed He was so concerned for the land that He had given His people, for ‘His land’, that he had passed sentence on the aggressors in the ‘fire of His jealousy’, that is, in His deep concern over what was His. Note too that He points out the attitude of the aggressors. They acted with a fierce joy and with deep malice. They had no scruples. They enjoyed taking their revenge. This more than justified the action against them.
Note too the point that He was protecting Israel’s land ready for their return. It could not be given to the nations because He yet had a purpose there for His people (Eze 36:8).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 36:3. Because they have made you desolate, &c. Because the residue of the nations, which surround you, gape ever you, since you were laid waste, that you may become their possession; and ye are, &c. Houbigant. The meaning of the last phrase in the verse is, “Your calamities have made you become a proverb and a reproach among the heathen round about you, according to the threatenings of the prophets denounced against you.” See Jer 24:9.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 36:3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they have made [you] desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up in the lips of talkers, and [are] an infamy of the people:
Ver. 3. Because they have. ] Heb., Because and because; importing earnestness and heat of indignation. So Lev 26:43 .
And ye are taken up in the lips of talkers.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Because = Because, even because. Figure of speech Epizeuxis. App-6.
swallowed you up. Like a beast of prey. Compare Job c. e. Psa 56:1, Psa 56:2; Psa 57:3. Ecc 10:12.
are = have been.
infamy = evil report.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Because: Heb. Because for because, Eze 13:10, Lev 26:43
they have made: Jer 39:1-18, Jer 41:1-18, Jer 52:1-34, Lam 1:1 – Lam 5:22
swallowed: Psa 35:25, Psa 61:1, Pro 1:12, Jer 51:34, Lam 2:2, Lam 2:5, Lam 2:16
and ye: Deu 28:37, 1Ki 9:7, 1Ki 9:8, Psa 44:13, Psa 44:14, Psa 79:10, Jer 18:16, Jer 24:9, Jer 33:24, Lam 2:15, Dan 9:16
taken up in the lips of talkers: or, made to come upon the lip of the tongue
and are: Job 30:1-10, Psa 35:15, Psa 35:16, Psa 69:12, Mat 27:39-44, 1Co 4:13
Reciprocal: Psa 79:4 – become Isa 49:19 – they that Jer 30:17 – they Lam 3:62 – lips Eze 12:19 – that her Eze 23:32 – thou shalt be Eze 34:29 – neither Eze 36:5 – against the Hos 8:8 – swallowed Mal 1:3 – laid
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 36:3. They [the heathen nations] have made you [mountains of Israel] desolate. The Lords motive in giving the land into the hands of the heathen was to chastise Israel. The motive of the heathen was that they might take
possession of it for tlieir own persona! profit. Such a motive was wrong and the Lord determined to repossess the land for His peple. Infamy means slander and the land of Palestine was so spoken of by the people of the world.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
36:3 Therefore prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because they have made [you] desolate, and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession to the rest of the nations, and ye are taken up in the lips of {c} talkers, and [are] an infamy of the people:
(c) You are made a matter of talk and derision to all the world.