31<\/strong>. On “come unto thee” cf. Eze 8:1<\/span>, Eze 14:1<\/span>, Eze 20:1<\/span>.<\/p>\n as my people<\/em> ] The construction is very hard. LXX. omits.<\/p>\n with their mouth love<\/em> ] The language is peculiar, but can hardly have any other sense. LXX. Syr. read: for falsehood is in their mouth and their heart &c<\/em>. The term “covetousness” or gain has, especially in later books, the general sense of advantage, self-advancement, Isa 56:11<\/span>.<\/p>\n Verse 31<\/span>. As the people cometh<\/B><\/I>] As they are accustomed to come on public days, Sabbaths, &c.<\/P> <\/P> With their mouth they show much love<\/B><\/I>] They respected the prophet, but would not bend themselves to follow his precepts. They loved earthly things<\/I>, and did not relish those of heaven<\/I>.<\/P> <\/p>\n Flocking to the school of some famous doctor, or as men and women flock to hear some famous preacher, or as they were wont to the synagogues to hear their learned scribes. So we find the elders of Judah, Eze 8:1<\/span>, which see; so the disciples of the great rabbies sat at their feet; so is Saul said to be brought up at the feet of Gamaliel. By their outward deportments, you might judge them to be my people, and hear seemingly very attentive. They do only hear what thou sayest, but they will not do it. All their love is but from teeth outward, either to me, my word, or my prophet, saith God. <\/P> Their heart goeth after their covetousness; <\/B>their desire, love, and care is about their gain, how to make thriving bargains, how to place out and secure their money with excessive and intolerable usury and increase. <\/P> <\/p>\n 31. as the people cometh<\/B>thatis, in crowds, as disciples flock to their teacher. <\/P> sit before thee<\/B>onlower seats at thy feet, according to the Jewish custom of pupils(Deu 33:3<\/span>; 2Ki 4:38<\/span>;Luk 10:39<\/span>; Act 22:3<\/span>).<\/P> as my people<\/B>thoughthey are not. <\/P> hear . . . not do<\/B>(Mat 13:20<\/span>; Mat 13:21<\/span>;Jas 1:23<\/span>; Jas 1:24<\/span>).<\/P> they show muchlove<\/B>literally, “make love,” that is, act the part oflovers. Profess love to the Lord (Mt7:21<\/span>). GESENIUStranslates, according to Arabic<\/I> idiom, “They do thedelights of God,” that is, all that is agreeable to God. Vulgate<\/I>translates, “They turn thy words into a song of their mouths.”<\/P> heart goeth after . . .covetousness<\/B>the grand rival to the love of God; thereforecalled “idolatry,” and therefore associated with impurecarnal love, as both alike transfer the heart’s affection from theCreator to the creature (Mat 13:22<\/span>;Eph 5:5<\/span>; 1Ti 6:10<\/span>).<\/P><\/p>\n And they come unto thee as the people cometh<\/strong>,…. As the people of God, who came to the prophets’s house to hear him preach the word, and explain it for their spiritual profit and edification these came when they did, and as early and constantly, and with seeming pleasure:<\/p>\n and they sit before thee as my people<\/strong>; with great decency and reverence, and very gravely and demurely, and with seeming devotion, and stay the time out till the whole service is over; as scholars sit at the feet of their masters, to hear and learn their doctrines. So the Targum,<\/p>\n “and they come unto thee as the men the disciples come:”<\/p>\n and they hear thy words, but they will not do them<\/strong>; they gave him the hearing, and seemed attentive, but did not understand what they heard, at least did not put it in practice; they were only hearers, and not doers of the word, and like to the foolish man in Mt 7:26<\/span>:<\/p>\n for with their mouth they show much love<\/strong>: by the motions of their lips while hearing, and other gestures, as well as by what they said afterwards, they seemed pleased and delighted with what they heard; made huge encomiums upon it, and spoke much in the praise of the preacher. The Targum is the reverse,<\/p>\n “they made game with their mouth.”<\/p>\n But their heart goeth after their covetousness;<\/p>\n “after the money they had taken away by force,”<\/p>\n as the Targum; after the world, and the things of it; after their secular affairs, so that they wished the sermon over, that they might be at them; or, however, did not so diligently attend to what was said, but the cares of the world choked the word, and made it unfruitful to them; these were like the seed that fell among thorns, the thorny ground hearers, Mt 13:22<\/span>.<\/p>\n (31) As the people cometh<\/strong>.In the original, according to the coming of a people<\/em>i.e.,<\/em> in crowds. In the following clause, as my people, there is an emphasis on the pronoun, as the true people of God. Such was their outward bearing, while their inward disposition was far different.<\/p>\n DISCOURSE: 1113 Eze 33:31-32<\/span>. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they healthy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant, voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not<\/em>.<\/p>\n NONE can be religious without appearing so; because religion must of necessity regulate our outward conduct. But persons may appear religious, while they are wholly destitute of vital godliness. Such were they, who talked of<\/em> [Note: So the word against should be read in ver. 30. as the whole context evidently shews; and it is so rendered in the margin of the Bibles.] the prophet in their houses, and expressed so much solicitude to hear from him the word of the Lord<\/p>\n We propose to consider,<\/p>\n I.<\/p>\n The characters here described<\/p>\n [If we look at their profession<\/em> only, all is well: they unite themselves to the Lords people, and account themselves to be of their number. They pay great attention to the ordinances; they feel peculiar delight in the ministration of the word; they express a very high regard for those who labour in the word and doctrine; they are not offended even with the most searching discourses; nor are the sons and daughters of pleasure more gratified with musical entertainments, than they are with the fluent, fervent, eloquent harangues of a faithful minister.<\/p>\n But, alas! their practice<\/em> ill accords with their profession: it is amusement rather than real edification that they seek. Their hearts are set upon the world, and riveted to their earthly possessions. In the pursuit of gain they will be guilty of falsehood or dishonesty; they will commend their goods, when they know them to be bad; they will impose on the ignorance or the necessities of those who deal with them; they will take advantage of the confidence reposed in them to overreach their neighbour; and will condescend to meannesses, of which an honest heathen would be ashamed. They may be generous where their own inclination is strongly concerned, or where a liberal donation will advance their reputation; hut at other times they will be as penurious and niggardly as the most unfeeling miser. It may be indeed that a principle of honour keeps them tolerably observant of truth and justice; but they give abundant evidence that their hearts are set upon things below rather than on things above, and shew, that they are more solicitous to be rich in this world, than to be rich towards God <\/p>\n Such there have been in every age; nor are there wanting many such characters among the professors of the present day [Note: The characters of a proud and passionate professor, and of a censorious and uncharitable professor, might here be drawn, as being equally common, and equally hateful.]. They hear the duties of a Christian opened and enforced; but they remain as much under the dominion of their lusts as ever ]<\/p>\n II.<\/p>\n The light in which they are viewed by God<\/p>\n [In their own eyes<\/em> they are as good as any. Whatever be their besetting sin, they have reasons enough to extenuate and excuse it. Their covetousness is nothing more than prudence and diligence; their fretfulness and fiery passions are the mere infirmities of nature, the trifling ebullitions of a warm and hasty temper, that are far more than counterbalanced by a proportionable zeal for what is good. When they hear the contrary dispositions recommended from the pulpit, they acknowledge the directions to be exceeding proper; but they scarcely ever feel their own conduct condemned by them. They are eagle-eyed in spying out the faults of others; but they are almost utter strangers to their own. Their zeal for the Gospel, and their attachment to those who preach or profess it, is to them a decisive evidence of their own conversion; and nothing that God or man can say to the contrary is suffered for one moment to shake their confidence.<\/p>\n In the estimation of the Church<\/em> these persons often pass for eminent saints. Their faults are not generally known, and the best construction is put upon all they say or do. Godly men are afraid of judging harshly, and have learned to exercise the love that hopeth all things, and that covereth a multitude of sins. Hence they give the right hand of fellowship to those who shew a love to the Gospel; and, even when they fear that all is not right, they are content to let the tares grow up with the wheat till the harvest, lest through their ignorance they should pluck up the wheat with the tares.<\/p>\n But in the sight of God<\/em>, who searcheth the heart, these men appear in their proper colours. Are they covetous? he abhors them [Note: Psa 10:3<\/span>.]. Are they proud, passionate, contentious? they are actuated by an infernal spirit [Note: Jam 3:14-15<\/span>.]. Have they no government of their tongue? their religion is vain [Note: Jam 1:26<\/span>.]. Are they hearers of the word, and not doers of it also? they only deceive their own souls [Note: Jam 1:22<\/span>.]. Are they habitually and allowedly under the dominion of any sin whatever? they are children of the devil [Note: 1Jn 3:8<\/span>.], and not of God [Note: 1Jn 3:9<\/span>.]: not with standing all their profession, they have no part in the Gospel salvation [Note: 1Jn 3:6<\/span><\/u> and Rom 6:14<\/span>.], no acceptance in their prayers [Note: Psa 66:18<\/span>.], nor any portion but eternal misery in hell [Note: Mar 9:43-48<\/span>.]. They may have a name to live; but they are really dead before God [Note: Rev 3:1<\/span>.]]<\/p>\n Infer How far must they be from a Christian state, who feel no delight in divine ordinances!<\/p>\n [It has already appeared that men may be extremely fond of the offices, the ministers, and the professors of religion, and yet perish for ever, for want of that conformity to the Divine will, which is essential to the Christian character. How much more then must they be destitute of religion, who have not even the outward appearance of sanctity, but live in an open contempt of Gods word and ordinances! Let not any one imagine that the naming the name of Christ is sufficient to constitute us Christians. The tree must be judged of by its fruits: and according to our works will be the sentence that shall be upon us in the last day.]<\/p>\n 2.<\/p>\n What need have the professors of religion to examine well their own hearts!<\/p>\n [Love to the word and people of God, if accompanied with an unreserved obedience to his commandments, is an excellent evidence of our conversion: but, if there be a reigning inconsistency in our conduct, our love to the one or to the other of these is mere hypocrisy [Note: Mat 15:7-8<\/span>. Psa 78:34-37<\/span>. Isa 58:2-3<\/span>.]. Let us then inquire diligently, and beg of God to try us, whether there be any wickedness practised in our lives, or harboured in our bosoms [Note: Psa 139:23-24<\/span>.]? Let us not be content to honour God with our lips, while our hearts are far from him. Let us rather entreat him to put truth in our inward parts, that, while we profess to be interested in the promises, we may purify ourselves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God [Note: 1Co 7:1<\/span>.].]<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Eze 33:31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee [as] my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, [but] their heart goeth after their covetousness.<\/p>\n Ver. 31. And they come unto thee.<\/strong> ] Very goodly. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And they sit before thee.<\/strong> ] Very demurely, and, to see to, devoutly, taking up all the seats. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n They hear thy words.<\/strong> ] But they were as heartless in hearing, as they were listless in praying. Eze 33:10 <\/p>\n <\/p>\n They will not do them.<\/strong> ] Of the Athenians also it was said of old, that they knew well what was good and right, but would do neither. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Their heart goeth after their covetousness.<\/strong> ] Their heart is on their halfpenny, as we say; neither can the loadstone of God’s Word hale them one jot from the earth. It should be Sursum corda; <\/em> up from the heart, but when many men’s bodies are in sacculis,<\/em> in their purse, their hearts are in sacculis,<\/em> in their purse, as Augustine complaineth; as serpents have their bodies in the water, their heads out of the water, so here; as those Gergesites, they more mind a swine sty than a sanctuary. a<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n a<\/em> Haram domesticam arae Dominicae praefer.<\/em> <\/p>\n as the People cometh: or, according as an assembly cometh together. <\/p>\n shew much love: or, counterfeit lovers. Hebrew ‘agabim. See note on next verse. <\/p>\n as the people cometh: Heb. according to the coming of the people, Eze 8:1, Eze 14:1, Eze 20:1-32, Luk 10:39, Act 10:33 <\/p>\n they sit before thee as my people: or, my people sit before thee <\/p>\n and they: Jer 6:16, Jer 6:17, Jer 43:1-7, Jer 44:16, Mat 7:24-27, Luk 6:48, Luk 6:49, Luk 8:21, Luk 11:28, Jam 1:22-24 <\/p>\n for with: Deu 5:28, Deu 5:29, Psa 78:36, Psa 78:37, Isa 29:13, Jam 2:14-16, 1Jo 3:17, 1Jo 3:18 <\/p>\n show much love: Heb. make loves, or jests, Isa 28:13, Jer 23:33-38, Luk 16:14 <\/p>\n but their: Mat 6:24, Mat 13:22, Mat 19:22, Luk 12:15-21, Eph 5:5, 1Ti 6:9, 1Ti 6:10 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Exo 20:17 – thy neighbour’s house Num 22:8 – General Num 23:1 – Build me Deu 30:14 – mouth Jdg 16:10 – now tell me 1Sa 8:19 – refused to obey 1Sa 21:7 – detained 2Ki 5:25 – stood before 2Ki 6:32 – the elders 2Ki 10:16 – Come with me 2Ch 12:14 – to seek Ezr 4:14 – and it was Neh 6:2 – they thought Psa 55:14 – We took sweet counsel together Psa 119:36 – and not to Pro 23:12 – General Pro 26:23 – General Isa 6:5 – I dwell Isa 7:12 – neither Isa 42:20 – opening Isa 57:17 – the iniquity Jer 6:13 – For Jer 7:10 – come Jer 8:10 – for Jer 12:2 – near Jer 12:6 – thy brethren Jer 22:17 – thine eyes Jer 42:1 – came Jer 42:20 – For ye Eze 7:26 – then Mat 6:1 – to be Mat 13:20 – anon Mat 15:8 – draweth Mat 21:30 – I go Mat 22:16 – we know Mar 4:16 – which Mar 7:6 – honoureth Mar 10:20 – General Mar 10:22 – for Luk 7:40 – Master Luk 12:13 – Master Luk 13:24 – for Luk 18:11 – God Luk 18:18 – Good Luk 18:23 – he was very sorrowful Luk 20:47 – for Joh 5:35 – and ye Joh 6:26 – Ye seek Joh 12:6 – not Joh 15:22 – they Act 24:26 – hoped Act 26:28 – Almost Rom 12:9 – love 2Co 6:6 – love 2Co 8:8 – prove Eph 5:3 – covetousness 1Ti 6:5 – supposing Tit 1:16 – profess Heb 13:5 – conversation Jam 1:23 – General<\/p>\n Eze 33:31. The people not only failed to accept the words of the prophet hut acted hypocritically about it. They pretended to admire Ezekiel for giving them the Information, but in their heart they were interested In the things of personal interest.<\/p>\n 33:31 And they come to thee as the people come, and they sit before thee [as] my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they {q} show much love, [but] their heart goeth after their covetousness.<\/p>\n (q) This declares that we ought to hear God’s word with such zeal and affection that we should in all points obey it, else we abuse the word to our own condemnation and make of its ministers as though they were jesters to serve men’s foolish fantasies.<\/p>\n And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee [as] my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, [but] their heart goeth after their covetousness. 31. On “come unto thee” cf. Eze 8:1, Eze 14:1, Eze 20:1. … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 33:31”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21322","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21322","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21322"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21322\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21322"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21322"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
THE SELF-DECEPTION OF COVETOUS PROFESSORS<\/strong><\/p>\n
1.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\nFuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"