Tag: Ammonites

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Ezekiel 25: Judgement on Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia

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INTRODUCTION

Up to the end of chapter 24 Ezekiel’s ministry has been dominated by messages of impending doom and symbolic acts warning of the forthcoming destruction of Jerusalem/Judah. The warning phase has now passed and the siege of the city by Nebuchadnezzar’s forces has begun.

The fulfilment of Ezekiel’s prophecies will confirm him as a genuine prophet of YHWH; that confirmation comes two years later in chapter 33 when news of Jerusalem’s fall reaches Ezekiel and his fellow exiles in Babylonia. From chapter 33 onwards Ezekiel’s tone changes and he delivers promises of renewal, restoration and return.

Sandwiched between the prophecies of judgement (1-24) and the prophecies of hope (33-48) lies a distinct section composed of oracles against nations that surround Judah. These have, at one time or another, mocked, harmed or exploited the people of God.

The main point of these oracles is to salvage or build YHWH’s reputation among the exiles from Judah – who no longer have a land, a city or a temple – by assuring them that far from being just a local deity who can’t protect his own people YHWH is the supreme God who controls global events. He is sovereign over all nations, whether small or large, and is hence the one who directs Nebuchadnezzar and the events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem.

Although the oracles are, for the most part, addressed to the offending nations it is unlikely that they were ever aware of them or realised that events in their history were being orchestrated by YHWH, the God of Israel/Judah.

Ezekiel delivered the oracles against foreign nations on different dates (cf. 26:1; 27:1, 29:17; 30:20; 31:1; 32:17) but they are grouped together in this section, except for a further diatribe against Edom (35:1-15) and one against Gog of the land of Magog (38:1-39:29). Ezekiel is not the only prophet who prophesied against the nations – see Amos (chps. 1-2), Isaiah (chps.13-23) and Jeremiah (chps. 46-51).

The number seven is significant – signifying completeness – in Ezekiel’s oracles against the nations (cf. Deut 7:1). Seven are condemned in the eight chapters 25-32: (Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, Sidon, Egypt) and against Egypt there are seven separate prophecies (29:1-16; 17-21; 30:1-19; 20-26; 31:1-18; 32:1-16; 17-32). Dates are given for those against Egypt, except that in 30:1-19.

The formula ‘The word of the Lord came unto me, saying’ occurs 13 times in the oracles against the nations – 7 of these relate to Egypt, 1 to Sidon, 4 to Tyre and the one in 25:1 covers all four small nations addressed in chapter 25.

The oracles against the nations share a similar structure:

  • introductory formula
  • the nation identified
  • the reason for condemnation given – ‘because. . .’
  • the punishment stated – ‘I will. . .
  • concluding formula – ‘. . . shall know that I am the Lord’

STRUCTURE OF CHAPTER 25

1-7 AGAINST AMMON

8-11 AGAINST MOAB

12-14 AGAINST EDOM

15-17 AGAINST PHILISTIA

EXPOSITION

AGAINST AMMON 1-7

Verse 1 begins with the standard prophetic word formula: ‘The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying.’ This covers the entire chapter and emphasises that the messages do not originate with Ezekiel but come from YHWH. Having pronounced judgement upon Jerusalem/Judah in chapters 1-24 Ezekiel now turns his attention to foreign nations. The first of these is Ammon, a nation to the east of Judah. The oracle is undated.

In v.2 Ezekiel is addressed as ‘Son of Adam,’ emphasising his humanity in contrast to YHWH’s majesty. Then there is a call to Ammon to hear the word of the Lord God before the oracle begins in v.3 with ‘Thus saith the Lord God.’ This divine designation, sometimes translated as ‘Sovereign Lord,’ emphasises that YHWH has judicial supremacy over all nations, not just Israel/Judah.

The reason given for Ammon’s condemnation is that the nation celebrated (said ‘Aha’) when the Temple was destroyed, when the land of Israel was desolated and the people of Judah taken into Babylonian captivity. This looks ahead to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.

Verses 4-5 announce YHWH’s punishment upon the Ammonites. The ‘sons of the East’ (the Bedouins from Arabia) will move into the Ammonite territory desolated by the Babylonians (this occurred five years after the fall of Jerusalem) and graze their camels on what was once Rabbah – the Ammonite capital. Verse 6 repeats the key point that Ammon rejoiced at Judah’s misfortune and v.7 emphasises that Ammon will disappear as a political entity. The punishment will testify to YHWH’s control of the nations – ‘thou shalt know that I am the Lord.’

The Bible does not give much information about the Ammonites; most of what is known about them comes from 7th century BCE Assyrian sources. It is from the Old Testament, however, that we learn that the progenitor of the Ammonites was Ben-Ammi, the son of Lot as the result of an incestuous union with his younger daughter (Gen 19:38).

In the time of the Judges the Ammonites were engaged in military conflict with the Israelites under Jephthah c.1100 BCE (Judg 11:4-40). Some years later (c.1020 BCE) the Ammonites under their chieftain Nahash were defeated in battle at Jabesh-Gilead by the Israelites led by Saul (1 Sam 11:1-15).

In the time of David the Ammonites led a coalition against Israel but this was defeated by Israelite forces under Joab and Abishai. Their capital city  – Rabbath-Ammon (modern day Amman, capital of Jordan) – was breached and the Ammonites became subject to David (2 Sam 10-11; 1 Chron 20).

During the reign of Jehoshaphat of Judah (c. 870-849 BCE) an attack by a confederacy of Moabites and Ammonites was repulsed (2 Chron. 20:1-30). Jotham of Judah (c. 740-732 BCE) went to war against the Ammonites; he defeated them and imposed an annual tribute (2 Chron 27:5).

The Ammonites were at their most prosperous during the 7th century BCE under Assyrian rule. It is estimated that they became vassals of Assyria c. 734 BCE and, remarkably, remained loyal until c. 620 BCE. Although paying tribute to Assyria their own rulers were allowed to manage without the presence of an Assyrian governor and to control the profitable caravan trade from Arabia.

It is ironic that the Ammonites rejoiced when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians because they were next on Nebuchadnezzar’s To-Do list; this was represented in Ezekiel 21:19-22 by the picture of Nebuchadnezzar halting at a crossroads to decide which of the two cites – Rabbah or Jerusalem – to attack first. It was the desolation of Ammonite territory by the Babylonians that enabled the fulfilment of the prophecy given in Ezek 25:4-5 that the derelict site that was once Rabbah would be occupied by the Arabians.

AGAINST MOAB 8-11

The Moabites were another people with close kinship ties with the Israelites. According to Gen 19:37 their progenitor was Moab, the son of Lot by an incestuous union with his elder daughter. Moab was a relatively small fertile territory lying east of the Dead Sea to the south of Ammon and thus southeast of Judah.

Generally the Moabites and the Israelites coexisted peacefully but throughout their shared history there were occasional periods of hostility and armed conflict. Eventually the Moabites were subdued by David, who treated them brutally after defeat (2 Sam 8:2) and they remained dominated by Israel under David and Solomon.

Later, while Israel was oppressed by the Syrian King Hazael (c. 843-796 BCE) of Aram-Damascus, bands of Moabite raiders availed themselves of the opportunity to launch attacks on Israelite territory (2 Kings 13:20).

Like the Ammonites, the Moabites were vassals of Assyria during the 7th century BCE and then became subordinate to the Neo-Babylonians when they came into ascendancy. It was as vassals of the Babylonians that they, along with other groups, attacked Judah when King Jehoiakim (c.609-598 BCE) rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.

The prophet Jeremiah names Moab as one of the states having discussions with King Zedekiah of Judah (597 to 586 BCE) about rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 27:3).

In v.8 Moab (linked with Seir, i.e. Edom) is condemned for saying that Judah is just like all the other nations. In other words, YHWH did not view Judah as anything special because he allowed Jerusalem to be destroyed by the Babylonians. As punishment for saying this (vv. 9-11) Moab’s territory will become vulnerable to attack and will be ‘given as a possession’ by YHWH to the ‘sons of the East’ (the Arabians), just like the Ammonites – who will ‘not be remembered among the nations’ i.e. totally wiped out.

Three of Moab’s most important frontier towns that are identified as vulnerable were later destroyed. Beth-jeshimoth (Num 33:49; Josh 12:3; 13:20), Baal-meon (Jer 48:23) and Kiriathaim (Num 32:37; Josh 13:19; Jer 48:1, 23) were once Israelite towns, in the territory allocated to the tribe of Reuben, but by Ezekiel’s time this area was occupied by the Moabites.

Again, Moab’s punishment is so that ‘they shall know that I am the Lord.’

AGAINST EDOM 12-14

A third nation with kinship ties to Israel was Edom. The Edomites were descended from Esau but despite their common heritage both nations detested one another. Edom occupied an arid region to the south of Judah and south of the Dead Sea.

The short oracle in vv. 8-14 condemns Edom for ‘taking vengeance’ upon the house of Judah. This is a reference to Edom allying with the Babylonians and participating in the siege and destruction of Jerusalem (Psa 137:7; Obad 1-14; Lam 4:21-22). For this the Sovereign Lord will make Edom desolate; the districts of Teman and Dedan are specifically mentioned – standing for ‘all Edom’ (cf. Jer 49:7-8). The population will fall by the sword.

In v.14 YHWH promises to ‘lay vengeance’ upon Edom (which in v.12 had itself taken vengeance on Judah). In this verse YHWH refers to ‘my people,’ ‘my anger,’ ‘my fury’ and ‘my vengeance.’ Interestingly, the punishment of Edom will not be carried out by the Babylonians but by ‘my people Israel.’ This may predict attacks on Edomites during the Maccabean-Idumean Conflict; especially during 163 BCE, 2 Macc 10:15-16. The oracle against Edom ends not with ‘they shall know that I am the Lord’ but with ‘they shall know my vengeance, saith the Lord God.’

There are longer oracles against Edom in Ezekiel 35, Isa 34, Jer 49:7-22 and Obadiah. See my earlier posts:
Understanding the Book of Obadiah: A Concise Overview
Pride and Fall: Obadiah 1-14
The Day of the Lord: Justice and Restoration in Obadiah 15-21

AGAINST PHILISTIA 15-17

The last nation in the group of four condemned in Ezekiel chapter 25 is Philistia. The oracle begins ‘Thus saith the Lord’ emphasising that what follows is a direct message from YHWH and thus authoritative. The reason for the condemnation is stated as ‘Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred.’ The exact vengeful action taken by the Philistines is not specified but what is significant in v.15 is that the Lord judges motives as well as actions. The verse goes on to speak of their malice of soul (‘despiteful heart’) and ‘the old hatred’ behind their effort to destroy God’s people.

Because of that persistent hatred (‘Therefore,’ v.16) the Sovereign Lord says that he will stretch out his hand in judgement against the land of the Philistines, wipe out the Cherethites and utterly destroy the people who live by the sea. He will execute terrible vengeance upon them to punish them for their actions and when he has done so then they will know that he is YHWH. Again YHWH’s control over global affairs is asserted.

It is believed that the ancestors of the Philistines may have been the Peleset: a group of sea people from the Aegean who tried to invade Egypt during the reign of Rameses II in the 13th century BCE but were repulsed. They later took control of the coastal area of Palestine to the south and west of Judah but did not expel the original Canaanite inhabitants. Although originally sea people their main occupation was farming – they became traders in grain and were famous for their monochrome pottery.

The term Cherethites (cf. Zeph 2:5) in Ezekiel 25:16 seems to refer to the Philistines’ origins as sea people from southern Europe (Jer 47:4; Amos 9:7 Crete – ‘Caphtor’). The Greek Old Testament – LXX -(translates ‘Cherethites’ as ‘Cretans’). Some scholars suggest that the Cherethites were a group of Philistine elite warriors.

Although the area settled by the Philistines became known as Philistia it was not a united political state as such but more a confederacy of five main cities: Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gath (Josh 13:3). The most southerly was Gaza, north of that was the port city Ashkelon, and to the northwest of Ashkelon was Ashdod. Farthest north was Ekron, the only one of the five actually founded by the Philistines. The site of Gath is unknown.

Such was the Philistines’ prowess as warriors that none of these cities was built on a height for defence – the Philistines didn’t see that as necessary. Each city had a chief or king – it seems that these men met at times to discuss matters of concern relevant to all five cities (1 Sam 5:8; 6:15-16). The Bible gives the name of only one of those kings – Achish of Gath (1 Sam 21:10-15).

The Israelites also emerged in Canaan shortly before 1200 BCE and they and the Philistines became mortal enemies. The Philistines dominated the Israelites throughout the time of the Judges (Judge 15:11). The area around Gaza (see Judg 16) is the setting of most of the heroic exploits of Samson against the Philistines recorded in Judges 13-16. Samson’s death, nonetheless, may have occurred at Ashdod since that was the location of the main temple of the Philistine god Dragon (1 Sam 5:1-5).

1 Samuel chapters 13 and 14 record a failed rebellion against the Philistines led by Saul and his son Jonathan. A later battle proved disastrous for the Israelites since several of Saul’s sons, including Jonathan, were slain and Saul, sorely wounded and unwilling to fall into Philistine hands, committed suicide (1 Sam 31:1-6). His body was desecrated by the Philistines (1 Sam 31:9-11).

Eventually David managed to weaken the Philistines and drive them back (2 Sam 5:19-25) but did not occupy their territory. That is the last recorded conflict between Israel and the Philistines although one of the Pharaohs, whose daughter married King Solomon, captured the Philistine city of Gezer and transferred it to Solomon as a wedding gift (1 Kgs 9:16).

Like the other nations in the region the Philistines became vassals of Assyria during the 8th century BCE. They rebelled during the reign of Sargon II (721-705 BCE) as a result of which he attacked and captured Ashdod, deporting many of its citizens and resettling them far away. There is a passing reference to Sargon’s action against Ashdod in Isa 20:1. Sargon also destroyed Gath, wiping it from the map.

Philistia was greatly weakened by the Assyrians but finally destroyed as a political entity by the Neo-Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar II (c. 604-562 BCE).

SUMMATION

Ezekiel chapter 25 marks a shift from prediction of judgement on Judah to that of judgement upon Judah’s closest neighbours. Ammon, Moab, Edom and Philistia are addressed in turn and condemned for their attitude towards Judah. Their contempt, mockery, hostile actions and gloating over Judah’s misfortunes equate to hostility towards YHWH, Judah’s God. The oracles assert that all are morally accountable to YHWH because his sovereignty and authority extend far beyond the borders of one nation. World history is the working out of his purposes.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Charles River Editors. (2016). The Enemies of the Ancient Israelites: The History of the Canaanites, Philistines, Babylonians, and Assyrians, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.

‌Gottwald, N. K. (2001). The Politics of Ancient Israel. Westminster John Knox Press.

Killebrew, A. E. (2005). Biblical peoples and Ethnicity: An Archaeological Study of Egyptians, Canaanites, Philistines, And Early Israel 1300-1100 B.C.E., Society of Biblical Lit.

Macalister, R. A. S. (2004). The Philistines: Their History and Civilization. Wipf and Stock Publishers

‌JOURNAL ARTICLES

Herr, L. G. (1997). Archaeological Sources for the History of Palestine: The Iron Age II Period: Emerging Nations. The Biblical Archaeologist, 60(3), 114–183.

Kletter, R. (1991). The Rujm El-Malfuf Buildings and the Assyrian Vassal State of Ammon. Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 284, 33–50.

Landes, G. M. (1961). The Material Civilization of the Ammonites. The Biblical Archaeologist, 24(3), 66–86.

Posted in Exposition

Ezekiel 21:18-32 – The Third Oracle Concerning YHWH’s Sword

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INTRODUCTION

This is the third and last of the oracles concerning YHWH’s sword in Ezekiel chapter 21. The oracle commences by focusing on the approach of the king of Babylon to a fork in the road and his use of divination to decide his path of conquest. Which branch of the road should he take – the one to Rabbath the capital of Ammon or the one to Jerusalem? Although seemingly guided by the omens, it is ultimately YHWH who directs him to go and lay siege to Jerusalem.

YHWH then directly addresses Zedekiah, the ‘profane and wicked prince of Israel,’ and prophesies his downfall. After that the focus shifts to the Ammonites and the judgement that will come upon them.

DIVISION

18-23 The sword at the crossroads.

24-27 Judgement upon Judah and its king.

28-32 Judgement upon the Ammonites

EXPOSITION

THE SWORD AT THE CROSSROADS (18-23)

(18-20) The oracle starts with the usual prophetic word formula ‘the word of the Lord came unto me again, saying’ followed by a reference to the prophet as ‘son of Adam.’ Ezekiel is given instructions that are reminiscent of chapter 4 where he was told to portray the siege of Jerusalem on a clay tile. Now he is told to draw a diagram representing the path that ‘the sword of the king of Babylon’ will take on a journey to deal with revolts by the kingdoms of Judah and Ammon. Nebuchadnezzar is thus identified as ‘the slayer’ of v.11.

Ezekiel is to sketch two routes that Nebuchadnezzar could follow. The road out of ‘one land’ (Babylonia) forks (cf. ‘the head of the way’ 16:25, 31) near a certain city (possibly Damascus). At this fork/crossroads Ezekiel is to ‘choose a place’ (place = hand, index, direction – Num 2:17; Jer 6:3), i.e. draw a signpost. The signpost indicates that one branch of the road leads to Rabbath Ammon (Deut 3:11) and the other to fortified Jerusalem. The sword (Nebuchadnezzar) will smite both destinations but which one will he go to first? The Ammonites seem to think that they will not be attacked (cf. v.29) but Jer 4:5 suggests that in Judah preparations were in place for the people to gather in ‘fortified’ Jerusalem for safety.

(21-23) Verses 21-22 explain the drawing. The crossroads represents a location at which King Nebuchadnezzar’s army comes to a standstill while the king and his soothsayers use three techniques of ancient divination to decide which city to attack first:

Omens appearing on the right side of the liver were considered auspicious and those on the left unlucky. Verse 22 represents Nebuchadnezzar as receiving favourable omens and, on that basis, deciding to invade Judah first.

The Babylonians will attack Jerusalem, set up battering rams, cause slaughter, sound a war cry, and prepare to storm the city. Similar preparations for siege warfare are described in Ezek 4:2.

(23) And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.

‘Them’ and ‘their’ refers to the Judeans (exiles and those in Judah) who will view as false the omens that Ezekiel predicts Nebuchadnezzar will get. This is because they are depending on their covenant with YHWH and thus expect him to protect them and send Nebuchadnezzar to punish the heathen Ammonites. YHWH, however, will remember that the people of Judah have not adhered to the stipulations of the Sinai covenant; with the result that he will judge them by allowing them to be seized (by the Babylonians).

JUDGEMENT UPON JUDAH AND ITS KING (24-27)

(24) Verse 24 refers back (‘therefore’) to v.23 and says much the same thing. The people of Judah are guilty and their iniquity has so attracted YHWH’s attention that he recalls all their wrongdoings and as punishment will deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar. They will be ‘taken with the hand,’ i.e. grasped by the hand of the slayer of v.11.

The divination rituals used by Nebuchadnezzar, although superstitious and forbidden to the Israelites, are sovereignly used by YHWH to bring about the attack on Jerusalem as an act of divine punishment. Prov 16:33 says: The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

(25-27) In these verses Ezekiel directly addresses King Zedekiah and describes him as the ‘profane wicked prince of Israel.’ Ezekiel uses ‘prince,’ meaning ‘chieftain’ or ‘leader,’ instead of the term ‘king.’ It is possible that ‘prince of Israel’ was a title adopted by the Davidic kings of Judah once the northern kingdom came to an end. Zedekiah’s day of doom, on which his wrongdoing will cease, is close at hand. YHWH makes a proclamation to him: ‘thus saith the Lord God.’

Remove the turban and take off the crown. Things shall not remain as they are. Exalt that which is low, and bring low that which is exalted. Ezekiel 21:26 ESV

In v.26 four infinitive absolutes are translated as imperatives: remove, take off, exalt, abase. The cessation of Zedekiah’s reign is characterised by the removal of his turban and his crown – symbols of justice (Job 29:14) and dignity (Job 19:9). Things will not remain as they are; it is time his reign came to an end.

Note: Since the word for turban is also that used for the High Priest’s mitre (Exod. 28:4, 37, 39; 29:6; 39:28, 31; Lev. 8:9; 16:4) some commentators view the turban as belonging to the High Priest rather than the king and thus have YHWH proclaiming the overthrow of Judah’s religious and political institutions.

The inversion of the current state of affairs is summed up in the saying: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. These words are probably better known from the New Testament where Jesus said : And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted (Mt 23:12; Lk 14:11; 18:14). Similar thoughts, however, are expressed in 1 Sam 2:6-7; Job 5:11-13; Psa 75:7; Mk 10:43-44 and Lk 1:52.

A relevant example of someone of that era who was abased and then exalted is the prophet Jeremiah. He was badly treated under Zedekiah’s regime but later held in high regard by the Babylonians (Jer 40:1-6).

The severity of the coming upheaval is emphasised in v.27a by the threefold use of ‘overturn.’ This repetition expresses the superlative – e.g. ‘Holy, Holy, Holy’ Isa 6:3. The distortion and overthrow of everything is poetically described by Jeremiah in Jer 4:23-26:

I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.

Verse 27b is an obvious reference to the famous prophecy of Gen 49:10: The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Ezek 21:27b says; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him. This verse is generally interpreted in one of three ways: a) as referring to the Messiah, or b) as referring to Jehoiachin, or c) as referring to Nebuchadnezzar.

a) MESSIAH. Zedekiah will fall and for an unspecified period of time there will not be another Davidic king until Messiah comes (‘it shall be no more, until). God will give the kingdom to him because it is rightfully his. Proponents of this view interpret mišpāṭ as meaning right or due as in KJV.

b) JEHOIACHIN – Temporarily there will be no Davidic ruler in Judah until the kingdom is restored to a legitimate king, i.e. Jehoiachin or one of his descendants. Proponents of this view interpret mišpāṭ as meaning a legal claim.

c) NEBUCHADNEZZAR – Proponents of this view interpret mišpāṭ as meaning punishing or judgement. Greenberg (1997, Ezekiel 21-37 : a New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, p. 434) explains:

punishing (mispat) … entrust [it] to him… mispat (usually “judgment”) here, as in 16:38 (plural); 5:8 (plural); 23:45; 39:21, means “punishment, punishing.” Combination with the verb ntn recurs in 23:24: “I will entrust judgment/punishing to them…and they will judge/punish you.”…Eliezer of Beaugency gives the sense: “Until Nebuchadnezzar, into whose hand I have committed my punishing, comes to punish him (Zedekiah).”

According to this view Ezekiel alludes to the Gen 49:10 prophecy but reinterprets it for the current situation. Those in Judah and Ezekiel’s fellow exiles doubtless interpret the prophecy messianically but the prophet turns it back on them; telling them that they can expect a slayer (Nebuchadnezzar), not a saviour (Messiah).

JUDGEMENT UPON THE AMMONITES (28-32)

Note: There are several interpretations of Ezekiel 21:28-29. Some see the entire section as a pronouncement of judgement upon the Ammonites, others view the entire section as pronouncing judgement upon the sword of YHWH, with the Ammonites as an audience.

(28-29) Again addressing Ezekiel as ‘son of Adam’ YHWH instructs him to prophesy (who to is not specified) concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach. The focus shifts from Judah to Ammon using language that is similar to that in vv.9-10. As in vv.9-10 concerning Judah, verse 28 concerning Ammon begins with Ezekiel being told to ‘say.’ It also contains a repetition of the word ‘sword’ (sword, sword), and an observation that the sword is ‘furbished.’ It is already drawn (opened, exposed) and polished in order to flash and be adequate to slaughter Ammonites. The Ammonites will taunt the people of Judah when they see the devastation that the sword (Babylonians) wreaks on the land of Israel (25:3, 6). Their rejoicing will be premature, however, because the sword will come against them as well.

It seems from v.29 that the Ammonite prophets and soothsayers were wrongly advising their citizens that they had nothing to fear from the Babylonians. Ezekiel says that these Ammonite diviners ‘see vanity’ and ‘divine a lie’ and thus mislead their people. The prophet Jeremiah also said this in a message he sent to the kings of five surrounding nations, including the Ammonites (Jer 27:3):

Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: For they prophesy a lie unto you, Jer 27:9-10a

The inhabitants of the land of Ammon will be added to the number of slain Judahites, who have brought the sword (Nebuchadnezzar and his army) to the area because of their iniquity (vv. 23, 25, 29). The sword will conquer the Ammonites as well as the Judahites, both nations will share that same fate.

(30) ‘Return it to its sheath’- another infinitive absolute that translates as an imperative. This is either a command (to an unknown third party) to put the sword of the Lord back into its scabbard because its work is done or it is advice to the Ammonites that it is pointless for them to attempt to defend themselves because judgement upon them is certain. The Ammonites will be judged in their own land, the land of their origin. Unlike Israel/Judah, which will be exiled, Ammon will face destruction at home.

(31) YHWH’s anger will be poured out upon the Ammonites like a fiery flood. The fire of God’s wrath will blow against them like bellows fanning a fire (cf. Isa 54:16). YHWH will deliver them into the hands of brutish (i.e. cruel) men for whom destruction is an art form. They are craftsmen, expert at what they do. This probably refers to the efficient warriors of the Babylonian army.

(32) God’s fiery wrath will consume the Ammonites who will be like like fuel for a fire. Their blood will flow over all the land, this speaks of total military defeat.

‘No more remembered’ (cf. Psa 83:4; Jer 11:19; Zech13:2). The ultimate result of their judgement is oblivion. The nation that gloats and scorns the Lord’s people will suffer humiliation and obliteration. Unlike the Israelites who will retain their national identity and return from exile the Ammonites will never again exist as an independent nation. This nation that is so opposed to YHWH will eventually fade from history. Ezekiel goes into more dtail about the future of the Ammonites in chapter 25.

‘I the Lord have spoken.’ The oracle does not end with a maybe but with YHWH’s guarantee. These things will come to pass, God’s word is final.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

  • The Lord is sovereign and will judge all nations.
  • It is dangerous to take pleasure in the misfortune or downfall of others, especially the Lord’s people. This is a sin that invites judgement.
  • Be wary about who you trust. There are still false prophets and teachers about. It is better to hear the truth rather than trust in flattering and comforting lies.
  • God is true to his word. What he says, he will do.

Posted in Exposition

NEHEMIAH 13:4-14

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13:4-9 EXPULSION OF TOBIAH FROM THE TEMPLE

The main problem Nehemiah addresses in this section is the fact that Eliashib the priest had allowed Tobiah the Ammonite, a non-Jew, to occupy a spacious ‘room’ in the temple. Some suggest that Tobiah may have used the space for commercial purposes since in 13:5 the word liškāh (translated ‘room’ or ‘chamber’) often means storeroom (1 Chron. 9:26; 2 Chron. 31:11; Ezra 8:29; Neh. 10:38-39), but 13:7 uses the word nišḵāh, which refers to living quarters.

ELIASHIB

This ‘Eliashib the priest’ is probably the same Eliashib who was High Priest at that time (3:1, 20-21; 12:10, 22; 13:28) and would certainly have had the authority provide this space to Tobiah. He had participated in the building of the walls (3:1) but thereafter continued to associate with (‘allied’ = ‘close to’ v.4b) Nehemiah’s enemy Tobiah, especially while Nehemiah was away from Jerusalem. Sometimes ‘the priest’ is shorthand for ‘High Priest’, for example: Zadok (1 Kgs 1:8, 26, 32, 34, 38, 39, 44, 45; 2:35; 4;2 ,4) and Joshua in Ezra chapter 3, cp. Zech 6:11).

TOBIAH

Tobiah first appears in 2:10 where he is mentioned as one of the local dignitaries unhappy that Nehemiah had come ‘to seek the welfare of the people of Israel’. He and his friends mocked Nehemiah’s work on the walls, saying that the walls would be so weak that even a fox could knock them down (4:3). Tobiah, however, seems to have established close links with local Israelite officials, including members of the priesthood. This he partly achieved through marriage alliances with prominent Israelite families:

‘Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them. For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah (see 3:30). Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear’ Neh 6:17-19

The provision by Eliashib the priest of a large ‘room’ in the temple for use by Tobiah (13:5) was a serious violation of the law as Deut 23:3-6 prohibited non-Jews from entering the temple or participating in its worship. It would seem that little has changed since then; even today some religious leaders still think that they are above God’s laws.

The room allocated to Tobiah was in an area of the temple which had been designated for the storage of paraphernalia relating to worship (12:44,) such as:

  • Grain offering
  • Frankincense
  • Vessels
  • Agricultural tithes (corn, new wine, oil).

The people had previously committed themselves in writing to provide the above items and store them in the Temple (9:38; 10:38-39). These goods were for the support of temple staff: the Levites, the singers, the porters and the priests. Although the items had been sanctified (12:47), Eliashib the priest had removed them from the storage area in order to accommodate Tobiah. This was a deliberate act of desecration.

Nehemiah emphasizes that he was out of the country (because he had returned to report to the king in Persia) when this happened and did not therefore become aware of it until he returned to Jerusalem (13:6-7). Neither Eliashib nor Tobiah may have expected Nehemiah to return so soon.

Nehemiah was furious when he heard of the arrangement and took immediate action to correct the problem. Determined to restore the temple to its proper state he used his power as Persian governor to overrule this poor decision by the temple authorities. He summarily removed Tobiah’s furniture and belongings (13:8) and had the area purified (13:8-9) and restocked.

13:10-14 REORGANISATION OF THE LEVITES

Nehemiah learns that the giving of tithes had ceased during his period of absence with the result that the Levites and the singers, who were responsible for conducting the temple services (‘that did the work’ KJV), had not received their portions of tithes and offerings.

The Torah envisaged that the tribe of Levi would be supported by the other tribes by means of the tithe (Num 18:21-24; Deut 14:27-28). The apostle Paul directly references this Old Testament system and applies its principles to the support of Christian workers in the New Testament era:

Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. 1 Cor 9:13-14

The Levites had therefore left their duties (13:10, ‘fled’ i.e. the situation was forced upon them) and returned to their fields in order to support themselves financially; thus severely disrupting the worship of Yahweh. The passage may imply that this state of affairs was brought about by Tobiah’s occupation of the storage unit.

In theory the Levites ought not to have had pastureland other than that surrounding towns that had been allocated to them by the Lord (a list of the ‘Levitical cities’ is recorded in Josh 21:1-41 and in 1 Chron 6:54-81). It would seem, however, that in Nehemiah’s day Levites lived and farmed in various additional locations throughout the territory of Judah (7:72; 11:20; 12:27).

Since the ruling class in Judah had neglected their responsibilities with regards to the financial support of the Temple personnel, Nehemiah, as Persian governor, conducted a court case against them (13:11a) and accused them of forsaking the house of God, i.e. of breaking the covenant they made in 10:29ff. The word translated as ‘rebuke’ (5:7) and ‘contend’ (13:11,17, 25) in KJV means ‘to conduct a lawsuit or legal case’.

Nehemiah then gathered ‘them’ (the Levites and singers, not the rulers) together and got them back to their work in the temple. With the temple service revived the people of Judah responded positively. Soon the tithes were given and collected and proper distribution of the provisions restored. Nehemiah seized the opportunity to reorganise the Levites (13:13). No longer would responsibility for looking after the temple storerooms and distribution of support for the Levites be controlled by one man who, like Eliashib, might prove unreliable. Instead, Nehemiah assigned these tasks to a panel of three officials, Shelemiah, Zadok and Pedaiah. Hanan the son of of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah was appointed to assist them. All of these committee members were honest and trustworthy men who, it appears, acted on behalf of the main parties which had an interest in the smooth operation of the system of tithing.

Shelemiah was a priest.

Pedaiah was a Levite (cp 3:25).

Hanan, presumably, was a singer. He was a grandson of Mattaniah who was the Temple choirmaster (11:17, 22; 12:8, 25).

Zadok the Scribe would have represented the interest of the Persian government.

13:14 – Throughout this chapter Nehemiah finishes his account of each reform with a short prayer (13:14, 22, 31). Here he asks God not to blot out the good deeds he had so loyally and faithfully performed for the temple of God and its services.

In this prayer Nehemiah uses the metaphor of God maintaining a ledger. The idea occurs several times throughout scripture, for example: Psa 56:8; 139:16; Isa 65:6; Dan 7:9-10; Mal 3:16; Rev 20:12; 21:27.

Nehemiah 13:1-3

Nehemiah 13:15-31

Posted in Exposition

NEHEMIAH 13:1-3

Posted on by writtenexposition

Nehemiah chapter 13 concludes the book of Nehemiah and provides insight into the reforms implemented by Nehemiah upon his return to Jerusalem from Persia. The background to chapter 13 may be summarised as follows:

BACKGROUND TO NEHEMIAH CHAPTER 13

Nehemiah, a Jewish cupbearer to king Artaxerxes I (465-424 BCE) of Persia, received news from home about the deteriorating state of Jerusalem and its broken walls. He therefore sought permission from the king for leave of absence from his job at Susa in order to return to Jerusalem, rebuild the walls and restore the glory of the city.

Having obtained the king’s blessing and support, Nehemiah travelled to Jerusalem in 445 BCE (2:1; 5:14) and rallied the people to rebuild the walls. Despite some local opposition, the walls were completed in fifty-two days (6:15). Nehemiah then focused on the spiritual renewal of the Jewish community. After twelve years in Jerusalem (5:14; 13:6) Nehemiah returned to the Persian court in 433 BCE. He must have continued to receive news from Jerusalem because he soon became aware that, in a spiritual sense, things were not progressing well there since his departure.

In chapter 13, Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem after an unspecified period of absence in Babylon. The date was probably 430 or 429 BCE. True enough, he finds that the people have reverted to various forms of disobedience and have neglected the laws of God. This final chapter highlights several significant events:

13:1-3 SEPARATION RENEWED

13:4-9 EXPULSION OF TOBIAH FROM THE TEMPLE

13:10-14 REORGANISATION OF THE LEVITES

13:15-22 RESTORATION OF SABBATH OBSERVANCE

13:23-29 PROBLEM OF EXOGAMOUS MARRIAGES

13: 30-31 SUMMARY OF NEHEMIAH’S CULTIC REFORMS

13:1-3 SEPARATION RENEWED

‘On that day’ (‘at that time’ i.e. in Nehemiah’s era) there was a public reading from the ‘book of Moses’ (cf. 2 Chron 25:4.; 35:12; Neh 8:1). This is certainly a reference to the torah (first five books of the Old Testament) since vv. 1b-2 cite Deut 23:3-6; a section of law dealing with persons excluded from Israelite worship. When the passage was read aloud the people learned that Ammonites or Moabites were specifically excluded from any religious assembly of Israel until ten generations had passed. This rule was to last forever. Interestingly, the reasons given for that do not include the origin of the two nations from the incestuous sexual relations each of Lot’s daughters had with him (Gen 19:30-38). Rather, the prohibition was based on on historical events. These two nations had opposed the Israelites after the exodus from Egypt and had hired a non-Israelite prophet called Balaam to curse them (Num 22-24). This, in turn, triggered a curse on them in accordance with God’s promise to Abraham in Gen 12:2-4. Although he could not actually bring himself to curse the Israelites Balaam nevertheless advised the Moabites how to lead them into sin (Num 31:16; 2 Pet 2:15; Jude 11; Rev 2:14).

MOAB

The Bible has nothing good to say about the Moabites or Ammonites but Moab in particular is singled out for criticism. The prophet Jeremiah gives a penetrating assessment of this inveterate enemy of the Israelites in his book:

‘Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.‘ Jer 48:11

Moab, as we have mentioned, had a bad beginning. Nevertheless, like many who oppose God and his people today, everything seemed to go well for them. Their history was characterized by comfort and prosperity. Unlike Israel, nothing disturbed or interfered with their lives of ease. They were never taken into captivity. Jeremiah paints a word picture from the ancient process of wine-making. Totally at ease in its wickedness, unthinking and unconcerned about its sinful idolatry, never having yearned for deliverance, Moab went to rot.

Jeremiah’s metaphorical language conveys a sense of stagnation and lack of transformation. Despite being a nation that had been established for a long time, Moab had never undergone significant changes or been refined through challenging experiences. As a result, the character and behaviour of the Moabites remained unchanged, they were self-assured and unyielding. This important verse condemns Moab’s pride and self-reliance, suggesting that their failure to grow spiritually and morally would lead to their downfall and judgment from God. Devastation would come upon Moab as a consequence of their actions.

After the public reading of the law a ‘separation’ (Ezr 9:1; 10:11; Neh 10:28) of ‘the mixture’ took place. Not just Ammonites and Moabites were separated, but all foreigners. Intermarriage with the Canaanite nations had been forbidden because family relationships with idolators was perceived as likely to cause a turning away from the worship of Yahweh, the one true God (Deut 7:3-4). This problem seems to have plagued the Israelites throughout their history. During the era of Ezra and Nehemiah at least three attempts were made over a period of thirty years (468-429 BCE) to resolve the issue. Although these measures were fairly drastic (e.g. mass divorce, covenant not to intermarry), they were not entirely successful (Ezra 9-10; Neh 9:2; 10:28-30; 13:1-3). Nehemiah returns to the topic of unacceptable marriages later in the chapter.

The New Testament teaches the same general principle; that when it comes to spiritual matters a mixture never produces positive results. Every so often there must be a return to the word of God; accompanied by self-assessment leading to remedial action. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18:

‘Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.’

Nehemiah 13:4-14

Nehemiah 13:15-31