Ezekiel 25:4

4 behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee and pitch their tents in thee; they shall eat thy plantings, and they shall drink thy milk.

Ezekiel 25:4 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 25:4

Behold, therefore, I will deliver thee to the men of the east
for a possession
The Chaldeans and Syrians, which were on the east side, as Jarchi; or the Medes and Persians, as Kimchi, which lay more eastward; or it may be the Arabians, who are commonly called the men of the east; who were a part of Nebuchadnezzar's army, and whom he might reward with this country, when taken by him; for this prophecy, according to Josephus F17, was fulfilled five years after the destruction of Jerusalem: and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in
thee;
or, "their camps and their tents" F18; and so the Syriac version renders it, their armies and their tents; who should subdue them, and take possession of their cities and fields, and enjoy what they found there: they shall eat thy fruit, and drink thy milk;
the fruit of their land, their vineyards and fields, and the milk of their flocks and herds, which was commonly drank in those countries; these are put for the whole of their substance. So the Targum,

``they shall eat the good of thy land, and spoil thy substance.''

FOOTNOTES:

F17 Antiqu. l. 16. c. 9. sect. 7.
F18 (Mhytwryj) "arces suas", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus, Coeccius. (Mhynkvm) "tentoria sua", V. L. "tabernacala sus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus, Cocceius, Starckius.

Ezekiel 25:4 In-Context

2 Son of man, set thy face against the sons of Ammon and prophesy against them
3 and say unto the sons of Ammon, Hear the word of the Lord GOD, Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Because thou didst say, Aha, it is well! upon my sanctuary, which was profaned; and upon the land of Israel, which it was made desolate; and upon the house of Judah, because they went into captivity;
4 behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee and pitch their tents in thee; they shall eat thy plantings, and they shall drink thy milk.
5 And I will make Rabbah a habitation for camels and the sons of Ammon a resting place for sheep: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
6 For thus hath the Lord GOD said; Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoiced in thy soul with all thy despite upon the land of Israel,
The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010