Yechezkel 20:2

2 Then came the Devar Hashem unto me, saying,

Yechezkel 20:2 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 20:10

The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion,
&c.] Which Aben Ezra interprets of God himself, who is compared to a lion; who not only by his voice terrifies, but in his wrath tears the wicked in pieces, and destroys them, and so is a continuation of the preceding account; and others, as R. Moses and R. Jonah, whom he mentions, take this to be a continuation of the means and methods by which God destroys wicked men sometimes, namely, by beasts of prey; this being one of his sore judgments he threatens men with, and inflicts upon men, see ( Leviticus 26:22 ) ( Ezekiel 14:21 ) ; and in this they are followed by some Christian interpreters, who render the words "at" or "by the roaring of the lion, and by the voice of the fierce lion, by the teeth of the young lions" ^F3, they the wicked "are broken", ground to pieces, and utterly destroyed; but it is better, with Jarchi, Ben Gersom, and others, to understand it of kings and princes, of the mighty ones of the earth, tyrannical and oppressive rulers and governors; comparable to lions of different ages; because of their grandeur and greatness, their power and might, their cruelty and oppression in each of their different capacities; signifying, that these do not escape the righteous judgments of God: the Targum interprets the roaring of the lion of Esau, and the voice of the fierce lion of Edom; and another Jewish writer ^F4 of Nimrod, the first tyrant and oppressor, the mighty hunter before the Lord; but these are too particular; wicked men in power and authority in general are here, and in the following clauses, intended, see ( Jeremiah 4:7 ) ( 50:17 ) ( Nahum 2:11-13 ) ( 2 Timothy 4:17 ) ; and the sense is, that such ploughers and sowers of iniquity as are like to fierce and roaring lions are easily and quickly destroyed by the Lord:

and the teeth of the young lions are broken:
the power of such mighty ones to do mischief is taken away from them, and they and their families are brought to ruin; the teeth of lions are very strong in both jaws; they have fourteen teeth, four incisors or cutters, four canine or dog teeth, six molars or grinders.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 "Rugitu leonis et voce ferocis leonis" Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; so some in R. Someon Bar Tzemach.
F4 R. Obadiah Sephorno.

Yechezkel 20:2 In-Context

1 0 And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain anashim of the zekenim of Yisroel came to inquire of Hashem, and sat before me.

2 Then came the Devar Hashem unto me, saying,

3 Ben adam, speak unto the zekenim of Yisroel, and say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: Are ye come to inquire of Me? As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, I will not be inquired of by you.

4 Wilt thou judge them, ben adam, wilt thou judge them? Cause them to know the to’avot of their avot.

5 And say unto them, Thus saith Adonoi Hashem: In the day when I chose Yisroel, and lifted up Mine yad [i.e., took a shevua] unto the zera Bais Ya’akov, and made Myself known unto them in Eretz Mitzrayim, when I lifted up Mine yad unto them, saying, I am Hashem Eloheichem;