Ezekiel 12:19

19 And say to the people of the land, This is what the Lord has said about the people of Jerusalem and the land of Israel: They will take their food with care and their drink with wonder, so that all the wealth of their land may be taken from it because of the violent ways of the people living in it.

Ezekiel 12:19 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 12:19

And say unto the people of the land
Of Chaldea, where the prophet now was; not the natives of the land, but the Israelites, who were captives in it; who were ready to murmur and repine at their own case, as miserable; and at that of the Jews at Jerusalem, as happy; and therefore they are taught by this sign, as well as by the following prophecy, that they were mistaken: thus saith the Lord God of the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
or to them, or "concerning" them F25; whom the captives in Chaldea thought lived so happily, and would continue so: [and] of the land of Israel;
or, "upon the land of Israel" F26; inhabitants on it; to this sense the Targum and Septuagint Version interpret it, and also Kimchi: they shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with
astonishment;
meaning at the siege of Jerusalem, when they could not eat and drink in peace; but, while they were eating and drinking, were disturbed and put into fear and surprise by the besiegers; and also, hearing that their provisions would not hold out, were careful how they ate and drank, and were frightened with the thoughts of being reduced to extreme want: that her land may be desolate from all that is therein;
or, "from its fulness" F1; men and cattle, cities, towns, houses, vineyards, fields, fruits, and plenty of all good things. Jarchi expounds it of riches: because of the violence of all them that dwell therein;
not the violence of the Chaldeans, making a prey of all they met with, plundering cities and towns, and making forage of the fruits of the earth, by which means the land was desolate; but the rapine, oppression, and injustice of the Jews, which were the cause of all these calamities which came upon their country.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 (Mlvwry ybvwyl) "habitatoribus Hierosolymorum", Montanus, Starckius; "de habitatoribus", Piscator; "de habitantibus Hierosolymam", Cocceius.
F26 (larvy tmda la) (epi thv ghv tou israhl) , Sept. "super terram Israel", Calvin; "in terram Israelis", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus; so Ben Melech.
F1 (halmm) "a plenitudine sua", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius, Starckius.

Ezekiel 12:19 In-Context

17 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
18 Son of man, take your food with shaking fear, and your water with trouble and care;
19 And say to the people of the land, This is what the Lord has said about the people of Jerusalem and the land of Israel: They will take their food with care and their drink with wonder, so that all the wealth of their land may be taken from it because of the violent ways of the people living in it.
20 And the peopled towns will be made waste, and the land will become a wonder; and you will be certain that I am the Lord.
21 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
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