Ezekiel 21:23

23 And he shall be as counselling in (a) vain god's answer before the eyes of them, and serving (on) the rest of sabbaths; but he shall have mind on (their) wickedness, to take (them). (And he shall be like the counselling in an idol's answer before their eyes, and serving on the rest of the sabbaths; but he shall remember their wickedness, to take them captive.)

Ezekiel 21:23 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 21:23

And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their
sight
That is, the Jews shall laugh at this divination as a vain thing, as a Heathenish practice, and of which nothing would come; and even at the prophet's account of it, and his prophecy concerning the king of Babylon coming to invade them; they looked upon them all as of a piece, trusting to their false prophets, who assured them that they should not be delivered into his hands: to them that have sworn oaths;
a description of the Jews, who had with their king Zedekiah sworn allegiance to the king of Babylon; which oaths they had violated, taking others to the king of Egypt; or, "because they were bound by oaths to them" ^F19; meaning either the Egyptians, who had bound themselves by oaths to protect the Jews; and therefore they feared nothing from this pretended divination and prophecy, as they judged them to be, though they had not kept faith with the Chaldeans themselves; or the Jews, because of the Egyptians who had entered into an alliance with them, confirmed by oaths; and this had made them secure, on this they depended. The Targum takes the words as if they signified "seven times seven"; and gives this strange paraphrase of them, accounting for the vain confidence of the Jews;

``and their divinations were lies in their eyes, and the enchantments with which he enchanted them; for they knew not that he had observed forty nine times (i.e. his arrows, images, and liver), and an answer was returned upon the word, till the time came to him in which they should be delivered into his hands:''

but he will call to remembrance the iniquity:
that is, Nebuchadnezzar would call to mind the perfidy and perjury of the king of Judah, in breaking covenant with him, and violating his oath. Some think that the Chaldeans that were with Nebuchadnezzar were not satisfied at first that it was a true divination that was made, they being set upon the taking of Rabbath first; but Nebuchadnezzar, remembering and putting them in mind of the treachery of Zedekiah, reconciled them to it, and determined them in the expedition against the Jews: that they may be taken;
as birds in a snare, or beasts in a net, and be carried captive.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (Mhl twebv yebv) "quia obstrieti jurameutis eis suat", Piscator.

Ezekiel 21:23 In-Context

21 For the king of Babylon stood in the meeting of two ways, in the head of two ways, and sought divining, and meddled arrows; he asked idols, and took counsel at entrails. (For the king of Babylon stood at the meeting of two ways, at the head of two ways, and sought divining, and mixed, or mingled, the arrows; he asked idols, and received counsel, or advice, from entrails.)

22 Divining was made to his right side on Jerusalem, that he set engines, that he open [the] mouth in slaying, that he raise [the] voice in yelling, that he set engines against the gates, that he bear together [an heap of] earth, that he build strongholds. (Divining was made at his right hand for Jerusalem, that he set up battering-rams, and that he open his mouth in killing, and that he raise up his voice in yelling, yea, that he set up battering-rams against the gates, and that he bear together heaps of earth, and that he build strongholds.)

23 And he shall be as counselling in (a) vain god's answer before the eyes of them, and serving (on) the rest of sabbaths; but he shall have mind on (their) wickedness, to take (them). (And he shall be like the counselling in an idol's answer before their eyes, and serving on the rest of the sabbaths; but he shall remember their wickedness, to take them captive.)

24 Therefore the Lord God saith these things, For that that ye had mind on your wickednesses, and showed your trespassings, and your sins appeared in all your thoughts, forsooth for that that ye had mind, ye shall be taken by the (enemies?) hand.

25 But thou, cursed wicked duke of Israel, whose day before-determined is come in the time of wickedness, (But thou, cursed wicked prince of Israel, whose predetermined day hath come in the time of wickedness,)