Bible Commentaries
John Dummelow's Commentary
Ezekiel 14
A Divine Principle and an apparent Exception
As a rule when God punishes a land for its wickedness by such judgments as famine, wild beasts, sword, or pestilence, the presence in it of the most eminently righteous men will not save the wicked, not even the members of their own families. They will only escape themselves. Jerusalem will be a seeming exception to this principle, since a remnant of its wicked sons and daughters will be spared when the city is taken, and will escape into exile. But this is in order that the earlier exiles, seeing the abandoned conduct of the later, may realise how thoroughly Jerusalem has deserved its punishment, and may cease to regret its fate.
13. The land] RV 'a land.' Ezekiel 14:13-21 suppose a series of general cases. Then will I stretch, etc.] RV 'and I stretch.. and break.. and send.. and cut off.' All this is part of the supposition.
14, 20. Noah, Daniel, and Job] Typical righteous men, like Moses and Samuel in Jeremiah 15:1.
21, 22. It might be expected that none of the wicked in Jerusalem would be spared, yet, in apparent violation of the law just described, some of them would escape and go into exile.
22. Ye shall see.. and be comforted] The exiles of the first captivity would be distressed at the fate of Jerusalem, but the conduct of the survivors would convince them that it had been well deserved, and was not to be regretted.
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