Andrey Tikhomirov - The Books of the Prophets Ezekiel and Daniel. Scientific line-by-line explanation of the Bible

12 I also gave them my sabbaths, that they might be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them. (The Sabbaths serve as a kind of omen-foreshadowing).

13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they did not act according to my commandments, and rejected my ordinances, which a man would live by them, and they violated my sabbaths, and I said, I will pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness to destroy them. (The «chosen ones» behaved badly. God, that is, the priest expresses very human qualities, like rage and is ready to kill the «chosen» Jews by him).

14 But I did it for my name’s sake, so that it would not be blasphemed before the nations in whose eyes I brought them out. (So would the priests, who did not want to hear condemnation and blasphemy from various nations).

15 Even when I raised my hand against them in the wilderness, I swore that I would not bring them into the land that I had appointed, flowing with milk and honey, the beauty of all lands (God has a hand!).

16 Because they rejected my ordinances, and did not walk according to my commandments, and broke my sabbaths; for their heart longed for their idols. (The «Chosen ones» constantly violated their obligations).

17 But my eye was sorry to destroy them, and I did not destroy them in the wilderness. (God has an eye-eye!).

18 And I said to their sons in the wilderness, Do not walk according to the rules of your fathers, and do not keep their statutes, and do not defile yourself with their idols. (God spoke!).

19 I am the LORD your God: do according to my commandments, and keep my statutes, and do them. (The statement that the priest is the master-slaveholder over his slaves).

20 And hallow my sabbaths, that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God. (The Sabbaths serve as a kind of omen-foreshadowing).

21 But my sons also rebelled against me: they did not act according to my commandments and did not keep my statutes, they did not do what a person would live if they did, they violated my sabbaths, and I said: I will pour out my anger on them, I will exhaust my fury over them in the wilderness; (The «chosen ones» constantly violated their obligations).

22 But I turned away my hand and acted for my name’s sake, so that it would not be blasphemed before the nations, before whose eyes I brought them out. (God has a hand!).

23 Also, having lifted up my hand in the wilderness, I [swore] to scatter them among the nations and scatter them over the lands (God has a hand!).

24 Because they did not fulfill my decrees and rejected my commandments, and violated my Sabbaths, and their eyes turned to the idols of their fathers. (For the zealots of Yahweh, that is, the Jewish priests, it was important not to lose their flock. In Babylonia, the Jews did not have such a unifying religious center as the Jerusalem temple was, the more important the rite had to play. That is why for Ezekiel, unlike the ancient prophets, religious duties are no less important than moral ones; circumcision for him is a symbol of holiness, and the Sabbath is a sign between Yahweh and the «chosen people»).

25 And he permitted them unkind institutions and ordinances, from which they could not be alive, (God is taking revenge).

26 And he permitted them to be defiled by their sacrifices, when they began to pass through the fire every first fruit of the womb, to destroy them, so that they might know that I am the LORD. (God is taking revenge).

27 Therefore speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and say to them: Thus saith the LORD God: this is what your fathers blasphemed me with, treacherously acting against me: (These maxims are beneficial to the Jewish priestly elite, which acts through its prophet, instilling in the elders what is important for the Jewish priestly elite).

28 I brought them to the land that I had sworn to give them, lifting up my hand, and they, having looked for every high hill and every branching tree, began to kill their sacrifices there, and set up their offending offerings and their fragrant incense there, and poured out their libations there. (The ancient Jews, like other peoples, worshipped heights and trees, offering sacrifices there).

29 And I said to them, What is this height, where do you go? therefore, it is called by the name of Bam to this day. (Worship of the heights).

30 Therefore tell the house of Israel: Thus saith the LORD God: Do you not defile yourselves after the example of your fathers, and commit fornication after their abominations? (The trick of Judaism was that God is invisible, but he speaks through his prophets, that is, people who are under the hypnotic influence of the top of the Jewish priesthood).

31 When you bring your gifts and lead your sons through the fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day, and you want to question me, house of Israel? I live, says the Lord God, I will not give you an answer. (The passage through fire existed among many peoples, this supposedly «cleansed» the wiring objects, goes back to the ancient worship of fire, as well as the use of fire as a wound healer).

32 And what comes to your mind will not come true at all. You say: «Let us, like pagans, like foreign tribes, serve wood and stone.» (As a prophet, Ezekiel, who himself was captured in Babylon, had to consider it his direct duty to maintain faith in Yahweh in his countrymen and hope for an improvement in their lot, if God wanted it. He also made prophecies about other peoples: Ammon and Moab, Edom, Tyre and Egypt, predicting them revenge from Yahweh for having treated Israel and Judah badly in the past and gloating about his disasters in the present – for this they will perish, and Israel will be reborn).

33 As I live, saith the LORD God, with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with an outpouring of wrath, I will rule over you. (But when, after the fall of Jerusalem, the second and third parties of exiles appeared in Babylon, the prophets of Yahweh obviously had to face new tasks. During these years, among the captive Jews in Babylon, there were many who, losing faith not only in the power of Yahweh, but also in the immutability of his love for Israel, began to worship the gods of the land on which they found themselves settled. Ezekiel meant exactly that when he put a stern warning into Yahweh’s mouth to these faint-hearted).

34 And I will bring you out of the nations and out of the countries where you are scattered, and I will gather you with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with an outpouring of wrath. (Yahweh can do anything).

35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will judge you face to face. (God will judge, that is, the Jewish priests performed judicial functions).

36 As I judged your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I judge you, says the LORD God. (God will judge, that is, the Jewish priests performed judicial functions).

37 And I will lead you under the rod and bring you into the bonds of the covenant. (A covenant, that is, an agreement, an alliance, is beneficial to the priesthood in order to influence it in the same way in the right relation to the priesthood).

38 And I will single out from among you those who are rebellious and disobedient to me. I will bring them out of the land of their sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel, and you will know that I am the Lord. (All rebels will be destroyed, because only submissive and obedient slaves are needed).

39 But you, house of Israel, – thus saith the LORD God, – go each to your idols and serve them, if you do not listen to me, but do not defile my holy name with your gifts and your idols, (Like an offended child, an outcast God refuses to «play» with his «chosen ones», sending them away to other people’s «toys» – idols).