Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Ezekiel 13:5
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
Ye have not gone up into the gaps, &c.] Or “breaches”f170; so the Targum. The allusion is to breaches made in the walls of a city when besieged; at which time those within gather together in great numbers to meet the enemy, and prevent his entrance by the breaches. These words are either spoken to the princes of Israel, the civil magistrates; or to the prophets, who seeing the sins of the people, like a mighty torrent, opening a breach for the wrath and judgments of God to pour in upon them, should have called them, and importunately pressed them to repentance and reformation, and to have put up their prayers, and made intercession to God for them; neither of which they did, and therefore are here blamed; (see <262230>Ezekiel 22:30 <19A723>Psalm 107:23); neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel; or a “fence”, a fortification. The Vulgate Latin renders it, “a wall”; a new wall, which is generally made by the besieged within, when a breach is made upon them: it signifies the same as before. Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it of repentance and good works; and so the Targum, which paraphrases the words thus, “neither have ye done for yourselves good works, to deprecate for the house of Israel, to stand to pray for them:” to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord: when he came forth in battle array against them, with great wrath and indignation, in the way of his righteous judgments. The Targum is, “when warriors come up against them in the day of the wrath of the Lord;” when the Chaldeans came against them by the will of God, he being angry with them.
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