19. two ways--The king coming from Babylon is represented in the
graphic style of Ezekiel as reaching the point where the road branched
off in two ways, one leading by the south, by Tadmor or Palmyra, to
Rabbath of Ammon, east of Jordan; the other by the north, by Riblah in
Syria, to Jerusalem--and hesitating which way to take. Ezekiel is told
to "appoint the two ways" (as in
Eze 4:1);
for Nebuchadnezzar, though knowing no other control but his own will
and superstition, had really this path "appointed" for him by the
all-ruling God.
out of one land--namely, Babylon.
choose . . . a place--literally, "a hand." So it is
translated by FAIRBAIRN, "make a
finger-post," namely, at the head of the two ways, the hand post
pointing Nebuchadnezzar to the way to Jerusalem as the way he should
select. But MAURER rightly supports English
Version. Ezekiel is told to "choose the place" where Nebuchadnezzar
should do as is described in
Eze 21:20, 21;
so entirely does God order by the prophet every particular of place and
time in the movements of the invader.
JFB.
Picture Study Bible