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London: C. J. CLAY AND SONS, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS WAREHOUSE, AVE MARIA LANE.

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The Cambridge Bible for Schools
and Colleges.

GENERAL EDITOR:-J. J. S. PEROWNE, D.D.
BISHOP OF WORCESTER.

THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET

EZEKIEL,

WITH NOTES AND INTRODUCTION

ndrew.

BY

THE REV. A. B. DAVIDSON, D.D., LL.D.

EDITED FOR THE SYNDICS OF THE UNIVERSITY PRESS,

CAMBRIDGE

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

1892

BS

491
C3

v. 22

1892 183497

FEB 19 35

Cambridge

PRINTED BY C. J. CLAY M.A. AND SONS

AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS

PREFACE

BY THE GENERAL EDITOR.

THE General Editor of The Cambridge Bible for Schools thinks it right to say that he does not hold himself responsible either for the interpretation of particular passages which the Editors of the several Books have adopted, or for any opinion on points of doctrine that they may have expressed. In the New Testament more especially questions arise of the deepest theological import, on which the ablest and most conscientious interpreters have differed and always will differ. His aim has been in all such cases to leave each Contributor to the unfettered exercise of his own judgment, only taking care that mere controversy should as far as possible be avoided. He has contented himself chiefly with a careful revision of the notes, with pointing out omissions, with suggesting occasionally a reconsideration of some question, or a fuller treatment of difficult passages, and the like.

Beyond this he has not attempted to interfere, feeling it better that each Commentary should have its own individual character, and being convinced that freshness and variety of treatment are more than a compensation for any lack of uniformity in the Series.

PREFATORY NOTE.

THE Book of Ezekiel is less suited than most others to be the subject of merely popular annotation. The state of the Text is such that frequent references to it as well as to the Versions are unavoidable. It was no part of the purpose of the following Notes to construct a Text; the thing aimed at has been to shew the general meaning of the Book, and, if possible, the connexion of its parts with one another; but the readings of the LXX. have generally been adduced when they presented any important deviation from the Hebrew. In the later chapters the MS. of which the Greek is a translation was in many instances more correct than that of which the present Hebrew is a copy.

Such aids as were available have been used, and obligations are acknowledged to a number of works, besides those named at the end of the Introduction. A number of passages in the Text have baffled the ingenuity of the best scholars, and appear to be incurably confused. Other parts of the Book are rendered obscure by allusions not now understood. And altogether the student of the Book must take leave of his task with a certain sense of defeat.

THE EDITOR.

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