Ezekiel 12:22-25 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Son of man, what is that proverb? The saying become proverbial. The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth Words of the same import with those that occur Ezekiel 12:27, and Ezekiel 11:3. Both of them the words of scoffers, who turned the grace of God into wantonness, and took encouragement from his patience and long-suffering, to despise his threatenings, as if they would never be fulfilled. Tell them therefore Who either use this proverb, or who stumble at my deferring to execute judgment; I will make this proverb to cease My patience shall soon be at its period, and will call on my justice to vindicate it, and then calamities felt will prove that there can be no more place for such a proverb, the groundlessness of it being manifest to all. Say unto them, The days are at hand The time when God will show his wrath, and make his power and justice known to the world by fulfilling his threatenings and the predictions of his prophets. For there shall be no more any vain vision The false prophets, who foretold peace and safety, shall see their prophecies so confuted by the events, quite contrary to what they foretold, that they will never pretend any more to publish new prophecies. I am the Lord I am able to discover the vanity and falsehood of the prophets that have flattered the people, and will do it by accomplishing what my true prophets have foretold. The word that I shall speak shall come to pass No length of time shall make me forget it; no pretences of self-flattering prophets or people shall divert me from my purpose; no power can hinder, nor counsel defeat my design. It shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, &c. My threatenings shall be fulfilled in your own days, and you shall have ocular demonstration of their truth.