THEOSISJerome of Stridon
And the Lord spoke to me, saying, Son of man, direct your gaze toward the south and deliver a message to the southwest, prophesying to the noon forest. Say to the forest of noon, Listen to the word of the Lord: This is what the Lord God says: Behold, I will ignite a fire within you, consuming every tree that is green and every tree that is dry. The fire that I start will not be extinguished, and the entire landscape from the south to the north will be engulfed in flames. All flesh will witness that I, the Lord, have ignited it, and it will not be quenched. I exclaimed, Oh Lord God, they say of me, "Is he not speaking in allegories?" The word of the Lord came to me, instructing, Son of man, set your face toward Theban, look upon Darom, and prophesy to the forest, the territory of Nageba.
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Nageba will call to the forest, Hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord, I will kindle a fire in you, devouring every tree that is green and every tree that is dry. The fire I start will not be quenched, and the entire expanse from the south to the north will be consumed, and all flesh will recognize that I, the Lord, have ignited it; it shall not be extinguished. I responded, No, Lord God: they tell me, "Is what he says not a parable?"
The significance of turning or fixing your face was elaborated upon previously. It demands a steadfast gaze and resolute spirit to declare boldly what has been commanded, especially when calamity is announced to the collective assembly. The meanings of Feman, Darom, and Nagev are crucial, as the LXX rendered Nageb as ἀπηλιώην (east), which our translation clarifies. Instead of referring to the chief of Nagev, the Hebrew better conveys the field or territory of noon. The term sage, which the LXX interpreted as chief and elder, is incorrect; it should be sade, meaning field and country. This error arose from the similarity between the letters dalet and resh.
The word of God symbolizes the forest representing Jerusalem, the dwelling place of beasts and ferocious men, proclaiming His intention to set it ablaze, resulting in the destruction of all its trees. He refers not to the barren trees but to the wood, as if it were prepared for burning. Initially, the green tree is burned, consistent with the prophet's statement: From My sanctified ones begin (Ezekiel 9:6), followed by the dry tree, which lacks any vitality—indicating both the righteous and the wicked, so that one might escape the calamities of captivity through death, while the other faces eternal torment. The phrase from the south to the north represents the journey from Jerusalem to Babylon, indicating that the entire path of the captives will be marked by those perishing from the sword, famine, and pestilence. In terms of geography, Jerusalem appears southward in relation to Babylon, just as the cauldron, which Jeremiah mentions (Jeremiah 1), is ignited from the north, representing Babylon.
In a poetic manner, it was stated to speak toward the north, suggesting that not all of God's wrath is poured out, only a measure. If such severity is shown even in a drop, what can be expected from full torrents? This serves the purpose that all flesh witnessing God's salvation will recognize through the devastation of the forests and the unquenchable flames that He is the Lord. Upon realizing this, the prophet expressed his anguish, saying, Ah, Ah, Ah, Lord God, or as the LXX renders it, No, Lord, Lord, Lord; he further states, And they say to me, “Does he not speak in parables?” The essence of their plea is for clearer communication; they struggle to grasp his metaphorical language and urge him to articulate the definition of God directly.
In an allegorical interpretation, the terms Theban, Nageb, and Darom may refer to Egypt, as the concept of the south often signifies Egypt within the writings of Daniel (Daniel 11). Egypt symbolizes the tribulations of this world. Ezekiel prophesies the calamities destined for the world, comparing it to a forest devoid of fruitful trees, a mere dwelling for beasts. This notion is echoed in Psalm 28:9, which states, The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars and shatters the oaks. These forests, filled with death, endured greater loss during the battle than from the sword (2 Samuel 18). The wood of the forests will initially be ignited with green wood, followed by dry wood—representing those who persist in wickedness and those who have perished in righteousness. The declaration that the entire landscape from the south to the north shall be consumed signifies a range from those who appeared fervent to those who, growing cold in love due to rising iniquity, have lost their former zeal, thus all flesh will witness that the Lord's fire is never extinguished. Yet, the prophet implores the Lord that the threats proclaimed should not manifest, desiring that the forest not be ignited and the trees not burned, so that there might still be room for repentance or to avoid the burden of proclaiming calamities, especially as the people remain unaware and are stirred to folly by the obscurity of the words.