455Babel
Tow’ebah ~ Abominable
…God Hates Religion
10
Lo’ Chuws | No Mercy
I Will Not Be Ignored…
I wish I could tell you that the worst was behind us. But it is not. Ezekiel 24 is descriptive of a Holocaust, replete with collective cremations and mountains of bones.
I have been committed to sharing and explaining the Dabar Yahowah for 22 years, and in all of that time, apart from the 16th chapter, I had not encountered anything remotely comparable to the 23rd chapter of Ezekiel. Even after exposing and condemning Muhammad as a pedophile and rapist, as a mass-murdering terrorist hunting Jews, in the Quran and Hadith, Ezekiel was considerably worse. Paul’s ability to misappropriate and twist the word of God to serve his interests throughout his Epistles and the New Testament was antagonizing and frustrating, but mild and measured compared to Ezekiel’s vulgarity and ruthlessness. Satan has achieved a personal low.
Paul’s New Testament is demonic. Muhammad’s Quran is sadistic. Ezekiel is both. It is the worst book ever written, having damaged society more than any other through its influence on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Rebuking it is, therefore, as important as it is repugnant.
The 24th chapter of Satan’s Playbook opens with a pot, boiling vigorously. It is yet another opportunity for the Devil to torment God’s people. Sadly, we have returned to Jew Stew – bones aglow, spiced and perfumed to perfection. Hopefully, those who have promoted Ezekiel as 456a prophet, including the authors of the New Testament and Talmud, will choke on them.
So it was (wa hayah) a word (dabar) of This Is Not Him (#^^#!) to me (‘el ‘any), in the year of the ninth (ba ha shanah ha tashy’iy), in the month (ba ha chodesh) of the tenth (ha ‘asry) in the tenth (ba ha ‘asowr) of the month (ha chodesh), to say (la ‘amar), (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:1) son of person (ben ‘adam), you must write (kathab) for yourself (la ‘atah) a name (‘eth shem) of the day (ha yowm), an essential day for human bones (‘eth ‘etsem ha yowm ha zeh).
A king (melek) of Babel | Babylon | With the Lord of Confusion (Babel – to confound by commingling and confuse by intermixing throughout the ‘Babel’ with the Lord) was sustained, steadfast, and supported (samak – was upheld in laying siege (qal perfect)) into Yaruwshalaim | Jerusalem | the Source of Guidance on Reconciliation (Yaruwshalaim) in an essential day for human bones (ba ‘etsem ha yowm ha zeh). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:2)
It was not an essential day by any moral standard. Neither the Lord nor the man ever provided a name. Samak is the wrong verb. The history is known. The math is simple. The Lord is wrong.
In his seventh year, Babylon King Nebuchadnezzar II invaded Syria in late November 598 BCE. A few months later, on the 16th of March 597, his army conquered Jerusalem as the city surrendered. Judean King Yowyakyn | Jehoiachin was deported to Babylon along with 10,000 Yahuwdym. Shortly thereafter, 7,000 craftsmen and 1,000 smiths were added to those who were now enslaved. That was round one.
In January 589 BCE, Babylon returned because Judea stopped paying tribute. After a long, 30-month siege, the Babylonians took Jerusalem a second time on August 25th, 457587 BCE. On this occasion, the city was torched, and the Temple was destroyed. Nearly every surviving Jew was enslaved and taken into Babylon.
Therefore, whether the Lord of Babel was counting from the time the exiles left Jerusalem in the early summer of 597 BCE, or when they arrived in Babylon in early 596, seven years, plus or minus a few months, transpired between the initial exile and the beginning of the second siege – not nine years and ten months.
When pretending to be God, when acting as if a prophet, a single mistake proves that neither is true. Further, there was nothing special about the beginning date of the siege. Chag Matsah and Yowm Kipurym are ‘etsel | essential days, denoting Yahowah’s plan of salvation, not the times pagans attack.
The following is a crude allegory, not a Mashal | Proverb – especially when compared to the narrative gems penned by Dowd and his associates. Rather than uplifting and enlightening, the following is repulsive and sadistic. It is as the religious depict Hell, although the only ones burning are Jews.
Addressing the Yahuwdym | Jews in Yahuwdah | Judah who have endured a prolonged siege, only to be enslaved as their city is plundered and torched, Satan tells the Devil’s Advocate…
You must quote a proverb (wa mashal – you are commanded to reveal wisdom through an informative and poetic narrative by one in a position of leadership (qal imperative)) to the house (‘el beyth) of rebellion and disobedience (mary – of opposition and resistance), a Mashal | Parable (Mashal – painting a picture with words to inform as a poet to govern), having said to them (wa ‘amar ‘el hem), thus said (koh ‘amar) my Lord (‘adony), This Is Not Him (#^^#!), you must place (shaphat) the boiling pot (syr – the kettle or caldron). You commanded 458to set (shaphat), and also (wa gam), you must pour out (yatsaq – you are ordered to remove and cast out) with its water (ba huw’ maym). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:3)
We understand that ha Satan hates Jews. He is fixated on degrading and tormenting them, dehumanizing and killing them. But there would be no Mashal – just a crudely written and horrid depiction of Jews being hacked to pieces, boiled and burned.
This “caldron” would be the concentration camp, gas chamber, and crematorium all rolled into one. Welcome to Hell.
You must gather (‘asaph) the cut-up pieces of her (netach ‘el hy’), all (kol) the best pieces and most desirable cuts (natach towb), the genitals and loins (yarek) and a shoulder (wa kateph), chosen bones, selected as essential, the skeletons of men (mibchar ‘etsem) you must fill (male’). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:4)
The Lord of Babylon is using pieces of meat and bones thrown into a pot to depict starving and emaciated Jews trapped in Jerusalem while the city burns around them. If you have seen pictures of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, then you have witnessed ‘etsem | human ashes, the emaciated bodies of Jews starved to death before being cremated. Satan is as anti-Semitic and sadistic as the legacy of Rome and her European Church. There is a reason that the Lord’s temple complex, as described in the latter chapters of Ezekiel, was modeled after Auschwitz.
Please do not close your eyes. Because too many did not all that long ago, this actually happened.
Despising the realization that Yahowah refers to His children as His flock, as sheep to be shepherded, led, nourished, and protected, the Devil wants the chosen of the flock to be the first in the pot…
459The chosen (mibchar – select and choicest) of the flock (ha tso’n) obtain (laqach – seize). Then also (wa gam), you must pile (duwr – you are commanded to mound and heap up) the bones, the essential substance, the skeletons of humans, their arms, legs, and bodies (ha ‘etsem) under it (tachath hy’). You must make her churn, bubbling and boiling as she seethes and suffers (rathach rethach hy’).
Additionally (gam), boil to seething (bashal – roasting to ripen) her bones, the human skeletons (‘etsem hy’), in the midst of her (ba tawek hy’). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:5)
If this is a pithy word picture, then I’m William Shakespeare. If this is God, there is no need for a Devil.
We have a cauldron, twice placed. Water has been poured out, not in. There has been a gathering of pieces of meat, the best cuts of sliced and diced flesh. These include genitals and loins, a shoulder too, along with a triple helping of human bones – the skeletons of men. Then after seizing the chosen of the flock, confirming that the previously gathered pieces of meat and bones were other than lamb, Ezekiel is told to make a bone pile. There was no wood and no water at this point in the ordeal, but the requirement was for the pot containing Jews to boil, churn, and bubble, so that those inside would suffer and seethe to the degree that three verbs are required to convey the ferocity of the torment.
So giddy is the Lord of Babel over the sight of Jews trapped and burning, he reminds us that God’s Chosen are human skeletons, emaciated people, and they are trapped in his pot. It is boiling without water while sitting on top of a pile of their bones.
With these words, I am taken back in time to a day which forever changed my life. Silently shuffling through the Dachau concentration camp, I could hear the women 460screaming. I could see the tormented expressions on the children’s faces. I could even smell the shoes they had worn, now tossed into piles along with their bones. It is as vivid for me today as it was forty years ago.
The lesson was as clear to me then as it is now. When we fail as a people to expose and condemn evil, this is the result. When we close our eyes and walk away, this is what happens. We were all to blame for what had occurred in Arbeitsdorf, Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald, Dachau, Flossenburg, Gross-Rosen, Herzogenbusch, Hinzert, Kaiserwald, Kauen, Krakow-Plaszow, Majdanek, Mauthausen, Mittelbau-Dora, Natzweiler-Struthof, Neuengamme, Niederhagen, Ravensbruck, Sachsenhausen, Stutthof, Vaivara, and Warsaw. It is a collective stain on the human soul. And, my friends, it is why we are here, exposing and condemning the Lord of Babel in the Book of Ezekiel. We must never allow this to happen again. Please, for the sake of God’s people, do not look away.
While ‘Ezekiel’ was in Babylon, the intended audience for this grotesque charade was 900 miles away. The siege was over. And yet, the Lord was ordering his apprentice to perform a sadistic ritual before fellow slaves who couldn’t have done anything with the mashal or charade even if their lives depended upon it.
So now, I suppose, after providing the pot of Jewish skeletons properly diced and sliced, the Devil would serve up a word salad to accompany the meal. It is enough to make us all want to vomit…
Likewise, therefore (la ken), thus said (koh ‘amar) my Lord (‘adony), This Is Not Him (#^^#!), woe (‘owy), city (‘iyr) of the bloodied (ha damym) pot (syr) whose (‘asher) scummy encrustation of her greenish impurities (chela’ah hy’ – of her sickening copper corrosion) in it (ba hy’) and her resulting contamination 461(chela’ah hy’), she has not withdrawn from it (lo’ yatsa’ min hy’).
For her pieces of meat (la netach hy’ – of her corporeal mass) to her portions which have been cut (la netach hy’), you must bring out of her (yatsa’ hy’) without it falling or dropping (lo’ naphal) upon her (‘al hy’) allotment (gowral). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:6)
The Babylonians, like the Assyrians before them, were militaristically powerful because they were ruthless. The city had been bludgeoned. The people were bloodied. And as was the case with siege warfare, the victims – in this case Jews – were trapped, harassed, and starved. Huddled this close together, and with people dying without means to remove their bodies, sanitation and disease become serious problems. And while that is what is being depicted, there was a benefit to rubbing it in.
This is Satan’s allotment for Jews. He wants to parade them around, showing off his dirty work, but without a single man, woman, or child escaping. It is akin to the Germans taking pictures of themselves and their victims in the death camps.
For her blood (ky dam hy’) in her midst (ba tawek hy’) was (hayah) on a barren and smooth stone alongside a cliff or crag (tsachyach tsela’).
She placed it (sym hy’), she did not pour it out (lo’ shaphak hy’) on the ground (‘al ha ‘erets) to conceal and cover (la kasah) over it (‘al huw’) with dirt and dust (‘aphar). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:7)
This is to say that there was no place within the city to bury the dead. Satan is also suggesting that Jewish blood is so repulsive the Land is rejecting it.
The Lord of Babel hates Jews. Everyone important to God becomes his enemy…
462This is to lift up and raise (la ‘alah) toxic fury and venomous serpentine wrath (chemah), to seek vengeance and take revenge (naqam), vengefully punishing (naqam).
I have offered (nathan) her blood (‘eth dam hy’) upon the barren and smooth stone by the rocky cliff and jagged crag (‘al tsachyach tsela’) such that it is never covered or concealed (bilthy kasah). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:8)
The blood has vanished, but the haunting cries of God’s people are still heard over the tumultuous roar of their gentile tormentors. Satan’s debilitating and deadly toxicity still enrages the religious as they contribute to the deaths of Jews. The Lord’s loyalists have always been the perpetrators, the merchants of death, and yet, through all manner of conspiratorial tripe, they blame Jews and seek vengeance. It is the history of civilization from Egypt to Canaan, from Assyria to Babylon, from Greece to Rome, from the Roman Church to the Muslims, and now Europeans and Progressives. Anti-Semitism has never been concealed.
Now that the water that is not in the pot is boiling, it’s time to accumulate the logs for the fire…
Therefore (la ken), thus said (koh ‘amar) my Lord (‘adony), This Is Not Him (#^^#!), woe (‘owy), to the city of the bloodied (‘iyr ha damym). For now (gam), I, myself, will become great (‘any gadowl – I will continually grow, becoming more boastful and exalted).
The pile of wood comprising the funeral pyre (maduwrah) (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:9) must be extensive and abundant (rabah – numerous and great). This wood (ha ‘ets – the trees and timbers) you must set ablaze, kindling the fire to inflame persecution (dalaq ha ‘esh).
463You are commanded to completely finish, bringing an end to (tamam) the bodies of the living, the human flesh, this meat (ha basar – the creatures, biological life, humanity, skin, and genitalia).
You must do what is required to mix in the spices to enhance the smell and taste (roqeah ha meraqahah – you are commanded to prepare and blend aromatic perfumes and seasonings as an apothecary and perfumer so that it is tasty and aromatic (hifil imperative)).
And the bones, these human skeletons (wa ha ‘etsem – the essential substance, the bodies, backbones, arms, and legs of people) will continually contribute to being burned as they are set aglow and scorched (charar – they will become charred as they are consumed in the fire (nifal imperfect)). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:10)
Adolf Hitler was not this deranged. Mein Kampf was not this sadistic. Even the Quran is less demonic. For those who value the words of Ezekiel and his Lord as if Divine, shame on you. What’s wrong with you?
The Lord of Babylon, lesser known as the Lord God of religion, sees this day as essential because he viewed it as his Final Solution to the Jewish problem. If his Babylonians had carved them up and incinerated them then and there, as would the Europeans under his spell centuries later, then there would have been no more Jews to thwart the Devil’s ambition. His ascension out of Babylon to Jerusalem would be uncontested, making it the holiest place on Earth – the Holy Land – where he alone would be worshiped as God.
‘Therefore, thus said my Lord, This Is Not Him, woe to the bloodied city. For now, I, myself, will become great, continually growing and becoming more boastful and exalted. So build a big damn funeral pyre. Set it ablaze, kindling the passion to persecute. You are commanded to 464finish them, bringing an end to all flesh. The living must die.
But don’t fret my dear apprentice. We’ll spice it up to hide the stench. Everyone will gobble it up and choke it down as if dead Jews are delectable treats from God. After all, they have done this to themselves and deserve to be set aglow, scorched and charred. You’ll see, it will be so much fun we will do it again and again.’
It is a concentration camp staffed by demons. Satan is the commandant. Rabbis narrate the story as Christians and Muslims stoke the flames. Progressives are then responsible for revisionist history.
The Lord of the Bible would have the faithful believe that Jews are so disgusting and dirty, that even after their emaciated skeletons are boiled and then incinerated, the pot which held them must be decontaminated.
This would be Satan’s rendition of Triumph of the Will, albeit in technicolor. I’m only surprised that he didn’t erect bleachers and charge admission to see the show. Now if only the conductor would cue the music for Richard Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries.
Then you must present it so that it is standing (wa ‘amad hy’) over her coals (‘al gachal hy’), empty (req) so that (la ma’an) it may become and remain very hot (chamam – will attain a high thermal temperature to reflect the proper animosity and rage as it is aroused and inflamed (qal imperfect)), kindled and scorching to the extent its copper becomes molten and burns (wa charar nachosheth hy’).
Then once (wa) her dirtiness and impurities (tuma’ah hy’ – her filth), have been melted and poured out (wa nathak) within the midst of it (ba tawek hy’), her impure deposits and corrosive nature (chela’ah hy’) will 465finally be finished, over and done with, no longer existing (tamam). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:11)
And to think, this was written by a Jew. Jews incorporated this into their religion by way of the Talmud and Zohar. It is woven into the Christian New Testament, with gentiles replacing the filthy Jews. It is the central theme of the Quran. Ezekiel is cited throughout each, proving Satanic authorship.
The following seems to imply that Satan’s Final Solution failed, that some filthy Jews managed to escape, only to watch others being burned alive. And while all of this is troubling, based on how this is written, it is obvious that Satan’s intent was to burn Jews alive. He wanted to hear them scream and see them dissolve.
Or perhaps not. After all, this is presented as a wonderful Parable – a word picture suitable for children – just as Muslims teach their own.
With considerable effort and great toil, diligent and intensely laboring (ta’unym – painfully and vainly, found only in Ezekiel), she wearied herself but failed (la’ah – she tried but was incapacitated, exhausting herself) because she could not get out of it (lo’ yatsa’ min hy’).
Her overwhelming and pervasive impurities and her corrosive nature (rab chela’ah hy’), her scum, the diseased sickness of hers (chela’ah hy’), into the fire (ba ‘esh). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:12)
It may sound outrageous, but this depiction is as if the Nazis provided windows and viewing stations so that they could watch Jews die. Based on his tone, Satan would have expected the other sadists to applaud each failed attempt to survive.
As the Lord of Babel does better than anyone, he blames his victims for the horrors he had planned to perpetrate against them. He envisions Jews as somehow 466hampering his ascension over Yahowah, so with them gone, he’ll rise above the Almighty.
On account of (ya’an) your filth, sickness, and disease (tuma’ah ‘ath – the offensive nature of women), the lewdness and shame, these evil plans and wicked counsel (zimah), I will have been pronounced cleansed and restored of you (tahar ‘ath).
But you women are not cleansed (wa lo’ tahar) from your filthy sickness and disease (min tuma’ah ‘ath), nor will you be cleansed ever again (lo’ tahar ‘owd ‘ad).
I will find a place to set and satisfy (ruwach ‘any) my toxic fury and snake venom (chemah ‘any) with you (ba ‘ath). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:13)
The Master of Misogyny despises Jewish women most of all. He wants them to know that, while he’ll be cleansed of them, they will remain stained by him. Filthy Jews to the bitter end, Yisra’elite women are unredeemable according to the Lord of Babel. And in this way, he is seeking to annul the benefits of Chag Matsah and Yowm Kipurym for the cradle of Jewish life. He will negate Dowd’s sacrifice even if it kills him.
Satan’s assessment of what he views as his greatest achievements, the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem, the obliteration of the Temple, and the enslavement of Jews, is incriminating…
I (‘any), This Is Not Him (#^^#!), have spoken (dabar). She has been pursued and included (bow’) because I have engaged and acted (wa ‘asah).
I will not be ignored nor will I be defied (lo’ para’). I will show no mercy nor compassion, and I will spare no one (wa lo’ chuws).
Further (wa), I will not relent nor will I show any regret (lo’ nacham – I will neither provide comfort or express sorrow).
467According to (ka) your ways (derek ‘ath) and in the manner of (wa ka) your despicable and contemptible deeds (‘alylah ‘ath), they will judge you (shaphat ‘ath), utters (na’am) my Lord (‘adony), This Is Not Him (#^^#!). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:14)
Assuredly, this is not Yahowah. Thankfully, the Lord is not God.
Ezekiel was allegedly a slave in Babylon. He would have owned nothing, not even himself. There was a Mrs. E but no pitter-patter of little e’s running around the swamps of Babel. So, since he has not cared enough for his wife to mention anything about his life with her, the only thing he may have valued would have been his status of being the demon-possessed player of morbid charades.
So it was (wa hayah) a word (dabar) of This Is Not Him (#^^#!) to me (‘el ‘any) to say (la ‘amar), (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:15) mortal child (ben ‘adam), behold (hineh), I will seize and take (laqach) from you (min ‘atah) the treasure (machmad – the most precious and valued, lovely and pleasing) of your eyes (‘ayn ‘atah) in a plague (ba magpah – during a destructive pandemic disease), and you will not care (wa lo’ saphad – you will not mourn or sob), nor will you weep (wa lo’ bakah – you will not cry), and your tears will not come (wa lo’ bow’ dama’ah ‘atah). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:16)
Lament audibly even though I said you wouldn’t, but don’t make a sound…
You must groan, sighing audibly while expressing your physical pain (‘anaq – vocalize your lament, shrieking in pain (nifal imperative)). You must do so 468silently without the sound (damam) of the dying (muwth) mourning (‘ebel).
Do not make your turban (lo’ ‘asah pa’er ‘atah). You must saddle (chabash – tightly wrapping a seat) on you (‘al ‘atah).
And your sandals (wa na’al ‘atah) put with your feet (sym ba regel ‘atah). Do not clothe (‘atah) over your mustache (‘al sapham ‘atah). And the bread of individuals (wa lechem ‘iysh) do not eat (lo’ ‘akal). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:17)
To call this a word salad would be offensive to lettuce. This is more like a word potluck after a tornado.
But, alas, the Devil’s Advocate was in mourning, or not…
And so (wa), I spoke (dabar) to the people (‘el ha ‘am) in the morning (ba ha boqer) and she was dying (wa muwth), my woman (‘ishah ‘any), in the evening (ba ha ‘ereb). So, I did (wa ‘asah) in the morning (ba ha boqer) as (ka ‘asher) I was commanded (tsawah). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:18)
And saying to me (wa ‘amar ‘el ‘any) the people (ha ‘am), do not tell to us (lo’ nagad la ‘anachnuw – do not report to us) these questionable things (mah ‘eleh) to us (la ‘anachnuw) because (ky) you are acting (‘atah ‘asah). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:19)
So, he was groaning audibly yet silently, dying and mourning without lamenting. He was refraining from making a turban a saddle while remembering that sandals go on the feet. Foregoing that cute sweater he had darned for the lip caterpillar, he avoided human food and ate something which did his wife in. She would die the evening of the morning he performed as commanded – keeping a stiff upper lip.
469To which, his fellow slaves asked him to stop all of the jabbering. They were aware that he was making all of this up and trying to play them for fools.
Having written extensively about false prophets like Paul and Muhammad, it was as obvious as the fur on his face what Ezekiel would do next…
So then I was exclaiming to them (wa ‘amar ‘el hem), the word (dabar) of This Is Not Him (#^^#!) was to me (hayah ‘el ‘any) to say (la ‘amar), (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:20) you must say (‘amar) to the house of Israel (la beyth Yisra’el), thus said (koh ‘amar) my Lord (‘adony), behold (hineh), I will dirty and defile, dishonor and profane (chalal) my sanctuary (‘eth miqdash ‘any), splendor and glory (ga’on) of your power (‘oz ‘atem – of your might and fortification), the treasure of your eyes (machmad ‘eyn ‘atem), and the yearning of your soul (wa machmal nepesh ‘atem), and your sons (wa ben ‘atem), and your daughters (wa bath ‘atem), whom (‘asher) you abandoned and rejected, leaving behind (‘azab) by the sword (ba ha chereb) will fall (naphal). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:21)
Perfect explanation: I killed the beloved wife of the only person who listened to me and did as I was commanded, no matter how stupid or sadistic, to foretell that the Babylonians had already destroyed the building so meaningless to you Jews, whom I’m mistakenly calling Yisra’elites, that you are here in Babylon having a time out. And if that was insufficient to prove the Lord’s credentials to those listening, the Lord revealed that their children, whom they had abandoned, would fall by the sword. There will be no captives and no return. You questioned my guy, so your children must die. And if you don’t believe me, I’ll repeat myself until you want to kill yourself, I said, I said, I said, behold, all dirty Jews must die.
470Except – Yahowah cannot profane, dishonor, defile, or dirty His Home. The Temple was not sullied; it was destroyed. And even while still erect, it was not empowering for any of the Yahuwdym in Babylon. If their souls had yearned for what Yahowah’s Home represented, they would have been enjoying the fruit of the Covenant.
Moreover, the Jewish captives did not abandon, reject, or forsake their children. Some were separated from them, but not of their choosing. And they did not die. They too would be brought to Babylon such that their children could return.
Since the truth didn’t suit Satan’s agenda, he altered reality – something Jews, Christians, and Muslims must have learned from him.
And you have done (wa ‘asah) as (ka ‘asher) I have done (‘asher). You did not clothe, wrapping up or covering (lo’ ‘atah) over the mustache (‘al sapham). And the food of men (wa lechem ‘iysh), you are not eating (lo’ ‘akal). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:22)
It is likely true that the Devil’s Advocate has performed as if he was Satan. That has been my point all along. They are one and the same.
As for the fixation on the exposed mustache, the two most infamous were found on Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin – men who also followed in Satan’s footsteps. And should they have had cameras back in the day, I suspect that we would have found Paul, Akiba, and Muhammad sporting them as well.
As for not eating human food, who could blame him after the Parable of the Roasted Jews and upcoming cannibalistic Feast of the Beast. Zeke may have lost his appetite.
471Should the unclothed mustache and not eating men be the initial commandments of the Lord, here again for our viewing pleasure is the second tablet…
And your turbans (wa pa’er ‘atah) on your heads (‘al ro’shy ‘atem). And your sandals (wa na’al ‘atah), with your feet (ba regel ‘atah). You do not mourn (lo’ saphad) and you do not weep (wa lo’ bakah). And so (wa), rotting away and dissolving (maqaq – festering and decaying) in your perversity and depravity (ba ‘awon ‘atem) and growling and groaning (wa naham) an individual (‘iysh) to his brother (‘el ‘ach huw’). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:23)
What did we miss?
| 1. | Don’t clothe the mustache. |
| 2. | Don’t eat men as food. |
| 3. | Turbans on heads. |
| 4. | Sandals with feet. |
| 5. | Don’t mourn. |
| 6. | Don’t weep. |
And you will rot away, fester and decay, dissolving in your perversity, growling and groaning to your brother.
Maybe it’s just me, but I like the original ones better.
Somewhere there was a transition, one in which the Lord of Babel stopped speaking to the son of man. Without letting anyone know, he blew his cover and decided that he would address the Jewish gathering directly.
And lo and behold, Ezekiel is the new Moses…
And it was (wa hayah) Yachezq’el | Ezekiel (Yachezq’el) to you (la ‘atem) for a wonderful and miraculous sign (mowpheth – a portent, symbol, and awesome omen) according to all (ka kol) which (‘asher) he had done, acted out, and engaged in (‘asah).
472You should do (‘asah) with coming of her (bow’ hy’) and you will know (wa yada’) that, indeed (ky), I am (‘any) my Lord (‘adon ‘any), I am (‘any) This Is Not Him (#^^#!). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:24)
So, who is God’s Lord? And what was wonderful about Yachezq’el’s pathetic shenanigans and torturous charades? They have run the gamut from stupid to sadistic. The only miracle is that they hadn’t run him out of Babylon – but then, again, he was a slave. And speaking of slaves, you’ll notice that the Lord had no interest in liberating him or anyone else.
And you (wa ‘atah), child of human (ben ‘adam), question whether or not (ha lo’) with the day (ba yowm) seize I from them (laqach ‘any min hem) their stronghold and protection (‘eth ma’owz hem), joy (masows – gaiety and merriment), their finery and beautiful adornment (tiph’areth hem), along with the desire (‘eth machmad) of their eyes (‘ayn hem), and with the desire (‘eth machmad) of their soul (nepesh hem), their sons and their daughters (ben hem wa bath hem). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:25)
Repetition can be important because it is how we learn. However, since there is no teaching here, only threats, Satan is badgering the witness.
This was spoken as a true psychopath. You will show no emotions, neither sadness nor happiness. And no matter what you do, I will take everything from you, torment you, and then you will die.
During that day (ba ha yowm ha huw’), the fugitive who escaped (ha palyt) will come (bow’) to you for message (‘el ‘atah la hashma’uwth) of ear (‘ozen). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:26)
Brilliant – a fugitive to slavery. A person besieged in Jerusalem, with the attackers intending on enslaving him 473and bringing him to Babylon, foils the plot by running to Babylon to be with fellow slaves. And his purpose is to message ear because, Lord knows, the hundreds of thousands of other enslaved Jews already en route could not have told the same story.
If you are inept at miracles, prophecy, and communication skills, and your threats have become wearisome, it’s time to pull out the old head-scratcher and dazzle them with your snappy repartee.
In that day (ba ha yowm ha huw’), your mouth will open (patah peh ‘atah) with the fugitive (‘eth ha palyt) and you will speak (wa dabar) and you will no longer be silenced and speechless (wa lo’ ‘alam ‘owd – you will no longer be unable to talk).
So, you will be to them (wa hayah la hem) for a wonder, miracle, and marvelous sign (la mowpheth). And they will have known (wa yada’) that I (ky ‘any), This Is Not Him (#^^#!). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 24:27)
I spoke too soon. There was a miracle proving that the Lord was God. The acclaimed narrator of this story, the alleged prophet speaking from the beginning, the very person TINH has ordered to address his people countless times, Ezekiel, is now, with the arrival of the fugitive fleeing freedom, able to speak. Wonderful. Marvelous. Compelling.
It is little wonder this book is beloved by religious Jews, Christians, and Muslims. This is a god they can relate to, equally demonic and out of touch with reality.
Now that the fugitive from freedom has arrived, and Ezekiel is miraculously speaking, curiously, the Lord of Babylon stops haranguing Jews. After the ghoulish episode 474of glowing bones in the pot, even he needed a break from the carnage. And clearly, based on their own testimony, the Jewish captives had heard more than enough and asked Ezekiel to cease and desist.
So, in the next chapter, the Lord lashes out at Ammon, Moab, Edom, and Philistia. Preoccupied with Tyre, the Lord berates them from the 26th to 28th chapters. If not for the historical inaccuracies presented within these chapters of Ezekiel, we would ignore them.
Moving forward, the Lord of Babel rails against Egypt in the 29th through 31st chapters, while also apologizing for being a false prophet. Having misspoken about Nebuchadnezzar’s failure to conquer Tyre, Egypt was offered as a consolation prize.
The 32nd chapter speaks of She’owl, a subject with which the Devil is intimately familiar. Then in another interesting twist, in the 33rd chapter, prophet and god try to redeem themselves for their sadistic tirades against Jews. So, by way of making amends, blessings are showered on the flock in the 34th chapter.
The 35th chapter of Ezekiel threatens Edom while the 36th reveals the Lord’s schizophrenia. This then provides the entree into the craziness of the Valley of the Dry Bones in the 37th chapter.
As the preferred fantasy for many, this brings us to the wild depictions of Gog of the Land of Magog. He, as the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, is a bit of a brute and he has a bone to pick with Israel. Moving the story along, the Lord of Babel triumphs over Gog’s mighty hordes to win the day. As a result, by the 40th chapter, Satan is free to create a macabre Temple, featuring his replacement Torah. Horrific celebrations follow with the Devil’s prince howling at the New Moon.
475With so much ground to cover, and so many oracles to lampoon, let’s get back to business.
So, it is (wa hayah) a word (dabar) of This Is Not Him (#^^#!) to me (‘el ‘any) to say (la ‘amar), (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:1) son of Adam (ben ‘adam), you must set (sym) your face (paneh ‘atah) toward the Ammonite children (‘el beny ‘Amown – to the sons of Ammon). You must speak as a prophet (wa naba’) over them (‘al hem). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:2)
What follows is both erroneous and absurd. Archeologists have not only proven quite recently that the rumor of Ammon’s demise was premature, but there would also have been no conduit for the Ammonites to listen to anything being said to a captive in Babylon.
Have said (wa ‘amar) toward the Ammonite children (‘el beny ‘Amown – to the sons of Ammon), you are commanded to listen (shama’) to the word (dabar) of my Lord (‘adony), This Is Not Him (#^^#!).
Thus said (koh ‘amar) my Lord (‘adony), This Is Not Him (#^^#!), because said you (ya’an ‘amar ‘ath – on account of your women expressing), Aha! (he’ah), to my sanctuary (‘el miqdash ‘any). Indeed (ky), it was profaned (chalal) and to the ground of Israel (wa ‘el ‘adamah Yisra’el), surely (ky), it was devastated and abandoned (shamem) and to the House of Judah (wa ‘el beyth Yahuwdah). Truly (ky), they walked (halak) into the exile (ba ha gowlah). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:3)
For those playing along, as a slave, the son of Adam was in no position to order the Children of Ammon to listen – so why say such a thing? And they would not have recognized or respected Yahowah’s name.
Projecting statements on a kingdom, when they do not speak with one voice, is a gross generalization and unfair to the people. Moreover, proving my point, the Lord cannot 476keep his voice straight. This was allegedly the Ammonites speaking, so it could not have been said, “Aha, to ‘my’ sanctuary.” Further, the Temple was not ‘profaned’ this time around. It was destroyed.
As for the ground of Yisra’el, the claims are also errant. Yisra’el ceased to exist as a polity centuries previous to this battle cry. The ‘adamah | soil of Israel of Judah was not devastated. Nor was Judea abandoned. The Babylonians deliberately left Jews in the land to tend to the fields and crops. The subsequent mention of Yahuwdah does not exonerate the Lord because it affirms that he knew the difference between them and yet has repeatedly used the wrong name.
Even the walking to exile comment is problematic because it affirms that the story of the slavery-seeking, mouth-opening fugitive was absurd.
To make matters worse, the Lord’s dire consequence, for the statement no one actually made, did not occur…
Therefore, as a result (la ken), behold, notice me (hineh ‘any), I am giving you (nathan ‘ath) to the children of the east (la beny qedem) for a possession (mowrashah – an inheritance). And they will have inhabited, establishing their dwelling place, having lived, remained, and retained (wa yashab) their row of stones as a battlement or primitive encampment (tyrah hem) within you (ba ‘ath) and offer in you (wa nathan ba ‘ath) their tabernacles, large tents, and dwelling places (mishkan hem).
They will eat (hem ‘akal) your fruit (pary ‘ath). And they will drink (wa hem shathah) your milk (chalab ‘ath). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:4)
Even if the previous, poorly worded statement had been made collectively by the Amorite kingdom, it would not have warranted enslaving the people. Further, the term 477mowrashah | as a possession and inheritance indicates fairly swift, legitimate passage along with long-term ownership – none of which was true. While the capital was attacked at this time, consistent with Yirma’yah’s | Jeremiah’s prophecy, the Kingdom of Ammon continued to thrive throughout the life of the neo-Babylonian Empire.
And so, I will have given (wa nathan) Rabbah (‘eth Rabah) for a pasture (la naweh) for camels (gamal) and the sons of Ammon (wa ‘eth ben ‘Amown) for a haunt (marbets) for flocks (tso’n).
And you will have known (wa yada’) that I (ky ‘any), This Is Not Him (#^^#!). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:5)
Rabbah is addressed frequently in the Prophets as the Ammon capital, known as Amman, Jordan today. It is not a pasture for camels. And since the sons of Ammon are people, they cannot be a haunt for flocks. Moreover, this is a non sequitur. Even if the premise occurred, it does not follow that Ammon’s children would have come to know Yahowah. In fact, that did not occur.
The following is an example of overgeneralization and projecting the one on the many. It is the wellspring of racism.
Indeed, thus said (ky koh ‘amar) my Lord (‘adony), This Is Not Him (#^^#!), because (ya’an) clap (macha’) of you (‘atah) hand (yad) and spread and trample (wa raqa’) of you with feet (‘atah ba regel) and you are rejoicing (wa samach) with all malice (ba kol sh’at) of you (‘atah) within soul (ba nepesh) toward the ground (‘el ‘adamah) of Israel (Yisra’el),… (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:6)
Before we complete this sentence, I want to share some pertinent insights. The transition from “I, TINH” to “indeed, thus said, my Lord, TINH” is evidence of desperation and proof that This Is Not Him. Macha’ | clap 478was scribed in the qal infinitive, making it a verbal noun, but without identifying a subject. In the construct form, macha’ is possessive, such that the following ‘atah | you (singular masculine) is bound to it, as either an object, adjective, or adverb. It cannot, therefore, be accurately translated as “you clapped.”
‘Atah is also interesting because it addresses a single individual when the accusation was ascribed to the nation. Further, the transition from ‘ath | you feminine to ‘atah | you masculine was not explained.
Yad | hand was singular, and it was not followed by a pronoun. Therefore, it must read “clap of you hand” rather than “you clap your hands.”
Similarly, raqa’ | spread and trample was conveyed in the qal infinitive construct, and without identifying a subject, and there is no pronoun associated with regel | feet. Wa raqa’ ‘atah ba regel is, therefore: “and spread of you with feet.” If this had been a third-grade writing assignment, the teacher would have offered the same corrections. And yet, this is alleged to be ‘the Lord God’ addressing his ‘prophet.’ My editors would not have allowed me to make a fool of myself in this manner, so what does this say about the Lord of Babel?
Samach | you are rejoicing was written correctly in the qal waw consecutive imperfect second-person masculine singular. Therefore, he knows how to write. However, since ‘atah follows sh’at | malice in the construct form, it is “malice of you.” Lastly, ‘adamah is “ground or soil” as in “dirt,” not “land,” as in the nation of Israel. And of course, to be accurate, the Lord would had to have said “Yahuwdah” rather than “Yisra’el.”
I am sharing this with you because I don’t want readers to assume that I’m contributing to the Lord’s illiteracy. He is doing this all on his own.
479…therefore (la ken), behold and notice me (hineh ‘any) having stretched out (natah) with my hand (‘eth yad ‘any) over you (‘al ‘atah – upon you (masculine singular)) and I will have given you (nathan ‘atah) as ? (la bag – there is no basis in Hebrew for this Persian term) to the gentiles (la ha gowym).
And I will have cut you off (wa karat ‘atah) from the people (min ha ‘am). And I will have caused your demise such that you no longer exist (wa ‘abad ‘atah – I will have set up the destruction of you (hifil perfect first-person singular)) from the lands, countries, or regions (min ha ‘eretsowth – from the Earths or territories). I will do as needed to decimate and exterminate you (shamad ‘atah – I will facilitate the annihilation of you (hifil imperfect first-person singular)).
And you will have known (wa yada’ – you will have realized and acknowledged (qal perfect second-person masculine singular)) that I (ky ‘any), This Is Not Him (#^^#!). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:7)
The Lord of Babel will not be ignored. He is desperate for attention, even if it is to embarrass himself. Ammon, as a gentile kingdom, could not have been given to the gentiles without the gift being to their kin. Likewise, as gentiles, Ammon could not be cut off from the ‘am | people, because it is used to describe Yisra’el and Yahuwdah.
The inclusion of the Persian word, bag, dates this writing to sometime after the October 539 BCE Persian conquest of Babylon by Cyrus the Great. That’s not good for the Lord’s credibility.
Ammon was not removed from the ‘eretsowth | lands, regions, or even the Earths, should you believe that there is more than one of them. And clearly, Ammon was not decimated or exterminated. With a population of over 11 million, there are more Jordanians than Israelis. Even in Amman today, there are at least 4.5 million people.
480But these historical anomalies are insignificant compared to the Lord’s constant insistence that those he has killed will acknowledge that he is God. It’s a little late for that.
Thus said (koh ‘amar) my Lord (‘adony), This Is Not Him (#^^#!), because (ya’an) said (‘amar) Moab (Mow’ab) and Seir (wa Se’yr), behold (hineh), like (ka) all of the gentiles (kol ha gowym) the house of Judah (beyth Yahuwdah),… (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:8)
Should the projected sentiment suggest that Yahuwdah | Judah was now behaving similarly to the Gowym | Gentiles, it would have been an accurate assessment, one consistent with Yahowah’s depiction. Therefore, it could not morally be used as a cause of punishment. That is unless right is now wrong.
Ammon and Moab are located in northern and southern Jordan. As was the case with the Kingdom of Ammon, Moab survived the Babylonians but ceased to exist as a polity during the Persian period. Both nations, however, suffered under the Assyrians during a period long past.
Seir is, however, an odd duck. In the Towrah, Seir is presented as the name of a Horite in Edom. It is later also identified as a mountain in conjunction with the Horites and with Esau. It would have been located south of the Dead Sea near the Gulf of Aqaba. It is last mentioned by Yasha’yah | Isaiah in reference to a watchman.
…therefore (la ken – thus it correctly follows), behold, notice me opening (hineh ‘any patah) the shoulder (katheb – the side) of Moab (Mow’ab) from the cities (min ha ‘iyrym), from its cities (min ‘iyry huw’), from its outskirts (min qatseh huw’), beautifulness (tseby) of land (‘erets) House of the Desolations (Beyth ha Yashymowth), Lord of Dwelling (Ba’al Ma’own), and Twin Cities (wa Qiryathaym). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:9)
481Since I’m not a surgeon, I’ll not address the shoulder operation. However, Beyth ha Yashymowth, Ba’al Ma’own, and Qiryathaym were given to Reuben, so they cannot be taken away without dishonoring a promise.
To the sons of east (la beny qedem) over sons of Ammonites (‘al beny ‘Amown), I will give it (nathan hy’) as an inherited possession (la mowrashah) such that (la ma’an) it is no longer remembered (lo’ zakar) son of Ammon (ben ‘Amown) with the gentiles (ba ha gowym). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:10)
Even if we were to rearrange the sentence to say that the Lord would be giving the Ammonites to the Children of the East, it did not happen. And they have not been forgotten. Amman is the capital of Jordan.
Just as the history of Edom is recalled and remembered, so is that of Ammon. Ammon and Edom both survived the Babylonians. Then they were absorbed into Persia, Greece, Rome, and the Ottoman Empire to become part of Jordan.
Mind you, all of this fury is a result of an accurate assessment of Yahuwdym. There is no winning with the Devil.
And with Moab (wa ba Mow’ab), I will perform and execute (‘asah) punishments, inflicting pain and suffering (shephet). Then they will have known (wa yada’) that (ky) I (‘any), This Is Not Him (#^^#!). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:11)
Thus said (koh ‘amar) my Lord (‘adony), This Is Not Him (#^^#!), because (ya’an) Edom (‘Edowm) says (‘amar) is seeking vengeance to punish in revenge (naqam naqam) toward the House of Judah (la beyth Yahuwdah) and they are guilty and must suffer punishment (‘asham ‘asham). They took vengeance, 482seeking retribution (wa naqam), with them (ba hem). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:12)
Yisra’el and Mow’ab were like stepbrothers fighting for the attention of the same girl. One moment they were best buds, the next at each other’s throats. Under Dowd, they were submissive, but they would live to fight another day. In the end, they were incapable of withstanding the blunt force of the Assyrians, so the Lord’s threats were a lot of days short and a few million shekels shy of the mark.
Edom is also mentioned on the Nimrud inscription of Tiglath-Pileser III (reigned 745 to 727 BCE), along with Moab and Philistia. They did not fare particularly well when challenging the Assyrian despot.
Edom was south of Moab and also Judah. The kingdom is renounced by Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Obadiah because they may have betrayed Judah by aiding Nebuchadnezzar II while plundering Jerusalem during the second siege. Although, it is far more likely that the reason Edom and Moab appear within the prophets is not what they were, but what they represent today.
Therefore (la ken), thus said (koh ‘amar) my Lord (‘adony), This Is Not Him (#^^#!), and I have spread out my hand (wa natah yad ‘any) over Edom (‘al ‘Edowm) and I have cut off from it, severing from it (wa karat min hy’), man and beast (‘adam wa bahemah).
And my gift will have been (wa nathan) its desolation, depopulation, and ruin (hy’ charbah – it being laid waste) from Teman (Teman) and Dedan (Dedan) by the sword (ba ha chereb) they will fall (nephal). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:13)
Ancient Edom straddles the southern borders of modern Israel and Jordan, running from the southern shore of the Dead Sea to the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. It is inhabited and grazed by both nations. And of particular 483interest, we find one of the most interesting cities of the ancient world in southeastern Mow’ab – Petra, the home of the Nabateans and the birthplace of Islam. Inconsistent with the prophecy, it flourished throughout the Roman period and was not abandoned until after the Ka’aba was moved to Mecca for political reasons.
Teman has not been found. It could have been in the eastern or extreme southern part of Edom – although it was more likely in the Land of Uz. It is mentioned in reference to Edom in Jeremiah, but there it is probably used to say “south” rather than serving as the name of a place. And since there is no record of it, its fate, if it even existed, is unknown.
Dedan, however, may be in Midian, which is in western Arabia. It is also shrouded in mystery, making it another odd choice to condemn. Dedan was Noach’s great-grandson through Ham and Cush. Either his descendants or ‘Abraham’s non-Yisra’elite offspring are mentioned briefly in Isaiah 21. They are running caravans through the tangles of Arabia. These Dedanites were likely related to ‘Abraham’s grandson with his concubine Keturah because he is mentioned in connection with Midian which is located in northwestern Arabia.
Further, since Moab and Edom were eventually absorbed into a succession of empires, going softly into the night, when Yasha’yah and Yirma’yah speak of them, they are addressing their modern manifestation as we near the conclusion of God’s story. That is not the case, however, with Ezekiel. As he has made abundantly clear, there would be no long-term predictions. It was now or never.
I will have given the gift (wa nathan) of my vengeance in revenge, inflicting my punishment by repaying harm with ongoing injury (‘eth naqamah ‘any) in Edom (ba ‘Edowm) by the hand of my people (ba yad ‘am ‘any), Israel (Yisra’el). They will have acted in 484Edom (wa ‘asah ba ‘Edowm) in a manner consistent with (ka) my raging resentment (‘aph ‘any), according to my heated wrath and venomous toxicity (ka chemah ‘any).
And they will have come to know my vengeful punishment (wa yada’ ‘eth naqamah), prophetically announces (na’um) my Lord (‘adony), This Is Not Him (#^^#!). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:14)
The gift of vengeance must have been a dud and returned to sender. Yisra’el no longer existed and Yahuwdah’s last successful intervention against Edom and Moab was in her past, not future. Additionally, the pretext for revenge was unGodly and unjustified.
Likewise, the Philistines met their demise under the Assyrians. And while there is rumor of a dust-up as Alexander was passing through on his way to Egypt, by that time the inhabitants were no more Philistines than the Muslims occupying Israel are Palestinians.
Thus said (koh ‘amar) my Lord (‘adony), This Is Not Him (#^^#!), because (ya’an) the Philistines (Palishtym) were acting (‘asah) with vengeance (ba naqamah) and are being revengeful, paying back previous injury with the imposition of ongoing punishment (wa naqam naqam – as recipients of vengeance they are continuing to seek revenge (hifil imperfect – the Philistines are continually receiving and perpetrating vengeance)), with malice in soul (ba sha’at ba nepesh) to destroy (la mashchyth), hostility and animosity (‘eybah – rancor) everlasting (‘owlam), (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:15) therefore (la ken), thus said (koh ‘amar) my Lord (‘adony), This Is Not Him (#^^#!), behold and notice me stretching out my hand (hineh ‘any natah yad ‘any) over (‘al) the Philistines (Palishtym).
I will have cut off (wa karat) the Cherethites (Karethym) and will have destroyed (wa ‘abad) the 485remainder (‘eth sha’eryth) the coast of the sea (chowph ha yam). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:16)
The Philistines got the upper hand against Sha’uwl and lost it against Dowd. And while their violence against one another would ebb and flow for several hundred years, the Assyrians exterminated them centuries before the Lord threatened to raise his hand over them.
As for the Cherethites, they are only mentioned once apart from the historical books where they appear to have been a trusted group of mercenaries employed by King Dowd | David, with many serving as his bodyguards. Satan’s hatred for Dowd, and longing for his demise, would be the only reason to mention them in this context.
This is the conclusion of an immoral and ignorant rant, not prophecy. The Lord has lost it.
So, I will have done (wa ‘asah) with them (ba hem) much vengeance, great punishment, and important revenge (naqamah gadowl) with venomous and toxic, enraged, serpentine (chemah) rebukes (towkachath).
Then they will have realized and acknowledged (wa yada’) that I am (ky ‘any) This Is Not Him (#^^#!) by giving the gift of mine (ba nathan ‘any) through my avenging punishment in revenge (‘eth naqamah ‘any) in them (ba hem). (Yachezq’el / Ezekiel 25:17)
There is a way to look at this where it may turn out to be somewhat accurate – at least with regard to the Philistines. To the degree that they had acted deliberately to harm Yisra’elites without justification, and thereby earned incarceration in She’owl, Satan will be there to torment them. Although, doing so isn’t going to bolster his reputation.
