He said to me, "Son of man, eat that which you find. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel."
KJV
Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.
Commentary
Commentary
In this chapter we have the further preparation of the prophet for the
work to which God called him.
I. His eating the roll that was presented to him in the close of the
foregoing chapter, ver. 1-3 .
II. Further instructions and encouragements given him to the same
purport with those in the foregoing chapter, ver. 4-11 .
III. The mighty impulse he was under, with which he was carried to
those that were to be his hearers, ver. 12-15 .
IV. A further explication of his office and business as a prophet,
under the similitude of a watchman, ver. 16-21 .
V. The restraining and restoring of the prophet's liberty of speech, as
God pleased, ver. 22-27 .
1 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest;
eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.
2 So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and
fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
4 And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house
of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.
5 For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and
of a hard language, but to the house of Israel;
6 Not to many people of a strange speech and of a hard
language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I
sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.
7 But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they
will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted.
8 Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and
thy forehead strong against their foreheads.
9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead:
fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
10 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I
shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine
ears.
11 And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children
of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the
Lord G OD ; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.
12 Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of
a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the L ORD from his place.
13 I heard also the noise of the wings of the living
creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels
over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.
14 So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in
bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the L ORD was strong upon me.
15 Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt
by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained
there astonished among them seven days.
These verses are fitly joined by some translators to the foregoing
chapter, as being of a piece with it and a continuation of the same
vision. The prophets received the word from God that they might deliver
it to the people of God, furnished themselves that they might furnish
them with the knowledge of the mind and will of God. Now here the
prophet is taught,
I. How he must receive divine revelation himself, v. 1 .
Christ (whom he saw upon the throne, ch. i. 26 )
said to him, " Son of man, eat this roll, admit this revelation
into thy understanding, take it, take the meaning of it, understand it
aright, admit it into thy heart, apply it, and be affected with it;
imprint it in thy mind, ruminate and chew the cud upon it; take it as
it is entire, and make no difficulty of it, nay, take a pleasure in it
as thou dost in thy meat, and let thy soul be nourished and
strengthened by it; let it be meat and drink to thee, and as thy
necessary food; be full of it, as thou art of the meat thou hast
eaten." Thus ministers should in their studies and meditations take in
that word of God which they are to preach to others. Thy words were
found, and I did eat them, Jer. xv. 16 .
They must be both well acquainted and much affected with the things of
God, that they may speak of them both clearly and warmly, with a great
deal of divine light and heat. Now observe,
1. How this command is inculcated upon the prophet. In the foregoing
chapter, Eat what I give thee; and here
( v. 1 ),
" Eat that thou findest, that which is presented to thee by the
hand of Christ." Note, Whatever we find to be the word of God, whatever
is brought to us by him who is the Word of God, we must receive it
without disputing. What we find set before us in the scripture, that we
must eat. And again
( v. 3 ),
" Cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll; do
not eat it and bring it up again, as that which is nauseous, but eat it
and retain it, as that which is nourishing and grateful to the stomach.
Feast upon this vision till thou be full of matter, as Elihu
was, Job xxxii. 18 .
Let the word have a place in thee, the innermost place." We must take
pains with our own hearts, that we may cause them duly to receive and
entertain the word of God, that every faculty may do its office, in
order to the due digesting of the word of God, that it may be turned in succum et sanguinem--into blood and spirits. We must empty
ourselves of worldly things, that we may fill our bowels with this
roll. 2. How this command is explained ( v. 10 ):
" All my words that I shall speak unto thee, to be spoken unto
the people, thou must receive in thy heart, as well as hear
with thy ears, receive them in the love of them." Let these
sayings sink down into your ears, Luke ix. 44 .
Christ demands the prophet's attention not only to what he now says,
but to all that he shall at any time hereafter speak: Receive it
all in thy heart; meditate on these things and give thyself wholly
to them, 1 Tim. iv. 15 .
3. How this command was obeyed in vision. He opened his mouth and Christ caused him to eat the roll, v. 2 .
If we be truly willing to receive the word into our hearts, Christ will
by his Spirit bring it into them and cause it to dwell in us
richly. If he that opens the roll, and by his Spirit, as a Spirit of revelation, spreads it before us, did not also open
our understanding, and by his Spirit, as a Spirit of wisdom, give us the knowledge of it and cause us to eat it, we should be
for ever strangers to it. The prophet had reason to fear that the roll
would be an unpleasant morsel and a sorry dish to make a meal of, but
it proved to be in his mouth as honey for sweetness. Note, if we
readily obey even the most difficult commands, we shall find that
comfort in the reflection which will make us abundant amends for all
the hardships we meet with in the way of our duty. Though the roll
was filled with lamentations, and mourning, and woe, yet it was to
the prophet as honey for sweetness. Note, Gracious souls can
receive those truths of God with great delight which speak most terror
to wicked people. We find St. John let into some part of the revelation
by such a sign as this, Rev. x. 9, 10 .
He took the book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up, and it
was, as this, in his mouth sweet as honey; but it was bitter in the belly; and we shall find that this was so too, for
( v. 14 )
the prophet went in bitterness.
II. How he must deliver that divine revelation to others which he
himself had received
( v. 1 ): Eat this roll, and then go, speak to the house of Israel. He must not undertake to preach the things of God to others till he did
himself fully understand them; let him not go without his errand, nor
take it by the halves. But when he does himself fully understand them
he must be both busy and bold to preach them for the good of others. We
must not conceal the words of the Holy One ( Job vi. 10 ),
for that is burying a talent which was given us to trade with. He must go and speak to the house of Israel; for it is their privilege
to have God's statutes and judgments made known to them; as the
giving of the law (the lively oracles), so prophecy (the living
oracles) pertains to them. He is not sent to the Chaldeans to
reprove them for their sins, but to the house of Israel to
reprove them for theirs; for the father corrects his own child if he do
amiss, not the child of a stranger.
1. The instructions given him in speaking to them are much the same
with those in the foregoing chapter.
(1.) He must speak to them all that, and that only, which God spoke to
him. He had said before
( ch. ii. 7 ): Thou shalt speak my words to them; here he says
( v. 4 ), Thou shalt speak with my words unto them, or in my words. He must not only say that which for substance is the same that God had
said to him, but as near as may be in the same language and
expressions. Blessed Paul, though a man of a very happy invention, yet
speaks of the things of God in the words which the Holy Ghost
teaches, 1 Cor. ii. 13 .
Scripture truths look best in scripture language, their native dress;
and how can we better speak God's mind than with his words?
(2.) He must remember that they are the house of Israel whom he
is sent to speak to, God's house and his own; and therefore such as he
ought to have a particular concern for and to deal faithfully and
tenderly with. They were such as he had an intimate acquaintance with,
being not only their countryman, but their companion in
tribulation; they and he were fellow-sufferers, and had lately been
fellow-travellers, in very melancholy circumstances, from Judea to
Babylon, and had often mingled their tears, which could not but knit
their affections to each other. It was well for the people that they
had a prophet who knew experimentally how to sympathize with them, and
could not but be touched with the feeling of their infirmities. It was
well for the prophet that he had to do with those of his own nation,
not with a people of strange speech and a hard language, deep of
lip, so that thou canst not fathom their meaning, and heavy of tongue,
whom it is intolerable and impossible to converse with. Every strange
language seems to us to be deep and heavy. "Thou art not sent to many such people, whom thou couldst neither speak to nor hear
from, neither understand nor be understood among but by an
interpreter." The apostles indeed were sent to many people of a
strange speech, but they could not have done any good among them if
they had not had the gift of tongues; but Ezekiel was sent only
to one people, those but a few, and his own, whom having acquaintance
with he might hope to find acceptance with.
(3.) He must remember what God had already told him of the bad
character of those to whom he was sent, that, if he met with
discouragement and disappointment in them, he might not be offended.
They are impudent and hard-hearted ( v. 7 ),
no convictions of sin would make them blush, no denunciations of wrath
would make them tremble. Two things aggravated their obstinacy:--
[1.] That they were more obstinate than their neighbours would have
been if the prophet had been sent to them. Had God sent him to any
other people, though of a strange speech, surely they would have
hearkened to him; they would at least have given him a patient
hearing and shown him that respect which he could not obtain of his own
countrymen. The Ninevites were wrought upon by Jonah's preaching when
the house of Israel, that was compassed about with so great a cloud of
prophets, was unhumbled and unreformed. But what shall we say to these
things? The means of grace are given to those that will not improve
them and withheld from those that would have improved them. We must
resolve this into the divine sovereignty, and say, Lord, thy
judgments are a great deep. [2.] That they were obstinate against God himself: "They will not
hearken unto thee, and no marvel, for they will not hearken unto
me; " they will not regard the word of the prophet, for they will
not regard the rod of God, by which the Lord's voice cries in the
city. If they believe not God speaking to them by a minister,
neither would they believe though he should speak to them by a voice
from heaven; nay, therefore they reject what the prophet
says, because it comes from God, whom the carnal mind is enmity to. They are prejudiced against the law of God, and for that reason
turn a deaf ear to his prophets, whose business it is to enforce his
law.
(4.) He must resolve to put on courage, and Christ promises to steel
him with it, v. 8, 9 .
He is sent to such as are impudent and hard-hearted, who will
receive no impressions nor be wrought upon either by fair means or
foul, who will take a pride in affronting God's messenger and
confronting the message. It will be a hard task to know how to deal
with them; but,
[1.] God will enable him to put a good face on it: " I have made thy
face strong against their faces, endued thee with all the firmness
and boldness that the case calls for." Perhaps Ezekiel was naturally
bashful and timorous, but, if God did not find him fit, yet by his
grace he made him fit, to encounter the greatest difficulties. Note,
The more impudent wicked people are in their opposition to religion the
more openly and resolutely should God's people appear in the practice
and defence of it. Let the innocent stir up himself against the
hypocrite, Job xvii. 8 .
When vice is daring let not virtue be sneaking. And, when God has work
to do, he will animate men for it and give them strength according to
the day. If there be occasion, God can and will by his grace make the foreheads of faithful ministers as an adamant, so that
the most threatening powers shall not dash them out of countenance. The Lord God will help men, therefore have I set my face like a
flint, Isa. l. 7 .
[2.] He is therefore commanded to have a good heart on it, and to go on
in his work with a holy security, not valuing either the censures or
the threats of his enemies: " Fear not, neither be dismayed at their
looks; let not the menaces of their impotent malice cast either a
damp upon thee or a stumbling-block before thee." Bold sinners must
have bold reprovers; evil beasts must be rebuked cuttingly
( Tit. i. 12, 13 ),
must be saved with fear, Jude 23 .
Those that keep closely to the service of God may be sure of the favour
of God, and then they need not be dismayed at the proud looks of men.
Let not the angry countenance that drives away a back-biting tongue
give any check to a reproving tongue.
(5.) He must continue instant with them in his preaching, whatever the
success was, v. 11 .
He must go to those of the captivity, who, being in affliction,
it was to be hoped would receive instruction; he must look upon them as the children of his people, to whom he was nearly allied, and
for whom he therefore ought to have a very tender concern, as Paul for
his kinsmen, Rom. ix. 3 .
And he must tell them not only what the Lord said, but that the
Lord said it; let him speak in God's name, and back what he said with
his authority: Thus saith the Lord God; tell them so, whether
they will hear or whether they will forbear. Not that it may be
indifferent to us what success our ministry has, but, whatever it be,
we must go on with our work and leave the issue to God. We must not say
"Here are some so good that we do not need to speak to them," or, "Here
are others so bad that it is to no purpose to speak to them;" but,
however it be, deliver thy message faithfully, tell them, The Lord
God saith so and so, let them reject it at their peril.
2. Full instructions being thus given to the prophet, pursuant to his
commission, we are here told,
(1.) With what satisfaction this mission of his was applauded by the
holy angels, who were very well pleased to see one of a nature inferior
to their own thus honourable employed and entrusted. He heard a
voice of a great rushing ( v. 12 ),
as if the angels thronged and crowded to see the inauguration of a
prophet; for to them is known by the church (that is, by
reflection from the church) the manifold wisdom of God, Eph. iii. 10 .
They seemed to strive who should get nearest to this great sight. He heard the noise of their wings that touched, or (as the word is) kissed one another, denoting the mutual affections and
assistances of the angels. He heard also the noise of the wheels of Providence moving over-against the angels and in concert with
them. All this was to engage his attention and to convince him that the
God who sent him, having such a glorious train of attendants, no doubt
had power sufficient to bear him out in his work. But all this noise
ended in the voice of praise. He heard them saying, Blessed be the
glory of the Lord from his place. [1.] From heaven, his place above, whence his glory was now in vision
descending, or whither perhaps it was now returning. Let the
innumerable company of angels above join with those employed in this
vision in saying, Blessed be the glory of the Lord. Praise you the
Lord from the heavens. Praise him, all his angels, Ps. cxlviii. 1, 2 .
[2.] From the temple, his place on earth, whence his glory was now
departing. They lament the departure of the glory, but adore the
righteousness of God in it: however it be, yet God is blessed and
glorious, and ever will be so. The prophet Isaiah heard God thus
praised when he received his commission
( Isa. vi. 3 );
and a comfort it is to all the faithful servants of God, when they see
how much God is dishonoured in this lower world, to think how much he
is admired and glorified in the upper world. The glory of the
Lord has many slights from our place, but many praises from his
place.
(2.) With what reluctance of his own spirit, and yet with what a mighty
efficacy of the Spirit of God, the prophet was himself brought
to the execution of his office. The grace given to him was not in
vain; for,
[1.] The Spirit led him with a strong hand. God bade him go, but he
stirred not till the Spirit took him up. The Spirit of the living
creatures that was in the wheels now was in the prophet too,
and took him up, first to hear more distinctly the acclamations
of the angels
( v. 12 ),
but afterwards
( v. 14 ) lifted him up, and took him away to his work, which he was
backward to, being very loth either to bring trouble upon himself or
foretel it to his people. He would gladly have been excused, but must
own, as another prophet does
( Jer. xx. 7 ), Thou was stronger than I, and hast prevailed. Ezekiel would
willingly have kept all he heard and saw to himself, that it might go
no further, but the hand of the Lord was strong upon him and
overpowered him; he was carried on contrary to his own inclinations by
the prophetical impulse, so that he could not but speak the things
which he had heard and seen, as the apostles, Acts iv. 20 .
Note, Those whom God calls to the ministry, as he furnishes their heads
for it, so he bows their hearts to it.
[2.] He followed with a sad heart: The Spirit took me away, says
he, and then I went, but it was in bitterness, in the
heat of my spirit. He had perhaps seen what a hard task Jeremiah
had at Jerusalem when he appeared as a prophet, what pains he took,
what opposition he met with, how he was abused by hand and tongue, and
what ill treatment he met with, and all to no purpose. "And" (thinks
Ezekiel) "must I be set up for a mark like him?" The life of a captive
was bad enough; but what would the life of a prophet in captivity be?
Therefore he went in this fret and under this discomposure. Note, There
may in some cases be a great reluctance of corruption even where there
is a manifest predominance of grace. " I went, not disobedient
to the heavenly vision, or shrinking from the work, as Jonah, but I went in bitterness, not at all pleased with it." When he
received the divine revelation himself, it was to him sweet as
honey ( v. 3 );
he could with abundance of pleasure have spent all his days in
meditating upon it; but when he is to preach it to others, who, he
foresees, will be hardened and exasperated by it, and have their
condemnation aggravated, then he goes in bitterness. Note, It is
a great grief to faithful ministers, and makes them go on in their work
with a heavy heart, when they find people untractable and hating to be
reformed. He went in the heat of his spirit, because of the
discouragements he foresaw he should meet with; but the hand of the
Lord was strong upon him, not only to compel him to his work, but
to fit him for it, to carry him through it, and animate him against the
difficulties he would meet with (so we may understand it); and, when he
found it so, he was better reconciled to his business and applied
himself to it: Then he came to those of the captivity ( v. 15 ),
to some place where there were many of them together, and sat where
they sat, working, or reading, or talking, and continued among
them seven days to hear what they said and observe what they did;
and all that time he was waiting for the word of the Lord to
come to him. Note, Those that would speak suitably and profitably to
people about their souls must acquaint themselves with them and with
their case, must do as Ezekiel did here, must sit where they
sit, and speak familiarly to them of the things of God, and put
themselves into their condition, yea, though they sit by the rivers
of Babylon. But observe, He was there astonished, overwhelmed with grief for the sins and miseries of his people and
overpowered by the pomp of the vision he had seen. He was there
desolate (so some read it); God showed him no visions, men made him
no visit. Thus was he left to digest his grief, and come to a better
temper, before the word of the Lord should come to him. Note,
Those whom god designs to exalt and enlarge he first humbles and
straitens for a time.
16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word
of the L ORD came unto me, saying,
17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of
Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them
warning from me.
18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou
givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his
wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in
his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his
wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his
iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his
righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block
before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him
warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he
hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require
at thine hand.
21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the
righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live,
because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
These further instructions God gave to the prophet at the end of
seven days, that is, on the seventh day after the vision he had;
and it is very probably that both that and this were on the sabbath
day, which the house of Israel, even in their captivity,
observed as well as they could in those circumstances. We do not find
that their conquerors and oppressors tied them to any constant service,
as their Egyptian task-masters had formerly done, but that they might
observe the sabbath-rest for a sign to distinguish between them and
their neighbours; but for the sabbath-work they had not the convenience
of temple or synagogue, only it should seem they had a place by the
river side where prayer was wont to be made (as Acts xvi. 13 );
there they met on the sabbath day; there their enemies upbraided them
with the songs of Zion ( Ps. cxxxvii. 1, 3 );
there Ezekiel met them, and the word of the Lord then and there came to him. He that had been musing and meditating on the
things of God all the week was fit to speak to the people in God's name
on the sabbath day, and disposed to hear God speak to him. This sabbath
day Ezekiel was not so honoured with visions of the glory of God as he
had been the sabbath before; but he is plainly, and by a very common
similitude, told his duty, which he is to communicate to the people.
Note, Raptures and transports of joy are not the daily bread of God's
children, however they may upon special occasions be feasted with them.
We must not deny but that we have truly communion with God
( 1 John i. 3 )
though we have it not always so sensibly as at some times. And, though
the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven may sometimes be looked into,
yet ordinarily it is plain preaching that is most for edification. God
here tells the prophet what his office was, and what the duty of that
office; and this (we may suppose) he was to tell the people, that they
might attend to what he said and improve it accordingly. Note, It is
good for people to know and consider what a charge their ministers have
of them and what an account they must shortly give of that charge.
Observe,
I. What the office is to which the prophet is called: Son of man, I
have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel, v. 17 .
The vision he saw astonished him: he knew not what to make of that, and
therefore God used this plain comparison, which served better to lead
him to the understanding of his work and so to reconcile him to it. He
sat among the captives, and said little, but God comes to him, and
tells him that will not do; he is a watchman, and has something
to say to them; he is appointed to be as a watchman in the city,
to guard against fire, robbers, and disturbers of the peace, as a
watchman over the flock, to guard against thieves and beasts of
prey, but especially as a watchman in the camp, in an invaded
country or a besieged town, that is to watch the motions of the enemy,
and to sound an alarm upon the approach, nay, upon the first
appearance, of danger. This supposes the house of Israel to be
in a military state, and exposed to enemies, who are subtle and
restless in their attempts upon it; yea, and each of the particular
members of that house to be in danger and concerned to stand upon their
guard. Note, Ministers are watchmen on the church's walls ( Isa. lxii. 6 ), watchmen that go about the city, Cant. iii. 3 .
It is a toilsome office. Watchmen must keep awake, be they ever so
sleepy, and keep abroad, be it ever so cold; they must stand all
weathers upon the watch-tower, Isa. xxi. 8; Gen. xxxi. 40 .
It is a dangerous office. Sometimes they cannot keep their post, but
are in peril of death from the enemy, who gain their point if they kill
the sentinel; and yet they dare not quit their post upon pain of death
from their general. Such a dilemma are the church's watchmen in; men
will curse them if they be faithful, and God will curse them if they be
false. But it is a needful office; the house of Israel cannot be
safe without watchmen, and yet, except the Lord keep it, the
watchman waketh but in vain, Ps. cxxvii. 1, 2 .
II. What is the duty of this office. The work of a watchman is to take
notice and to give notice.
1. The prophet, as a watchman, must take notice of what God said
concerning this people, not only concerning the body of the people, to
which the prophecies of Jeremiah and other prophets had most commonly
reference, but concerning particular persons, according as their
character was. He must not, as other watchmen, look round to spy danger
and gain intelligence, but he must look up to God, and further he need
not look: Hear the word at my mouth, v. 17 .
Note, Those that are to preach must first hear; for how can those teach
others who have not first learned themselves?
2. He must give notice of what he heard. As a watchman must have eyes
in his head, so he must have a tongue in his head; if he be dumb, it is
as bad as if he were blind, Isa. lvi. 10 .
Thou shalt give them warning from me, sound an alarm in the holy mountain; not in his own name, or as from himself, but in
God's name, and from him. Ministers are God's mouth to the children of
men. The scriptures are written for our admonition. By them is thy
servant warned, Ps. xix. 11 .
But, because that which is delivered vivâ voce--by the living
voice, commonly makes the deepest impression, God is pleased, by
men like ourselves, who are equally concerned, to enforce upon us the
warnings of the written word. Now the prophet, in his preaching, must
distinguish between the wicked and the righteous, the precious and the
vile, and in his applications must suit his alarms to each, giving
every one his portion; and, if he did this, he should have the comfort
of it, whatever the success was, but, if not, he was accountable.
(1.) Some of those he had to do with were wicked, and he must warn them
not to go on in their wickedness, but to turn from it, v. 18, 19 .
We may observe here,
[1.] That the God of heaven has said, and does say, to every wicked
man, that if he go on still in his trespasses he shall surely die.
His iniquity shall undoubtedly be his ruin; it tends to ruin and
will end in ruin. Dying thou shalt die, thou shalt die so great
a death, shalt die eternally, be ever dying, but never dead. The wicked man shall die in his iniquity, shall fie under the
guilt of it, die under the dominion of it.
[2.] That if a wicked man turn from his wickedness, and from
his wicked way, he shall live, and the ruin he is threatened with
shall be prevented; and, that he may do so, he is warned of the danger
he is in. The wicked man shall die if he go on, but shall
live if he repent. Observe, he is to turn from his
wickedness and from his wicked way. It is not enough for a
man to turn from his wicked way by an outward reformation, which
may be the effect of his sins leaving him rather than of his leaving
his sins, but he must turn from his wickedness, from the love of
it and the inclination to it, by an inward regeneration; if he do not
so much as turn from his wicked way, there is little hope that
he will turn from his wickedness. [3.] That it is the duty of ministers both to warn sinners of the
danger of sin and to assure them of the benefit of repentance, to set
before them how miserable they are if they go on in sin, and how happy
they may be if they will but repent and reform. Note, The ministry of
the word is concerning matters of life and death, for those are
the things it sets before us, the blessing and the curse, that
we may escape the curse and inherit the blessing.
[4.] That, though ministers do not warn wicked people as they ought of
their misery and danger, yet that shall not be admitted as an excuse
for those that go on still in their trespasses; for, though the
watchman did not give them warning, yet they shall die in
their iniquity, for they had sufficient warning given them by the
providence of God and their own consciences; and, if they would have
taken it, they might have saved their lives. [5.] That if ministers be not faithful to their trust, if they do not
warn sinners of the fatal consequences of sin, but suffer them to go on
unreproved, the blood of those that perish through their
carelessness will be required at their hand. It shall be charged
upon them in the day of account that it was owing to their
unfaithfulness that such and such precious souls perished in sin; for
who knows but if they had had fair warning given them they might have
fled in time from the wrath to come? And, if it contract so
heinous a guilt as it does to be accessory to the murder of a dying
body, what is it to be accessory to the ruin of an immortal soul?
[6.] That if ministers do their duty in giving warning to sinners,
though the warning be not taken, yet they may have this satisfaction,
that they are j clear from their blood, and have delivered their own souls, though they cannot prevail to deliver
theirs. Those that are faithful shall have their reward, though they
be not successful.
(2.) Some of those he had to deal with were righteous, at least
he had reason to think, in a judgment of charity, that they were so;
and he must warn them not to apostatize and turn away from their
righteousness, v. 20, 21 .
We may observe here,
[1.] That the best men in the world have need to be warned against
apostasy, and to be told of the danger they are in of it and the danger
they are in by it. God's servants must be warned
( Ps. xix. 11 )
that they do not neglect his work and quit his service. One good means
to keep us from falling is to keep up a holy fear of falling, Heb. iv. 1 . Let us therefore fear; and
( Rom. xi. 20 )
even those that stand by faith must not be high-minded, but
fear, and must therefore be warned.
[2.] There is a righteousness which a man may turn from, a seeming righteousness, and, if men turn from this, it thereby
appears that it was never sincere, how passable, nay, how plausible
soever it was; for, if they had been of us, they would no doubt have
continued with us, 1 John ii. 19 .
There are many that begin in the spirit, but end in the
flesh, that set their faces heavenward, but look back; that had a
first love, but have lost it, and turned from the holy
commandment. [3.] When men turn from their righteousness they soon learn to
commit iniquity. When they grow careless and remiss in the duties of
God's worship, neglect them, or a re negligent in them, they become an
easy prey to the tempter. Omissions make way for commissions.
[4.] When men turn from their righteousness, and commit
iniquity, it is just with God to lay stumbling-blocks before
them, that they may grow worse and worse, till they are ripened for
destruction. When Pharaoh hardened his heart God hardened it. When
sinners turn their back upon God, desert his service, and so cast a
reproach upon it, he does, in a way of righteous judgment, not only
withdraw his restraining grace and give them up to their own hearts'
lusts, but order them by his providence into such circumstances as
occasion their sin and hasten their ruin. There are those to whom
Christ himself is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, 1 Pet. ii. 8 .
[5.] The righteousness which men relinquish shall never be remembered
to their honour or comfort; it will stand them in no stead in this
world or the other. Apostates lose all that they have wrought; their
services and sufferings are all in vain, and shall never be brought to
an account, because not continued in. It is a rule in the law, Factum non dicitur, quod non perseverat--We are said to do only that
which we do perseveringly, Gal. iii. 3, 4 .
[6.] If ministers do no give fair warning, as they ought, of the
weakness of the best, their aptness to stumble and fall, the particular
temptations they are in and the fatal consequences of apostasy, the
ruin of those that do apostatize will be laid at their door, and they
shall answer for it. Not but that there are those who are warned
against it, and yet turn from their righteousness; but that case
is not put here, as was concerning the wicked man, but, on the
contrary, that a righteous man, being warned, takes the warning
and does not sin ( v. 21 );
for, if you give instruction to a wise man, he will be yet
wiser. We must not only not flatter the wicked, but not flatter
even the righteous as if they were perfectly safe any where on this
side heaven.
[7.] If ministers give warning, and people take it, it is well for
both. Nothing is more beautiful than a wise reprover upon an
obedient ear; the one shall live because he is warned and
the other has delivered his soul. What can a good minister
desire more than to save himself and those that hear him? 1 Tim. iv. 16 .
22 And the hand of the L ORD was there upon me; and he said unto
me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with
thee.
23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold,
the glory of the L ORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by
the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.
24 Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet,
and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within
thine house.
25 But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon
thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out
among them:
26 And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth,
that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for
they are a rebellious house.
27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou
shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord G OD ; He that heareth,
let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.
After all this large and magnificent discovery which God had made of
himself to the prophet, and the full instructions he had given him how
to deal with those to whom he sent him with an ample commission, we
should have expected presently to see him preaching the word of God to
a great congregation of Israel; but here we find it quite otherwise.
his work here, at first, seems not at all proportionable to the pomp of
his call.
I. We have him here retired for further learning. By his unwillingness
to go it should seem as if he were not so thoroughly convinced as he
might have been of the ability of him that sent him to bear him out;
and therefore, to encourage him against the difficulties he foresaw,
God will favour him with another vision of his glory, which (if any
thing) would put life into him and animate him for his work. In order
for this, God calls him out to the plain ( v. 22 )
and there he will have some talk with him. See and admire the
condescension of God in conversing thus familiarly with a man, a son
of man, a poor captive, nay, with a sinful man, who, when God sent
him went in bitterness of spirit, and was at this time out of
humour with his work. And let us own ourselves for ever indebted to the
mediation of Christ for this blessed intercourse and communion between
God and man, between heaven and earth. See here the benefit of
solitude, and how much it befriends contemplation. It is very
comfortable to be alone with God, withdrawn from the word for converse
with him, to hear from him, to speak to him; and a good man will say
that he is never less along than when thus alone. Ezekiel went forth
into the plain more willingly than he went among those of the
captivity ( v. 15 );
for those that know what it is to have communion with God cannot but
prefer that before any converse with this world, especially such as is
commonly met with. He went out into the plain, and there he saw
the same vision that he had seen by the river of Chebar; for God
is not tied to places. Note, Those who follow God shall meet with his
consolations, wherever they go. God called him out to talk with
him, but did more than that: he showed him his glory, v. 23 .
We are not now to expect such visions, but we must own that we have a
favour done us no way inferior if we so by faith behold the glory of
the Lord as to be changed into the same image, by the Spirit of
the Lord; and this honour have all his saints. Praise you the
Lord, 2 Cor. iii. 18 .
II. We have him here restrained from further teaching for the present.
When he saw the glory of the Lord he fell on his face, being struck with an awe of God's majesty and a dread of his
displeasure; but the Spirit entered into him to raise him up,
and then he recovered himself and got upon his feet and heard
what the Spirit whispered to him, which is very surprising. One would
have expected now that God would send him directly to the chief place
of concourse, would give him favour in the eyes of his brethren, and
make him and his message acceptable to them, that he would have a wider
door of opportunity opened to him and that God would give him a door of
utterance to open his mouth boldly; but what is here said to him is the
reverse of all this.
1. Instead of sending him to a public assembly, he orders him to
confine himself to his own lodgings: Go, shut thyself within thy
house, v. 24 .
He was not willing to appear in public, and, when he did, the people
did not regard him, nor show him the respect he deserved, and as a just
rebuke both to him and them, to him for his shyness of them and to them
for their coldness towards him, God forbids him to appear in public.
Note, Our choice is often made our punishment; and it is a righteous
thing with God to remove teachers into corners when they, or their
people, or both, grow indifferent to solemn assemblies. Ezekiel must
shut up himself, some think, to give a sign of the besieging of
Jerusalem, in which the people should be closely shut up as he was in
his house, and which he speaks of in the next chapter. He must shut
himself within his house, that he might receive further discoveries
of the mind of God and might abundantly furnish himself with something
to say to the people when he went abroad. We find that the elders of
Judah visited him and sat before him sometimes in his
house ( ch. viii. 1 ),
to be witnesses of his ecstasies; but it was not till ch. xi. 25 that he spoke to those of the captivity all the things that the Lord
had shown him. Note, Those that are called to preach must find time
to study, and a great deal of time too, must often shut themselves up
in their houses, that they may give attendance to reading and
meditation, and so their profiting may appear to all.
2. Instead of securing him an interest in the esteem and affections of
those to whom he sent him he tells him that they shall put bands
upon him and bind him ( v. 25 ),
either
(1.) As a criminal. They shall bind him in order to the further
punishing of him as a disturber of the peace; though they were
themselves sent into bondage in Babylon for persecuting the prophets,
yet there they continue to persecute them. Or, rather,
(2.) As a distracted man. They would go about to bind him as one beside himself; for to that they imputed his violent motions in
his raptures. The captains asked Jehu, Wherefore came this mad
fellow unto thee? Festus said to Paul, Thou art beside
thyself; and so the Jews said of our Lord Jesus, Mark iii. 21 .
Perhaps this was the reason why he must keep within doors, because
otherwise they would bind him, under pretence of his being mad, and
therefore he must not go out among them. Justly are prophets
forbidden to go to those that will abuse them.
3. Instead of opening his lips that his mouth might show forth God's
praise, God silence him, made his tongue cleave to the roof of his
mouth, so that he was dumb for a considerable time, v. 26 .
The pious captives in Babylon used this imprecation upon themselves,
that, if they should forget Jerusalem, there tongue might cleave to the roof of their mouth, Ps. cxxxvii. 6 .
Ezekiel remembers Jerusalem more than any of them, and yet his tongue cleaves to the roof of his mouth, and he that can speak
best is forbidden to speak at all; and the reason given is because they are a rebellious house to whom he is sent, and they are not
worthy to have him for a reprover. He shall not give them
instructions and admonitions, for they are lost and thrown away upon
them. He is before commanded to speak boldly to them because they
are most rebellious ( ch. ii. 7 );
but, since that proves to no purpose, he is now for that reason
enjoined silence and shall not speak at all to them. Note, Those whose
hearts are hardened against conviction are justly deprived of the mans
of conviction. Why should not the reprovers be dumb, if, after long
trials, it be found that the reproved resolve to be deaf? If Ephraim be joined to idols, let him alone. Thou shalt be dumb, and not be a
reprover, implying that unless he were dumb he would be reproving;
if he could speak at all, he would witness against the wickedness of
the wicked. But when God speaks with him, and designs to
speak by him, he will open his mouth, v. 27 .
Note, Though God's prophets may be silenced awhile, there will come a
time when God will give them the opening of the mouth again. And, when
God speaks to his ministers, he not only opens their ears to hear what
he says, but opens their mouth to return an answer. Moses, who had a
veil on his face when he went down to the people, took it off when he
went up again to God, Exod. xxxiv. 34 .
4. Instead of giving him assurance of success when he should at any
time speak to the people, he here leaves the matter very doubtful, and
Ezekiel must not perplex and disquiet himself about it, but let it be
as it will. He that hears, let him hear, and he is welcome to
the comfort of it; let him hear, and his soul shall live; but he that forbears, let him forbear at his peril, and take what
comes. If thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it; neither God
nor his prophet shall be any losers by it; but the prophet shall be
rewarded for his faithfulness in reproving the sinner, and God will
have the glory of his justice in condemning him for not taking the
reproof.
INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 3
This chapter contains a further account of the prophet's call and mission; of his preparation of him for is work; of, the persons to whom he was sent; of what happened to him upon this; of the nature of his office, and the work of it; and of what followed upon the renewal of his call. His further preparation for prophesying is in Eze 3:1; where he is bid to eat the roll showed him, which he did, and found it in his mouth as honey for sweetness; and then he receives fresh orders to go to the people of Israel, and prophesy to them, Eze 3:4; and, that he might not be discouraged, an account is given beforehand of the people to whom he was sent; of their language, behaviour, and disposition; by which he could not expect success, Eze 3:5; and, for his further encouragement, strength, boldness, resolution, firmness, and presence of mind, are promised him, Eze 3:8; also a revelation of mere things to him; all which he should hear, receive, and speak, whether the people would attend to them or not; which ought to be no discouragement to him, since it was not regarded by the Lord, Eze 3:10; then follows an account of his being lifted up by the Spirit from the earth, when he heard a voice, which is described by the manner and matter of it; and a noise, both of the living creature's wings, and of the wheels he had seen in a former vision, Eze 3:12; and next of his being carried away by the same Spirit; and of the condition he was in, in his own spirit, as he went; and of the strength he received from the Lord; and of the place to which he, was carried; and his state and circumstances, and time of continuance there, Eze 3:14; where, after a time mentioned, he has a fresh call to his office, under the character of a watchman, whose business was to hear Christ's words, and warn the house of Israel from him; and who are distinguished into wicked and righteous; and whom the prophet was to warn at his own peril, Eze 3:16; and the chapter is concluded with a narration of various events which befell the prophet; he is bid by the Lord to go into the plain, which he did, and there saw the glory of the Lord, as he had before seen it at the river Chebar; which so affected him, that he fell upon his face, Eze 3:22; the spirit entered into him, let him on his feet, and spake with him; ordered him what he should do himself, that he should shut himself up in his house, Eze 3:24; informed him what the people would do to him; bind him with bands, that he should not come forth, Eze 3:25; and what Christ would do to him; strike him dumb in judgment to the people, that he might not be a reprover of them, Eze 3:26; but he is told that, when the Lord spoke to him; his mouth should be opened, and he should declare what was said to him, Eze 3:27.
Ver. 1. Moreover he said unto me,.... The same glorious Person who had been speaking all along in the preceding chapter; and who was seen by the prophet on a sapphire throne, and described in Eze 1:26; the first fifteen verses of this chapter are by Junius and Tremellius made a part of the second:
son of man, eat that thou findest; not anything, but what he found in the hand sent unto him; wherefore the Targum is,
"son of man, receive what is given thee;''
which was the roll, as follows:
eat this roll; not literally, but figuratively, as John is bid to eat the little book, Re 10:9; that is, read it, meditate upon the things contained therein; and digest them, that he might be able to impart them, and make them known to others: it is explained in Eze 3:10; by hearing and receiving the words of the prophecy; and so the Targum,
"receive what is written in this roll;''
this is to eat it; as great readers of books are called "helluones librorum", eaters of books, gluttons at them; read them greedily, deeply meditate upon what is in them, and thoroughly digest them; so it becomes all good men to eat the word, to mix it with faith, to receive it in the love of it, and constantly meditate on it, Ps 1:1; and especially ministers of the Gospel, 1Th 4:15;
and go, speak unto the house of Israel; or, as the Targum,
"go, and prophesy to the house of Israel;''
for by eating the roll, in the sense given, he was fit for it; and when ministers of the word have read, and thought of, and digested the truths of the Gospel themselves, then they are prepared to go and enter upon their work, and feed others with knowledge and understanding.
Ezekiel 3:2
Ver. 2. So I opened my mouth,.... To take in the roll, and eat it; he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision; he did all that he could towards eating it, but was not sufficient of himself; and therefore it follows:
and he caused me to eat that roll; he, the Lord, put it into his mouth, caused him to eat it, and tilled him with it, according to his promise,
Ps 81:10. The efficacy and sufficiency to think of good things, to meditate upon them, receive and digest them, are of God; it is he that makes men prophets, and able ministers. The Targum is,
"and I inclined my soul, and he taught me (or made me wise "with") what was written in this roll.''
Ezekiel 3:3
Ver. 3. And he said unto me, son of man, cause thy belly to eat,.... Or "devour" {f}, and consume; that is, concoct and digest; do not cast it out of thy mouth, as soon as thou hast tasted of it; but let it go down into the stomach, and there digest it; and from thence into the belly, that so, upon the whole, virtue may be received, and nourishment come by it:
and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee; eat to satiety; so the Targum,
"son of man, thou shalt satiate thy soul, and fill thy belly, if thou receivest what is written in this roll, which I give thee:''
this was sufficient to qualify the prophet for prophesying, and furnish him with materials enough; and these fit and proper for the discharge of his office; and so such who study the word of God with application become scribes well instructed in the kingdom of heaven; and being filled themselves, are able to bring forth things to the comfort and satisfaction of others:
then did I eat [it], and it was in my mouth, as honey for sweetness; that is, as the roll was spread before him, he looked into it, and read it, and meditated upon it, and laid it up in his memory, in order to deliver it out when commanded; and though it contained things very distressing, and which would occasion lamentation, and mourning, and woe; yet, considering that these were the will of God, and in righteous judgment to men, he could not but acquiesce in and approve of them. All the words that come out of the mouth of God are as sweet as, honey, yea, sweeter than that, Ps 19:10; and so the Targum interprets it of the words of the Lord,
"and I took it, and his words were in my mouth as sweet honey;''
and especially the Gospel, and the truths of it, are like honey; they are gathered by laborious ministers, as honey by the industrious bee, out of the various flowers of the Scriptures, with which being laden, they bring into the hive of the church, and dispose of for general usefulness; these are like honey for healthfulness, for nourishment, and for sweetness to the taste; that which makes the Gospel so are the exceeding great and precious promises in it: its doctrines of grace, and those of peace and reconciliation, of pardon, righteousness, eternal life and salvation, by Jesus Christ; and, above all, Christ himself, who is the sum and substance of it; and all its truths being quickening; comforting, and refreshing: but thou the Gospel is, only sweet when it is eaten; not merely heard, assented to, and superficially tasted of, but eaten and fed upon by faith; and so, it is sweet, not to unregenerate persons, whose taste is not changed; nor to nominal and notional professors, who have only a superficial taste of it; but to true believers in Christ, spiritual men, who judge and discern all things; see Re 10:9.
{f} lkat "devoret, consumat", Vatablus.
Ezekiel 3:4
Ver. 4. And he said unto me, son of man, go,.... After he had eaten the roll; for then was he qualified to prophesy:
get thee unto the house of Israel; to whom he was to prophesy:
and speak with my words unto them: not with his own words; nor with the words of men, the enticing words of man's wisdom; but with the words of Christ; with the taught words of the Holy Ghost; with what is written in the roll; the words of this prophecy are meant. So the Targum,
"and thou shalt prophesy the words of my prophecy unto them;''
in like manner John after he had eaten the little book, is told that he must prophesy before many people, nations, tongues, and kings,
Re 10:9; though Ezekiel was only sent to one nation, as follows:
Ezekiel 3:5
Ver. 5. For thou [art] not sent to a people of a strange speech,.... "Deep of lip" {g}, or "speech"; difficult to be got at and understood:
and of a hard language: or "heavy of tongue" {h} of a barbarous and unknown language, whom he could not understand, nor they him; and so would have been barbarians to one another; and consequently it could not be thought his prophesying among them, could have been of any use. This may be considered, either by way of encouragement to the prophet to go on his errand to such a people; since as he could understand them, and they him he might hope to meet with success; or, however he could deliver his message so as to be understood: or as an aggravation of the impiety perverseness and stupidity of the Israelites; that though the prophet spoke to them in their own language, yet they would not hear nor receive his words:
[but] to the house of Israel; who were a people of the same speech and language with the prophet; all spoke and understood the language of Canaan; nor were the things he delivered such as they were altogether strangers to being the same, for substance, which Moses, and the other prophets, had ever taught.
{g} hpv yqme "profundi labii", Vatablus; "profundorum labio", Polanus, Cocceius; "profundi sermonis", Starkius. {h} Nwvl ydbk "graves linguae", Montanus; "gravium lingua", Polanus.
Ezekiel 3:6
Ver. 6. Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language,.... The prophet was sent, not to different nations, of different languages; but to one nation of the same language; indeed several of his prophecies concern other nations, as the Ammonites, Moabites, Edomites, Tyrians, Philistines, Egyptians, and Assyrians; but then these had a relation to the, people of Israel, and were chiefly on their account; and therefore he was not sent to those nations to deliver his prophecies unto them, but to the people of Israel only; and so had no difficulty on his part concerning their language, which he would have had, had he been sent to the barbarous nations;
whose words, thou canst not understand: the prophet being, only used to the language of the Jews and not having the gift of speaking with and understanding divers tongues; as the apostles of Christ had, when they were sent to many people of different languages, and which is here tacitly intimates:
surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee; which is an aggravation of the obstinacy and disobedience of the people of Israel; that had the barbarous nations been favoured with the same means of instruction they were they would have been obedient; see
Mt 11:21; for though they could not understand the prophet's language, nor he theirs; yet, as Kimchi observes, they would have sought for an interpreter to have explained the prophecy to them. The thing is very strongly affirmed, "surely", verily, tmab, "of a truth"; as the same Jewish writer interprets al Ma; and both he and Jarchi take it to be the form of an oath. Some render the words, "if I had not sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee" {i}; and the sense is, either that if the Lord had not sent him to the Israelites, but to the peopled a strange speech, they, the people, would have hearkened to him: or, if the Lord had not sent the prophet, but he had gone of himself, as the false prophets in their own name, the Israelites would have hearkened to him; such was their perverseness and rebellion: others render the words, "if not", or had it not been for their strange speech and hard language, "I would have sent thee to them" {k}, the barbarous nation, and "they would have hearkened unto thee"; but the first sense seems best; which is confirmed by the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and the Oriental versions.
{i} Kytxlv Mhyla al Ma "si non ad eos misissem te", Vatablus; "si non misero te", Montanus; "si non mitterem", Pagninus. {k} "Si non misissem te ad eos", Calvin.
Ezekiel 3:7
Ver. 7. But the house of would not hearken unto thee,.... "They are not willing" {l}; they have no desire, no inclination, to hear and hearken; but the reverse; they were capable of hearing and understanding his speech and language, and though he was sent unto them by the Lord: and indeed the reason why they did not hearken to him was not because they rejected him and his words, but because they rejected the Lord and his words; they were the words of the Lord, and his reproofs; and therefore they would not hearken to them as follows:
for they will not hearken unto me; and which is an argument why the prophet should bear with patience their disregard to him and his words, and their neglect and contempt of them; for, seeing they would not hear the Lord, how could he exact they should hear him? and therefore he should not be uneasy at it; see Joh 15:20;
for all the house of Israel [are] impudent and hardhearted; or, "strong of front, and hard of heart" {m}; they had a whore's forehead, an impudent face, that could not blush and be ashamed; and hearts of stone, like a rock, and harder than the nether millstone, on which no impressions, could be made by all the admonitions and reproofs given them; see Eze 2:4; and this was the case of all of them in general, excepting some very few; which shows the sad degeneracy of this people.
{l} wbay al "non cupient", Montanus; "non volunt", Cocceius; "non illi volentes", Starckius. {m} bl yvqw xum yqzx "obfirmati fronte et duri corde", Polanus, Starckius; "obfirmati frontis et duri cordis", Piscator.
Ezekiel 3:8
Ver. 8. Behold, I have made the, face strong against their faces,.... Not that the prophet should have the same sort of impudence and confidence they had; but that God would "give" {n} him such a face, as it is in the Hebrew text, such spirit and courage, that he should neither be ashamed of the words of the Lord, nor afraid to speak them to this people; so that he should be a match for them; they should not be able to outface him, or look him out of countenance; he should behave with an undaunted spirit, and with great intrepidity, amidst all opposition made to him: the Lord fits his ministers for the people he sends them to, and gives them courage and strength proportionate to the opposition they meet with; as their day is, their strength is; and all that invincible courage, boldness, and strength, with which they are endowed, it is all from the Lord, and a gift of his:
and thy forehead strong against their foreheads; which is the same thing in different words.
{n} Kynp ta yttn "dedi faciem tuam", V. L. Vatablus, Cocceius, Starckius.
Ezekiel 3:9
Ver. 9. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead,.... Or, "than a rock" {o}; the "adamant" has its name in Greek, because it cannot be conquered or subdued, neither by the hammer, nor by fire; the one cannot break, nor this other consume it; land it is called "shamir" in Hebrew, from its preserving itself from both; it will cut iron in pieces, which is harder than stone, and therefore must be harder than that. Bochart takes it to be the same with "smiris", a hard stone, which jewellers use to polish their gems with; see Jer 17:1. The design of the simile is to set forth the courage and fortitude of mind the prophet was endowed with, in order to face an impudent and hardhearted people;
fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they [be] a rebellious house; See Gill on "Eze 2:6".
{o} rwum "rupe", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus, Piscator; "prae rupe", Cocceius; "ex rupe", Starckius; "prae ", Montanus.
Ezekiel 3:10
Ver. 10. Moreover he said unto me, son of man,.... The same glorious Person as before continued speaking to him, and added, as follows:
all my words that I shall speak unto thee; not only what he had spoken to him, but what he should hereafter; for he did not tell all at once what he should say, but gradually, revealing his mind to him by little and little; but then he was to receive all that he should say, and reject nothing, nor shun to declare the whole counsel of God:
receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears; what the Lord says should not only be diligently attended to, and heard with eagerness, but should be received, in the love of it, into the heart, and laid, up in the mind and memory, in order to be delivered out to others at a proper time.
Ezekiel 3:11
Ver. 11. And go, get thee to them of the captivity,.... Not in the times of Hoshea king of Israel, by Shalmaneser king of Assyria, for these were placed in the cities of the Medes, 2Ki 17:6; but in the times of Jeconiah king of Judah, Eze 1:2;
unto the children of thy people; the Jews, which were in the land of Chaldea:
and speak unto them, and tell them: the words the Lord spoke to him:
thus saith the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: See Gill on "Eze 2:5".
Ezekiel 3:12
Ver. 12. Then the spirit took me up,.... Not the wind, nor an angel, but the Spirit of God; who took up the prophet from the ground, from the place where he was, among the captives by the river Chebar, and had seen the glorious vision described in the first chapter; and had had his call and mission, as expressed in the second chapter, and hitherto in this; and was carried by him to another company of captives, who were at another place by the same river, as appears by comparing Eze 1:1, with Eze 3:15; for this was not done in a visionary way, as Kimchi thinks, but in reality; not in spirit, but in body; just as the Spirit caught away Philip from the eunuch, Ac 8:39;
and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing; of the living creatures and wheels, as is afterwards explained:
[saying], blessed [be] the glory of the Lord out of his place; either out of heaven, the place where his glory is manifested; so the Targum, out of the place of his Shechinah or majesty; or out of the temple, from between the cherubim over the mercy seat, from whence he was about to remove, Eze 10:4. These words may be considered either as a doxology of the church, and people of God, ascribing glory, blessing, and praise unto him; not only on account of the perfections of his nature, but because of his works of nature, providence, and grace, and even for his righteous judgments on men. Maimonides {p}, by his place, understands the essence of God. Or as a lamentation for the departure of the blessed and glorious majesty of God from the temple, which seemed to be threatened; for the words may be rendered, "the blessed glory of the Lord out of his place" {q}; that is, it is just ready to go out of his place.
{p} Moreh Nevochim, par. 1. c. 8. p. 12. {q} dwbk Kwrb "benedictam gloriam Jehovae e loco ipsius, migrantem", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus.
Ezekiel 3:13
Ver. 13. [I heard] also the noise of the wings of the living creatures,.... Which they clapped, when they uttered the preceding words;
See Gill on "Eze 1:24";
that touched one another; or "kissed, a woman her sister" {r}; denoting their affection and agreement in the doxology or ascription of glory to God; see Eze 1:9;
and the noise of the wheels over against them: the living creatures; for the wheels were by the living creatures, and went over against them, as they went, Eze 1:15; ministers and churches join together in this doxology:
and a noise of a great rushing; which is repeated for the confirmation of the thing, and to express the greatness of the noise made by the living creatures and wheels, like that of thunder or an earthquake; it is said to be like the noise of great waters, Eze 1:24.
{r} htwxa la hva twqyvm "attingentium [more osculantium], vira ad sororem suam", Vatablus; "osculantium", Polanus, Starckius. So Ben Melech.
Ezekiel 3:14
Ver. 14. So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away,.... Lifted him up from the earth, and carried him through the air:
and I went in bitterness; full of trouble and sorrow, that the Lord was departing from the temple; that his people had been guilty, of such crimes they had, and were such an impudent, and hardhearted people they were; and that such judgments were coming upon them he had seers written in the roll, full of lamentations, mourning, and woe:
in the heat of my spirit; the Targum and Vulgate Latin render it, "in the indignation of my spirit"; his spirit was hot and angry, he was froward and unwilling to go on the errand, to prophesy sad and dismal things to his people:
but the hand of the Lord was strong upon me; the Spirit of the Lord powerfully wrought upon him, and obliged him to go; and the hand of the Lord strengthened him, and removed his frowardness and perverseness of spirit. The Targum is,
"and prophecy from before the Lord was strong upon me;''
so Kimchi interprets it of the hand of prophecy; the Spirit of the Lord, as a spirit of prophecy, came upon him, with great impulse upon his spirit, and he could not refuse going to his people, to declare it to them.
Ezekiel 3:15
Ver. 15. Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib,.... For it seems the captive Jews were disposed of at different places, and there were some at this place; for this was the name of a place, as Jarchi and Kimchi observe; as were Telmelah, and Telharsa, Ezr 2:59; it signifies "a heap of new fruit", and so the Vulgate Latin version renders it: not that there were such at this time here; and the captives were beating out the ripe ears of corn, as "abib" signifies; whence the month Abib has its name, and which was the first month with the Jews; whereas it was in the fourth month when Ezekiel was here, and there could no ears of new corn, Eze 1:1; according to Junius, this Telabib was a tract in Mesopotamia, reaching from Mount Masius to the river Euphrates, and lay between two rivers, Chebar and Saocoras; and he thinks the captive Jews were placed here, partly that they might be secured safe from getting away, or returning from their captivity; and partly that they might secure and defend the place from enemies, it being through inundations uninhabited, and so exposed unto them:
that dwelt by the river of Chebar; See Gill on "Eze 1:1";
and I sat where they sat; there is a double reading here; the "Cetib" or writing is rvaw, which Junius takes to be the name of a river the prophet calls Haesher, the same with Saocoras, connecting it with the preceding clause, "that dwelt by the river of Chebar and Haesher"; the "Keri" or marginal reading is bvaw, "and I sat" or "dwelt"; but both signify the same thing, Since rva is from hrv, which in Chaldee signifies to dwell {s}; and the "Keri" is confirmed by the Targum, which we follow. The sense is, that he placed himself among the captives,
and remained there astonished among them seven days: at the change of place and company; at the sad condition his people were in; and, above all, at the dreadful things he had to deliver to them. The Targum renders it, "silent"; through grief and trouble. So many days Job's friends kept silence, when they came to visit him, and saw his distress, Job 2:13. Or he might be waiting all this time for orders and instructions to prophesy; or to prepare the people to attend with more reverence and earnestness, to hear what he had to say when he should break silence. The Septuagint render it the reverse, "conversing in the midst of them".
{s} Vid. Hillerum de Arcano Kethib & Keri, l. 2. p. 329.
Ezekiel 3:16
Ver. 16. And it came to pass at the end of seven days,.... Some think it was on the sabbath day he had the following declaration made to him, and instructions given him; but this is not certain; nor does it follow, or to be concluded, from such a way of speaking:
that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying; the Targum is,
"the word of prophecy from before the Lord.''
Ezekiel 3:17
Ver. 17. Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of ,.... Not in a civil sense, a watchman of a town or city, or of the whole country, but in an ecclesiastical sense. So the Targum renders it by Pylm, "a teacher"; whose business it was to instruct the people in divine things, to warn them of their evil ways, and of the danger they exposed them to; such were the prophets of old, and such are the ministers of the New Testament: the office is the same with that of bishops or overseers; and lies in watching over the souls of men, as shepherds over their flocks, that they go into right pastures, and not astray, and so preserves them from beasts of prey; and as watchmen of cities, to give the time of night, and, notice of approaching danger; to the discharge of which office are necessary quick sight, diligence in looking out, sobriety and vigilance, courage, constancy, and faithfulness: and they are "sons of men" that are put into this office, and not angels; sons of fallen Adam, sinful men; men subject to infirmity, weak, frail, mortal men, and oftentimes of a mean and low extraction, and greatly unworthy of so high an honour; but Christ counts them faithful, and puts them into this office; they are not made and constituted watchmen or ministers by themselves or by others, but by him; and they are given by him as such to the church of God: "son of man, I have given thee a watchman" {t}, &c. they become watchmen through gifts bestowed upon them, qualifying them for this office; and they themselves are gifts to the churches over whom they are placed, signified by "the house of Israel"; for a church is a house of Christ's building, and where he dwells, and a family named of him, which he takes care of, and consists of Israelites indeed;
therefore hear the word at my mouth; for, as the prophets of old, so the ministers of the Gospel are first to hear what Christ says; and then deliver out his doctrine, called the doctrine of Christ, and the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus. So the Targum,
"and thou shalt receive the word from my Word;''
the word of prophecy, or the word of the Gospel, from Christ the essential Word;
and give them warning from me; in his name and stead, and as from his mouth, to take care of sinning against him, dishonouring his name, and wounding their own souls; that they live soberly, righteously, and godly, and adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour; that they avoid all appearances of evil, and shun the company of wicked men; the house of Israel, or church of God, are to be warned to be careful who they take into their communion, and to exclude such that are bad in principle and practice; to beware of innovations in worship, and of false teachers and false doctrines; and that they do not forsake the word, worship, and ordinances of God's house, but fill up their places, and perform all duties incumbent on them. The Targum is,
"and thou shalt warn them from sinning before me.''
{t} Kyttn hpu "speculatorem dedi", V. L. Polanus, Cocceius, Starckius. So Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
Ezekiel 3:18
Ver. 18. When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die,.... Not only a corporeal but an eternal death for this is what the law threatens with, and there the Lord says this; and this is the wages, end, and issue of sin, if grace prevent not:
and thou givest him not warning; of the evil nature of sin, and of the danger it exposes to:
nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way; to abstain from it, and live another course of life:
to save his life; for such warning, caution, exhortation, and doctrine, may be a means of converting a sinner from the evil of his way, and of saving a soul from death, 1Ti 4:16;
the same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; with the pollution and guilt of sin upon him, and so be punished for it; see Joh 8:24;
but his blood will I require at thine hands; thou shalt be answerable for him; his death shall be laid to thy charge, and thou shalt be chastised for thy negligence; see Ac 20:26.
Ezekiel 3:19
Ver. 19. Yet if thou warn the wicked,.... Of his sin and danger; lay before him his evil, and show him the sad consequences of going on in a course of sin, and warn him to flee from wrath to come:
and he turn not from his wickedness, and from his wicked way; does not repent of it, nor abstain from it:
he shall die in his iniquity; and for it, and that very righteously:
but thou hast delivered thy soul; thou hast done the duty of thine office; thou art clear from the charge of negligence and sloth, and from being answerable for the death of the sinner; and shalt save thyself, though not the wicked man; see 1Ti 4:16.
Ezekiel 3:20
Ver. 20. Again, when a righteous [man] doth turn from his righteousness,.... This is to be understood not of one that is truly righteous, or is justified by the righteousness of Christ; for such can never turn from that righteousness, or be in an unjustified state; seeing that is the righteousness of God, and an everlasting one; but of one that is denominated righteous, from "his" own righteousness, from a righteousness "which he hath done", as is afterwards expressed; one that is outwardly righteous before men, that is outwardly reformed, that has a righteousness of his own, consisting of a little negative holiness, and a few moral performances; from such righteousness a man may apostatize, and go into a vicious course of life:
and commit iniquity; live in sin, make a trade of it; lead a life, the whole series and course of which is nothing else but sin; in this sense, one that is born of God, and has the righteousness of Christ revealed from faith to faith unto him, and lives by faith upon it, cannot commit sin, 1Jo 3:9;
and I lay a stumbling block before him; the Targum renders it, "the stumbling block of sins"; which designs either an occasion of sinning, which God permits, leaving him to his own lusts, and suffering him to fall thereby; and by this means he is discovered to be what he is, not a truly righteous man, but only one in appearance; that looked like a righteous person, but secretly a sinner, and now the Lord by such means exposes him openly; so Jarchi and other Jewish Rabbins; but Kimchi's father interprets the stumbling block of prosperity in this world {u}: or rather the punishment of sin is meant, as Kimchi himself observes; and the Septuagint renders it "torment"; since this follows up on his turning from righteousness, and committing sin; and seems to be explained by the next clause:
he shall die; the second death:
because thou hast not given him warning: of the dreadful evil of apostasy, and the sad estate of apostates, and the danger they are in, their last estate being worse than the first:
he shall die in his sin; of apostasy, and for it, being never to be recovered and brought to repentance:
and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; according to the "Keri" or marginal reading it is, "his righteousnesses"; all his works of righteousness which he hath done; and which reading is followed by the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and the eastern versions; these shall not be remembered, neither in this world nor in that to come; no account shall be taken of them, nor shall they be reckoned as a righteousness unto him:
but his blood will I require at thine hand; See Gill on "Eze 3:18".
{u} Vid. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 86. 2.
Ezekiel 3:21
Ver. 21. Nevertheless, if thou warn the righteous [man],.... Every righteous man, that is so in a judgment of charity, whether truly righteous or not, which the event shows; who should be warned not to trust in their own righteousness, but to depend on the righteousness of Christ; that they be careful to maintain good works, to avoid sin, and live holy lives and conversations, as follows:
that the righteous sin not; not that there is any just man that does good, and sins not; the best of men are often sinning in thought, word, or deed; but he is to be warned that he does not continue in sin, and lead a sinful coups of life; which is contrary to his character, and to his faith in Christ for righteousness, which is attended with good works:
and he doth not sin; the warning and exhortation given him having so good an effect, through the power of divine grace, as to be a means of preserving him from a vain conversation:
he shall surely live; spiritually and comfortably now, and eternally hereafter:
because he is warned; that being a means, and with the divine blessing taking effect:
also thou hast delivered thy soul; See Gill on "Eze 3:19".
Ezekiel 3:22
Ver. 22. And the hand of the Lord was there upon me,.... At Telabib, Eze 3:15. The Targum interprets "the hand of the Lord" of the spirit of prophecy, which remained upon him there; but it seems to design a fresh impulse of the Spirit, a powerful emotion of the split upon his spirit, stirring up to attention to what might be said unto him:
and he said unto me; the same glorious Person, the Lord Christ, described in Eze 1:26;
arise, go forth into the plain; or "the valley" {w}; the Arabic version renders it, "the desert"; a solitary place, free from noise and hurry, and from the company and conversation of men; and so more fit for retirement and contemplation, and for attention to divine orders. What plain this was is not certain; Kimchi thinks it was the plain in which Babel was built, and where the Lord showed the prophet what he had in his providence done in this place formerly, in confounding the languages of men, and causing their devices to cease;
and I will there talk with thee; when alone, sedate, and composed; so God sometimes brings his people into a low and humble state and condition, into the valley of humility, and there grants them communion with himself; see Ho 2:14; perhaps the allusion to a custom among the Jews of revealing secrets to others in fields and deserts, and such like solitary places; see Ge 31:4 {x}.
{w} heqbh la "in istam convallem", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus, "in vallem", Vatablus, Coeceius; "in vallem, quasi fissum locum", Starckius. {x} Vid. Menasseh Ben , Spes Israelis, p. 110.
Ezekiel 3:23
Ver. 23. Then I arose and went forth into the plain,.... He was obedient to the heavenly vision, which was owing to the hand of the Lord being upon him; the power of the Spirit and grace of God influences and engages to obedience; he went forth where he was ordered, though he knew not what would be said to him, or what he should see there:
and, behold, the glory of the Lord stood there; the glorious Person described in Eze 1:26;
as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar; Eze 1:1; which vision was repeated for greater certainty, and to confirm the prophecies delivered to him, and to encourage him in the performance of his office:
and I fell on my face; as he did before, when he first saw this glorious object, Eze 1:28.
Ezekiel 3:24
Ver. 24. Then the spirit entered into me,.... Again; the Spirit of God, that was in the wheels and living creatures: see Eze 2:2;
and set me upon my feet; as he had done before, when in the same prostrate condition, Eze 2:2;
and spake with me; either the Spirit that entered into him, and set him upright; or rather the Lord Christ, the glory of the Lord that stood where he was, and appeared to him:
and said unto me, go, shut thyself within thine house: this was not said ironically, but in earnest; and the reason either was, because the people were not fit for reproof and correction, as Jarchi thinks, being a rebellious people; or that the prophet might receive further instructions, and have all the words of his prophecy delivered to him, before he began to prophesy. Some think this shutting up was an emblem of the siege of . It may seem strange that the prophet should be bid to go into the plain, where the Lord promised to talk with him; and this is all that is said to him, to go home, and shut himself up in his house: but it should be observed, that this was not the only thing for which he went into the plain: he was to have, and had, a fresh view of the glory of the Lord, and of the vision he had before, for the further confirmation of him; besides, this moving him from place to place, before he prophesied, might be partly to try his faith, and partly to preserve him from the violence of the people; who, had he delivered his message at once, might have been so provoked, as to have fallen upon him, and destroyed him; as well as to prepare them to receive his prophecies with more respect and reverence, when they saw he did not rashly, and at once, deliver them out to them.
Ezekiel 3:25
Ver. 25. But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee,.... Or, "bands shall be put upon thee"; either visionally, or really; not by angels, but by the Jews, who, taking the prophet for a madman by his motions and gestures; would bind him, and keep him within doors: or figuratively this may be understood of the sins of the people, their rebellion and obstinacy, which hindered the prophet from prophesying among them as yet; and so this is observed to conciliate his mind to the divine order, to shut up himself for a while in his own house, and be silent: or else by these bonds may be meant the divine order itself, which restrained him from doing his office as yet. So the Targum,
"behold, I have appointed the words of my mouth upon thee, as a band of ropes with which they bind;''
and shall bind thee with them; which some think is emblematical of the Jews being bound by the Chaldeans:
and thou shall not go out among them; to converse with them, or prophesy unto them. The Septuagint version renders it, "shall not go out from the midst of them"; as if he should be taken out of his own house by the Jews, and be bound by them, and kept among them, and not able to get away from them; but it is to be understood of his being bound in his own house, and not able to go out of that to them; and may signify, that in like manner the Jews should not be able to go out of Jerusalem when besieged by the Chaldeans.
Ezekiel 3:26
Ver. 26. And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth,
that thou shall be dumb,.... Which is to be understood not literally, as if he was really struck dumb, as Zechariah was; see Eze 4:9; but that such silence should be charged upon him by the Lord, that he should be as if his tongue cleaved to the roof of his mouth, as Kimchi interprets it, and as if he was a dumb man: and so the Septuagint version renders it, "I will bind thy tongue"; lay an embargo upon it, that is, it shall be silent; and this sense is confirmed by what follows:
and shall not be to them a reprover; which was in judgment to them, and a giving them up to their own hearts' lusts; for, though reproofs were disagreeable to them, and they chose to be without them, yet they were necessary for them, and might have been useful to them; but they provoking the Lord, he takes away his word from them, and commands his prophet to be silent, and let them alone, to go on in their sins without control; which was a sore judgment upon them:
for they [are] a rebellious house; See Gill on "Eze 2:5".
Ezekiel 3:27
Ver. 27. But when I speak with thee,.... Either when I have made an end of speaking to thee, when I have told thee all my mind, and have given thee all the instructions and prophecies thou art to deliver out; or when I shall speak to thee again, and give thee orders to speak:
I will open thy mouth; loose thy tongue, cause thee to break silence, and thou shall speak freely and fully all that I command thee; fulness of matter, and freedom of speech, are both from the Lord; liberty and opportunity of speaking are at his pleasure; and when he speaks his servants must prophesy, Am 3:8;
and thou shalt say unto them, thus saith the Lord God; so and so, whatsoever he is pleased to order to be spoken; not that the following words are what were to be said to the people; but they are said to the prophet for his own use, that he might not be uneasy at the unfruitfulness and failure of his ministry:
he that heareth, let him hear; if any will hearken to what is sent to them, as few of them will, it is very well:
and he that forbeareth, let him forbear; or, "he that ceaseth, let him cease" {y}; he that ceaseth from hearing, let him do so, do not mind it, or be discouraged at it:
for they [are] a rebellious house; See Gill on "Eze 2:5". The Targum is,
"he that receiveth, let him receive instruction; and he that ceaseth, let him cease from sinning, for it is a rebellious people.''
{y} ldxy ldxhw "et qui cessat cesset", Pagninus, Tigurine version, Starckius; "qui desistere volet desistat", Piscator; "qui desistit [audire], desistet". So some in Vatablus.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
Ezekiel was to receive the truths of God as the food
for his soul, and to feed upon them by faith, and he would be
strengthened. Gracious souls can receive those truths of God with
delight, which speak terror to the wicked. He must speak all that,
and that only, which God spake to him. How can we better speak
God's mind than with his words? If disappointed as to his people, he
must not be offended. The Ninevites were wrought upon by Jonah's
preaching, when Israel was unhumbled and unreformed. We must
leave this unto the Divine sovereignty, and say, Lord, thy judgments
are a great deep. They will not regard the word of the prophet, for
they will not regard the rod of God. Christ promises to strengthen
him. He must continue earnest in preaching, whatever the success
might be.
Ezekiel was to receive the truths of God as the food
for his soul, and to feed upon them by faith, and he would be
strengthened. Gracious souls can receive those truths of God with
delight, which speak terror to the wicked.
Christ promises to strengthen
him. He must continue earnest in preaching, whatever the success
might be.
Sources: Matthew Henry; Gill's Exposition; Matthew Henry Concise
Commentary
Commentary