INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 2 This chapter contains me prophet's call, commission, and instruction to prophesy. The preparation to it is in Ezekiel 2:1; being fallen upon his face, he is bid to stand upon his feet, with a promise to speak to him; and the Spirit entering into him, he is set by him on hi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO ME,.... The glorious Person who sat upon the throne, whose appearance is described in the latter part of the preceding chapter: SON OF MAN; as he was to be that spake unto him; and so it may denote relation, affection, and familiarity; or otherwise it is expressive of humiliation;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SPIRIT ENTERED INTO ME,.... Not his own spirit or soul; for it does not appear that that went out of him upon the sight of the vision; nor any of the ministering spirits, the angels, who are never said to enter into the prophets or people of God; but the Holy Spirit of God; the same Spirit t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID UNTO ME, SON OF MAN,.... Now follow his mission and commission, and an account of the persons to whom he was sent: I SEND THEE TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; that were captives in Babylon, in Jehoiakim's captivity; so Christ was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Matthew 15... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR [THEY ARE] IMPUDENT CHILDREN,.... "Hard of face" w; as is commonly said of impudent persons, that they are brasen faced; they had a whore's forehead, and refused to be ashamed, and made their faces harder than a rock, Jeremiah 3:3; they declared their sin as Sodam, and hid it not; they sinned op... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY, WHETHER THEY WILL HEAR, OR WHETHER THEY WILL FORBEAR,.... Or "cease" y; that is, from hearing, as Jarchi and Kimchi interpret it; or from sinning, as the Targum. The sense is, whether they would hear the word of the Lord, as spoken by the prophet, attend unto it, receive it, and obey it; o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU, SON OF MAN, BE NOT AFRAID OF THEM,.... Of any of them, the greatest among them, their princes and nobles; who, by their grandeur and authority, their stern looks, and big words, might awe and terrify him; wherefore it follows: NEITHER BE AFRAID OF THEIR WORDS; of their calumnies, reviling... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALL SPEAK MY WORDS UNTO THEM,.... Not his own words, but those the Lord should put into his mouth. The Targum is, "and thou shall prophesy the words of my prophecy unto them:'' WHETHER THEY WILL HEAR, OR WHETHER THEY WILL FORBEAR; Ezekiel 2:5; FOR THEY ARE MOST REBELLIOUS; or "rebelli... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THOU, SON OF MAN, HEAR WHAT I SAY UNTO THEE,.... Which was necessary because he was to speak not his own words, but the Lord's, and therefore ought to hear before he spoke; and indeed those that speak in a public way, for the instruction of others, ought to hear and learn of Christ first: BE NO... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN I LOOKED, BEHOLD, AN HAND [WAS] SENT UNTO ME,.... Not of an angel, but of Christ himself, in a visionary way; for this was not a real hand, but the likeness of one, as in Ezekiel 8:3; and so the Targum here, "and I saw, and behold, the likeness of a hand stretched out on the side to me.''... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SPREAD IT BEFORE ME,.... Unrolled it, that what was written in it might he seen and read; that so, understanding it, he might deliver the contents of it to the people: thus the Gospel, and the mysteries of it, must be explained by Christ to his ministers; and their understandings must be open... [ Continue Reading ]