‘And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this roll and go, speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth and he caused me to eat the roll, and he said to me, “Son of man, cause your stomach to digest and fill your bowels with this roll that I give you.” Then did I eat it and it... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to me, “Son of man, go, get you to the house of Israel and speak to them with my words. For you are not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language (literally ‘deep of lip and heavy of tongue'), but to the house of Israel. Not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a... [ Continue Reading ]
“Behold I have made your face hard against their faces, and your forehead hard against their foreheads. I have made you forehead as an adamant, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.” There is a play on words here for the words... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Moreover he said to me, “Son of man, all my words that I shall speak to you, receive in your heart and hear with your ears, and go, get you to the captivity, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh', whether they will hear, or whether they will fo... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SPIRIT CARRIES HIM AWAY (EZEKIEL 3:12). ‘Then the Spirit lifted me up and I heard behind me the voice of a great commotion. “Blessed be the glory of Yahweh from his place.” And I heard the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the noise of the wheel beside... [ Continue Reading ]
‘So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of Yahweh was strong upon me.' Ezekiel repeats and amplifies his reference to the Spirit in Ezekiel 3:12. He was lifted up and carried away by the Spirit (see also Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 11:1... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then I came to those of the captivity at Tel-Abib, who dwelt by the River Chebar, and to where they dwelt. And I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.' At some point the Spirit released him, and he then made his way back to the settlement of his fellow-captives. And for seven days he sat th... [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL IS APPOINTED AS A WATCHMAN (EZEKIEL 3:16). ‘And it happened that at the end of seven days the word of Yahweh came to me saying.' The ‘seven days' having passed God again came to Ezekiel with His solemn word, to remind him that he had been made a watchman to Israel (compare Habakkuk 2:1. Se... [ Continue Reading ]
“Son of man, I have given you to be a watchman to the house of Israel. Therefore hear the word at my mouth and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,' and you do not give him warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have saved your life.' However if Ezekiel did give the warning and the person did nothing about it, the same consequence would come on the person, but Ezekiel would b... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Again when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he will die. Because you have not given him warning, he will die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered. But his blood I will require at your ha... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning. And you have delivered your life.' Note the contrast here with Ezekiel 3:19. It is assumed that the righteous man will hear and take warning. The suggestion see... [ Continue Reading ]
A FURTHER VISION (EZEKIEL 3:22). ‘And the hand of Yahweh was there upon me, and he said to me, “Arise, go out into the valley, and I will talk with you there.' This probably occurred after the passing of a short period of time in which Ezekiel had told the people what God had previously said. It co... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then I arose and went out into the valley, and behold the glory of Yahweh stood there, as the glory which I saw by the River Chebar, and I fell on my face.' This was a parallel vision to that in chapter 1, repeated in full for reassurance and to press home its effect, but it was in a different pla... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and he spoke with me and said to me, “Go. Shut yourself within your house. But you, son of man, they shall lay bands on you, and will bind you with them, and you will not go out among them, and I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your... [ Continue Reading ]