Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. Ver. 1. _Son of man, eat that thou findest._] Eat this roll or volume, without equivocation, or so much as questioning; yield simple obedience to the heavenly vision. It was in vision... [ Continue Reading ]
_So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll._ Ver. 2. _So I opened my mouth._] Without delays or consults, I obeyed Christ's command, _et hausi quodammodo donum prophetiae,_ _a_ and yielded to become a prophet. This was well; but not long after, Ezekiel, through infirmity of the flesh,... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 3. _Cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels,_] _i.e., _ Deeply and duly ponder and practise those holy truths th... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. Ver. 4. _Go, get thee unto the house of Israel._] This was a hard task, all things considered; but hard or not hard, there was a necessity of going on God's errand. _Ubi mel ibi fel. Necesse e... [ Continue Reading ]
For thou [art] not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, [but] to the house of Israel; Ver. 5. _For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language._] Heb., Deep of lip and heavy of tongue. _Qui strident sermone, et quasi e profundo gutture barbarum... [ Continue Reading ]
Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee. Ver. 6. _Surely had I sent unto them, they would have hearkened._] Or, If I had sent thee to them, would they not have hearken... [ Continue Reading ]
_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 hardhearted._ Ver. 7. _But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee._] They will not. See the like, John 5:40; John 8:44. A man's will is his hell, saith Bern... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. Ver. 8. _Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces._] I have steeled thy forehead and strengthened thine heart, that thou shalt budge for none of them. I have rendered thee insupe... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 9. _As an adamant, harder than flint._] Heb., Strong above a rock. _Instar rupis quae in mari vadoso horridi Iovis, et irati, ut ita dicam, Neptuni... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ Ver. 10. _Son of man, all my words receive in thine heart, &c._] This is to eat the roll, to turn it _in succum et sanguinem,_ that it may surely nourish. See on Ezeki... [ Continue Reading ]
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 GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. Ver. 11. _Go, get thee to them of the captivity._] The fruit whereof they have lost in great part, because s... [ Continue Reading ]
Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, [saying], Blessed [be] the glory of the LORD from his place. Ver. 12. _Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me, &c._] This was for the prophet's encouragement, and to put mettle into him, as it were, that he mig... [ Continue Reading ]
Ezekiel 3:13 [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. Ver. 13. _I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures._] In consent with the former doxology. _ That t... [ Continue Reading ]
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 LORD was strong upon me. Ver. 14. _So the spirit lifted me up._] As it did afterwards also Philip, Act 8:39-40 not visionally, but really. _ And took me away._] To Telabib. _ And... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days._ Ver. 15. _Then I came to them of the captivity of Telabib._] Which was the name of some chief place or plantation of the Jews in capti... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Ver. 16. _And it came to pass at the end of seven days._] Probably on the Sabbath day, that day of grace, and opportunity of holiness. God glorifieth his free grace in coming to his offending prophet, as t... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 17. _Son of man._] So Christ constantly calleth this prophet, to keep him humble. See Ezekiel 2:1 . _ I have made thee a watchman._] I, who am the chief Bishop... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 18. _When I say to the wicked, Thou shalt sure... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 19. _He shall die in his iniquity._] Because now he falleth with open eyes. Many sorrows shall be to such wicked as will not be warned. Psa... [ Continue Reading ]
Again, When a righteous [man] doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock 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 a... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 21. _Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous._] As the best may need to be warned, and must take it for a mercy. “ _Ac... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee._ Ver. 22. _And the hand of the Lord,_] _i.e., _ The Spirit of the Lord, whereby he led his prophet into all truth and holiness. _ Arise, go forth into the plain._] Or,... [ Continue Reading ]
Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face. Ver. 23. _Then I arose and went forth._] Such prompt and present obedience meeteth with mercies unexpected. _ As the glory which I sa... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 24. _Go shut thyself within thine house,_] _q.d., _ Thou hast a mind, I perceive to do so; but it is not thy wisest way to decline thine office, how hard soever i... [ Continue Reading ]
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: Ver. 25. _Behold, they shall put bands upon thee._] Thy friends shall bind thee for a madman. See Mark 3:21. _See Trapp on "_ Mar 3:21 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
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. Ver. 26. _And I will make thy tongue._] A spiritual and a special judgment upon the people, thus to silence the prophet. So he dealt by our an... [ Continue Reading ]
But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they [are] a rebellious house. Ver. 27. _But when I speak with thee._] As speak I will with thee again, by prophetic... [ Continue Reading ]