Ezekiel 33:30

Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. ALSO, THOU SON OF MAN, THE CHILDREN OF THY PEOPLE STILL ARE TALKING AGAINST THEE - not only the remnant in Judea, but those at the Chebar, though less flagrantly, betrayal the same unbelieving spirit. TALKING AGAINST THEE - though going to the prophet to hear the word of the Lord, they criticised, in an unfriendly spirit, his peculiarities of manner and his enigmatical style (), making these the excuse for their impenitence. Their talking was not directly "against" Ezekiel, for they professed to like his ministrations (cf....

30-33 Unworthy and corrupt motives often lead men to the places where the word of God is faithfully preached. Many come to find somewhat to oppose: far more come of curiosity or mere habit. Men may have their hearts changed. But whether men hear or forbear, they will know by the event that a servant of God has been among them. All who will not know the worth of mercies by the improvement of them, will justly be made to know their worth by the want of them....

Verse Ezekiel 33:30. _THE PEOPLE STILL ARE TALKING AGAINST THEE_] בך _bach_ should be rather translated, "concerning thee," than "against thee;" for the following verses show that the prophet was much respected. The _Vulgate_ translates, _de te_; the _Septuagint_, περι σου, "concerning thee," both right. _Talking by the walls and in the doors of the houses_ is not a custom peculiar to the _Copts_, mentioned by Bp. _Pococke_, it is a practice among _idle people_, and among those who are _resting from_ _their work_, in _every country_, when the _weather permits_. Gossiping _in the inside of the house_ is not less frequent, and much more blamable....

The exhortation to repentance. Ezekiel first addresses the remnant that still linger in their ancient home, and warns them against presumptuous hopes resting on false grounds Ezekiel 33:23; then he turns his eyes to those near him, and points out that their apparent attention to his words was illusory. Ezekiel 33:24 THOSE WASTES - The places in the holy land devastated by the conqueror. ABRAHAM - The argument is, Abraham was but one man, and he had the promise of the land, though he did not at once possess it; much more shall we, the descendants of Abraham, being many, retain this promise and possess the land, though for a time we are depressed and subject. Compare...

EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 33:1 If we may think of Ezekiel as compiling and arranging his own prophecies, we may think of him as returning, with something like a sense of relief, to his own special work as the watchman of the house of Israel. For upwards of two years the messages which it had been given him to write (how far they were in any sense published we have no means of knowing) in Ezekiel 25-32; had dealt exclusively with foreign nations. Now his own people are again the object of his care. He resumes his pastoral office at once for warning and consolation. From this point onwards, with the exception of the strange Meshech-Tubal episode in Ezekiel 38:1; Ezekiel 39:1; all is leading

ALSO, THOU SON OF MAN,.... I have something to say to thee, and inform thee of, not only concerning the Jews in Judea, what they say, and what will befall them; but concerning those that are with thee, and what they say of thee, and what will be the issue of it: THE CHILDREN OF THY PEOPLE STILL ARE TALKING AGAINST THEE; not the Lord's people, but his own people, which was the more cutting to him to hear of, and the more ungrateful in them; though indeed they were but children, who acted a weak part, and the less to be regarded; these spake against the prophet: they could not say he was no prophet, he had his credentials and commission from the Lord, which were well known, and many of his prophecies had been fulfilled; they could not speak against his doctrine, which was of God; nor against his conversation, which was agreeable to his character and office; but they said some things in a...

II. PREDICTIONS AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM (33-48) Chapter S 33-34 A. The Watchman, the False Shepherds, and the True Shepherd _ 1. The renewed call of Ezekiel as watchman (Ezekiel 33:1) _ 2. Ezekiel's mouth opened after Jerusalem's fall is announced (Ezekiel 33:21) 3. Message against the shepherds of Israel (Ezekiel 34:1) 4. The True Shepherd and restoration promised (Ezekiel 34:20) Ezekiel 33:1. The commission of Ezekiel as watchman corresponds to the same call in...

NEED OF A DEEPENED SENSE OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY (EZEKIEL 33), and this alike for himself and his hearers. EZEKIEL 33:1. He feels that he is responsible for them, and that they are responsible for themselves. He compares himself, as once before (Ezekiel 3:16), to a watchman whose duty is to raise the alarm in case of impending danger; so it is his, in view of the crisis, to care for and warn individual souls. EZEKIEL 33:10. But the people are despondent, stupefied by the news of the fall of the city (Ezekiel 33:21), sullenly at last admitting their guilt, but believing themselves to lie under the i

AGAINST. about. DOORS. entrances. TO. with....

_are talking against thee_ THE CHILDREN OF THY PEOPLE WHO TALK OF THEE. The construction has a certain inconsequence in it. On "talk" cf. Malachi 3:16. The "walls" afforded a shade, under which men gathered for conversation. _one to another_ The form "one" is Chaldee rather than Heb. The clause says the same thing as next clause and is wanting in LXX....