Ezekiel3

The LORD commands Ezekiel to eat a scroll, which tastes sweet, symbolizing the internalization of God's word. He is then sent to the rebellious house of Israel, who will not hearken, but God strengthens Ezekiel against their opposition. Ezekiel is appointed as a watchman, responsible for warning both the wicked and the righteous, with dire consequences if he fails.

Listen to this chapter

The Prophet Internalizes the Word

And he said unto me, Son of man, eat that which thou findest; eat this roll, and go, speak unto the house of Israel.

So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat the roll.

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.

And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.

For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel;

not to many peoples of a strange speech and of a hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, if I sent thee to them, they would hearken unto thee.

But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are of a hard forehead and of a stiff heart.

Behold, I have made thy face hard against their faces, and thy forehead hard against their foreheads.

As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.

Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thy heart, and hear with thine ears.

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 Jehovah; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.

Ezekiel Transported to the Exiles

Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of Jehovah 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 wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing.

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 Jehovah was strong upon me.

Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the river Chebar, and to where they dwelt; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days.

The Watchman's Mandate

And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

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.

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 thy hand.

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.

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 righteous deeds which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy hand.

Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and thou hast delivered thy soul.

The Prophet Confined and Silenced

And the hand of Jehovah was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.

Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of Jehovah stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face.

Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet; and he spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thy house.

But thou, son of man, behold, they shall lay bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them:

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.

But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.

Study Notes for Ezekiel 3

Verse 1

This physical act symbolizes the prophet’s complete internalization and assimilation of God’s message before he delivers it. He must first consume and understand the word himself.

Verse 3

Though the scroll contained 'lamentations, mourning, and woe' (2:10), the divine word itself is described as sweet. This reflects the joy of obedience and the inherent goodness of receiving revelation directly from God.

Verse 6

God emphasizes the irony: had Ezekiel been sent to a foreign nation, they likely would have listened. This underscores the deep rebellion and moral failure of Israel, the covenant people.

Verse 7

God warns Ezekiel that the people’s rejection is directed not at the messenger, but at the divine source of the message. Their unwillingness to hear Ezekiel stems from their ultimate unwillingness to obey God.

Verse 9

God supernaturally strengthens Ezekiel’s resolve and character, making him impervious to the emotional and physical intimidation of the hardhearted exiles. The prophet’s courage is a divine gift necessary for ministry.

Verse 11

Ezekiel is commanded to deliver the message regardless of the outcome, emphasizing that the prophet’s duty is proclamation, not success in conversion.

Verse 12

The 'spirit took me up' marks the transition from the private commissioning to the public ministry. The accompanying voice praises the transcendent 'Glory of the LORD' as it moves or continues its manifestation.

Verse 14

Ezekiel’s reaction is one of emotional turmoil—a mixture of zeal, frustration, and perhaps dread concerning the severity of the message. However, the 'hand of the LORD' provided the necessary strength to carry out the mission.

Verse 15

Tel-abib was a settlement of Jewish exiles in Babylon. Ezekiel’s week-long silence allowed him to transition from the heavenly vision to the harsh reality of the exiles, identifying deeply with their suffering before beginning his ministry.

Verse 17

The metaphor of the watchman defines Ezekiel’s primary role: to stand guard, discern danger (God’s impending judgment), and issue a necessary warning to the community.

Verse 18

This severe warning highlights the accountability of the prophet. Failure to deliver the warning makes the watchman complicit in the death of the unwarned individual; 'blood' here signifies moral responsibility for their demise.

Verse 20

This principle emphasizes that past righteousness does not guarantee salvation if one willfully turns to sin. The prophet is responsible for warning against apostasy, ensuring the individual has no excuse.

Verse 22

God commands Ezekiel to leave the settlement for a private encounter, likely to reinforce the authority of the message before the period of symbolic actions and confinement begins.

Verse 23

Ezekiel again witnesses the Glory of the Lord (the same vision from chapter 1), confirming the continued presence and authority of God among the exiles, even far from the Jerusalem Temple.

Verse 25

This verse initiates a period of symbolic action where Ezekiel is physically restricted or bound, illustrating the captivity and restriction of Jerusalem and the exiles themselves.

Verse 26

Ezekiel is temporarily silenced, unable to deliver spontaneous rebuke or ordinary conversational prophecy. This enforced silence is a sign of judgment against the rebellious house, which refuses to listen anyway.

Verse 27

Ezekiel’s mouth will only be opened when God provides a specific oracle. This emphasizes that the prophet speaks only what God commands, and the people remain accountable for their choice to hear or reject that word.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

Ezekiel3

The Prophet Internalizes the Word

Ezekiel Transported to the Exiles

The Watchman's Mandate

The Prophet Confined and Silenced

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options