1Er aber sprach zu mir: Menschensohn, was dir gereicht wird, iß, iß diese Rolle, und geh, rede zum Haus Jissrael! 2Ich öffnete meinen Mund, er aber ließ diese Rolle mich essen. 3Dann sprach er zu mir: Menschensohn, atze deinen Leib, fülle deinen Bauch mit dieser Rolle, die ich dir gebe! Ich aß sie, sie ward in meinem Munde wie Honig süß. 4Er aber sprach zu mir: Menschensohn, geh, komm zum Hause Jissrael, rede mit meiner Rede zu ihnen! 5Denn nicht zu einem Volk tiefer Lippe und schwerer Zunge bist du geschickt, - zum Haus Jissrael: 6nicht zu vielen Völkern tiefer Lippe, schwerer Zunge, aus deren Rede du nichts heraushörst, - schickte ich dich zu denen, sie würden hören auf dich, 7aber die vom Haus Jissrael werden nicht gewillt sein auf dich zu hören, denn sie sind keinmal auf mich zu hören gewillt, denn alles Haus Jissrael, harter Stirn und starren Herzens sind sie. 8Da, ich gebe deinem Antlitz, hart zu sein gemäß ihrem Antlitz, deiner Stirn, hart zu sein gemäß ihrer Stirn, 9wie Diamant, härter als Kiesel, gebe deiner Stirn ich zu sein, fürchte sie nicht, sei nicht vor ihrem Antlitz bestürzt, denn sie sind Haus Widerspann. 10Weiter sprach er zu mir: Menschensohn, alle Reden, die ich zu dir reden werde, nimm auf mit deinem Herzen, mit deinen Ohren höre, 11dann geh, komm zu der Verschlepptenschaft, zu den Söhnen deines Volkes, rede zu ihnen, sprich zu ihnen: So hat mein Herr, ER, gesprochen!, ob sie hören, ob sies lassen. 12Geistbraus erhob mich, hinter mir aber hörte ich den Hall eines großen Schütterns, - Gesegnet SEINE Erscheinung von ihrem Orte aus! - 13den Hall der Flügel der Lebendigen, jeder sein Geschwister berührend, den Hall der Räder ihnen gemäß, den Hall eines großen Schütterns. 14Geistbraus hob mich, er nahm mich hinweg, ich ging mit Bitternis in der Glut meines Geistes, SEINE Hand hielt hart mich gefaßt, 15ich kam zu der Verschlepptenschaft in Tel Abib, ihnen, die am Stromarm Kbar sitzen, ich setzte mich hin, sie sitzen dort, so saß auch ich dort sieben Tage in ihrer Mitte, betäubt. 16Es geschah aber nach Ablauf der sieben Tage, SEINE Rede geschah zu mir, es sprach: 17Menschensohn, als Späher habe ich dich dem Haus Jissrael gegeben. Hörst du Rede von meinem Mund, sollst du von mir her sie warnen.. 18Wann ich spreche zum Frevler: Sterben mußt du, sterben! und du warnst ihn nicht, redest nicht, um den Frevler von seinem Frevelsweg abzuwarnen, ihn am Leben zu halten: ein Frevler ist er, um seine Verfehlung wird er sterben, von deiner Hand aber will ich heimfordern sein Blut. 19Du aber, - wenn du einen Frevler gewarnt hast und er kehrt nicht um von seinem Frevel, von seinem Frevelsweg: er, um seine Verfehlung wird er sterben, du aber, deine Seele hast du gerettet. 20Wann ein Bewährter sich abkehrt von seiner Bewährung, tut Falsch, da ich das als Strauchelstein vor ihn hingab, er, sterben wird er, denn du hast ihn nicht gewarnt, um seine Versündigung wird er sterben, seiner Bewährungen, die er tat, wird nicht gedacht, von deiner Hand aber will ich sein Blut fordern. 21Du aber, - wenn du einen Bewährten gewarnt hast, daß er ohne zu sündigen bleibt: bewährt ist er, er hat nicht gesündigt, leben wird er, leben, denn gewarnt ist er worden, du aber, deine Seele hast du gerettet. 22SEINE Hand war über mir dort, er sprach zu mir: Mach dich auf, zieh in die Ebene hinaus, dort will ich mit dir reden. 23Ich machte mich auf, zog hinaus in die Ebene, und da stand dort SEINE Erscheinung, wie die Erscheinung, die ich am Stromarm Kbar gesehen hatte. Ich fiel auf mein Antlitz. 24Doch Geistbraus kam in mich, der stellte mich auf meine Füße. Er aber redete mit mir, er sprach zu mir: Geh, verschließe dich mitten in deinem Haus! 25Du nämlich, Menschensohn - da, man gibt Stricke an dich, man fesselt dich mit ihnen, daß du nicht ausziehn kannst mitten unter sie. 26Und deine Zunge will ich an deinen Gaumen kleben, daß du verstummen mußt und sollst nicht weiter ihnen ein mahnender Mann sein, denn sie sind Haus Widerspann. 27Wann ich aber mit dir rede, will ich den Mund dir öffnen, du sprichst dann zu ihnen: So hat mein Herr, ER, gesprochen ...! Wer hört, mag hören, wers läßt, mags lassen, denn sie sind Haus Widerspann.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 EZEKIEL EATS THE ROLL. IS COMMISSIONED TO GO TO THEM OF THE CAPTIVITY AND GOES TO TEL-ABIB BY THE CHEBAR: AGAIN BEHOLDS THE SHEKINAH GLORY: IS TOLD TO RETIRE TO HIS HOUSE, AND ONLY SPEAK WHEN GOD OPENS HIS MOUTH. (Eze. 3:1-27)
eat . . . and . . . speak--God's messenger must first inwardly appropriate God's truth himself, before he "speaks" it to others (see on
Ezek 2:8). Symbolic actions were, when possible and proper, performed outwardly; otherwise, internally and in spiritual vision, the action so narrated making the naked statement more intuitive and impressive by presenting the subject in a concentrated, embodied form.
3 honey for sweetness--Compare
Ps 19:10;
Ps 119:103;
Rev 10:9, where, as here in
Ezek 3:14, the "sweetness" is followed by "bitterness." The former being due to the painful nature of the message; the latter because it was the Lord's service which he was engaged in; and his eating the roll and finding it sweet, implied that, divesting himself of carnal feeling, he made God's will his will, however painful the message that God might require him to announce. The fact that God would be glorified was his greatest pleasure.
5 See Margin, Hebrew, "deep of lip, and heavy of tongue," that is, men speaking an obscure and unintelligible tongue. Even they would have listened to the prophet; but the Jews, though addressed in their own tongue, will not hear him.
6 many people--It would have increased the difficulty had he been sent, not merely to one, but to "many people" differing in tongues, so that the missionary would have needed to acquire a new tongue for addressing each. The after mission of the apostles to many peoples, and the gift of tongues for that end, are foreshadowed (compare
1Cor 14:21 with
Isa 28:11).
had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened-- (
Matt 11:21,
Matt 11:23).
7 will not hearken unto thee: for . . . not . . . me-- (
John 15:20). Take patiently their rejection of thee, for I thy Lord bear it along with thee.
8 Ezekiel means one "strengthened by God." Such he was in godly firmness, in spite of his people's opposition, according to the divine command to the priest tribe to which he belonged (
Deut 33:9).
9 As . . . flint--so Messiah the antitype (
Isa 50:7; compare
Jer 1:8,
Jer 1:17).
10 receive in . . . heart . . . ears--The transposition from the natural order, namely, first receiving with the ears, then in the heart, is designed. The preparation of the heart for God's message should precede the reception of it with the ears (compare
Pro 16:1;
Ps 10:17).
11 thy people--who ought to be better disposed to hearken to thee, their fellow countryman, than hadst thou been a foreigner (
Ezek 3:5-
Ezek 3:6).
12 (
Acts 8:39). Ezekiel's abode heretofore had not been the most suitable for his work. He, therefore, is guided by the Spirit to Tel-Abib, the chief town of the Jewish colony of captives: there he sat on the ground, "the throne of the miserable" (
Ezra 9:3;
Lam 1:1-
Lam 1:3), seven days, the usual period for manifesting deep grief (
Job 2:13; see
Ps 137:1), thus winning their confidence by sympathy in their sorrow. He is accompanied by the cherubim which had been manifested at Chebar (
Ezek 1:3-
Ezek 1:4), after their departure from Jerusalem. They now are heard moving with the "voice of a great rushing (compare
Acts 2:2), saying, Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place," that is, moving from the place in which it had been at Chebar, to accompany Ezekiel to his new destination (
Ezek 9:3); or, "from His place" may rather mean, in His place and manifested "from" it. Though God may seem to have forsaken His temple, He is still in it and will restore His people to it. His glory is "blessed," in opposition to those Jews who spoke evil of Him, as if He had been unjustly rigorous towards their nation [CALVIN].
13 touched--literally, "kissed," that is, closely embraced.
noise of a great rushing--typical of great disasters impending over the Jews.
14 bitterness--sadness on account of the impending calamities of which I was required to be the unwelcome messenger. But the "hand," or powerful impulse of Jehovah, urged me forward.
15 Tel-Abib--Tel means an "elevation." It is identified by MICHAELIS with Thallaba on the Chabor. Perhaps the name expressed the Jew's hopes of restoration, or else the fertility of the region. Abib means the green ears of corn which appeared in the month Nisan, the pledge of the harvest.
I sat, &c.--This is the Hebrew Margin reading. The text is rather, "I beheld them sitting there" [GESENIUS]; or, "And those that were settled there," namely, the older settlers, as distinguished from the more recent ones alluded to in the previous clause. The ten tribes had been long since settled on the Chabor or Habor (
2Kgs 17:6) [HAVERNICK].
17 watchman--Ezekiel alone, among the prophets, is called a "watchman," not merely to sympathize, but to give timely warning of danger to his people where none was suspected. Habakkuk (
Hab 2:1) speaks of standing upon his "watch," but it was only in order to be on the lookout for the manifestation of God's power (so
Isa 52:8;
Isa 62:6); not as Ezekiel, to act as a watchman to others.
18 warning . . . speakest to warn--The repetition implies that it is not enough to warn once in passing, but that the warning is to be inculcated continually (
2Tim 4:2, "in season, out of season";
Acts 20:31, "night and day with tears").
save--
Ezek 2:5 had seemingly taken away all hope of salvation; but the reference there was to the mass of the people whose case was hopeless; a few individuals, however, were reclaimable.
die in . . . iniquity-- (
John 8:21,
John 8:24). Men are not to flatter themselves that their ignorance, owing to the negligence of their teachers, will save them (
Rom 2:12, "As many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law").
19 wickedness . . . wicked way--internal wickedness of heart, and external of the life, respectively.
delivered thy soul-- (
Isa 49:4-
Isa 49:5;
Acts 20:26).
20 righteous . . . turn from . . . righteousness--not one "righteous" as to the root and spirit of regeneration (
Ps 89:33;
Ps 138:8;
Isa 26:12;
Isa 27:3;
John 10:28;
Phil 1:6), but as to its outward appearance and performances. So the "righteous" (
Pro 18:17;
Matt 9:13). As in
Ezek 3:19 the minister is required to lead the wicked to good, so in
Ezek 3:20 he is to confirm the well-disposed in their duty.
commit iniquity--that is, give himself up wholly to it (
1John 3:8-9), for even the best often fall, but not wilfully and habitually.
I lay a stumbling-block--not that God tempts to sin (
Jas 1:13-
Jas 1:14), but God gives men over to judicial blindness, and to their own corruptions (
Ps 9:16-
Ps 9:17;
Ps 94:23) when they "like not to retain God in their knowledge" (
Rom 1:24,
Rom 1:26); just as, on the contrary, God makes "the way of the righteous plain" (
Pro 4:11-
Pro 4:12;
Pro 15:19), so that they do "not stumble." CALVIN refers "stumbling-block" not to the guilt, but to its punishment; "I bring ruin on him." The former is best. Ahab, after a kind of righteousness (
1Kgs 21:27-29), relapsed and consulted lying spirits in false prophets; so God permitted one of these to be his "stumbling-block," both to sin and its corresponding punishment (
1Kgs 22:21-23).
his blood will I require-- (
Heb 13:17).
22 hand of the Lord-- (
Ezek 1:3).
go . . . into the plain--in order that he might there, in a place secluded from unbelieving men, receive a fresh manifestation of the divine glory, to inspirit him for his trying work.
23 glory of the Lord-- (
Ezek 1:28).
24 set me upon my feet--having been previously prostrate and unable to rise until raised by the divine power.
shut thyself within . . . house--implying that in the work he had to do, he must look for no sympathy from man but must be often alone with God and draw his strength from Him [FAIRBAIRN]. "Do not go out of thy house till I reveal the future to thee by signs and words," which God does in the following chapters, down to the eleventh. Thus a representation was given of the city shut up by siege [GROTIUS]. Thereby God proved the obedience of His servant, and Ezekiel showed the reality of His call by proceeding, not through rash impulse, but by the directions of God [CALVIN].
25 put bands upon thee--not literally, but spiritually, the binding, depressing influence which their rebellious conduct would exert on his spirit. Their perversity, like bands, would repress his freedom in preaching; as in
2Cor 6:12, Paul calls himself "straitened" because his teaching did not find easy access to them. Or else, it is said to console the prophet for being shut up; if thou wert now at once to announce God's message, they would rush on thee and bind them with "bands" [CALVIN].
26 I will make my tongue . . . dumb--Israel had rejected the prophets; therefore God deprives Israel of the prophets and of His word--God's sorest judgment (
1Sam 7:2;
Amos 8:11-
Amos 8:12).
27 when I speak . . . I will open thy mouth--opposed to the silence imposed on the prophet, to punish the people (
Ezek 3:26). After the interval of silence has awakened their attention to the cause of it, namely, their sins, they may then hearken to the prophecies which they would not do before.
He that heareth, let him hear . . . forbear--that is, thou hast done thy part, whether they hear or forbear. He who shall forbear to hear, it shall be at his own peril; he who hears, it shall be to his own eternal good (compare
Rev 22:11).
