Bible Commentaries

This roll he was commanded to eat. The writing on the roll was a roll of lamentations and mourning and woe. The prophet declared that having eaten the roll, he found it in his mouth "as honey for sweetness," and by this declaration reveals that whereas the ministry he was about to exercise would be difficult, yet he himself was in perfect accord with the purpose of God and found delight in His will. It may be also that he already recognized that beyond the reprobation with which he would have to deal, restoration was in the purpose of God.

After eating the roll the prophet still heard the voice speaking to him, announcing what his equipment for the fulfilment of his mission would be, warning him of the difficulties awaiting him, in that the house of Israel would not hearken, having become hard of forehead, and stiff of heart, promising him that he would be strengthened for his work by similar hardness of face and of forehead, and charging him to be loyal to the word of the Lord. Then in an interval he was lifted up by the Spirit, and heard a great ascription of praise to the glory of Jehovah, and again was made conscious of the activity of Deity by the symbolism of the wings of the living creatures and the noise of the wheels. In bitterness and heat of spirit he came to the midst of the captives, where he sat "astonished" for seven days.

The word of Jehovah then came to him again, laying on him his responsibilities anew. He was reminded of the source of the message, and told that his first responsibility was hearing, and his second, speech; and, moreover, that if he failed the blood of the unwarned would be required at his hands. Once again he was called into the plain, where he saw the glory of Jehovah, as he had seen it by the river. The Spirit strengthening him, a double charge was laid on him, the first of which was silence, and the second, speech.