Bible Commentaries

Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and see ^a not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they [are] a rebellious house.

(a) That is, they receive not the fruit of that which they see and hear.

In their sight shalt thou bear [it] upon [thy] shoulders, [and] carry [it] forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou mayest not see the ground: for I have set thee [for] a ^b sign to the house of Israel.

(b) That as you do, so shall they do, and therefore in you they will see their own plague and punishment.

Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to thee, What ^c doest thou?

(c) Do they not deride your doings?

My net also will I spread upon ^d him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon [to] the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

(d) When the king will think to escape by fleeing, I will take him into my net, as in (Ezekiel 32:3).

But I will leave a ^e few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they come; and they shall know that I [am] the LORD.

(e) Who would bear his Name, and would be his Church.

Son of man, what [is] that proverb [that] ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days ^f are prolonged, and every vision faileth?

(f) Because they did not immediately see the prophecies accomplished, they contemned them as though they would never be fulfilled.

Son of man, behold, [they of] the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth [is] for ^g many days [to come], and he prophesieth of the times [that are] distant.

(g) That is, it will not come to pass in our days, and therefore we care not for it: thus the wicked ever abuse God's patience and benignity.