Bible Commentaries

Ezekiel 2:1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

Ver. 1. And he said unto me.] Christus solio sic insit ab alto. Christ from his lofty throne thus bespake me, who had now my mouth in the dust, and had no more to say but this, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth."

Son of man.] So this prophet is called almost a hundred times in this book; four times in this short chapter. The reason hereof I take to be this, saith a judicious divine, ^(a) he had visions both more in number and more rare in kind revealed unto him than any other prophet had. Now lest he should be exalted out of measure, through the abundance of revelations, the Lord often putteth him in mind of his estate by nature, that he was but a "son of man," a mortal man, even a worm.

Stand upon thy feet.] God, for good ends, casteth down sometimes those that are dearest to himself; but then he comforteth the abject. [2 Corinthians 7:6]

“ Deiecit ut relevet, premit ut solaria praestet. ”

And I will speak unto thee.] So Daniel 10:11. Oracles are for standers, not prostrate ones. They require utmost attention of body, intention of mind, and retention of memory. See Numbers 23:18, 3:20. {See Trapp on "Numbers 23:18"} {See Trapp on " 3:20"}

Ezekiel 2:2 And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.

Ver. 2. And the Spirit entered into me.] This was right, when word and Spirit went together. See Isaiah 59:21. {See Trapp on "Isaiah 59:21"}

And set me upon my feet.] Called me off from earthly cares, and made me hear savingly. In the Scriptures the Holy Ghost speaketh ρητως, [1 Timothy 4:1] "Let him that hath ears to hear, hear," &c. Let him draw up the ears of his mind to those of his body, that one and the same sound may pierce both.

Ezekiel 2:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, [even] unto this very day.

Ver. 3. I send thee to the children of Israel.] So they will needs call themselves. But what saith God in Micah 2:7? "O thou that art named the house of Jacob, is the Spirit of the Lord straitened? are these his doings?" {See Trapp on "Micah 2:7"}

To a rebellious nation.] Heb., Gentiles. So the Jews call us Christians in scorn. So God calleth them here in great contempt "a rebellious nation." See Amos 9:7 Genres apostatrices, as the Vulgate here hath it. The Jews call the Turks Ishmaelites, the Ethiopians Cushites; but Christians they call Gojim, an abominable nation, and Mamzer-goll, a bastard people.

They and their fathers have transgressed against me.] A serpentine seed they are, a race of rebels; neither good egg nor bird, but mali corvi mala ova.

Even unto this very day.] Being nothing bettered by all that they have suffered. See Jeremiah 16:13, Isaiah 1:5.

Ezekiel 2:4 For [they are] impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.

Ver. 4. For they are impudent children.] Heb., Hard of face. Sin hath added such an impudence in their faces, that they can blush no more than a sackbut. Os tuum ferreum, saith Cicero to Piso, that brazen face of thine; and Durus hic vultus lachrimare nescit, thou canst not blush, much less bleed, for thine offences, saith Seneca to one.

And stiff hearted.] Duri cordes, incurvi cervicati, quosque citius fregeris quam flexeris, such as will sooner break than bend. Many of our hearers, alas! are no better. We do even wash a tile sheard, draw water with a sieve, &c.

I do send thee unto them.] About hard service; sed curare exegeris, non curationem, ^(a) It is the care, and not the cure, of the charge that is charged upon thee.

Thou shalt say unto them.] Proficiscere et prophetato. Thou shalt be as my mouth. [Jeremiah 15:19]

Ezekiel 2:5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they [are] a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

Ver. 5. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.] Some refractories will not so much as hear a minister of God; but bid him, as those old Italians once did the Roman ambassador, Ad quercus dicere, se interim alia acturos, speak to the posts; they had somewhat else to do than to give ear to them. See 1 Corinthians 1:22. Of those also that do hear, scarce the hundredth man believeth our report, saith Calvin; Nay, scarce the thousandth man, saith Chrysostom.

For they are a rebellious house.] This was small encouragement. Hence prophets have so hung off, as Moses, Isaiah, Jonah, Jeremiah, &c. Knox, when called first to preach, burst forth into abundance of tears. Bradford was hardly persuaded by Bucer to enter into the ministry, &c. ^(a)

Yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.] Let them prove incorrigible, they shall also prove inexcusable, and self-condemned. See 2 Corinthians 2:16. {See Trapp on "2 Corinthians 2:16"} Convinced they shall be, if not converted; and who knows how the word, now slighted, may hereafter work upon them? Saepe fit ut audientes verbum moleste, suscipiant fructuose, ^(b) They may better bethink themselves.

Ezekiel 2:6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns [be] with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they [be] a rebellious house.

Ver. 6. Be not afraid of them.] Of their lordly looks - such as Steven Gardiner set upon Dr Taylor, and was well told of it ^(a) - of their bitter scoffs, dreadful threats, as if they could undo us at their pleasure. Our times are in God’s hands; kill us they may, but hurt us they cannot. See Jeremiah 1:17, Matthew 10:25. When Bonner said to Hawkes, A faggot will make you turn; No, no, said Hawkes, a point for your faggot, you shall do no more than God permits you. ^(b) A minister of God should live by faith, and not die by fear. He should make his hearers afraid of him rather, as Herod was of the Baptist, Valens of Basil, &c. When Euxodia the Empress threatened Chrysostom, Go tell her, said he, that I fear nothing but sin. I will rather choose to die, said Calvin, than comply with those that refuse to submit to Church discipline.

Though briers (or rebels) and thorns be with thee.] Refractarii et spinei, ^(c) such as thou canst not handle without hurt, deal with without danger; [2 Samuel 23:6 Psalms 55:21; Psalms 58:10 Micah 7:4] catching, they are and scratching, as sharp pointed thorns. [Numbers 33:55]

And thou dost dwell among scorpions.] Which are most venomous and perilous creatures, joined with fiery serpents. [Deuteronomy 8:15] Pliny saith that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the sting to do mischief. ^(d) It is also a crafty creature, et occultis machinationibus ferit and it kills with hidden devices. The Church’s enemies are cruel crafties. [Nehemiah 4:11]

Be not afraid of their words.] Their bubbles of words.

Nor be dismayed at their looks.] Their swellings and browbeatings.

Though they be a rebellious house.] A race of rebels.

Ezekiel 2:7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they [are] most rebellious.

Ver. 7. And thou shalt speak my words.] God’s word must be spoken, however it be taken.

Whether they will hear.] See Ezekiel 2:5. Christ, once at least, preached away the most of his hearers. [John 6:66] Beza so delivered himself with that evidence and efficacy of truth in Colloquio Possiaceno, that Cardinal Lorrain wished that either he had been dumb, or that his hearers had been deaf. Too many of ours are so, &c.

For they are most rebellious.] Heb., Rebellion, in the abstract, as if they had been transformed into sin’s nature.

Ezekiel 2:8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.

Ver. 8. Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house.] It is no hard matter to symbolise with sinners. See Isaiah 6:5, with the note. To dwell among them is dangerous, for sin is catching, and often in epidemic proportions. Precious therefore, and worthy of all acceptation, is the apostle’s counsel. [Romans 12:2] Lawyers tell us that we must not look so much what men do at Rome, as what they ought to do.

Eat that I give thee,] i.e., The roll, [Ezekiel 2:9] that is, whatsoever I shall henceforth dictate unto thee, do thou get it by heart, digest it, propound it to the people, work it first upon thine own, and then upon the affections of thine hearers. See Rev. iv., and observe how alike the Lord dealt with Ezekiel and John the Divine.

Ezekiel 2:9 And when I looked, behold, an hand [was] sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book [was] therein;

Ver. 9. Behold, a hand was sent.] A hand from heaven. A hand is index rei et instrumentum operationis sign to the matter and the tool of working.

And, lo, a roll of a book.] ^(a) The Jews folded or rolled up their books upon a cedar stick, to preserve them from dust and other dangers. See on Isaiah 8:1.

Ezekiel 2:10 And he spread it before me; and it [was] written within and without: and [there was] written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

Ver. 10. And he spread it before me.] Till Christ unfold heavenly mysteries, men understand them not. [Revelation 5:5 Matthew 11:27 1 John 1:8-9; 1 John 5:15] He is the excellent interpreter.

And it was written within and without.] To show abundance of miseries coming on the Jews and others.

Lamentation, and mourning, and woe.] Foretold all along this volume till chapter 40; sad songs, doleful ditties. הזה, gemitus sicut columbae moaning like doves. [Isaiah 38:14]