12 Then the spirit H7307 took me up, H5375 and I heard H8085 behind H310 me a voice H6963 of a great H1419 rushing, H7494 saying, Blessed H1288 be the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 from his place. H4725
Then the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 departed H3318 from off the threshold H4670 of the house, H1004 and stood H5975 over the cherubims. H3742 And the cherubims H3742 lifted up H5375 their wings, H3671 and mounted up H7426 from the earth H776 in my sight: H5869 when they went out, H3318 the wheels H212 also were beside H5980 them, and every one stood H5975 at the door H6607 of the east H6931 gate H8179 of the LORD'S H3068 house; H1004 and the glory H3519 of the God H430 of Israel H3478 was over them above. H4605
And G2532 I beheld, G1492 and G2532 I heard G191 the voice G5456 of many G4183 angels G32 round about G2943 the throne G2362 and G2532 the beasts G2226 and G2532 the elders: G4245 and G2532 the number G706 of them G846 was G2258 ten thousand G3461 times ten thousand, G3461 and G2532 thousands G5505 of thousands; G5505 Saying G3004 with a loud G3173 voice, G5456 Worthy G514 is G2076 the Lamb G721 that was slain G4969 to receive G2983 power, G1411 and G2532 riches, G4149 and G2532 wisdom, G4678 and G2532 strength, G2479 and G2532 honour, G5092 and G2532 glory, G1391 and G2532 blessing. G2129 And G2532 every G3956 creature G2938 which G3739 is G2076 in G1722 heaven, G3772 and G2532 on G1722 the earth, G1093 and G2532 under G5270 the earth, G1093 and G2532 such as G3739 are G2076 in G1909 the sea, G2281 and G2532 all G3956 that are in G1722 them, G846 heard I G191 saying, G3004 Blessing, G2129 and G2532 honour, G5092 and G2532 glory, G1391 and G2532 power, G2904 be unto him that sitteth G2521 upon G1909 the throne, G2362 and G2532 unto the Lamb G721 for G1519 ever G165 and ever. G165 And G2532 the four G5064 beasts G2226 said, G3004 Amen. G281 And G2532 the four G5064 and twenty G1501 elders G4245 fell down G4098 and G2532 worshipped G4352 him that liveth G2198 for G1519 ever G165 and ever. G165
In the five H2568 and twentieth H6242 year H8141 of our captivity, H1546 in the beginning H7218 of the year, H8141 in the tenth H6218 day of the month, H2320 in the fourteenth H702 H6240 year H8141 after H310 that the city H5892 was smitten, H5221 in the selfsame H6106 day H3117 the hand H3027 of the LORD H3068 was upon me, and brought H935 me thither. In the visions H4759 of God H430 brought H935 he me into the land H776 of Israel, H3478 and set H5117 me upon a very H3966 high H1364 mountain, H2022 by which was as the frame H4011 of a city H5892 on the south. H5045
Then did the cherubims H3742 lift up H5375 their wings, H3671 and the wheels H212 beside H5980 them; and the glory H3519 of the God H430 of Israel H3478 was over them above. H4605 And the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 went up H5927 from the midst H8432 of the city, H5892 and stood H5975 upon the mountain H2022 which is on the east side H6924 of the city. H5892 Afterwards the spirit H7307 took me up, H5375 and brought H935 me in a vision H4758 by the Spirit H7307 of God H430 into Chaldea, H3778 to them of the captivity. H1473 So the vision H4758 that I had seen H7200 went up H5927 from me.
Then a cloud H6051 covered H3680 the tent H168 of the congregation, H4150 and the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 filled H4390 the tabernacle. H4908 And Moses H4872 was not able H3201 to enter H935 into the tent H168 of the congregation, H4150 because the cloud H6051 abode H7931 thereon, and the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 filled H4390 the tabernacle. H4908
Bless H1288 the LORD, H3068 ye his angels, H4397 that excel H1368 in strength, H3581 that do H6213 his commandments, H1697 hearkening H8085 unto the voice H6963 of his word. H1697 Bless H1288 ye the LORD, H3068 all ye his hosts; H6635 ye ministers H8334 of his, that do H6213 his pleasure. H7522
Blessed H1288 be the LORD H3068 God, H430 the God H430 of Israel, H3478 who only doeth H6213 wondrous things. H6381 And blessed H1288 be his glorious H3519 name H8034 for ever: H5769 and let the whole earth H776 be filled H4390 with his glory; H3519 Amen, H543 and Amen. H543
And she named H7121 the child H5288 Ichabod, H350 saying, H559 The glory H3519 is departed H1540 from Israel: H3478 because H413 the ark H727 of God H430 was taken, H3947 and because of her father in law H2524 and her husband. H376 And she said, H559 The glory H3519 is departed H1540 from Israel: H3478 for the ark H727 of God H430 is taken. H3947
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Ezekiel 3
Commentary on Ezekiel 3 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 3
Eze 3:1-27. 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.
1. eat … and … speak—God's messenger must first inwardly appropriate God's truth himself, before he "speaks" it to others (see on Eze 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; 119:103; Re 10:9, where, as here in Eze 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 1Co 14:21 with Isa 28:11).
had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened—(Mt 11:21, 23).
7. will not hearken unto thee: for … not … me—(Joh 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 (De 33:9).
9. As … flint—so Messiah the antitype (Isa 50:7; compare Jer 1:8, 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 Pr 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 (Eze 3:5, 6).
12. (Ac 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" (Ezr 9:3; La 1:1-3), 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 (Eze 1:3, 4), after their departure from Jerusalem. They now are heard moving with the "voice of a great rushing (compare Ac 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 (Eze 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 Jews' 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 (2Ki 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; 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 (2Ti 4:2, "in season, out of season"; Ac 20:31, "night and day with tears").
save—Eze 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—(Joh 8:21, 24). Men are not to flatter themselves that their ignorance, owing to the negligence of their teachers, will save them (Ro 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, 5; Ac 20:26).
20. righteous … turn from … righteousness—not one "righteous" as to the root and spirit of regeneration (Ps 89:33; 138:8; Isa 26:12; 27:3; Joh 10:28; Php 1:6), but as to its outward appearance and performances. So the "righteous" (Pr 18:17; Mt 9:13). As in Eze 3:19 the minister is required to lead the wicked to good, so in Eze 3:20 he is to confirm the well-disposed in their duty.
commit iniquity—that is, give himself up wholly to it (1Jo 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, 14), but God gives men over to judicial blindness, and to their own corruptions (Ps 9:16, 17; 94:23) when they "like not to retain God in their knowledge" (Ro 1:24, 26); just as, on the contrary, God makes "the way of the righteous plain" (Pr 4:11, 12; 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 (1Ki 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 (1Ki 22:21-23).
his blood will I require—(Heb 13:17).
22. hand of the Lord—(Eze 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—(Eze 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 2Co 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 (1Sa 7:2; Am 8:11, 12).
27. when I speak … I will open thy mouth—opposed to the silence imposed on the prophet, to punish the people (Eze 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 Re 22:11).