Ezekiel 3

Ezekiel 3:1

HE said unto me] Namely, he that had spoken to him in the precedent Chapter, which was very likely to be he which sate upon the Throne.

eat that] All this was done in visions, to represent the deep impression of the word of God in the heart of his Ministers, who must apprehend it by faith, and digest it by meditation; for to utter it not as a meer narration, but as a quick and lively doctrine.

findest] Namely, that I give thee, whatsoever it be, sweet or bitter, hard or soft, pleasing or displeasing: to signifie that Ministers ought to follow their vocation freely, without contradiction or doubt.

eat this roll] Revelation 10:9.

Ezekiel 3:3

eat it] Revelation 10:9. Jeremiah 15:16.

it was in my mouth] The office of a Prophet at first seemed pleasant to me, by reason of the excellencie of revelations; the communication with God the profit that might hence come to the Church; and the honour which God did then do me, by the seal of his grace: but the bitternesse followed afterwards, vers. 14.

Ezekiel 3:5

For thou] That is, I will not imploy thee in preaching to strange and barbarous Nation, as Jonah and others, but thou shalt preach onely to thine own Nation, which should be a pleasure and comfort to thee, and should strengthen thee in zeale and vertue.

of a strange speech, &c.] Heb. deep of lip, and heavy of tongue; and so vers. 6.

Ezekiel 3:6

of a strange speech, and of an hard language] Heb. deep of lip, and heavy of language.

surely, had I sent thee, &c.] Or, if I had sent thee, &c. would they not have hearkned unto thee? Or, albeit I had not sent thee, (but thou hadst gone of thine own accord) yet they, &c.

Ezekiel 3:7

for they will not hearken] John 15. 20.

Ezekiel 3:8

strong against] God promiseth his assistance to his Ministers, and that he will give them boldnesse and constancy in their vocation, Isaiah 50:7. Jeremiah 1:18. Mich. 3. 8.

Ezekiel 3:9

As an adamant] Jeremiah 15:20.

fear them not] Jeremiah 1:8.

Ezekiel 3:10

receive in thine heart] He sheweth what is meant by the eating of the book, which is, that the Ministers of God may speak nothing as of themselves, but that onely which they have received of the Lord.

Ezekiel 3:11

whether they will hear] Chap. 2. 5.

Ezekiel 3:12

the Spirit] That is, Gods Spirit, by which the Prophet was taken up, and corporally transported from the place where he had sn the vision, to the chief residence of his countrey-men, which were captives in Babylon; a thing which did often befall the Prophets, 1 Kings 18:12. 2 Kings 2:16. Acts 8:39.

Blessed be] Whereby he signifieth, that Gods glory should not be diminished, although he departed out of his Temple; for this declared, that the Citie and Temple should be destroyed.

Ezekiel 3:13

touched] Heb. kissed.

Ezekiel 3:14

in bitternesse] Heb. bitter. After I had well thought upon the subject of my prophecies, and of my commission, finding them full of miseries for my Nation, and of the dangers and troubles for my self.

heat of my spirit] Heb. hot anger.

hand of the LORD] That is to say, the power of Gods Spirit made me to overcome all these fleshly apprehensions. Isaiah 8:11. Jeremiah 1:9.

Ezekiel 3:15

at Tel-abib] Which was a place of Mesopotamia, where the Jews were prisoners.

astonished] By these dolefull Prophecies, and mine unlooked for vocation.

seven dayes] Declaring hereby, that Gods Ministers must with advisement and deliberation utter his judgment.

Ezekiel 3:17

Sonne of man] Chap. 33. 7.

I have made thee a watchman] Isaiah 21:11. & Isaiah 52:8. & Isaiah 56:10. Jerem. 6. 17. Hosea 9:8. That is, a Prophet; of this read Chap. 33. 2.

Ezekiel 3:18

When I say] When I shall have given thee commission to say so to him from me.

surely die] By some notable punishment or casualty, which is a signe and forerunner of eternall punishment.

I require] I will in part hold thee guiltie of his death, and shall make thee bear the punishment of it.

Ezekiel 3:20

righteous man] Chap. 18. 24. If he that hath been instructed in the right way turn back.

righteousnesse] Heb. righteousnesses.

a stumbling-block] I will give him up to a reprobate minde, Romans 1:28. others, some casualty, danger, or occasion of death, into which he shall runne himself: Or, by my just and provident administration I will turn against him his own iniquity, whereby he shall fall, as by a stumbling-block. Psalm. 94. 23. and 64. 8.

righteousnesse] Heb. righteousnesses; so Isaiah 64:4. or righteous deeds, which seemed to have been done in faith, and were not.

Ezekiel 3:21

warn the righteous] He that hearkeneth to good admonition, and forsaketh sinne, in publike calamities, God will shew him mercy. Proverbs 28:13. Jeremiah 31:20.

Ezekiel 3:22

And the hand of the LORD] That is, the Spirit of prophecie, as Chap. 1. 3.

Ezekiel 3:23

the glorie of the LORD] Meaning the vision of the Cherubims, and the wheels; or Jehovah, appearing in a glorious or magnificent form.

saw by the river] Chap. 1.

I fell on my face] Chap. 1. 28.

Ezekiel 3:24

set me upon my feet] Read Chap. 2. 2.

shut thy self] Signifying, that not onely he should not profit, but they should grievously trouble and afflict him.

Ezekiel 3:25

put bands upon thee] Chap. 4. 8.

shall binde thee] In vision thou shalt think that thou art bound with cords, for a signe of God straitly forbidding thee. Others think that God foretelleth him, that he shall be shut up by those of his own houshold, a, as if he were beside himself, as Prophets often seemed to be, Mark 3:21.

Ezekiel 3:26

dumb] Which declareth the terrible plague of the Lord, when God stoppeth the mouthes of his Ministers, and that all such are the rods of his vengeance that do it; the contrary is promised as a blessing, Chap. 24. 27. Isaiah 38:20.

a reprover] Heb. a man reproving.

Ezekiel 3:27

But when] Thou shalt remain thus dumb, untill I come to thee again by propheticall revelation. It should seem that this continued but till the next vision.