The word of the Lord came unto me, saying. The word of prophecy, as the Targum; the vision of the cherubim being over, this, very likely, immediately followed upon the former; though the exact time of the prophecy cannot be fixed, because the date is not given; it must be between the sixth month of the sixth year of Jehoiachin's captivity, Ezekiel 8:1 ; and the fifth month of the seventh year, Ezekiel 20:1 . read more
Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house ,.... The captives in Babylon, who murmured at their present condition and circumstances, and looked upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem to be in happy ones, and believed they would continue in them, as the false prophets persuaded them; not believing the prophets of the Lord; and encouraged them to stand out against the king of Babylon, repenting that they had surrendered to him, and hoped they should by their means be delivered see... read more
Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing ,.... Or, "vessels of captivity" F19 כלי גולה "vasa transmigrationis", Pagninus, Montanus, Starckius; "instrumenta migrationis", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus. , such as persons take along with them when they go a journey, or into a far country; such as a staff, scrip, purse, shoes, &c.; or household goods; such as tables, chairs, and the like, which are removed when a person goes from one house to... read more
Then shall thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight ,.... Bring it forth, that they may be spectators of it; and "by day", that it might be manifest to them what was carried out; and this day by day, till all was removed: as stuff for removing ; that is intended to be removed from one place to another, and is carried away in the daytime, in the view of everyone: and thou shall go forth at even in their sight ; as a man, having removed his goods in the daytime, goes forth... read more
Dig thou through the wall in their sight ,.... The wall of the house where he was, as an emblem of the city of Jerusalem closely besieged, from whence there was no escape but by digging through the wall this showed the manner in which Zedekiah made his escape, by the way of the gate, between the two walls which was by the king's garden, Jeremiah 52:7 ; and carry out thereby ; not his stuff, as before; but provisions for himself, necessary for his journey or flight; as no doubt Zedekiah... read more
In their sight shall thou bear it upon thy shoulders ,.... The bundle, packed up for his use and service, carried out through the wall dug by him. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it, as if he himself was to be carried out upon the shoulders of another, thus: "in their sight, upon the shoulders, thou shall be carried"; but the former sense is best: and carry it forth in the twilight ; signifying the same as before: thou shall cover thy face, that thou see not... read more
And I did so as I was commanded ,.... Though it might seem ridiculous in the sight of men, and he be bantered and despised for it; yet, it being the will of God, he was obedient to it; as it becomes the servants of the Lord to be with all readiness and cheerfulness; even in things for which they may be laughed at by others: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity ; brought his goods out of his house, in order to be had to another place, as a type of the captivity of his... read more
And in the morning came the word of the Lord unto me, saying. That is, in the morning after he had done all the above things commanded him; explaining the meaning of them, and showing to whom they belonged. read more
Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house , said unto thee ,.... The Jews that were in captivity; for with these the prophet was, and before their eyes he had done the above things; and they only could put the following question to him, who were "the rebellious house"; Ezekiel 12:2 ; what dost thou ? this they put not seriously, as desirous of being informed what was meant by all this; but as deriding the prophet for acting such a weak and silly part: this the... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 12:1-16
Perhaps Ezekiel reflected with so much pleasure upon the vision he had had of the glory of God that often, since it went up from him, he was wishing it might come down to him again, and, having seen it once and a second time, he was willing to hope he might be a third time so favoured; but we do not find that he ever saw it any more, and yet the word of the Lord comes to him; for God did in divers manners speak to the fathers (Heb. 1:1) and they often heard the words of God when they did not... read more