Ezekiel 3:2-3

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 3:1-15

These verses are fitly joined by some translators to the foregoing chapter, as being of a piece with it and a continuation of the same vision. The prophets received the word from God that they might deliver it to the people of God, furnished themselves that they might furnish them with the knowledge of the mind and will of God. Now here the prophet is taught, I. How he must receive divine revelation himself, Ezek. 3:1. Christ (whom he saw upon the throne, Ezek. 1:26) said to him, ?Son of man,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 3:2

So I opened my mouth ,.... To take in the roll, and eat it; he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision; he did all that he could towards eating it, but was not sufficient of himself; and therefore it follows: and he caused me to eat that roll ; he, the Lord, put it into his mouth, caused him to eat it, and tilled him with it, according to his promise, Psalm 81:10 . The efficacy and sufficiency to think of good things, to meditate upon them, receive and digest them, are of God; it is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 3:3

And he said unto me, son of man, cause thy belly to eat ,.... Or "devour" F6 תאכל "devoret, consumat", Vatablus. , and consume; that is, concoct and digest; do not cast it out of thy mouth, as soon as thou hast tasted of it; but let it go down into the stomach, and there digest it; and from thence into the belly, that so, upon the whole, virtue may be received, and nourishment come by it: and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee ; eat to satiety; so the Targum, "son... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 3:3

It was in my mouth as honey - It was joyous to me to receive the Divine message, to be thus let into the secrets of the Divine counsel, and I promised myself much comfort in that intimate acquaintance with which I was favored by the Supreme Being. In Revelation 10:10 ; we find St. John receiving a little book, which he ate, and found it sweet as honey in his mouth, but after he had eaten it, it made his belly bitter, signifying that a deep consideration of the awful matter contained in... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 3:3

Verse 3 Ezekiel, as we have just seen, proceeds to say, that a book was given him to eat, because God’s servants ought to speak from the inmost affection of their heart. We know that many have a tongue sufficiently fluent, but use it only for ostentation: meanwhile, God treats their vanity as a laughing stock, because their labor is fruitless. Hence we must observe the passage of Paul already quoted, “the kingdom of God is with power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20.) But the efficacy of the Holy Spirit... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 3:1-3

Eating a book. I. THE FOOD PROVIDED . 1 . This is in the form of literature. Ezekiel receives a written roll. All good literature is mental food—not merely a plaything or a sweetmeat, but soul stuff for sustaining intellectual life and promoting mental growth. God feeds our highest nature through literature. His Spirit comes through his Truth, his Truth is revealed in his Word, and his Word is contained in a book—the Bible. 2 . This must be taken as it is provided. Ezekiel... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 3:3

It was in my mouth as honey, etc. The words remind us of Psalms 19:10 ; Proverbs 24:13 ; and again of those of Jeremiah in the darkest hour of his ministry ( Jeremiah 15:16 ). They are reproduced yet more closely by St. John ( Revelation 10:9 ). There is, after the first terror is over, an infinite sweetness in the thought of being a fellow worker with God, of speaking his words and not our own. In the case of St. John, the first sweetness was changed to bitterness as soon as he... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ezekiel 3:1-3

Ezekiel 3:1-3. Son of man, eat that which thou findest Chaldee, that which is given thee. Eat this roll Receive into thy mind and heart, as certain and important truth, what is written therein: see note on Ezekiel 2:8-9. So I opened my mouth, &c. In my vision I thought I readily complied with God’s command, and ate the roll which he ordered me to eat. This was a sort of symbolical introduction of Ezekiel to the prophetic office, whereby he was fitted for, and enabled to discharge... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 3:1-15

Sent to a stubborn people (2:1-3:15)In contrast to the glorious and almighty God, Ezekiel is addressed merely as ‘son of man’. This was a Hebrew phrase which here simply means ‘man’ (GNB: mortal man) and which is used consistently throughout the book when Ezekiel is addressed (2:1-2). God was going to send Ezekiel with his message to his rebellious people (3). Ezekiel was warned that he might suffer cruel treatment at the hands of his countrymen, but he had to persevere. Whether they heeded his... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Ezekiel 3:3

Then did I eat . Compare Revelation 10:10 . as honey , &c. Compare Psalms 19:10 ; Psalms 119:103 .Jeremiah 15:16 . read more

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