Ezekiel 3:15

15. Tel-abib This was the name of the village where most of the Hebrew community seems to have resided, on the river Chebar. (Compare Ezekiel 1:3.) The meaning of the term is given differently by different scholars; for example, Kuenen, following the Vulgate, “Cornear Hill;” Fred. Delitzsch, “Forest Hill;” more recently, “Mound of the Storm” (Pinches), or, “Hill of the Deluge” (Haupt). All over Mesopotamia are ancient mounds, or “tells.” This word may indicate that the Israelites resided on or near the ruins of an ancient city (Abib).

I sat where they sat Literally, to where they lived. Toy translates the latter half of the verse, “and sat there among them seven days dismayed.”

Astonished… seven days Kautzsch, “staring;” that is, dumb and motionless. This does not seem to have been a silence commanded of God, such as occurred later (Ezekiel 3:26). God had again and again commanded Ezekiel to “speak” (Ezekiel 2:4; Ezekiel 2:7; Ezekiel 3:4; Ezekiel 3:11); but through bitterness of spirit the prophet remained silent. The vision was over, and he found himself, as if carried by the wind, before the very people whom Jehovah had commanded him to rebuke. But they were his neighbors and countrymen, and companions in affliction, and for seven days the prophet remained silent. Perhaps he was physically overcome by the vision, perhaps humility and lack of self-confidence may partially explain this conduct, but more probably it was a deep repugnance to the task assigned him. He only remained on the spot because the hand of the Lord “was heavy upon him” (Ezekiel 3:14). His body was controlled by that Hand as if he, too, were a “wheel” or a “living creature;” yet his tongue was free, and his rebellious spirit refused to utter the awful message which he had seen written in the roll (Ezekiel 2:9; Job 2:13).