Ezekiel 2

King James Version

Full text for Ezekiel Chapter 2

1¶ And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

2And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.

3And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, [even] unto this very day.

4For [they are] impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.

5And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they [are] a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

6¶ And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns [be] with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they [be] a rebellious house.

7And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they [are] most rebellious.

8But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.

9And when I looked, behold, an hand [was] sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book [was] therein;

10And he spread it before me; and it [was] written within and without: and [there was] written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

God commissions Ezekiel, addressing him as "Son of man" and empowering him with His Spirit. Ezekiel is sent to the rebellious house of Israel, who have transgressed against God for generations. He is commanded to speak God's words without fear, regardless of their reception, and is shown a scroll filled with lamentations, mourning, and woe.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with God addressing Ezekiel as "Son of man" and commanding him to stand, empowering him with the Spirit to hear His message. God commissions Ezekiel to go to the children of Israel, whom He describes as a rebellious nation, stiffhearted, and impudent, having transgressed against Him. Ezekiel's mission is to deliver God's message, ensuring that even if they refuse to listen, they will know a prophet has been among them. He is explicitly warned not to fear their opposition, despite dwelling among those likened to briers, thorns, and scorpions. Crucially, Ezekiel is also admonished not to be rebellious himself, but to hear and obey God's command. The vision concludes with a hand presenting Ezekiel a scroll, written on both sides, containing messages of "lamentations, and mourning, and woe."

Long Summary

Ezekiel chapter 2 begins with a divine command to the prophet, addressed as "Son of man," to stand upon his feet so that God might speak to him. Immediately, the Spirit of the LORD enters Ezekiel, enabling him to obey and hear the divine voice. God then reveals the purpose of Ezekiel's calling: he is to be sent to the children of Israel, whom God repeatedly characterizes as a "rebellious nation." This rebellion is deep-seated, extending from their fathers to the present day, marked by impudence and stiffheartedness. Ezekiel's primary task is to deliver the words of the Lord God to this defiant people. A key aspect of his mission is that the outcome of their hearing or forbearing is secondary; the essential point is that they "shall know that there hath been a prophet among them." The Lord strongly admonishes Ezekiel not to be afraid of the Israelites, despite their hostile nature, likening them to briers, thorns, and scorpions, and their looks to be dismaying. He is to speak God's words faithfully, regardless of their reception, because they are "most rebellious." Furthermore, Ezekiel himself is cautioned against adopting the rebellious spirit of the house of Israel. Instead, he is commanded to "open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee," signifying the complete internalization of the divine message. Following this instruction, Ezekiel sees a hand extended towards him, holding a "roll of a book" or scroll. This scroll is notably written on both the front and back, indicating a full and comprehensive message. The contents of the scroll are explicitly stated to be "lamentations, and mourning, and woe," foreshadowing the severe judgment and sorrow that Ezekiel is commissioned to proclaim.

Core Concepts

  • Divine CommissionGod addresses Ezekiel as "Son of man," empowers him with His Spirit, and formally sends him to the children of Israel to deliver His message.
  • Rebellious IsraelThe children of Israel are repeatedly described as a "rebellious nation," "impudent children," and "stiffhearted," having transgressed against God for generations.
  • Prophetic MandateEzekiel is commanded to speak God's words to Israel, regardless of whether they listen or not, so that they will know a prophet has been among them.
  • Fearlessness RequiredEzekiel is explicitly warned not to fear the hostile and rebellious people, despite their opposition and the challenging environment he is sent into.
  • Obedience of the ProphetEzekiel is cautioned not to be rebellious himself, unlike the house of Israel, but to hear God's words and internalize them by 'eating' what is given to him.
  • The Scroll of JudgmentA scroll is presented to Ezekiel, written on both sides, containing messages of "lamentations, and mourning, and woe," symbolizing the severe and sorrowful message he is to proclaim.