Ezekiel 3

King James Version

Full text for Ezekiel Chapter 3

1¶ Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.

2So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.

3And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat [it]; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

4And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.

5For thou [art] not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, [but] to the house of Israel;

6Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.

7But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel [are] impudent and hardhearted.

8Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.

9As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they [be] a rebellious house.

10Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.

11And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.

12Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, [saying], Blessed [be] the glory of the LORD from his place.

13[I heard] also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.

14So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

15Then I came to them of the captivity at Telabib, that dwelt by the river of Chebar, and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

16¶ And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

17Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

18When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

19Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

20Again, When a righteous [man] doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

21Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous [man], that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

22¶ And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.

23Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

24Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.

25But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them:

26And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: for they [are] a rebellious house.

27But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they [are] a rebellious house.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The LORD commands Ezekiel to eat a scroll, which tastes sweet, symbolizing the internalization of God's word. He is then sent to the rebellious house of Israel, who will not hearken, but God strengthens Ezekiel against their opposition. Ezekiel is appointed as a watchman, responsible for warning both the wicked and the righteous, with dire consequences if he fails.

Medium Summary

Ezekiel is instructed by the LORD to eat a scroll, which he does, finding it sweet as honey, signifying the reception of divine revelation. He is commissioned to speak God's words to the house of Israel, who are described as impudent and hardhearted, and will not listen. The LORD strengthens Ezekiel, making his forehead like adamant, so he need not fear their rebellious nature. After being transported by the Spirit to the exiles at Telabib, Ezekiel sits astonished for seven days. Subsequently, God appoints him as a watchman, tasking him with warning the people of their sins, lest their blood be required at his hand. The chapter concludes with Ezekiel being confined and made temporarily mute, with God controlling when he speaks to the rebellious house.

Long Summary

The chapter begins with the LORD commanding Ezekiel, the son of man, to eat a scroll, which he consumes, finding it sweet as honey in his mouth. This act symbolizes the prophet's full internalization and acceptance of God's message. Ezekiel is then explicitly commissioned to go to the house of Israel and speak God's words to them, emphasizing that he is not sent to a foreign people of strange language. However, the LORD forewarns Ezekiel that the house of Israel will not hearken to him because they are impudent and hardhearted, having rejected God Himself. To prepare Ezekiel for this difficult task, the LORD strengthens him, making his face and forehead as hard as adamant, instructing him not to fear their rebellious looks. The Spirit then lifts Ezekiel up, accompanied by the sound of rushing wings and wheels, transporting him to the exiles at Telabib by the river Chebar. Ezekiel remains there, astonished among them, for seven days. After this period, the word of the LORD comes to him again, appointing him as a watchman over the house of Israel. This role carries immense responsibility: if Ezekiel fails to warn the wicked, their blood will be required at his hand, though if he warns them and they do not turn, they will die in their iniquity, but Ezekiel will have delivered his soul. Similarly, if a righteous man turns to iniquity and is not warned, his blood will be required from Ezekiel. Finally, the LORD commands Ezekiel to shut himself within his house, and makes his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth, rendering him temporarily dumb. God declares that Ezekiel will only speak when the LORD opens his mouth, to deliver specific messages to the rebellious house of Israel, whether they choose to hear or forbear.

Core Concepts

  • Eating the ScrollEzekiel is commanded to eat a scroll, which tastes sweet as honey. This act symbolizes the prophet's complete internalization and acceptance of God's word before delivering it to the people.
  • Rebellious IsraelThe house of Israel is characterized as impudent and hardhearted, unwilling to hearken to God's words. This highlights the challenging nature of Ezekiel's prophetic mission.
  • Divine EmpowermentGod strengthens Ezekiel, making his face and forehead as hard as adamant against the people's opposition. This ensures the prophet's fortitude and fearlessness in delivering the divine message.
  • The Watchman's RoleEzekiel is appointed as a watchman for the house of Israel, responsible for warning both the wicked and the righteous of their sins. This role carries a heavy burden of accountability for the lives of the people.
  • Accountability for WarningThe chapter details the consequences for the watchman: if he fails to warn, the blood of the unwarned will be required from him. If he warns, he delivers his soul, regardless of the people's response.
  • Temporary Muteness and ConfinementEzekiel is commanded to remain confined in his house and is made temporarily mute. His ability to speak is controlled by God, emphasizing divine sovereignty over the prophetic message and its timing.