Ezekiel 2 Study Notes

2:1 The expression son of man occurs about ninety times in the book of Ezekiel. It should be distinguished from the same phrase in Dn 7:13, where it reflects a messianic title that was used in intertestamental Judaism and in the Gospels. Unlike the usage in Dn 7:13, Ezekiel’s usage of the phrase can mean simply a “member of humanity.” It could also be translated, “descendants of Adam.” On stand up on your feet, see Dn 10:11; Ac 26:16.

2:2 The same Spirit of God that activated the chariot wheels (1:12,19; 10:16-17) and the living beings now entered Ezekiel. The Spirit would supply the strength to accomplish Ezekiel’s prophetic ministry. It is not in our power to obey what God commands us. He must supply the power. In OT times, the Holy Spirit did not indwell all believers but came upon selected persons temporarily for a specific service (3:24; Ex 31:1-11; 1Sm 10:9-11; Ps 51:11).

2:3 Normally in the OT the Israelites are referred to as a “people” (Hb ‘am) and Gentiles as “nations” (Hb goyim). Here the designations are reversed. The traditional language of election has been turned on its head so that the Gentiles have become an am (Hb for a “people”) while Israel has become goyim (pagans). The Scriptures characteristically call foreigners goyim, a sign of disgrace and reproach. The people of God have become no different than the pagan people around them. According to 3:5-7, the problem was not intellectual but spiritual. The phrase who have rebelled against me is used of subjects who refused to be loyal to their king (17:15; 2Kg 18:7).

2:4 The term obstinate often occurs in the phrase stiff of neck, stubborn. It was used to describe Pharaoh’s disposition (Ex 7:3) and thus emphatically illustrates the resistance of the people to Ezekiel’s message. The Israelites had become the open enemies of God. The obstinate nature of the nation was later illustrated by their rejection of the Messiah (Ac 7:51-52).

2:5 The phrase a rebellious house occurs frequently in Ezekiel; instead of the “house of Israel,” a common phrase describing God’s people, they have become the “house of rebellion.” The phrase they will know contains a shortened version of what is known as the recognition formula: “They will know that I am the Lord.” The recognition formula occurs ninety-two times in Ezekiel. It is an intentional link to the frequent occurrence of the phrase in the book of Exodus. The criterion of true prophecy lies in the prophet’s certainty that God had sent him (Is 6:8-10; Jr 1:4-10; Am 7:15). God’s Word is absolutely true, no matter how it is received (Is 55:11; 2Co 2:15-16).

2:6 The word thorns was a standard figure of speech for hostility (28:24; Mc 7:4).

2:7-8 It was vital that Ezekiel be faithful to deliver God’s message to the rebellious people.

2:9 Some scrolls could be very long; one of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls measured approximately twenty-four feet in length. Normally scrolls were written on only one side, but papyrus scrolls in ancient Egypt and later in the Greco-Roman period could be written on both sides. The scroll and Ezekiel’s consumption of it in the vision are reminiscent of references in the book of Revelation (Rv 5; 6; 10:9-10).

2:10 The lament or dirge is thought to derive from the mournful dirges that were wailed at funerals. See the lament over the deaths of Saul and Jonathan (2Sm 1:17), as well as the lament over Josiah’s death (2Ch 35:25). Ezekiel will later lament for the princes of Israel (19:2-14). The scroll was saturated with words of judgment. See Zch 5:3 and Rv 5:1 for the same figure.