Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 2:4
For [they are] impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.
4. for they are impudent children ] Rather, and the children are impudent and stiffhearted, to whom I send thee. The “children” are the present generation, who are like their fathers. Outwardly they are “impudent,” lit. hard in face, resolute and whose eyes do not quail before one that opposes them; and within they are strong of heart, unyielding and stubborn in will and feeling. The word here used of the face is said of the heart, ch. Eze 3:7, and the term applied to the heart is said of the face and forehead, ch. Eze 3:8. More often the term used of the face is applied to the neck, “stiffnecked” (Exo 33:3). For the idea comp. Isa 48:4, “I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass.”
Thus saith the Lord God ] lit. the Lord Jehovah. The word “Jehovah” was pronounced Adonai, “Lord,” and when Adonai, Lord, actually stood in the text, Jehovah was pronounced God, Elohim. In A.V. “God” is then printed in small capitals. This is what the prophet shall say on his part: “Thus saith the Lord Jehovah;” he shall announce himself a prophet from Jehovah, bearing his word. And the people shall eventually know that a prophet has been among them ( Eze 2:5). By various omissions LXX. reads Eze 2:3-4 in a shorter form: Son of man I send thee to the house of Israel, who provoke me; who have provoked me they and their fathers unto this day, Eze 2:4 and thou shalt say unto them, &c. This reading certainly reflects a more natural Hebrew sentence than our present text.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 4. Thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord] Let them know that what thou hast to declare is the message of the LORD, that they may receive it with reverence.
Every preacher of God’s word should take heed that it is God’s message he delivers to the people. Let him not suppose, because it is according to his own creed or confession of faith, that therefore it is God’s word. False doctrines and fallacies without end are foisted on the world in this way. Bring the creed first to the Word of God, and scrupulously try whether it be right; and when this is done, leave it where you please; take the Bible, and warn them from God’s word recorded there.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Impudent children; shameless, who cannot blush, else they could never have transgressed so highly, constantly, and obstinately. Sodom in her day did not hide her sin, nor blush; so did the Jews in Isaiahs times, so they did to the days of their captivity, and under the captivity.
Stiffhearted; hard-hearted, resolute, and strongly bent to do whatever liked them. Of disposition that relenteth not, but rather more confidently going on in evil.
I, who appeared in so much glory, and on the throne,
send thee unto them; give thee authority that thou mayst, and I give thee charge that thou must, go to them, and say unto them what I shall say unto thee. They will scoff and persecute, but I command; and remember whom thou hast seen, who is with thee.
Thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; be sure to tell them who sends thee, read the commission,
Thus saith, & c.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. impudentliterally,”hard-faced” (Eze 3:7;Eze 3:9).
childrenresumptive of”they” (Eze 2:3); the”children” walk in their “fathers'” steps.
I . . . send theeGodopposes His command to all obstacles. Duties are ours; events areGod’s.
Thus saith the Lord GodGodopposes His name to the obstinacy of the people.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For [they are] impudent children,…. “Hard of face” w; as is commonly said of impudent persons, that they are brasen faced; they had a whore’s forehead, and refused to be ashamed, and made their faces harder than a rock, Jer 3:3; they declared their sin as Sodam, and hid it not; they sinned openly, and could not blush at it:
and stiffhearted; or, “strong of heart” x; whose hearts were like an adamant stone, and harder than the nether millstone; impenitent, obdurate, and inflexible; they were not only stiff-necked, as Stephen says they were in his time, and always had been; but stiff-hearted; they were not subject to the law of God now, nor would they submit to the Gospel and ordinances of Christ in his time, and in the times of his apostles, nor to his righteousness, Ro 10:3;
I do send thee unto them; even to such as they are: this is a repetition, and a confirmation, of his mission; and suggests, that though they were such, he should not refuse to go to them, since he had sent him:
and thou shalt say unto them, thus saith the Lord God: that what he said came from the Lord, and was spoken in his name.
w “duri facie”, Pagninus, Vatablus, Calvin, Cocceius, Starckius. x “duri corde”, Pagninus, Montanus; “fortes carde”, Vatablus, Polanus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
God proceeds in the same discourse, but expresses in other words the great rebellion of the people, for they were not only obstinate and unbending in heart, but also of a contumacious countenance: therefore he places hardness in face as well as in heart. The words indeed are different, קשי , keshi, and חזקי, chezki, “of brazen countenance,” for we may translate “winked” and “contumacious,” for this disposition appears in the countenance, nor is it objectionable to render it “impudent.” But. propriety of speech must be retained; for we must speak of the robust of heart as “broken down,” or if the allusion seems more apposite, we must render it “of broken countenance,” then of “broken spirits,” as we call the wicked “brazen-fronted.” The meaning is, that the Jews were not only rebellious against God and puffed up with proud contempt, but their impiety was so desperate that they opposed themselves to God without disguise, as if they had been horned oxen or furious bulls. We know that hypocrisy often lies hid in the mind, and although men swell with malice, yet they do not betray what they inwardly nourish. But the Prophet here signifies that the Israelites were so immersed in impiety, that they displayed themselves as the open enemies of God in their very countenances. The result is, that the Prophet, while he applied himself to perform the commands of God, ought so to determine with himself, when he approaches the people, that his teaching would be not only useless as to them, because it would not be received with the reverence which it deserves, but would be even exposed to many reproaches: since the Israelites were not only filled with a hidden contempt of God, but they openly showed their ferocity, so to speak, since they were of so brazen a front that they would without doubt purposely reject the Prophet. They are hard-hearted children, etc. , yet I send thee unto them Here, again, God opposes his own command, as the Prophet simply acquiesces in this word alone, “I have a divine mission.” If he displeases men, he is content to have his labor approved of God. This is the meaning of the phrase which is now a second time repeated, I send thee unto them For the Prophet might object, What can I do? for if they are of a brazen heart and of an iron front, I shall labor in vain. But God answers in return, that the Prophet need not be anxious, it is enough to have a command: as if a prince should not explain the whole of his counsel to his ambassador, and yet should order him to discharge his embassy, thus God acts towards his servant. We see then how God here magnifies his authority: and we must mark this diligently, that we may not wish always to be bargaining with him, as we are accustomed. For unless God show us the present fruit of our labor, we languish, and so we endeavor by turning back to withdraw ourselves from his authority: but God opposes this single sentence, Behold I send thee The rest I leave till to-morrow.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) Impudent children.Literally, as in margin, hard of face. The epithet is repeated in Eze. 3:7, and it is with reference to this that in Eze. 3:7-8 the prophets face is to be made strong, and his forehead harder than flint. The Lord God is in the original the Lord Jehovah, the second name taking the pointing of, and being translated God, because of the word Lord preceding.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. For they are impudent children Literally, And the children are stiff-faced and stiff-hearted. “The children of Israel are first described as rebellious heathen (Eze 2:3), then as heartless children.” Curry. Centuries of disobedience had made them bold and stubborn, their brows like brass and their necks like iron sinews (Isa 48:4; Exo 33:3). When the heart is frozen the face soon shows it.
Thus saith the Lord God Literally, Lord Jehovah. Jehovah pronounced by the Hebrews yah-we and by the Babylonians ja’ava was the national covenant-keeping name of the “merciful and gracious One, long-suffering and abundant in loving-kindness and truth,” whose nature is so beautifully described at the beginning of Hebrew history (Exodus xxxiv). It is in this most loving name, which is intertwined with the most glorious and patriotic memories of the nation, that the prophet is commanded to utter his warning and reproof. It has not been proved that Yah-we was worshiped outside the borders of the Israelite kingdom. ( Journal of Biblical Literature, 13:101, etc.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“And you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh”, and they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house), will yet know that there has been a prophet among them.”
Ezekiel was now informed why he had had the vision. It was that he might become the mouthpiece of the Lord Yahweh, so that he may be able to say, “Thus says the Lord Yahweh”. And he was promised that the people would know that there had been a prophet among them, whether they responded or not. That was the first thing that was important, that they knew that God had spoken among them. Their response would be up to them. But he was also warned that that response was not certain, because they were a rebellious people. He was to be Yahweh’s mouthpiece whether they listened or not. Ministry when men will not listen is the hardest of all services for God, but that does not excuse us from it, nor mean that His hand is not with us.
God saw in the long term. Some would labour, others would enter into that labour, building on it and benefiting by it (Joh 4:38). What God was concerned about here was that the people would know that He had not forgotten them, that His word still came to them. Then they would be without excuse. Any failure would be theirs, not His. It is one of the signs of the depravity of human nature that men will recognise prophets, and even at times respect them (when the prophets are not making them feel too guilty), and will yet not listen to them.
‘A rebellious house.’ Rebellious, yet recognised as of God’s household nonetheless. They were not yet fully rejected.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 2:4. Impudent children and stiff-hearted Children impudent of face and hardened in heart.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 1096
COMMISSION GIVEN TO MINISTERS
Eze 2:4. Thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.
ASTONISHING is the patience which God has exercised in all ages towards his rebellious creatures. After their wickedness had attained such an height that he was constrained to pour out his indignation upon them at the Deluge, he still deferred his judgments an hundred and twenty years, that, if possible, he might reclaim the world by the ministrations of Noah. At a later period, when he had chosen to himself a peculiar people, and with mighty signs and wonders had brought them forth out of Egypt, and they requited all his kindness with nothing but murmurings and disobedience; though their provocations were beyond all conception great, he bore with them for the space of forty years, and would not utterly take away his loving-kindness from them. Again, when he had sent his people into captivity for the multitude of their iniquities, and especially for despising all his reproofs, and persecuting all his prophets [Note: 2Ch 36:16.], he still would not altogether abandon them, but sent his servant Ezekiel to preach to them in the land whither they were carried captive. In the words of our text we are informed what Ezekiel was commissioned to say unto them: it was emphatically this; Thus saith the Lord God. We do not suppose that this was the whole of Ezekiels message; but it was a peculiarly important and emphatical part of it: it was that which above all other things characterized the end and object of his mission. It is particularly to be noticed, that no specific message is annexed to these words; and that they occur twice also in the following chapter precisely in the same way [Note: Eze 3:11; Eze 3:27.]. Can we suppose that so peculiar a commission should contain in it no more than what appears upon the surface? Surely it must be acknowledged to be either very defective, or very comprehensive. To say that it was defective, would be to arraign the wisdom of God himself: we shall do well therefore to search into its real and extensive import. Three things then were evidently implied in it (which indeed are implied also in the commission given to ministers at this day); namely,
I.
To declare Gods will
[God has declared it unto us And we are to declare it unto others with fidelity and affection When objections are made to the word delivered, we must produce our warrant from the Holy Scriptures, and remind them whose word it is; Thus saith the Lord God. With this we ourselves are to be satisfied; and we must require others to regulate their views by the infallible dictates of inspiration ]
II.
To assert His authority
[We find men in a state of rebellion against God We, as his ambassadors, are to offer them terms of reconciliation If our terms be thought too humiliating, we must declare that God will never offer them any other; and that unless they accept these, they must inevitably perish While we encourage them by representations of Gods mercy and love, we must also intimidate them with exhibitions of his justice, his power, and his truth ]
III.
To seek, notwithstanding all our discouragements, the salvation of their souls
[We must expect, that, if we discharge our duty aright, we shall meet with many and great discouragements: briers and thorns will be with us; yea, we shall dwell among scorpions. But nothing is to move us, nor should we account even our lives dear unto us, so that we may but fulfil our ministry, and be pure from the blood of all men The saving of souls is the work committed to us; and we must prosecute that work, whether men will bear, or whether they will forbear ]
Learn from hence,
1.
The importance of the ministry
[God has ceased to impart his mind to men in a way of immediate revelation. His written word is that by which he now instructs the world: and he has set apart an order of men, whose duty it is to make known his revealed will. They are not to teach for doctrines the commandments of men, but simply to declare what God himself has spoken. In the execution of their office they are Gods ambassadors, yea, if we may so speak, his representatives: they speak to men in Christs stead; and the word they deliver, is not theirs, but Gods. Whilst then, on the one hand, we magnify our office, we ought, on the other hand, to say, Who is sufficient for these things?]
2.
The duty of those who are ministered unto
[When a minister is proclaiming, Thus saith the Lord God, the people should tremble at the word; and, whilst he declares the whole counsel of God, it becomes them to receive it with meekness and simplicity. They should not be offended at his fidelity, but be thankful for it. They would nut commend a watchman, who should leave a family to be burnt in their beds, rather than alarm them with the cry of fire; or a sentinel, who should suffer a camp to be surprised by their enemy, because he would not alarm them by giving notice of their approach: much less then should they approve of those who prophesy smooth things, and speak peace unto them, when there is no peace. Those who have Gods word, must speak Gods word faithfully; and those who hear it, should obey it cheerfully, and without reserve.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Eze 2:4 For [they are] impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.
Ver. 4. For they are impudent children. ] Heb., Hard of face. Sin hath added such an impudence in their faces, that they can blush no more than a sackbut. Os tuum ferreum, saith Cicero to Piso, that brazen face of thine; and Durus hic vultus lachrimare nescit, thou canst not blush, much less bleed, for thine offences, saith Seneca to one.
And stiff hearted.
I do send thee unto them.
Thou shalt say unto them.
a Bernard.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
impudent . . . stiffhearted. Reference to Pentateuch. A reproach brought against Israel eight times in Exodus and Deuteronomy (Exo 32:9; Exo 33:3, Exo 33:5; Exo 34:9. Deu 9:6, Deu 9:13; Deu 10:16; Deu 31:27). App-92. Compare Jdg 2:19, and Isa 48:4.
impudent = hard of face. Hebrew. kashah.
stiffhearted. = stubborn of heart. Hebrew. hazak.
the Lord God. Hebrew. Adonai Jehovah. App-4. This title is characteristic of the prophecies of Ezekiel, being used 214 times. Very rarely in the other prophets. Ezekiel is in exile. This title is to remind him that Jehovah is still the sovereign Lord over all the earth, though Israel be “Lo-ammi” = not My People.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Eze 2:4-7
Eze 2:4-7
“And the children are impudent and stiffhearted: I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah. And 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. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with thee, and thou must dwell among scorpions: nor be not dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house. And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; for they are most rebellious.”
“Thus saith the Lord Jehovah …” (Eze 2:4). Throughout Ezekiel this double name of God appears no less than 200 times. This Biblical usage of two different names for God, namely, [~Adonay], and [~Yahweh] is a dramatic contradiction of the radical critics’ notion that the several names of God indicate various “sources,” a foolish allegation upon which is built by critical Biblical enemies their entire theory of such things as “The Documentary Thesis of the Pentateuch.”
Ezekiel is not the only inspired writer who denies that whole evil hypothesis by his using a double name for God throughout his prophecy; for the patriarch Jacob himself used four different names for God in the blessing of his sons (Gen 49:24-25).
We shall repeat briefly here a challenge which we have frequently made publicly and in our commentaries.
“If there had really ever been in existence a single one of all those `documents’ such as the Elohist, the Jehovist, the Priestly, etc, which occupy such a prominent place in the imagination of Biblical enemies, and if the great Lawgiver Moses had access to any of them in his production of the Pentateuch, then whatever happened to them? Why have all the excavations of fragments of writings from all the nations of antiquity, and the discovery of monuments of many kinds from all the cities of the past – WHY has there never been found even a single reference to any of them, either in the writings or the monuments of all past history? If Bible enemies would be believed, let them prove that such documents existed. Until that is done, we believe that only a fool could believe in those evil theories. They say that Moses used them. If so, they existed; but if they did, what went with them? Why is there no record of them anywhere on earth except in the fertile imaginations of men seeking to discredit the word of God?”
“They shall know that there hath been a prophet among them …” (Eze 2:5) Eichrodt described what God was doing here.
“The true Lord of this people is causing his royal fight to rule to be proclaimed aloud in the very place where everyone thought it had died out and had been abolished. However, whatever resistance would flare up, nothing would be able to silence God’s Word. It would prove itself stronger than all who might resist it.”
“Briers … thorns … scorpions …” (Eze 2:6). “These expressions are metaphorical descriptions of Ezekiel’s uncomfortable position as he prophesied to a people who would have preferred not to hear him.”
“For they are most rebellious …” (Eze 2:7). Clearly, Ezekiel’s mission was destined to be a very unpopular and difficult one; but expressions such as this were designed to discipline the prophet to expect evil and unappreciative responses from the people. It would be easier for him to bear all this if he would realize that such evil reactions by the Israelites were to be expected. Anything else would have been out of character for them. Such was the shameful status of God’s Chosen People at that point in their history.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
they: Eze 3:7, Deu 10:16, Deu 31:27, 2Ch 30:8, 2Ch 36:13, Psa 95:8, Isa 48:4, Jer 3:3, Jer 5:3, Jer 6:15, Jer 8:12, Mat 10:16
impudent: Heb. hard of face, Pro 21:29
Thus: 1Ki 22:14, Jer 26:2, Jer 26:3, Act 20:26, Act 20:27
Reciprocal: Deu 9:6 – a stiffnecked 1Ki 14:6 – for I am Psa 75:5 – speak Psa 105:28 – rebelled Pro 7:13 – with an impudent face said Isa 57:4 – are ye Jer 7:2 – Hear Jer 7:27 – thou shalt speak Jer 36:21 – And Jehudi Jer 38:21 – this is Eze 11:5 – Speak Amo 7:15 – Go Zec 7:12 – their hearts Act 7:51 – stiffnecked Eph 6:20 – boldly
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 2:4. The Lord continued his description of the nation to whom he sent Ezekiel as a prophet. They were stiffhearted which means they were stubborn. But Ezekiel was to tell them he was approaching them with the word of the Lord.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
The people to whom God was sending Ezekiel were stubborn and obstinate (lit. hard-faced and hard-hearted), as children often are. The prophet was to announce to them what their master Yahweh said. Ezekiel used the title "Lord God" (Heb. ’adonay Yahweh, Sovereign Yahweh) 217 times. It emphasizes both God’s sovereign authority and His covenant-keeping faithfulness. [Note: Dyer, "Ezekiel," p. 1230.]