Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 3:24
Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spoke with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.
24. shut thyself within thy house ] The words are not to be pressed to mean more than abstention from the exercise of his ministry in public. Cf. ch. Eze 8:1, Eze 11:25, Eze 14:1 &c.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Shut in the privacy of his own chamber he is to receive a message from Yahweh. This shutting up, however, and the bands (Eze 3:25, used figuratively) were signs of the manner in which Ezekiels countrymen would close their ears, hindering him as far as in them lay from delivering the message of the Lord.
With this verse commences a series of symbolic actions enjoined to the prophet in order to foretell the coming judgments of Jerusalem Ezek. 4; 5. Generally speaking symbolic actions were either literal and public, or figurative and private. In the latter case they impressed upon the prophets mind the truth which he was to enforce upon others by the description of the action as by a figure. Difficulties have arisen, because interpreters have not chosen to recognize the figurative as well as the literal mode of prophesying. Hence, some, who would have all literal, have had to accept the most strange and unnecessary actions as real; while others, who would have all figurative, have had arbitrarily to explain away the most plain historical statement. There may be a difference of opinion as to which class one or other figure may belong; but after all, the determination is not important, the whole value of the parabolic figure residing in the lesson which it is intended to convey.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 24. The spirit – said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.] Hide thyself for the present. The reason is immediately subjoined.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The spirit: see Eze 2:2.
Shut thyself within thy house: some say this is to be an interrogation, wilt thou, &c.? others add it is an irony, upbraiding him; but I see no ground for either. It is, as we read it, a plain command, which appears, in that with the command God giveth strength to do what is commanded; and he is to shut up himself, to learn of God what he must foretell, to foresignify the shutting up of Jews in Jerusalem.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24. set me upon my feethavingbeen previously prostrate and unable to rise until raised by thedivine power.
shut thyself within . . .houseimplying that in the work he had to do, he must look forno sympathy from man but must be often alone with God and draw hisstrength from Him [FAIRBAIRN].”Do not go out of thy house till I reveal the future to thee bysigns and words,” which God does in the following chapters, downto the eleventh. Thus a representation was given of the city shut upby siege [GROTIUS].Thereby God proved the obedience of His servant, and Ezekiel showedthe reality of His call by proceeding, not through rash impulse, butby the directions of God [CALVIN].
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then the spirit entered into me,…. Again; the Spirit of God, that was in the wheels and living creatures: see Eze 2:2;
and set me upon my feet; as he had done before, when in the same prostrate condition, Eze 2:2;
and spake with me; either the Spirit that entered into him, and set him upright; or rather the Lord Christ, the glory of the Lord that stood where he was, and appeared to him:
and said unto me, go, shut thyself within thine house: this was not said ironically, but in earnest; and the reason either was, because the people were not fit for reproof and correction, as Jarchi thinks, being a rebellious people; or that the prophet might receive further instructions, and have all the words of his prophecy delivered to him, before he began to prophesy. Some think this shutting up was an emblem of the siege of Jerusalem. It may seem strange that the prophet should be bid to go into the plain, where the Lord promised to talk with him; and this is all that is said to him, to go home, and shut himself up in his house: but it should be observed, that this was not the only thing for which he went into the plain: he was to have, and had, a fresh view of the glory of the Lord, and of the vision he had before, for the further confirmation of him; besides, this moving him from place to place, before he prophesied, might be partly to try his faith, and partly to preserve him from the violence of the people; who, had he delivered his message at once, might have been so provoked, as to have fallen upon him, and destroyed him; as well as to prepare them to receive his prophecies with more respect and reverence, when they saw he did not rashly, and at once, deliver them out to them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
EZEKIEL AGAIN EMPOWERED BY THE SPIRIT, v. 24-27
Verses 24-27:
Verse 24 relates that the spirit entered once again into Ezekiel and set him upon his feet, to walk and witness again. But first the spirit directed him to go and shut himself up within his own house, in privacy, away from the den of the world. There he was to remain a time in a secret closet for a Divine purpose, to rest a little time, Mat 6:31; Gal 1:11-17.
Three lessons were given to Ezekiel:
1) by eating (digesting) the roll he learned that he was a messenger of God,
2) by being a watchman he learned accountability to God, and
3) by being shut up he learned there is a time to be silent.
Verse 25 announces to Ezekiel that “they”, his own rebellious people of his home area, would put “bands” or restrictions upon him, much as our Lord certified that a “prophet is not without honor save in his own country,” where he could not do “many mighty works,” because of their unbelief, Luk 4:24-29; Joh 4:44. He was told that when bound he should not go out among his own people, but remain isolated, much as Paul too was bound for two. full years, restricted in prison at Caesarea by the seaside, where it is believed he did much writing, as his spirit was not bound, Act 24:26-27; 2Co 6:12. And the word of the Lord was “not bound”, 2Ti 2:9. When bound in the Roman prison he soon wrote “they of Caesar’s household greet you,” Php_1:12-13; Php_4:22.
Verse 26 advised Ezekiel that the Lord would make his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth, that he should be dumb (speechless) for a time, much as they of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, Luk 1:18-22; Luk 1:26. God told him that he should not be to them a reprover, for a time, because of their obstinate or set rebellion. They were not ready to listen to him. So he made him dumb that he could not speak, Eze 24:27; Eze 29:21. God deprived Israel of hearing His prophet for a time, 1Sa 7:2; Amo 8:11-12.
Verse 27 assures Ezekiel that when the Lord speaks to him again he will open his mouth, as opposed to his silence, v. 26; Eze 24:27; Eze 33:22. He is then to say to them repeatedly, “he that heareth, let him hear,” or give heed, and “he that forbeareth, let him forbear.” But this was to be, only after the fall of Jerusalem. It is his own choice! For “they are (exist as) a rebellious people,” a people of enmity against God, Rom 8:7; Rom 10:20-21; Rev 22:1.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Here Ezekiel confirms what I have said: whenever the faithful are frightened at the sight of God’s glory, they cannot collect their mind unless the Lord prop them up by his strength. But this state was peculiar to the Prophet, because he ought to acknowledge himself, as it were, dead when he felt the Spirit of God living and flourishing in his mind. Therefore this tends to confirm him, because the Spirit restored him from a state of death to life: therefore he says, the Spirit came In fine, as the soul gives life to the man, so the Spirit of God is a supernatural life in man. We live after the manner of men, because a virtue is implanted in our soul which has faculties of its own. For in the soul is the seat of intelligence, and the will, and the sensations, and it diffuses its vigor through all the members. But the life which souls breathe into bodies is only earthly, but the Spirit of God gives life supernaturally. And this distinction must be held, because profane men boast only in outward appearances, as they call it — that is, in outward splendor, which is nothing else but a mask: and so with all their might they celebrate free-will and our natural faculties, because they have never tasted what that supernatural life is which is here mentioned. Ezekiel indeed was filled with the Spirit of God after a peculiar manner, that he might be fit to undertake the prophetic office, but this is common to the faithful for their spiritual life.
He says next, that he was placed upon his feet, because he was lying prostrate, nor could he, as I have said, raise a finger, unless he had been raised by divine power. Afterwards he relates the command of God, which appears to be absurd. For why did God appoint Ezekiel a Prophet unless that he should apply himself to the office of teaching? But now he orders him not only to rest, but even to he concealed at home. He uses the word “concealed” as if he had said, remain at home as a captive. If he had been a private man, he had enjoyed a free passage out, but now since God enjoins upon him the prophetic office, he is held captive. But all this is opposed to his mission. But first, God wished to prove the obedience of his servant; then he wished specially to confirm his calling more and more, for this was no common confirmation, because although the Prophet excelled in singular virtue, yet he did not leap into the midst, but rested at home, and became a voluntary captive, because it so pleased God. Hence the whole people might know that the Prophet did not proceed rashly, or by any sudden impulse, because he was often mute by the command of God. Afterwards it follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(24) Go, shut thyself within thine house.The prophets consecration being now complete, he is to enter upon his actual work; yet, in view of the disposition of the people, he is to begin his prophecies in a private way, shut up in his house. Or it may be that this should be understood of a period of absolute silence and meditation preparatory to entering upon his work. Moreover, fresh warning is given of the reception he must be prepared to meet.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
24. Then the spirit entered into me “A” spirit (Eze 2:2; Eze 3:14) has become “the” spirit now. Ezekiel has become acquainted with the action of this inner spiritual power. It is Jehovah’s spirit, for it “speaks,” and prophesies, and commands, and makes dumb (24-26).
Go, shut thyself within thine house The object sought by commanding him to come into the “valley” seems already to have been accomplished. The prophet is ready now to obey, implicitly, without protest, any word of the Lord; yet he must shut himself within the house and wait yet a little longer before he delivers his message.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Then the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and he spoke with me and said to me, “Go. Shut yourself within your house. But you, son of man, they shall lay bands on you, and will bind you with them, and you will not go out among them, and I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth, so that you will be dumb and will not be a reprover to them, for they are a rebellious house. But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, “Thus says the Lord Yahweh”. He who hears, let him here, and he who forbears, let him forbear, for they are a rebellious house.” ’
Following the vision and his obeisance the Spirit again lifted him on to his feet, and he again received the command of God. The Spirit of God is seen as very active in Ezekiel’s life. He was left in no doubt of God’s hand on him. This lifting up was a sign of God’s acceptance of his obeisance, and that He had something active for him to do.
What follows can basically be thought of in two ways. Either as a sign of opposition as the people, seeing him as mad, come to restrain him, and God’s response to it. Or as a deliberate acting out by Ezekiel of a message which he wanted to get over in a vivid way (something he would certainly do later). Was he bound because they thought he was mad, or did he arrange for himself to be bound so as to proclaim a message? Either way the message would be that Ezekiel was restrained by God and solely God’s mouthpiece.
‘Go, shut yourself within your house.’ From now on Ezekiel was not to live a normal life of going out and in. He was to enter his house, close the door and stay within it. Possibly, along with what followed, it was to indicate that he was no longer his own man living a normal life, but that he was separated to Yahweh. He was the servant and mouthpiece of Yahweh. Such acts would cause speculation among the people as they do among us.
Alternately it may be that it was God’s warning of growing opposition so that he must shut himself away for safety and as a sign that God would no longer speak to them. This would act for his protection. But we will shortly see that he was to let the people see his coming behaviour, so that the former is more likely.
‘But you, son of man, they shall lay bands on you, and will bind you with them, and you will not go out among them.’ There has been no suggestion up to this point of any violent opposition, thus many refer this to a voluntary act, the act of his family and friends, or of his servants (represented by a vague ‘they’), at his request. He was to make them bind him, so that he would be bound with ropes as a sign to Israel. Again it would indicate that he was now a man who did not have the freedom to do what he wanted but was restrained by God so that his only actions were to be those of service to God as a prophet. It may also have been intended to remind them that they too were captives, brought into captivity by God. This position is supported by the words ‘you shall not go out among them’ (parallel to ‘you shall not be a reprover to them’) which suggest he did have freedom of action.
Some, however, see the binding as carried out by the people in antagonism to him and his message, restricting his freedom and seeking to restrain his unwelcome activities, on the grounds that he ‘had gone mad’. This would certainly be understandable in view of his visions and his own reactions to them. Or they see it as metaphorical, with the ‘binding’ being some actions of the people taken with the intention of shutting him up. This would certainly explain the repeated words, ‘for they are a rebellious house’. But if this was so there has been no earlier indication of direct opposition.
‘And I will make your tongue cleave to the roof of your mouth, so that you will be dumb and will not be a reprover to them.’ This action is definitely revealed as God’s. He will render Ezekiel dumb, so that he can no longer generally reprove them, only when God has a specific message for them. Whether the cleaving was outwardly enforced by divine power, or enforced by Ezekiel’s voluntary obedience, is uncertain, although Eze 3:27, ‘I will open your mouth’, may suggest the former, (although not certainly). Either way it showed that God had stopped speaking to the people.
This enforced silence would undoubtedly have a strong effect on the people. They knew that he had previously had a vivid experience of God and he had no doubt begun to reprove and warn in accordance with Eze 3:17-18. Thus this silence would have an even greater impact. It may have made them ask why God had stopped speaking to them through him. Or it may have been intended, in the light of what followed, to indicate that Ezekiel was now solely the mouthpiece of God and could only speak when God had something to say to them.
So, if voluntary, the self-imprisonment, the binding with ropes and the dumbness were all to be signs to Israel. Perhaps they were then partly to indicate the condition of the people. They were now in captivity and not free to follow their own desires (to go back to Jerusalem). This would confirm that this was God’s present will and that they were not to chafe or speak out against it. It had all come upon them, Yahweh was saying, because ‘they are a rebellious house’.
But the enforced silence was specifically stated to be to prevent him being ‘a reprover to them’ continually. Thus the message must primarily have been intended to indicate to them that Ezekiel as God’s messenger was bound by God and could not speak to them, except when God allowed. This would also indicate to them, in the wider context (to be appreciated by them later), that for the present his ministry was restricted until God was ready for him to take up his ministry fully, for until Jerusalem was destroyed he was not, on the whole, free to make his declarations of hope. He would give hints, but that was all. He had thus at present a restricted ministry, a ministry of judgment. Meanwhile he could only speak as God commanded. His silence was not to be total silence, only silence as regards normal living. When Yahweh gave him prophetic words to say, as ‘thus says the Lord Yahweh’, he was to be free to speak.
If we see his binding as being the act of the people on the grounds that he was mad, then his enforced silence would be God’s reply to their rebellious behaviour. If they did not want Him to reprove them, He was saying, He would not reprove them. They must bear the consequences.
We are left to imagine the thoughts and feelings of the people as they saw that house in their midst, knowing that the priest-prophet Ezekiel lay there, in self-imposed isolation, bound with ropes (which could be unbound when necessary), and maintaining continual silence (see Eze 24:27; Eze 29:1) except for the times when he spoke in Yahweh’s service. It would also increase the impact when he spoke his prophetic utterances, and even more so when he finally did begin to speak freely again. This latter would occur some six years later in Eze 33:22 when Jerusalem had been destroyed.
‘For they are a rebellious house.’ Yahweh had already declared that on the whole they would not respond (Eze 2:4; Eze 2:6; Eze 2:10; Eze 3:7). Thus the imposed silence was a sign of this. Ezekiel’s ministry was not at this stage to be a pastoral ministry of gentle reproof. It was to be a continual ministry of periodical declarations of God’s judgment. The constant reference to Israel as ‘a rebellious house’ stresses God’s view of them at this time, as His people in rebellion against Him. He was in no doubt about their underlying attitude.
‘But when I speak with you I will open your mouth, and you will say to them, “Thus says the Lord Yahweh”, he who hears, let him here, and he who forbears, let him forbear, for they are a rebellious house.’ Whichever way we read the passage he was not called on to be completely silent. But the only exceptions to silence were to be when Yahweh spoke with him giving him a prophetic utterance to declare. Then God would open his mouth and he must say, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh’. Once he had done that response would be up to the listener. The inference here was that some would hear, making the ministry worthwhile, but that the majority would not hear because they were a rebellious house.
We must not judge Ezekiel’s activities by our own standards. It may well be that from the start God wanted him to proclaim his message by symbols, interspersed with spoken prophecy as God saw fit. Probably He knew that that they were not ready to receive His message openly given and that that would make the greatest impact, certainly until Jerusalem was destroyed and their last hope was gone. Ezekiel might be there as a watchman, but it was as a watchman under God’s instructions.
The message here for all of us is the responsibility that we have as the Lord’s watchmen. We too have a responsibility towards those around us, whether they are willing to hear or not. We too will be called to account for our failure to speak out for Christ. Their blood will be required at our hands. We too must see ourselves as totally devoted to serving God, willing to be restricted in our normal lives so as to better serve Christ, willing to be ‘bound’, willing to be called mad, willing to speak when called on to do so, and when necessary willing to be silent. His dedication must be our example.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 3:24 Then 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.
Ver. 24. Go shut thyself within thine house, ] q.d., Thou hast a mind, I perceive to do so; but it is not thy wisest way to decline thine office, how hard soever it seemeth.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
the spirit: Eze 2:2, Eze 37:10, Dan 10:8-10, Dan 10:19
Go: Eze 4:1-4
Reciprocal: Neh 6:10 – shut up Jer 15:17 – sat alone Jer 31:30 – General Eze 11:5 – the Spirit
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 3:24, The spirit entered denotes that the prophet was rallied from his prostrated frame of mind. After regaining his strength he was told to go to his own house. It was not the time for him to be abroad among the people, for the Lord was going to give him very much information upon his work with the nation.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
3:24 Then the spirit entered into me, and {o} set me upon my feet, and spoke with me, and said to me, Go, {p} shut thyself within thy house.
(o) Read Jer 2:2 .
(p) Signifying that not only would he not profit, but they would grievously trouble and afflict him.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Spirit then strengthened Ezekiel to stand up, and the Lord instructed him to go back to his house and shut himself up in it.
"For a sovereign to invite a suppliant to stand meant that he at least was willing to do business with him." [Note: Stuart, p. 50.]