Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 2:10
And he spread it before me; and it [was] written within and without: and [there was] written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
Verse 10. It was written within and without] Contrary to the state of rolls in general, which are written on the inside only. The Hebrew rolls are generally written in this way. There are several of such Hebrew rolls before me, all written on the inside only, consisting of skins of vellum, or parchment, or basil, a sort of half-tanned sheep or goat skin, sewed together, extending to several yards in length. Other Asiatic books were written in the same way. A Sanscrit roll of sixty feet in length, also before me, is written all on the inside; and a Koran, written in exceedingly small characters, about two inches broad and twelve feet long, and weighing but about half an ounce. But the roll presented to the prophet was written on both sides, because the prophecy was long, and to the same effect; that they might see the mind of God wherever they looked.
There was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and wo.] What an awful assemblage! kinim, vahegeh, vehi, lamentations, and a groan, and alas! Lamentations on all hands; a groan from the dying; and alas, or Wo is me! from the survivors. It was the letter that killeth, and is the ministration of death. What a mercy to have that which is emphatically called , The glad tidings, the good news! Christ Jesus is come into the world to save sinners; and he wills that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Here are rejoicings, thanksgivings, and exultation.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He: Eze 2:9 it was the hand, here it is the person, he who held out his hand.
Spread it before me; unrolled it within that distance the prophet might read what was written therein.
Written within and without; on both sides, on that side which was inward when rolled upon its roundle, and on that side also that was outward, and as it were the back side: a long roll, and full on both sides; so would the sorrows of the Jews be.
Lamentations, and mourning, and woe; such things as would make the stoutest heart lament, inwardly grieve; and mourn, express it in visible tokens; and woe, sad thoughts and guesses at worse to come: so this prophets message would be a most heavy burden to the Jews and other nations against which he prophesied.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. within and withouton theface and the back. Usually the parchment was written only on itsinside when rolled up; but so full was God’s message ofimpending woes that it was written also on the back.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he spread it before me,…. Unrolled it, that what was written in it might he seen and read; that so, understanding it, he might deliver the contents of it to the people: thus the Gospel, and the mysteries of it, must be explained by Christ to his ministers; and their understandings must be opened before they will be capable of making them known to others: and
it [was] written within and without; on the back, of the vellum or parchment as well as inside; and such writings were called “opisthographa”; of this kind was the book John saw Re 5:1. It was usual only to write on the inside; but when they had a great deal to write, then they wrote on the backside also d; so that this roll being thus written denotes the largeness and abundance of the prophecies contained in this book; some respecting the Jews, and others the nations of the world. The Targum is,
“it was written before and behind, what was from the beginning, and what shall be in the end:”
and [there were] written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe; afflictions, chastisements, and punishments, that should be inflicted upon the Jews, and other nations of the world; which, when made known to them, and especially when inflicted on them, would occasion sorrow and distress among them. In the Talmud, “lamentations” are interpreted of the punishments of the righteous in this world; “mourning” of the gift of reward to the righteous in the world to come; and “woe” of the punishments of the wicked in the world to come e. The Targum is,
“if the house of Israel transgress the law, the people shall rule over them; but, if they keep the law, lamentation, and mourning, and sorrow, shall cease from them.”
d “—-Aut summi plena tam margine libri Scriptus, et in tergo, nec dum finitus Orestes”. Juvenal. Satyr. 1. e T. Bab. Erubin, fol. 21. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He adds, after the volume was unrolled, that he saw it written on each side: by which words he understands not that any brief command was given to him, but that a length of much time was imposed. For if he had only spoken concerning the roll, the Jews might have contemptuously rejected him after three or four days, as if he had come to an ends” A roll was indeed offered to thee, but now thou hast spoken three or four times, is not this sufficient?” Hence, as the Prophet might meet with neglect, he says, the roll was written before and behind He now says, for such was his argument, that lamentations only were written there הגה , hegeh, signifies sometimes meditation and speech simply, but here, because it is connected with lamentations, there is no doubt that it is to be taken for a mournful strain. At length the particle הי, hei, is added in the sense of grieving. On the whole then, the Prophet teaches, that the instruction contained in the book was not sweet or pleasant, but full of sorrow, since truly God here showed proofs of his anger, and this cannot be apprehended unless by its causing grief and lamentations. Now, therefore, we understand that the Israelites were more and more exasperated, when the Prophet said, that he came like a herald who denounced war in the name of God, and, at the same time, had no message of peace. As to the rest of the people, we shall see afterwards, in many places, that he was a messenger of God’s mercy, but his duty was to rouse up the Jews, that they might feel God their adversary: thus the Prophet was sent with no other object than that of going, as an armed man, into the midst,, and uttering threats in the name of God. I cannot now proceed further, although what follows is connected with this subject.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(10) He spread it before me.The roll was given to the prophet open, as the book in Rev. 10:8, that he might first see it all as a whole, before becoming thoroughly possessed with it in detail. What he saw was lamentations, and mourning, and woe; in other words, this was the whole character of the message he was commissioned to bear until the great judgment in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple should be fulfilled, when, after Ezekiel 33, his prophecies assume a consolatory character. (See Introduction, VI)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Eze 2:10. And there was written therein lamentations, &c. That is, all the prophesies contained in this book consisted of God’s judgments, and of the mournful events which he was about to bring upon Israel. See what was observed on the last note of the preceding chapter.
REFLECTIONS.1st, The Divine Person who appeared in the foregoing chapter addresses the prophet by this title, Son of man, which may be considered as an humbling notice, lest he should be puffed up by the visions with which he was favoured, and the high commission bestowed on him; or rather as an honourable distinction, being the name which the Son of God himself would bear in his incarnation, of whom the prophet is appointed to be the type and figure.
1. He is commanded to arise and hear. Stand upon thy feet, from his lowly prostration, and I will speak unto thee, which implied favour and encouragement; and all who humble their souls before God, may be assured that they shall hear him speak to them in mercy. And with this command there went forth power; the Spirit entered into me, God’s Spirit strengthening him to stand up on his feet, and qualifying him with gifts and graces for the discharge of his high office. Thus all our strength must come from Christ; he alone can enable us for that which he commands; and they who are sent by him, while they minister in his strength, shall find his Spirit with them to the end of the world.
2. His commission is given him. I send thee to the children of Israel, though they had long since justly forfeited all title to his regard; to a rebellious nation, or rebellious Gentiles, for such they resembled in their idolatries: hereditary transgressors, their fathers began their rebellion, and they had persisted in it to that day, by habit in sin become impudent and shameless, stiff-hearted and stubborn, who would not hear nor submit to rebuke: to them he is sent, to speak in God’s name, and by his authority; and they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house) yet shall know that there has been a prophet among them. If they heard and repented, they would acknowledge and adore the goodness of God in sending them a prophet: if they rejected him, they should prove the truth of his mission by the accomplishment of the judgments upon them, which he pronounced. Note; (1.) God’s patience is wonderful, not willing that the most rebellious sinners should perish. (2.) They who persist in their iniquities, notwithstanding all the methods of providence and grace that God has used to recover them, will be left without excuse. (3.) None can speak with authority, who have not a divine commission. (4.) Whether sinners will hear or forbear, God will be glorified, and his faithful ministers be honoured and approved by him.
2nd, Ezekiel was now appointed to his arduous office; and great courage it required to execute it with fidelity. Therefore,
1. God charges him to be faithful, notwithstanding all the opposition that he might expect. His abode was among briers and scorpions, wicked men, persecutors, subtle, malignant, venomous, whose words would be bitter, and their looks malicious, frowning, fierce: but he must not fear nor be dismayed at their threatenings, frowns, or ill usage; nor like them prove rebellious, and turn away from God, but attentively hear, seriously digest, and boldly declare the message which God would put into his mouth. Note; (1.) God’s faithful ministers may ever expect to meet with unreasonable and wicked men; but they must not fear their faces, nor be intimidated to keep back any thing of the whole counsel of God, how much soever they may be exposed thereby. (2.) Though those to whom we are sent are never so rebellious and perverse, we are bound at least to deliver our own souls by continuing to testify against them. (3.) They who are sent of God must carefully adhere to their instructions, and speak his word without adulteration; not conniving at men’s sins, or, through fear of offending, softening the sharp rebuke; lest by such unfaithfulness they become partakers of their guilt and ruin.
2. The roll, containing his message, is spread before him. When I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me, and lo, a roll of a book was therein; the hand of Christ who gave him his orders, and will support him in the discharge of his office: and he spread it before me, that he might peruse the contents, and through divine illumination understand them: and it was written within and without, on both sides of the parchment or vellum, denoting the multitude of matter that it contained; and this too the most afflictive, for there was written therein, lamentations, and mourning, and woe, both with regard to the present wretched state of the Jews, so greatly to be bemoaned, and full of terrible threatenings of greater wrath and judgments ready to fall upon them for their impenitence. Note; (1.) They who bear God’s message must carefully peruse their Bibles, that they may be sure to speak as the oracles of God. (2.) Impenitent sinners can expect to hear from God no word of comfort, but wrath to the uttermost.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
REFLECTIONS
IF my humble commentary could be supposed to fall under the eye of any of the ministers of God’s sanctuary, I would venture to say to such an one, behold, my brother! the solemnity of Ezekiel’s ordination; and then enquire, whether it can be supposed, that in the Church of Jesus now, the ordination of any can be less solemn, or less important? Did One like the Son of man, ordain Ezekiel? And did the Spirit enter into the Prophet, as the Lord spake to him? And can there be any real ordination now, but under the same Almighty authority? Did I say at mine ordination, that I believed myself to be inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon me that holy office? And have I never enquired since, whether that Almighty Spirit hath spoken in me to my own soul, and by me to the souls of others? Oh! what an awful thing it must be, in any, to rush into the ministry unsent, uncalled, unauthorized, unanointed. Oh! for grace to be given to the ministers of my God, to be faithful to God and to souls! Lord Jesus! do thou fulfil thy gracious promise, and give to thy Church, Pastors according to thine own heart, which shall feed thy people with understanding and knowledge. Lord Jesus! impress it upon the minds of unfaithful Pastors, how truly awful must it be, When the sins of the priests make the offerings of the Lord to be abhorred by the people. 1Sa 2:17 . Reader! join my soul in prayer to God, that none may go forth to the Lord’s ministry, but such as are of the Lord’s ordination. And then like Ezekiel, whether men will hear, or whether they will forbear, they shall know that there hath been a Prophet among them!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Eze 2:10 And he spread it before me; and it [was] written within and without: and [there was] written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
Ver. 10. And he spread it before me. ] Till Christ unfold heavenly mysteries, men understand them not. Rev 5:5 Mat 11:27 1Jn 1:8-9 ; 1Jn 5:15 He is the excellent interpreter.
And it was written within and without.
Lamentation, and mourning, and woe.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
within and without. Contrary to the usual custom (within only), to show the abundance and completeness of his prophecies. Compare Rev 5:1.
lamentations. Aramaean and Septuagint read “lamentation “(singular)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Eze 2:9-10; Eze 3:1-14. Compare the roll here with Zec 5:1-4; with the one of Rev 5:1-14, which the Lamb receives and opens, and the little roll in Rev 10:9-10. These rolls have the same meaning, namely, the Word itself, the message of tribulation and judgment, which is written therein.
The Word must be received and eaten, that is the spiritual lesson. Ezekiel obeyed. It was self surrender and though the message was a hard message, yet it was sweet unto him. Compare with Jer 15:16. Ezekiel was to speak the words of the Lord unto them; and the sender predicts failure. The house of Israel will not hearken unto thee, for they will not hearken unto Me. It was to make no difference to the prophet. His commission was to speak Jehovahs words. Then cherubim and wheels are in motion. He is lifted up and Jehovahs hand is strong upon him.
Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)
spread: Isa 30:8-11, Hab 2:2
was written within: Contrary to the state of rolls in general, which are written on the inside only.
lamentations: Isa 3:11, Jer 36:29-32, Rev 8:13, Rev 9:12, Rev 11:14
Reciprocal: 2Ch 21:12 – a writing Jer 13:27 – Woe Jer 31:15 – A Lam 2:5 – mourning Eze 3:3 – and fill Eze 16:23 – woe Eze 19:1 – take Mic 2:4 – a doleful lamentation Zec 5:1 – roll Mat 2:18 – lamentation Rev 5:1 – a book Rev 10:2 – a little Rev 10:10 – my belly
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 2:10. The hand unrolled the book before the prophet and he saw that it was written on both sides. This was unusual because ihe rule was for the sheets to he written on one side only as it is done today in regulation” correspondence. Yet in cases of special importance where space is limited and where much 19 to be said it is permissible to write on both sides. In the present case there was an urgent need for much space for the subject pertained to lamentations and warnings over the wretched state of God’s people.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
2:10 And he spread it before me; and it [was] written within and without: and [there was] written in it {g} lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
(g) He shows what were the contents of this book: that is, God’s judgments against the wicked.