What does Ezechiel Chapter 3 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Eating and a strengthened commission precede seven days of mourning. Watchman duties distinguish warnings, responses and responsibility. Confinement and restricted speech follow another vision.

Chapter breakdown

Ezechiel 3 commands eating the book and speaking to Israel. He opens his mouth, is caused to eat, and finds it sweet as honey. The edition separately explains the eating as diligent attention, affection and devout meditation. Israel is contrasted with unfamiliar-language nations that would have listened: its hard forehead and obstinate heart refuse the Lord. Ezechiel's face and forehead are strengthened like adamant and flint; he must receive the words in his heart, hear them and address fellow captives. The spirit lifts him amid commotion, wings and wheels, and a voice blesses the Lord's glory. He goes in bitterness and indignation with the Lord's strengthening hand, reaching the heap of new corn by Chobar and mourning seven days among captives. The edition identifies the place as Hebrew tel abib; stunned silence and a psychological purpose are not stated.

After seven days he is appointed watchman, hearing the Lord's word and warning from him. Failure to warn a wicked person to turn and live leaves that person dying in iniquity and the watchman accountable for his blood. Warning without conversion leaves the wicked dying but delivers the watchman's soul. If a just person turns to iniquity, a stumblingblock is laid before him; unwarned, he dies and former justices are not remembered, with his blood required of the watchman. Warning the just person who then does not sin permits life and delivers the watchman's soul. The latter condition must not be replaced with a guarantee that correction always preserves both.

Ordered into the plain, Ezechiel sees glory like that at Chobar and falls on his face. The spirit sets him upright and commands him to shut himself in his house. Others will bind him with bands so he cannot go out. The Lord will make his tongue cling to his mouth's roof, preventing reproof of the provoking house, then open his mouth when speaking to him. Hearers may hear and those forbearing may forbear. The bands are not reduced to symbolic cords, attributed to God rather than others, or made a general lesson against casual speech.

The story inside

Opening: Eating and a strengthened commission precede seven days of mourning. Development: Watchman duties distinguish warnings, responses and responsibility. Conclusion: Confinement and restricted speech follow another vision.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Eating and a strengthened commission precede seven days of mourning.
2
Watchman duties distinguish warnings, responses and responsibility.
3
Confinement and restricted speech follow another vision.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 91440–91452
3:1. And he said to me: Son of man, eat all that thou shalt find: eat this book, and go speak to the children of Israel. Eat this book, and go speak to the children of Israel.... By this eating of the book was signified the diligent attention and affection with which we are to receive, and embrace the word of God; and to let it, as it were, sink into our interior by devout meditation. 3:2. And I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that book: 3:3. And he said to me: Son of man, thy belly shall eat, and thy bowels shall be filled with this book, which I give thee, and I did eat it: and it was sweet as honey in my mouth.
Lines 91504–91515
3:17. Son of man, I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel: and thou shalt hear the word out of my mouth, and shalt tell it them from me. 3:18. If, when I say to the wicked, Thou shalt surely die: thou declare it not to him, nor speak to him, that he may be converted from his wicked way, and live: the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but I will require his blood at thy hand. 3:19. But if thou give warning to the wicked, and he be not converted from his wickedness, and from his evil way: he indeed shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul.
Lines 91542–91549
3:26. And I will make thy tongue stick fast to the roof of thy mouth, and thou shalt be dumb, and not as a man that reproveth: because they are a provoking house. 3:27. But when I shall speak to thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord God: He that heareth, let him hear: and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a provoking house.