Ezek 2:1
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֵלָ֑י בֶּן־אָדָם֙ עֲמֹ֣ד עַל־רַגְלֶ֔יךָ וַאֲדַבֵּ֖ר אֹתָֽךְ׃
and He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet that I might address you
Paraphrase: Then YHWH spoke to me, “I am the great King; you are a mere mortal. Now stand to attention and prepare to receive your commission.
Comments:
Keil writes about the title son of man (p13):
…the use of the God-given name [son of man], as well as the mention of the summons, as proceeding from God only, furnishes an evidence that Ezekiel does not, like the false prophets, utter the thoughts and inspirations of his own heart, but, in all that he says and does, acts under a divine commission and under divine inspiration, and serves to impress the rebellious nation more and more with the conviction that a prophet of the Lord is in their midst (Ezekiel 2:5; 33:33), and that God had not departed with His Spirit from Israel, notwithstanding their banishment among the heathen.
Note the וַאֲדַבֵּר. It is a YQTL but not with a vav-conversive. The patah under the vav is because of this.
Ezek 2:2
וַתָּ֧בֹא בִ֣י ר֗וּחַ כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר אֵלַ֔י וַתַּעֲמִדֵ֖נִי עַל־רַגְלָ֑י וָאֶשְׁמַ֕ע אֵ֖ת מִדַּבֵּ֥ר אֵלָֽי׃ פ
and the Spirit entered into me when He spoke to me and He caused me to stand on my feet and I heard [Him] speaking to me.
Paraphrase: Now as YHWH was giving me this commission, I felt His Spirit taking possession of me. I felt a power that was not my own causing me to stand on my feet. Then I listened to Him as He gave me my marching orders.
Comments:
More than any other prophet, Ezekiel is a prophet of the Spirit. Exploiting the word רוּחַ, spirit, wind, breath, to its full, he presents the Spirit of Yahweh as the signature of divine presence in many different contexts” VanGemeren, NIDOTTE, 620–621.
וַתַּעֲמִדֵנִי is hifil; don’t forget the causative nuance.
כַּאֲשֶׁר often has a temporal meaning; source
Ezek 2:3
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י בֶּן־אָדָם֙ שֹׁולֵ֨חַ אֲנִ֤י אֹֽותְךָ֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶל־גֹּויִ֥ם הַמֹּורְדִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר מָרְדוּ־בִ֑י הֵ֤מָּה וַאֲבֹותָם֙ פָּ֣שְׁעוּ בִ֔י עַד־עֶ֖צֶם הַיֹּ֥ום הַזֶּֽה׃
and He said to me, “son of man, I am sending you to the sons of Israel, to peoples who are rebelling, who have rebelled against Me. They and their fathers transgressed against Me to themselves at this day.
Paraphrase: My marching orders were these, “I am the great King; you are a mere mortal. I am sending you on a mission to the nation of Israel. This nation is currently in a state of rebellion against Me. Furthermore, this nation has rebelled many times against me in the past. All of the previous generations were completely unable to live faithfully with me according to the covenant I made with them at Mount Sinai. From then until this very day, they have repeatedly shown themselves to be faithless, covenant-breakers.
Comments:
שֹׁולֵחַ = predicate use of participle. הַמֹּורְדִים = attributive use.
Note the dative of disadvantage in בִי.
עֶצֶם actually means bone but like נֶפֶשׁ it is often used to refer to ones self. Gesenius §139g
Ezek 2:4
וְהַבָּנִ֗ים קְשֵׁ֤י פָנִים֙ וְחִזְקֵי־לֵ֔ב אֲנִ֛י שֹׁולֵ֥חַ אֹותְךָ֖ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֖ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהֹוִֽה׃
and the sons are hard of faces and strong of heart, I am sending you to these, and you will say to them, “Thus says Lord YHWH…
Paraphrase: Their sons too are completely impossible and locked up in impenetrable stubbornness. These are the people to whom I am sending you. This is what you are to do. Stand before them, give them My word, and announce, “This is the word of YHWH, the great King, the God who took you into covenant with Himself.”
Comments:
Note the vav-reversive on וְאָמַרְתָּ֣.
Ezek 2:5
וְהֵ֙מָּה֙ אִם־יִשְׁמְע֣וּ וְאִם־יֶחְדָּ֔לוּ כִּ֛י בֵּ֥ית מְרִ֖י הֵ֑מָּה וְיָ֣דְע֔וּ כִּ֥י נָבִ֖יא הָיָ֥ה בְתֹוכָֽם׃ פ
and these if they will hear or if they will stop (for they are a house of rebellion) then they will know that a prophet was among them.
Paraphrase: Now I’ve already told you that these people are addicted to rebellion and will not listen to you. For all that, whether they hear the word and happily turn in repentance or if they dig in their heels and persist in their rebellion, don’t change the message or stop speaking to them. Don’t give up in despair. I am not asking you to change their hearts; that’s my job. I am simply calling you to take the words I give you and to deliver them to this people. At the very least, they will know one day that a true prophet of YHWH was among them, and they will be held accountable for this.
Comments:
Here the conjunction אִם is used with the YQTL in the protasis; the apodosis is understood but not explicit. Gesenius §159q
Ezek 2:6
וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָ֠דָם אַל־תִּירָ֨א מֵהֶ֜ם וּמִדִּבְרֵיהֶ֣ם אַל־תִּירָ֗א כִּ֣י סָרָבִ֤ים וְסַלֹּונִים֙ אֹותָ֔ךְ וְאֶל־עַקְרַבִּ֖ים אַתָּ֣ה יֹושֵׁ֑ב מִדִּבְרֵיהֶ֤ם אַל־תִּירָא֙ וּמִפְּנֵיהֶ֣ם אַל־תֵּחָ֔ת כִּ֛י בֵּ֥ית מְרִ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃
and you, son of man, do not fear them and their words; do not fear because briars and thorns are with you; and among scorpions you are living. Their words do not fear and from their faces do not be dismayed because they are a house of rebellion.
Paraphrase: Do not fear these people and the sharp words they speak against you. Even when their words are like getting stuck by briars and thorns; even when it seems like you are living with a house full of scorpions and not people, still do not lose your courage. Sometimes their contempt for you will be written all over their faces even if they refrain from direct insults. Remember, they are a people addicted to rebellion.
Comments:
An interesting use of כִּי here. Most translate it in its concessive meaning “…though briars and thorns…”
Ezek 2:7
וְדִבַּרְתָּ֤ אֶת־דְּבָרַי֙ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אִֽם־יִשְׁמְע֖וּ וְאִם־יֶחְדָּ֑לוּ כִּ֥י מְרִ֖י הֵֽמָּה׃ פ
and you will speak words to them if they hear and if they stop because they are rebellious.
Paraphrase: In spite of all this, you are to bring My word to them whether they want to listen or not. Again, these people are addicted to rebellion.
Comments:
Ezek 2:8
וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֗ם שְׁמַע֙ אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי֙ מְדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלֶ֔יךָ אַל־תְּהִי־מֶ֖רִי כְּבֵ֣ית הַמֶּ֑רִי פְּצֵ֣ה פִ֔יךָ וֶאֱכֹ֕ל אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֥ן אֵלֶֽיךָ׃
and you son of man, hear what I am speaking to you. Do not be rebellious like this house of rebellion. Open your mouth and eat what I giving to you.
Paraphrase: Now listen closely. I am YHWH the great king and you are a mere man. I know that My word is laying very heavy on your right now. You feel how utterly insufficient you are for this work. I know that you recoil at the thought of bringing My word to this obstinate people, but be encouraged. Don’t turn away from this mission. Even when you are convinced that this you can’t possibly move forward, do not quit. Don’t back down. If you turn away from My word, then you are just being like this people. Then you are just as rebellious as they are. Here is a better way to deal with your fears and anxieties about the future. I will give you a taste of what it means to know My word.
Comments:
I understand the article on הַמֶּרִי to be a demonstrative pronoun. cf Gesenius
Ezek 2:9
וָאֶרְאֶ֕ה וְהִנֵּה־יָ֖ד שְׁלוּחָ֣ה אֵלָ֑י וְהִנֵּה־בֹ֖ו מְגִלַּת־סֵֽפֶר׃
and I saw and behold a hand being sent to me and behold in it was a roll of a document.
Paraphrase: Then I looked up and saw a hand reaching out to me and holding a scroll. I knew this document contained my call and my mission.
Comments:
Ezek 2:10
וַיִּפְרֹ֤שׂ אֹותָהּ֙ לְפָנַ֔י וְהִ֥יא כְתוּבָ֖ה פָּנִ֣ים וְאָחֹ֑ור וְכָת֣וּב אֵלֶ֔יהָ קִנִ֥ים וָהֶ֖גֶה וָהִֽי׃ ס
and He spread it before me and she was written on the face and the back and being written on it funeral songs, sighing, and lamentation.
Paraphrase: Then YHWH spread the document before me so I could read it. I noticed immediately that the scroll had writing on both the front and back. Then with utter consternation I recognized the words which were written. The document was filled with funeral songs, painful expressions of sorrow, and the most terrible pronouncements of judgment and destruction. This was what YHWH was calling me to deliver to my own people.
Comments: