Ezekiel Chapter 2

At a Glance

  • Ezekiel 2 shifts from the spectacular vision of Chapter 1 to the intimate, unsettling moment of divine commissioning.
  • Historical & Literary Context.
  • This chapter sits early in Ezekiel’s prophetic timeline, during the Babylonian exile, and continues the book’s focus on a challenging, counter-cultural call to a stubborn people.
  • - Divine commissioning despite resistance: God appoints Ezekiel to speak to a rebellious people.
  • - Courage under hostility: Ezekiel is urged not to fear and to endure scornful reception.

Chapter Overview

Ezekiel 2 shifts from the spectacular vision of Chapter 1 to the intimate, unsettling moment of divine commissioning. The Lord speaks directly to Ezekiel, calling him “Son of man” and commanding him to stand, listen, and receive the message he must bear to Israel. The prophet is reassured that, despite Israel’s obstinacy, a prophetic witness will occur: “they shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.” The text emphasizes the seriousness of the mission and the courage required: Ezekiel is told not to fear the people’s stubbornness, to expect taunts and hostility, and to live among them as a sign of the coming word. The instructions underscore the dual reality of prophetic ministry: the speaker must faithfully deliver God’s words while bearing the burden of a people resistant to hearing. Ezekiel is told to eat the scroll, to ingest God’s words into his inner life, and then to speak them with integrity. The imagery of the “book” written inside and out—lamentations, mourning, and woe—foreshadows the content of the messages he will deliver: a surfeit of judgment and a call to repentance. The chapter ends with the Spirit entering Ezekiel, clarifying the source of his mission and empowering him to fulfill it. The overall tempo is a mixture of commissioning, challenge, and divine enablement.

Historical & Literary Context

This chapter sits early in Ezekiel’s prophetic timeline, during the Babylonian exile, and continues the book’s focus on a challenging, counter-cultural call to a stubborn people. The form is a direct prophetic vocation narrative, not typical sermon but a charged moment of divine appointment. The motif of the “hand of the LORD” and the Spirit’s empowerment are central here, highlighting that God’s words and presence are the energizing force behind human prophetic effort. The “roll of a book” (the scroll with lamentations and woe) connects Ezekiel’s futurist oracles to the deep, sobering content he must convey. The chapter reinforces a broader theological message: God is not silent in exile; he communicates with a clarifying, sometimes difficult word, and He equips those He calls to bear that word courageously before a resistant audience.

Key Themes

- Divine commissioning despite resistance: God appoints Ezekiel to speak to a rebellious people.

- Courage under hostility: Ezekiel is urged not to fear and to endure scornful reception.

- The inward formation of the prophet: Receiving God’s word into the heart (eating the scroll) before delivering it.

- The seriousness of the message: The content will include lamentations and woe, signaling judgment and accountability.

- Spirit-led empowerment: The Spirit’s active role in energizing and guiding the prophet’s mission.

Modern Application

Ezekiel 2 speaks to modern believers who feel ill-equipped when confronted with tough truths or resistant communities. It affirms that God calls and equips ordinary people for costly, faithful witness. The image of “eating” the word reminds us that truth must shape our inner life before it is spoken aloud; integrity and conviction come from internal transformation. The chapter also validates long-suffering in leadership—reassuring those who work in environments hostile to moral or spiritual reform that the goal is faithful exposure of reality rather than spin or appeasement. For churches and communities facing social or political pushback, Ezekiel 2 can encourage resilience, dependence on God’s Spirit, and steadfast proclamation of truth with mercy and humility. It invites believers to discern when to speak hard truths and when to listen with compassionate discernment, always anchored in the understanding that fruitful ministry depends on divine empowerment.

Cross-References (3-5 related chapters or passages)

- Ezekiel 3 (the continued commission and hearing)

- Jeremiah 1 (the call and early commissioning)

- Isaiah 6 (the prophet’s calling in the heavenly vision)

- 2 Corinthians 4-5 (the nerve of bearing hard truths in apostolic ministry)

Recommended Personas

- Ezekiel (for precise understanding of vocational calling)

- Moses (for the theme of confronting a resistant people)

- Jesus (for the model of speaking truth with mercy)

- Paul (for the dynamism of Spirit-empowered ministry)

Chapter Text

1

And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

2

And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.

3

And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.

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.

5

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.

6

And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

7

And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.

8

But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.

9

And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;

10

And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

Discuss This Chapter with Biblical Personas

Explore Ezekiel Chapter 2 with Biblical figures who can provide unique perspectives grounded in Scripture.

Ask Apostle PaulAsk MosesAsk King DavidAsk Jesus Christ
← Ezekiel 1Ezekiel 3 →