Ezekiel 3:20 Komentář

In this chapter we have the further preparation of the prophet for the work to which God called him. I. His eating the roll that was presented to him in the close of the foregoing chapter (Eze 3:1-3). II. Further instructions and encouragements given him to the same purport with those in the foregoing chapter (Eze 3:4-11). III. The mighty impulse he was under, with which he was carried to those that were to be his hearers (Eze 3:12-15). IV. A further explication of his office and business as a prophet, under the similitude of a watchman (Eze 3:16-21). V. The restraining and restoring of the prophet's liberty of speech, as God pleased (Eze 3:22-27).

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 3 This chapter contains a further account of the prophet's call and mission; of his preparation of him for is work; of, the persons to whom he was sent; of what happened to him upon this; of the nature of his office, and the work of it; and of what followed upon the renewal of his call. His further preparation for prophesying is in Eze 3:1; where he is bid to eat the roll showed him, which he did, and found it in his mouth as honey for sweetness; and then he receives fresh orders to go to the people of Israel, and prophesy to them, Eze 3:4; and, that he might not be discouraged, an account is given beforehand of the people to whom he was sent; of their language, behaviour, and disposition; by which he could not expect success, Eze 3:5; and, for his further encouragement, strength, boldness, resolution, firmness, and presence of mind, are promised him, Eze 3:8; also a revelation of mere things to him; all which he should hear, receive, and speak, whether the people would attend to them or not; which ought to be no discouragement to him, since it was not regarded by the Lord, Eze 3:10; then follows an account of his being lifted up by the Spirit from the earth, when he heard a voice, which is described by the manner and matter of it; and a noise, both of the living creature's wings, and of the wheels he had seen in a former vision, Eze 3:12; and next of his being carried away by the same Spirit; and of the condition he was in, in his own spirit, as he went; and of the strength he received from the Lord; and of the place to which he, was carried; and his state and circumstances, and time of continuance there, Eze 3:14; where, after a time mentioned, he has a fresh call to his office, under the character of a watchman, whose business was to hear Christ's words, and warn the house of Israel from him; and who are distinguished into wicked and righteous; and whom the prophet was to warn at his own peril, Eze 3:16; and the chapter is concluded with a narration of various events which befell the prophet; he is bid by the Lord to go into the plain, which he did, and there saw the glory of the Lord, as he had before seen it at the river Chebar; which so affected him, that he fell upon his face, Eze 3:22; the spirit entered into him, let him on his feet, and spake with him; ordered him what he should do himself, that he should shut himself up in his house, Eze 3:24; informed him what the people would do to him; bind him with bands, that he should not come forth, Eze 3:25; and what Christ would do to him; strike him dumb in judgment to the people, that he might not be a reprover of them, Eze 3:26; but he is told that, when the Lord spoke to him; his mouth should be opened, and he should declare what was said to him, Eze 3:27.

Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness,.... This is to be understood not of one that is truly righteous, or is justified by the righteousness of Christ; for such can never turn from that righteousness, or be in an unjustified state; seeing that is the righteousness of God, and an everlasting one; but of one that is denominated righteous, from "his" own righteousness, from a righteousness "which he hath done", as is afterwards expressed; one that is outwardly righteous before men, that is outwardly reformed, that has a righteousness of his own, consisting of a little negative holiness, and a few moral performances; from such righteousness a man may apostatize, and go into a vicious course of life: and commit iniquity; live in sin, make a trade of it; lead a life, the whole series and course of which is nothing else but sin; in this sense, one that is born of God, and has the righteousness of Christ revealed from faith to faith unto him, and lives by faith upon it, cannot commit sin, Jo1 3:9; and I lay a stumbling block before him; the Targum renders it, "the stumbling block of sins"; which designs either an occasion of sinning, which God permits, leaving him to his own lusts, and suffering him to fall thereby; and by this means he is discovered to be what he is, not a truly righteous man, but only one in appearance; that looked like a righteous person, but secretly a sinner, and now the Lord by such means exposes him openly; so Jarchi and other Jewish Rabbins; but Kimchi's father interprets the stumbling block of prosperity in this world (u): or rather the punishment of sin is meant, as Kimchi himself observes; and the Septuagint renders it "torment"; since this follows up on his turning from righteousness, and committing sin; and seems to be explained by the next clause: he shall die; the second death: because thou hast not given him warning: of the dreadful evil of apostasy, and the sad estate of apostates, and the danger they are in, their last estate being worse than the first: he shall die in his sin; of apostasy, and for it, being never to be recovered and brought to repentance: and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; according to the "Keri" or marginal reading it is, "his righteousnesses"; all his works of righteousness which he hath done; and which reading is followed by the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and the eastern versions; these shall not be remembered, neither in this world nor in that to come; no account shall be taken of them, nor shall they be reckoned as a righteousness unto him: but his blood will I require at thine hand; See Gill on Eze 3:18. (u) Vid. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 86. 2.

(Verse 20, 21.) But even if a righteous person turns away from their righteousness and commits iniquity, I will set a stumbling block before them. They shall die because you did not warn them; in their sin they shall die, and their righteous deeds shall not be remembered; but I will require their blood from your hand. However, if you warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they shall surely live because you warned them, and you have saved your own soul. Just as we read about two wicked or unjust individuals: One, who did not hear, and perished; the other, who heard and persisted in wickedness: so there are two righteous individuals, one who did not hear and perished; the other who heard and turned to repentance, saved his soul. It should be noted that a righteous person can fall; and if he has a teacher, he can be converted to better things. And therefore, good works require a constant teacher, so that a slip does not cause him to step back from the best path. And indeed the wicked, or the unjust if they have not converted, will die in their wickedness and injustice. But if the just commit impiety and sin, they do not immediately die; but a stumbling block or torment is set before them, as Theodotius said, an infirmity, so that they may be tormented and not find a straight path, and understand themselves to be weak, of whom the Apostle also says: Therefore many are weak and sleep among you (I Corinthians 11:30). For it is advantageous for the just to understand their own transgression and the torment of their conscience, and to say with the Psalmist: I am turned in my sorrow while the thorn is fastened on me (Psalm 31:4). And just as the wickedness of the impious is not obvious if they turn away from their wicked ways and live, so the ancient virtues do not benefit the just if they are oppressed by new crimes. But what has been brought upon oneself: He will die, because you did not announce to him, it is understood, that he could have lived if the watcher and teacher had instructed him.

The one who does not hear perishes, but the other who hears and is converted to repentance saves his soul.

Thus it happens that all things are changed, pass away and perish. No one considers anyone more base than himself or more lowly than God. If there is a time at which anyone can legally place God second to his blood and marriage relatives, there is no time in which God must lawfully be placed ahead of them. But if, because it is true, there is no time whatever in which he should not be given preference, there is no time when he can lawfully be placed second to them. Indeed, there is no time, not even at the point of death, because the prophet says that even the just person will perish on the day he errs.

Because the preacher remained silent toward the just man who fell into sin, he is held guilty of his blood. And he who did not strive to be diligent in preaching has become a participant in damnation. But when it is said: "He will die in his sin, and his acts of justice which he performed will not be remembered," we must especially consider this: that when we commit evil deeds, we recall our past good deeds to memory in vain, since in the perpetration of evil there should be no confidence in past good deeds. But it can be asked whether preaching should be done to the just man after he has fallen, or also before he falls? The preacher must be vigilant lest he come to a fall—without doubt, even before he falls. But in all these things which have been said about the just man turned to iniquity, this is difficult to speak of, this is greatly to be feared: that the Lord says, "I will place a stumbling block before him." For He says: "If the just man, having turned from his justice, shall commit iniquity, I will place a stumbling block before him." For we say that if he commits iniquity, he stumbles, and what we say is entirely true. Why then does almighty God place a stumbling block before him whom He already sees to have struck against it and fallen through the iniquity he has committed? But the judgments of almighty God are strict; and He who long waits for the sinner to return, places before the one who does not return and who shows contempt yet another place where he may stumble more grievously. For indeed a sin which is not quickly wiped away through repentance is either a sin and a cause of sin, or a sin and a punishment for sin, or a sin that is simultaneously both a cause and a punishment for sin. For everything that is first committed is a sin. But if it is not quickly cleansed through repentance, by just judgment almighty God permits the bound mind of the sinner to fall into yet another fault, so that the one who refused to amend what he had done through weeping and correction begins to heap sin upon sin. Therefore the sin which is not washed away by the lament of repentance is simultaneously a sin and a cause of sin, because from it arises that by which the sinner's soul is bound still more deeply. But the sin which follows from sin is simultaneously a sin and a punishment for sin, because, as blindness increases, it is generated from the retribution of the prior fault, so that the very increases of vices become, as it were, certain punishments in the sinner. Indeed it sometimes happens that one and the same sin is both a sin and a punishment for sin, and simultaneously a cause of sin. For let us place before our eyes someone who coveted a neighbor's property, which because he could not obtain openly, he seized by theft, but when accused of the theft, he denied under oath that he had taken it. For this man, covetousness was a sin and a cause of sin, because through it he arrived at robbery. But the very theft by which he seized the coveted property both became a sin for him and a punishment for sin, because from the retribution of the concupiscence that was not repressed, it came about that he proceeded to theft, and the fault of the heart grew into action through the vengeance of blindness. But because he took care to cover the theft with perjury, from sin he again begot sin. Therefore the theft which proceeded from covetousness and produced perjury became both a sin and a punishment for the preceding fault, and a sin and a cause of sin for the subsequent fault, because having been born from the former, it generated the latter. This Paul rightly suggested concerning certain ones who understood God but did not honor him, saying: "Although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give thanks, but became vain in their thoughts." Behold, there is a sin and a cause of sin. What follows from this cause he adds: "And their foolish heart was darkened. For claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and of four-footed beasts, and of serpents." Behold, there is a sin and a punishment for sin. But it would be only a sin and a punishment for sin if yet another sin did not follow from this sin. For after their unbelief it is added: "Therefore God handed them over to the desires of their hearts, to uncleanness, so that they dishonor their own bodies among themselves." Those therefore who, knowing God, did not glorify him as God, from that sin which was also a cause of sin were brought to this point as well, that they slipped into the worship of serpents and birds. But because through this blindness they also fell into uncleanness and the disgraces of the flesh, their very blindness of unbelief is both a sin and a punishment for sin in relation to their preceding understanding, but in relation to the subsequent uncleanness it became a sin and a cause of sin. But because these matters have been treated at length in the books of the Morals, we must not linger on them longer now. But this we must consider with trembling: how the just and almighty God, when He is angry at preceding sins, permits the blinded mind to fall also into others. Hence Moses says: "The sins of the Amorites are not yet complete." David also says: "Add iniquity upon their iniquity, that they may not enter into Your justice." Another prophet also says: "Cursing and lying and murder and theft and adultery have overflowed, and blood has touched blood." For blood touches blood when sin is added to sin, so that before the eyes of God the soul is bloodied by accumulated iniquities. The Apostle Paul says: "That they may fill up their sins always." To John also it is said through the angel: "Let him who does harm do harm still; and let him who is filthy be filthy still." Hence now also the Lord says: "If the just man turns from his justice and commits iniquity, I will place a stumbling block before him." As if He were saying openly: Because he was unwilling to see through repentance where he had already stumbled, I, abandoning him by just judgment, will cause him to stumble elsewhere as well. Yet this placing by the Lord is by no means to press him toward sinning, but to be unwilling to free him from sin; just as it is said of Pharaoh: "I will harden his heart." For the Lord does not harden the heart of the one sinning, but He is said to harden when He does not free from hardness. For the merciful God grants us time for repentance; but when we turn the patience of His grace toward an increase of guilt, that very time which He mercifully arranged for sparing us He turns more strictly toward striking us, so that when someone has been unwilling to return even after receiving a space of time, through this very thing he increases his evils to his condemnation, through which he could have washed them away if he had been willing to convert. Hence it is written: "Do you not know that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and of the revelation of the just judgment of God." Therefore from the kindness of almighty God the reprobate stores up wrath for himself on the day of wrath, because while time is received for repenting and is used for sinning, he turns the very remedy of grace into an increase of guilt. Hence also almighty God, because He sees that the remedies He has bestowed are being drawn toward an increase of guilt, turns that very kindness which He bestowed into the strictness of judgment, so that afterward He may strike more heavily from the source whence He now waits more patiently. And because man is unwilling to abandon evil that he may live, he increases the means by which he may die. But whether the just man falls into guilt or the sinner into death, the watchman must fear lest the guilt of those sinning equally entangle him through his silence.

This chapter contains more particular instructions to the prophet. It begins with repeating his appointment to his office, Eze 3:1-3. Ezekiel is then informed that his commission is, at this time, to the house of Israel exclusively, Eze 3:4-6; that his countrymen would pay little regard to him, Eze 3:7; that he must persevere in his duty notwithstanding such great discouragement; and he is endued with extraordinary courage and intrepidity to enable him fearlessly to declare to a disobedient and gainsaying people the whole counsel of God, Eze 3:8-11. The prophet is afterwards carried by the spirit that animated the cherubim and wheels, and by which he received the gift of prophecy, to a colony of his brethren in the neighborhood, where he remained seven days overwhelmed with astonishment, Eze 3:12-15. He is then warned of the awful importance of being faithful in his office, Eze 3:16-21; commanded to go forth into the plain that he may have a visible manifestation of the Divine Presence, Eze 3:22; and is again favored with a vision of that most magnificent set of symbols described in the first chapter, by which the glorious majesty of the God of Israel was in some measure represented, Eze 3:23. See also Isa 6:1-13; Dan 10:5-19; and Rev 1:10-16; Rev 4:1-11, for other manifestations of the Divine glory, in all of which some of the imagery is very similar. The prophet receives directions relative to his future conduct, Eze 3:24-27.

When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness - Which these words plainly state he may do, and commit iniquity and die in his sin; and consequently die eternally, which is also here granted; if he have not been warned, though he die in his sin, the blood - the life and salvation, of this person also will God require at the watchman's hand. Pastor hunc occidit, quia eum tacendo morti tradidit. "This man the pastor kills; for in being silent, he delivers him over to death." - Gregory. From these passages we see that a righteous man may fall from grace, and perish everlastingly. Should it be said that it means the self-righteous, I reply, this is absurd; for self-righteousness is a fall itself, and the sooner a man falls from it the better for himself. Real, genuine righteousness of heart and life is that which is meant. Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall. And I lay a stumbling-block before him - That is, I permit him to be tried, and he fall in the trial. God is repeatedly represented as doing things which he only permits to be done. He lays a stumbling-block, i.e., he permits one to be laid.

EZEKIEL EATS THE ROLL. IS COMMISSIONED TO GO TO THEM OF THE CAPTIVITY AND GOES TO TEL-ABIB BY THE CHEBAR: AGAIN BEHOLDS THE SHEKINAH GLORY: IS TOLD TO RETIRE TO HIS HOUSE, AND ONLY SPEAK WHEN GOD OPENS HIS MOUTH. (Eze. 3:1-27) eat . . . and . . . speak--God's messenger must first inwardly appropriate God's truth himself, before he "speaks" it to others (see on Eze 2:8). Symbolic actions were, when possible and proper, performed outwardly; otherwise, internally and in spiritual vision, the action so narrated making the naked statement more intuitive and impressive by presenting the subject in a concentrated, embodied form.

righteous . . . turn from . . . righteousness--not one "righteous" as to the root and spirit of regeneration (Psa 89:33; Psa 138:8; Isa 26:12; Isa 27:3; Joh 10:28; Phi 1:6), but as to its outward appearance and performances. So the "righteous" (Pro 18:17; Mat 9:13). As in Eze 3:19 the minister is required to lead the wicked to good, so in Eze 3:20 he is to confirm the well-disposed in their duty. commit iniquity--that is, give himself up wholly to it (Jo1 3:8-9), for even the best often fall, but not wilfully and habitually. I lay a stumbling-block--not that God tempts to sin (Jam 1:13-14), but God gives men over to judicial blindness, and to their own corruptions (Psa 9:16-17; Psa 94:23) when they "like not to retain God in their knowledge" (Rom 1:24, Rom 1:26); just as, on the contrary, God makes "the way of the righteous plain" (Pro 4:11-12; Pro 15:19), so that they do "not stumble." CALVIN refers "stumbling-block" not to the guilt, but to its punishment; "I bring ruin on him." The former is best. Ahab, after a kind of righteousness (Kg1 21:27-29), relapsed and consulted lying spirits in false prophets; so God permitted one of these to be his "stumbling-block," both to sin and its corresponding punishment (Kg1 22:21-23). his blood will I require-- (Heb 13:17).