Ezekiel 33:22

22 Forsooth the hand of the Lord was made to me in the eventide, before that he came that fled; and he opened my mouth, till he came to me early; and when my mouth was opened, I was no more still. (And the hand of the Lord was made upon me in the evening, before that he who had fled had come; and the Lord closed my mouth, until he who had fled came to me early in the morning; and then my mouth was opened, and I was silent no more.)

Ezekiel 33:22 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 33:22

Now the hand of the Lord was upon me in the evening, afore he
that was escaped came
The prophet felt a divine impulse on his mind; he was under the influence of a spirit of prophecy, and knew before the messenger came to him what his message was, and was prepared to receive it, and to prophesy upon it; for this is to be understood of prophecy, as the Targum,

``prophecy from before the Lord was with me in the evening ^F11;''

see ( Isaiah 8:11 ) : and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning;
the hand of the Lord, or the power of the Lord, had done it, as he promised he would, ( Ezekiel 3:27 ) so that he spoke freely and boldly, and continued to do so from the evening, to the time the messenger came to him in the morning, to all those that were with him: and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb:
as he had been for three years past; for though he had been prophesying against several nations, yet these prophecies were not delivered, it is very likely, by word of mouth, but by writing, and sent into those countries by proper messengers; but now the prophet's mouth is opened by the Spirit of God, as it was said it should, when this messenger should come to him, ( Ezekiel 24:27 ) and from this time he was not silent, but prophesied to his people, the Jews, verbally, as he was bid to do by the Lord.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 So R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 54. 2.

Ezekiel 33:22 In-Context

20 And ye say, The way of the Lord is not rightful. I shall deem each man by his ways of you, the house of Israel. (And so ye say, The way of the Lord is not right, or not fair. But I shall judge everyone of you after your own ways, ye house of Israel.)

21 And it was done in the twelfth year, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month of our passing over, he that fled from Jerusalem came to me, and said, The city is destroyed. (And it was done in the twelfth year, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month of our exile, or of our captivity, one who had fled from Jerusalem came to me, and said, The city is destroyed.)

22 Forsooth the hand of the Lord was made to me in the eventide, before that he came that fled; and he opened my mouth, till he came to me early; and when my mouth was opened, I was no more still. (And the hand of the Lord was made upon me in the evening, before that he who had fled had come; and the Lord closed my mouth, until he who had fled came to me early in the morning; and then my mouth was opened, and I was silent no more.)

23 And the word of the Lord was made to me, and he said,

24 Thou, son of man, they that dwell in these ruinous things, either ready to fall down, on the earth of Israel, say, speaking, Abraham was one, and by heritage he had the land in possession; forsooth we be many, (and) the land is given to us into possession. (Thou, son of man, they who live in these ruined places, or in places ready to fall down, in the land of Israel, speak, saying, Abraham was but one, and he had the land in possession; and we be many, and the land is given to us by inheritance for a possession.)