Ezekiel 2:8

8 "Only take care, son of man, that you don't rebel like these rebels. Open your mouth and eat what I give you."

Ezekiel 2:8 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 2:8

But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee
Which was necessary because he was to speak not his own words, but the Lord's, and therefore ought to hear before he spoke; and indeed those that speak in a public way, for the instruction of others, ought to hear and learn of Christ first: be not thou rebellious, like that rebellious house;
who would not hear what was said unto them; but they were not to be imitated no, not in a lesser degree: the prophet was to avoid everything that looked like rebellion; as in, attention to what was said to him hesitation about it, or backwardness to publish it; open thy mouth;
be ready to receive what should be given, as a symbol of the prophecy he was to deliver. The Targum is,

``incline thy soul, and receive what I give thee.''
Jarchi's note is incline thine ear and hear and let it be sweet to thee, as if thou didst eat food for hunger; and Kimchi observes, the intention of the figurative expression is to learn the words of the prophecy, and to remember them: and eat that I give thee;
which may be safely done; for Christ gives his ministers and people nothing but what is wholesome; his doctrines are wholesome words and may be eaten without fear, ( 1 Timothy 6:3 ) .

Ezekiel 2:8 In-Context

6 But don't be afraid of them, son of man, and don't be afraid of anything they say. Don't be afraid when living among them is like stepping on thorns or finding scorpions in your bed. Don't be afraid of their mean words or their hard looks. They're a bunch of rebels.
7 Your job is to speak to them. Whether they listen is not your concern. They're hardened rebels.
8 "Only take care, son of man, that you don't rebel like these rebels. Open your mouth and eat what I give you."
9 When I looked he had his hand stretched out to me, and in the hand a book, a scroll.
10 He unrolled the scroll. On both sides, front and back, were written lamentations and mourning and doom.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.