Ezekiel 33:22

22 The previous evening the LORD had taken hold of me and given me back my voice. So I was able to speak when this man arrived the next morning.

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 O people of Israel, you are saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right.’ But I judge each of you according to your deeds.”

21 On January 8, during the twelfth year of our captivity, a survivor from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen!”

22 The previous evening the LORD had taken hold of me and given me back my voice. So I was able to speak when this man arrived the next morning.

23 Then this message came to me from the LORD :

24 “Son of man, the scattered remnants of Israel living among the ruined cities keep saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he gained possession of the entire land. We are many; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.’