Ezekiel 3:27

27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, `Thus saith the Lord GOD.' He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear; for they are a rebellious house.

Ezekiel 3:27 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 3:27

But when I speak with thee
Either when I have made an end of speaking to thee, when I have told thee all my mind, and have given thee all the instructions and prophecies thou art to deliver out; or when I shall speak to thee again, and give thee orders to speak: I will open thy mouth;
loose thy tongue, cause thee to break silence, and thou shall speak freely and fully all that I command thee; fulness of matter, and freedom of speech, are both from the Lord; liberty and opportunity of speaking are at his pleasure; and when he speaks his servants must prophesy, ( Amos 3:8 ) ; and thou shalt say unto them, thus saith the Lord God;
so and so, whatsoever he is pleased to order to be spoken; not that the following words are what were to be said to the people; but they are said to the prophet for his own use, that he might not be uneasy at the unfruitfulness and failure of his ministry: he that heareth, let him hear;
if any will hearken to what is sent to them, as few of them will, it is very well: and he that forbeareth, let him forbear;
or, "he that ceaseth, let him cease" ^F25; he that ceaseth from hearing, let him do so, do not mind it, or be discouraged at it: for they [are] a rebellious house; (See Gill on Ezekiel 2:5). The Targum is,

``he that receiveth, let him receive instruction; and he that ceaseth, let him cease from sinning, for it is a rebellious people.''

---

FOOTNOTES:

F25 (ldxy ldxhw) "et qui cessat cesset", Pagninus, Tigurine version, Starckius; "qui desistere volet desistat", Piscator; "qui desistit [audire], desistet". So some in Vatablus.

Ezekiel 3:27 In-Context

25 But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them.

26 And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb and shalt not be to them a reprover, for they are a rebellious house.

27 But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, `Thus saith the Lord GOD.' He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear; for they are a rebellious house.