1.

And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

1. Son of man—often applied to Ezekiel; once only to Daniel (), and not to any other prophet. The phrase was no doubt taken from Chaldean usage during the sojourn of Daniel and Ezekiel in Chaldea. But the spirit who sanctioned the words of the prophet implied by it the lowliness and frailty of the prophet as man "lower than the angels," though now admitted to the vision of angels and of God Himself, "lest he should be exalted through the abundance of the revelations" (). He is appropriately so called as being type of the divine "Son of man" here revealed as "man" (see on ). That title, as applied to Messiah, implies at once His lowliness and His exaltation, in His manifestations as the Representative man, at His first and second comings respectively (Psalms 8:4-8; Matthew 16:13; Matthew 20:18; and on the other hand, Daniel 7:13; Daniel 7:14; Matthew 26:64; John 5:27).

2.

And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.

2. spirit entered . . . when he spake—The divine word is ever accompanied by the Spirit (Genesis 1:2; Genesis 1:3).
set . . . upon . . . feet—He had been "upon his face" (Genesis 1:3). Humiliation on our part is followed by exaltation on God's part (Ezekiel 3:23; Ezekiel 3:24; Job 22:29; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). "On the feet" was the fitting attitude when he was called on to walk and work for God (Ephesians 5:8; Ephesians 6:15).
that I heard—rather, "then I heard."

3.

And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.

3. nation—rather, "nations"; the word usually applied to the heathen or Gentiles; here to the Jews, as being altogether heathenized with idolatries. So in Isaiah 1:10, they are named "Sodom" and "Gomorrah." They were now become "Lo-ammi," not the people of God (Isaiah 1:10).

4.

For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.

4. impudent—literally, "hard-faced" (Ezekiel 3:7; Ezekiel 3:9).
children—resumptive of "they" (Ezekiel 2:3); the "children" walk in their "fathers'" steps.
I . . . send thee—God opposes His command to all obstacles. Duties are ours; events are God's.
Thus saith the Lord God—God opposes His name to the obstinacy of the people.

5.

And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

5. forbear—namely, to hear.
yet shall know—Even if they will not hear, at least they will not have ignorance to plead as the cause of their perversity ().

6.

And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

6. briers—not as the Margin and GESENIUS, "rebels," which would not correspond so well to "thorns." The Hebrew is from a root meaning "to sting" as nettles do. The wicked are often so called (2 Samuel 23:6; Song of Solomon 2:2; Isaiah 9:18).
scorpions—a reptile about six inches long with a deadly sting at the end of the tail.
be not afraid— (Luke 12:4; 1 Peter 3:14).

7.

And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.

7. most rebellious—literally, "rebellion" itself: its very essence.

8.

But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.

8. eat—(See on ; Revelation 10:9; Revelation 10:10). The idea is to possess himself fully of the message and digest it in the mind; not literal eating, but such an appropriation of its unsavory contents that they should become, as it were, part of himself, so as to impart them the more vividly to his hearers.

9.

And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;

9. roll—the form in which ancient books were made.

10.

And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

10. within and without—on the face and the back. Usually the parchment was written only on its inside when rolled up; but so full was God's message of impending woes that it was written also on the back.