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Ezekiel 2

God commissions Ezekiel to speak his words to rebellious Israel, requiring obedience even when the hearers refuse.

God tells Ezekiel to stand, and the Spirit enters him and sets him on his feet. God then sends him to Israel, describing the people and their ancestors as rebels. Ezekiel must speak God's words whether the people listen or refuse, and he must face their hostility without fear. He is also warned against rebellion himself. A hand then holds out a scroll, written on both sides, containing lamentations, mourning, and woe.

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1He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.”
2The Spirit entered into me when he spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard him who spoke to me.
3He said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the children of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me even to this very day.
4The children are impudent and stiff-hearted. I am sending you to them, and you shall tell them, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says.’
5They, whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse—for they are a rebellious house—yet they will know that there has been a prophet among them.
6You, son of man, don’t be afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you, and you dwell among scorpions. Don’t be afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.
7You shall speak my words to them, whether they will hear or whether they will refuse; for they are most rebellious.
8But you, son of man, hear what I tell you. Don’t be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth, and eat that which I give you.”
9When I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me; and behold, a scroll of a book was in it.
10He spread it before me. It was written within and without; and lamentations, mourning, and woe were written in it.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Ezekiel 2:6The images of thorns and scorpions convey the hostility Ezekiel faces as God commands him to speak without fear.
Ezekiel 2:7Ezekiel's duty to speak God's words holds whether Israel listens or refuses, making obedience central to his commission.
Ezekiel 2:3God identifies Israel's rebellion as the setting for Ezekiel's mission, extending the charge across generations.
Where this chapter reaches

Jeremiah and Isaiah share the pattern of God commissioning a prophet to address resistant hearers, with Jeremiah also receiving commands against fear. Revelation shares the images of a scroll written on both sides and a messenger commanded to eat a scroll.

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After reading the whole chapter

What stands out to you about God's command to speak whether Israel listens or refuses?

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How does the warning against Ezekiel's own rebellion shape your reading of his commission?

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Questions people ask about Ezekiel 2

Why does God call Ezekiel “Son of man”?

In this address, “Son of man” identifies Ezekiel as a human being before the God who speaks and sends him. The title keeps his human status in view throughout the commission. His authority comes from God's words, and the Spirit supplies the strength to stand and hear them.

What does the scroll in Ezekiel 2 mean?

The scroll presents the message God is giving Ezekiel to receive and speak. Its contents are described as “lamentations, mourning, and woe,” marking the commission with grief and judgment. Writing covers both sides. God commands Ezekiel to eat what he gives him, but the eating does not occur within these ten verses.

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Ezekiel · 48 chapters
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).