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See Block, Ezekiel 1–24, 121–22; and Bodi, “Ezekiel,” 409.

23. Greenberg, Ezekiel 1–20, 69.

24. See Taylor, Ezekiel, 67; and for more detail Block, Ezekiel 1–24, 134–35.

25. Block, Ezekiel 1–24, 137. However, this need not mean that the prophet shared “some of the hardened disposition of his compatriots.”

26. Taylor, Ezekiel, 68.

27. See discussion under Context in Ezekiel for Ezek 1:1–28.

28. Alexander, “Ezekiel,” 671.

29. For democratization of the prophetic call to all New Testament believers, see Beale, A New Testament Biblical Theology, 603–4, 908–10.

      Responsibility to Respond

      3:16–27

      Ezekiel’s Message

      Consequences of obedience or disobedience rest on the response of individuals to heed the warnings of God’s word.

      Key Themes

      • God’s warnings can apply to the righteous to encourage a consistent walk of obedience.

      • The responsibility for discipline or judgment rests on the person who fails to respond.

      Context in Ezekiel

      This unit opens where the last left off: “at the end of seven days.” The time had been sufficient for Ezekiel to recover somewhat from the dual trauma of encountering God’s glorious presence and receiving such a grave commission. Now God moves Ezekiel from his general call as a prophet to his first active assignment—a “silent watchman” who conveys his message by visual signs (horrifying siege of Jerusalem in chapter 4 and the slaughter in chapter 5). One could argue for isolating Ezek 3:16–21 from what follows. But these verses, which expand upon Ezekiel’s commission in Ezek 2:1—3:15, also introduce his assignment as a sign messenger, which begins in Ezek 3:22. Altogether, Ezek 3:16–27 leads into the following chapters 4 and 5, with Ezek 3:22–27 introducing his sign ministry.

      Interpretive Highlights

      3:17 a watchman: Cities posted watchmen atop walls to sound an alarm of news or approaching danger (2 Sam 18:24–27; 2 Kgs 9:17–20; cf. Ezek 33:1–6). So the image of “watchman” served as a fitting metaphor for the task of a prophet (Jer 6:17; Hos 9:8). In this immediate context, not only does Ezekiel warn his countrymen of the lethal danger of their sin, but as a watchman he also signals the siege in Ezek 4:1–3. Regarding Ezekiel’s call to be a watchman, see also the parallel passage in Ezek 33:1–20 and the commentary there.

3:18–19 you will surely die . . . saved yourself: The death sentence announced to the wicked in these verses, and the similar warning to the righteous in vv. 20–21, should not be confused with matters of eternal life. This over reading of the text is tempting only because from a contemporary Christian perspective, the matter of eternal life and death is the dominant issue associated with the New Testament gospel. However, from the perspective of the Mosaic Covenant, life and death were most immediately associated with covenant blessings or curses in the promised land (Deut 30:1–20, esp. v. 15; cf. Deut 4:1–4; 11:26–27; 16:20; Lev 18:5). Similarly, the psalmists and sages spoke of wickedness leading to premature death (Pss 37:35–36; 55:23; Prov 10:16; 11:19). So, Ezekiel’s warning would have been understood in the manner of Jeremiah’s (Jer 21:8–10).30

For Ezekiel, failure as a watchman results in moral and legal culpability: “accountable for their blood.” This is the expression for one who is held responsible for a capital crime and so forfeits life (Gen 9:5–6; 2 Sam 4:11–12).31 The Hebrew phrase rendered “saved yourself” (NIV; cf. NASB) is often translated “saved your soul” (ESV; NKJV). This adds to the confusion, since in modern parlance, “soul” is associated with the immaterial component of human nature that survives physical death to enter the eternal state. However, in Old Testament usage, the word often translated “soul” primarily refers to the whole person (Exod 1:5; Num 6:6; Ps 35:9–10) or physical life (Gen 19:17; Lev 24:17). The authority to announce life and death to specific individuals is an exclusively prophetic task (e.g., Moses [Num 14:35; 26:65]; Samuel [1 Sam 2:33–34]; Nathan [2 Sam 12:13–14]; Elijah [2 Kgs 1:4]; Isaiah [2 Kgs 20:1, 5]; Jeremiah [Jer 38:17–18]).32 For further discussion on personal responsibility, see the parallel passage in Ezek 18:1–32 and the commentary there.

3:20 stumbling block: The threat of death not only applies to the wicked, but even the righteous person who turns to wickedness will experience the Lord’s severity. The word translated “stumbling block” refers to an object over which one trips to their harm (Lev 19:14). So, it lends itself metaphorically, as here, to something that results in death (cf. Jer 6:21) and might be translated as “calamity.”33 Recall what was said above, that this language does not pertain to matters of eternal life.

      3:22–23 The hand of the Lord . . . the glory: A repetition of Ezekiel’s initial, visionary experience accompanies the more detailed instruction for his task. Anticipated rejection by the people, both of his message and of him personally (Ezek 3:25–26), required special emboldening (Ezek 3:9).

3:24–25 shut yourself inside . . . you will be bound: The difficulty here is envisioning exactly what would happen. Would the prophet sequester himself, or would his opponents bind him to isolate him from the public? Alternatively, perhaps those binding him were associates cooperating with his sign acts (cf. Ezek 4:8). It is also possible that the binding here is metaphorical, that is, public resistance forced a strategy of reclusion. In any event, while Jeremiah found himself confined by rebellious leadership (Jer 20:1–2 [cf. Jer 29:26]; Jer 37:21; 38:6), in Ezekiel’s case he seems to have regular access to public space, such as in the dramatic performance of his signs. As Block notes, “public apathy toward his message seems to have been a more serious problem than malevolence toward his person.”34 But also, Ezekiel’s compatriots frequently sought him in his home (Ezek 8:1; 14:1; 20:1; 33:30–33). So, although it is impossible to be sure exactly what took place, the binding complements the constrained nature of Ezekiel’s proclamation. This is expressed in the next verse by the command to silence. Together with the exotic nature of his prophetic signs, his reclusive habit had a magnetic social effect similar to “playing hard to get.”

3:26–27a you will be silent: One need not entertain that Ezekiel’s silence was due to some pathological condition that kept him from being able to speak. In Job 29:10 the image of the tongue stuck to the roof of the mouth refers to voluntary speechlessness. The prophet was so controlled by the Spirit of God that he would speak out only when compelled by the Spirit, a command that lasted seven years (Ezek 24:27; 33:21–22).35 As Taylor states, “From that moment onwards, Ezekiel was to be known as nothing more than the mouthpiece of Yahweh.”36

Some interpret the phrase “you must not be for them a man who rebukes” as a prohibition against functioning as an intercessor.37

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