And the hand of the Lord was there upon me Namely, at Tel-abib. I felt a divine power acting upon me as before: see on Ezekiel 1:3. And he said, Arise, go forth into the plain Withdraw from the multitude, and retire to a place more private, and fit for contemplation, and the reception of divine communications. Then I arose As I was commanded; and the glory of the Lord stood there The same glorious vision and representation of God's majesty, which I had seen before, (Ezekiel 1:28,) were manifested to me again. Then the spirit entered into me The spirit, power, or influence of God came upon me in an extraordinary manner; and set me upon my feet Raised me up after I had fallen on my face; and spake with me This should be rendered, And he spake with me: for the verb ידבר is in the masculine gender. The spirit or power, which now entered into him, is distinguished from the divine glory, or Shechinah, which the prophet saw, as it is also very plainly Ezekiel 2:2. And said, Go, shut thyself within thy house From public view, and to receive further instructions. Or, as some think, symbolically to represent the siege of Jerusalem. Behold, they shall put bands upon thee The LXX. read ιδου δεδονται επι σε δεσμοι, και δησουσι σε εν αυτοις, bands shall be put upon thee, and they shall bind thee with them. So also the Vulgate. Some think this was done by the captive Jews at Tel- abib, and that they bound him as a criminal, and disturber of the peace, in order to the punishing of him. Others suppose his domestics bound him, as thinking him out of his right mind. But it is more probable, comparing this passage with chap. Ezekiel 4:8, that the meaning is, as Bishop Newcome observes, that his friends or servants bound him by his order; namely, more fully to express the shutting up of the Jews in Jerusalem by the siege. And thou shalt not go out among them Thou shalt not go abroad among the people, but continue thus shut up. And thou shalt be dumb For some space of time I will withhold revelations from thee, and thou shalt say nothing to the people by way of admonition or reproof. For they are a rebellious house They are an obstinate, refractory people, who will give no heed to thy words. But when I speak with thee Or, when I have spoken to thee; that is, revealed to thee the knowledge of what is to come, or have communicated to thee what I intend to be declared to them; I will open thy mouth Give thee the power of speaking such things to them as it is my pleasure should be set before them. He that heareth, let him hear This is the last warning I shall give them, and they must take it as such, and either give heed to and obey what is said to them, and so avoid the impending evil; or neglect it at their peril, and take the consequence which shall follow. These words, it seems, were spoken to Ezekiel only, and are not any part of the message which he was to deliver to the people.
Ezekiel 3:22-27
22 And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.
23 Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.
24 Then the spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet, and spake with me, and said unto me, Go, shut thyself within thine house.
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:f 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.