It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof: an image [was] before mine eyes, [there was] silence, and I heard a voice, [saying],
Ver. 16. It stood still] As now ready to speak. An ambulatory voice is hardly heard: the heavens, indeed, are walking preachers, but then they utter but these three words (Lib. ii. de Arca, cap. 3), saith Hugo, in all languages, Accipe, Redde, Fuge, that is, Receive mercies, Return duties, Flee offences, and their just punishments.
But I could not discern the form thereof] Heb. the aspect or countenance. He was so frighted, that his eye could not do its office distinctly, to discern the thing that was just before it. It is natural to a man to fear at the sight of an angel: what then will wicked men do at the last day, when the Son of man shall bring all his angels, not leaving one behind him in heaven? Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men: and oh that we could persuade them!
An image was before mine eyes] But I could not tell what to make of it. It is not the will of God that man should represent him by an image, Deuteronomy 4:15,16. The Jews, after the captivity, were so far from idolatry, that they would not admit a carver or painter into their city. The Turks will not endure any image, no, not upon their coins, because of the second commandment. Varro saith, he that first brought in imagery (and that is thought to be Ninus, king of Babylon), superstitionem auxit, metum dempsit, increased superstition, and took away fear. The wiser heathens held that God was too subtle for sinew or sight to seize upon; and the Greek painters, when they would draw the image of their Jupiter in a table, they were still changing it, but never ending it, saying, that herein they showed him to be a god; for that they might begin to paint, but could not perfect him.
There was silence, and I heard a voice] It was fit there should be silence and sedateness of spirit when a Divine voice was to be heard. Let all the earth keep silence before God, Habakkuk 2:20. When the seventh seal was opened there was half an hour's silence in heaven, Revelation 8:1. What a noise is there in many men's hearts even while they are hearing what the Lord God speaketh unto them! what bargaining, lawing, projecting, running into another world (as men in dreams do), so that they can tell no more what the preacher said than the man in the moon can! Silence is a good preparative to audience. Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. Let the woman (and so the man too) learn in silence. Let by thoughts, swarming and humming in our hearts, like the flies of Egypt, be barred out; let the devil, interrupting us with his suggestions, as the Pythoness did Paul and his companions, be haltered up. Let even good thoughts, if unseasonable and heterogeneal to the work in hand, be turned out of doors; let us say to them, as Hushai did to Ahithophel, Thy counsel is good, but not now. How shall we else hear with attention and affection? how shall we listen as for life, and hearken diligently with much heed? Isaiah 21:7 .