1 The word of the Lord also came vnto me, saying;
2 Sonne of man, thou dwellest in the middest of a rebellious house, which haue eyes to see, and see not: they haue eares to heare, and heare not: for they are a rebellious house.
3 Therefore thou sonne of man, prepare thee stuffe for remoouing, and remooue by day in their sight, and thou shalt remoue from thy place to another place in their sight; it may be they will consider, though they bee a rebellious house.
4 Then shalt thou bring foorth thy stuffe by day in their sight, as stuffe for remoouing: and thou shalt goe foorth at euen in their sight, as they that goe foorth into captiuitie.
5 Digge thou through the wall in their sight, and cary out thereby.
6 In their sight shalt thou beare it vpon thy shoulders, and cary it foorth in the twy light: thou shalt couer thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I haue set thee for a signe vnto the house of Israel.
7 And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuffe by day, as stuffe for captiuity, and in the euen I digged through the wall with mine hand, I brought it foorth in the twy light, and I bare it vpon my shoulder in their sight.
8 ¶ And in the morning came the word of the Lord vnto me, saying,
9 Sonne of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, sayd vnto thee, What doest thou?
10 Say thou vnto them; Thus saith the Lord God; This burden concerneth the Prince in Ierusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them.
11 Say, I am your signe: like as I haue done, so shall it be done vnto them: they shall remooue and goe into captiuitie.
12 And the Prince that is among them, shall beare vpon his shoulder in the twylight, and shall goe forth: they shall digge through the wall to cary out thereby: he shall couer his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.
13 My net also will I spread vpon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I wil bring him to Babylon to the land of the Caldeans, yet shall hee not see it, though he shall die there.
14 And I will scatter toward euery winde all that are about him to helpe him, and all his bands, and I wil draw out the sword after them.
15 And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shal scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countreys.
16 But I will leaue a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come, and they shall know that I am the Lord.
17 ¶ Moreouer, the worde of the Lord came to me, saying;
18 Sonne of man, eate thy bread with quaking, and drinke thy water with trembling and with carefulnesse,
19 And say vnto the people of the land; Thus sayth the Lord God, of the inhabitants of Ierusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulnes, and drinke their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of them that dwell therein.
20 And the cities that are inhabited, shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate, and yee shall know that I am the Lord.
21 ¶ And the word of the Lord came vnto me, saying;
22 Sonne of man, what is that prouerbe, that ye haue in the land of Israel, saying; The dayes are prolonged, and euery vision faileth?
23 Tell them therefore, Thus sayth the Lord God; I will make this prouerbe to cease, and they shall no more vse it as a prouerbe in Israel: but say vnto them, The dayes are at hand, and the effect of euery vision.
24 For there shall bee no more any vaine vision, nor flattering diuination, within the house of Israel.
25 For I am the Lord: I will speake, & the word that I shall speake, shall come to passe: it shall be no more prolonged: for in your dayes, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will performe it, sayth the Lord God.
26 ¶ Againe the word of the Lord came to me, saying;
27 Sonne of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say; The vision that he seeth is for many dayes to come, and he prophecieth of the times that are far off.
28 Therefore say vnto them, Thus saith the Lord God, There shal none of my words be prolonged any more, but the worde which I haue spoken, shall be done, sayth the Lord God.
The approaching captivity. (1-16) An emblem of the consternation of the Jews. (17-20) Answers to the objections of scoffers. (21-28)1-16 By the preparation for removal, and his breaking through the wall of his house at evening, as one desirous to escape from the enemy, the prophet signified the conduct and fate of Zedekiah. When God has delivered us, we must glorify him and edify others, by acknowledging our sins. Those who by afflictions are brought to this, are made to know that God is the Lord, and may help to bring others to know him.
17-20 The prophet must eat and drink in care and fear, with trembling, that he might express the condition of those in Jerusalem during the siege. When ministers speak of the ruin coming upon sinners, they must speak as those that know the terrors of the Lord. Afflictions are happy ones, however grievous to flesh and blood, that improve us in the knowledge of God.
21-28 From that forbearance of God, which should have led them to repent, the Jews hardened themselves in sin. It will not serve for an excuse in speaking evil, to plead that it is a common saying. There is but a step between us and an awful eternity; therefore it concerns us to get ready for a future state. No one will be able to put from himself the evil day, unless by seeking peace with the Lord.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.