8 Behold », IT have 0 made thy face ſtrong againſt = faces, and thy p forehead ſtrong againſt their fore- eads.
n This may be to remove the Obje&ion of the Prophet, who mighe plead the ſoftneſs of his own Metal, and pretend ſhameleſs Sinners ill ſcoffa young Prophet out of Countenance. Behold, ſays God, conſider. 0 Given. They have given themſe]ves this impudent Countenance, [ | have given thee true Courage, Conſtancy, and manly Carriage. p The
ſame anſwer in Words very little varying God will qualify and gifc | him for this Work among this People, and edg his own Tools to cur
into the hardeſt Meral. So 1/a 50.7. Jer. 1. 18. and Mic. 3.8. 9 As an 9 adamant harder then flint have I made thy
torehead: 7 fear * them nor, neither be s diſmayed at their
u See v. 1. x In my Name and Authority, ſo ſome, but then it would looks, though they be a * rebellious houſe. q If their Foreheads be hard and cutting as the Flint, if chey wound 77. the ſofc and tender, if they ſparkle with Fire againſt choſe of harder Chy,,
Metal, yet be not afraid, I have made thee as the Adamant harde; 6.
have been in the ſingular Number, not plural. Better and fuller 'cis by others thus, Whar Things ſhall ſhew thee, and'in what WordsT ſhall declare them to thee; theſe declare to the Captives in Baby/on. They perhaps do exp=& to hear ſomewhat elſe, and their flattering falſe P:ophets ſuggeſt other matters, but look ro it, thou goeſt on my Er- rand, ſpeak therefore, in my Words, as Hc6.
5 For y thou art not ſent to a people of a z -þ ſtrange
dep of lip, ſpeech, and of an « hard language, #4; to the houſe of Ifra- and beavyel b:
o f tong iro, endo ver.
6.
+ Heb
; Though the Divine Cominand is reaſon enough why we ſhould obey readily, yet God is pleaſed to give the Propher Arguments te per{ſwade, and uſhers them in here. z Who cannot skill of thy Speech, nor thou {peak (without gitt of Tongues) to them ; ſhift not off thy work as if with 70:4 ſerit to a People of barbarous Tongue, in which are dark and profound Idioms, bur as horrid to thy Ear, as deep and dark Precipices and Gulphs to the Eye, as Heb. deep of Lip intimates. « The ſame repeated in other Words, they will need no Interpreter to tell them what thou ſayeſt to them, nor wilt thou need an Interpre- ter to tell thee what anſwer they give. Thy work will be the eaſter, neither difficult as Things that lie deep to be dig'd our, nor as Things of great weight and hzavinels to be lifted, as both M=taphors imply ; this is his fiſt Argument. Next implied in it, I ſend thee to thine own Countrey-men, whoſe welfare thou ſhouldſt readily ſeek, and in their own Tongne rhou mayſt expreſs thy care for them. 6 They till are a Family that God owneth, he hath not broke up Houſekeeping, there is fartber Incouragement, and they are 1ſrael's Seed the Poſterity of
than Flint, able tocut and break it. But what if here ſhould be allu- fon tothe Talmudic Rabbinical Tardition about their ſuppoſed Worm Schamir, the word here uſed? if the Tradition be as old as Ezekie!'s time,'ewill carry ſome Probability with it. This Schamir was, ſay they, a Worm, which by ſecret virtue would, when applied, cut or form hard Stones, and divide the greateſt ; that Moſes uſed it to prepare the precious Stones for the Breaſt-plate ; and Solomon, ſay they, uſed it ro fit the Stones without Hammer for the Temple: well then, Exzckiel; fear not, thou ſhalt be a Schamir ro the Jews in Captivity, and fit fome of them to be either rich Ornaments in the Breaſt-plate, or beauriful Stones in the Temple, go about thy work, it ſhall nor be, thd ic ſeem, fucceſslefs. 7 Let no prevailing Fear take thee quite off from thy Work. 5s Letnotany leſſer Surprizes and ſudden Diſcompoſfures of Mind, when thou appeareſt before them, unfit thee for this Work I ſer thee about, : As a Houſe that is Rebellion it ſelf.
10 Moreover, he faid unto me, Son of man, all my words that I ſhall ſpeak unto thee, « receive in thine heart,
and hear x with thine ears.
This Verfe is a Repetition of the Charge given to the Prophet, to deal faithfully and undauntedly in the delivering his Meſlage, to deliver always what God ſhould ſpeak, to ſpeak nothing elſe, and to ſpeak all that. Theſe Repetitions in the abundance of the ſame Words, are from the uſage and cuſtom of the People of thoſe Countries ia which the Jews were now Captive. « This explains the Viſionary Eating, of which
Chap. ]
"Fw.1,
Mob 2.13.
Facob, and under Covenant-Mercy ; go therefore readily, for 1ſrel | yer. ;.
ſhall be gathered.
6 Not to many c people of a 4 ſtrange ſpeech, and of -z an - hard language, whoſe e words thou canſt not under- dec» of 1;p, ſtand: # [| ſurely, had I ſent thee to them they would have
ens heavy hearkened unto thee,
ef £47 $980.
Or, tf had jent ence, XC. world 19)cy
y nor NAV?
c This Verſe is much what the former, yet ſtrengthens and illu* : Many People here may be accor” \ſucceeded his Father Jehojakim, {lain for his Confpiracy with Egype
frares what 1s laid down here.
x Hearing is firſt, and receiving into the Heart follows, bur with the Jews ſuch Tranſpoſitions are very uſual.
I: And y po, get thee to them of the z captivity, unto a thy people, and b ſpeak unto them, and tell chem, «c Thus faith the Lord GOD, # whether they will hear, or
whether they will forbear. 3 Vid. werſe 4 z Of the firſt Captivity under Jeconiah's Reign, who
4 ding to the Comprehenſiveneſs of the H:b. Word, either numerous» [againſt Nebuchadnezzar, as 2 Kings 24. 1. with 6. 7. Theſe are thoſe whoſe Multitudes would be their Pride, and tempt them to deride good Figs, Fer. 24. 6, 7,8. of whom ſuch good 1s ſpoken, and to
thee. Or, Mighty in Valour and Feats of War and Policy, whoſe whom thole Promules are made. a The Sons of thy People, Heb. Some Might would harden them. Or, far off, who would wonder a Stran- will have God ſpeaking here of this People as no more his; burTrhink ger ſhou'd come to tell them their Deſtiny. Or, diverſe Nations,
it rather is to be interpreted of ſome that were amidſt them who were
Rearkrncd that thou ſhouldſt need diverſe Tongues, to ſpeak to them all in their difowned of God, and were now bur Children or Sons of che People, $79 720 gwn Language. This difficult Work is reſerved to thoſe whom $hilp | the Apoſtate [dolaters and debauched Sinners, which might poſſibly will ſend, 'tis kept to the times when the Spirit poured forth, ſhall, have embraced the Conqueror's Religion and Manners. 6 Here again