Authorized Vorsion rondcring, followed by vi. 3), but by every word that procceclcJ oul the Revised Version, is tenable enough. A of the mouth of ,Jehovah. cognate form of the fust is found in oh. Ver. 9.-An hand was sent (put forth xxviii. 24, ond there the LXX. gives <1'1COl\o,i,, Revised Version) unto me, etc. Apparently one! the Vulgote, R.tJina. A liko figurative the hand was not that of the human form use of" scorpions" 1s found in 1 Kings xii. soated on the throne ( eh. i. 26), nor of one 11 (but here the reference may be to some of the four living creatures (eh. i. 8), but scorpion-like scourge) antl Ecclus. xxvi. 7 one appearing mysteriously by itself, as in (compare also our Lord's words in Luke x. the history of Belshazzar's f08ilt (Dan. v. 5). 19). lie not afraid. Compare the like The words connect t!:iemselves with tl,e use command in Jer. i. 17. The words imply, of the hand stretched out of a cloud as the prnbably, a past as well e.s o. future ex- symbols of the Di vine energy both in Jewish perience. Ezekiel had already known whBt and Christian art. The writer has in his it was to dwell among those whose hearts possession a Jewish brass tablet, probably of were venomous as scorpions. The comparison the sixteenth century, commemorating the wos e. suflici1mtly familiar one among both legend of the miraculous supply of oil at the Eastern and Greek writers. Feast of tho Dedication, in which sucl1 a Ver. 7.-Thou ahalt speak my words, etc. hand appears as pouring oil into the seven- The words conveyed (1) a ground of branched candlestick, or lamp, of the temple. encouragement in the fact that tile words Lo, a roll of a book, etc. The words remin,I would be given by Jehovah (comp. Jar. i. 7, us of the volume, or roll, in Ps. xl. 7; Jer. 17; Matt. x. 19, 20); and (2) a warning xxx:vi. 2 ; Zech. v. 1; like those which are agoinst the intermingling of lower thoughts still used in Jewish synagogues. oud a self-originated message ( eh. xiii. 7; Ver. 10.-lt was written within and xxii. 28). They are most rebellious; literally, without. Commonly such rolls, whether of the Hebrew being a noun, they aTe rebellion, vellum or papyrus, were written on one side or stubbomness, itself. only. This, like the tables of stone (Exod. Ver. 8.-lle not thou rebellious, etc. The xxxii. 15), was w;itten, ns a symbol of the words convey a warning against the prophet's fulness of its message, on both sides. And natural weakness. Instinctively he shrank, as he looked o.t the 1·011 thus "spread before" aaMoseshaddone(Exod.iii.11; iv. J0-13) him, he saw that it was no evnngel, no glad and Isaiah (vi. 5) and Jeremiah (i. 6), from tidings, that he had thus to identify with his dread vocation of being a " mortBl vessel his work, but one from first to last of lamen- of the Divine Word." In so shi·iuking he tations, and mourning, and woe. Jeremiah would identify himself with the . very had been known as the prophet of weeping, "rebellion" which he wo.s sent to reprovo, o.nd was about this time (probably a little and would incur its punishment. Eat that later) writing his own Lo.mcntations (the I give thee. As in the parallel of Rev. x. Hebrew title of the book, however, is simply 9, the words imply the1t who.twos to be givon its first words) over the foll of Jerusalem. him wns no message resting, as it were, on the Ezekiel's work was to be of a like nature. surface of the soul. It was to enter into The word meets us age.in ( eh. xix:. 1, 14; the prophet's innermost life, to be tho food xu-i. 17; xxvii. 2, 32; x:xviii. 12; xxxii. 2, and nourishment of hie soul; to be, in onr 16) o.s the key-noto of his writings. Out of familiar phrase, "inwardly digested" e.nd euch a book, though the glad tidings were incorporo.ted with his very flesh and blood. to come afterwarJs, his own prophetic work He was to live "not by bread only" (Deut. wo.s to be evolved.
HOMILETICS. Ver. I.-God speaking, and man listening. This second chaptor cf tho prophecies of Ezekiel introduces us to the personal call and commission of the prophet. The first chapter was engaged with preliminary and preparatory visions. Now tl.Je prepared soul receives the direct word from God. I. Gon SPEAKING. God speaks to Ezekiel: 1. In woTds. Previously the prophet's attention had been arrested by visions-glorious, awful, soul-stirring visions-visions that not only roused his feelings, but that must also have a.wakened in his mind many strange_ thoughts by their profound suggestiveness; still only visions, and therefore mysterious revelations shrouded in a measure of uncertainty. Now God proceeds from the vague vision to definite speech. It matters not whether we consider that the speech came in physical sound, in real air-waves, thot any other listener, had he been present, mi~ht have understood, or whether tho words wcro impressed on the mind of the prophet. In any case, he heard them, and thus ho received a clear, definite, unmis• takable message. We are not left to uncertain visions, nor even to the difficult hiero- 82 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [OH. II, 1-10.