Old Testament · Prophecy

Ezekiel 2

Eat the Scroll

God sends Ezekiel to a rebellious people — and hands him a scroll written with lamentations, mourning, and woe. Eat it. It tastes like honey.

King James Version BSB KJV

1And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

2And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.

3And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.

4For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.

5And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

6And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

7And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.

8But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.

9And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;

10And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

Understand This

Ezekiel 2, explained

What Ezekiel 2 is saying

God addresses Ezekiel as ben adam (son of man) and commissions him to speak to rebellious Israel. He is warned that the people will resist his message. God gives him a scroll inscribed with words of lamentation, mourning, and woe, and commands him to eat it.

The background behind it

The commissioning follows standard prophetic call patterns (cf. Isaiah 6, Jeremiah 1) but emphasizes the people's obstinacy more than any other. The phrase 'son of man' (used 93 times in Ezekiel) stresses the prophet's humanity before divine majesty.

Themes running underneath

Prophetic calling involves obedience regardless of audience response. The scroll imagery conveys that the prophetic word must be internalized before it can be proclaimed. God's sovereignty is underscored by His foreknowledge of Israel's rejection.

Why it still matters

Faithfulness in calling is measured by obedience to God's command, not by the audience's reception. The prophet's role challenges ministers and believers to speak truth irrespective of outcomes.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.