1 And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.
2 And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.
3 And 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.
4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.
5 And 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.
6 And 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.
7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
8 But 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.
9 And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
10 And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
<html><b>And He said to me: “Son of man, etc.”</b> He calls Ezekiel “son of man” because he saw the Celestial Chariot while walking among [the denizens of—Malbim ed.] the heavenly heights and involving himself with it like the angels, as if to say “There is no one here of woman born but this one.” (So did a man explain this to my rabbi, and he [thus] pleased him. I hold, however, that He called him “son of man” only so that he should not become haughty from having become familiar with the Celestial Chariot and with workings of the heavenly beings.This [latter remark] does not appear in other editions.</html>
<html><b>what was being spoken to me</b> Heb. מִדַבֵּר. What was being spoken with me. And it is respectful to write מִדַבֵּר when referring to [the One in] Heaven, for if one says מְדַבֵּר, the implication is [that He speaks] like a man who speaks to his fellow, turning to him face to face; but if one says מִדַבֵּר, it means that the Shechinah, in His eminence, is soliloquizing, and His messengers will overhear; porpariliz in Old French, intimate words.</html>
<html><b>to rebellious nations</b> Two tribes are called two nations.</html>
<html><b>And the sons</b> Since He says, “their fathers rebelled against Me,” and these sons of theirs are brazen- faced.</html>
<html><b>And they whether they listen or whether they forbear</b> from listening. <b>for they are a rebellious house</b> They are remonstrative people, but I want them to know at the time of their retribution that a prophet had been in their midst who reproved them, and they did not heed.</html>
<html><b>obstinate</b> Heb. סָרָבִים, a term for disobedience, like סָרְבָנִים (Menachem p.129), but Dunash (p. 77) interpreted it as a word for thorns [like the next word, סלונים. Consequently] there are two words [for thorns]. <b>and thorny</b> Heb. וְסַלוֹנִים, a word for thorns, and so (below 28:24) “a pricking briar (סִלוֹן) and a piercing thorn.” <b>and you sit on eglantines</b> Heb. עַקְרַבִּים. The people whom you reprove will weary you and provoke you [making you feel] as if you were sitting on eglantines, which prick you on all sides.
h.עַקְרַבִּים are eglantiers in French, eglantines. Another interpretation: literally scorpions [the usual meaning of עַקְרַבִּים] and so did Jonathan render: “and among people whose deeds are like scorpions, you dwell.”</html>
<html><b>do not be rebellious</b> [to refrain] from going on My mission. <b>open</b> Heb. פְּצֵה, open, and so (Lam. 3: 46): “they have opened (פָּצוּ) their mouth against us.” <b>open your mouth and eat</b> This is figurative. Bend your ear and hearken, and it will please you as if you are hungrily eating food. <b>what I give you</b> What is the giving? It is the scroll of the book.</html>
<html><b>and behold, etc.</b> Some things adopt both masculine and feminine gender, such as (Gen. 19:23): “The sun had risen (יָצָא) [msc.] over the earth, etc.”; (Mal. 3:20), “And for you who fear My name, shall the sun of mercy rise (וְזָרְחָה) [fem.]), etc.” [Likewise] (Gen. 32:9), “If Esau comes to the one camp (הָאַחַת) [fem.] and strikes it (וְהִכָּהוּ) [msc.].</html>
<html><b>before and behind</b> That which existed from the beginning and that which is destined to be in the end. <b>lamentations</b> The retribution of the righteous in this world. <b>and murmuring</b> Heb. וָהֶגֶה. The gift of their reward, over which they will sing in the future. <b>and woe</b> The woe of the wicked in the world to come.</html>