1 And he said to me, Son of man, get up on your feet, so that I may say words to you.
Jerome · AD 420 (Chapter 2, Verse 1) And I saw, and fell on my face, and heard the voice of the one speaking. The greatness of the visions did not lift me up, but the awareness of human frailty caused me to fall on my face.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 "Son of man, stand upon your feet, and I will speak with you." The order of speech and work must be noted by us, because first the likeness of the glory of the Lord appears in order to cast down, afterward He addresses in order to raise up, then He sends the spirit of superabundant grace and lifts up, and sets upon the feet.
2 And at his words the spirit came into me and put me on my feet; and his voice came to my ears.
Jerome · AD 420 (Vers. 2.) And the Spirit entered into me after He spoke to me and set me on my feet. And I heard Him speaking to me, saying: Son of man. LXX: And the Spirit came upon me, and took me up, and raised me, and set me on my feet: and I heard Him speaking to me, and He said to me: Son of man.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 But in these matters it must be considered that if our good deeds are gifts of almighty God in such a way that there is nothing of ours in them, why do we seek eternal reward as if for merits? But if they are ours in such a way that they are not gifts of almighty God, why do we give thanks to almighty God for them?
3 And he said to me, Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to an uncontrolled nation which has gone against me: they and their fathers have been sinners against me even to this very day.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 3.) I send you to the children of Israel, to the apostate nations, who have turned away from me. They and their fathers have violated my covenant until this day. They are no longer called the people of God Israel, but rather the apostate nations, those who have turned away from the Lord, not only the fathers, but also the sons.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 "I send you to the sons of Israel, to apostate nations, who have departed from me." It should be noted that it is said: "I send you to the sons of Israel, to apostate nations, who have departed from me." For just as one departs from God in two ways, so in two ways men become apostates from God. For everyone departs from his Creator either by faith or by works.
4 And the children are hard and stiff-hearted; I am sending you to them: and you are to say to them, These are the words of the Lord.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 4.) And they are sons with a fierce face and an untamed heart, to whom I send you. This is not found in the Septuagint. It is of great mercy to send God to such people and not to despair of their salvation; and it is prophetic confidence that he is not afraid to go to such people as well.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 "Their fathers have transgressed my covenant unto this day, and the sons are of hard face and indomitable heart, to whom I send you." Behold, there is one fault of pride, because they have transgressed the covenant. Behold, another of obstinacy, because even unto this day.
5 And they, if they give ear to you or if they do not give ear (for they are an uncontrolled people), will see that there has been a prophet among them.
John Chrysostom · AD 407 But what means, "It may be they will reverence?" It is not the language of one ignorant, away with the thought! but of one desiring to show the sin to be great; and without any excuse. Since Himself knowing that they would slay Him, He sent Him. But He saith, "They will reverence," declaring what ought to have been done, that it was their duty to have reverenced Him.
Jerome · AD 420 (Verse 5.) And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God: If perhaps they will listen, and if perhaps they will be quiet, for the house is provoking, and they will know that there was a prophet among them. Something similar is written in Jeremiah: If perhaps they will listen and do penance. (Jer. XXVI, 3). And in the Gospel: Perhaps they will fear my son. (Matth. XXI, 37).
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 It should be noted that after he had spoken of the evils of the deceased parents, sending the prophet to the children he says: "If perhaps even they themselves may hear, and if perhaps they may be still." What does it mean to say "even they themselves," unless because their fathers who died in sin refused to hear?
6 And you, son of man, have no fear of them or of their words, even if sharp thorns are round you and you are living among scorpions: have no fear of their words and do not be overcome by their looks, for they are an uncontrolled people.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 Are there not revilings in Ezekiel directed against the people, when the Lord says, "you dwell among scorpions"?
Jerome · AD 420 Verse 6: Therefore, son of man, do not fear them, nor be afraid of their words, because they are unbelievers and destroyers with you. LXX: And you, son of man, do not fear them, nor be afraid of their presence: because they are insane, and they will gather against you in a circle. Though they may have hard necks and stubborn hearts, my commandments are stronger.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 In this Church therefore neither can the evil be without the good, nor the good without the evil. Therefore, dearest brothers, bring back to mind the times past, and strengthen yourselves for the toleration of the evil. For if we are children of the elect, it necessarily remains that we walk by their examples. For he was not good who refused to tolerate the evil.
7 And you are to give them my words, if they give ear to you or if they do not: for they are uncontrolled.
Jerome · AD 420 (Vers. 7, 8.) And you shall speak my words to them: if perhaps they will hear, and be afraid, or be quiet, since they are provokers. But you, son of man, hear what I speak to you. Therefore, you must not cease, although they are wicked to whom we speak; indeed, according to the Apostle (II Tim.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 "Therefore you shall speak my words to them, if perhaps they may hear and be still, because they are provokers." Everyone who sins, what else does he do but provoke the wrath of his Creator against himself? And we know that as often as we transgress in deed, as often in word, as often in thought, we provoke God against us just as many times.
8 But you, son of man, give ear to what I say to you, and do not be uncontrolled like that uncontrolled people: let your mouth be open and take what I give you.
Jerome · AD 420 Do not be exasperating, as the house is exasperating... Therefore, what he says is this: You should not imitate those whom you are sent to correct, lest you deserve a similar sin and punishment.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 There is, however, another thing that can be understood as to why blessed Ezekiel, who is sent to preach, is forbidden to be rebellious. For unless he obeyed when he was sent to speak words, he would have provoked the almighty Lord—just as the people provoked Him by their perverse deeds, so the prophet would have provoked Him by his silence.
9 And looking, I saw a hand stretched out to me, and I saw the roll of a book in it;
Hippolytus of Rome · AD 235 The scroll symbolizes the prophets and the apostles. In it the Old Testament was written on the reverse and the New on the obverse. Moreover, the scroll symbolizes the secret, the spiritual teaching—and in such a dignified manner that it may be read on both sides.
Jerome · AD 420 If God were to stand up as the avenger of sin, the church would lose many of its saints and certainly would be deprived of the apostle Paul.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 Whence it is written: "Stretching out the heaven like a skin, who covers its upper parts in the waters." For what is signified by the name of heaven except sacred Scripture? From which the sun of wisdom, and the moon of knowledge, and from the ancient Fathers the stars of examples and virtues shine for us.
10 And he put it open before me, and it had writing on the front and on the back; words of grief and sorrow and trouble were recorded in it.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 I take it to be similar in the case of the book mentioned by Ezekiel, in which had been written lamentation, mourning and woe. The whole book contains the "woe" of those perishing, and the "mourning" of those being saved and the "lamentation" of those in between.
Gregory the Dialogist · AD 604 In this volume, therefore, all things that edify, all things that instruct, are contained in writing. For you have sinned, and now you repent of having committed unlawful deeds—that you may be taught to do penance, there you find lamentations. You desire to refresh your mind with hope of heavenly joys—there you find a song for your consolation.
Bonaventure · AD 1257 Both reason and faith lead to the splendors of exemplarity. But beyond, there is a threefold help for rising to the exemplary principles: the sensible creatures, the rational creatures, and the sacramental scriptures; and this help contains a mystery.