Ezekiel’s Call 1 And he said to me: Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with 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 But we must ask why Ezekiel and Paul fall on their face, while of the horseman, that is, of him who is exalted in the glory of this world, it is said: "That his rider may fall backward." And again of the persecutors of the Lord it is written: "They went backward and fell to the ground." What does this mean, that the elect fall forward and the reprobate fall backward, except tha…
2 And a spirit entered into me as he spoke to me, and it set me on my feet; and I heard the one speaking to me.
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 sons of Israel, to the rebelling nations that have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me 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 sons are hard of face and firm of heart. I am sending you to them, and you will say to them: Thus says the Lord GOD.
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, whether they listen or whether they cease — for they are a house of rebellion — will know that a prophet has been 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 "If perhaps they themselves may hear, and if perhaps they may be still, because it is a provoking house." While it is established that almighty God knows all things, it is greatly to be wondered why it is said: "If perhaps they will hear, and if perhaps they will be still." Therefore we must know that this doubt in God's speech descends not from ignorance, but from some signifi…
6 And you, son of man, do not fear them and do not fear their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit among scorpions. Do not fear their words and do not be shattered before them, for they are a house of rebellion.
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 Often indeed when we complain about the life of our neighbors, we try to change our place, to choose the seclusion of a more remote life; evidently not knowing that if the spirit is lacking, the place does not help. For that same Lot of whom we speak stood holy in Sodom, yet sinned on the mountain.
7 And you will speak my words to them, whether they listen or whether they cease, for they are rebellion.
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 And you, son of man, hear what I am speaking to you. Do not be rebellion like the house of rebellion. Open your mouth and eat what I am giving 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 I looked, and see: a hand sent to me, and in it a scroll of a book.
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 (Verse 9.) In which was a wrapped book, and he unfolded it before me, and it was written inside and outside: and there were written in it lamentations, and a song, and woe. And he said to me: Son of man, whatever you find, eat. Concerning the wrapped book, the seventy chapters of the book were translated.
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 spread it out before me, and it was written on the front and on the back; and written on it were laments and moaning and woe.
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 But if you still cling in mind to the present age, if you still delight in earthly pleasures, you cannot love the eternal joys you hear about. Therefore learn the woe that is written in this volume, and drive from your soul through fear what you love, so that from the judgment you may be able to love the song you read.
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.