The big picture
Ezekiel 2 opens in verse 1 with “And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 5 with “And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a…”, and closes in verse 10 with “And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written…” Repeated or prominent terms include rebellious, afraid, hear, house, words. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Ezekiel · King James Version · 10Ezekiel 2:1-5
1–5: He said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto…
Ezekiel 2:1–5 opens with “And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.” and reaches “And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Ezekiel 2 develops its own movement around rebellious, afraid, hear, house, words, with particular weight carried by children, feet, rebellious.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.” Naming Son keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Ezekiel 2:1-5
King James Version1And 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.
Ezekiel 2:6-10
6–10: Thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their…
Ezekiel 2:6–10 opens with “And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and…” and reaches “And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Ezekiel 2 develops its own movement around rebellious, afraid, hear, house, words, with particular weight carried by rebellious, afraid, words.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee…” The line’s distinctive content terms include afraid, words, briers. Its relationship to verses 7 shows what work it does in this passage.
Ezekiel 2:6-10
King James Version6And 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.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Ezekiel 2:1 begins with “And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.”
Where the chapter turns
Ezekiel 2:8 forms a natural hinge: “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.”
The final note
Ezekiel 2:10 leaves the reader with “And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words rebellious, afraid, hear, house, words, children help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Which gifts come before the prohibition?
Life, the garden, food and meaningful work. The command occurs inside generosity.
How does chapter 2 deepen chapter 1?
It concentrates on dependence, partnership and responsibility within the shared human calling.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.