Ezekiel 3:15

"So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; and the LORD’s hand was strong on me."

Key Reflection

Ezekiel 3:15 describes a visionary experience where Ezekiel is suddenly transported by divine power, as the Spirit lifts him up and takes him away. The historical context suggests that this event would have been understood by the original audience as a sign of God's authority and Ezekiel’s calling. In first-century Israel, such experiences were seen as a means of receiving prophetic revelation directly from God, imbuing Ezekiel with both physical movement and emotional intensity—a vivid demonstration of divine presence and purpose in his life.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Tel-abib -, on the river Chebar was the chief seat of the Jewish exiles in Babylonia. The name “Tel-abib” (“mount of ears of corn”) was probably given on account of its fertility. I sat where they sat -Rather, “And I saw them sitting there and I sat there.” Astonished -Rather, silent, with fixed and determined silence (compareEzra 9:3-4). “To be silent” was characteristic of mournersLamentations 3:28; “to sit” their proper attitudeIsaiah 3:26;Lamentations 1:1; “seven days” the set time of mourningJob 2:13.

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