Ezekiel 2:4

“For [they are] impudent children, &c.] “Hard of face”f45; as is commonly said of impudent persons, that they are brasen faced; they had a whore’s forehead, and refused to be ashamed, and made their faces harder than a rock, (<240303>Jeremiah 3:3 5:3); they declared their sin as Sodam, and hid it not; they sinned openly, and could not blush at it: and stiffhearted; or, “strong of heart”f46; whose hearts were like an adamant stone, and harder than the nether millstone; impenitent, obdurate, and inflexible; they were not only stiff-necked, as Stephen says they were in his time, and always had been; but stiff-hearted; they were not subject to the law of God now, nor would they submit to the…”

“impudent--literally, "hard-faced" (Eze 3:7, Eze 3:9). children--resumptive of "they" (Eze 2:3); the "children" walk in their "fathers'" steps. I . . . send thee--God opposes His command to all obstacles. Duties are ours; events are God's. Thus saith the Lord God--God opposes His name to the obstinacy of the people.”

“Nation - literally, as in the margin - the word which usually distinguishes the pagan from God’s people. Here it expresses that Israel is cast off by God; and the plural is used to denote that the children of Israel are not even “one nation,” but scattered and disunited. Translate: “I send thee to the children of Israel, the rebellious nation that have rebelled against Me (they and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even to this very day), and the children impudent and stiff-hearted: I do send thee unto them.” return to 'Top of Page'”

“2:4-5 Israel was stubborn and hard-hearted—they would not heed Ezekiel, whose message would bear little immediate fruit. However, they would know that they had a prophet among them who was speaking God’s word.”

“they: Eze 3:7; Deu 10:16, Deu 31:27; Ch2 30:8, Ch2 36:13; Psa 95:8; Isa 48:4; Jer 3:3; Jer 5:3, Jer 6:15, Jer 8:12; Mat 10:16 impudent: Heb. hard of face, Pro 21:29 Thus: Kg1 22:14; Jer 26:2, Jer 26:3; Act 20:26, Act 20:27 Ezekiel 2:5”