Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Ezekiel 2:6
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, &c.] Of any of them, the greatest among them, their princes and nobles; who, by their grandeur and authority, their stern looks, and big words, might awe and terrify him; wherefore it follows: neither be afraid of their words; of their calumnies, revilings, and reproaches, their scoffs and jeers, their menaces and threatenings: though briers and thorns [be] with thee; that is, men comparable to such; wicked men are like to briers and thorns, (<102306>2 Samuel 23:6 <232704>Isaiah 27:4); are grieving, pricking, and distressing to good men, and are of no worth and value; are useless and unprofitable, and fit fuel for everlasting burning. The Targum is, “for they are rebellious, and hard against thee;” so Jarchi and Kimchi explain the first word, µybrs, translated “briers”, as signifying rebellious and disobedient; though the former observes, that R. Donesh interprets it of a kind of thorns, of which there are twenty names, and this is one: and thou dost dwell among scorpions; that is, as the Targum paraphrases it, “thou dwellest in the midst of a people whose works are like to scorpions.” Some interpret it, as Kimchi observes, of sharp thorns, of a thorny plant that grows in the form of a scorpionf49; but scorpions here are a kind of serpents, subtle, venomous, and mischievous, which have stings in their tails; which, as Pliny says, they are continually thrusting out, and striking with, that they may lose no opportunity of doing hurtf50; and fitly describe wicked men their subtlety and mischievous nature, be not afraid of their words; as before; with which they are like briers, thorns, and scorpions, being very grievous, defamatory, and mischievous: nor be dismayed at their looks: their frowning furious, and angry countenances; forbidding with which, as well as with their words, the prophet from prophesying unto them: though, or “for”, they [be] a rebellious house; (see Gill on “<260205>Ezekiel 2:5”).
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