Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 12:3

"Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house." — Ezekiel 12:3 (ASV)

Prepare you stuff for removing. —The same words are translated in Jeremiah 46:19, Furnish thyself to go into captivity. Stuff includes all that an emigrant would require: clothes, utensils, etc., and “removing” is the same word as is translated captivity in Ezekiel 12:4.

The symbolical action was that of one preparing to leave his home to go into captivity. The prophet is to make his preparations during the day, and to carry forth his stuff (Ezekiel 12:7), but not himself to go forth until evening (Ezekiel 12:4). The action seems to be that of one who must abandon his home, using the whole day to carry out all he can with the purpose of saving it, and then himself leaving the house when the day is done.