John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 12:8-11

"And in the morning came the word of Jehovah unto me, saying, Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou? Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: This burden [concerneth] the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are. Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them; they shall go into exile, into captivity." — Ezekiel 12:8-11 (ASV)

We gather from these words of the Prophet that he himself was derided when he began to migrate; then, that he secretly dug through the wall by night and in this way carried away his baggage. For those who think that the Israelites inquired about this, as if it were unknown to them, do not sufficiently consider the Prophet’s words.

For the repetition of the epithet rebellious house is not in vain; for if this question had proceeded from mere foolishness, God would not have called them rebellious. This epithet, then, refers to the present passage, and in this way we may determine that the Israelites asked the Prophet derisively, what does this mean?

For he seemed to them to be acting frivolously, and so they jeered at him; for we know the audacity of the nation in despising their Prophets. It is not, then, to be wondered at, if they commented rather freely on what the Prophet was doing when they obtained a plausible reason for it.

We said yesterday that this seemed like a childish spectacle. Therefore, the Israelites seemed, not without reason, to reject what the Prophet was doing as a thing of no importance. But God does not allow his servants to be reviled in this way. He now signified to the Prophet that his calling ought to be deservedly held sacred.

Therefore, since Ezekiel bore certain marks of the prophetic office, even though at first sight his conduct might not have appeared serious, the people still should have inquired modestly. For whatever we know to flow from God should be reverently received without controversy. If there is any obscurity, we may wonder and inquire into it; but as I have said, teachableness and modesty should always precede.

But what did the Israelites do? They did indeed inquire about the meaning of the Prophet’s conduct, but only to reject it with ridicule. For this reason, God is angry and announces Himself as a severe avenger of that audacity, because they persecuted the sacred Prophet.

Therefore, this must be read emphatically—what are you doing?—as if they were saying that the Prophet was foolish, and that he carried and prepared his goods and dug through the wall in vain, since all these things were of no importance. But the answer, by showing that God is greatly offended with such frivolous behavior, sufficiently demonstrates that they did not ask the question out of ignorance or lack of thought, but out of mere deliberate contempt.

He now says, this prophecy relates to the prince, and the whole house of Israel which is in the midst of them. Without doubt, he means the king, as we shall soon see; nor does he speak of any king indefinitely, but points to Zedekiah, as will be immediately evident from the circumstances.

He says, therefore, this burden, or this sorrowful prophecy, looks towards the prince, and to the house of Israel, who dwell at Jerusalem. But it is probable that some had fled so that they might not fall into the hands of the enemy, since Jerusalem was a safe refuge for them.

The captives thought they had managed poorly because they had not followed those leaders, since Jerusalem was a safe refuge for them, and therefore their sorrow at their captivity was greater.

Therefore, God pronounces that the Israelites were included with their king in this prophecy. It is indeed true that this was a common name for all the descendants of Abraham; for the twelve tribes sprang from the patriarch Jacob, but it was then becoming customary for the ten tribes to retain the name of Israel, and for the tribe of Judah to have its own distinct name.

Afterwards, he confirms his teaching, that he was as a sign to them. We explained this expression yesterday, showing how the Prophet was placed before them as a sign, so that God represented what was still unknown to them; for signs divinely sent are called portents when they foretell what no one would expect to happen.

God, indeed, often shows what he is going to do by many ordinary signs; but an extraordinary one, which cannot be considered natural, is called a portent. Therefore, the Prophet is ordered to say to the Israelites that he was to them for a wonder, namely, to reprove their obstinacy, which, as we have said, was the cause of their impious contempt.

For it was not a religious act for a Prophet to mock them, leading them to suppose he was merely toying with them, as if frightening children about nothing. God, therefore, so that the Israelites might finally be roused at his own time, pronounces his servant to be a wonder to them.

And we gather from the reason that is added what the name "portent" meant in yesterday’s lecture. For he says, as I have done, so shall it be done to you; that is, what you now think to be child’s play will be seriously fulfilled in yourselves.

For the Prophet seemed to be acting a part, like an actor, and for this reason was derided. He now declares that it would not be a mere story, since the Israelites who were left in Judea among the Jews, and the king himself, would not be merely acting a part;

for God would compel them to collect their baggage and to flee stealthily in the darkness of the night, which he follows up through the whole verse. Into banishment and exile, he says, shall they go. Therefore, when the Prophet was commanded to collect and prepare his goods, he was a sign of the exile of which he now speaks. But the explanation of the second part is added.