John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 2:7

"And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear; for they are most rebellious." — Ezekiel 2:7 (ASV)

Again he repeats what he had said, with only a few words changed, yet the meaning is the same: that the Prophet should not stop in the middle of his course if he saw that he did not achieve what he wished and hoped for. For when we devote ourselves to what God commands, we should be encouraged and expect that some fruit of our labor may appear.

We may, therefore, indulge both hopes and wishes, but if things turn out differently than we anticipated, we should still leave the outcome in God's hands and continue to the end in fulfilling our duty. This is the aim of this sentence: you, he says, shall utter my words, or pronounce my words, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. This means that even if you sing a song to the deaf, as the proverb says, you still must not stop uttering my words. And he adds the reason: because they are a rebellious house. God warns his servant in advance that there was no reason for him to turn back, even if he should see no fruit from his labors, because he should be convinced of this in his mind: although they have no ears, he must still speak in God’s name.

It is certain, as we mentioned yesterday, that there were some, though few in number, to whom his teaching was useful, but he is speaking here about the people as a whole. We must learn, therefore, when God calls us to the office of teaching, not to be swayed by people's reactions. For if God chooses to test us while we strive with the rebellious and stubborn, God’s word must still be spoken, because he commands it.