John Gill Commentary Ezekiel 3:27

"But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house." — Ezekiel 3:27 (ASV)

But when I speak with you
Either when I have made an end of speaking to you, when I have told you all my mind, and have given you all the instructions and prophecies you are to deliver out; or when I shall speak to you again, and give you orders to speak: I will open your mouth ;
loose your tongue, cause you to break silence, and you shall speak freely and fully all that I command you; fulness of matter, and freedom of speech, are both from the Lord; liberty and opportunity of speaking are at his pleasure; and when he speaks his servants must prophesy, (Amos 3:8) ;

and you shall say unto them, thus saith the Lord God ;
so and so, whatsoever he is pleased to order to be spoken; not that the following words are what were to be said to the people; but they are said to the prophet for his own use, that he might not be uneasy at the unfruitfulness and failure of your ministry:

he that heareth, let him hear ;
if any will hearken to what is sent to them, as few of them will, it is very well:

and he that forbeareth, let him forbear ;
or, "he that ceaseth, let him cease" ^F25 ; he that ceaseth from hearing, let him do so, do not mind it, or be discouraged at it: for they [are] a rebellious house; (See Gill on Ezekiel 2:5).

The Targum is, "he that receiveth, let him receive instruction; and he that ceaseth, let him cease from sinning, for it is a rebellious people."

---

FOOTNOTES:

• F25: (ldxy ldxhw) "et qui cessat cesset", Pagninus, Tigurine version, Starckius; "qui desistere volet desistat", Piscator; "qui desistit [audire], desistet". So some in Vatablus.