John Gill Commentary Ezekiel 33:2

"Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman;" — Ezekiel 33:2 (ASV)

Son of man, speak to the children of your people The Jews, of whom the prophet was; and designs those who were with him in the captivity; and who, having behaved so ill, the Lord will not own them for his people, but calls them the prophet's people, and the children of them:

and say unto them, when I bring the sword upon a land ; a foreign enemy with an army to invade it, or any other judgment; for there is no public calamity whatever that comes upon a people, but what is by the order, direction, or permission of the Lord. The Targum is, ``those that kill with the sword;'' an army of men that enter into a land sword in hand, with an intent to conquer and destroy:

if the people of the land take a man of their coasts: that lives upon their borders, and so is acquainted with all the places where it is most likely an enemy should enter; or a man out of the midst of them, as the Targum; so this phrase sometimes signifies, (Genesis 47:2) , one of their own people, who might be thought to have their good and safety at heart, and might be trusted:

and set him for their watchman : On some place of eminence; on the walls, or in a tower of a frontier town, from where he might descry the enemy coming at a distance.