וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָי בֶּן־אָדָם עֲמֹד עַל־רַגְלֶיךָ וַאֲדַבֵּר אֹתָךְ׃ 2:1
Ezek. 2:1 And He said to me, “Human, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.”
The two words בֶּן־אָדָם that I translate as “Human” is almost universally translated as “Son of man.” This form of address by the Lord to any of the prophets is almost unique (this term is used only one other time in Daniel). As I’ve interpreted the scripture of Ezekiel, I’ve concluded that the Lord doesn’t exhibit much respect for or confidence in Ezekiel as His prophet. The term son of man is, in my opinion, somewhat humbling. But I believe the term human is meant to be even somewhat derogatory. And the words can be translated either way, as son of man or human. I have chosen the latter to remind myself -- and you -- of the attitude that seems to pervade this book, one of disdain for Ezekiel’s abilities. And I will point out my reasons for this view as we encounter them.
וַתָּבֹא בִי רוּחַ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלַי וַתַּעֲמִדֵנִי עַל־רַגְלָי וָאֶשְׁמַע אֵת מִדַּבֵּר אֵלָי׃ 2:2
Ezek. 2:2 And a spirit came into me as He spoke to me, and she stood me up on my feet and I could hear a speaking to me.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי בֶּן־אָדָם שֹׁולֵחַ אֲנִי אֹותְךָ אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־גֹּויִם הַמֹּורְדִים אֲשֶׁר מָרְדוּ־בִי הֵמָּה 2:3 וַאֲבֹותָם פָּשְׁעוּ בִי עַד־עֶצֶם הַיֹּום הַזֶּה׃
Ezek. 2:3 And He said to me, “Human, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to the rebellious nations, that are rebellious with Me; they and their fathers have transgressed toward Me up to this very day,
וְהַבָּנִים קְשֵׁי פָנִים וְחִזְקֵי־לֵב אֲנִי שֹׁולֵחַ אֹותְךָ אֲלֵיהֶם וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהֹוִה׃ 2:4
Ezek. 2:4 and the children are cruel of face and stubborn of heart. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Master, the Lord.’”
וְהֵמָּה אִם־יִשְׁמְעוּ וְאִם־יֶחְדָּלוּ כִּי בֵּית מְרִי הֵמָּה וְיָדְעוּ כִּי נָבִיא הָיָה בְתֹוכָם׃ 2:5
Ezek. 2:5 “And they, whether they will listen or they will not -- for a rebellious house they are -- still, they will know that a prophet is among them.”
וְאַתָּה בֶן־אָדָם אַל־תִּירָא מֵהֶם וּמִדִּבְרֵיהֶם אַל־תִּירָא כִּי סָרָבִים וְסַלֹּונִים אֹותָךְ וְאֶל־עַקְרַבִּים 2:6 אַתָּה יֹושֵׁב מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם אַל־תִּירָא וּמִפְּנֵיהֶם אַל־תֵּחָת כִּי בֵּית מְרִי הֵמָּה׃
Ezek. 2:6 “And you, human, have no fear from them, and do not be afraid because of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you are dwelling in among scorpions; do not be afraid because of their words, and do not be dismayed because of them, though they are a rebellious house.”
וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֶת־דְּבָרַי אֲלֵיהֶם אִם־יִשְׁמְעוּ וְאִם־יֶחְדָּלוּ כִּי מְרִי הֵמָּה׃ 2:7
Ezek. 2:7 “But you shall speak My words to them, whether they will listen or they will not, for they are rebellious.”
וְאַתָּה בֶן־אָדָם שְׁמַע אֵת אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי מְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ אַל־תְּהִי־מֶרִי כְּבֵית הַמֶּרִי פְּצֵה פִיךָ וֶאֱכֹל אֵת 2:8 אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי נֹתֵן אֵלֶיךָ׃
Ezek. 2:8 “Now you, human, hear what I am saying to you: You must not be rebellious like the house of rebellion; open your mouth and digest what I am entrusting to you.”
וָאֶרְאֶה וְהִנֵּה־יָד שְׁלוּחָה אֵלָי וְהִנֵּה־בֹו מְגִלַּת־סֵפֶר׃ 2:9
Ezek. 2:9 When I could look, then behold, a hand was being stretched out to me, and behold, a roll of a scroll was in it.
This verse is included in my list of clues that Ezekiel was dreaming (see my discussion at Ezek. 1:26). Because of my theory about non-inverting vavs, I translate this verse a bit differently from others. The word I translate as When I could look is translated by others as When I looked. Now I claim that my translation implies an inability to look directly, as if the scene were partly hidden or obscure. That implies to me a possible state of dreaming. Besides this, there’s also an unacknowledged error in the third-from-last Hebrew word in this verse. The word is translated as in it (at the end of the English translation), However, hand, its only possible antecedent, is feminine, and the it in in it is masculine. It should be feminine to conform to its antecedent. The correction would replace the vav with a heh.
וַיִּפְרֹשׂ אֹותָהּ לְפָנַי וְהִיא כְתוּבָה פָּנִים וְאָחֹור וְכָתוּב אֵלֶיהָ קִנִים וָהֶגֶה וָהִי׃ 2:10
Ezek. 2:10 And He spread it before me, and it was written on front and back, and written to it were lamentations and moaning and wailing. [Return to Zech. 5:3]
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