Eze 2:8-3:3 | NETfull | STEP | As for you, son of man, listen to what I am saying to you: Do not rebel like that rebellious house! Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”

Ezekiel 2:8-10

8 As for you, son of man, listen to what I am saying to you: Do not rebel like that rebellious house! Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”

9 Then I looked and realized a hand was stretched out to me, and in it was a written scroll. 10 He unrolled it before me, and it had writing on the front ^{▼▼ Heb “on the face.”} and back; ^{▼▼ Written on the front and back. While it was common for papyrus scrolls to have writing on both sides the same was not true for leather scrolls.} written on it were laments, mourning, and woe.

Ezekiel 3:1-3

1 He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you see in front of you ^{▼▼ Heb “eat what you find.”} – eat this scroll – and then go and speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth and he fed me the scroll.

3 He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your belly with this scroll I am giving to you.” So I ate it, ^{▼▼ Heb “I ate,” a first common singular preterite plus paragogic he (ה). The ancient versions read “I ate it,” which is certainly the meaning in the context, and indicates they read the he as a third feminine singular pronominal suffix. The Masoretes typically wrote a mappiq in the he for the pronominal suffix but apparently missed this one.} ^{▼▼ I ate it. A similar idea of consuming God’s word is found in Jer 15:16 and Rev 10:10, where it is also compared to honey and may be specifically reminiscent of this text.} and it was sweet like honey in my mouth.