KJV: And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.
YLT: It is the appearance of the likeness of the honour of Jehovah, and I see, and fall on my face, and I hear a voice speaking, and He saith unto me, 'Son of man, stand on thy feet, and I speak with thee.'
Darby: And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak with thee.
ASV: And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak with thee.
Son of man
"Son of man," used by our Lord of Himself seventy-nine times, is used by Jehovah ninety one times when addressing Ezekiel.
(1) In the case of our Lord the meaning is clear: it is His racial name as the representative Man in the sense of 1 Corinthians 15:45-47 . The same thought, implying transcendence of mere Judaism, is involved in the phrase when applied to Ezekiel. Israel had forgotten her mission. Ezekiel 5:5-8 . Now, in her captivity, Jehovah will not forsake His people, but He will remind them that they are but a small part of the race for whom He also cares. Hence the emphasis upon the word "man." The Cherubim "had the likeness of a man" Ezekiel 1:5 and when the prophet beheld the throne of God, he saw "the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it" Ezekiel 1:26 . See Scofield " Matthew 8:20 " Revelation 1:12 ; Revelation 1:13 .
(2) As used of Ezekiel, the expression indicates, not what the prophet is in himself, but what he is to God; a son of man
(a) chosen,
(b) endued with the Spirit, and
(c) sent of God.
All this is true also of Christ who was, furthermore, the representative man--the head of regenerate humanity.
generations of Shem Genesis 11, 12 mark an important turning point in the divine dealing. Heretofore the history has been that of the whole Adamic race. There has been neither Jew nor Gentile; all have been one in "the first man Adam." Henceforth, in the Scripture record, humanity must be thought of as a vast stream from which God, in the call of Abram and the creation of the nation of Israel, has but drawn off a slender rill, through which He may at last purify the great river itself. Israel was called to be a witness to the unity of God in the midst of universal idolatry ( Deuteronomy 6:4 ); ( Isaiah 43:10-12 ) to illustrate the blessedness of serving the true God ( Deuteronomy 33:26-29 ) to receive and preserve the divine revelations; ( Isaiah 9:1-2 ); ( Romans 3:2 ); ( Deuteronomy 4:5-8 ) and to produce the messiah; ( Genesis 3:15 ); ( Genesis 21:12 ); ( Genesis 28:10 ); ( Genesis 28:14 ); ( Genesis 49:10 ); ( 2 Samuel 7:16 ); ( 2 Samuel 7:17 ); ( Isaiah 4:3 ); ( Isaiah 4:4 ); ( Matthew 1:1 ).
The reader of scripture should hold firmly in mind:
(1) that from Genesis 12 to ( Matthew 12:45 ) the Scriptures have primarily in view Israel, the little rill, not the great Gentile river; though again and again the universality of the ultimate divine intent breaks into view (for example; ( Genesis 12:3 ); ( Isaiah 2:2 ); ( Romans 3:157 ); ( Isaiah 5:26 ); ( 1715146908_4 ); ( Isaiah 11:10-12 ); ( Isaiah 42:1-6 ); ( Isaiah 49:6 ); ( Isaiah 49:12 ); ( Isaiah 52:15 ); ( Isaiah 54:3 ); ( Isaiah 55:5 ); ( Isaiah 60:3 ); ( Isaiah 60:5 ); ( Isaiah 60:11-16 ); ( Isaiah 61:6 ); ( Isaiah 61:9 ); ( Isaiah 62:2 ); ( Isaiah 66:12 ); ( Isaiah 66:18 ); ( Isaiah 66:19 ); ( Jeremiah 16:19 ); ( Joel 3:9 ); ( Joel 3:10 ); ( Malachi 1:11 ); (Romans 9-11); ( Galatians 3:8-14 ).
(2) that the human race, henceforth called Gentile in distinction from Israel, goes on under the Adamic and Noahic covenants; and that for the race (outside Israel) the dispensations of Conscience and of Human government continue. The moral history of the great Gentile world is told in ( Romans 1:21-32 ) and its moral accountability in ( Romans 2:1-16 ). Conscience never acquits: it either "accuses" or "excuses." Where the law is known to the Gentiles it is to them, as to Israel, "a ministration of death," a "curse"; ( Romans 3:19 ); ( Romans 3:20 ); ( Romans 7:9-10 ); ( 2 Corinthians 3:7 ); ( Galatians 3:10 ). A wholly new responsibility arises when either Jew or Gentile knows the Gospel; ( John 3:18 ); ( John 3:19 ); ( John 3:36 ); ( John 15:22-24 ); ( John 16:9 ); ( 1 John 5:9-12 ).
Verse Meaning
Yahweh instructed Ezekiel to stand on his feet because the Lord wanted to speak with him. [source][source][source]
"Not paralysis before him is desired by God, but reasonable service.... It is man erect, man in his manhood, with whom God will have fellowship and with whom he will speak." [1][source]
"The expression "son of man" [2] is a common Semitic way of indicating an individual man ( Psalm 4:2; Psalm 57:4; Psalm 58:1; Psalm 144:3; Jeremiah 49:18; Jeremiah 49:33; Jeremiah 50:40; Jeremiah 51:43)." [3][source]
"Son of man" (Heb. ben "adam) is a distinctive title in this prophecy and stresses the humanity of the prophet in contrast to the supernatural creatures and the deity of the glorious Lord. The Hebrew title appears93times in Ezekiel and only once elsewhere in the Old Testament ( Daniel 8:17). In Daniel 8:17, this title, ben "adam, describes Daniel. In the New Testament, "son of man" describes a person who is both God and man (cf. Daniel 7:13, ben "ish). This was the favorite title that Jesus used of Himself in the Gospels ( Matthew 8:20; Matthew 9:6; Matthew 11:19; Mark 2:28; Mark 10:45; Luke 19:10; et al.). In view of its use in the Old Testament, "son of man" stressed Jesus" true humanity and His dependence on the Spirit of God as well as His deity. [4] "Son of" indicates a close relationship even when it does not describe literal Song of Solomon -ship (e.g, "son of peace," i.e, a person associated with peace, Luke 10:6). [source][source][source]
"By this title Ezekiel would be reminded continually that he was dependent on the Spirit"s power, which enabled him to receive the message of God ( Ezekiel 2:2) and to deliver it in the power and authority of the Lord-"This is what the Sovereign LORD says" ( Ezekiel 2:4)." [5][source]
Context Summary
Ezekiel 2:1-10 - A Hard Commission
The people were impudent and stiff-hearted; their words as briars and thorns; their speech like the poison of scorpions; but the prophet was commissioned to go on with his divine mission, undeterred by their opposition. Under such circumstances we must be sure of a Thus saith the Lord. But no man can stand against the continual opposition of his fellows, unless his strength is renewed, as Ezekiel's was, by eating that which God gives. Open thy mouth, and eat that which I give thee, Ezekiel 2:8. Let us specially consider the divine denunciations of sin, that our words may be sharper than any two-edged sword. Nothing makes us so strong as feeding perpetually upon the roll of the Book, and especially on the Word within the words. We must eat the flesh and drink in the life of the Son of man, if we can deal aright with the needs of the sons of men. [source]
Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 2
1Ezekiel's commission 6His instruction 9The scroll of his heavy prophecy
What do the individual words in Ezekiel 2:1 mean?
And He saidto meSonof manstandonyour feetand I will speakto you
Parse: Direct object marker, second person masculine singular
Root: אֹות
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
What are the major concepts related to Ezekiel 2:1?