Ezekiel 3:2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I spoke, he claims, because I was instructed, ‘Open your mouth and partake.’ As soon as my mouth was opened, the Lord provided nourishment, ensuring that the inception of longing is ours and the complete joy we receive is from the Lord. For it is not based on the one who yearns, nor on the one who labors, but on God who bestows grace (Rom. 9:16). Nonetheless, both the act of desiring and the act of rising rely on our own will. Instead of saying opened, the Seventy interpreted it as He opened, indicating God, for He alone opened the prophet's mouth and sustained him.

The words of the Lord are as sweet to my soul as honey to my palate, as expressed by the great King David, who declared, "Sweet are Thy words unto my throat, sweeter than honey to my mouth" (Ps. 118:103). Mourning for transgressions brings a pleasant sorrow to my heart, especially in witnessing the grief of those who turn away from Your commandments (Ps. 118:53), states the same Prophet. He observed those lacking understanding, recognizing their ignorance due to the failure to uphold Your teachings (Ps. 118:158). Moreover, his son offers wisdom, asserting that it is preferable to enter a house of mourning rather than a house of revelry (Eccl. 7:3).

It is significant that the Prophet remarks, "And I opened my mouth, and was nourished with this scroll." Another Prophet affirms that the mouth is linked to the heart, stating, "The mouth of the flatterers is in the heart: and in the heart speaketh evil" (Psalm 11:3). We metaphorically open our mouths as we prepare our understanding for the contemplation of the sacred word. Thus, the Prophet opened his mouth in response to the voice of the Lord, as our hearts yearn for the breath of the Lord's commandments to receive the sustenance of life. However, our ability to accept this divine nourishment does not rely on our strength alone; it must be sustained by the very One who commands our mouths to open. For those who are unable to feed themselves are indeed nourished by Him.

In response to the Lord’s directive, the prophet, as revealed to him through the vision, opened his mouth and consumed the scroll that was shown to him, symbolizing his internalization of the divine revelations imparted to his heart.