And they held their peace, and answered him not a word. For the king had commanded, saying: Answer him not.
וַֽיַּחֲרִ֔ישׁוּ וְלֹֽא־עָנ֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ דָּבָ֑ר כִּֽי־מִצְוַ֨ת הַמֶּ֥לֶךְ הִ֛יא לֵאמֹ֖ר לֹ֥א תַעֲנֻֽהוּ׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Yet they remained mute and offered him no response. Why was this? Because a command had been issued from the king: do not engage with him. O miserable individual! There is nothing comparable to God; do not believe that assistance is futile.
Rapsacus remains foolish and shows contempt for God with his statements, believing that the king of Assyria's conquests over numerous Gentile cities indicated that none could be saved by their false deities. He fails to realize that these gods are mere creations of wood and stone, crafted by human hands, and lack any true power. In contrast, the God of the Jews is the living and authentic God of all creation, existing not as an invention of recent origin but as the Creator of all time, the Creator of everything, and the Sovereign of all forces. Rapsacus assumes that the Jewish people have clear evidence of their impending captivity, suggesting that even if aided by a great God, they would be unable to resist, as the Hellenic gods had failed to protect their cities or lands.
He provocatively asks, "Where is the God of Emath and Harpeth?" claiming that these gods could not rescue Samaria from his grasp. However, I would respond to him, O unfortunate man, that those who worshipped golden calves suffered due to their reliance on falsehoods; their land fell because God withdrew His support. As previously mentioned, the inability of Hellenic deities to save their city does not reflect the nature of the true, living, and mighty God. The divine essence of those idols comes from human craft and semblance, while He governs all of creation and wields an unconquerable power as the Lord of Hosts. No response is given to Rapsacus, for the king wisely commanded silence. It is more fitting to mourn the offensive and arrogant remarks made against God than to engage with them. This wisdom aligns with the instruction of the blessed David, who declared, "I will keep my mouth when the sinful one stands before me. I am mute and humbled, and I remain silent regarding the goodness" (Psalm 38:2, 3).
The crowd remained silent and provided no response, as they had been instructed by the king to refrain from answering. Ezekiel was undoubtedly a man of righteousness, demonstrating faith and wisdom in all his actions. He commanded the blasphemous Assyrian to hold his tongue, to prevent further provocation of blasphemy. For this reason, it is written, "Thou shalt not kindle the coals of a sinner" (Sir 9:13); and we find in the Psalms, "I will restrain my mouth, as long as the wicked is before me. I have been humbled and speechless, and have been silent even about good things" (Psalms 38:2-3). Additionally, we read, "Put a guard, O Lord, upon my mouth, and fence the doors of my lips; let not my heart be inclined to the words of the wicked" (Psalms 140:3-4).
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS