יחזקאל, פרק ג׳, פסוק כ״ה

A prophet is typically a public figure, delivering messages directly to the masses. Yet, in a striking departure from this role, the prophet is forced into strict isolation. He is required to remain shut inside his home, completely removed from the public sphere.

The primary approach among commentators is that the binding of the prophet is not a physical event but a powerful metaphor. By a decree from God [רש״י], the prophet experiences a state of total lockdown. His movement is paralyzed as if he were physically imprisoned by thick ropes made of three interwoven strands [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This intense restriction strips away his status as a social being [ביאור שטיינזלץ], making it forbidden for him to go outside and walk among the exiled people [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This state of being tied down conveys a general feeling of paralysis, as if others have forcefully bound him. While most commentators view this as a broad expression of his forced confinement, a deeper cause is identified regarding who is truly responsible for these metaphorical ropes. According to [מלבי״ם], the prophet's confinement is a direct result of the people's sins. Because their actions brought about this restriction, it is as if the people themselves placed the ropes on him and tied him down, ultimately preventing him from going out to reach them.