יחזקאל, פרק ג׳, פסוק ו׳

A prophet's mission often carries a tragic irony, especially when delivering difficult messages to his own people. God clarifies to the prophet that his mission is directed inward, not toward foreign nations. He is sent to a people who speak his exact language, yet they will stubbornly refuse to listen. In a striking contrast, if he were sent to foreign lands, those strangers would show far more openness to God's word, despite the massive language barrier.

The prophet is spared the burden of traveling to many distant nations whose languages he has never heard [רד״ק]. He does not have to spend time learning foreign tongues, such as Chaldean [מלבי״ם]. Consequently, he does not need to alter his natural way of speaking or struggle to comprehend the responses of a foreign audience [מצודת דוד].

Yet, a profound truth lies in this hypothetical scenario. The primary approach among commentators views God's declaration as a divine oath: God swears that had He sent the prophet to those foreign nations, they would have readily obeyed. Even with the immense gap in language, these foreign peoples would have actively sought out an interpreter to grasp the prophecy [רד״ק]. They would have accepted the divine message even if it lacked the prophet's usual smooth and natural delivery [מצודת דוד]. Taking a different perspective, another approach reads this situation literally rather than as an oath. In this view, even though the prophet is not specifically sent to foreign nations, the mere moment they become aware of his prophecy, they will willingly listen and embrace it [מלבי״ם].

Ultimately, this contrast highlights a painful reality about the Israelites. Their refusal to listen to the prophet does not come from any genuine lack of understanding or communication barrier. Instead, it is rooted purely in arrogance and stubbornness. They simply refuse to accept the rebuke, using the excuse of a communication gap as a mere cover for their hardened hearts [מלבי״ם].