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Ezekiel 4:1

You also, son of man, take a tile, and lay it before yourself, and portray on it a city, even Jerusalem:

Original language

וְאַתָּ֤ה בֶן־אָדָם֙ קַח־לְךָ֣ לְבֵנָ֔ה וְנָתַתָּ֥ה אוֹתָ֖הּ לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וְחַקּוֹתָ֥ עָלֶ֛יהָ עִ֖יר אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

Cross references

Jeremiah 51:57: I will make drunk her princes and her wise men, her governors and her deputies, and her mighty men; and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake up, says the King, whose name is Yahweh of Armies. Lamentations 2:15: All that pass by clap their hands at you. They hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men called The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? Lamentations 2:16: All your enemies have opened their mouth wide against you; They hiss and gnash the teeth; they say, We have swallowed her up; Certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it. Lamentations 2:17: Yahweh has done that which he purposed; he has fulfilled his word that he commanded in the days of old; He has thrown down, and has not pitied: He has caused the enemy to rejoice over you; he has exalted the horn of your adversaries. Revelation 21:2: I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. Isaiah 40:9: You who tell good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who tell good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength. Lift it up. Don’t be afraid. Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold, your God!” Matthew 5:35: nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Luke 19:41: When he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, Luke 19:42: saying, “If you, even you, had known today the things which belong to your peace! But now, they are hidden from your eyes. Luke 19:43: For the days will come on you, when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, surround you, hem you in on every side, Luke 19:44: and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn’t know the time of your visitation.” Zechariah 2:6: Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,’ says Yahweh; ‘for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the sky,’ says Yahweh. Zechariah 2:7: ‘Come, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.’

Commentary

No commentary

No commentary.

Ezekiel 4:2

and lay siege against it, and build forts against it, and cast up a mound against it; set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it all around.

Original language

וְנָתַתָּ֨ה עָלֶ֜יהָ מָצ֗וֹר וּבָנִ֤יתָ עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ דָּיֵ֔ק וְשָׁפַכְתָּ֥ עָלֶ֖יהָ סֹֽלְלָ֑ה וְנָתַתָּ֨ה עָלֶ֧יהָ מַחֲנ֛וֹת וְשִׂים־עָלֶ֥יהָ כָּרִ֖ים סָבִֽיב׃

Cross references

Jeremiah 52:4: In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it round about. 2 Kings 25:1: In the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and encamped against it; and they built forts against it around it. Matthew 24:16: then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Matthew 24:17: Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house. Matthew 24:18: Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes. Matthew 24:19: But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! Matthew 24:20: Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath, Isaiah 29:3: I will encamp against you all around you, and will lay siege against you with posted troops. I will raise siege works against you. Ezekiel 21:22: In his right hand was the lot for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build forts. 2 Chronicles 36:17: Therefore he brought on them the king of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or virgin, old man or gray-headed: he gave them all into his hand. Lamentations 2:8: Yahweh has purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion; He has stretched out the line, he has not withdrawn his hand from destroying; He has made the rampart and wall to lament; they languish together.

Commentary

Ezekiel 4:2 describes a prophetic act symbolizing the siege of Jerusalem, instructing the prophet to depict the coming destruction through the construction of various siege works. The Hebrew term מָצ֗וֹר (matzo'r) for "siege" emphasizes the concept of confinement, indicating the complete encirclement and isolation of the city. The use of siege works such as דָּיֵ֔ק (dayeq) for "forts" and סֹֽלְלָ֑ה (solelah) for "mound" illustrates the thoroughness of the impending assault. This vivid imagery serves as a stark warning to the people of Israel about the certainty of divine judgment and their need for repentance.

Ezekiel 4:2 describes a prophetic act symbolizing the siege of Jerusalem, instructing the prophet to depict the coming destruction through the construction of various siege works.

The Hebrew term מָצ֗וֹר (matzo'r) for "siege" emphasizes the concept of confinement, indicating the complete encirclement and isolation of the city. The use of siege works such as דָּיֵ֔ק (dayeq) for "forts" and סֹֽלְלָ֑ה (solelah) for "mound" illustrates the thoroughness of the impending assault.

This vivid imagery serves as a stark warning to the people of Israel about the certainty of divine judgment and their need for repentance.

Ezekiel 4:3

Take for yourself an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between you and the city: and set your face toward it, and it shall be besieged, and you shall lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.

Original language

וְאַתָּ֤ה קַח־לְךָ֙ מַחֲבַ֣ת בַּרְזֶ֔ל וְנָתַתָּ֤ה אוֹתָהּ֙ קִ֣יר בַּרְזֶ֔ל בֵּינְךָ֖ וּבֵ֣ין הָעִ֑יר וַהֲכִינֹתָה֩ אֶת־פָּנֶ֨יךָ אֵלֶ֜יהָ וְהָיְתָ֤ה בַמָּצוֹר֙ וְצַרְתָּ֣ עָלֶ֔יהָ א֥וֹת הִ֖יא לְבֵ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Cross references

Ezekiel 4:1: You also, son of man, take a tile, and lay it before yourself, and portray on it a city, even Jerusalem: Ezekiel 12:6: In their sight you shall bear it on your shoulder, and carry it out in the dark; you shall cover your face, so that you don’t see the land: for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel. Ezekiel 12:11: Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall go into exile, into captivity. Jeremiah 1:18: For, behold, I have made you this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. Jeremiah 51:30: The mighty men of Babylon have forborne to fight, they remain in their strongholds; their might has failed; they are become as women: her dwelling places are set on fire; her bars are broken. Ezekiel 3:17: Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel: therefore hear the word from my mouth, and give them warning from me. Isaiah 20:3: Yahweh said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia, Lamentations 2:8: Yahweh has purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion; He has stretched out the line, he has not withdrawn his hand from destroying; He has made the rampart and wall to lament; they languish together. Ezekiel 24:3: Utter a parable to the rebellious house, and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Set on the cauldron, set it on, and also pour water into it:

Commentary

Ezekiel 4:3 employs the metaphor of an iron pan to illustrate a profound separateness between God and Jerusalem, indicating the hardness of the city’s heart against divine judgment. The iron wall symbolizes a barrier that embodies the impending siege, demonstrating God’s intent to display His judgment and provoke repentance among the Israelites. The phrase "set your face toward it" signifies a prophetic act, emphasizing Ezekiel's role in confronting Israel with the consequences of their actions. This act serves as a poignant symbol of the besiegement, reminding the Israelites of their sinfulness and need for turning back to God. Hence, it becomes a vital sign to the house of Israel, calling them to realize the severity of their situation and the necessity of repentance.

Ezekiel 4:3 employs the metaphor of an iron pan to illustrate a profound separateness between God and Jerusalem, indicating the hardness of the city’s heart against divine judgment. The iron wall symbolizes a barrier that embodies the impending siege, demonstrating God’s intent to display His judgment and provoke repentance among the Israelites.

The phrase "set your face toward it" signifies a prophetic act, emphasizing Ezekiel's role in confronting Israel with the consequences of their actions. This act serves as a poignant symbol of the besiegement, reminding the Israelites of their sinfulness and need for turning back to God. Hence, it becomes a vital sign to the house of Israel, calling them to realize the severity of their situation and the necessity of repentance.

Ezekiel 4:4

Moreover lie on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel on it; according to the number of the days that you shall lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity.

Original language

וְאַתָּ֤ה שְׁכַב֙ עַל־צִדְּךָ֣ הַשְּׂמָאלִ֔י וְשַׂמְתָּ֛ אֶת־עֲוֺ֥ן בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עָלָ֑יו מִסְפַּ֤ר הַיָּמִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁכַּ֣ב עָלָ֔יו תִּשָּׂ֖א אֶת־עֲוֺנָֽם׃

Cross references

Ezekiel 4:5: For I have appointed the years of their iniquity to be to you a number of days, even three hundred ninety days: so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. Ezekiel 4:6: Again, when you have accomplished these, you shall lie on your right side, and shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah: forty days, each day for a year, have I appointed it to you. Isaiah 53:6: All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Galatians 6:2: Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 1 Peter 2:24: who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. Romans 6:6: knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. Jeremiah 31:34: and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh; for they shall all know me, from their least to their greatest, says Yahweh: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more. Psalms 38:4: For my iniquities have gone over my head. As a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. Matthew 8:17: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He took our infirmities, and bore our diseases.”

Commentary

Ezekiel is instructed to lie on his left side as a symbolic act of bearing the iniquity of Israel. The left side, in biblical symbolism, often represents the lesser position, perhaps indicating Israel's sinfulness and need for repentance. The command to lie for a specific number of days signifies a period of judgment and a call to acknowledgment of transgressions. This act serves as a poignant prophetic sign, illustrating the weight of iniquity and God's desire for His people to understand the gravity of their sins, thus prompting them towards repentance and restoration.

Ezekiel is instructed to lie on his left side as a symbolic act of bearing the iniquity of Israel. The left side, in biblical symbolism, often represents the lesser position, perhaps indicating Israel's sinfulness and need for repentance.

The command to lie for a specific number of days signifies a period of judgment and a call to acknowledgment of transgressions. This act serves as a poignant prophetic sign, illustrating the weight of iniquity and God's desire for His people to understand the gravity of their sins, thus prompting them towards repentance and restoration.

Ezekiel 4:5

For I have appointed the years of their iniquity to be to you a number of days, even three hundred ninety days: so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

Original language

וַאֲנִ֗י נָתַ֤תִּֽי לְךָ֙ אֶת־שְׁנֵ֣י עֲוֺנָ֔ם לְמִסְפַּ֣ר יָמִ֔ים שְׁלֹשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת וְתִשְׁעִ֖ים י֑וֹם וְנָשָׂ֖אתָ עֲוֺ֥ן בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Cross references

Ezekiel 4:6: Again, when you have accomplished these, you shall lie on your right side, and shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah: forty days, each day for a year, have I appointed it to you. Daniel 9:24: Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. Leviticus 16:21: Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. Leviticus 16:22: The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall let the goat go in the wilderness. Numbers 14:34: After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.’ Amos 3:14: “For in the day that I visit the transgressions of Israel on him, I will also visit the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar will be cut off, and fall to the ground. Isaiah 53:6: All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Jeremiah 30:11: For I am with you, says Yahweh, to save you: for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have scattered you, but I will not make a full end of you; but I will correct you in measure, and will in no way leave you unpunished. Lamentations 3:39: Why does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Lamentations 3:40: Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yahweh.

Commentary

In Ezekiel 4:5, God assigns a symbolic task to Ezekiel where he is to bear the iniquity of the house of Israel over a period of three hundred ninety days. The Hebrew phrase "נָתַתִּי לְךָ" (natati lekha) indicates a divine appointment, underscoring that this duration is not arbitrary but reflects God's sovereignty over Israel's transgressions. This period of bearing iniquity represents the extent of Israel's sins, emphasizing both judgment and prophetic intercession. By enduring this symbolic act, Ezekiel becomes a living representation of the burden of sin and the consequences of rebellion against God, illustrating God's call to repentance and the seriousness of Israel's situation.

In Ezekiel 4:5, God assigns a symbolic task to Ezekiel where he is to bear the iniquity of the house of Israel over a period of three hundred ninety days. The Hebrew phrase "נָתַתִּי לְךָ" (natati lekha) indicates a divine appointment, underscoring that this duration is not arbitrary but reflects God's sovereignty over Israel's transgressions.

This period of bearing iniquity represents the extent of Israel's sins, emphasizing both judgment and prophetic intercession. By enduring this symbolic act, Ezekiel becomes a living representation of the burden of sin and the consequences of rebellion against God, illustrating God's call to repentance and the seriousness of Israel's situation.

Ezekiel 4:6

Again, when you have accomplished these, you shall lie on your right side, and shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah: forty days, each day for a year, have I appointed it to you.

Original language

וְכִלִּיתָ֣ אֶת־אֵ֗לֶּה וְשָׁ֨כַבְתָּ֜ עַל־צִדְּךָ֤ הימיני הַיְמָנִי֙ שֵׁנִ֔ית וְנָשָׂ֖אתָ אֶת־עֲוֺ֣ן בֵּית־יְהוּדָ֑ה אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם י֧וֹם לַשָּׁנָ֛ה י֥וֹם לַשָּׁנָ֖ה נְתַתִּ֥יו לָֽךְ׃

Cross references

Ezekiel 4:5: For I have appointed the years of their iniquity to be to you a number of days, even three hundred ninety days: so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. Numbers 14:34: After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.’ Daniel 9:24: Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. Leviticus 16:21: Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. Leviticus 16:22: The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall let the goat go in the wilderness. Jeremiah 25:5: saying, Return now everyone from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that Yahweh has given to you and to your fathers, from of old and even forever more; Jeremiah 25:6: and don’t go after other gods to serve them or worship them, and don’t provoke me to anger with the work of your hands; and I will do you no harm. Ezekiel 12:27: Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he sees is for many day to come, and he prophesies of times that are far off. Ezekiel 12:28: Therefore tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: None of my words shall be deferred any more, but the word which I shall speak shall be performed, says the Lord Yahweh. Isaiah 53:6: All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Commentary

In Ezekiel 4:6, God instructs the prophet to lie on his right side for forty days, symbolizing the bearing of iniquity for the house of Judah. The command to lie on one side each day reflects the principle of prophetic sign acts, where actions illustrate divine judgment. The phrase "each day for a year" signifies that each day on his side corresponds to a year of judgment for the people's sins. This prophetic symbolism emphasizes the seriousness of Judah's transgressions and God's call for repentance, conveying a vivid message of accountability and impending discipline.

In Ezekiel 4:6, God instructs the prophet to lie on his right side for forty days, symbolizing the bearing of iniquity for the house of Judah. The command to lie on one side each day reflects the principle of prophetic sign acts, where actions illustrate divine judgment.

The phrase "each day for a year" signifies that each day on his side corresponds to a year of judgment for the people's sins. This prophetic symbolism emphasizes the seriousness of Judah's transgressions and God's call for repentance, conveying a vivid message of accountability and impending discipline.

Ezekiel 4:7

You shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm uncovered; and you shall prophesy against it.

Original language

וְאֶל־מְצ֤וֹר יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ תָּכִ֣ין פָּנֶ֔יךָ וּֽזְרֹעֲךָ֖ חֲשׂוּפָ֑ה וְנִבֵּאתָ֖ עָלֶֽיהָ׃

Cross references

Jeremiah 1:17: “You therefore put your belt on your waist, arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Don’t be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them. Ezekiel 5:1: You, son of man, take a sharp sword; You shall take it as a barber’s razor to you, and shall cause it to pass on your head and on your beard: then take balances to weigh, and divide the hair. Ezekiel 33:2: Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and tell them, When I bring the sword on a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman; Ezekiel 33:3: if, when he sees the sword come on the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Ezekiel 33:4: then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and doesn’t take warning, if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be on his own head. Ezekiel 33:5: He heard the sound of the trumpet, and didn’t take warning; his blood shall be on him; whereas if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul. Isaiah 62:6: I have set watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day nor night: you who call on Yahweh, take no rest, Isaiah 62:7: and give him no rest, until he establishes, and until he makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Revelation 11:3: I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” Micah 3:8: But as for me, I am full of power by the Spirit of Yahweh, and of judgment, and of might, to declare to Jacob his disobedience, and to Israel his sin. Zechariah 8:2: Thus says Yahweh of Armies: “I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.” Zechariah 8:3: Thus says Yahweh: “I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called ‘The City of Truth;’ and the mountain of Yahweh of Armies, ‘The Holy Mountain.’”

Commentary

In Ezekiel 4:7, the directive to set one's face toward the siege of Jerusalem signifies a prophetic stance of confrontation and proclamation. The posture of having the arm uncovered (חֲשׂוּפָ֑ה) suggests vulnerability, yet it also symbolizes readiness and openness to deliver God's message of judgment. The act of prophesying against Jerusalem emphasizes the divine mandate given to Ezekiel, underscoring the seriousness of the impending judgment due to the city's disobedience. This reflects the Reformed understanding of God's sovereignty in calling prophets to proclaim truth, regardless of their personal comfort or safety.

In Ezekiel 4:7, the directive to set one's face toward the siege of Jerusalem signifies a prophetic stance of confrontation and proclamation. The posture of having the arm uncovered (חֲשׂוּפָ֑ה) suggests vulnerability, yet it also symbolizes readiness and openness to deliver God's message of judgment.

The act of prophesying against Jerusalem emphasizes the divine mandate given to Ezekiel, underscoring the seriousness of the impending judgment due to the city's disobedience. This reflects the Reformed understanding of God's sovereignty in calling prophets to proclaim truth, regardless of their personal comfort or safety.

Ezekiel 4:8

Behold, I lay bands on you, and you shall not turn you from one side to the other, until you have accomplished the days of your siege.

Original language

וְהִנֵּ֛ה נָתַ֥תִּי עָלֶ֖יךָ עֲבוֹתִ֑ים וְלֹֽא־תֵהָפֵ֤ךְ מִֽצִּדְּךָ֙ אֶל־צִדֶּ֔ךָ עַד־כַּלּוֹתְךָ֖ יְמֵ֥י מְצוּרֶֽךָ׃

Cross references

Jeremiah 1:17: “You therefore put your belt on your waist, arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Don’t be dismayed at them, lest I dismay you before them. Ezekiel 12:10: Say to them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are. Ezekiel 12:11: Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall go into exile, into captivity. Ezekiel 12:12: The prince who is among them shall bear on his shoulder in the dark, and shall go out: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, because he shall not see the land with his eyes. Isaiah 20:3: Yahweh said, “As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder concerning Egypt and concerning Ethiopia, Isaiah 20:4: so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, and with buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. Lamentations 3:19: Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. Lamentations 3:20: My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me. Lamentations 3:21: This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope. Ezekiel 3:24: Then the Spirit entered into me, and set me on my feet; and he spoke with me, and said to me, Go, shut yourself inside your house. Ezekiel 3:25: But you, son of man, behold, they shall lay bands on you, and shall bind you with them, and you shall not go out among them: Ezekiel 33:27: You shall tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword; and him who is in the open field will I give to the animals to be devoured; and those who are in the strongholds and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. Jeremiah 49:30: Flee, wander far off, dwell in the depths, you inhabitants of Hazor, says Yahweh; for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has taken counsel against you, and has conceived a purpose against you. Jeremiah 49:31: Arise, go up to a nation that is at ease, that dwells without care, says Yahweh; that have neither gates nor bars, that dwell alone. Jeremiah 49:32: Their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their livestock a plunder: and I will scatter to all winds those who have the corners of their beards cut off; and I will bring their calamity from every side of them, says Yahweh.

Commentary

No commentary

No commentary.

Ezekiel 4:9

Take for yourself also wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it; according to the number of the days that you shall lie on your side, even three hundred ninety days, you shall eat of it.

Original language

וְאַתָּ֣ה קַח־לְךָ֡ חִטִּ֡ין וּ֠שְׂעֹרִים וּפ֨וֹל וַעֲדָשִׁ֜ים וְדֹ֣חַן וְכֻסְּמִ֗ים וְנָתַתָּ֤ה אוֹתָם֙ בִּכְלִ֣י אֶחָ֔ד וְעָשִׂ֧יתָ אוֹתָ֛ם לְךָ֖ לְלָ֑חֶם מִסְפַּ֨ר הַיָּמִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֣ה ׀ שׁוֹכֵ֣ב עַֽל־צִדְּךָ֗ שְׁלֹשׁ־מֵא֧וֹת וְתִשְׁעִ֛ים י֖וֹם תֹּאכֲלֶֽנּוּ׃

Cross references

Ezekiel 4:10: Your food which you shall eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time you shall eat it. Ezekiel 4:12: You shall eat it as barley cakes, and you shall bake it in their sight with dung that comes out of man. Ezekiel 4:13: Yahweh said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them. Leviticus 24:5: “You shall take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes of it: two tenth parts of an ephah shall be in one cake. Leviticus 24:6: You shall set them in two rows, six on a row, on the pure gold table before Yahweh. Exodus 12:34: The people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. Deuteronomy 8:3: He humbled you, and allowed you to be hungry, and fed you with manna, which you didn’t know, neither did your fathers know; that he might teach you that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of Yahweh’s mouth. Matthew 4:4: But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” John 6:35: Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 1 Kings 17:12: She said, “As Yahweh your God lives, I don’t have a cake, but a handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the jar. Behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 1 Kings 17:13: Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you have said; but make me of it a little cake first, and bring it out to me, and afterward make some for you and for your son. 1 Kings 17:14: For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of meal shall not empty, neither shall the jar of oil fail, until the day that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.’” 1 Kings 17:15: She went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, ate many days.

Commentary

No commentary

No commentary.

Ezekiel 4:10

Your food which you shall eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time you shall eat it.

Original language

וּמַאֲכָֽלְךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֹּאכֲלֶ֔נּוּ בְּמִשְׁק֕וֹל עֶשְׂרִ֥ים שֶׁ֖קֶל לַיּ֑וֹם מֵעֵ֥ת עַד־עֵ֖ת תֹּאכֲלֶֽנּוּ׃

Cross references

Ezekiel 4:11: You shall drink water by measure, the sixth part of a hin: from time to time you shall drink. Ezekiel 4:16: Moreover he said to me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness; and they shall drink water by measure, and in dismay: Ezekiel 4:17: that they may want bread and water, and be dismayed one with another, and pine away in their iniquity. Leviticus 19:36: You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. Proverbs 11:1: A false balance is an abomination to Yahweh, but accurate weights are his delight. Isaiah 33:16: he will dwell on high. His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks. His bread will be supplied. His waters will be sure. 1 Timothy 4:3: forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:4: For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with thanksgiving. 1 Timothy 4:5: For it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer. Exodus 16:16: This is the thing which Yahweh has commanded: “Gather of it everyone according to his eating; an omer a head, according to the number of your persons, you shall take it, every man for those who are in his tent.” Matthew 6:11: Give us today our daily bread.

Commentary

No commentary

No commentary.

Ezekiel 4:11

You shall drink water by measure, the sixth part of a hin: from time to time you shall drink.

Original language

וּמַ֛יִם בִּמְשׂוּרָ֥ה תִשְׁתֶּ֖ה שִׁשִּׁ֣ית הַהִ֑ין מֵעֵ֥ת עַד־עֵ֖ת תִּשְׁתֶּֽה׃

Cross references

Leviticus 25:35: “‘If your brother has become poor, and his hand can’t support himself among you; then you shall uphold him. He shall live with you like an alien and a temporary resident. Leviticus 25:36: Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God; that your brother may live among you. Leviticus 25:37: You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. Isaiah 33:16: he will dwell on high. His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks. His bread will be supplied. His waters will be sure. Proverbs 30:8: Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me; Proverbs 30:9: lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. 1 Timothy 6:8: But having food and clothing, we will be content with that. Jeremiah 37:21: Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard; and they gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. Matthew 6:11: Give us today our daily bread. John 4:14: but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

Commentary

No commentary

No commentary.

Ezekiel 4:12

You shall eat it as barley cakes, and you shall bake it in their sight with dung that comes out of man.

Original language

וְעֻגַ֥ת שְׂעֹרִ֖ים תֹּֽאכֲלֶ֑נָּה וְהִ֗יא בְּגֶֽלְלֵי֙ צֵאַ֣ת הָֽאָדָ֔ם תְּעֻגֶ֖נָה לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם׃

Cross references

Ezekiel 4:9: Take for yourself also wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it; according to the number of the days that you shall lie on your side, even three hundred ninety days, you shall eat of it. Ezekiel 4:13: Yahweh said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them. Ezekiel 4:14: Then I said, Ah Lord Yahweh! behold, my soul has not been polluted; for from my youth up even until now have I not eaten of that which dies of itself, or is torn of animals; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth. Ezekiel 4:15: Then he said to me, Behold, I have given you cow’s dung for man’s dung, and you shall prepare your bread on it. Leviticus 11:13: “‘These you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the vulture, and the black vulture, Leviticus 11:14: and the red kite, any kind of black kite, Leviticus 11:15: any kind of raven, Leviticus 11:16: the horned owl, the screech owl, and the gull, any kind of hawk, Leviticus 11:17: the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, Leviticus 11:18: the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, Leviticus 11:19: the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat. Deuteronomy 14:3: You shall not eat any abominable thing. Deuteronomy 14:4: These are the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, Deuteronomy 14:5: the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the chamois. Deuteronomy 14:6: Every animal that parts the hoof, and has the hoof cloven in two and chews the cud, among the animals, that may you eat. Deuteronomy 14:7: Nevertheless these you shall not eat of them that chew the cud, or of those who have the hoof cloven: the camel, the hare, and the rabbit. Because they chew the cud but don’t part the hoof, they are unclean to you. Deuteronomy 14:8: The pig, because it has a split hoof but doesn’t chew the cud, is unclean to you. You shall not eat their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses. Deuteronomy 14:9: These you may eat of all that are in the waters: whatever has fins and scales may you eat. Deuteronomy 14:10: You shall not eat whatever doesn’t have fins and scales. It is unclean to you. Deuteronomy 14:11: Of all clean birds you may eat. Deuteronomy 14:12: But these are they of which you shall not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, Deuteronomy 14:13: the red kite, the falcon, the kite after its kind, Deuteronomy 14:14: every raven after its kind, Deuteronomy 14:15: the ostrich, the owl, the seagull, the hawk after its kind, Deuteronomy 14:16: the little owl, the great owl, the horned owl, Deuteronomy 14:17: the pelican, the vulture, the cormorant, Deuteronomy 14:18: the stork, the heron after its kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. Deuteronomy 14:19: All winged creeping things are unclean to you. They shall not be eaten. Deuteronomy 14:20: Of all clean birds you may eat. Isaiah 66:17: “Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves to go to the gardens, behind one in the midst, eating pig’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, they shall come to an end together,” says Yahweh. Numbers 14:34: After the number of the days in which you spied out the land, even forty days, for every day a year, you will bear your iniquities, even forty years, and you will know my alienation.’ Matthew 15:11: That which enters into the mouth doesn’t defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” Mark 7:15: There is nothing from outside of the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.

Commentary

No commentary

No commentary.

Ezekiel 4:13

Yahweh said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.

Original language

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה כָּ֣כָה יֹאכְל֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶת־לַחְמָ֖ם טָמֵ֑א בַּגּוֹיִ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַדִּיחֵ֖ם שָֽׁם׃

Cross references

Leviticus 11:10: All that don’t have fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are an abomination to you, Leviticus 11:11: and you detest them. You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. Leviticus 11:12: Whatever has no fins nor scales in the waters, that is an abomination to you. Numbers 19:11: “He who touches the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. Numbers 19:12: He shall purify himself with water on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean; but if he doesn’t purify himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. Numbers 19:13: Whoever touches a dead person, the body of a man who has died, and doesn’t purify himself, defiles Yahweh’s tabernacle; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not sprinkled on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is yet on him. Deuteronomy 28:65: Among these nations you will find no ease, and there will be no rest for the sole of your foot; but Yahweh will give you there a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and pining of soul. Deuteronomy 28:66: Your life will hang in doubt before you. You will be afraid night and day, and will have no assurance of your life. Deuteronomy 28:67: In the morning you will say, “I wish it were evening!” and at evening you will say, “I wish it were morning!” for the fear of your heart which you will fear, and for the sights which your eyes will see. Isaiah 65:4: who sit among the graves, and lodge in the secret places; who eat pig’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; Jeremiah 14:16: The people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have no one to bury them—them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters: for I will pour their wickedness on them. Ezekiel 5:4: Of these again you shall take, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; from it shall a fire come out into all the house of Israel. Amos 9:9: “For, behold, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all the nations, as grain is sifted in a sieve, yet not the least kernel will fall on the earth.

Commentary

No commentary

No commentary.

Ezekiel 4:14

Then I said, Ah Lord Yahweh! behold, my soul has not been polluted; for from my youth up even until now have I not eaten of that which dies of itself, or is torn of animals; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.

Original language

וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲהָהּ֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הִנֵּ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י לֹ֣א מְטֻמָּאָ֑ה וּנְבֵלָ֨ה וּטְרֵפָ֤ה לֹֽא־אָכַ֙לְתִּי֙ מִנְּעוּרַ֣י וְעַד־עַ֔תָּה וְלֹא־בָ֥א בְּפִ֖י בְּשַׂ֥ר פִּגּֽוּל׃

Cross references

Leviticus 11:3: Whatever parts the hoof, and is cloven-footed, and chews the cud among the animals, that you may eat. Leviticus 11:4: “‘Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those who part the hoof: the camel, because he chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. Leviticus 11:5: The cony, because he chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. Leviticus 11:6: The hare, because she chews the cud but doesn’t part the hoof, she is unclean to you. Leviticus 11:7: The pig, because he has a split hoof, and is cloven-footed, but doesn’t chew the cud, he is unclean to you. Leviticus 11:8: Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you. Daniel 1:8: But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s dainties, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel 1:9: Now God made Daniel to find kindness and compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs. Daniel 1:10: The prince of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse looking than the youths who are of your own age? so would you endanger my head with the king. Daniel 1:11: Then Daniel said to the steward whom the prince of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Daniel 1:12: Test your servants, I beg you, ten days; and let them give us vegetables to eat, and water to drink. Daniel 1:13: Then let our faces be looked on before you, and the face of the youths who eat of the king’s dainties; and as you see, deal with your servants. Daniel 1:14: So he listened to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. Daniel 1:15: At the end of ten days their faces appeared fairer, and they were fatter in flesh, than all the youths who ate of the king’s dainties. Daniel 1:16: So the steward took away their dainties, and the wine that they should drink, and gave them pulse. Acts 10:14: But Peter said, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” Acts 10:15: A voice came to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.” 1 Peter 1:15: but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior; 1 Peter 1:16: because it is written, “You shall be holy; for I am holy.” Romans 12:1: Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. Matthew 15:11: That which enters into the mouth doesn’t defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” 1 Corinthians 10:31: Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Commentary

Ezekiel expresses a heartfelt concern for his spiritual purity and dietary restrictions in this verse. His declaration emphasizes his adherence to the ceremonial laws regarding clean and unclean foods, which is significant within the context of Israel's covenant relationship with God. The phrase "my soul has not been polluted" signifies a deep commitment to holiness, reflecting his understanding of the impact of physical actions on spiritual standing. The Hebrew terms used, such as "נְבֵלָה" (nevelah) and "טְרֵפָה" (treifah), refer to carcasses and animals killed by other beasts, underscoring the strict regulations he has followed to maintain ritual cleanliness. Ezekiel's resistance to abominable flesh indicates both personal piety and a prophetic witness, standing in contrast to the pervasive unfaithfulness of Israel. This moment signifies not just individual obedience but serves to highlight the broader theme of God's demand for holiness among His people.

Ezekiel expresses a heartfelt concern for his spiritual purity and dietary restrictions in this verse. His declaration emphasizes his adherence to the ceremonial laws regarding clean and unclean foods, which is significant within the context of Israel's covenant relationship with God.

The phrase "my soul has not been polluted" signifies a deep commitment to holiness, reflecting his understanding of the impact of physical actions on spiritual standing. The Hebrew terms used, such as "נְבֵלָה" (nevelah) and "טְרֵפָה" (treifah), refer to carcasses and animals killed by other beasts, underscoring the strict regulations he has followed to maintain ritual cleanliness.

Ezekiel's resistance to abominable flesh indicates both personal piety and a prophetic witness, standing in contrast to the pervasive unfaithfulness of Israel. This moment signifies not just individual obedience but serves to highlight the broader theme of God's demand for holiness among His people.

Ezekiel 4:15

Then he said to me, Behold, I have given you cow’s dung for man’s dung, and you shall prepare your bread on it.

Original language

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י רְאֵ֗ה נָתַ֤תִּֽי לְךָ֙ אֶת־צפועי צְפִיעֵ֣י הַבָּקָ֔ר תַּ֖חַת גֶּלְלֵ֣י הָֽאָדָ֑ם וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ אֶֽת־לַחְמְךָ֖ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

Cross references

Ezekiel 4:12: You shall eat it as barley cakes, and you shall bake it in their sight with dung that comes out of man. Ezekiel 4:13: Yahweh said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them. Ezekiel 4:14: Then I said, Ah Lord Yahweh! behold, my soul has not been polluted; for from my youth up even until now have I not eaten of that which dies of itself, or is torn of animals; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth. Leviticus 11:4: “‘Nevertheless these you shall not eat of those that chew the cud, or of those who part the hoof: the camel, because he chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. Leviticus 11:5: The cony, because he chews the cud but doesn’t have a parted hoof, he is unclean to you. Leviticus 11:6: The hare, because she chews the cud but doesn’t part the hoof, she is unclean to you. Leviticus 11:7: The pig, because he has a split hoof, and is cloven-footed, but doesn’t chew the cud, he is unclean to you. Leviticus 11:8: Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you. Isaiah 65:4: who sit among the graves, and lodge in the secret places; who eat pig’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; Matthew 15:11: That which enters into the mouth doesn’t defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” Acts 10:14: But Peter said, “Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” Acts 10:15: A voice came to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.” 1 Timothy 4:3: forbidding marriage and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 1 Timothy 4:4: For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with thanksgiving. 1 Timothy 4:5: For it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer. Romans 14:14: I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 1 Corinthians 8:8: But food will not commend us to God. For neither, if we don’t eat, are we the worse; nor, if we eat, are we the better.

Commentary

Ezekiel 4:15 presents a striking command from God to Ezekiel, substituting cow's dung for human waste, an act symbolizing the profound humiliation and degradation the Israelites would face due to their sin. This instruction served as a visceral portrayal of the severe consequences of defilement and unfaithfulness toward God. The use of cow's dung (צְפִיעֵ֣י הַבָּקָ֔ר) instead of human dung emphasizes the Lord's mercy amid judgment; cow dung was ritually clean compared to human excrement. By having Ezekiel prepare his bread over this less offensive material, God underscores His ongoing relationship with His people and the means of sustenance even in dire circumstances, highlighting the composite theme of judgment tempered by divine grace.

Ezekiel 4:15 presents a striking command from God to Ezekiel, substituting cow's dung for human waste, an act symbolizing the profound humiliation and degradation the Israelites would face due to their sin. This instruction served as a visceral portrayal of the severe consequences of defilement and unfaithfulness toward God.

The use of cow's dung (צְפִיעֵ֣י הַבָּקָ֔ר) instead of human dung emphasizes the Lord's mercy amid judgment; cow dung was ritually clean compared to human excrement. By having Ezekiel prepare his bread over this less offensive material, God underscores His ongoing relationship with His people and the means of sustenance even in dire circumstances, highlighting the composite theme of judgment tempered by divine grace.

Ezekiel 4:16

Moreover he said to me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness; and they shall drink water by measure, and in dismay:

Original language

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י בֶּן־אָדָם֙ הִנְנִ֨י שֹׁבֵ֤ר מַטֵּה־לֶ֙חֶם֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְאָכְלוּ־לֶ֥חֶם בְּמִשְׁקָ֖ל וּבִדְאָגָ֑ה וּמַ֕יִם בִּמְשׂוּרָ֥ה וּבְשִׁמָּמ֖וֹן יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃

Cross references

Ezekiel 4:17: that they may want bread and water, and be dismayed one with another, and pine away in their iniquity. Lamentations 4:4: The tongue of the nursing child clings to the roof of his mouth for thirst: The young children ask bread, and no man breaks it to them. Lamentations 4:5: Those who fed delicately are desolate in the streets: Those who were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. Jeremiah 14:3: Their nobles send their little ones to the waters: they come to the cisterns, and find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are disappointed and confounded, and cover their heads. Jeremiah 14:4: Because of the ground which is cracked, because no rain has been in the land, the plowmen are disappointed, they cover their heads. Amos 8:11: Behold, the days come,” says the Lord Yahweh, “that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing Yahweh’s words. Amos 8:12: They will wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they will run back and forth to seek Yahweh’s word, and will not find it. Isaiah 3:1: For, behold, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah supply and support, the whole supply of bread, and the whole supply of water; Isaiah 3:2: the mighty man, the man of war, the judge, the prophet, the diviner, the elder, Isaiah 3:3: the captain of fifty, the honorable man, the counselor, the skilled craftsman, and the clever enchanter. Micah 3:11: Her leaders judge for bribes, and her priests teach for a price, and her prophets of it tell fortunes for money: yet they lean on Yahweh, and say, “Isn’t Yahweh in the midst of us? No disaster will come on us.” Matthew 6:25: Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Matthew 6:26: See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? John 6:35: Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Commentary

No commentary

No commentary.

Ezekiel 4:17

that they may want bread and water, and be dismayed one with another, and pine away in their iniquity.

Original language

לְמַ֥עַן יַחְסְר֖וּ לֶ֣חֶם וָמָ֑יִם וְנָשַׁ֙מּוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ וְאָחִ֔יו וְנָמַ֖קּוּ בַּעֲוֺנָֽם׃

Cross references

Ezekiel 4:16: Moreover he said to me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness; and they shall drink water by measure, and in dismay: Amos 8:11: Behold, the days come,” says the Lord Yahweh, “that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing Yahweh’s words. Amos 8:12: They will wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they will run back and forth to seek Yahweh’s word, and will not find it. Isaiah 65:13: Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Behold, my servants shall eat, but you shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but you shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but you shall be disappointed; Isaiah 65:14: behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but you shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall wail for anguish of spirit. Jeremiah 14:2: Judah mourns, and its gates languish, they sit in black on the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. Jeremiah 14:3: Their nobles send their little ones to the waters: they come to the cisterns, and find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are disappointed and confounded, and cover their heads. Lamentations 5:9: We get our bread at the peril of our lives, Because of the sword of the wilderness. Lamentations 5:10: Our skin is black like an oven, Because of the burning heat of famine. Psalms 38:6: I am pained and bowed down greatly. I go mourning all day long. Psalms 38:7: For my waist is filled with burning. There is no soundness in my flesh. Zephaniah 1:17: I will bring distress on men, that they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against Yahweh, and their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. Matthew 5:6: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

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Ezekiel 4

In this passage from Ezekiel, we encounter a dramatic and visceral portrayal of judgment against Jerusalem, symbolizing the broader spiritual state of Israel. The act of laying siege to a model of the city serves as a prophetic sign, illustrating the seriousness of Israel's rebellion against God. The prolonged lying on one side and the specific dietary restrictions highlight the weight of iniquity that the people must bear, revealing the hopelessness of their situation apart from divine intervention.

This scene emphasizes the covenantal relationship between God and His people, demonstrating that their sin incurs real consequences, leading to profound suffering and distress. It underscores the truth that human disobedience can bring forth God’s judgment, yet woven within this profound narrative is a call for repentance and a reminder of God's sovereignty over nations and history. The dire conditions foreshadow a longing for redemption that ultimately points to the necessity of grace, shedding light on humankind's need for a savior amidst their failures.

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