Ezekiel 4

King James Version

Full text for Ezekiel Chapter 4

1¶ Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and pourtray upon it the city, [even] Jerusalem:

2And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mount against it; set the camp also against it, and set [battering] rams against it round about.

3Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it [for] a wall of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This [shall be] a sign to the house of Israel.

4Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: [according] to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity.

5For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

6And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.

7Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, and thine arm [shall be] uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it.

8And, behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another, till thou hast ended the days of thy siege.

9¶ Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, [according] to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.

10And thy meat which thou shalt eat [shall be] by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it.

11Thou shalt drink also water by measure, the sixth part of an hin: from time to time shalt thou drink.

12And thou shalt eat it [as] barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight.

13And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.

14Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.

15Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith.

16Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment:

17That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Ezekiel is commanded to perform symbolic acts demonstrating Jerusalem's impending siege and the iniquity of Israel and Judah. He portrays the city under siege on a tile and then lies on his left side for 390 days and his right for 40, symbolizing the years of their sin. Furthermore, he is instructed to eat a meager, defiled bread, initially baked with human dung (later changed to cow's dung), and drink measured water. These acts serve as a stark prophecy of judgment, famine, and defilement for Jerusalem and its inhabitants.

Medium Summary

The prophet Ezekiel is instructed by the LORD to perform a series of symbolic acts to signify the impending siege and judgment upon Jerusalem and the houses of Israel and Judah. First, he is to portray Jerusalem under siege on a tile, complete with forts and battering rams, with an iron pan separating him from the city as a sign of the LORD's unyielding resolve. Next, he is commanded to lie on his left side for 390 days, bearing the iniquity of Israel, and then on his right side for 40 days, bearing the iniquity of Judah, with each day representing a year of their sin. During this period, he is to prophesy against Jerusalem while bound. Finally, Ezekiel is to prepare and eat a meager ration of mixed grains, baked initially with human dung (later substituted with cow's dung), and drink measured water. This act vividly illustrates the severe famine, scarcity, and defilement the people of Israel will endure during their exile among the Gentiles due to their persistent iniquity.

Long Summary

The fourth chapter of Ezekiel details a series of profound symbolic actions the prophet is commanded to undertake, each serving as a prophetic sign of the impending judgment upon Jerusalem and the houses of Israel and Judah. The LORD first instructs Ezekiel to take a tile and engrave upon it the city of Jerusalem, then to stage a miniature siege against it, complete with forts, mounts, camps, and battering rams. An iron pan is to be placed between Ezekiel and the depicted city, acting as an unyielding wall, signifying the divine resolve in the siege. This entire portrayal is declared to be a sign to the house of Israel. Following this, Ezekiel is commanded to lie on his left side for 390 days, a period symbolizing the years of iniquity of the house of Israel, with each day representing a year. Upon completing these days, he is to turn and lie on his right side for 40 days, bearing the iniquity of the house of Judah, again with each day signifying a year. Throughout these 430 days, he is to keep his face set toward the besieged Jerusalem, his arm uncovered, prophesying against it, and he will be bound to prevent him from turning. A third set of instructions involves Ezekiel's diet: he is to gather a mixture of grains—wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and fitches—to make bread. This bread, along with water, is to be consumed in strictly measured quantities for the 390 days of his lying on his side, symbolizing extreme scarcity. Most strikingly, he is initially commanded to bake this bread using human dung as fuel, in the sight of the people, a clear sign of defilement. Ezekiel protests, affirming his adherence to dietary purity laws, and the LORD mercifully permits him to use cow's dung instead. The LORD then explicitly states that this act foreshadows how the children of Israel will eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, to whom they will be driven. The chapter concludes with the LORD's declaration that He will "break the staff of bread" in Jerusalem, leading to severe famine where people will eat bread by weight and with care, and drink water by measure and with astonishment, ultimately consuming away for their iniquity.

Core Concepts

  • Symbolic SiegeEzekiel is commanded to portray Jerusalem on a tile and simulate a siege against it, using an iron pan as a wall, to signify the real, impending siege and destruction of the city.
  • Bearing IniquityThe prophet is instructed to lie on his left side for 390 days for Israel's iniquity and on his right for 40 days for Judah's, with each day representing a year, symbolizing the duration and burden of their sins.
  • Defiled BreadEzekiel is told to prepare a meager ration of mixed-grain bread, initially baked with human dung (later cow's dung), to symbolize the defiled food and extreme scarcity the Israelites would experience in exile.
  • Scarcity and FamineThe precise weighing of bread and measuring of water, coupled with the declaration of breaking the "staff of bread," illustrates the severe famine and deprivation Jerusalem would suffer during the siege.
  • Prophetic Sign-ActsThe entire chapter details a series of physical actions performed by Ezekiel that serve as vivid, tangible prophecies, communicating God's message of judgment to the rebellious house of Israel.
  • Divine JudgmentThe cumulative effect of the symbolic siege, the bearing of iniquity, and the defiled, scarce food underscores God's righteous judgment against Israel and Judah for their persistent sin.