Ezekiel 4:12 kjv
And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight.
Ezekiel 4:12 nkjv
And you shall eat it as barley cakes; and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight."
Ezekiel 4:12 niv
Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement for fuel."
Ezekiel 4:12 esv
And you shall eat it as a barley cake, baking it in their sight on human dung."
Ezekiel 4:12 nlt
Prepare and eat this food as you would barley cakes. While all the people are watching, bake it over a fire using dried human dung as fuel and then eat the bread."
Ezekiel 4 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 4:12 | You shall eat it as barley cakes, and bake it with dung fired from men. | Idolatry, uncleanliness, judgment |
| Leviticus 18:30 | You shall not commit any of these abominations… | Prohibited actions |
| Leviticus 26:29 | You shall eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. | Consequence of disobedience |
| Deuteronomy 28:57 | Eat her afterbirth and her young child… | Devastation during siege |
| Jeremiah 5:28 | They do not plead, a plead of the cause of the fatherless... | Societal corruption |
| Lamentations 4:10 | Hands of compassionate women boiled their own children. | Extreme famine and despair |
| Hosea 9:4 | They shall not drink wine… nor offer it to the Lord. | Consequences of apostasy |
| Isaiah 1:15 | your hands are full of blood. | God’s rejection of rituals |
| Daniel 11:31 | forces of his army shall be desecrated, and they shall defile the sanctuary, the stronghold. | Desecration of holy places |
| Revelation 18:2 | Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons… | Idolatry and impurity |
| Matthew 23:38 | Your house is left to you desolate! | Jerusalem's impending doom |
| 2 Kings 21:12-15 | Jerusalem’s sin provoking God’s wrath. | Historical context |
| Numbers 19:9 | ashes of a burnt purification offering. | Ceremonial uncleanness |
| Deuteronomy 7:25-26 | Do not desire the silver or gold of it to take for yourself… | Avoiding the ways of nations |
| Jeremiah 7:30-34 | Idolatrous practices in Jerusalem. | Corruption in worship |
| Hosea 4:2 | swearing, lying, killing, stealing, and committing adultery. | Sins leading to judgment |
| Amos 3:2 | “Only I have known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” | God’s specific judgment on Israel |
| Acts 10:14 | But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything that is unclean or unholy.” | Understanding ceremonial laws |
| 1 Corinthians 6:18 | Flee from sexual immorality. | Purity and sin |
| Romans 14:17 | For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. | Spiritual vs. ritual |
Ezekiel 4 verses
Ezekiel 4 12 Meaning
The verse describes a specific action prescribed by God to Ezekiel, involving eating bread baked over human excrement. This is a symbolic act representing the uncleanness and pollution that Israel will face due to their sin, particularly during the siege and exile. The act signifies the people's defilement and the extreme hardship and desperation they will endure.
Ezekiel 4 12 Context
Ezekiel is in exile in Babylon. God is giving him a series of symbolic actions to perform and pronouncements to make to the exiles. These demonstrations are intended to vividly illustrate the coming judgment upon Jerusalem and Judah because of their pervasive sin and rebellion against God. Chapter 4 specifically deals with the siege of Jerusalem. Ezekiel is instructed to lie on his side for extended periods and to eat bread prepared in an impure manner to represent the consequences of Israel's spiritual adultery and the resultant judgment they will face. This act of eating bread baked with dung highlights the depth of uncleanness and desolation awaiting them.
Ezekiel 4 12 Word Analysis
- You shall eat it: The pronoun "it" refers to the bread baked as described in the preceding verses (flour mixed with the impurities and kneaded with the impurities). The command is direct and absolute.
- as barley cakes: Barley was considered a coarser, less desirable grain than wheat, often associated with the poor or times of scarcity. Baking the bread this way further emphasizes the degraded circumstances.
- and bake it: This indicates the method of preparation. The fire will be used to cook the bread.
- with dung: The Hebrew word for dung is "galal" (גָּלָל), which can refer to dung or excrement, specifically referring to human excrement in this context. This highlights the extreme uncleanness and defilement that will characterize their food and their existence. The very act of cooking is intertwined with impurity.
- fired from men: The phrase "fired from men" (Hebrew: me’et galal ha-adam – מִגֶּלֶל הָאָדָם) is quite graphic. It literally means "from the dung of man." This signifies that human waste will be used as fuel. This is a powerful symbol of the people's own corruption becoming the very means of their judgment and the destruction of their provisions.
Word Group Analysis
The entire phrase "bake it with dung fired from men" paints a vivid picture of profound uncleanness. The act of baking, typically associated with providing nourishment, is here tainted by the impurity of human waste used as fuel. This inextricably links the sustenance and the physical reality of the people with their spiritual corruption. The excrement symbolizes sin and its resulting defilement, and using it as fuel signifies that the consequence of their sins will be consuming and degrading.
Ezekiel 4 12 Bonus Section
The practice of using dung as fuel was not entirely uncommon in ancient times, especially in arid regions where wood was scarce. However, the specific mention of human dung as fuel for baking bread designated for the Israelites in this prophetic context elevates it beyond mere practicality. It becomes a deliberate symbol of shared culpability in sin and a reflection of the comprehensive defilement that results from disobedience to God. While God later moderates the command for Ezekiel (allowing cow dung instead), the initial instruction emphasizes the unmitigated impurity he must portray. This demonstrates the seriousness of God's response to the people's collective apostasy.
Ezekiel 4 12 Commentary
This verse is one of the most stark and challenging passages in Ezekiel. God requires Ezekiel to perform a repulsive act to convey a powerful prophetic message about the consequences of Israel's sin. The bread, a symbol of life and sustenance, becomes defiled through its preparation using human excrement. This vividly portrays the depth of corruption within Israel, where even their basic needs are met with impurity due to their rejection of God. The act foreshadows the extreme scarcity, desperation, and widespread contamination that will occur during the siege of Jerusalem, as predicted by prophets like Jeremiah. It emphasizes that God's judgment purifies but does so in a way that reveals the utter corruption of the people.