Ezekiel 4:13 kjv
And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.
Ezekiel 4:13 nkjv
Then the LORD said, "So shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them."
Ezekiel 4:13 niv
The LORD said, "In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them."
Ezekiel 4:13 esv
And the LORD said, "Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them."
Ezekiel 4:13 nlt
Then the LORD said, "This is how Israel will eat defiled bread in the Gentile lands to which I will banish them!"
Ezekiel 4 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezek 4:13 | Thus saith the LORD God, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them. | Direct parallel of defiled food among Gentiles |
| Lev 11:40 | And he that eateth of the carcase of that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, he shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: neither shall he eat flesh, nor mix himself with it; he shall be unclean until the even. | Prohibits eating impure things, defining uncleanness |
| Deut 28:57 | And against her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates. | Prophecy of extreme famine leading to cannibalism |
| Lam 4:10 | The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people. | Fulfillment of extreme famine in Jerusalem |
| Hosea 9:3 | They shall not dwell in the LORD's land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria. | Similar prophecy of eating unclean things in exile |
| 2 Kings 18:27 | But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? hath he not sent me to the men that sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you? | Historical instance of insult involving excrement during siege |
| Jer 7:29 | Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away; and take up a lamentation on the high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath. | God's rejection and forsaking of a sinful generation |
| Isa 3:8 | For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings have the LORD provoked to anger the eyes of his glory. | Cause of ruin being provocation of God's glory |
| Jer 52:6 | And when the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled, and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which is by the king's garden: and the Chaldeans were against the city round about: and they went forth the way of the plain. | Historical detail of Jerusalem's fall |
| Eze 3:7 | But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted. | Israel's refusal to listen as a recurring theme |
| Eze 37:23 | Yea, they shall not defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. | Future restoration and cleansing promise |
| Lev 26:29 | And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. | Covenant curse of cannibalism due to disobedience |
| Num 6:3 | He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any raisin in wine, nor eat grapes or raisins. | Nazarite vow related to separation and purity |
| Eze 14:8 | And I will set my face against that man, and will make him to be a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. | God setting His face against sinners as judgment |
| Jer 15:2 | And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for famine, to famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity. | Judgment through various means including famine |
| Eze 12:19 | Moreover say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Eat your bread with carefulness, and drink your water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from the multitude of the wickedness thereof, from all that therein is. | Lord instructs eating with carefulness and astonishment |
| Ps 137:7 | Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. | Edom's cruelty and desire for Jerusalem's destruction |
| Isa 1:11 | To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts: and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. | God despising sacrifices from disobedient hearts |
| Prov 25:22 | For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee. | Action of kindness leading to shame or conviction |
| Zech 8:23 | Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. | Future ingathering of nations to the Jews |
Ezekiel 4 verses
Ezekiel 4 13 Meaning
This verse describes the bread the prophet Ezekiel was to eat, prepared with human excrement as fuel, signifying the impurity and degradation that would afflict Israel during the siege of Jerusalem. It highlights the severe consequences of their sin, forcing them into unsanitary and desperate living conditions, eating food prepared under the most unclean circumstances.
Ezekiel 4 13 Context
This verse is part of a larger symbolic act described in Ezekiel chapters 4 and 5. Ezekiel is commanded to enact the siege and destruction of Jerusalem before the people. The specific command to use human excrement as fuel for baking bread illustrates the extreme desecration and defilement that will befall the city and its inhabitants as a direct consequence of their rebellion and idolatry. Historically, this occurred during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, a period of immense suffering and deprivation. The prophet's actions were meant to be a living sermon to the exiles in Babylon, conveying the severity of God's judgment upon their brethren in Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 4 13 Word Analysis
And (וְ - vav) - Connects this verse to the preceding one, indicating a continuation of the instruction.
he said (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyōmer) - Introduces direct speech, emphasizing the divine command.
unto me (אֵלַי - ʾēlay) - Specifies that the command is directed at Ezekiel.
Thus (כֹּה - kōh) - Indicates a manner or way, referring to the specific instruction given.
saith (אָמַר - ʾāmar) - The LORD God (יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים - YHWH Elohiym) - A compound divine title signifying supreme authority and God's role as covenant Lord.
Even (גַּם - gam) - Emphasizes that the subsequent statement applies directly and similarly to the children of Israel.
thus (כֹּה - kōh) - Repeats the manner, reinforcing the symbolic action.
shall (יֹאכְלוּ - yōkhelu) - Future tense verb, indicating a definitive outcome.
the children of Israel (בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל - bənēy yiśrɔ̄ʾēl) - Refers to the people of Israel, particularly those in Jerusalem and Judah under siege.
eat (יֹאכְלוּ - yōkhelu) - Consume.
their defiled bread (אֶת־לַחְמָם הַטָּמֵא - ʾeṯ-laḥmɔ̄m haṭṭāmēʾ) - This is crucial. Laḥem means bread, a staple food. Ṭamēʾ signifies ceremonial or moral impurity, contamination, something unclean. This signifies bread that has become impure through the circumstances of preparation or content.
among (בְּתוֹךְ - bətōk) - Within the midst of.
the Gentiles (הַגּוֹיִם - haḡḡōyīm) - Nations other than Israel, indicating exile and subjugation among foreign peoples.
whither (אָשֶׁר - ʾǎšer) - To where, the place to which.
I (אֲנִי - ʾănī) - God, speaking directly of His action.
will drive (נָדַחְתִּי - nāḏaḥtī) - Caused to be scattered, driven out, expelled.
Words-group analysis: "Eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles" encapsulates the core of the judgment – sustenance (bread) will be impure (ṭamēʾ) because of the desperate conditions imposed by being driven out (scattered by God) among foreign nations. This imagery starkly contrasts with the pure and wholesome provisions expected from the covenant land. The fuel used (human excrement) directly contaminates the bread, symbolizing the total degradation and sin affecting every aspect of life and worship.
Ezekiel 4 13 Bonus Section
This specific detail in Ezekiel 4:12-13 draws a sharp contrast to the purity demanded in the Levitical covenant, particularly concerning food and sanctuary. The Nazirite vow, for example, demanded abstaining from wine and grapes (Num 6:3), symbolizing a commitment to separation and holiness. Here, purity is forcibly violated through the very act of eating to survive. The extreme measures taken by God against His people demonstrate that the covenant relationship carries severe consequences for disobedience, extending even to the provision of food. This imagery is consistent with other prophetic pronouncements of famine and distress, such as in Deuteronomy 28, where it speaks of eating one's own flesh during siege (Deut 28:57). The uncleanness prescribed here extends beyond mere ceremonial impurity; it represents a comprehensive societal and spiritual breakdown, where all that is sacred has become desecrated due to sin. The driving "among the Gentiles" signifies their exile and subjugation, far removed from the holy land where God's pure presence dwelled.
Ezekiel 4 13 Commentary
The command to eat bread baked with human excrement underscores the severity of God's judgment. It's a profound reversal of purity laws. Israel's impurity in worship and conduct leads to literal impurity in their sustenance. This imagery serves to shock and impress upon the people the depth of their sin and the consequences they face. The Gentiles here are the Babylonians, the instrument of judgment. Eating "defiled bread" signifies a loss of national identity, purity, and access to God's provisions in a holy land. It signifies a descent into the most abject and unsanitary conditions, a direct result of rejecting God's holiness. The use of excrement highlights that all they hold sacred would be corrupted and that their very survival would be tied to what is universally considered unclean, a reflection of their spiritual state.