Ezekiel 4:6 kjv
And 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.
Ezekiel 4:6 nkjv
And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.
Ezekiel 4:6 niv
"After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the people of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year.
Ezekiel 4:6 esv
And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah. Forty days I assign you, a day for each year.
Ezekiel 4:6 nlt
After that, turn over and lie on your right side for 40 days ? one day for each year of Judah's sin.
Ezekiel 4 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ezekiel 4:6 | "And when you have accomplished these, you shall lie on your right side again, and you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. A day for a year, a day for a year, I have appointed it to you." | Symbolism of suffering |
| Numbers 14:34 | "According to the number of days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a day for each year, you shall bear your iniquity, forty years..." | Penalty for rebellion |
| Psalm 38:18 | "I will declare my iniquity; I will be anxious because of my sin." | Confession of sin |
| Jeremiah 3:12 | "...Return, O faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look upon you in anger, for I am merciful..." | God's mercy despite sin |
| Lamentations 5:7 | "Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquity." | Generational sin |
| Isaiah 53:4 | "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows..." | Suffering Servant theme |
| Matthew 8:17 | "...He took our infirmities and bore our diseases." | Jesus bearing sicknesses |
| 2 Corinthians 5:21 | "For he has made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." | Christ bearing our sins |
| Galatians 3:13 | "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us..." | Redemption from the curse |
| Romans 8:3 | "For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, for sin, condemning sin in the flesh." | God's provision for sin |
| Isaiah 43:25 | "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; I will not remember your sins." | God's forgiveness |
| Jeremiah 31:34 | "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." | New covenant forgiveness |
| Ezekiel 18:20 | "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son..." | Individual responsibility |
| 2 Samuel 12:13 | "And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." | Confession and forgiveness |
| Leviticus 26:18 | "And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins." | Escalating judgment |
| Deuteronomy 28:25 | "The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them..." | Consequences of disobedience |
| 1 Kings 8:46 | "If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,)..." | Universality of sin |
| Amos 5:26 | "But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves;" | Idolatry |
| Hosea 11:12 | "Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and with the saints." | Deception and rebellion |
| Psalm 79:8, 9 | "O remember not the former iniquities of thy fathers: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge us from sins, for thy name's sake." | Plea for mercy |
Ezekiel 4 verses
Ezekiel 4 6 Meaning
This verse is part of a prophetic act depicting the siege of Jerusalem. God commands Ezekiel to lie on his right side for 390 days, symbolizing the 390 years of Israel's iniquity. This action is a tangible representation of bearing the punishment for their sins.
Ezekiel 4 6 Context
This verse is found in Ezekiel chapter 4, where the prophet is commanded to perform a series of symbolic actions that prefigure the destruction and exile of Jerusalem and Judah. The prophet is to lie on his right side for 40 days, following 390 days on his left side. These extended periods represent vast spans of time, underscoring the duration and severity of the nation's punishment. The overall message is one of imminent judgment for Judah's deep-seated iniquity, particularly their idolatry and rebellion against God, which has accumulated over centuries. The 40 days specifically point to the sinfulness of the house of Judah.
Ezekiel 4 6 Word Analysis
- וְהָיָה (vehayah): "and it shall be," or "and when." This is a common conjunctive particle indicating a sequence of events or a continuation.
- כַּלֹּתְךָ (kallotkha): "when you have finished," "when you have completed." Derived from the root "kalah" (to finish, to complete). It signifies the completion of the prior action (lying on the left side for 390 days).
- שְׁכַב (shəkhəv): "lie down." Imperative form of the verb "shakháv," meaning to lie down or rest.
- גַּם (gam): "also," "again." Indicates this action is in addition to, or a continuation of, the previous posture.
- צִדְּךָ (tsiddekha): "your side." From "tséled," meaning side. Specifically, the right side.
- וְשָׁמָּה (veshammah): "and there," "and in/on it." The "vav" (and) connects it to the previous clause, and "shamah" implies continuing in that state or place.
- עֲוֹן (avon): "iniquity," "guilt," "sin." This noun denotes a bending, an crookedness, reflecting moral deviation and its resulting guilt.
- בֵּית (beith): "house of." A common term in Hebrew for family, dynasty, or nation.
- יְהוּדָה (Yehudah): "Judah." Referring to the southern kingdom and its people.
- יוֹם (yom): "day."
- לְשָׁנָה (ləshānah): "for a year." Preceded by "lamed" (for, to). This phrase establishes the symbolic equation.
- וּשְׁנֵי (ushnē): "and years of." Though translated "forty days," the underlying Hebrew uses the plural "shanim" (years), emphasizing the duration of punishment represented.
- אֵת (et): This preposition marks the direct object.
- יְמֵי (yəmei): "days of." The construct state of "yom" (day).
- יְמִינֶךָ (yəminékha): "your right side." From "yamin," meaning right.
- אֶפֶס (éfes): "zero," "nothing." Not directly used here in numerical terms.
- שְׁלֹשִׁים (shəlōshim): "thirty."
- תִּקַּנְתִּי (tiqqánti): "I have appointed," "I have ordained." From the root "qum," to rise, to appoint. Emphasizes divine decree.
- אֹתָךְ (otkha): "you."
Groups of words analysis:
- "A day for a year, a day for a year": This core phrase is a well-established prophetic convention for signifying a direct symbolic equivalence between a unit of time spent in a certain condition or posture, and a corresponding period of historical transgression and its resultant punishment. It is a method of compressing lengthy historical periods of sin and retribution into a visible, manageable, and deeply impactful prophetic demonstration.
- "the iniquity of the house of Judah": This signifies the accumulated sin and guilt of the southern kingdom, Judah, and its people. It is a collective responsibility tied to their covenant relationship with God.
- "forty days": Directly links to the duration of the spies' mission in the land (Numbers 14:34) and signifies a period of probation and its severe consequence.
Ezekiel 4 6 Bonus Section
The contrast between the 390 days for Israel (the northern kingdom) and the 40 days for Judah (the southern kingdom) is significant. While Israel's sin, often tied to the golden calves at its inception, is presented as having a longer, pervasive history, Judah's 40 years (represented by the 40 days) may allude to the sins leading up to the Babylonian exile, or the specific covenant breaches and idolatrous practices prevalent in the later period of the southern kingdom, a period also marked by prophetic warnings like those from Jeremiah. The choice of lying on the right side for Judah, while the left was for Israel, could subtly emphasize Judah's unique covenant responsibilities as the remnant kingdom maintaining the lineage of David and the promise of a coming Messiah, thus carrying its own specific measure of accountability.
Ezekiel 4 6 Commentary
Ezekiel's physical burden on his right side for forty days is a vivid depiction of God’s justice at work against Judah. This period, a day representing a year, amounts to 40 years of bearing their guilt. It's a tangible lesson about sin's consequences, specifically highlighting the nation's prolonged rebellion and idolatry. This symbolic act stresses that sin has a duration and a price, a burden that must be accounted for. It's God's method of showing his people, through dramatic demonstration, the severe cost of their unfaithfulness, thus preparing them for the impending judgment.