Ezekiel 4 9

Ezekiel 4:9 kjv

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.

Ezekiel 4:9 nkjv

"Also take for yourself wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread of them for yourself. During the number of days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days, you shall eat it.

Ezekiel 4:9 niv

"Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side.

Ezekiel 4:9 esv

"And you, take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and emmer, and put them into a single vessel and make your bread from them. During the number of days that you lie on your side, 390 days, you shall eat it.

Ezekiel 4:9 nlt

"Now go and get some wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and emmer wheat, and mix them together in a storage jar. Use them to make bread for yourself during the 390 days you will be lying on your side.

Ezekiel 4 verses

Ezekiel 4 9 Meaning

The verse describes a symbolic act of preparation. Ezekiel is to prepare his food with human dung for fuel, signifying the uncleanness and impending judgment upon Israel due to their sin. The dietary restrictions mentioned underscore the severity of the consequences, a stark departure from normal practice.

Ezekiel 4 9 Context

Ezekiel is in Babylonian exile, a consequence of Israel's persistent idolatry and disobedience to God's covenant. This chapter describes a series of symbolic actions Ezekiel must perform to convey the message of impending destruction and siege of Jerusalem to the Israelites in exile. These acts are vivid, graphic, and designed to shock the audience into understanding the severity of God's judgment against their sins.

Ezekiel 4 9 Word Analysis

• "take" (lāqāḥ - לָקַח): Means to take, seize, carry, accept. Here, it signifies the active and deliberate preparation.
• "you" (lĕḵā - לְךָ): Refers directly to Ezekiel, emphasizing his personal role as a prophet delivering God's message.
• "also" (wĕ‘ôd - וְעוֹד): Indicates an addition to previously given instructions.
• "take" (lāqāḥ - לָקַח): Again, to get or procure.
• "for" (lĕ - לְ): Denotes purpose or destination.
• "you" (lĕḵā - לְךָ): Again, directly to Ezekiel.
• "bread" (lĕḥem - לֶחֶם): Basic sustenance, common food.
• "with" (miqqĕṣēh - מִקְּצֵה): From the midst of, among.
• "them" (hēm - הֵם): Refers to the previously mentioned items or fuel source.
• "for" (ma‘aśeh - מַעֲשֶׂה): A work, deed, or preparation.
• "their" (pĕtiṯyām - פְּתִיחֻתָם): Refers to the people's insolence or unfaithfulness.
• "uncleanness" (niḏðâ - נִדָּה): State of ritual impurity, contamination.
• "so" (kĕn - כֵּן): Thus, in this manner.
• "you" (ĕḵḵāl - אָכַל): To eat.
• "eat" (ĕḵḵāl - אָכַל): The act of consumption.
• "there" (šām - שָּׁם): In that place, referring to the place of judgment.
• "and" (wĕ - וְ): Connective.
• "they" (hēm - הֵם): The people of Israel.
• "eat" (yĕḵallû - יֹאכְלוּ): Shall eat, future tense.
• "their" (šām - שָּׁם): In that place.
• "food" (mĕzimmâ - מְזִמָּה): Counsel, wicked device, intention.
• "their" (bĕhêrnōrô - בְּחֹרָנְסֶם): This word is not standard Hebrew. It appears to be a textual anomaly or variant. Contextually, it refers to the cause of their impurity.

Word-group analysis

• "prepare your food with dung": The phrase links sustenance (bread) with a substance considered unclean (dung), representing the corrupted and impure state of the food, and by extension, the life of Israel under judgment.
• "you shall eat it": Ezekiel's eating of this symbolically prepared food highlights his participation in the suffering and degradation that will befall the people of Israel.
• "so shall the people of Israel eat their food in uncleanness": This clause makes explicit the prophetic message: the uncleanness experienced by Ezekiel is a direct representation of the impurity and desolation the entire nation will face.
• "their food in uncleanness": The phrase signifies not just the food itself, but the general state of their existence being tainted and defiled by their sins.

Ezekiel 4 9 Bonus Section

The practice of using animal dung for fuel was common in ancient Near Eastern cultures, especially in arid regions where wood was scarce. However, the specific instruction for human dung is a significant escalation. It’s a deliberate violation of purity laws to convey the depth of national defilement. This verse highlights that sin impacts every aspect of life, from sustenance to national existence, rendering everything unclean. It is a severe consequence of a covenant people turning away from the holy God who dwells among them.

Ezekiel 4 9 Commentary

Ezekiel 4:9 is a stark and challenging verse. The use of human dung as fuel for cooking is intensely symbolic. It signifies the utter desolation and impurity that will overtake Jerusalem and its inhabitants. Israel's rebellion has rendered their land and their sustenance impure. Ezekiel is commanded to partake in this symbolic uncleanness to powerfully demonstrate to the exiles the complete breakdown of their society and their covenant relationship with God due to their sins. It foreshadows the siege conditions and the ultimate impurity that defiled them in the eyes of God. The graphic nature of the imagery serves to leave an indelible impression on the minds of those who receive this prophecy.