Ezekiel 4
[Ezekiel 4:1] THOU ALSO, SON OF MAN, TAKE THEE A TILE, AND LAY IT BEFORE THEE, AND PORTRAY UPON IT THE CITY, EVEN JERUSALEM:
[Ezekiel 4:2] AND 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.
Ezekiel was told to do a physical action that would symbolize a larger
event. Reversely we should realize that even small physical things that we
do can have great significance on a spiritual level.
[Ezekiel 4:3] MOREOVER 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.
<<THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL>>: here "House of Israel" is referring to the northern ten-tribed kingdom.
[Ezekiel 4:4] LIE 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.
<<UPON THY LEFT SIDE>>: In Hebrew "left" is "smal" which also
connotes "north", i.e. the "House of Israel" of the Ten tribes was to the
north of Judah. A clan of Gad was known as "Tsifion" which can also mean
"north":
<<AND THE SONS OF GAD; ZIPHION>> [Genesis 46:16]. We have suggested
that "Tsifion" populated the area known as "Smal" in north Syria adjoining
the Dananu of Dan and the Yadi of Judah. Similarly the important province
of Smaland (Smal-land) in Sweden also relates to Ziphion of Gad.
[Ezekiel 4:5] FOR 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.
[Ezekiel 4:6] 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.
390 days for northern Israel.40 days for Judah.Commentators have offered
various explanations for these numbers. They usually translate them into
years saying that 390 days = 390 years and 40 days = 40 years. They also
try to explain them in terms of historical events and processes that took
place before the time of Ezekiel. These explanations are not convincing to
us. Ezekiel was prophesying concerning the future. The days may really only
be "days" and not years and the solution (at least in its full sense) is
most likely yet to
come.
[Ezekiel 4:7] THEREFORE THOU SHALT SET THY FACE
TOWARD THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM, AND THINE ARM SHALL BE UNCOVERED, AND THOU
SHALT PROPHESY AGAINST IT.
[Ezekiel 4:8] AND, 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.
[Ezekiel 4:9] 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.
[Ezekiel 4:10] AND THY MEAT WHICH THOU SHALT EAT SHALL BE BY WEIGHT, TWENTY SHEKELS A DAY: FROM TIME TO TIME SHALT THOU EAT IT.
[Ezekiel 4:11] THOU SHALT DRINK ALSO WATER BY MEASURE, THE SIXTH PART OF AN HIN: FROM TIME TO TIME SHALT THOU DRINK.
[Ezekiel 4:12] AND THOU SHALT EAT IT AS BARLEY CAKES, AND THOU SHALT BAKE IT WITH DUNG THAT COMETH OUT OF MAN, IN THEIR SIGHT.
[Ezekiel 4:13] AND THE LORD SAID, EVEN THUS SHALL
THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL EAT THEIR DEFILED BREAD AMONG THE GENTILES, WHITHER
I WILL DRIVE THEM.
[Ezekiel 4:14] THEN 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.
[Ezekiel 4:15] THEN HE SAID UNTO ME, LO, I HAVE GIVEN THEE COW'S DUNG FOR
MAN'S DUNG, AND THOU SHALT PREPARE THY BREAD THEREWITH.
[Ezekiel 4:16] MOREOVER 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:
[Ezekiel 4:17] THAT THEY MAY WANT BREAD AND WATER, AND BE ASTONISHED ONE WITH ANOTHER, AND CONSUME AWAY FOR THEIR INIQUITY.
Ezekiel Index Page
Chapter Five of Ezekiel