Amplified Bible
Ezekiel 4:14
14But I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold (hear me), I have never been defiled; for from my youth until now I have never eaten what died on its own or was torn by beasts, nor has any unclean meat ever entered my mouth.”
Ezekiel 4:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Then I said, “Not so, Sovereign Lord! I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have never eaten anything found dead or torn by wild animals. No impure meat has ever entered my mouth.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I have never defiled myself. From my youth up till now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has tainted meat come into my mouth."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So I said, “Ah, Lord God! Indeed I have never defiled myself from my youth till now; I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has abominable flesh ever come into my mouth.”
Context of Ezekiel 4:14
12You shall eat your food as barley cakes, having baked it in their sight over human dung.” 13Then the Lord said, “Thus the children of Israel will eat their bread unclean and defiled among the nations where I will banish them.” But I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold (hear me), I have never been defiled; for from my youth until now I have never eaten what died on its own or was torn by beasts, nor has any unclean meat ever entered my mouth.” 15Then He said to me, “See, I will let you use cow’s dung instead of human dung over which you shall prepare your food.” 16Moreover, He said to me, “Son of man, behold (listen carefully), I am going to break the staff of bread [that supports life] in Jerusalem; and they shall eat bread [rationed] by weight and [eat it] with anxiety and fear, and drink water by measure and [drink it] in horror [of the impending starvation],
Read all of Ezekiel 4Ezekiel 4:14 word by word
וָאֹמַ֗ר אֲהָהּ֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֔ה הִנֵּ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י לֹ֣א מְטֻמָּאָ֑ה וּנְבֵלָ֨ה וּטְרֵפָ֤ה לֹֽא־אָכַ֙לְתִּי֙ מִנְּעוּרַ֣י וְעַד־עַ֔תָּה וְלֹא־בָ֥א בְּפִ֖י בְּשַׂ֥ר פִּגּֽוּל׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Then saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- I, Ahאֲהָהּ'ăhâhh · alas!H162
- Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
- behold, my soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: myselfH5315
- hath not been pollutedטָמֵאţâmê' · to defileH2930
- for from my youthנְעוּרִיםnâ‛ûr nâ‛ûr ne‛ûrâh · youthH5271
- up even till now have I not eatenאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- of that which dieth of itselfנְבֵלָהnebêlâh · carcassH5038
- or is torn in piecesטְרֵפָהţerêphâh · torn animalH2966
- neither cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- there abominableפִּגּוּלpiggûl piggûl · refuseH6292
- fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
- into my mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
Cross-references for Ezekiel 4:14
- Ezekiel 9:8As they were executing them and I alone was left, I fell face downward and cried out, “Alas, Lord God! Will You destroy all that is left of Israel [the whole remnant] by pouring out Your wrath and indignation on Jerusalem?”
- Ezekiel 20:49Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not [just] speaking in parables and making allegories?’ ”
- Jeremiah 1:6Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, For I am [only] a young man.”
- Acts 10:14But Peter said, “Not at all, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common (unholy) and [ceremonially] unclean.”
- Exodus 22:31“You shall be holy men to Me; therefore you shall not eat meat [from any animal] that has been torn to pieces [by predators] in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.
- Leviticus 11:39‘If one of the animals that you may eat dies [of natural causes], whoever touches its carcass becomes unclean until the evening.
- Leviticus 17:15Every person who eats an animal which dies [of natural causes] or was torn by a predator, whether he is native-born or a stranger, he shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be [ceremonially] unclean until evening; then he will become clean.
- Leviticus 19:7But if it is eaten at all on the third day, it is repulsive; it will not be accepted [by God as an offering].
- Deuteronomy 14:3“You shall not eat anything that is detestable [to the Lord and forbidden by Him].
- Isaiah 65:4Who sit among the graves [trying to conjure up evil spirits] and spend the night in the secret places [where spirits are thought to dwell]; Who eat swine’s flesh, And their pots hold the broth of unclean meat;
- Isaiah 66:17“Those who [vainly attempt to] sanctify and cleanse themselves to go to the gardens [to sacrifice to idols], Following after one in the center, Who eat swine’s flesh, detestable things and mice, Will come to an end together,” says the Lord.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 4:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14My soul hath not been polluted - There is a remarkable similarity between this expostulation of the prophet and that of St. Peter, Acts 10:14.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Abominable flesh - Flesh that had become corrupt and foul by overkeeping. Compare Leviticus 19:7.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-17Verses 9-17 The bread which was Ezekiel's support, was to be made of coarse grain and pulse mixed together, seldom used except in times of urgent scarcity, and of this he was only to take a small quantity. Thus was figured the extremity to which the Jews were to be reduced during the siege and captivity. Ezekiel does not plead, Lord, from my youth I have been brought up delicately, and never used to any thing like this; but that he had been brought up…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-15The prophet said he had never eaten anything unclean. The Lord agreed, letting Ezekiel cook his food over cow dung. He also followed the law for disposing of human waste (see Deuteronomy 23:12–14).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. Ezekiel, as a priest, had been accustomed to the strictest abstinence from everything legally impure. Peter felt the same scruple at a similar command (Ac 10:14; compare Is 65:4). Positive precepts, being dependent on a particular command can be set aside at the will of the divine ruler; but moral precepts are everlasting in their obligation because God cannot be inconsistent with His unchanging moral nature. abominable flesh--literally, "flesh that…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 4:14
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Amplified Bible — © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631
Commentaries