Ezekiel 15:4

Ezekiel 15:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?
• New International Version (NIV)And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything?
• New King James Version (NKJV)Instead, it is thrown into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful for any work?
• New Living Translation (NLT)No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly.

Context of Ezekiel 15:4

2"Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest? 3Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take a peg from it to hang any vessel on it? Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel. When the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred, is it useful for anything? 5Behold, when it was whole, it was used for nothing. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it ever be used for anything! 6Therefore thus says the Lord God: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 15:4 word by word

הִנֵּ֥ה לָאֵ֖שׁ נִתַּ֣ן לְאָכְלָ֑ה אֵת֩ שְׁנֵ֨י קְצוֹתָ֜יו אָכְלָ֤ה הָאֵשׁ֙ וְתוֹכ֣וֹ נָחָ֔ר הֲיִצְלַ֖ח לִמְלָאכָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Behold, it is castנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• into the fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• for fuelאׇכְלָה'ôklâh · foodH402
• devourethאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• bothשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• the endsקָצָהqâtsâh · endH7098
• of it, and the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of it is burnedחָרַרchârar · to scorchH2787
• Is it meetצָלֵחַtsâlach tsâlêach · to prosperH6743
• workמְלָאכָהmelâ'kâh · workH4399

Cross-references for Ezekiel 15:4

• Psalms 80:16They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your face!
• Isaiah 27:11When its boughs are dry, they are broken; women come and make a fire of them. For this is a people without discernment; therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them; he who formed them will show them no favor.
• John 15:6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
• Hebrews 6:8But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
• Isaiah 1:31And the strong shall become tinder, and his work a spark, and both of them shall burn together, with none to quench them.
• Amos 4:11"I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me," declares the Lord.
• Malachi 4:1"For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.
• Matthew 3:12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
• Hebrews 12:29for our God is a consuming fire.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 15:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4The fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned - Judea is like a vine branch thrown into the fire, which seizes on both the ends, and scorches the middle: so both the extremities of the land is wasted; and the middle, Jerusalem, is now threatened with a siege, and by and by will be totally destroyed.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Behold, it is cast into the fire - The wood is in itself useless for any purpose; but what if it have been cast into the fire, and half burned, what of it then?Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-5The wood of most trees can be used to make many useful objects. Even small pieces can serve as pegs, which are simple wooden pins used to hang or hold things in place. The wood of a vine is different. It is weak and thin. It is not strong enough to make pegs or other tools. It is not even useful as firewood. It burns too quickly and does not give much heat. In this way, vine wood is completely useless.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. cast into ... fire--(Joh 15:6). both the ends--the north kingdom having been already overturned by Assyria under Tiglath-pileser; the south being pressed on by Egypt (2Ki 23:29-35). midst of it is burned--rather, "is on flame"; namely, Jerusalem, which had now caught the flame by the attack of Nebuchadnezzar. Is it meet for any work--"it," that is, the scorched part still remaining.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Fuel
• Meet

Commentaries on Ezekiel 15

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings