God’s Word Translation
Ezekiel 4:13
13Then the Lord said, “In the same way, the people of Israel will eat unclean bread among the nations where I scatter them.”
Ezekiel 4:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord said, "Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then the Lord said, “So shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them.”
Context of Ezekiel 4:13
11Measure out two-thirds of a quart of water, and drink it at set times. 12Eat the bread as you would eat barley loaves. Bake the bread in front of people, using human excrement for fuel.” Then the Lord said, “In the same way, the people of Israel will eat unclean bread among the nations where I scatter them.” 14I answered, “Almighty Lord, I have never dishonored myself. From the time I was young until now, I have never eaten an animal that died by itself or was killed by other wild animals. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth.” 15He said to me, “I will let you use cow manure in place of human excrement. Bake your bread over it.”
Read all of Ezekiel 4Ezekiel 4:13 word by word
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה כָּ֣כָה יֹאכְל֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶת־לַחְמָ֖ם טָמֵ֑א בַּגּוֹיִ֕ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַדִּיחֵ֖ם שָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Even thus shall the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
- their defiledטָמֵאţâmê' · uncleanH2931
- breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
- among the Gentilesגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- whither I will driveנָדַחnâdach · to banishH5080
Cross-references for Ezekiel 4:13
- Daniel 1:8Daniel made up his mind not to harm himself by eating the king’s rich food and drinking the king’s wine. So he asked the chief-of-staff for permission not to harm himself in this way.
- Hosea 9:3The people of Ephraim won’t stay in the Lord’s land. They will return to Egypt, and they will eat unclean food in Assyria.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 4:13
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13The ceremonial ordinances in relation to food were intended to keep the nation free from idolatrous usages; everywhere among the pagan idol feasts formed a leading part in their religious services, and idol meats were partaken of in common life. Dispersion among the Gentiles must have exposed the Jews to much which they regarded as common and unclean. In Ezekiel‘s case there was a mitigation Ezekiel 4:15 of the defilement, but still legal defilement…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. 12-13Cooking with human excrement (human waste) would make the bread ceremonially unclean. This means it would be unfit for worship according to the law of Moses. If Ezekiel ate it, he would become unclean. This act was a sign of what would happen to the Israelites in exile. In a foreign land, it would be very hard to follow the kosher dietary laws (the food laws God gave to Israel). As a result, they would eat food that was unclean. Because of this, they…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. Implying that Israel's peculiar distinction was to be abolished and that they were to be outwardly blended with the idolatrous heathen (De 28:68; Ho 9:3).Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 4:13
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries