God’s Word Translation
Ezekiel 4:14
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.”
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
12Eat the bread as you would eat barley loaves. Bake the bread in front of people, using human excrement for fuel.” 13Then the Lord said, “In the same way, the people of Israel will eat unclean bread among the nations where I scatter them.” I 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.” 16He also said to me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the bread supply in Jerusalem. People will anxiously eat rationed bread and fearfully drink rationed water.
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 killing people, I was left alone. So I immediately bowed down. I cried, “Almighty Lord, will you destroy everyone who is left in Israel while you pour out your anger on Jerusalem?”
- Ezekiel 20:49Then I said, “Oh no! Almighty Lord, no! The people already say that I’m only telling stories.”
- Jeremiah 1:6I, Jeremiah, said, “Almighty Lord, I do not know how to speak. I am only a boy!”
- Acts 10:14Peter answered, “I can’t do that, Lord! I’ve never eaten anything that is impure or unclean.”
- Exodus 22:31“You must be my holy people. Never eat the meat of an animal that has been killed by wild animals out in the countryside. Throw it to the dogs.”
- Leviticus 11:39“When any animal that you are allowed to eat dies, whoever touches its dead body will be unclean until evening.
- Leviticus 17:15“Native Israelites or foreigners who eat the body of an animal that dies naturally or is killed by another animal must wash their clothes and their bodies. They will be unclean until evening. Then they will be clean.
- Leviticus 19:7If you eat any of it on the third day, it is repulsive and will not be accepted.
- Deuteronomy 14:3Never eat anything that is disgusting to the Lord.
- Isaiah 65:4They sat among the graves and spent their nights in caves. They ate pork and in their pots made broth from unclean foods.
- Isaiah 66:17People make themselves holy and prepare themselves for their garden rituals. They go into the garden and devour pork, disgusting things, and mice. “They will come to an end at the same time,” declares 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
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