Ezekiel 4:13

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.
• 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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)Then the Lord said, “This is how Israel will eat defiled bread in the Gentile lands to which I will banish them!”

Context of Ezekiel 4:13

11Also measure out a sixth of a hin of water and drink it at set times. 12Eat the food as you would a loaf of barley bread; bake it in the sight of the people, using human excrement for fuel.” The Lord said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.” 14Then 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.” 15“Very well,” he said, “I will let you bake your bread over cow dung instead of human excrement.”

Ezekiel 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 1:8But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
• Hosea 9:3They will not remain in the Lord’s land; Ephraim will return to Egypt and 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

• Instruction
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Prayer
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Children of Israel
• Care
• Cherub
• Dung
• Fuel
• Living creatures
• Agabus
• Dispersion, the
• Hosea

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