Ezekiel 4:1-12 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 4:1-8

The prophet is here ordered to represent to himself and others by signs which would be proper and powerful to strike the fancy and to affect the mind, the siege of Jerusalem; and this amounted to a prediction. I. He was ordered to engrave a draught of Jerusalem upon a tile, Ezek. 4:1. It was Jerusalem's honour that while she kept her integrity God had graven her upon the palms of his hands (Isa. 49:16), and the names of the tribes were engraven in precious stones on the breast-plate of the... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 4:9-17

The best exposition of this part of Ezekiel's prediction of Jerusalem's desolation is Jeremiah's lamentation of it, Lam. 4:3, 4; 5:10; where he pathetically describes the terrible famine that was in Jerusalem during the siege and the sad effects of it. I. The prophet here, to affect the people with the foresight of it, must confine himself for 390 days to coarse fare and short commons, and that ill-dressed, for they should want both food and fuel. 1. His meat, for the quality of it, was to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:1

Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile ,.... Or "brick" F26 לבנה "laterem", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Polanus. Piscator. . The Targum renders it, a "stone"; but a tile or brick, especially one that is not dried and burned, but green, is more fit to cut in it the figure of a city. Some think that this was ordered because cities are built of brick; or to show the weakness of the city of Jerusalem, how easily it might be demolished; and Jerom thinks there was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:2

And lay siege against it ,.... In his own person, as in Ezekiel 4:3 ; or draw the form of a siege, or figure of an army besieging a city; or rather of the instruments and means used in a siege, as follows: and build a fort against it : Kimchi interprets it a wooden tower, built over against the city, to subdue it; Jarchi takes it to be an instrument by which stones were cast into the city; and so the Arabic version renders it, "machines to cast stones"; the Targum, a fortress; so... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:3

Moreover take thou unto thee an iron pan ,.... Which Kimchi thinks, for its metal, represented the hardness of the hearts of the people of Israel; and, for its colour, the blackness of their sins: though others are of opinion, this being a pan in which things are fried, it may signify the miseries of the Jews in captivity; the roasting of Ahab and Zedekiah in the fire, and particularly the burning of the city: others, the wrath of God against them, and his resolution to destroy them: but... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:4

Lie thou also upon thy left side ,.... Some think this was not in reality, but in vision, as Kimchi observes; and so Maimonides F3 Moreh Nevochim, par. 2. c. 46. ; and in like manner they understand his eating and drinking by measures and preparing food, as he is directed in a following part of this chapter: but others are of opinion that all this was really done. The reasons given on both sides are not despicable. It is urged against the reality of the fact, that the prophet, without... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:5

For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity ,.... Or the iniquity which for so many years they have been guilty of; that is, the punishment of it: according to the number of the days ; a day for a year; three hundred and ninety days ; which signify three hundred and ninety years; and so many years there were from the revolt of the ten tribes from Rehoboam, and the setting up the calves at Dan and Bethel, to the destruction of Jerusalem; which may be reckoned thus: the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:6

And when thou hast accomplished them ,.... The three hundred and ninety days, by lying so long on the left side, bearing the sins of the house of Israel in this way; or, as Cocceius renders the words, "and thou shall accomplish them, and thou shalt lie", &c.; F7 וכלית את אלה ושכבת "et absolves hos, et decumbes", Cocceius, Starckius; "et consummabis haec, et jacebis", Montanus. , that is, thou shalt so accomplish these days, that thou mayest lie through forty days on the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:7

Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege at Jerusalem ,.... All the while he was lying either on the left side or the right, his face was to be directed to the siege of Jerusalem, portrayed upon the tile, and to all the preparations made for that purpose, to show that all had reference to that and that it wound certainly be; for, as the prophet represented the Chaldean army the directing and setting his face to the siege shows their resolution and inflexibleness, that they were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:8

And, behold, I will lay hands upon thee ,.... Representing either the besieged, signifying that they should be taken and bound as he was; or rather the besiegers, the Chaldean army, which should be so held by the power and providence of God, that they should not break up the siege until they had taken the city, and fulfilled the whole will and pleasure of God; for these bands were an emblem of the firm and unalterable decree of God, respecting the siege and taking of Jerusalem; and so the... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 4:1-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 4:9-17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 4:8

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