Ezekiel 4:1-3

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

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 4:1

Take thee a tile - A tile, such as we use in covering houses, will give us but a very inadequate notion of those used anciently; and also appear very insufficient for the figures which the prophet was commanded to pourtray on it. A brick is most undoubtedly meant; yet, even the larger dimensions here, as to thickness, will not help us through the difficulty, unless we have recourse to the ancients, who have spoken of the dimensions of the bricks commonly used in building. Palladius, De Re... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 4:2

Battering rams - כרים carim . This is the earliest account we have of this military engine. It was a long beam with a head of brass, like the head and horns of a ram, whence its name. It was hung by chains or ropes, between two beams, or three legs, so that it could admit of being drawn backward and forward some yards. Several stout men, by means of ropes, pulled it as far back as it could go, and then, suddenly letting it loose, it struck with great force against the wall which it was... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 4:3

Take thou unto thee an iron pan - מחבת machabath , a flat plate or slice, as the margin properly renders it: such as are used in some countries to bake bread on, called a griddle or girdle, being suspended above the fire, and kept in a proper degree of heat for the purpose. A plate like this, stuck perpendicularly in the earth, would show the nature of a wall much better than any pan could do. The Chaldeans threw such a wall round Jerusalem, to prevent the besieged from receiving any... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 4:1

Verse 1 Here God begins to speak more openly by means of his servant, and not to speak only, but to signify by an outward symbol what he wishes to be uttered by his mouth. Hence he orders the Prophet to paint Jerusalem on a brick Take therefore, he says, a brick, and place it in thy sight: then paint on it a city, even Jerusalem This is one command: then erect a tower against it. He describes the form of ancient warfare; for then when they wished to besiege cities, they erected mounds from... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 4:1

The first sign in this method of unspoken prophecy was to indicate to the exiles of Tel-Abib that which they were unwilling to believe The day of uncertain hopes and fears, of delusive dreams and promises ( Jeremiah 27:16 ; Jeremiah 28:1-3 ; Jeremiah 29:21 ), was nearly over. The siege of Jerusalem in spite of Zedekiab's Egyptian alliance, was a thing decreed. Four years before it came—we are now between the fourth month of the fifth year ( Ezekiel 1:2 ) and the sixth month of the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 4:1-2

A pictorial sermon. The method of this prophecy is as instructive as the substance of it. Let us, therefore, consider this by itself. I. IT WAS NOVEL . Hitherto prophets had usually preached by word of mouth, though indeed occasionally they had given visible illustrations of their sermons. Thus Jeremiah had worn a symbolical yoke of iron ( Jeremiah 28:10 ). But to draw a picture on a tile was a new method of prophecy. The pulpit is generally too conservative of old methods, too... read more

Group of Brands