Ezekiel 4

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916), Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008).^[4] Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls including 1Q9 (1QEzek; Pre 68 CE) with extant verses 15–17;^[5][6][7][8] and 11Q4 (11QEzek; 50 BCE–50 CE) with extant verses 3–6, 9–10.^{[5][6][9][10]}

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^B; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; ${\displaystyle {\mathfrak {G}}}$^Q; 6th century).^[11][a]

Verse 1

"You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem."^[13]

• "Clay tablet" (KJV: "tile"): or "brick", laterem in Pagninus' translation and in the Latin Vulgate edition.^[14][15]
• "Portray on it": to draw the city of Jerusalem.^[15]

Verse 5

For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; so you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.^[16]

• "390 days" signifies the 390 years of pre-siege punishment for Israel in the land (cf. Leviticus 26:14–32).^[17] The Greek text (Septuagint) has "190 years".^[18]

Verse 6

And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.^[19]

• "40 days" signifies the 40 years of post-siege punishment for Judah in exile (cf. Numbers 14:34).^[17]

Verse 9

Also take for yourself wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them into one vessel, and make bread of them for yourself. During the number of days that you lie on your side, three hundred and ninety days, you shall eat it.^[21]

• "Millet and spelt": considered inferior kinds of wheat.^[22] These and other mentioned materials (barley, beans, lentils) were commonly gathered for food in the area where Ezekiel was exiled (Mesopotamia).^[22][23]

Verse 10

And your food which you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from time to time you shall eat it.^[24]

• "Twenty shekels": about 8 ounces (230 g), is the ration of bread per person per day, showing the great scarcity.^[22][25] "Shekel" is the standard for weighing (including for money) in the ancient Near East; generally represents 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce).^[26]

Verse 11

You also shall drink water by measure, the sixth part of a hin. From time to time you shall drink it.^[27]

• "The sixth part of a hin": about 2⁄3 US quart (0.6 L);^[28][29] a daily water ration showing restricted access to water source.^[22]

Verse 12

And you shall eat it as barley cakes; and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight.^[30]

"Using fuel of human waste": Barley cakes were baked on stones (cf. 1 Kings 19:6) heated with fire using a fuel of animal dung, often mixed with straw.^[22] "Human waste" was considered 'ritually unclean' and had to be buried outside the camp of the Israelites (just as during the wilderness wandering) to prevent 'defilement' (Deuteronomy 23:12–14).^[22][31]