Viewing the original 1611 KJV with archaic English spelling.
Click to switch to the Standard KJV.



+     Text Size    

1 Thou also sonne of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and pourtray vpon it the citie, euen Ierusalem,

2 And lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mount against it: set the campe also against it, and set battering rammes against it round about.

3 Moreouer take thou vnto thee an yron panne, and set it for a wall of yron betweene thee and the city, and set thy face against it, and it shalbe besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it: this shalbe a signe to the house of Israel.

4 Lie thou also vpon thy left side, and lay the iniquitie of the house of Israel vpon it: according to the number of the dayes that thou shalt lie vpon it, thou shalt beare their iniquitie.

5 For I haue layed vpon thee the yeeres of their iniquitie, according to the number of the dayes, three hundreth and ninetie daies. So shalt thou beare the iniquitie of the house of Israel.

6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie againe on thy right side, and thou shalt beare the iniquitie of the house of Iudah fourtie dayes: I haue appointed thee each day for a yeere.

7 Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Ierusalem, and thine arme shalbe vncouered, and thou shalt prophecie against it.

8 And behold, I wil lay bands vpon thee, and thou shalt not turne thee from one side to an other, till thou hast ended the dayes of thy siege.

9 ¶ Take thou also vnto thee wheat, and barley, and beanes, and lentils, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessell, and make thee bread thereof according to the number of the dayes that thou shalt lie vpon thy side; three hundreth and ninetie dayes shalt thou eate thereof.

10 And thy meate which thou shalt eat, shalbe by weight twentie shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it.

11 Thou shalt drinke also water by measure, the sixt part of an hin: from time to time shalt thou drinke.

12 And thou shalt eate it as barley cakes, & thou shalt bake it with doung that commeth out of man in their sight.

13 And the Lord said, Euen thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will driue them.

14 Then said I, Ah Lord God, behold, my soule hath not bene polluted: for from my youth vp euen til now, haue I not eaten of that which dieth of it selfe, or is torne in pieces, neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.

15 Then he said vnto me, Loe, I haue giuen thee cowes doung for mans doung and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith.

16 Moreouer he said vnto me, Sonne of man, behold, I wil breake the staffe of bread in Ierusalem, and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care, and they shal drinke water by measure, and with astonishment:

17 That they may want bread and water, & be astonied one with an other, and consume away for their iniquitie.

Viewing the original 1611 KJV with archaic English spelling
Click to switch to the Standard KJV.


Commentary for Ezekiel 4

The siege of Jerusalem. (1-8) The famine the inhabitants would suffer. (9-17)1-8 The prophet was to represent the siege of Jerusalem by signs. He was to lie on his left side for a number of days, supposed to be equal to the years from the establishment of idolatry. All that the prophet sets before the children of his people, about the destruction of Jerusalem, is to show that sin is the provoking cause of the ruin of that once flourishing city.

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 conscientiously, and never had eaten any thing forbidden by the law. It will be comfortable when we are brought to suffer hardships, if our hearts can witness that we have always been careful to keep even from the appearance of evil. See what woful work sin makes, and acknowledge the righteousness of God herein. Their plenty having been abused to luxury and excess, they were justly punished by famine. When men serve not God with cheerfulness in the abundance of all things, God will make them serve their enemies in the want of all things.

Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.

Bible Options

Sponsored Links