Ezekiel 4

The original text was written in Biblical Hebrew. This chapter is divided into 17 verses.

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).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=35-37}} Fragments containing parts of this chapter were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls including

1Q9 (1QEzek; Pre 68 CE) with extant verses 15–17;{{sfn|Ulrich|2010|p=586}}[https://thewaytoyahuweh.com/dead-sea-scrolls/general-info/#ezekiel Dead sea scrolls - Ezekiel]{{sfn|Fitzmyer|2008|p=19}}[https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/explore-the-archive/manuscript/1Q9-1 1Q9 at the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library] and 11Q4 (11QEzek; 50 BCE–50 CE) with extant verses 3–6, 9–10.{{sfn|Ulrich|2010|p=586}}{{sfn|Fitzmyer|2008|p=110}}[https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/explore-the-archive/manuscript/11Q4-1 11Q4 - 11QEzek at the Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library]

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; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^B; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; $\backslash mathfrak\{G\}$^Q; 6th century).{{sfn|Würthwein|1995|pp=73-74}}{{efn|Ezekiel is missing from Codex Sinaiticus.{{cite book| last= Shepherd|first= Michael |title= A Commentary on the Book of the Twelve: The Minor Prophets | series= Kregel Exegetical Library | publisher= Kregel Academic | year= 2018 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=_iNZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA13|isbn= 978-0825444593 | page= 13}}}}

This part describes how Ezekiel enacts the Siege of Jerusalem, by first drawing a map of Jerusalem on a clay tablet or a brick, then building a model of the siege apparatus encircling the model city, and finally setting up an iron plate as a wall between the city and himself, facing the city to start the siege to it.{{sfn|Galambush|2007|p=539}}

:"You also, son of man, take a clay tablet and lay it before you, and portray on it a city, Jerusalem."{{bibleref2|Ezekiel|4:1|NKJV}}: NKJV

• "Clay tablet" (KJV: "tile"): or "brick", laterem in Pagninus' translation and in the Latin Vulgate edition.V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Polanus. Piscator.{{sfn|Coogan|2007|pp=1186–1187 Hebrew Bible}}
• "Portray on it": to draw the city of Jerusalem.{{sfn|Coogan|2007|pp=1186–1187 Hebrew Bible}}

: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.{{bibleref2|Ezekiel|4:5|NKJV}} NKJV

• "390 days" signifies the 390 years of pre-siege punishment for Israel in the land (cf. {{bibleverse|Leviticus|26:14–32|KJV}}).{{sfn|Coogan|2007|p=1186 Hebrew Bible}} The Greek text (Septuagint) has "190 years".{{sfn|Carley|1974|pp=30–31}}

: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.{{bibleref2|Ezekiel|4:6|NKJV}} NKJV

• "40 days" signifies the 40 years of post-siege punishment for Judah in exile (cf. {{bibleverse|Numbers|14:34|KJV}}).{{sfn|Coogan|2007|p=1186 Hebrew Bible}}

In this part, Ezekiel acts out the role of Jerusalem's citizens, eating meager rations of food to symbolize famine, even baking cakes over dung to emphasize the severity.{{sfn|Galambush|2007|p=530}}

: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.{{bibleref2|Ezekiel|4:9|NKJV}} NKJV

• "Millet and spelt": considered inferior kinds of wheat.{{sfn|Carley|1974|p=34}} These and other mentioned materials (barley, beans, lentils) were commonly gathered for food in the area where Ezekiel was exiled (Mesopotamia).{{sfn|Carley|1974|p=34}}Note on Ezekiel 4:9 in NET Bible

:And your food which you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from time to time you shall eat it.{{bibleref2|Ezekiel|4:10|NKJV}} NKJV

• "Twenty shekels": about {{convert|8|oz}}, is the ration of bread per person per day, showing the great scarcity.{{sfn|Carley|1974|p=34}}Note on Ezekiel 4:10 in MEV "Shekel" is the standard for weighing (including for money) in the ancient Near East; generally represents 11.5 grams (0.4 ounce).Note on Ezekiel 4:10 in NET Bible

:You also shall drink water by measure, the sixth part of a hin. From time to time you shall drink it.{{bibleref2|Ezekiel|4:11|MEV}} MEV

• "The sixth part of a hin": about {{convert|2/3|USqt|L|1}};Note on Ezekiel 4:11 in MEVNote on Ezekiel 4:11 in NET Bible a daily water ration showing restricted access to water source.{{sfn|Carley|1974|p=34}}

:And you shall eat it as barley cakes; and bake it using fuel of human waste in their sight.{{bibleref2|Ezekiel|4:12|NKJV}}

NKJV

:"Using fuel of human waste": Barley cakes were baked on stones (cf. {{bibleverse|1 Kings|19:6|9}}) heated with fire using a fuel of animal dung, often mixed with straw.{{sfn|Carley|1974|p=34}} "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' ({{bibleverse|Deuteronomy|23:12–14|9}}).{{sfn|Carley|1974|p=34}}Note on Ezekiel 4:12 in NET Bible

• Jerusalem
• List of plants in the Bible
• Son of man
• Related Bible parts: Jeremiah 27, Jeremiah 28, Jeremiah 29, 1 Thessalonians 5, 1 Peter 4

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite book | last= Carley |first= Keith W. | title= The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel | series= Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the New English Bible | edition= illustrated | publisher= Cambridge University Press | year= 1974 | isbn= 9780521097550 }}
• {{cite book |last= Coogan|first = Michael David| author-link= Michael D. Coogan |title = The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 |editor-last1=Cooganv|editor-first1=Michael David |editor-first2=Marc Zvi|editor-last2= Brettler |editor-first3=Carol Ann|editor-last3= Newsom |editor-first4= Pheme|editor-last4= Perkins |edition=Augmented 3rd|publisher = Oxford University Press|year =2007|isbn = 9780195288810 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=HmpMPgAACAAJ}}
• {{Cite book|title = A Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature|last = Fitzmyer|first = Joseph A.| author-link = Joseph Fitzmyer | publisher = William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TILXeWJ2eNAC | year = 2008 |isbn = 9780802862419 | location = Grand Rapids, MI | access-date= February 15, 2019}}
• {{cite book|last=Galambush | first= J. | chapter = 25. Ezekiel | title=The Oxford Bible Commentary | editor-first1=John| editor-last1=Barton |editor1-link = John Barton (theologian) | editor-first2=John| editor-last2= Muddiman |editor2-link = John Muddiman | publisher = Oxford University Press |edition= first (paperback) | date = 2007 | pages = 533–562| isbn = 978-0199277186 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZJdVkgEACAAJ| access-date=February 6, 2019}}
• {{Cite book

|last =Joyce

|first =Paul M.

|title =Ezekiel: A Commentary

|publisher =Continuum

|year =2009

|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=LRepfsso2p0C

|isbn =9780567483614

}}

• {{Cite book

| editor-last = Ulrich

| editor-first = Eugene

| title = The Biblical Qumran Scrolls: Transcriptions and Textual Variants

| year = 2010

| publisher = Brill

| url = https://archive.org/details/TheBiblicalQumranScrolls}}

• {{cite book | last = Würthwein | first = Ernst | author-link = Ernst Würthwein | title = The Text of the Old Testament | publisher = Wm. B. Eerdmans |location = Grand Rapids, MI | year= 1995 | translator-first1 = Erroll F.| translator-last1 = Rhodes |isbn = 0-8028-0788-7 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FSNKSBObCYwC | access-date= January 26, 2019}}

• [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1204.htm Ezekiel 4 Hebrew with Parallel English]
• [http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16102 Ezekiel 4 Hebrew with Rashi's Commentary]

• [http://www.latinvulgate.com/lv/verse.aspx?t=0&b=31&c=4 Ezekiel 4 English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226050306/http://www.latinvulgate.com/lv/verse.aspx?t=0&b=31&c=4 |date=2017-02-26 }}

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04

Category:Shekel