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Ezekiel 4:10

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 4:10 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And thy food which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And thy food which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it.
Ezekiel 4:10 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 4

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
7And thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with thine arm uncovered; and thou shalt prophesy against it.
8And, behold, I lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to the other, till thou hast accomplished the days of thy siege.
9Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof; [according to] the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, even three hundred and ninety days, shalt thou eat thereof.
10And thy food which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it.
11And thou shalt drink water by measure, the sixth part of a hin: from time to time shalt thou drink.
12And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it in their sight with dung that cometh out of man.
13And Jehovah said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations whither I will drive them.
← Ezekiel 4:9Ezekiel 4:11 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And thy meat which thou shall eat [shall be] by weight, twenty shekels a day, &c.] To eat bread by weight was a sign of a grievous famine; (see <032626>Leviticus 26:26); a shekel, according to Josephusf81, weighed four Attic drachms, or half an ounce, wherefore twenty shekels weighed ten ounces; so that the bread the prophet had to eat was but ten ounces a day: from time to time shall thou eat it; at the certain time of eating, or but once a day; from a set time in one day to the same in another; as from morning to morning, or from noon to noon, or from evening to evening; (see <243721> Jeremiah 37:21).”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“twenty shekels--that is, little more than ten ounces; a scant measure to sustain life (Jer 52:6). But it applies not only to the siege, but to their whole subsequent state.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“meat - A general term for food, which in this case consists of grain. Instead of measuring, it was necessary in extreme scarcity to weigh it Leviticus 26:26; Revelation 6:6. Twenty shekels a day - The shekel contained about 220 grains, so that 20 shekels would be about 56 of a pound. From time to time - Thou shalt receive and eat it at the appointed interval of a day. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“By weight - Not as much as you will, but a small pittance delivered by weight to all. Twenty shekels - Ten ounces: scarce enough to maintain life. From time to time - At set hours this was weighed out. Ezekiel 4:11”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Eze 4:16, Eze 14:13; Lev 26:26; Deut. 28:51-68; Isa 3:1 Ezekiel 4:11”
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Related study paths

Read Ezekiel 4 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification