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Ezekiel 4:13

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 4:13 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And Jehovah said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations whither I will drive them.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And Jehovah said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations whither I will drive them.
Ezekiel 4:13 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 4

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
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.
14Then said I, Ah Lord Jehovah! behold, my soul hath not been polluted; for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn of beasts; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.
15Then he said unto me, See, I have given thee cow`s dung for man`s dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread thereon.
16Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness; and they shall drink water by measure, and in dismay:
← Ezekiel 4:12Ezekiel 4:14 →
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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 the Lord said, even thus shall the children of Israel, &c.] Not the ten tribes only, or those who were among the other two, but all the Jews in captivity: eat the defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them; so called, not because mixed, but baked in the above manner; which was a symbol of the defilements which they should contract upon various accounts, by dwelling among the Gentiles; so that this foretells their captivity; their pollution among the nations of the world; and that they should not be the holy people to the Lord they had been, and had boasted of. The Jewsf82 cite this passage to prove that he that eats bread without drying his hands is as if he ate defiled…”
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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
“Implying that Israel's peculiar distinction was to be abolished and that they were to be outwardly blended with the idolatrous heathen (Deu 28:68; Hos 9:3).”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The ceremonial ordinances in relation to food were intended to keep the nation free from idolatrous usages; everywhere among the pagan idol feasts formed a leading part in their religious services, and idol meats were partaken of in common life. Dispersion among the Gentiles must have exposed the Jews to much which they regarded as common and unclean. In Ezekiel’s case there was a mitigation Ezekiel 4:15 of the defilement, but still legal defilement remained, and the chosen people in exile were subjected to it as to a degradation. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Dan 1:8; Hos 9:3, Hos 9:4 Ezekiel 4:14”
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Related study paths

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

Sources and verification