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Ezekiel 4:2

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 4:2 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “and lay siege against it, and build forts against it, and cast up a mound against it; set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it round about.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

and lay siege against it, and build forts against it, and cast up a mound against it; set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it round about.
Ezekiel 4:2 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 4

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
1Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it a city, even Jerusalem:
2and lay siege against it, and build forts against it, and cast up a mound against it; set camps also against it, and plant battering rams against it round about.
3And take thou unto thee an iron pan, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city: and set thy face toward it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.
4Moreover lie thou upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it; [according to] the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it, thou shalt bear their iniquity.
5For I have appointed the years of their iniquity to be unto thee a number of days, even three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.
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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 lay siege against it, &c.] In his own person, as in (<260403>Ezekiel 4:3); or draw the form of a siege, or figure of an army besieging a city; or rather of the instruments and means used in a siege, as follows: and build a fort against it: Kimchi interprets it a wooden tower, built over against the city, to subdue it; Jarchi takes it to be an instrument by which stones were cast into the city; and so the Arabic version renders it, “machines to cast stones”; the Targum, a fortress; so Nebuchadnezzar in reality did what was here only done in type, (<122501>2 Kings 25:1); where the same word is used as here: and cast a mount about it; a heap of earth cast up, in order to look into the city,…”
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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
“forth--rather, "watch tower" (Jer 52:4) wherein the besieges could watch the movements of the besieged [GESENIUS]. A wall of circumvallation [Septuagint and ROSENMULLER]. A kind of battering-ram [MAURER]. The first view is best. a mount--wherewith the Chaldeans could be defended from missiles. battering-rams--literally, "through-borers." In Eze 21:22 the same Hebrew is translated "captains."”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Lay siege against it - The prophet is represented as doing that which he portrays. The leading features of a siege are depicted. See the Jeremiah 6:6 note. The camp - Encampments. The word denotes various hosts in various positions around the city. Fort - It was customary in sieges to construct towers of vast height, sometimes of 20 stories, which were wheeled up to the walls to enable the besiegers to reach the battlements with their arrows; in the lower part of such a tower there was commonly a battering-ram. These towers are frequently represented in the Assyrian monuments. Battering rams - Better than the translation in the margin. Assyrian monuments prove that these engines of war are…”
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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
“Lay siege - Draw the figure of a siege about the city. Build - Raise a tower and bulwarks. Ezekiel 4:3”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“lay: Jer 39:1, Jer 39:2, Jer 52:4; Luk 19:42-44 battering rams: or, chief leaders, Eze 21:22 Ezekiel 4:3”
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Related study paths

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Sources and verification