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Ezekiel 4:8

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 4:8 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And, 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.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And, 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.
Ezekiel 4:8 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 4

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
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.
6And again, when thou hast accomplished these, thou shalt lie on thy right side, and shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah: forty days, each day for a year, have I appointed it unto thee.
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.
← Ezekiel 4:7Ezekiel 4:9 →
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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, behold, I will lay hands upon thee, &c.] Representing either the besieged, signifying that they should be taken and bound as he was; or rather the besiegers, the Chaldean army, which should be so held by the power and providence of God, that they should not break up the siege until they had taken the city, and fulfilled the whole will and pleasure of God; for these bands were an emblem of the firm and unalterable decree of God, respecting the siege and taking of Jerusalem; and so the Targum paraphrases it, “and, lo, the decree of my word is upon thee, as a band of ropes;” and to this sense Jarchi interprets it; and which is confirmed by what follows: and thou shall not turn thee from…”
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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
“bands-- (Eze 3:25). not turn from . . . side--to imply the impossibility of their being able to shake off the punishment.”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“I will lay bands upon thee - Contrast margin reference. The Lord will put constraint upon him, to cause him to exercise his office. In the retirement of his house, figuratively bound and under constraint, he shall not cease to proclaim the doom of the city. The days of thy siege - Those during which he should thus foretell the approaching calamity. 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
“Bands - An invisible restraint assuring him, that those could no more remove from the siege, than he from that side he lay on. Ezekiel 4:9”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“I will: Eze 3:25 from one side to another: Heb. from thy side to thy side Ezekiel 4:9”
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Related study paths

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

Sources and verification