Ezekiel 4:12

12 And you shall eat it as a barley cake, baking it 1in their sight on human dung."

Ezekiel 4:12 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 4:12

And thou shalt eat it [as] barley cakes
That is, the bread made of wheat, barley, beans, lentiles, millet, and fitches, was to be made in the form of barley cakes, and to be baked as they; not in an oven, but under ashes; and these ashes not of wood, or straw, or turf, but as follows: and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of men, in their
sight:
the prophet was to take human dung, and dry it, and then cover the cakes or loaves of his mixed bread with it, and burn it over them, and with it bake it; which must be a very disagreeable task to him, and make the food very nauseous, both to himself and to the Jews, in whose sight it was done; and this shows scarcity of fuel, and the severity of the famine; that they had not fuel to bake with, or could not stay till it was baked in an oven, and therefore took this method; as well as points at what they were to eat when carried captive, as follows:

Ezekiel 4:12 In-Context

10 And your food that you eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day; from day to day you shall eat it.
11 And water you shall drink by measure, the sixth part of a hin; from day to day you shall drink.
12 And you shall eat it as a barley cake, baking it in their sight on human dung."
13 And the LORD said, "Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them."
14 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I have never defiled myself.From my youth up till now I have never eaten what died of itself or was torn by beasts, nor has tainted meat come into my mouth."

Cross References 1

  • 1. See Ezekiel 12:3
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.