Ezekiel 4:13

13 And the Lord said, “Thus shall the people of Israel eat ¹their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them. ”

Ezekiel 4:13 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 4:13

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 Jews ^F11 cite this passage to prove that he that eats bread without drying his hands is as if he ate defiled bread.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 T. Bab. Sota, fol, 4. 2.

Ezekiel 4:13 In-Context

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. ”

15 Then he said to me, “See, I assign to you cow’s dung instead of human dung, on which you may prepare your bread. ”

Cross References

• 1. 4:13 Hos. 9:3; [Dan. 1:8]