Ezekiel 12:18
New International Version
“Son of man, tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you drink your water.

New Living Translation
“Son of man, tremble as you eat your food. Shake with fear as you drink your water.

English Standard Version
“Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink water with trembling and with anxiety.

Berean Standard Bible
“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.

King James Bible
Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;

New King James Version
“Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and anxiety.

New American Standard Bible
“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.

NASB 1995
“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.

NASB 1977
“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.

Legacy Standard Bible
“Son of man, you shall eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.

Amplified Bible
“Son of man, eat your bread with anxiety, and drink your water with trembling and with fear.

Christian Standard Bible
“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with anxious shaking.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Son of man, eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with shaking and anxiety.

American Standard Version
Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with fearfulness;

Contemporary English Version
Ezekiel, son of man, shake with fear when you eat, and tremble when you drink.

English Revised Version
Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Son of man, shake as you eat your food. Tremble and be worried as you drink your water.

Good News Translation
"Mortal man," he said, "tremble when you eat, and shake with fear when you drink.

International Standard Version
"Son of Man, eat your bread with trembling and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.

Majority Standard Bible
“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.

NET Bible
"Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with anxious shaking.

New Heart English Bible
"Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness;

Webster's Bible Translation
Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with solicitude.

World English Bible
“Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“Son of man, eat your bread in haste, and drink your water with trembling and with fear;

Young's Literal Translation
'Son of man, thy bread in haste thou dost eat, and thy water with trembling and with fear thou dost drink;

Smith's Literal Translation
Son of man, thou shalt eat thy bread with trembling, and thou shalt drink thy water with disquiet and with dread;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Son of man, eat thy bread in trouble: and drink thy water in hurry and sorrow.

Catholic Public Domain Version
“Son of man, eat your bread in consternation. Moreover, drink your water hurriedly and in sorrow.

New American Bible
Son of man, eat your bread trembling and drink your water shaking with fear.

New Revised Standard Version
Mortal, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fear of scarcity;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
“Son of man, your bread you shall eat with trembling and you shall drink your water with trembling and with fear
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with anxiety;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Son of man, eat thy bread with sorrow, and drink thy water with torment and affliction.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Signs of the Coming Captivity
17Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 18“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety. 19Then tell the people of the land that this is what the Lord GOD says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: ‘They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in dread, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who dwell in it.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 13:17
But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.

Isaiah 21:3-4
Therefore my body is filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pains of a woman in labor. I am bewildered to hear, I am dismayed to see. / My heart falters; fear makes me tremble. The twilight I desired has turned to horror.

Jeremiah 9:1
Oh, that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night over the slain daughter of my people.

Lamentations 2:11
My eyes fail from weeping; I am churning within. My heart is poured out in grief over the destruction of the daughter of my people, because children and infants faint in the streets of the city.

Amos 8:10
I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation. I will cause everyone to wear sackcloth and every head to be shaved. I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, and its outcome like a bitter day.

Joel 2:6
Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.

Zephaniah 1:17
I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.

Psalm 102:4-9
My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass; I even forget to eat my bread. / Through my loud groaning my skin hangs on my bones. / I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. ...

Isaiah 22:12
On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping and wailing, for shaven heads and the wearing of sackcloth.

Jeremiah 30:5-7
Yes, this is what the LORD says: “A cry of panic is heard—a cry of terror, not of peace. / Ask now, and see: Can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor and every face turned pale? / How awful that day will be! None will be like it! It is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be saved out of it.

Matthew 24:7-8
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. / All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Luke 21:11
There will be great earthquakes, famines, and pestilences in various places, along with fearful sights and great signs from heaven.

Mark 13:8
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, as well as famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

Revelation 6:5-6
And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales. / And I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine.”

1 Thessalonians 5:3
While people are saying, “Peace and security,” destruction will come upon them suddenly, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.


Treasury of Scripture

Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with carefulness;

Ezekiel 4:16,17
Moreover 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 care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment: …

Ezekiel 23:33
Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of astonishment and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.

Leviticus 26:26,36
And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied…

Jump to Previous
Anxiety Bread Care Carefulness Drink Eat Fear Fearfulness Food Haste Quaking Quivering Shaking Shudder Solicitude Tremble Trembling Trouble Water
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Anxiety Bread Care Carefulness Drink Eat Fear Fearfulness Food Haste Quaking Quivering Shaking Shudder Solicitude Tremble Trembling Trouble Water
Ezekiel 12
1. Under the type of Ezekiel's removing
8. is shown the captivity of Zedekiah
17. Ezekiel's trembling shows the Jews' desolation
21. The Jews' presumptuous proverb is reproved
26. The speediness of the vision














Son of man
This phrase is a frequent designation for Ezekiel, emphasizing his humanity and role as a representative of the people. In Hebrew, "ben adam" underscores the prophet's connection to mankind, serving as a bridge between God and Israel. It reminds us of the humility and responsibility inherent in being chosen to convey divine messages.

eat your bread
The act of eating bread is a basic human necessity, symbolizing sustenance and life. In the context of Ezekiel, bread often represents the provision of God, but here it is consumed under distressing circumstances. The Hebrew word for bread, "lechem," is foundational, reminding us of the sustenance God provides, yet highlighting the dire situation of impending judgment.

with trembling
Trembling signifies fear and anxiety, reflecting the emotional state of the people due to the coming judgment. The Hebrew root "ra'ad" conveys a physical manifestation of inner turmoil. This phrase serves as a vivid illustration of the fear that grips those who are aware of their impending doom, urging readers to consider the gravity of living outside God's will.

and drink your water
Water, like bread, is essential for life and often symbolizes spiritual nourishment and cleansing. The Hebrew "mayim" is a reminder of God's provision, yet here it is consumed in a state of distress. This phrase highlights the scarcity and desperation that accompany divine judgment, contrasting with the abundance promised to those who follow God.

with quivering
Quivering, akin to trembling, indicates a deep-seated fear and instability. The Hebrew "ze'ah" suggests a visceral reaction to the realization of God's impending judgment. This phrase emphasizes the pervasive anxiety that accompanies the awareness of sin and the consequences it brings, urging a return to faithfulness and trust in God.

(18) Eat thy bread with quaking.--This is another symbolical action, the meaning of which is immediately explained. The prophet is to eat and drink as men in the terror and distress of a siege.

Verse 18. - Eat thy bread with quaking, etc. No special stress is to be laid on the fact that only bread and water are named. The prophet is not dwelling now on the scarcity of food in the besieged city, as he had done in Ezekiel 4:9-17, but on the fear and terror which should haunt the lives of the besieged. Here again we can scarcely doubt that, as in ver. 11, Ezekiel was a sign to those among whom he lived. Outwardly and visibly he was seen after his strange flitting, cowering in a corner, as one hunted down and dreading pursuit, with every look and gesture of extremest terror. This was to be the portion of those who escaped and whose life was "given them for a prey." The strange act was to be explained to "the people of the land," i.e. the exiles among whom Ezekiel lived. The short prediction ends with the usual formula. There is another interval, and then another inspiration.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of man,
אָדָ֕ם (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

eat
תֹּאכֵ֑ל (tō·ḵêl)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

your bread
לַחְמְךָ֖ (laḥ·mə·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

with trembling,
בְּרַ֣עַשׁ (bə·ra·‘aš)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7494: Vibration, bounding, uproar

and drink
תִּשְׁתֶּֽה׃ (tiš·teh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 8354: To imbibe

your water
וּמֵימֶ֕יךָ (ū·mê·me·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

with quivering
בְּרָגְזָ֥ה (bə·rā·ḡə·zāh)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7269: A quivering, quaking

and anxiety.
וּבִדְאָגָ֖ה (ū·ḇiḏ·’ā·ḡāh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1674: Anxiety, anxious care


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 12:18 Son of man eat your bread (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 12:17
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