Ezekiel 4:13
New International Version
The LORD said, “In this way the people of Israel will eat defiled food among the nations where I will drive them.”

New Living Translation
Then the LORD said, “This is how Israel will eat defiled bread in the Gentile lands to which I will banish them!”

English Standard Version
And the LORD said, “Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.”

Berean Standard Bible
Then the LORD said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their defiled bread among the nations to which I will banish them.”

King James Bible
And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.

New King James Version
Then the LORD said, “So shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them.”

New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD said, “In this way the sons of Israel will eat their bread unclean among the nations where I will scatter them.”

NASB 1995
Then the LORD said, “Thus will the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations where I will banish them.”

NASB 1977
Then the LORD said, “Thus shall the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations where I shall banish them.”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh said, “Thus will the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations where I will banish them.”

Amplified Bible
Then the LORD said, “Thus the children of Israel will eat their bread unclean and defiled among the nations where I will banish them.”

Christian Standard Bible
The LORD said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their bread—ceremonially unclean—among the nations where I will banish them.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The LORD said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their bread—ceremonially unclean—among the nations where I will banish them.”

American Standard Version
And Jehovah said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations whither I will drive them.

Contemporary English Version
When I scatter the people of Israel among the nations, they will also have to eat food that is unclean, just as you must do.

English Revised Version
And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations whither I will drive them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Then the LORD said, "In the same way, the people of Israel will eat unclean bread among the nations where I scatter them."

Good News Translation
The LORD said, "This represents the way the Israelites will have to eat food which the Law forbids, when I scatter them to foreign countries."

International Standard Version
Then the LORD said, "This is how the Israelis will be eating unclean food among the nations, where I'll be sending them."

Majority Standard Bible
Then the LORD said, ?This is how the Israelites will eat their defiled bread among the nations to which I will banish them.?

NET Bible
And the LORD said, "This is how the people of Israel will eat their unclean food among the nations where I will banish them."

New Heart English Bible
The LORD said, "Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them."

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.

World English Bible
Yahweh said, “Even thus will the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And YHWH says, “Thus the sons of Israel eat their defiled bread among the nations to where I drive them.”

Young's Literal Translation
And Jehovah saith, 'Thus do the sons of Israel eat their defiled bread among the nations whither I drive them.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jehovah will say, Like this shall the sons of Israel eat their defiled bread among the nations where I shall thrust them away there.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said: So shall the children of Israel eat their bread all filthy among the nations whither I will cast them out.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the Lord said: “So shall the sons of Israel eat their bread, polluted among the Gentiles, to whom I will cast them out.”

New American Bible
The LORD said: Thus the Israelites shall eat their food, unclean, among the nations where I drive them.

New Revised Standard Version
The LORD said, “Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread, unclean, among the nations to which I will drive them.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the LORD said, Thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean among the Gentiles, whither I shall drive them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
LORD JEHOVAH said: “Thus the children of Israel shall eat their bread in defilement among the nations where I shall drive them”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the LORD said: 'Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations whither I will drive them.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Thus shall the children of Israel eat unclean things among the Gentiles.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Defiled Bread
12And you shall eat the food as you would a barley cake, after you bake it over dried human excrement in the sight of the people.” 13Then the LORD said, “This is how the Israelites will eat their defiled bread among the nations to which I will banish them.” 14“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I have never defiled myself. From my youth until now I have not eaten anything found dead or mauled by wild beasts. No unclean meat has ever entered my mouth.”…

Cross References
Leviticus 26:26
When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will bake your bread in a single oven and dole out your bread by weight, so that you will eat but not be satisfied.

Deuteronomy 28:48
you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.

Hosea 9:3
They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.

Amos 7:17
Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword. Your land will be divided by a measuring line, and you yourself will die on pagan soil. And Israel will surely go into exile, away from their homeland.’”

Isaiah 36:12
But the Rabshakeh replied, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to you and your master, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”

Jeremiah 24:10
And I will send against them sword and famine and plague, until they have perished from the land that I gave to them and their fathers.’”

Lamentations 5:6
We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

2 Kings 25:3
By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.

Jeremiah 52:6
By the ninth day of the fourth month, the famine in the city was so severe that the people of the land had no food.

Daniel 1:8
But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or wine. So he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself.

Matthew 15:11
A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”

Mark 7:18-19
“Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him, / because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)

Acts 10:14-15
“No, Lord!” Peter answered. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” / The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

Romans 14:14
I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.

1 Corinthians 8:8
But food does not bring us closer to God: We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.


Treasury of Scripture

And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, where I will drive them.

Daniel 1:8
But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Hosea 9:3,4
They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria…

Jump to Previous
Banish Bread Children Defiled Drive Driving Eat Food Gentiles Israel Nations Unclean Way Whither
Jump to Next
Banish Bread Children Defiled Drive Driving Eat Food Gentiles Israel Nations Unclean Way Whither
Ezekiel 4
1. Under type of a siege is shown the time from the defection of Jeroboam to captivity
9. By the provision of the siege, is shown the hardness of the famine














And the LORD said
This phrase establishes the divine authority behind the message. The Hebrew root for "LORD" is "YHWH," the sacred name of God, emphasizing His sovereignty and covenant relationship with Israel. The phrase underscores that the message is not from Ezekiel himself but from God, highlighting the seriousness and divine origin of the prophecy.

In this way
This refers to the symbolic actions that Ezekiel is instructed to perform, which are meant to represent the coming judgment. The Hebrew context suggests a demonstration or illustration, indicating that the actions are a visual prophecy. It emphasizes the method God uses to communicate His message, often through symbolic acts that capture attention and provoke reflection.

the Israelites
This term refers to the descendants of Jacob, also known as Israel. Historically, the Israelites are God's chosen people, bound by covenant to follow His laws. The mention of "Israelites" serves as a reminder of their identity and the expectations placed upon them by God. It also highlights the collective nature of the judgment, affecting the entire nation.

will eat
Eating is a basic human necessity, and in this context, it symbolizes survival under dire circumstances. The Hebrew verb here implies an ongoing action, suggesting that this will be a continuous state for the Israelites. It reflects the degradation of their condition, as eating, a daily act, becomes a reminder of their defilement and exile.

their defiled bread
"Defiled" in Hebrew is "ṭāmē," meaning unclean or impure. Bread, a staple of life, becomes a symbol of impurity and judgment. This phrase indicates that the Israelites will be forced to consume what is ritually unclean, violating their dietary laws. It signifies a loss of religious purity and a consequence of their disobedience to God.

among the nations
This phrase indicates the scattering of the Israelites among foreign peoples. Historically, this refers to the exile, where Israelites were taken captive by conquering nations. The Hebrew word for "nations" is "goyim," often used to describe non-Israelite peoples. It highlights the loss of national identity and the humiliation of living under foreign rule.

where I will banish them
"Banish" in Hebrew is "hālag," meaning to send away or exile. This phrase underscores God's active role in the judgment, as He is the one orchestrating their exile. It serves as a reminder of the consequences of breaking the covenant with God. The exile is both a punishment and a means of purification, intended to bring the Israelites back to repentance and faithfulness.

(13) Eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles.--The Mosaic law purposely so hedged the people about with detailed precepts in regard to their food and its preparation, that it was impossible for them to share the food of the Gentiles without contracting ceremonial defilement; and the declared object of this symbolism is to teach that the Israelites should thus be forced to contract defilement. Their sins had brought them to that pass, which is so often the result of continued and obdurate sin, that it should be impossible for them to avoid further transgression. Ezekiel shows by his reply, in Ezekiel 4:14, that like St. Peter, in Acts 10:14, he had ever been a scrupulous observer of the law. To St. Peter, however, it was made known that in the breadth of the Christian dispensation this ceremonial law was now done away, while to Ezekiel it still remained in full force.

Verse 13. - Even thus shall the children of Israel, etc. The strange command takes a wider range. It symbolizes, not the literal horrors of the siege, but the "defiled bread" which even the exiles would be reduced to eat. So taken, the words remind us of the risk of eating unclean, food, which almost inevitably attended the position of the exiles (Hosea 9:3; Daniel 1:8), and which, it may be, Ezekiel had already tell keenly. There is obviously something more than can be explained by a reference to "the bitter bread of banishment," or to Dante's "Come sa di sale... " ('Par.,' 17:58).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then the LORD
יְהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

said,
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“This is how
כָּ֣כָה (kā·ḵāh)
Adverb
Strong's 3602: Just so

the Israelites
בְנֵֽי־ (ḇə·nê-)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

will eat
יֹאכְל֧וּ (yō·ḵə·lū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 398: To eat

their defiled
טָמֵ֑א (ṭā·mê)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2931: Unclean

bread
לַחְמָ֖ם (laḥ·mām)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

among the nations
בַּגּוֹיִ֕ם (bag·gō·w·yim)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

to which
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

I will banish them.”
אַדִּיחֵ֖ם (’ad·dî·ḥêm)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5080: To impel, thrust, banish


Links
Ezekiel 4:13 NIV
Ezekiel 4:13 NLT
Ezekiel 4:13 ESV
Ezekiel 4:13 NASB
Ezekiel 4:13 KJV

Ezekiel 4:13 BibleApps.com
Ezekiel 4:13 Biblia Paralela
Ezekiel 4:13 Chinese Bible
Ezekiel 4:13 French Bible
Ezekiel 4:13 Catholic Bible

OT Prophets: Ezekiel 4:13 Yahweh said Even thus shall the children (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 4:12
Top of Page
Top of Page