Chapter 4: | Darby | Geneva | Gill | Jamieson Faussett Brown | Matthew Henry | Matthew Henry Concise | Wesley | Index | Read Ezekiel 4 |

Introduction   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   Lamentations   Daniel
Ezekiel 4
Two things are here represented to the prophet in vision,

1. The fortifications that shall be shortly raised against the city, signified by his laying siege to the portrait of Jerusalem, ver. 1-3. And lying first on one side, and then on the other side before it, ver. 4-8.

2. The famine that would rage therein, signified by his eating coarse fare, and little of it, so long as this typical representation lasted, ver. 9-17.

---

Verse 1.   Portray - Draw a map of Jerusalem.

Verse 2.   Lay siege - Draw the figure of a siege about the city. Build - Raise a tower and bulwarks.

Verse 3.   A wall - That it may resemble a wall of iron, for as impregnable as such a wall, shall the resolution and patience of the Chaldeans be.

Verse 4.   Lay - Take upon thee the representation of their guilt and punishment. House of Israel - The ten tribes. The number - By this thou shalt intimate how long I have born with their sins, and how long they shall bear their punishment.

Verse 5.   I have laid - I have pointed out the number of years wherein apostate Israel sinned against me, and I did bear with them. Years - These years probably began at Solomon's falling to idolatry, in the twenty-seventh year of his reign, and ended in the fifth of Zedekiah's captivity.

Verse 6.   Accomplished - That is, almost accomplished. House of Judah - Of the two tribes. Forty days - Probably from Josiah's renewing the covenant, until the destruction of the temple, during which time God deferred to punish, expecting whether they would keep their covenant, or retain their idolatries, which latter they did for thirteen years of Josiah's reign, for eleven of Jehoiakim's, and eleven of Zedekiah's reign, and five of his captivity, which amount to just forty years. But all this was done in a vision.

Verse 7.   Set - While thou liest on thy side thou shalt fix thy countenance on the portrait of besieged Jerusalem. Uncovered - Naked and stretched out as being ready to strike.

Verse 8.   Bands - An invisible restraint assuring him, that those could no more remove from the siege, than he from that side he lay on.

Verse 9.   Take - Provide thee corn enough: for a grievous famine will accompany the siege. Wheat - All sorts of grain are to be provided, and all will be little enough. One vessel - Mix the worst with the best to lengthen out the provision.

Verse 10.   By weight - Not as much as you will, but a small pittance delivered by weight to all. Twenty shekels - Ten ounces: scarce enough to maintain life. From time to time - At set hours this was weighed out.

Verse 11.   The sixth part - About six ounces.

Verse 12.   As barley cakes - Because they never had enough to make a loaf with, they eat them as barley cakes. With dung - There was no wood left, nor yet dung of other creatures. This also was represented in a vision.

Verse 17.   May want - So because they served not God with chearfulness in the abundance of all things, He made them serve their enemies in the want of all things.


Chapter 4: | Darby | Geneva | Gill | Jamieson Faussett Brown | Matthew Henry | Matthew Henry Concise | Wesley | Index | Read Ezekiel 4 |

Introduction   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   Lamentations   Daniel

This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.

---

Genesis   Exodus   Leviticus   Numbers   Deuteronomy   Joshua   Judges   Ruth   1 Samuel   2 Samuel   1 Kings   2 Kings   1 Chronicles   2 Chronicles   Ezra   Nehemiah   Esther   Job   Psalm   Proverbs   Ecclesiastes   Song of Solomon   Isaiah   Jeremiah   Lamentations   Ezekiel   Daniel   Hosea   Joel   Amos   Obadiah   Jonah   Micah   Nahum   Habakkuk   Zephaniah   Haggai   Zechariah   Malachi   Matthew   Mark   Luke   John   Acts   Romans   1 Corinthians   2 Corinthians   Galatians   Ephesians   Philippians   Colossians   1 Thessalonians   2 Thessalonians   1 Timothy   2 Timothy   Titus   Philemon   Hebrews   James   1 Peter   2 Peter   1 John   2 John   3 John   Jude   Revelation