Ezekiel 4:1

¶ Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and pourtray upon it the city, [even] Jerusalem:

Thou also, son {H1121} of man {H120}, take {H3947} thee a tile {H3843}, and lay {H5414} it before {H6440} thee, and pourtray {H2710} upon it the city {H5892}, even Jerusalem {H3389}:

"As for you, human being, take a clay slab, lay it down in front of you, and draw on it the city of Yerushalayim.

“Now you, son of man, take a brick, place it before you, and draw on it the city of Jerusalem.

Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile, and lay it before thee, and portray upon it a city, even Jerusalem:

Ezekiel 4:1 initiates a profound series of symbolic actions by the prophet Ezekiel, commanded directly by God to illustrate the impending siege and destruction of Jerusalem. This verse sets the stage for a dramatic visual prophecy.

Context

The prophet Ezekiel was among the Jewish exiles in Babylon, deported during the second wave of captivity in 597 BC. Although physically far from Jerusalem, his prophetic ministry, which began five years after this exile, was intensely focused on the fate of the holy city and its inhabitants. At this time, Jerusalem had not yet fallen, but it was under severe threat, eventually succumbing to Babylonian forces in 586 BC. God used Ezekiel's prophetic acts to communicate the certainty and severity of divine judgment to both the exiles who held false hopes of a quick return and those still in Jerusalem who remained defiant.

Key Themes

  • Divine Communication Through Action: This verse highlights God's method of using a prophet's physical actions as a powerful, undeniable message. Ezekiel's act of drawing Jerusalem on a tile is the first of several symbolic siege actions that graphically portray the city's future.
  • Jerusalem's Impending Doom: The central theme is the declaration of God's judgment upon Jerusalem. The detailed portrayal on the tile signifies the precision and certainty of the coming siege, starvation, and eventual destruction, a fate chronicled in historical accounts like 2 Kings 25.
  • The Prophet as a Living Parable: Ezekiel is not merely a speaker but a visual aid, a living embodiment of God's message. His actions serve as a powerful object lesson, designed to shock and inform his audience. This role is consistent with other prophets, such as Isaiah's symbolic nakedness or Jeremiah's linen girdle.

Linguistic Insights

The recurring address, "son of man" (Hebrew: ben 'adam), used over ninety times in Ezekiel, emphasizes the prophet's humanity and his role as a representative of mankind before God. It contrasts his mortal nature with the divine authority of the one speaking to him, as seen in Ezekiel 2:1. The verb "pourtray" (Hebrew: ḥāqaq) means to engrave, carve, or delineate precisely. It suggests a careful, deliberate depiction, not a casual sketch, underscoring the gravity and certainty of the prophecy.

Practical Application

Ezekiel 4:1 reminds us that God communicates His will and warnings in diverse and often dramatic ways. It highlights the seriousness of unaddressed sin and rebellion, which ultimately leads to divine judgment. For believers today, this passage serves as a powerful reminder to heed God's warnings and to understand that His word, whether spoken or dramatized, is sure and will come to pass. It also encourages us to consider how we might be called to be living expressions of God's truth in our own contexts, even through unconventional means, to convey His message to a world in need.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Jeremiah 19:1

    ¶ Thus saith the LORD, Go and get a potter's earthen bottle, and [take] of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests;

  • Jeremiah 19:15

    Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words.

  • 1 Samuel 15:27

    And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

  • 1 Samuel 15:28

    And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, [that is] better than thou.

  • Jeremiah 13:1

    ¶ Thus saith the LORD unto me, Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.

  • Jeremiah 13:14

    And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.

  • Jeremiah 18:2

    Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.

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