Ezekiel 4:14

Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.

Then said {H559} I, Ah {H162} Lord {H136} GOD {H3069}! behold, my soul {H5315} hath not been polluted {H2930}: for from my youth {H5271} up even till now have I not eaten {H398} of that which dieth of itself {H5038}, or is torn in pieces {H2966}; neither came {H935} there abominable {H6292} flesh {H1320} into my mouth {H6310}.

I objected: "No, Adonai ELOHIM! I have never defiled myself - from my youth until now I have never eaten anything that died by itself or was killed by wild animals; no such disgusting food has ever entered my mouth."

โ€œAh, Lord GOD,โ€ I said, โ€œI 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.โ€

Then said I, Ah Lord Jehovah! behold, my soul hath not been polluted; for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn of beasts; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.

Commentary

Context of Ezekiel 4:14

In Ezekiel chapter 4, the prophet is commanded by God to perform a series of symbolic acts to graphically illustrate the impending siege and destruction of Jerusalem. These acts include lying on his side for an extended period and cooking food over an impure fuel source. The specific command preceding verse 14 involves preparing bread using a meager ration of mixed grains and cooking it over human dung (Ezekiel 4:9-13). This was meant to symbolize the extreme famine and defilement that the people of Judah would experience during the Babylonian siege and exile.

Ezekiel 4:14 records the prophet's immediate and fervent protest to this particular command. As a priest, Ezekiel had maintained a strict adherence to the Mosaic dietary laws concerning clean and unclean foods, a practice he had observed "from my youth up even till now."

Key Themes and Messages

  • Commitment to Purity: Ezekiel's protest highlights his deep personal commitment to ritual purity and obedience to the Mosaic Law, particularly regarding clean and unclean foods. His lifelong adherence to these laws was a mark of his devotion to God.
  • The Severity of God's Judgment: The command to eat defiled bread underscores the extreme degradation and impurity Jerusalem would face. The people would be forced by famine and captivity to violate the very laws of purity that Ezekiel so carefully upheld, signifying the depth of their judgment for disobedience.
  • Prophetic Obedience vs. Personal Conscience: This verse presents a moment of tension where the prophet's personal piety and deeply ingrained standards of holiness clash with a difficult and seemingly defiling divine command. It shows the human side of prophetic ministry and the challenge of absolute obedience.
  • God's Compassion and Accommodation: While not explicitly stated in verse 14, Ezekiel's protest leads to God's compassionate accommodation in the very next verse (Ezekiel 4:15), allowing him to use cow's dung instead of human dung. This demonstrates God's understanding of His servants' struggles and His willingness to temper commands when possible, without compromising the overall message.

Linguistic Insights

  • "Ah Lord GOD!" (ืึฒื”ึธื”ึผ ืึฒื“ึนื ึธื™ ื™ึฐื”ื•ึดื”, ahah Adonai Yahweh): The Hebrew exclamation ahah expresses distress, lament, or strong protest. The combination of Adonai (Lord, Master) and Yahweh (GOD, the covenant name) emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty and covenant faithfulness, even as Ezekiel appeals to Him.
  • "polluted" (ื˜ึธืžึตื, แนญamรช): This term signifies ritual impurity, specifically the state of being unclean according to the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament.
  • "dieth of itself" (ื ึฐื‘ึตืœึธื”, nevelah) and "torn in pieces" (ื˜ึฐืจึตืคึธื”, trefah): These refer to specific categories of unclean meat forbidden by the Mosaic Law. Animals that died naturally (nevelah) or were killed by other animals (trefah) were considered impure and not to be eaten (cf. Leviticus 11:40 and Deuteronomy 14:21). Ezekiel's lifelong avoidance of such meats highlights his priestly devotion to holiness.

Practical Application

Ezekiel's protest reminds us that living a life of faith often involves tension between our understanding or comfort and God's challenging commands. It teaches us:

  1. The Value of Personal Purity: Maintaining personal standards of holiness and obedience to God's revealed will is commendable and foundational to faith.
  2. Honest Communication with God: It is acceptable to express our struggles, fears, or protests to God, even when faced with difficult commands. God is a loving Father who listens to the cries of His children.
  3. Understanding God's Purpose: Sometimes, God calls us to uncomfortable or seemingly defiling situations to convey a deeper spiritual truth or to identify with the suffering of others. Ezekiel's experience was not about his personal defilement, but about prophesying Jerusalem's defilement.
  4. God's Grace in Obedience: Even when God's commands are difficult, He often provides grace, understanding, and even alternative ways to fulfill His will, as seen in the subsequent verse. Our willingness to obey, even with protest, is what matters.
Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Acts 10:14

    But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

  • Ezekiel 20:49

    Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?

  • Ezekiel 9:8

    And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem?

  • Isaiah 65:4

    Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable [things is in] their vessels;

  • Jeremiah 1:6

    Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I [am] a child.

  • Deuteronomy 14:3

    Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

  • Isaiah 66:17

    They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one [tree] in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
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