Ezekiel 4:6

KJV

And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.

KJV (with Strong's)

And when thou hast accomplished {H3615} them {H428}, lie {H7901} again {H8145} on thy right {H3233}{H3227} side {H6654}, and thou shalt bear {H5375} the iniquity {H5771} of the house {H1004} of Judah {H3063} forty {H705} days {H3117}: I have appointed {H5414} thee each day {H3117}{H3117} for a year {H8141}{H8141}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Then, when you have finished that, you are to lie on your right side and bear the guilt of the house of Y'hudah for forty days, each day corresponding to a year; this is what I am assigning you.

Berean Standard Bible

When you have completed these days, lie down again, but on your right side, and bear the iniquity of the house of Judah. I have assigned to you 40 days, a day for each year.

American Standard Version

And again, when thou hast accomplished these, thou shalt lie on thy right side, and shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah: forty days, each day for a year, have I appointed it unto thee.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Ezekiel 4:6 continues the series of dramatic prophetic acts commanded by God, instructing the prophet to lie on his right side for forty days. This specific action symbolizes the period of divine judgment and the consequences of the persistent iniquity of the house of Judah, with each day representing a year of punishment. It vividly underscores God's precise timing, unwavering justice, and the severe moral corruption that necessitated divine intervention, foreshadowing the impending destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent exile.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is a crucial continuation of the highly symbolic and physically demanding prophetic actions detailed in [Ezekiel chapter 4](/ezekiel/4 "Ezekiel 4 - Symbolic Siege and Punishment"). Immediately preceding this command, God instructed Ezekiel to lie on his left side for 390 days, representing the iniquity of the house of Israel ([Ezekiel 4:4-5](/ezekiel/4-4-5 "Ezekiel's Symbolic Actions for Israel's Iniquity")). The transition in verse 6 from the left side (Northern Kingdom/Israel) to the right side (Southern Kingdom/Judah) signifies a deliberate shift in the specific focus of God's judgment, addressing the two distinct parts of the divided kingdom sequentially. These arduous physical acts were not mere internal visions but public, performative parables intended to serve as a stark, living sermon for the exiles, vividly portraying the impending siege, famine, and ultimate destruction of Jerusalem. The meticulous instructions regarding posture and duration emphasize the divine origin and the precise, predetermined nature of the coming judgment.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Ezekiel prophesied during the early stages of the Babylonian exile, specifically among the deportees by the Chebar Canal (c. 593-571 BC). At this time, Jerusalem, though not yet fully destroyed, had already experienced one deportation (597 BC), including King Jehoiachin and many of the elite. Despite these warnings, the people remaining in Jerusalem and even some exiles clung to false hopes of a swift return and the inviolability of the temple and city. God's command for Ezekiel to enact these burdensome prophecies was a desperate, tangible attempt to break through their spiritual blindness, apathy, and false security. The concept of a prophet embodying the message through symbolic actions was known in the ancient Near East (e.g., [Isaiah 20](/isaiah/20 "Isaiah's Symbolic Nakedness") or [Jeremiah 13](/jeremiah/13 "Jeremiah's Linen Loincloth")), but Ezekiel's prolonged and intensely personal enactments were particularly striking and designed to confront a deeply entrenched spiritual rebellion. The "house of Judah" refers to the southern kingdom, which included Jerusalem and the temple, the spiritual and political heart of the nation. The forty-day period for Judah likely points to a significant period of judgment related to the final destruction of Jerusalem (586 BC) and the subsequent desolation or the duration of the exile itself.

* **Key Themes:** A central theme is **Symbolic Prophecy and Divine Communication**, where God utilizes Ezekiel's body and actions as a living parable to convey profound truths about impending judgment and punishment to a rebellious people. This highlights God's commitment to warning His people before executing judgment, demonstrating His patience even in the face of stubbornness. Another crucial theme is **Bearing Iniquity**, where Ezekiel is commanded to "bear the iniquity of the house of Judah." This signifies a symbolic identification with their guilt and impending punishment, publicly demonstrating the severe moral corruption of Judah that necessitated divine intervention. This act foreshadows, in a limited sense, the concept of a suffering servant who takes upon himself the burden of others' sins, as later developed in [Isaiah 53](/isaiah/53 "Isaiah 53 - The Suffering Servant"). The verse also introduces the **"Day for a Year" Principle**, a vital prophetic key where a period of days in prophecy corresponds to years in actual fulfillment. This principle, also explicitly stated in [Numbers 14:34](/numbers/14-34 "Numbers 14:34 - The 'Day for a Year' Principle in the Wilderness Wanderings"), underscores the precision and predetermined nature of God's judgment, indicating that the 40 days of Ezekiel's symbolic suffering would represent 40 years of Judah's punishment or desolation. This divine principle emphasizes God's sovereignty over time and history, even in the execution of His righteous decrees.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **accomplished (Hebrew, _kâlâh'_):** From H3615, a primitive root meaning "to end, whether intransitive (to cease, be finished, perish) or transitived (to complete, prepare, consume)." In this context, "accomplished" signifies the completion of the prior 390-day period of symbolic suffering for the house of Israel. It emphasizes the precise and sequential nature of God's commands and the prophet's obedient fulfillment of each segment of the divine instruction, highlighting God's meticulous plan for judgment.
* **bear (Hebrew, _nâsâʼ'_):** From H5375, a primitive root meaning "to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative; accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable (man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, swear, take (away, up), utterly, wear, yield." Here, it means to "bear" or "carry" the burden or consequence of the nation's sin. Ezekiel is not making an atoning sacrifice, but rather publicly identifying with their guilt and impending punishment, making the abstract concept of national iniquity tangible.
* **iniquity (Hebrew, _ʻâvôn'_):** From H5771, meaning "perversity, i.e. (moral) evil; fault, iniquity, mischief, punishment (of iniquity), sin." This term encompasses not only the act of sin itself but also the guilt and the resultant punishment or consequence of that sin. Ezekiel is commanded to bear the *consequence* of Judah's perversity and moral evil, highlighting the severe and pervasive nature of their rebellion against God, which demands divine retribution.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And when thou hast accomplished them":** This phrase serves as a crucial transitional marker, indicating the completion of the previous prophetic act—Ezekiel's 390 days of lying on his left side for the iniquity of Israel. It underscores the sequential and precise nature of God's divine commands to Ezekiel, emphasizing that each phase of the symbolic action must be fully carried out before the next divinely appointed task begins.
* **"lie again on thy right side":** This command dictates a change in both posture and the specific focus of the prophetic action. The "right side" is simply a positional change, signifying a shift in the entity being represented—from the house of Israel to the house of Judah. This physical alteration visually communicates the distinction in the duration and specific target of God's judgment.
* **"and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days":** This is the core of the command for Judah. Ezekiel is to symbolically endure the consequences and burden of Judah's sin for a divinely appointed period of forty days. "Bearing iniquity" here signifies a public representation or experience of the burden and punishment due to their pervasive moral evil. The "house of Judah" refers specifically to the southern kingdom, which included Jerusalem, targeted for judgment due to its persistent rebellion, idolatry, and covenant unfaithfulness.
* **"I have appointed thee each day for a year":** This is the critical interpretive key provided by God Himself, establishing a prophetic principle where each literal day of Ezekiel's symbolic action corresponds to a year of actual historical fulfillment. This divine declaration emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty over time and His meticulous planning in the execution of judgment, indicating that the 40 days of Ezekiel's symbolic suffering represent 40 years of Judah's punishment, desolation, or a significant period leading to and including their exile. It highlights the certainty and precision of God's prophetic word.

#### Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in [Ezekiel 4:6](/ezekiel/4-6 "Ezekiel 4:6 - Each Day for a Year"), and indeed throughout much of the book, is **Symbolic Action** (or performance prophecy). Ezekiel's physical postures and prolonged acts are not merely descriptions but are themselves the message, serving as a living parable for the exiles. The act of lying on his side and "bearing iniquity" is a powerful visual **Metaphor** for the crushing burden of national sin and its inevitable consequences, making the abstract concept of collective guilt tangible and undeniably present. The phrase "each day for a year" is a specific form of **Prophetic Time-Scale**, a divinely revealed **Formula** that establishes a direct, precise correspondence between the symbolic duration of the prophet's act and the actual historical period of judgment. This formula lends an air of divine precision, certainty, and predetermined nature to the prophecy. Furthermore, the entire scenario functions as a **Sign-Act**, a non-verbal communication from God intended to convey a profound spiritual truth and an urgent warning to a people who had become spiritually deaf to conventional prophetic warnings.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 4:6 profoundly illustrates God's unwavering justice, His patient commitment to warning His people, and His ultimate sovereignty over history and judgment. The concept of Ezekiel symbolically bearing iniquity, though not an atoning sacrifice, foreshadows a deeper theological truth about the immense burden of sin and the necessity of a true sin-bearer. While Ezekiel's act was a vivid representation of the nation's guilt and impending punishment, it points to the ultimate reality that sin demands a consequence, and that God, in His holiness and justice, will not leave sin unpunished. The "day for a year" principle highlights God's meticulous timing and the absolute certainty of His prophetic word, assuring that His judgments are not arbitrary but are precisely measured and executed according to His divine, predetermined plan. This passage serves as a stark reminder that prolonged rebellion against God's covenant and His revealed will will inevitably lead to severe, divinely ordained consequences.

* [Numbers 14:34](/numbers/14-34 "Numbers 14:34 - The 'Day for a Year' Principle for Israel's Wilderness Wandering")
* [Leviticus 26:33](/leviticus/26-33 "Leviticus 26:33 - Consequences of Disobedience and Scattering")
* [Lamentations 1:8](/lamentations/1-8 "Lamentations 1:8 - Jerusalem's Sin and Suffering in Exile")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 4:6 serves as a powerful and sobering reminder of the gravity of sin and the certainty of God's righteous judgment. For the original audience in exile, it was a final, desperate plea to recognize their dire spiritual state and the impending, unavoidable judgment upon Jerusalem. For us today, this passage underscores that God takes sin profoundly seriously and that persistent rebellion against His ways will inevitably lead to consequences, both individually and corporately. It calls us to a deep examination of our own lives and communities for areas of unconfessed sin, moral perversity, and disobedience, urging us to respond to God's warnings with genuine repentance rather than stubbornness or apathy. Furthermore, the "day for a year" principle reminds us of God's sovereign control over time and events; even in periods of discipline, suffering, or waiting, there is a divine purpose and a set duration. This should instill both a healthy fear of God's holiness and a profound trust in His perfect timing and ultimate plan, even when His ways are difficult to comprehend or painful to endure. We are called to live in humble obedience, knowing that God's word is true and His judgments are righteous and just.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Ezekiel's physical suffering in this passage challenge my understanding of what it means to "bear" the consequences of sin, both for myself and for others?**
* **In what ways might God be using specific circumstances, "appointed times," or periods of difficulty in my life or in the world today to bring about a period of discipline, purification, or necessary change?**
* **What "iniquities" (sins, moral evils, or perversities) might I or my community need to acknowledge, confess, and repent of, in light of God's unwavering justice and holiness?**

### FAQ

**What does "bear the iniquity" mean in this context?**

Answer: In [Ezekiel 4:6](/ezekiel/4-6 "Ezekiel 4:6 - Bearing Judah's Iniquity"), when God commands Ezekiel to "bear the iniquity of the house of Judah," it means that Ezekiel is to symbolically represent or endure the consequences and burden of Judah's sin. It is a prophetic act, not an atoning one. Ezekiel is publicly identifying with the guilt and impending punishment of the nation, making their abstract moral corruption visible and tangible to the exiles. This act serves as a vivid warning that Judah's persistent rebellion against God's covenant will lead to severe judgment, specifically the desolation and exile that were soon to come upon them. It highlights the principle that sin carries a heavy burden and demands a righteous response from a holy God.

**Is the "day for a year" principle always applied in biblical prophecy?**

Answer: The "day for a year" principle, explicitly stated in [Ezekiel 4:6](/ezekiel/4-6 "Ezekiel 4:6 - Each Day for a Year") and also clearly seen in [Numbers 14:34](/numbers/14-34 "Numbers 14:34 - The 'Day for a Year' Principle for Israel's Wilderness Wandering"), is a specific interpretive key given by God for certain prophetic periods. It is not a universal rule to be applied to every mention of "days" or "time" in prophecy. Its application is typically limited to contexts where God explicitly states it, as He does here for Ezekiel's symbolic actions and for Israel's wilderness wandering. While it provides profound insight into the nature of divine timing and the precision of God's fulfillment of prophecy, it should be applied judiciously and not as a blanket rule for all prophetic interpretation.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Ezekiel's symbolic act of lying on his side and "bearing the iniquity" of Judah, though a powerful visual parable of judgment and not an atoning sacrifice, profoundly foreshadows the ultimate and true bearing of sin by Jesus Christ. While Ezekiel merely represented the burden of sin and its consequences, Jesus, the [Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), actually bore the full weight and penalty of humanity's sin on the cross. The prophet's uncomfortable obedience and physical suffering in identification with his people's guilt point to the infinitely greater, substitutionary suffering of Christ, who, though perfectly sinless, "became sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")). Ezekiel's act was a sign of impending judgment; Christ's sacrifice was the divinely appointed means of averting that eternal judgment for all who believe ([Romans 5:8-9](/romans/5-8-9 "Romans 5:8-9 - God Demonstrates His Love in Christ's Death")). The precise, "appointed" nature of the 40 days for Judah, each day for a year, speaks to God's sovereign plan of redemption, culminating in the perfect timing of Christ's advent and atoning work, when "the fullness of time had come" ([Galatians 4:4](/galatians/4-4 "Galatians 4:4 - The Fullness of Time")). Ultimately, Ezekiel's burden-bearing points us to the One who truly carried our sorrows and was pierced for our transgressions, bearing our iniquities so that we might have peace and be healed ([Isaiah 53:4-5](/isaiah/53-4-5 "Isaiah 53:4-5 - Christ Bears Our Sufferings and Transgressions")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Numbers 14:34

After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, [even] forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, [even] forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

Daniel 12:11

And from the time [that] the daily [sacrifice] shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, [there shall be] a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

Daniel 12:12

Blessed [is] he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

Daniel 9:24

Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Daniel 9:26

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof [shall be] with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Revelation 11:2

But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty [and] two months.

Revelation 11:3

¶ And I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.