Ezekiel 4:9

KJV

¶ Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, [according] to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.

KJV (with Strong's)

Take {H3947} thou also unto thee wheat {H2406}, and barley {H8184}, and beans {H6321}, and lentiles {H5742}, and millet {H1764}, and fitches {H3698}, and put {H5414} them in one {H259} vessel {H3627}, and make {H6213} thee bread {H3899} thereof, according to the number {H4557} of the days {H3117} that thou shalt lie {H7901} upon thy side {H6654}, three {H7969} hundred {H3967} and ninety {H8673} days {H3117} shalt thou eat {H398} thereof.

Complete Jewish Bible

"Take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet and buckwheat; put them together in one bowl; and make bread from it. For as long as you lie on your side, 390 days, this is what you are to eat.

Berean Standard Bible

But take wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt; put them in a single container and make them into bread for yourself. This is what you are to eat during the 390 days you lie on your side.

American Standard Version

Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof; according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, even three hundred and ninety days, shalt thou eat thereof.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Ezekiel 4:9 presents a divine directive to the prophet Ezekiel, commanding him to prepare a unique and meager bread from a specific combination of grains and legumes, which he was to consume for 390 days while lying on his side. This highly symbolic and physically demanding act served as a vivid prophetic sign, illustrating the severe famine, scarcity, and ritual defilement that the inhabitants of Jerusalem would endure during the impending Babylonian siege, thereby impressing upon the exiled Israelites the certainty and dire nature of God's judgment.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Ezekiel 4 initiates a profound series of symbolic actions commanded by God, designed to communicate the unwavering certainty and devastating severity of Jerusalem's impending judgment to a skeptical audience of exiles in Babylon. Immediately preceding this verse, God instructs Ezekiel to lie on his side for a prolonged period—390 days for the iniquity of Israel and 40 days for the iniquity of Judah—symbolically bearing the punishment for their sins ([Ezekiel 4:4-6](/ezekiel/4-4-6 "Ezekiel 4:4-6 - Symbolic Siege and Duration of Iniquity")). Within this context, [Ezekiel 4:9](/ezekiel/4-9 "Ezekiel 4:9 - The Prophet's Symbolic Diet") specifies the prophet's diet during this arduous period. The unusual, mixed bread, further emphasized by the subsequent instruction to bake it over human dung (mercifully substituted with animal dung in [Ezekiel 4:12-15](/ezekiel/4-12-15 "Ezekiel 4:12-15 - Baking Bread with Dung")), graphically portrays the dire conditions of siege-induced famine and the ritual impurity that would befall the people. This specific dietary command directly sets the stage for God's explicit declaration of the breaking of the "staff of bread" and the widespread famine in [Ezekiel 4:16-17](/ezekiel/4-16-17 "Ezekiel 4:16-17 - Scarcity of Food and Water")).

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The prophet Ezekiel ministered to the Jewish exiles in Babylon following the first major deportation in 597 BC. At this time, Jerusalem had not yet fallen, and many exiles clung to a false sense of security, believing the city to be impregnable and a swift return imminent. The mixture of grains and legumes specified in [Ezekiel 4:9](/ezekiel/4-9 "Ezekiel 4:9 - The Prophet's Symbolic Diet")—wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and fitches (spelt)—was highly unusual for a daily diet in ancient Israel. While wheat and barley were staple grains, the inclusion of beans, lentils, millet, and spelt typically indicated a diet of extreme necessity, often reserved for animal fodder or emergency sustenance during times of severe scarcity. Combining all these disparate ingredients into a single bread underscored the desperate measures people would resort to during a prolonged siege, where all available foodstuffs, regardless of quality or desirability, would be pooled to prevent starvation. Ezekiel's physically demanding act of lying on one side for over a year, coupled with this bizarre diet, was designed to be culturally shocking and attention-grabbing, forcing the exiles to confront the reality of God's impending judgment.

* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes prevalent throughout the book of Ezekiel. Firstly, it underscores **God's Sovereignty in Judgment**, demonstrating that the impending famine and siege were not random misfortunes but divinely orchestrated consequences for Israel's persistent idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. God is meticulously bringing about His righteous decrees. Secondly, the passage highlights the theme of **Symbolic Prophecy**, where the prophet himself becomes a living, walking parable. Ezekiel's personal hardship and unusual actions serve as a tangible, visceral representation of the suffering the nation would endure, making the abstract concept of judgment concrete and undeniable to the exiles. His body becomes a canvas for divine communication. Thirdly, the mixed grains vividly symbolize **Famine and Scarcity**, depicting the desperate conditions that would compel Jerusalem's inhabitants to consume any available sustenance, no matter how unpalatable or ritually impure. This theme of severe deprivation and the breaking of the "staff of bread" is further developed and reiterated in passages such as [Ezekiel 5:16](/ezekiel/5-16 "Ezekiel 5:16 - Famine's Severity") and [Ezekiel 14:13](/ezekiel/14-13 "Ezekiel 14:13 - God's Judgment of Famine"), emphasizing the comprehensive nature of God's judgment.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **wheat (Hebrew, _chiṭṭâh'_):** (H2406) Of uncertain derivation; wheat, whether the grain or the plant. Wheat was the primary and most desirable grain for bread in ancient Israel. Its inclusion here, alongside less desirable grains, emphasizes that even the staple would be mixed with inferior products during the siege, highlighting the extreme scarcity and the loss of quality of life.
* **millet (Hebrew, _dôchan'_):** (H1764) Of uncertain derivation; millet. Millet was a coarse grain, often used for animal feed or as a food source for the very poor. Its presence in this bread mixture signifies the desperate measures people would take to survive, consuming anything available, regardless of its usual culinary status or palatability.
* **fitches (Hebrew, _kuççemeth'_):** (H3698) From כָּסַם; spelt (from its bristliness as if just shorn). Spelt, often translated as "fitches" or "rye" in older versions, was another less common or desirable grain compared to wheat or barley. Its inclusion further underscores the dire conditions of the impending famine, where a variety of lesser-quality grains and legumes would be combined out of sheer necessity.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"¶ Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches,"**: This initial command lists the six distinct ingredients God specifies for Ezekiel's bread. The precise enumeration of these diverse grains and legumes, particularly the inclusion of less common or desirable ones like millet and fitches (spelt), immediately signals a diet of extreme deprivation and necessity rather than choice, setting the somber tone for the coming hardship and the severity of the famine.
* **"and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof,"**: This instruction emphasizes the complete amalgamation of all these ingredients into a single, unified, and likely unappetizing bread. The act of combining them "in one vessel" symbolizes the desperate reality of a siege, where all available food, regardless of its individual quality, type, or customary use, would be indiscriminately pooled together for survival, losing any distinct identity or preference. It speaks to a forced unity in suffering.
* **"according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof."**: This final clause explicitly links the consumption of this meager bread to the duration of Ezekiel's symbolic prostration, specifying a precise period of 390 days. This exact number underscores the divinely ordained nature and fixed timeline of the judgment, signifying the long period of Israel's (the Northern Kingdom's) iniquity that would culminate in the severe conditions of the siege, demonstrating God's meticulous justice and the inescapable nature of the consequences for prolonged rebellion.

#### Literary Devices
The primary literary device employed in [Ezekiel 4:9](/ezekiel/4-9 "Ezekiel 4:9 - The Prophet's Symbolic Diet") is **Symbolism** and **Prophetic Action**. Ezekiel himself is transformed into a living parable, his very body and daily actions becoming the medium through which God's message is conveyed. The specific mixture of grains and legumes **symbolizes** the extreme scarcity, hardship, and ritual defilement that Jerusalem would experience during the prolonged Babylonian siege. The act of eating this meager and unappetizing bread for an extended period is a powerful **prophetic action**, a tangible and visceral representation of the famine and suffering that the people would inevitably endure. This recurring motif in Ezekiel, where the prophet's personal life and physical suffering embody divine communication, makes the abstract concept of God's judgment intensely concrete and undeniable to the exiled audience. Furthermore, the extraordinary nature of the command, requiring such a prolonged and uncomfortable form of obedience, can be seen as a form of **hyperbole**, emphasizing the extreme and unprecedented nature of the coming divine judgment.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Ezekiel 4:9 profoundly illustrates God's unwavering justice and His covenant faithfulness in providing clear, even dramatic, warnings to His people regarding the consequences of their persistent rebellion and idolatry. The bizarre and arduous command given to Ezekiel underscores the gravity of Israel's sin, which had reached a point where only such drastic, symbolic acts could adequately convey the impending, unavoidable judgment. This passage reveals a God who is sovereign over historical events, meticulously planning and executing His righteous decrees, even when they involve severe hardship for His chosen people, demonstrating that His holiness demands a just response to sin. Yet, even within the framework of judgment, there is a pastoral intent: to awaken the exiles to the dire reality of their situation, to call them to repentance, and ultimately to affirm God's ultimate control over their destiny, thereby preparing them for a future restoration rooted in His mercy.

* [Leviticus 26:26](/leviticus/26-26 "The Consequences of Disobedience (Famine)")
* [Deuteronomy 28:53-57](/deuteronomy/28-53-57 "The Horrors of Siege and Famine")
* [Lamentations 4:10](/lamentations/4-10 "Extreme Famine in Jerusalem")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Ezekiel 4:9 serves as a stark and sobering reminder that God takes sin with utmost seriousness, and that persistent disobedience to His covenant carries real, often painful, consequences. For believers today, it challenges our often-superficial understanding of sin and divine judgment, urging us to delve deeper into the profound holiness of God and His righteous indignation against injustice, idolatry, and spiritual apathy. This passage also highlights the extraordinary and often uncomfortable obedience required of God's servants. Ezekiel's willingness to endure such a humiliating, physically demanding, and publicly scrutinized task for 390 days speaks volumes about his unwavering commitment to God's word, even when it brought personal discomfort and public ridicule. This passage calls us to a critical self-examination: Are we taking sin lightly in our own lives or in our communities? Are we willing to obey God's call, even when it is difficult, unconventional, unpopular, or requires significant personal sacrifice? It encourages us to embrace our role as faithful messengers of God's truth, understanding that sometimes our very lives, choices, and actions can become a powerful, living testimony to His will in a world that desperately needs to hear and see it.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Ezekiel's radical obedience in this passage challenge your own willingness to obey God, particularly when His commands seem difficult, unconventional, or personally costly?**
* **What "mixed bread" or difficult consequences might be present in your life, community, or society today as a result of neglecting God's principles or engaging in spiritual compromise?**
* **In what ways can we, like Ezekiel, become "living parables" or tangible expressions of God's truth in our contemporary contexts, even if it requires stepping outside our comfort zones?**

### FAQ

**Why did God command Ezekiel to eat such a strange mixture of grains?**

Answer: God commanded Ezekiel to consume this specific, humble mixture of grains and legumes (wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and fitches) to symbolically represent the severe famine and extreme scarcity that the inhabitants of Jerusalem would inevitably face during the impending Babylonian siege. This was not a typical or desirable diet but a survival ration, indicating that people would be forced to consume whatever meager provisions they could find, regardless of quality or palatability. The act was a tangible, visceral prophecy, designed to make the abstract concept of a devastating siege and its accompanying starvation concrete for the exiled Israelites, who struggled to believe that Jerusalem, the holy city, could truly fall. This symbolic act is further elaborated and its meaning confirmed in [Ezekiel 4:16-17](/ezekiel/4-16-17 "Ezekiel 4:16-17 - Scarcity of Food and Water"), where God explicitly declares His intention to "break the staff of bread" in Jerusalem, bringing about extreme hunger and distress.

**What is the significance of the "three hundred and ninety days" mentioned in the verse?**

Answer: The "three hundred and ninety days" refers to the precise duration Ezekiel was commanded to lie on his side, eating this meager bread. This period was deeply symbolic, representing the years of Israel's (the Northern Kingdom's) iniquity, with each day symbolizing a year of sin, as explicitly stated in [Ezekiel 4:5](/ezekiel/4-5 "Ezekiel 4:5 - 390 Days for Israel's Iniquity"). This period of judgment for Israel was then followed by 40 days for Judah's iniquity ([Ezekiel 4:6](/ezekiel/4-6 "Ezekiel 4:6 - 40 Days for Judah's Iniquity")). The specificity and precision of this number underscore that the impending judgment was not arbitrary or random but a divinely measured and fixed consequence for centuries of persistent rebellion and unfaithfulness against God's covenant. It emphasizes God's meticulous justice and the inescapable, predetermined nature of the coming judgment upon His people.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Ezekiel 4:9 vividly portrays judgment, scarcity, and the consequences of sin, its profound Christ-centered fulfillment points to the ultimate provision and spiritual sustenance found exclusively in Jesus Christ, who perfectly endured and satisfied the ultimate judgment on our behalf. The meager, mixed bread of Ezekiel's prophecy foreshadows humanity's desperate spiritual hunger and the utter inability of any earthly provision or human effort to truly satisfy the soul's deepest needs. In profound contrast, Jesus declares Himself the "[Bread of Life](/john/6-35 "John 6:35 - Jesus, the Bread of Life")" ([John 6:35](/john/6-35 "John 6:35 - Jesus, the Bread of Life")), offering eternal and abundant satisfaction that transcends any physical famine or spiritual emptiness. Just as Ezekiel bore the symbolic burden of Israel's sin and its dire consequences, Christ bore the actual, crushing burden of the world's sin, becoming a curse for us to redeem us from the curse of the law ([Galatians 3:13](/galatians/3-13 "Galatians 3:13 - Christ Redeemed Us from the Curse")). His suffering on the cross, a period of intense spiritual and physical deprivation, fulfilled the judgment due to humanity, making a way for true spiritual nourishment and abundant, eternal life. The "one vessel" that held Ezekiel's disparate and impure grains can be seen as a faint, imperfect echo of the unity and completeness found in Christ, who gathers all believers—Jew and Gentile—into one body, the Church, breaking down all dividing walls ([Ephesians 2:14-16](/ephesians/2-14-16 "Ephesians 2:14-16 - Christ Our Peace")). Through His perfect sacrifice, we are no longer subject to the spiritual famine of sin's consequences but are invited to feast at His table, partaking of His body and blood, where there is always more than enough, and true life is found ([Matthew 26:26-28](/matthew/26-26-28 "Matthew 26:26-28 - Institution of the Lord's Supper")).

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

Isaiah 28:25

When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?

Ezekiel 4:16

Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment:

Ezekiel 4:13

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