What happensPermalink
God tells Ezekiel to engrave Jerusalem on a brick and stage a siege, placing an iron griddle between himself and the city. He must lie on his left side for 390 days and on his right for forty, one day for each year of Israel’s and Judah’s punishment. Rationed bread made from mixed grains and scarce water portray famine. God commands him to bake the bread over human dung; when Ezekiel objects, He permits cow dung instead.
Why it mattersPermalink
The meaning of the 390 and forty years remains uncertain, although their total of 430 may recall Israel’s years in Egypt. The signs portray the weight and duration of judgment: Jerusalem will be besieged, its people will waste away, and survivors will eat defiled food among the nations. God accommodates Ezekiel’s priestly concern for purity while maintaining the warning.
Key versePermalink
And the Lord said, “Thus shall the people of Israel eat their bread unclean, among the nations where I will drive them.”