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Ezekiel 4:4

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Ezekiel 4:4

Verse 4 of 17

Scripture focus

Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: [according] to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity.

Ezekiel 4:4 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Ezekiel 4:4

Theological / Devotional

Left side. The posture is probably with reference to the fact that Samaria lay to the north of Jerusalem, that is, to the left as a man faced east. It is not necessary to infer that Ezekiel lay continuously 24 hours a day, during the long period here specified. Probably only a certain portion of the day was devoted to this form of symbolic preaching.

House of Israel. Here used in its restricted sense applying to the ten tribes.

Bear their iniquity. There is a difference of opinion as to whether Ezekiel was called upon to symbolize the sin of Israel or its punishment. Possibly both ideas were involved. Like the other ancient prophets Ezekiel was to mitigate his messages of doom with offers of the gospel balm. Nevertheless sin could not be overlooked. It needed to be atoned for. Ezekiel’s act of bearing the iniquity of Israel may have been indicative of the fact that God was willing to forgive the people’s sin, and even now, belatedly, accomplish His purpose through them.

By SdaBc