Ezekiel 12:19
in Ezekiel 12Then tell the people of the land that this is what the Lord GOD says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: ‘They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in dread, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who dwell in it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with fearfulness, and drink their water in dismay, that her land may be desolate, and despoiled of all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.
KJV
And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord God of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.
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This verse in Ezekiel 12
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The people of the land - Chaldaea. Of the inhabitants - In respect to “the inhabitants.” Desolate from, all that is therein - i. e., stripped of all its inhabitants and of all its wealth. At one and the same time, Jeremiah was prophesying in Jerusalem, and Ezekiel in Chaldaea; the prophecies of the former were sent to the exiles, and those of Ezekiel to the dwellers at Jerusalem, that the guiding hand of One God in different places might be made clear (Jerome).
This site's exposition
the word of the LORD came to me
on Ezekiel 12:17-20
A sign follows: “eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety,” the prophet’s body acting out the fear. The land will be stripped “because of the violence of all who dwell in it.” Eating and drinking are ordinary acts, so the siege reaches every hour.
This site's exposition
their land will be stripped of everything in it
The sign is explained for those in Jerusalem and the land of Israel: they will eat and drink in dread. Violence fills the land, so it will be stripped bare. Albert Barnes takes this to mean the loss of both its people and its wealth.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 17 and following) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, eat your bread with agitation (Vulgate adds but); and drink your water with haste and sorrow. And say (Vulgate says you shall say) to the people of the land: Thus says the Lord God to those who dwell in Jerusalem, in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with solicitude, and drink their water in desolation, so that the land may be desolate because of the multitude of its inhabitants, because of the wickedness of all who dwell in it.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The people - Thy fellow captives. And of the land - Those that dwell in the countries round about Jerusalem. Her land - Jerusalem's land, so called because it was the head city thereof.
A message is sent from God to the people, to assure them that all these predictions should have their accomplishment very shortly, and not be deferred, as they flattered themselves they would be,
And say unto the people of the land,....
(2.) How good the effect of this judgment should be: You shall know that I am the Lord; and if, by these judgments, they learn to know him aright, that will make up the loss of all they are deprived of by these desolations. Those are happy afflictions, how grievous soever to flesh and blood, that help to introduce us into and improve us in an acquaintance with God.
The words behind it
27 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ | veamarta | and you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עַ֣ם | ʾam | [the] people of | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הָאָ֡רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַר֩ | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֨י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
| לְיוֹשְׁבֵ֤י | leyoshevei | of [the] inhabitants of | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | concerning | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַדְמַ֣ת | ʾadmat | [the] land of | H127 → | 225 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לַחְמָם֙ | lachmam | food their | H3899 → | 298 times |
| בִּדְאָגָ֣ה | bidagah | in anxiety | H1674 → | 6 times |
| יֹאכֵ֔לוּ | yokhelu | they will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| וּמֵֽימֵיהֶ֖ם | umeimeihem | and water their | H4325 → | 581 times |
| בְּשִׁמָּמ֣וֹן | beshimamon | in horror | H8078 → | |
| יִשְׁתּ֑וּ | yishtu | they will drink | H8354 → | 217 times |
| לְמַ֜עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| תֵּשַׁ֤ם | tesham | it may be desolate | H3456 → | 4 times |
| אַרְצָהּ֙ | ʾartzah | land its | H776 → | 2504 times |
| מִמְּלֹאָ֔הּ | mimeloah | from fullness its | H4393 → | 38 times |
| מֵחֲמַ֖ס | mechamas | from [the] violence of | H2555 → | 60 times |
| כָּֽל־ | kal- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַיֹּשְׁבִ֥ים | haiyoshevim | the inhabitants | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בָּֽהּ׃ | bah | in it |
וְאָמַרְתָּ֣and you will say
veamartaH559 →5305 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
עַ֣ם[the] people of
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
הָאָ֡רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַר֩he says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
אֲדֹנָ֨י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
לְיוֹשְׁבֵ֤יof [the] inhabitants of
leyosheveiH3427 →1079 times
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙Jerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
אֶל־concerning
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אַדְמַ֣ת[the] land of
ʾadmatH127 →225 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לַחְמָם֙food their
lachmamH3899 →298 times
בִּדְאָגָ֣הin anxiety
bidagahH1674 →6 times
יֹאכֵ֔לוּthey will eat
yokheluH398 →810 times
וּמֵֽימֵיהֶ֖םand water their
umeimeihemH4325 →581 times
בְּשִׁמָּמ֣וֹןin horror
beshimamonH8078 →
יִשְׁתּ֑וּthey will drink
yishtuH8354 →217 times
לְמַ֜עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
תֵּשַׁ֤םit may be desolate
teshamH3456 →4 times
אַרְצָהּ֙land its
ʾartzahH776 →2504 times
מִמְּלֹאָ֔הּfrom fullness its
mimeloahH4393 →38 times
מֵחֲמַ֖סfrom [the] violence of
mechamasH2555 →60 times
כָּֽל־all
kal-H3605 →5413 times
הַיֹּשְׁבִ֥יםthe inhabitants
haiyoshevimH3427 →1079 times
בָּֽהּ׃in it
bah
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 10:28But if someone tells you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who told you and for the sake of conscience—
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 8:10–13
For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols?
- Romans 14:15
If your brother is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother, for whom Christ died.
- 1 Corinthians 8:7
But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that they eat such food as if it were sacrificed to an idol. And since their conscience is weak, it…
- 1 Corinthians 8:10–13
Through
Ezekiel 6:14I will stretch out My hand against them, and wherever they live I will make the land a desolate waste, from the wilderness to Diblah. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”
it leads to
- Isaiah 5:25
Therefore the anger of the LORD burns against His people; His hand is raised against them to strike them down. The mountains quake, and the corpses lay like refuse in the streets. Despite all…
- Isaiah 5:25
Through
Micah 7:13Then the earth will become desolate because of its inhabitants, as the fruit of their deeds.
it leads to
- Isaiah 3:10–11
Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
- Isaiah 3:10–11
Through
Zechariah 7:14But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations that they had not known, and the land was left desolate behind them so that no one could come or go. Thus they…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 28:64
Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you…
- Jeremiah 23:19
Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone out with fury, a whirlwind swirling down upon the heads of the wicked.
- Deuteronomy 28:33
A people you do not know will eat the produce of your land and of all your toil. All your days you will be oppressed and crushed.
- Deuteronomy 28:64
About Ezekiel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.