Ezekiel 4:1

Ominous Object Lessons

4:1 “And you, son of man, take a brick ¹  and set it in front of you. Inscribe ²  a city on it – Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 22:3

22:3 Then say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: O city, who spills blood within herself (which brings on her doom), ³  and who makes herself idols (which results in impurity),

Ezekiel 26:10

26:10 He will cover you with the dust kicked up by his many horses. ⁴  Your walls will shake from the noise of the horsemen, wheels, and chariots when he enters your gates like those who invade through a city’s broken walls. ⁵ 

Ezekiel 40:2

40:2 By means of divine visions ⁶  he brought me to the land of Israel and placed me on a very high mountain, ⁷  and on it was a structure like a city, to the south.

¹ sn Ancient Near Eastern bricks were 10 to 24 inches long and 6 to 13 1/2 inches wide.

² tn Or perhaps “draw.”

³ tn Heb “her time”; this refers to the time of impending judgment (see the note on “doom” in v. 4).

⁵ tn Heb “From the abundance of his horses he will cover you (with) their dust.”

⁶ tn Heb “like those who enter a breached city.”

⁷ tn The expression introduces the three major visions of Ezekiel (1:1; 8:3; 40:2).

⁸ tn The reference to a very high mountain is harmonious with Isa 2:2.