Ezekiel 4:1-3

Context

Ominous Object Lessons

4:1 “And you, son of man, take a brick¹ and set it in front of you. Inscribe² a city on it – Jerusalem. 4:2 Lay siege to it! Build siege works against it. Erect a siege ramp³ against it! Post soldiers outside it⁴ and station battering rams around it. 4:3 Then for your part take an iron frying pan⁵ and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face toward it. It is to be under siege; you are to besiege it. This is a sign⁶ for the house of Israel.

[4:1] ¹sn Ancient Near Eastern bricks were 10 to 24 inches long and 6 to 13 1/2 inches wide.

[4:1] ²tn Or perhaps “draw.”

[4:2] ³tn Or “a barricade.”

[4:2] ⁴tn Heb “set camps against it.”

[4:3] ⁵tn Or “a griddle,” that is, some sort of plate for cooking.

[4:3] ⁶tn That is, a symbolic object lesson.