Ezekiel 4:16
Ver. 16. Moreover he said unto me, son of man,.... What follows opens the design, and shows what was intended by the symbol of the miscellany bread, baked with cow dung, the prophet was to eat by measure, as, well as drink water by measure: namely, the sore famine that should be in Jerusalem at the time of the siege:behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: that is, take away bread, which is the staff of life, the support of it, and which strengthens man's heart; and also the nourishing virtue and efficacy from what they had. The sense is, that the Lord would both deprive them of a sufficiency of bread, the nourishment of man; and not suffer the little they had to be nourishing to them; what they ate would not satisfy them, nor do them much good; see Le 26:26;and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; that they might not eat too much at a time, but have something for tomorrow; and to cause their little stock to last the longer, not knowing how long the siege would be:and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment; that such a judgment should fall upon them, who thought themselves the people of God, and the favourites of heaven. Ezekiel 4:17Ver. 17. That they may want bread and water,.... Or, "because they shall want" {l} &c. therefore they shall eat the one, and drink the other, by weight; or they shall do this till there shall be none to eat and drink:and be astonished one with another; when they shall find they cannot relieve one another; and not knowing what method to take for the support of nature:and consume away for their iniquity; their flesh upon them black through famine, putrid and noisome; and they wasting, pining, and consuming; reduced to skin and bones; and disagreeable to look upon; and all because of their sins and iniquities.{l} Neml "eo quod", Munster, Vatablus; "propterea", Tigurine version.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.