The Meaning of Ezekiel 4:16 Explained

Ezekiel 4:16

KJV: Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment:

YLT: And He saith unto me, 'Son of man, lo, I am breaking the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they have eaten bread by weight and with fear; and water by measure and with astonishment, they do drink;

Darby: And he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I break the staff of bread in Jerusalem; and they shall eat bread by weight, and with anxiety; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment:

ASV: Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness; and they shall drink water by measure, and in dismay:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Moreover he said  unto me, Son  of man,  behold, I will break  the staff  of bread  in Jerusalem:  and they shall eat  bread  by weight,  and with care;  and they shall drink  water  by measure,  and with astonishment: 

What does Ezekiel 4:16 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 4

1  Under type of a siege is shown the time from the defection of Jeroboam to captivity
9  By the provision of the siege, is shown the hardness of the famine

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 4:16 mean?

Moreover He said to me Son of man surely I will cut off the supply of bread in Jerusalem and they shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety and water by measure and with dread shall drink
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֗י בֶּן־ אָדָם֙ הִנְנִ֨י שֹׁבֵ֤ר מַטֵּה־ לֶ֙חֶם֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וְאָכְלוּ־ לֶ֥חֶם בְּמִשְׁקָ֖ל וּבִדְאָגָ֑ה וּמַ֕יִם בִּמְשׂוּרָ֥ה וּבְשִׁמָּמ֖וֹן יִשְׁתּֽוּ

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  Moreover  He  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלַ֗י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בֶּן־  Son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אָדָם֙  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
הִנְנִ֨י  surely 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
שֹׁבֵ֤ר  I  will  cut  off 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
מַטֵּה־  the  supply 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַטֶּה  
Sense: staff, branch, tribe.
לֶ֙חֶם֙  of  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם  in  Jerusalem 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
וְאָכְלוּ־  and  they  shall  eat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
לֶ֥חֶם  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.
בְּמִשְׁקָ֖ל  by  weight 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁקָל  
Sense: heaviness, weight.
וּבִדְאָגָ֑ה  and  with  anxiety 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: דְּאָגָה  
Sense: anxiety, anxious care, care.
וּמַ֕יִם  and  water 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
בִּמְשׂוּרָ֥ה  by  measure 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מְשׂוּרָה  
Sense: measure.
וּבְשִׁמָּמ֖וֹן  and  with  dread 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שִׁמָּמֹון  
Sense: horror, dismay, appalment.
יִשְׁתּֽוּ  shall  drink 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁתָה  
Sense: to drink.