Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece, the thigh, and the shoulder; fill it with the choice bones.

EZEKIEL 24:4KJV
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Ezekiel 24:4 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 24:4 mean?

Ezekiel 24:4 describes gathering the best and choicest pieces of meat—specifically the thigh and the shoulder—along with the best bones, and placing them into a pot. The verse uses the image of preparing a rich stew to make a point about gathering together all that is valuable or important.

In this passage, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Jerusalem. The context is a parable where Jerusalem is compared to a cooking pot, and its people to the best cuts of meat. The verse sets up a vivid picture to show that no part of the city, even the most valued, will escape what is coming. This is part of a larger warning about judgment and the coming siege of Jerusalem.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 24:4

  • "Gather" (אָסַף, asaf, H622) means to collect or bring together, emphasizing that nothing is to be left out—every important part is included.
  • "Good" (טוֹב, tov, H2896) highlights that the pieces chosen are the best or most desirable, not just any scraps.
  • "Thigh" (יָרֵךְ, yarekh, H3409) and "shoulder" (כָּתֵף, katef, H3802) refer to the prime cuts of meat, showing that even the most honored or strong parts of the community are involved.
  • "Choice" (מִבְחָר, mivchar, H4005) bones points to selecting the finest or most select parts, reinforcing the idea that what is being gathered is of high value.

Why Ezekiel 24:4 matters

  • This verse clears up that the parable is not just about leftovers or common people, but includes the most important and valuable members of society.
  • The emphasis on the best pieces and bones shows that no one in Jerusalem, regardless of status or strength, will be spared from the coming judgment.
  • Understanding the cooking pot imagery helps make sense of the whole chapter, where God uses a familiar household scene to deliver a serious message about the fate of the city.

Where else these words appear

“pieces” Hebrew H5409 · used in 9 verses

  • Exodus 29:17 And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head.
  • Leviticus 1:8 And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar:
  • Leviticus 9:13 And they presented the burnt offering unto him, with the pieces thereof, and the head: and he burnt them upon the altar.

“choice” Hebrew H4005 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 23:6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead.
  • Isaiah 22:7 And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.
  • Ezekiel 23:7 Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria, and with all on whom she doted: with all their idols she defiled herself.

“thigh” Hebrew H3409 · used in 32 verses

  • Genesis 24:2 And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh:
  • Exodus 32:27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
  • Numbers 8:4 And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold, unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work: according unto the pattern which the LORD had shewed Moses, so he made the candlestick.

“shoulder” Hebrew H3802 · used in 58 verses

  • Exodus 27:14 The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
  • Joshua 18:13 And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz, which is Bethel, southward; and the border descended to Atarothadar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the nether Bethhoron.
  • Isaiah 46:7 They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.