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:

EZEKIEL 4:16KJV
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Ezekiel 4:16 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 4:16 mean?

Ezekiel 4:16 describes God telling Ezekiel that He will cause a severe food and water shortage in Jerusalem, so that people will have to carefully measure and ration what little they have, eating and drinking with anxiety and shock. This verse warns of coming hardship and scarcity as a consequence for the people's actions.

In this verse, God is speaking directly to Ezekiel, calling him "son of man" and explaining what will happen to Jerusalem during the coming siege. The "staff of bread" means the basic support of life—bread and food itself—will be broken, so people will eat and drink only small amounts, weighed and measured out, filled with worry and fear. This is part of a larger message where Ezekiel acts out signs to show what will happen to Jerusalem because of its unfaithfulness.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 4:16

  • "staff" (מַטֶּה, matteh): This word often means a rod or staff, but here it is used as a symbol for support or sustenance, so "the staff of bread" means the thing that holds up or supports life—basic food.
  • "bread" (לֶחֶם, lechem): This is the common Hebrew word for bread, but it also stands for food in general. The focus is on the essentials needed for survival.
  • "weight" (מִשְׁקָל, mishqal): This means something weighed out, showing that food will be so scarce it has to be measured carefully, not eaten freely.
  • "care" (דָּאַגָה, de'agah): This word means anxiety or worry, emphasizing that people will eat with fear, not comfort.
  • "measure" (מִשְׁאוּר, mish'ur): This refers to something measured or rationed, highlighting the extreme shortage of water.
  • "astonishment" (שַׁמָּה, shammah): This word carries the sense of shock, horror, or desolation, showing how deeply the shortage will affect the people emotionally.

Why Ezekiel 4:16 matters

  • This verse clears up that the coming judgment is not just about military defeat, but about deep suffering and lack of basic needs, making the warning more personal and real.
  • The emphasis on measuring and rationing food and water shows how desperate the situation will become, helping readers understand the seriousness of the siege.
  • By using words like "care" and "astonishment," the verse highlights not just physical hardship, but also the emotional and psychological impact on Jerusalem's people.

Where else these words appear

“astonishment” Hebrew H8078 · used in 2 verses

  • Ezekiel 12:19 And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.

“measure” Hebrew H4884 · used in 4 verses

  • Leviticus 19:35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.
  • 1 Chronicles 23:29 Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;
  • Ezekiel 4:11 Thou shalt drink also water by measure, the sixth part of an hin: from time to time shalt thou drink.

“care” Hebrew H1674 · used in 6 verses

  • Joshua 22:24 And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?
  • Proverbs 12:25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.
  • Ezekiel 12:18 Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;

“weight” Hebrew H4948 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 24:22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;
  • Numbers 7:67 His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was an hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering:
  • 1 Chronicles 22:14 Now, behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD an hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver; and of brass and iron without weight; for it is in abundance: timber also and stone have I prepared; and thou mayest add thereto.