Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.

EZEKIEL 4:9KJV
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Ezekiel 4:9 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 4:9 mean?

Ezekiel 4:9 describes God instructing the prophet Ezekiel to gather several types of grains and legumes—wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and fitches—combine them in one container, and make bread from them to eat during a symbolic period of 390 days. This bread was to be Ezekiel’s food while he lay on his side as part of a prophetic act.

God is speaking directly to Ezekiel, giving him detailed instructions for a symbolic action meant to represent the coming hardship for Israel. The unusual mix of ingredients and the strict rationing reflect a time of scarcity and siege, showing the people what life would be like under judgment. This verse sets up the practical side of Ezekiel’s prophetic demonstration, connecting his personal experience to the fate of Jerusalem.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 4:9

  • פִּשְׁתָּה (fitches, H3698; transliteration: "pishtah") — This word refers to a type of grain or seed, often understood as spelt or a similar cereal. Its inclusion shows the bread was made from whatever was available, not just the best grains, highlighting scarcity.
  • כְּלִי (vessel, H3627; transliteration: "kli") — This word means a container or vessel. The instruction to put all the ingredients in "one vessel" emphasizes the mixing of all the grains together, not keeping them separate as would be normal in times of plenty.
  • לֶחֶם (bread, H3899; transliteration: "lechem") — This is the general Hebrew word for bread or food. Here, it refers to a makeshift bread, not the usual kind, underlining the hardship and improvisation during siege conditions.

Why Ezekiel 4:9 matters

  • Ezekiel 4:9 clears up that the bread was not a special or healthful recipe but a symbol of desperation and limited resources, using whatever could be found.
  • The verse connects Ezekiel’s actions to the larger message of the coming siege of Jerusalem, making the prophecy concrete and relatable for the people.
  • By specifying the exact ingredients and method, the verse highlights the seriousness and detail of God’s warning, showing that the coming hardship would affect even the most basic daily needs.

Where else these words appear

“beans” Hebrew H6321 · used in 2 verses

  • 2 Samuel 17:28 Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,

“fitches” Hebrew H3698 · used in 3 verses

  • Exodus 9:32 But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up.
  • Isaiah 28:25 When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?

“lentiles” Hebrew H5742 · used in 4 verses

  • Genesis 25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
  • 2 Samuel 17:28 Brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentiles, and parched pulse,
  • 2 Samuel 23:11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines.

“ninety” Hebrew H8673 · used in 20 verses

  • Genesis 5:9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:
  • 1 Samuel 4:15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
  • Nehemiah 7:21 The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.