Ezekiel 12:18 - “Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness.
Select Bible Verse
Filter Categories
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
What does "Ezekiel 12:18" mean?
Ezekiel 12:18, "Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness," is a symbolic act Ezekiel is commanded to perform, representing the fear and distress that the Israelites will experience during the coming siege and exile in Babylon.
Here's a breakdown of its meaning:
"Son of man": This is Ezekiel's frequent title in the book, emphasizing his humanity and his role as a messenger of God to the people.
"Eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness": This is the key action. It's not meant to be taken literally as a personal instruction for Ezekiel's daily meals. Rather, it's a dramatic demonstration. The quaking, trembling, and fearfulness symbolize the intense anxiety, terror, and uncertainty that the people of Judah would feel when they face:
Famine and Scarcity: During a siege, food and water become scarce, leading to hunger and desperation. The 'quaking' and 'trembling' could represent the body's response to hunger and the anxiety of not knowing when the next meal will come.
Fear of Violence and Death: The siege would be a time of great violence and death, with the enemy constantly threatening their lives. The people would live in constant fear of attack, capture, and death.
Loss of Homeland and Freedom: The exile would mean the loss of their homes, their land, their temple, and their freedom. They would be forced to live in a foreign land, subject to the rule of their enemies.
Sense of Judgment: The fearfulness can also be interpreted as a response to understanding that their predicament is a result of their own disobedience and God's judgment.
Overall Significance:
The purpose of this symbolic act is to communicate the severity and imminence of the coming judgment. By acting out the experience of the people, Ezekiel is meant to:
Serve as a warning: To show the people the kind of suffering they will endure if they do not repent.
Evoke empathy: To help the people understand the gravity of their situation and to motivate them to change their ways.
Confirm Ezekiel's prophetic role: Demonstrating God's messages to make them undeniable and unavoidable to his audience.
In essence, Ezekiel is using a form of "prophetic action" – a vivid, physical demonstration of a message from God. This verse vividly portrays the overwhelming fear and anxiety that the Israelites would experience due to the impending destruction and exile.
Ezekiel 12:18 - “Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness.
What does "Ezekiel 12:18" mean?
Ezekiel 12:18, "Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness," is a symbolic act Ezekiel is commanded to perform, representing the fear and distress that the Israelites will experience during the coming siege and exile in Babylon.
Here's a breakdown of its meaning:
"Son of man": This is Ezekiel's frequent title in the book, emphasizing his humanity and his role as a messenger of God to the people.
"Eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness": This is the key action. It's not meant to be taken literally as a personal instruction for Ezekiel's daily meals. Rather, it's a dramatic demonstration. The quaking, trembling, and fearfulness symbolize the intense anxiety, terror, and uncertainty that the people of Judah would feel when they face:
Famine and Scarcity: During a siege, food and water become scarce, leading to hunger and desperation. The 'quaking' and 'trembling' could represent the body's response to hunger and the anxiety of not knowing when the next meal will come.
Fear of Violence and Death: The siege would be a time of great violence and death, with the enemy constantly threatening their lives. The people would live in constant fear of attack, capture, and death.
Loss of Homeland and Freedom: The exile would mean the loss of their homes, their land, their temple, and their freedom. They would be forced to live in a foreign land, subject to the rule of their enemies.
Sense of Judgment: The fearfulness can also be interpreted as a response to understanding that their predicament is a result of their own disobedience and God's judgment.
Overall Significance:
The purpose of this symbolic act is to communicate the severity and imminence of the coming judgment. By acting out the experience of the people, Ezekiel is meant to:
Serve as a warning: To show the people the kind of suffering they will endure if they do not repent.
Evoke empathy: To help the people understand the gravity of their situation and to motivate them to change their ways.
Confirm Ezekiel's prophetic role: Demonstrating God's messages to make them undeniable and unavoidable to his audience.
In essence, Ezekiel is using a form of "prophetic action" – a vivid, physical demonstration of a message from God. This verse vividly portrays the overwhelming fear and anxiety that the Israelites would experience due to the impending destruction and exile.