Ezekiel 12:18

Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness; EAT THY BREAD WITH QUAKING, AND DRINK THY WATER WITH TREMBLING. Symbolical representation of the famine and fear with which they should eat their scanty morsel in their exile, and especially at the siege....

17-20 The prophet must eat and drink in care and fear, with trembling, that he might express the condition of those in Jerusalem during the siege. When ministers speak of the ruin coming upon sinners, they must speak as those that know the terrors of the Lord. Afflictions are happy ones, however grievous to flesh and blood, that improve us in the knowledge of God....

Verse Ezekiel 12:18. _EAT THY BREAD WITH QUAKING_] Assume the manner of a person who is every moment afraid of his life, who has nothing but a morsel of bread to eat, and a little water to drink. Thus signifying the _siege_, and the _straits_ to which they should be reduced. See this explained, Ezekiel 12:19....

Here the sign is the exhibition of such terror as the danger of a siege creates....

EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 12:1 THE WORD OF THE LORD, etc. This formula, so familiar in Isaiah and Jeremiah, appears for the first time in Ezekiel, but occurs repeatedly afterwards, especially in this chapter (verses 8, 17, 21, 26. and again Ezekiel 13:1; Ezekiel 14:2, _et al._)_. _The teaching by "the visions of God" ceases, and that of direct message or symbolic acts is resumed. In each case the point aimed at was the same. The people who heard the one or saw the other were to be taught how utterly groundless was the hope that Jerusalem could hold out against its enemies. The interval between the two was probably a short one, and the new teaching, we may conjectu

SON OF MAN, EAT THY BREAD WITH QUAKING,.... As one in surprise or fear, or that has got an ague upon him: AND DRINK THY WATER WITH TREMBLING AND WITH CAREFULNESS; fearing want of it, or as apprehensive of danger of its being taken away; see Ezekiel 4:16....

CHAPTER S 12-19 Signs, Messages, and Parables _ 1. Signs given through the prophet (Ezekiel 12:1) _ 2. The message of speedy judgment (Ezekiel 12:21) 3. The message against false prophets and prophetesses. (Ezekiel 13:1) 4. The message against the elders (Ezekiel 14:1) 5. The parable of the vine given to the fire (Ezekiel 15:1) 6. The parable of the abandoned child and Israel's whoredom (Ezekiel 16:1)

THE STRAITS OF THE SIEGE. In another message whose symbols resemble those of Ezekiel 4:10 f., Ezekiel 4:16 f., he seeks to bring home to them the certain and horrible privations of the siege....

I WILL LEAVE, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Deuteronomy 4:27). MEN. Hebrew, plural of enosh. App-14. FROM. Some codices, with four early printed editions, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "and from", which em phasises the Figure of speech _Polysyndeton_ (App-6), to enhance the completeness of the enumeration. HEATHEN. nations....

A new symbol of the terror and violence and desolation about to come upon the land....