Ezekiel 12:18
Ezekiel 12:18 in Multiple Translations
“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.
Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;
Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with fearfulness;
Son of man, take your food with shaking fear, and your water with trouble and care;
“Son of man, tremble as you eat your bread; shake with worry as you drink your water.
Sonne of man, eate thy bread with trembling and drinke thy water with trouble, and with carefulnesse,
'Son of man, thy bread in haste thou dost eat, and thy water with trembling and with fear thou dost drink;
“Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness.
Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with solicitude.
Son of man, eat thy bread in trouble: and drink thy water in hurry and sorrow.
“You human, tremble while you eat your food, and shudder fearfully while you drink your water.
Berean Amplified Bible — Ezekiel 12:18
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Ezekiel 12:18 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
בֶּן
אָדָ֕ם
לַחְמְ/ךָ֖
בְּ/רַ֣עַשׁ
תֹּאכֵ֑ל
וּ/מֵימֶ֕י/ךָ
בְּ/רָגְזָ֥ה
וּ/בִ/דְאָגָ֖ה
תִּשְׁתֶּֽה
בֶּן
bên
H1121
son
N-ms
אָדָ֕ם
ʼâdâm
H120
the man (Adam)
N-ms
לַחְמְ/ךָ֖
lechem
H3899
food
N-cs | Suff
בְּ/רַ֣עַשׁ
raʻash
H7494
quaking
Prep | N-ms
תֹּאכֵ֑ל
ʼâkal
H398
to eat
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
וּ/מֵימֶ֕י/ךָ
mayim
H4325
Water (Gate)
Conj | N-mp | Suff
בְּ/רָגְזָ֥ה
rogzâh
H7269
quivering
Prep | N-fs
וּ/בִ/דְאָגָ֖ה
dᵉʼâgâh
H1674
anxiety
Conj | Prep | N-fs
תִּשְׁתֶּֽה
shâthâh
H8354
to drink
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Ezekiel 12:18
בֶּן
bên
H1121
"son"
N-ms
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Definition: : child/son
Usage: Occurs in 3653 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. See also: Genesis 3:16; Genesis 23:3; Genesis 34:18.
אָדָ֕ם
ʼâdâm
H120
"the man (Adam)"
N-ms
Adam was the first human, created by God and mentioned in Genesis 2:19, who married Eve and had sons including Cain, Abel, and Seth.
Definition: The first named man living at the time before the Flood, first mentioned at Gen.2.19; married to Eve (H2332); father of: Cain (H7014B), Abel (H1893) and Seth (H8352); also translated "man" at Gen.2.19,21,23; 3.8,9,20; 5.2; "mankind" at Deu.32.8; "others" at Job.31.33; Another spelling of a.dam (אָדָם "Adam" H0121) man, human being
Usage: Occurs in 526 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] another, [phrase] hypocrite, [phrase] common sort, [idiom] low, man (mean, of low degree), person. See also: Genesis 1:26; Judges 18:7; Psalms 8:5.
לַחְמְ/ךָ֖
lechem
H3899
"food"
N-cs | Suff
This Hebrew word refers to food, especially bread or grain. It's used throughout the Bible to describe meals, sacrifices, and daily life, highlighting the importance of food in ancient Israelite culture.
Definition: : food(eating) 1) bread, food, grain 1a) bread 1a1) bread 1a2) bread-corn 1b) food (in general)
Usage: Occurs in 277 OT verses. KJV: (shew-) bread, [idiom] eat, food, fruit, loaf, meat, victuals. See also: Genesis 3:19; 1 Samuel 20:34; Psalms 14:4.
בְּ/רַ֣עַשׁ
raʻash
H7494
"quaking"
Prep | N-ms
This Hebrew word describes a quaking or shaking motion, often used to describe an earthquake or a person trembling with fear. It appears in the books of Isaiah and Ezekiel, describing God's judgment and power.
Definition: 1) quaking, rattling, shaking 1a) earthquake 1b) quaking, trembling (of person) 1c) shaking, quivering (of dart)
Usage: Occurs in 16 OT verses. KJV: commotion, confused noise, earthquake, fierceness, quaking, rattling, rushing, shaking. See also: 1 Kings 19:11; Ezekiel 3:12; Isaiah 9:4.
תֹּאכֵ֑ל
ʼâkal
H398
"to eat"
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
This word means to eat or devour, and it's used in many stories, including when Jesus fed the 5000 with fish and bread in the book of Matthew. It's about taking in nourishment and being satisfied.
Definition: 1) to eat, devour, burn up, feed 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to eat (human subject) 1a2) to eat, devour (of beasts and birds) 1a3) to devour, consume (of fire) 1a4) to devour, slay (of sword) 1a5) to devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought) 1a6) to devour (of oppression) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be eaten (by men) 1b2) to be devoured, consumed (of fire) 1b3) to be wasted, destroyed (of flesh) 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to cause to eat, feed with 1c2) to cause to devour 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to feed 1d2) to cause to eat 1e) (Piel) 1e1) consume Aramaic equivalent: a.khal (אֲכַל "to devour" H0399)
Usage: Occurs in 703 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] at all, burn up, consume, devour(-er, up), dine, eat(-er, up), feed (with), food, [idiom] freely, [idiom] in...wise(-deed, plenty), (lay) meat, [idiom] quite. See also: Genesis 2:16; Leviticus 6:9; Numbers 24:8.
וּ/מֵימֶ֕י/ךָ
mayim
H4325
"Water (Gate)"
Conj | N-mp | Suff
This word means water, referring to a liquid or a source of refreshment. It appears in the Bible as a literal and figurative term, including references to wasting or urine. The word is used in various contexts, such as in Genesis and Leviticus.
Definition: This name means water, refreshment
Usage: Occurs in 525 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)). See also: Genesis 1:2; Leviticus 14:9; Joshua 18:15.
בְּ/רָגְזָ֥ה
rogzâh
H7269
"quivering"
Prep | N-fs
This word means trembling or quivering, like being in a state of trepidation. It describes a person who is shaking with fear. The Bible uses it to talk about being afraid or fearful.
Definition: trembling, quivering, quaking
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: trembling. See also: Ezekiel 12:18.
וּ/בִ/דְאָגָ֖ה
dᵉʼâgâh
H1674
"anxiety"
Conj | Prep | N-fs
This noun means anxiety or care, like feeling worried or concerned. It is used in the Bible to describe emotional burdens. The KJV translates it as care or sorrow.
Definition: anxiety, anxious care, care
Usage: Occurs in 6 OT verses. KJV: care(-fulness), fear, heaviness, sorrow. See also: Joshua 22:24; Ezekiel 4:16; Proverbs 12:25.
תִּשְׁתֶּֽה
shâthâh
H8354
"to drink"
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to drink, and it's used in many ways, like drinking from a cup or feasting. It's also used to describe being drunk or taking part in a big celebration. We see it in stories like the Last Supper in Matthew 26:27.
Definition: 1) to drink 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to drink 1a1a) of drinking cup of God's wrath, of slaughter, of wicked deeds (fig) 1a2) to feast 1b) (Niphal) to be drunk Aramaic equivalent: she.tah (שְׁתָה "to drink" H8355)
Usage: Occurs in 193 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] assuredly, banquet, [idiom] certainly, drink(-er, -ing), drunk ([idiom] -ard), surely. (Prop. intensive of H8248 (שָׁקָה).) See also: Genesis 9:21; 2 Kings 19:24; Psalms 50:13.
Study Notes — Ezekiel 12:18
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Ezekiel 12:18 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Ezekiel 12:18
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ezekiel 12:18
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Ezekiel 12:18
- Trapp's Commentary on Ezekiel 12:18
- Ellicott's Commentary on Ezekiel 12:18
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Ezekiel 12:18
- Cambridge Bible on Ezekiel 12:18
- Barnes' Notes on Ezekiel 12:18
- Whedon's Commentary on Ezekiel 12:18
- Sermons on Ezekiel 12:18
Context — Signs of the Coming Captivity
16But I will spare a few of them from sword and famine and plague, so that in the nations to which they go, they can recount all their abominations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
17Moreover, the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
18“Son of man, eat your bread with trembling, and drink your water with quivering and anxiety.
19Then tell the people of the land that this is what the Lord GOD says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: ‘They will eat their bread with anxiety and drink their water in dread, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who dwell in it. 20The inhabited cities will be laid waste, and the land will become desolate. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamentations 5:9 | We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the wilderness. |
| 2 | Psalms 80:5 | You fed them with the bread of tears and made them drink the full measure of their tears. |
| 3 | Job 3:24 | I sigh when food is put before me, and my groans pour out like water. |
| 4 | Leviticus 26:26 | When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will bake your bread in a single oven and dole out your bread by weight, so that you will eat but not be satisfied. |
| 5 | Ezekiel 4:16–17 | Then He told me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight, and in despair they will drink water by measure. So they will lack food and water; they will be appalled at the sight of one another wasting away in their iniquity. |
| 6 | Psalms 102:4–9 | My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass; I even forget to eat my bread. Through my loud groaning my flesh clings to my bones. I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins. I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop. All day long my enemies taunt me; they ridicule me and curse me. For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears |
| 7 | Deuteronomy 28:65 | Among those nations you will find no repose, not even a resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a despairing soul. |
| 8 | Psalms 60:2–3 | You have shaken the land and torn it open. Heal its fractures, for it is quaking. You have shown Your people hardship; we are staggered from the wine You made us drink. |
| 9 | Deuteronomy 28:48 | you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you. |
| 10 | Leviticus 26:36 | As for those of you who survive, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, so that even the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. And they will flee as one flees the sword, and fall when no one pursues them. |
Ezekiel 12:18 Summary
This verse is telling us that Ezekiel, a prophet of God, is being asked to eat and drink in a way that shows he is anxious and fearful, as a sign to the people of Israel of the hard times they will face when they are separated from God. This is not just about physical hunger and thirst, but also about the spiritual hunger and thirst that comes from being disconnected from God, as we see in Psalm 42:1-2. Just like Ezekiel, we can trust God to guide and sustain us, even in difficult circumstances, as we see in Psalm 23:4 and Jeremiah 29:11. By following God and seeking to obey Him, we can experience peace and comfort, even in the midst of uncertainty and fear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Ezekiel told to eat his bread with trembling and drink his water with quivering and anxiety?
Ezekiel is instructed to do this as a sign to the people of Israel, to demonstrate the fear and anxiety they will experience when they are in exile, as prophesied in Ezekiel 12:18, and as seen in the experiences of the Israelites in Deuteronomy 28:65-67.
Is this verse only talking about physical hunger and thirst, or is there a deeper meaning?
While the verse does mention physical hunger and thirst, the context suggests that it is also speaking to the spiritual hunger and thirst that the people of Israel will experience when they are separated from God, as seen in Amos 8:11-12.
How does this verse relate to the overall message of Ezekiel's prophecy?
This verse is part of Ezekiel's larger message of warning and judgment to the people of Israel, calling them to repentance and faith in God, as seen in Ezekiel 18:30-32 and 2 Chronicles 7:14.
What can we learn from Ezekiel's example of obedience in this verse?
Ezekiel's willingness to obey God's instructions, even when they seem strange or difficult, is an example to us of the importance of trusting and following God, as seen in Proverbs 3:5-6 and Jeremiah 29:11.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I can demonstrate my trust in God, even in uncertain or difficult circumstances?
- How can I, like Ezekiel, be a sign to others of the importance of seeking God and following His ways?
- What are some areas of my life where I may be experiencing 'trembling' or 'quivering', and how can I trust God to guide and sustain me in those areas?
- In what ways can I, like the people of Israel, be separated from God and experience spiritual hunger and thirst, and how can I seek to be reconciled to Him?
Gill's Exposition on Ezekiel 12:18
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
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 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.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Ezekiel 12:18
With quaking; with commotion or shakings, as one whose apprehension of danger brings as it were an earthquake upon him; and this trembling is the same thing, but in other words. Thy water: here is no mention of delicious and generous wines, but water; so low should they be reduced, and yet not enjoy this very little, because of the great inward fears that shake them.
Trapp's Commentary on Ezekiel 12:18
Ezekiel 12:18 Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;Ver. 18. Eat thy bread with quaking.] With tumult and trepidation, as a frightened and perplexed person that eateth his bread in peril of his life.
Ellicott's Commentary on Ezekiel 12:18
(18) Eat thy bread with quaking.—This is another symbolical action, the meaning of which is immediately explained. The prophet is to eat and drink as men in the terror and distress of a siege.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Ezekiel 12:18
Verse 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.
Cambridge Bible on Ezekiel 12:18
18. It is obvious that this symbol could not have been actually performed. Cf. ch. Ezekiel 4:16.
Barnes' Notes on Ezekiel 12:18
Here the sign is the exhibition of such terror as the danger of a siege creates.
Whedon's Commentary on Ezekiel 12:18
17-19. Eat thy bread with quaking, etc. — This is the same symbolic act, indicating the famished condition of the population of Jerusalem together with their fear and shuddering, which Ezekiel had
Sermons on Ezekiel 12:18
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
(Through the Bible) Ezekiel 1-5 by Chuck Smith | In this sermon, the preacher describes a vision that the prophet Ezekiel had of four living creatures. These creatures had the appearance of a man but each had four faces and four |
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Revival and Recommitment by Robin Boisvert | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the theme of revival and recommitment in the book of Nehemiah. He begins by referencing Deuteronomy 28, where God warns the people of the co |
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Divine Guidance by Walter Beuttler | Walter Beuttler preaches on the importance of seeking guidance from the Lord, emphasizing the consequences of disobedience and the conditions for receiving unconditional and condit |
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Epistle 109 by George Fox | George Fox emphasizes the importance of patience and unity among believers, urging them to refrain from judging and speaking ill of one another, as such actions sow discord and all |
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Christ and His Children by C.H. Spurgeon | The preacher delves into the concept of timidity, exploring its various facets such as lack of mental or moral strength, reticence, cowardice, and shameful fear. Drawing from bibli |