Ezekiel 14:13
“Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse reveals a profound truth: God's judgment isn't arbitrary; it's a direct response to a land's profound "trespassing grievously" against Him. Notice the phrase "acting faithlessly" in the original language carries the weight of perfidy or betrayal, suggesting a deep breach of covenant. When a nation actively chooses to betray God's trust, He will withdraw His provision, symbolized by breaking the "staff of bread."
This passage is part of a larger discourse where God is explaining to Ezekiel the severe consequences of a land's persistent, grievous sin against Him. God is laying out a hypothetical scenario, detailing how He would respond to such unfaithfulness by withdrawing sustenance, sending famine, and causing devastation to both people and animals. This serves as a prelude to a more challenging point about the inability of even righteous intercessors to save a nation that has reached the point of irreversible judgment.
Ever wondered why entire nations or communities face hardship? This verse points to a profound spiritual cause: a collective turning away from God.
The passage starts with a conditional statement: "when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly." The Hebrew word for 'faithlessly' here carries a strong sense of betrayal or breaking a covenant. It’s not just about accidental wrongdoing, but a deliberate, serious departure from loyalty to God.
This isn't just about individual sin; it's about a land, meaning its people as a collective, acting in a way that violates their relationship with God. This faithlessness is the trigger for God's judgment, which is described as stretching out His hand – a powerful image of divine intervention.
What happens when the very things that sustain life are taken away? This verse paints a stark picture of God's response to widespread faithlessness.
When a land commits 'trespassing grievously,' as the commentaries suggest this faithlessness implies, God's response is direct and severe. He 'stretch[es] out [His] hand' – a vivid image of judgment. The primary tool of this judgment described here is the breaking of 'the staff of bread.'
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Think of 'the staff of bread' as the very support system for life, the fundamental provision that keeps people alive and communities functioning. God's judgment, in this case, is to remove this essential sustenance, leading to famine. This isn't arbitrary punishment; it's a consequence designed to address the land's betrayal by removing the very gifts they've taken for granted or turned away from their source.
Beyond famine, what is the final outcome of a land's persistent sin and God's judgment? This verse reveals a sobering end result.
The judgment doesn't stop with the breaking of bread and famine. The verse concludes with God declaring, 'and cut off from it man and beast.' This signifies a complete and utter desolation.
It's a warning that severe, widespread sin leads not just to scarcity but to the potential extinction of life within that land. Both humanity and the animal kingdom, crucial for survival and sustenance, are removed. This emphasizes the gravity of collective faithlessness and God's commitment to justice, showing that the consequences of turning away from Him can lead to the undoing of a society and its environment.
Understand the original words
ben adam · Hebrew Noun phrase
A title used frequently for Ezekiel, emphasizing his humanity and his role as a messenger of God, highlighting the contrast between the glory of God and the frailty of man.
chata · Hebrew Verb
To miss the mark of God's standard; to act in opposition to His will, whether through rebellion, ignorance, or apathy.
ma'al · Hebrew Verb
To act treacherously or unfaithfully, often used of breaking a covenant or trust, specifically applied to idolatry in the Old Testament.
ra'av · Hebrew Noun
A state of severe shortage of food; in the Bible, it is often a covenantal judgment from God designed to bring a nation to repentance.
This passage comes at a time when Judah is already experiencing the devastating consequences of its rebellion against God, including exile and the destruction of Jerusalem. Ezekiel's message highlights that such national calamities are direct results of widespread unfaithfulness and sin.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deports a portion of the Jewish elite, including Daniel, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of the Babylonian exile and a period of significant political and spiritual crisis for Judah.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports King Jehoiachin and thousands more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. Jerusalem's temple is desecrated, intensifying the sense of God's judgment among the exiles.
c. 593 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's First Vision
Ezekiel receives his prophetic call in Babylon, around the fifth year of his exile. His visions often address the sins of Judah and the impending destruction of Jerusalem, as well as offering hope for future restoration.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
After a prolonged siege, Babylonian forces conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and deport the remaining population, save for the poorest. This catastrophic event confirms Ezekiel's dire prophecies.
This passage directly parallels Ezekiel's warning, detailing how famine and the breaking of the 'staff of bread' are divine consequences for a land's sin and disobedience to God's law.
Deuteronomy 28:38-40Here, God explicitly links agricultural devastation, famine, and the loss of livestock to a nation's covenant unfaithfulness, mirroring the judgment described in Ezekiel.
Jeremiah 15:1-2This prophetic oracle illustrates the same principle: even the intercession of righteous men like Moses would be insufficient to turn aside God's judgment of famine and destruction from a land that has deeply sinned.
Psalm 104:14-15This psalm highlights God's role in providing sustenance ('bread which strengthens man's heart') and shows how this provision can be withheld, underscoring the 'breaking of the staff of bread' as a direct act of divine power against sin.
cambridgeEzekiel 14:13: "Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:"
13 . when the land ] Rather: a land. The whole of Ezekiel 14:13 is supposition: when a land sinneth … and I stretch … and break … and send … and cut off.
calvinEzekiel 14:12-13: "The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,"
Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
Fili hominis terra cum scelerate egerit erga me, [46] et extendero manum meam super eam, et confregero in ipsa baculum panis, et immisero in ipsam famem, et excidero ex ipsa hominem et jument…
This verse reveals a profound truth: God's judgment isn't arbitrary; it's a direct response to a land's profound "trespassing grievously" against Him. Notice the phrase "acting faithlessly" in the original language carries the weight of perfidy or betrayal, suggesting a deep breach of covenant. When a nation actively chooses to betray God's trust, He will withdraw His provision, symbolized by breaking the "staff of bread."
This passage is part of a larger discourse where God is explaining to Ezekiel the severe consequences of a land's persistent, grievous sin against Him. God is laying out a hypothetical scenario, detailing how He would respond to such unfaithfulness by withdrawing sustenance, sending famine, and causing devastation to both people and animals. This serves as a prelude to a more challenging point about the inability of even righteous intercessors to save a nation that has reached the point of irreversible judgment.
This passage is part of a larger discourse where God is explaining to Ezekiel the severe consequences of a land's persistent, grievous sin against Him. God is laying out a hypothetical scenario, detailing how He would respond to such unfaithfulness by withdrawing sustenance, sending famine, and causing devastation to both people and animals. This serves as a prelude to a more challenging point about the inability of even righteous intercessors to save a nation that has reached the point of irreversible judgment.
"“Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast," — This verse reveals a profound truth: God's judgment isn't arbitrary; it's a direct response to a land's profound "trespassing grievously" against Him. Notice the phrase "acting faithlessly" in the or…
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