Die Propheten
Ezekiel's Symbolic Act: The Siege of Jerusalem
God commands the prophet Ezekiel to perform a dramatic symbolic act: He is to carve the city of Jerusalem onto a brick and build siege works against it, set up an iron griddle as an iron wall, and then lie on his left side for 390 days to bear the guilt of the House of Israel, and 40 days on his right side for the guilt of the House of Judah. In this way, he becomes a visible sign of the coming siege and judgment upon Jerusalem.
Hesekiel 4,1-8
1"Now you, son of man, take a brick, set it in front of you, and engrave on it a city — Jerusalem.
וְאַתָּ֤ה בֶן־אָדָם֙ קַח־לְךָ֣ לְבֵנָ֔ה וְנָתַתָּ֥ה אוֹתָ֖הּ לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וְחַקּוֹתָ֥ עָלֶ֛יהָ עִ֖יר אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
2Lay siege against it: build a siege wall, throw up a ramp, set up camps, and place battering rams around it.
וְנָתַתָּ֨ה עָלֶ֜יהָ מָצ֗וֹר וּבָנִ֤יתָ עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ דָּיֵ֔ק וְשָׁפַכְתָּ֥ עָלֶ֖יהָ סֹֽלְלָ֑ה וְנָתַתָּ֨ה עָלֶ֧יהָ מַחֲנ֛וֹת וְשִׂים־עָלֶ֥יהָ כָּרִ֖ים סָבִֽיב׃
3Then take an iron griddle and set it up as an iron wall between you and the city. Set your face toward it; it shall be under siege, and you yourself shall besiege it. This is a sign for the house of Israel.
וְאַתָּ֤ה קַח־לְךָ֙ מַחֲבַ֣ת בַּרְזֶ֔ל וְנָתַתָּ֤ה אוֹתָהּ֙ קִ֣יר בַּרְזֶ֔ל בֵּינְךָ֖ וּבֵ֣ין הָעִ֑יר וַהֲכִינֹתָה֩ אֶת־פָּנֶ֨יךָ אֵלֶ֜יהָ וְהָיְתָ֤ה בַמָּצוֹר֙ וְצַרְתָּ֣ עָלֶ֔יהָ א֥וֹת הִ֖יא לְבֵ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס
4"Then lie down on your left side and lay the guilt of the house of Israel upon that side. For as many days as you lie on that side, you shall bear their guilt.
וְאַתָּ֤ה שְׁכַב֙ עַל־צִדְּךָ֣ הַשְּׂמָאלִ֔י וְשַׂמְתָּ֛ אֶת־עֲוֺ֥ן בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עָלָ֑יו מִסְפַּ֤ר הַיָּמִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁכַּ֣ב עָלָ֔יו תִּשָּׂ֖א אֶת־עֲוֺנָֽם׃
5I have assigned you the years of their guilt as a number of days: three hundred and ninety days. So you shall bear the guilt of the house of Israel.
וַאֲנִ֗י נָתַ֤תִּֽי לְךָ֙ אֶת־שְׁנֵ֣י עֲוֺנָ֔ם לְמִסְפַּ֣ר יָמִ֔ים שְׁלֹשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת וְתִשְׁעִ֖ים י֑וֹם וְנָשָׂ֖אתָ עֲוֺ֥ן בֵּֽית־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
6When you have finished these, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the guilt of the house of Judah forty days. I have assigned you one day for each year.
וְכִלִּיתָ֣ אֶת־אֵ֗לֶּה וְשָׁ֨כַבְתָּ֜ עַל־צִדְּךָ֤ *הימיני **הַיְמָנִי֙ שֵׁנִ֔ית וְנָשָׂ֖אתָ אֶת־עֲוֺ֣ן בֵּית־יְהוּדָ֑ה אַרְבָּעִ֣ים י֔וֹם י֧וֹם לַשָּׁנָ֛ה י֥וֹם לַשָּׁנָ֖ה נְתַתִּ֥יו לָֽךְ׃
7Set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.
וְאֶל־מְצ֤וֹר יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ תָּכִ֣ין פָּנֶ֔יךָ וּֽזְרֹעֲךָ֖ חֲשׂוּפָ֑ה וְנִבֵּאתָ֖ עָלֶֽיהָ׃
8And see, I am putting ropes on you so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have completed the days of your siege.
וְהִנֵּ֛ה נָתַ֥תִּי עָלֶ֖יךָ עֲבוֹתִ֑ים וְלֹֽא־תֵהָפֵ֤ךְ מִֽצִּדְּךָ֙ אֶל־צִדֶּ֔ךָ עַד־כַּלּוֹתְךָ֖ יְמֵ֥י מְצוּרֶֽךָ׃