Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 4:16

"Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness; and they shall drink water by measure, and in dismay:" — Ezekiel 4:16 (ASV)

I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem. —In Ezekiel 4:16-17, the meaning of the preceding symbolism is declared in plain language. Bread, as the chief article of food, represents all food, the specific for the general. There will be extreme suffering and distress as a part of the punishment for their long-continued sins.