John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 4:16-17

"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: that they may want bread and water, and be dismayed one with another, and pine away in their iniquity." — Ezekiel 4:16-17 (ASV)

God returns again to the citizens of Jerusalem and announces that they would be so destroyed by famine that they would be reduced to the direst extremity, and almost consumed by want. But He here presents two forms of punishment: He says, that He would break the staff of bread: then, that their abundance of bread would be small, because they would be compelled to eat their morsels by weight and fear, and to drink water by measure and astonishment.

I said they were different forms, because even if bread were sufficient, God often breaks its staff, as He calls it. This clearly appears from Leviticus 26:26, from which our Prophet has adopted this expression.

For here Moses explains what it is to break the staff of bread; because, he says, ten women shall cook their bread in one dish, and then they must bona fide restore the quantity of meal given them; for the bread shall be weighed, and thou shalt eat and not be satisfied.

There God had said, I will break the staff of bread: but a clearer explanation follows—namely, although wheat for cooking the bread might be sufficient, and the women were to mutually observe each other that no theft should take place, but were to return in weight what had been given out to them, yet its nourishment would be deficient. We see then that God breaks the staff of bread when a sufficiently plentiful supply exists, but those who eat are not satisfied.

That this may appear more clearly, we must assume the principle that men do not live by bread only, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3), for here God signifies that we are not nourished by virtue of the bread, properly speaking: for how can bread be life-giving when it lacks both sense and vigor?

We see then that there is no force in bread to nourish us which excludes the hidden grace of God, for we live by the word of God. The subject here is not the word of doctrine nor yet spiritual life; but Moses understands that we are sustained not by bread and wine and other food, or by any kind of drink, but by the secret virtue of God while He inspires the bread with vigor for our nourishment.

Bread then is our nourishment, but not by any special or intrinsic virtue: this it has from another source, namely, the favor and ordination of God. As, therefore, a small portion of bread is sufficient for us, so if anyone gorges himself, he will cry out sooner than be satisfied, unless God inspires the virtue.

And for this reason Christ uses that passage against Satan: Man lives not by bread alone (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4), because He shows that the life of man was propped up by the secret virtue of God, and that God, whenever it pleases Him, does not need these external aids.

God then can sustain us by Himself: sometimes He uses bread, but only as an adventitious instrument; in the meantime, He detracts nothing from His own virtue.

Hence a staff is taken metaphorically for a prop. For as old men, already tottering on their legs and with all their limbs broken down by weakness, support themselves with a staff, so also bread is said to have a staff, because we are propped up by its nourishment.

Our strength also becomes deficient, and hence one who takes nourishment is said to refresh himself with food. God, therefore, breaks the staff of bread when He renders men famished, even when they have a sufficient abundance of bread. Neither are they satisfied, however much they may gorge themselves, because the food burdens instead of refreshes them.

This is the first punishment with which God threatens the Jews. Another also is added, namely, that they shall be destitute of bread. We see then that there is a twofold way by which God punishes us with hunger. For although bread is sufficient, yet He breaks and destroys its staff, so that it cannot prop us up nor recall our lost vigor.

Finally, He takes away our bread, because He either strikes our fruits with blight or hail, or makes us suffer under other calamities. Hence barrenness brings want, so that God will afflict us with hunger both ways: for He says, behold! I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and then He adds, they shall eat their bread by weight and in fear, they shall drink their water by measure and in astonishment,

because in truth they shall be reduced to such straits that they shall scarcely dare to touch their bread, because while they look forward to the next day, they shall fear and be astonished.

And He confirms this opinion in the next verse, that they shall be destitute of bread and water, and shall be astonished: for this explanation agrees better; therefore a man and his brother shall be astonished, that is, they shall look at each other as if astonished.

Thus those who are without wisdom and discern nothing but despair are accustomed to act: eventually they shall pine away in their iniquity.

Again God repeats that the Jews could not complain when He so grievously afflicts them, because they shall receive the reward of their own iniquity.