The Reader will have a better idea of the coarse and scanty fare of the Prophet, if he understands, that this mixed grain not only made the whole unpleasant, but the allowance was scarcely enough, (and to a poor man confined to lay on his side, still harder) to keep life. A shekel was only about half an ounce; and an hin only eight ounces, or half a pint. And what a filthy and loathsome method of dressing was enjoined the Lord's servant. And though the Lord, at his representation, permitted an exchange from man's dung to cow dung for the purpose; yet still the poor Prophet had poor fare. What would some high fed and dainty characters among our clergy think of this! And yet Ezekiel was an eminent servant of the Lord!
Ezekiel 4:9-15
9 Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches,b and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof, according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.
10 And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day: from time to time shalt thou eat it.
11 Thou shalt drink also water by measure, the sixth part of an hin: from time to time shalt thou drink.
12 And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight.
13 And the LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them.
14 Then said I, Ah Lord GOD! behold, my soul hath not been polluted: for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself, or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth.
15 Then he said unto me, Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith.