Ezekiel 4:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Yet, upon their reunification, He once again divides them, stating, “And thou shalt rest upon thy right ribs the second, and thou shalt repay the iniquities of the house of Judah forty days; a day for one summer I will put them to thee; because the iniquity of the so-called Israel is greater.” The people had completely forsaken God, turning to serve young women and worship idols of every kind. Thus, He designated one hundred and fifty days for Israel and forty days for Judah, reckoning each day as a year. The forty days for Judah symbolize the remainder of the forty years left until the fulfillment of the seventy years, which had been foretold by the prophet Jeremiah, indicating that they would endure seventy years in Babylon. After thirty years had already elapsed, the prophetic ministry of Ezekiel began in the thirtieth year of the exile. From the fifth year of Jechoniah’s captivity to the first year of Cyrus the Persian’s reign, the remaining forty years would come to fruition. This understanding arises not only from the timeline but also from sacred texts. For the esteemed Prophet Jeremiah along with the book of Chronicles illustrates that in the thirty-seventh summer after the captivity of Jehoiakim, also known as Jechoniah, Ebilmerodach raised his head and released him from prison during his summer reign (4 Kings 25:27). Following him, Belshazzar briefly ruled among the Babylonians; his wickedness led to his swift demise, with his reign lasting about three years. It was in the third year of his rule that Daniel received a vision. Darius, the son of Assuir and a Mede by birth, succeeded him, but his reign was also short-lived. The blessed Daniel reveals this in saying, “In the first summer of Darius the son of Assuir, in the first summer of his kingdom, I Daniel understood in the books the number of years, of which was the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah the prophet, for the end of the desolation of Jerusalem seventy years” (Dan. 9:1, 2). Hence, the eighty days allocated to Judah represent the remaining forty years, and the one hundred and fifty days assigned to Israel signify the span of one hundred and fifty years that would elapse before the city would be rebuilt, repopulated, fortified with walls, and surrounded by trenches, thus ensuring the fortification of other cities in Israel and Judah, with the number of inhabitants significantly increased. This all took place in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes son of Xerxes' reign, during which Nehemiah served as cupbearer, returning with fervent dedication to Judah to accomplish all that was previously stated. The account of Ezra substantiates this. For anyone wishing to ascertain the timeline, they should consider the fifth year of Jechoniah's captivity as the starting point for calculations; from there, one can account for the forty years until the first year of Cyrus the Persian. This will yield an additional twenty-nine years of Cyrus’s reign, followed by seven years under Cambyses, another thirty-five years under Darius Hystaspes, twenty years during Xerxes's rule, and nineteen years under Artaxerxes, culminating in the twentieth year when a decree was issued to rebuild the city's walls. Furthermore, it would be misguided to assert that the reconstruction of Jerusalem held no merit for Israel, which had long been disconnected from the tribe of Judah. Upon their return from exile, the division was no more; instead, those who were able to return united in purpose, collectively designating Jerusalem as their capital.