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Text -- Ezekiel 21:1-30 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
The Sword of Judgment
21:1 The word of the Lord came to me:
21:2 “Son of man , turn toward Jerusalem and speak out against the sanctuaries . Prophesy against the land of Israel
21:3 and say to them , ‘This is what the Lord says : Look , I am against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked .
21:4 Because I will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked , my sword will go out from its sheath against everyone from the south to the north .
21:5 Then everyone will know that I am the Lord , who drew my sword from its sheath – it will not be sheathed again !’
21:6 “And you , son of man , groan with an aching heart and bitterness ; groan before their eyes .
21:7 When they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning ?’ you will reply , ‘Because of the report that has come . Every heart will melt with fear and every hand will be limp ; everyone will faint and every knee will be wet with urine .’ Pay attention – it is coming and it will happen , declares the sovereign Lord .”
21:8 The word of the Lord came to me:
21:9 “Son of man , prophesy and say : ‘This is what the Lord says : “‘A sword , a sword is sharpened , and also polished .
21:10 It is sharpened for slaughter , it is polished to flash like lightning ! “‘Should we rejoice in the scepter of my son ? No! The sword despises every tree !
21:11 “‘He gave it to be polished , to be grasped in the hand – the sword is sharpened , it is polished – giving it into the hand of the executioner .
21:12 Cry out and moan , son of man , for it is wielded against my people ; against all the princes of Israel . They are delivered up to the sword , along with my people . Therefore , strike your thigh .
21:13 “‘For testing will come, and what will happen when the scepter , which the sword despises , is no more? declares the sovereign Lord .’
21:14 “And you , son of man , prophesy , and clap your hands together . Let the sword strike twice , even three times ! It is a sword for slaughter , a sword for the great slaughter surrounding them.
21:15 So hearts melt with fear and many stumble . At all their gates I have stationed the sword for slaughter . Ah ! It is made to flash , it is drawn for slaughter !
21:16 Cut sharply on the right ! Swing to the left , wherever your edge is appointed to strike.
21:17 I too will clap my hands together , I will exhaust my rage ; I the Lord have spoken .”
21:18 The word of the Lord came to me:
21:19 “You , son of man , mark out two routes for the king of Babylon’s sword to take ; both of them will originate in a single land . Make a signpost and put it at the beginning of the road leading to the city .
21:20 Mark out the routes for the sword to take : “Rabbah of the Ammonites ” and “Judah with Jerusalem in it .”
21:21 For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road at the head of the two routes . He looks for omens : He shakes arrows , he consults idols , he examines animal livers .
21:22 Into his right hand comes the portent for Jerusalem – to set up battering rams , to give the signal for slaughter , to shout out the battle cry , to set up battering rams against the gates , to erect a siege ramp , to build a siege wall .
21:23 But those in Jerusalem will view it as a false omen . They have sworn solemn oaths , but the king of Babylon will accuse them of violations in order to seize them.
21:24 “Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says : ‘Because you have brought up your own guilt by uncovering your transgressions and revealing your sins through all your actions , for this reason you will be taken by force .
21:25 “‘As for you , profane and wicked prince of Israel , whose day has come , the time of final punishment ,
21:26 this is what the sovereign Lord says : Tear off the turban , take off the crown ! Things must change ! Exalt the lowly , bring down the proud !
21:27 A total ruin I will make it! It will come to an end when the one arrives to whom I have assigned judgment .’
21:28 “As for you , son of man , prophesy and say , ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says concerning the Ammonites and their coming humiliation ; say : “‘A sword , a sword drawn for slaughter , polished to consume , to flash like lightning –
21:29 while seeing false visions for you and reading lying omens for you– to place that sword on the necks of the profane wicked , whose day has come , the time of final punishment .
21:30 Return it to its sheath ! In the place where you were created , in your native land , I will judge you.
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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Names, People and Places:
Dictionary Themes and Topics:
Babylon |
War |
ZEDEKIAH (2) |
Rabbah |
TERAPHIM |
Magic |
ARMOR; ARMS |
Ammonites |
Judgments |
Government |
Sword |
DIVINATION |
Diadem |
Prophecy |
Liver |
Sorcery |
GLITTER; GLITTERING |
GATE |
Instruction |
God |
more
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Eze 21:1; Eze 21:2; Eze 21:2; Eze 21:3; Eze 21:3; Eze 21:3; Eze 21:3; Eze 21:3; Eze 21:4; Eze 21:4; Eze 21:6; Eze 21:7; Eze 21:7; Eze 21:10; Eze 21:10; Eze 21:12; Eze 21:13; Eze 21:16; Eze 21:16; Eze 21:20; Eze 21:20; Eze 21:21; Eze 21:21; Eze 21:21; Eze 21:21; Eze 21:21; Eze 21:22; Eze 21:22; Eze 21:22; Eze 21:23; Eze 21:23; Eze 21:23; Eze 21:23; Eze 21:23; Eze 21:24; Eze 21:24; Eze 21:25; Eze 21:26; Eze 21:26; Eze 21:26; Eze 21:27; Eze 21:27; Eze 21:28; Eze 21:28; Eze 21:29; Eze 21:29; Eze 21:29; Eze 21:30; Eze 21:30
NET Notes: Eze 21:1 Ezek 21:1 in the English Bible is 21:6 in the Hebrew text (BHS). See the note at 20:45.
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NET Notes: Eze 21:2 For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
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NET Notes: Eze 21:3 Ezekiel elsewhere pictures the Lord’s judgment as discriminating between the righteous and the wicked (9:4-6; 18:1-20; see as well Pss 1 and 11)...
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NET Notes: Eze 21:7 This expression depicts in a very vivid way how they will be overcome with fear. See the note on the same phrase in 7:17.
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NET Notes: Eze 21:10 The people of Judah should not place false hope in their king, symbolized by his royal scepter, for God’s judgment (symbolized by fire and then ...
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NET Notes: Eze 21:13 Heb “For testing (will come) and what if also a scepter, it despises, will not be?” The translation understands the subject of the verb ...
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NET Notes: Eze 21:20 As the Babylonians approached from the north, one road would branch off to the left and lead down the east side of the Jordan River to Ammon. The othe...
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NET Notes: Eze 21:23 Heb “and he will remind of guilt for the purpose of being captured.” The king would counter their objections by pointing out that they had...
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NET Notes: Eze 21:24 Heb “Because you have brought to remembrance your guilt when your transgressions are uncovered so that your sins are revealed in all your deeds ...
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NET Notes: Eze 21:27 Heb “Also this, he was not, until the coming of the one to whom the judgment belongs and I have given it.” The Hebrew text, as it stands, ...
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NET Notes: Eze 21:28 Heb “to contain, endure.” Since the Hebrew text as it stands makes little, if any, sense, most emend the text to read either “to con...
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NET Notes: Eze 21:29 The second half of the verse appears to state that the sword of judgment would fall upon the wicked, despite their efforts to prevent it.
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