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Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ezekiel 21:1-2

The first word of judgment Ezekiel 21:1-7. Ezekiel speaks first to the people of Israel, shows the universality of the coming destructions, and indicates by a sign (that of sighing) the sadness of the calamity.The words and order of words are identical with Ezekiel 20:45-46, except that for “south,” there are substituted:(1) “Jerusalem;”(2) “the holy place,” i. e., the temple and its various parts;(3) “the land of Israel.”No subterfuge is left for the people to pretend misunderstanding. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ezekiel 21:1-5

Ezekiel 21:1-5. Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem Here God directs the prophet to declare in plain language, what he had ordered him to speak allegorically, from the 46th to the 48th verses of the foregoing chapter. And say to the land of Israel The prophet’s face being turned toward Judea and Jerusalem, he addresses them as if they were present before him. Behold, I am against thee I am become thine enemy because of thy sins; I hate thy practices, and will punish thee for them.... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 21:1-17

Babylon’s terrifying attack (20:45-21:17)The usual way to travel from Babylon to Jerusalem was by a semi-circular route that avoided the Arabian desert by following the Euphrates River to the north-west then turning south towards Judah. (See map ‘Near East in the time of Jeremiah.) Ezekiel put himself in the position of the Babylonian army as it moved south into Judah, overrunning and destroying the country as an uncontrollable bushfire. None would escape its terror (45-48). But the people did... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Ezekiel 21:2

Son of man. See note on Ezekiel 2:1 . holy. See note on Exodus 3:5 . the land of Israel = the soil of Israel, Hebrew. 'admath Israel . See note on Ezekiel 11:17 . read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Ezekiel 21:3

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 . draw forth My sword , See note on Ezekiel 5:2 , Ezekiel 5:17 , and Ezekiel 12:14 . the righteous , &c. Therefore Ezekiel 18:2 , Ezekiel 18:3 , is not yet ful filled, but corresponds with the green tree and the dry of Ezekiel 20:47 . the righteous = a righteous one. the wicked = a lawless one. Heb, rasha'. App-44 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Ezekiel 21:1

THE SONG OF THE SWORDThis chapter is called by many "The Song of the Sword." Why? The word "sword" occurs no less than thirteen times in 32 verses, being repeated over and over again, doubled and thrice doubled in its significance. It is God's explanation of the parable of the great forest fire just presented in Ezekiel 20, which the stubborn sinners who heard it pretended not to understand. They certainly could not have missed the point of this explanation. It was the sword, the sword, the... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Ezekiel 21:2

Ezekiel 21:2. Set thy face toward Jerusalem— As if God had said, "Since they deride thee, and call thee a speaker of parables, use not the parable of the southern forest, but speak plainly of Jerusalem and Israel by name." From this series of the discourse, appears more evidently what we have remarked on the 14th verse of the preceding chapter,—that these chapters should not be separated. See Houbigant. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Ezekiel 21:3

Ezekiel 21:3. And say to the land of Israel— The prophet addresses Jerusalem and Judaea, his face turned towards them, and speaks to them as if they were present. Instead of, will cut off from thee, Houbigant reads, will take away or carry off from thee; and he reads the fourth verse thus; Because thou hast taken away the righteous as well as the wicked from thee; therefore, &c. The plain meaning is, that the just as well as the wicked should be involved in the same common calamity, and... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Ezekiel 21:2

2. the holy places—the three parts of the temple: the courts, the holy place, and the holiest. If "synagogues" existed before the Babylonian captivity, as :- seems to imply, they and the proseuchæ, or oratories, may be included in the "holy places" here. read more

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