Ezekiel 21:14-17

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 21:8-17

The sacred song of the sword. "Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened," etc. The passage before us is written in the form of Hebrew poetry. The poem does not present any new truths or ideas, but is chiefly an amplification of the preceding twelve verses. There are in this song some words and phrases of considerable difficulty, in the interpretation of which a wide diversity of opinion exists.... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 21:14

Smite thine hands together , etc. Another gesture follows, either of horror and lamentation, or perhaps, looking to Ezekiel 21:17 , of imperative command. The sword is to do its thrice-redoubled work (the words emphasize generally the intensity, and are scarcely to be taken numerically, of the repeated invasions of the Chaldeans); it is "the sword of the slain" (better, pierced ones , or, with Revised Version, the deadly wounded ). The next clause should be taken, with the Revised... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 21:15

For their ruins shall be multiplied , read, with the Revised Version, that their stumblings ; and for wrapped up , pointed, or sharpened . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 21:16

Go thee one way or another, etc .; i . e . as in the following, to the right hand or the left— to the north or the south. Whichever way the prophet turned ( Ezekiel 20:47 ), he would see nothing but the sword and its work of slaughter. Jehovah had given that command with the gesture of supreme authority. He would not rest till he had appeased his wrath by letting it work itself out even to the end. With these words the "Lay of the Sword of Jehovah" ends, and there is again an... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 21:17

The satisfaction of God's fury. This is a most awful subject. Gladly would we leave it alone. Oh for a fresh sight of God's eternal love, instead of this horror of great darkness, this vision of wrath and judgment unrestrained and fully satisfied! Yet the fearful words are before us and they invite our earnest regard. I. GOD 'S FURY IS FEARFULLY PROVOKED BY SIN . It is only against sinners that these dreadful words are written. The righteous may share the temporal... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 21:17-19

The new section opens in a different strain. Ezekiel sees, as in vision, Nebuchadnezzar and his army on their march. He is told to appoint a place where the road bifurcated. Both come from one land, i . e . from Babylon; but from that point onwards one road led to Rabbath, the capital of the Ammonites ( Deuteronomy 3:11 ; 2 Samuel 11:1 ), the other to Jerusalem. Apparently, the exiles and the people of Judah flattered themselves that the former was the object of the expedition. The... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Ezekiel 21:8-17

The second word of judgment: the glittering and destroying sword. The passage may be called the “Lay of the Sword;” it is written in the form of Hebrew poetry, with its characteristic parallelism.Ezekiel 21:10It contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree - The rod is the scepter of dominion, assigned to Judah Genesis 49:10. The destroying sword of Babylon despises the scepter of Judah; it despises every tree. Others render the verse, “Shall we make mirth” (saying), “the rod of my son,” (the... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Ezekiel 21:14-17

Ezekiel 21:14 ; Ezekiel 21:17. Prophesy, and smite thy hands together In token of amazement and sorrow. And let the sword be doubled the third time Bishop Newcome reads, Bring the sword twice; yea, bring it thrice; namely, that God’s judgments might be fully executed, and his justice satisfied. It is probable that the three great slaughters which should be made of the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem are here intended, namely, 1st, During the siege, in which, undoubtedly, great... 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 21:14

smite thine hands together , &c. A sign of disappointment or grief in men. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 24:10 ). read more

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