Ezekiel 21:14

"Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the deadly wounded: it is the sword of the great one that is deadly wounded, which entereth into their chambers. I have set the threatening sword against all of their gates, that their hearts may melt, and their stumblings be multiplied: ah! it is made as lightning, it is pointed for slaughter. Gather thee together, go to the right, set thyself in array, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is set. I will also smite my hands together, and I will cause my wrath to rest; I, Jehovah, have spoken it."

"Let the sword be doubled the third time ..." (Ezekiel 21:14) "This shows the tremendous size and power of the sword coming against Jerusalem. All hope of escape was gone."[5]

"It is the sword of the great one that is deadly wounded ..." (Ezekiel 21:14) This is a reference to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. "The sword shall smite the king as well as all the people."[6]

"Which entereth into their chambers ..." (Ezekiel 21:14). This meant that the King of Babylon would enter the city of Jerusalem and have access to everything in it, even the house of the king.

"I will also smite my hands together ..." (Ezekiel 21:17). It is impossible for this to refer to any sadistic glee on God's part over the destruction of his wicked people. Repeatedly, all of the prophets have assured us that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. This is another instance of where a misinterpretation can lead to serious error. Bunn, for example, toyed with the idea that "the clapping of hands" here was a sign of elation, approval, or delight. If he had properly understood the meaning of it in this context, he could never have said:

These words almost depict Jehovah as a scheming, venal deity, who with deadly passion and sullen cruelty prepares for the total ravaging of his enemies."[7]

This is a slander of the paragraph above where God is depicted as clapping his hands in deep grief over the fate of his Once Chosen People. Barlow properly understood the meaning of the clapping of the hands. "Smiting the hands together is an indication of violent grief."[8] The Biblical proof of this viewpoint is found in Ezekiel 21:12 where the clapping of the hands is accompanied by the loud crying and wailing of the prophet.