Ezekiel 21:7

7. Faint Rather, dulled.

Weak as water Rather, melt into waters.

THE ODE OF THE SWORD, Ezekiel 21:8-22.

This is a wild and irregular song of war, and, as Dr. Muller says, is one of the most powerful passages which we possess from the pen of Ezekiel. It is a “cry” rather than a poem (Ezekiel 21:12). Yet it not only shows the parallelism common to Hebrew poetry, but evident traces of meter (D.H. Muller, Die Propheten, 1896).

The niceties of grammar are neglected, and to those who cannot see the singer’s gestures and hear his wails (Ezekiel 21:6; Ezekiel 21:12) there may seem a lack of connection between the lines and considerable obscurity of meaning. Dr. Skinner has given a good idea “both of the structure and the rugged vigor of the original,” though there are some phrases which he does not attempt to translate:

I.

A sword, a sword! It is sharpened and burnished withal.

For a work of slaughter is it sharpened!

To gleam like lightning burnished!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

And ‘twas given to be smoothed for the grip of the hand,

Sharpened is it, and furbished

To put in the hand of the slayer

(Ezekiel 21:14-16 ).

II.

Cry and howl, son of man!

For it has come among my people;

Come among all the princes of Israel!

Victims of the sword are they, they and my people;

Therefore smite upon thy thigh!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

It shall not be, saith Jehovah the Lord

(Ezekiel 21:17-18 ).

III.

But, thou son of man, prophesy, and smite hand on hand;

Let the sword be doubled and tripled (?)

A sword of the slain is it,

the great sword of the slain whirling around them

That hearts may fail, and many be the fallen in all their gates.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

It is made like lightning, furbished for slaughter!

(Ezekiel 21:19-20 .)

IV.

Gather thee together! Smite to the right, to the left,

Whithersoever thine edge is appointed!

And I also will smite hand on hand,

And appease my wrath:

I Jehovah have spoken it (Ezekiel 21:21-22 ).

As Dr. Skinner remarks, this ode, in spite of its obscurity and its abrupt transitions, exhibits a definite poetic form and a real progress of thought from the beginning to the close. “The prophet’s gaze is fascinated by the glittering sword which symbolized the instrument of Jehovah’s vengeance.”

In the opening stanza he describes the preparation of the sword, then (II) he announces the purpose for which it is prepared. In the next stanza (III) he sees the sword in action, and at length, having accomplished its work, it is seen at rest (IV).