Ezekiel 21)
1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 "Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop your word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the oils of Israel,
3 And say to the soil of Israel, 'Thus says the LORD; 'Behold, I am against you, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath (see 5:2,17; 12:14), and will cut off from you a righteous one and a lawless one. (Therefore 18:2,3, is not yet fulfilled, but corresponds with the green tree and the dry of 20:47)
4 Seeing then that I will cut off from you a righteous one and a lawless one, therefore shall My sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
5 That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth My sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.' ' (I.e. until it has executed its mission.)
G2 J 6,7. Ezekiel. 1st sign. Sighing.
K 8-13. Signification of 1st sign.
J 14-17. Ezekiel. 2nd sign. Smiting.
K 18-32. Signification of the 2nd sign.
6 Sigh therefore, you son of man, with the breaking of your loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
7 And it shall be, when they say to , 'Why do you sigh?' that you shall answer, 'For the tidings; because it comes: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it comes, and shall be brought to pass, says the Lord GOD.' "
K L 8-10-. The sword of Yahaveh.
K 10. Its contempt for the scepter of Judah.
L 11,12. The sword of Yahaveh.
M 13. Its contempt for the scepter of Judah.
8 Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
9 'Son of man, prophesy, and say, 'Thus says the LORD; Say, 'A sword, a sword (= a great or sharp sword) is sharpened, and also furbished:
10 It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may flash as lightening: should we then make mirth? (or, "should we flourish [the scepter of My son]?" (i.e. Judah))
it contemn the scepter of My son, as every tree. (i.e. "Yahaveh's sword despises the [wooden] scepter of My son [i.e. Judah] , as [it despises] every tree")
11 And He has given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.' ' (I.e. the king of Babylon.)
12 Cry and howl, son of man: for it (i.e. the sword of Yahaveh, the king of Babylon) shall become upon My People, it shall be upon all the leaders of Israel: who shall be delivered to the sword with My People: smite therefore upon Your thigh. (This was the symbol of grief in man, as beating the breast was in women.)
13 Because it [the Lord's sword] has been tried (or proved), and what [will happen] (or be the result) if [the Lord's sword shall not despises] the [wooden] scepter? it shall be no more, says the Lord GOD.
14 You therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite your your hands together (a sign of disappointment or grief in man. Cp. Num. 24:10), and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which enters into their privy chambers.
15 I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and the overthrown be multiplied (cp. Jer. 18:23): ah! it is made bright as lightening, it is sharp up for the slaughter.
16 Go you (addressed to the sword, not Ezekiel) one way or the other, either on the right hand, or on the left, wheresoever your edge is set.
17 I will also smite My hands together, and I will cause My fury to rest: I the LORD have said it."
K N 18-20-. The two ways.
O u -20-. The Ammonites.
v -20. Judah and Jerusalem.
N 21-24. The two ways.
O v 25-27. The wicked prince of Israel.
u 28-32. The Ammonites.
18 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,
19 "Also, you son of man, appoint you two ways, for the sword of the king of Babylon to come: the two ways shall come forth out of one land: and grave a hand (i.e. set up a sign post), choose it at the head of the way to the city.
20 Appoint a way, that the sword may come
to Rabbath of the Ammonites,
and to Judah in Jerusalem the defensed.
21 For the king of Babylon has come to a stand at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he has shaken his arrows (this was one of the modes of divination by which the arrow [marked like a lot], gave the decision), he consulted with teraphim, he inspected the liver. (Another mode of divination. If healthy or double, and the lobes inclined inward, the omen was favorable; but if diseased or too dry, or without a lobe or a band between the parts, the omen was unfavorable.)
22 At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to set up battering-rams (cp. 4:2), to open a hole by a breach, to lift up the voice with a war-shout, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a siege wall.
23 And it shall be to them (i.e. Zedekiah and the rulers in Jerusalem) as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths (referring to Zedekiah's treacherous breach of faith with the king of Babylon. See 17:11-21): but he will call to remembrance the treachery, that they may be taken."
24 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD; "Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your great rebellion are discovered, so that in all your doings your great sins do appear; because, I say, that you are come to remembrance, you shall be captured (or, made captives).
25 And you, pierced through (i.e. deadly wounded one. Zedekiah a type of the future Antichrist. Cp. Rev. 13:3) lawless prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end,"
26 Thus says the Lord GOD; "Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same (or endure. The may exalt and abase, but Yehovah would not recognize it): exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.
27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until He come (i.e. the promised Messiah. See Gen. 49:10. Isa. 9:6,7; 42:1. Jer. 23:5; 33:17. Zech. 6:12,13,&) Whose right it is; and I will give it to Him."
28 And you, son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach (brought against Jerusalem. See Jer. 49:1. Zeph. 2:8); even say you, 'The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, that it may flash like lightening:
29 Whiles they see vanity to you, whiles they divine a lie to you, to bring you upon the necks of them that are slain, of wicked ones, whose day is come, when their ("them" of v.23) iniquity shall have an end.
30 Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge you in the place where you was created, in the land of your nativity.
31 And I will pour out My indignation upon you, I will blow against you in the fire of My wrath, and deliver you into the hand of brutish men, and skillful to destroy.
32 You shall be for fuel to the fire; your blood shall be in the midst of the land; you shall be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.' "