FocusSigns, visions, and covenant unfaithfulness
Connection to the wholeA sustained sequence of signs and messages exposes Jerusalem's sin and announces the coming disaster.
interpretation Ezekiel 21:22
KJVAt his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.
Read it in context
God’s Sword of Judgment
Start reading at Ezekiel 21:1 (Ezekiel 21:1 to Ezekiel 21:32).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
A sustained sequence of signs and messages exposes Jerusalem's sin and announces the coming disaster.
- 21:1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
- 21:2 Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
- 21:3 And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
- 21:4 Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
- 21:5 That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.
- 21:6 Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
- 21:7 And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: 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 cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD.
- 21:8 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
- 21:9 Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
- 21:10 It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.
- 21:11 And he hath 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.
- 21:12 Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.
- 21:13 Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.
- 21:14 Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together, 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 entereth into their privy chambers.
- 21:15 I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter.
- 21:16 Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.
- 21:17 I will also smite mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the LORD have said it.
- 21:18 The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
- 21:19 Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city.
- 21:20 Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.
- 21:21 For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.
- 21:22 At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.
- 21:23 And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.
- 21:24 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.
- 21:25 And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end,
- 21:26 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.
- 21:27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.
- 21:28 And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering:
- 21:29 Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.
- 21:30 Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity.
- 21:31 And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, and skilful to destroy.
- 21:32 Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.
Who
- Who wrote the book? Ezekiel son of Buzi, a priest and prophet among the exiles, is the named prophetic voice and traditional author. Biblical references: Ezekiel 1:1; Ezekiel 1:3. stated in the text
- Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Ezekiel 21:1–24:27): The messages concern Jerusalem, Judah's leaders, and the exiled house of Israel. Ezekiel's personal bereavement becomes a sign explained to the people. stated in the text
- Who was the book written to? The house of Israel, with Ezekiel speaking especially among the Judean exiles in Babylonia. Some visions concern people in Jerusalem or other nations rather than people physically present with him. Biblical references: Ezekiel 3:11; Ezekiel 8:1; Ezekiel 24:21. stated in the text
What
- What is the topic of this reading unit? God’s Sword of Judgment. Read Ezekiel 21:1 through Ezekiel 21:32 as a connected unit. interpretation
- How does it contribute to the book? A sustained sequence of signs and messages exposes Jerusalem's sin and announces the coming disaster. interpretation
When
- When are the events or message set? The book repeatedly dates visions by years of captivity. Events pictured in a vision, the time of receiving it, and the time of later fulfillment should be distinguished. book background
Where
- What is the book’s geographic setting? Ezekiel is among the exiles by the river Chebar. Visions carry him to other scenes, including Jerusalem; visionary location is not automatically ordinary physical travel. book background
- Where does the context start? This passage sits in God’s Sword of Judgment (Ezekiel 21:1 to Ezekiel 21:32). Start reading at Ezekiel 21:1. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
- How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? The shepherd promise can be read alongside Jesus' teaching about the good shepherd. The connection should retain Ezekiel's concern for the scattered flock and the failure of Israel's shepherds. See Ezekiel 34:11, Ezekiel 34:23, John 10:11. interpretation
- How should this book guide our response? Take warnings about personal responsibility and corrupt leadership seriously. When interpreting symbolic acts or visions, begin with the explanations supplied within the book. interpretation
Cited: Ezekiel 21:1, Ezekiel 21:32, Ezekiel 34:11, Ezekiel 34:23, John 10:11
Who wrote it, and how we know
Ezekiel the prophet
Named in Scripture
What Scripture saysThe book is written in the first person by Ezekiel the priest.
Ezekiel 1:1Ezekiel 1:3
Early traditionTradition names Ezekiel.
What is debatedSome scholars propose later editing.
Related passages
- rams Ezek 4:2
- to lift Exod 32:17-18 Josh 6:10,20 1 Sam 17:20 Job 39:25 Jer 51:14
- to appoint Ezek 4:2 Jer 32:24 Jer 33:4 Jer 52:4
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of Ezekiel 21
Ezekiel locates his ministry among the exiles and dates many visions by years of captivity. Symbolic acts and visions require attention to their stated explanations; a modern identification is not supplied merely by the presence of a symbol. Local headings and stanza divisions are editorial reading aids adapted from public-domain BSB headings; verse boundaries and Scripture links use the KJV. Connections describe the surrounding book movement.
Ezekiel 1:1 Ezekiel 1:2 Ezekiel 1:3
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of Ezekiel
Ezekiel locates his ministry among the exiles and dates many visions by years of captivity. Symbolic acts and visions require attention to their stated explanations; a modern identification is not supplied merely by the presence of a symbol.
Ezekiel 1:1 Ezekiel 1:2 Ezekiel 1:3
The vision and commission
Ezekiel 1:1–3:27FocusGlory, the scroll, and responsibility
Connection to the wholeThe opening vision and commission establish Ezekiel's task among the exiles and his responsibility to speak the LORD's words.
interpretation FocusSigns, visions, and covenant unfaithfulness
Connection to the wholeA sustained sequence of signs and messages exposes Jerusalem's sin and announces the coming disaster.
interpretation Oracles against the nations
Ezekiel 25:1–32:32FocusThe surrounding powers judged
Connection to the wholeThe messages address neighboring peoples and powerful kingdoms, showing that judgment is not confined to Jerusalem.
interpretation After the fall: responsibility and restoration
Ezekiel 33:1–39:29FocusShepherding, cleansing, and renewed life
Connection to the wholeThe messages turn toward restoration while preserving individual responsibility and the LORD's judgment against hostile powers.
interpretation The vision of temple and land
Ezekiel 40:1–48:35FocusOrdered worship and the LORD's presence
Connection to the wholeThe final vision describes the temple, worship, life-giving waters, and the land. Its interpretation should be distinguished from what the vision itself depicts.
interpretation Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.