211 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, set thy face against Jerusalem, and drop [words] against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel, 3 and say to the land of Israel, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, and I will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked. 4 Seeing that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh, from the south to the north; 5 and all flesh shall know that I Jehovah have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath: it shall not return any more. 6 Sigh then, thou son of man; with breaking of the loins, and with bitterness sigh before their eyes. 7 And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore dost thou sigh? that thou shalt say, Because of the tidings, for it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall languish, and all knees shall melt into water: behold, it cometh; it is here, saith the Lord Jehovah.
8 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, 9 Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah: Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished. 10 It is sharpened for sore slaughter, it is furbished that it may glitter. Shall we then make mirth, [saying,] The sceptre of my son contemneth all wood? 11 And he hath given it to be furbished that it may be handled. The sword,—it is sharpened, and it is furbished to give it into the hand of the slayer. 12 Cry and howl, son of man; for it shall be against my people, it shall be against all the princes of Israel: they are given up to the sword along with my people: smite therefore upon the thigh. 13 For the trial [is made]; and what if even the contemning sceptre shall be no [more]? saith the Lord Jehovah. 14 And thou, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together; for [the strokes of] the sword shall be doubled the third time: it is the sword of the slain, the sword that hath slain the great one, which encompasseth them privily. 15 In order that the heart may melt, and the stumbling-blocks be multiplied, I have set the threatening sword against all their gates: ah! it is made glittering, it is whetted for the slaughter. 16 Gather up [strength], go to the right hand, turn thee, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is appointed. 17 And I myself will smite my hands together, and I will satisfy my fury: I Jehovah have spoken [it].
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 21:1-17
Commentary on Ezekiel 21:1-17
(Read Ezekiel 21:1-17)
Here is an explanation of the parable in the last chapter. It is declared that the Lord was about to cut off Jerusalem and the whole land, that all might know it was his decree against a wicked and rebellious people. It behoves those who denounce the awful wrath of God against sinners, to show that they do not desire the woful day. The example of Christ teaches us to lament over those whose ruin we declare. Whatever instruments God uses in executing his judgments, he will strengthen them according to the service they are employed in. The sword glitters to the terror of those against whom it is drawn. It is a sword to others, a rod to the people of the Lord. God is in earnest in pronouncing this sentence, and the prophet must show himself in earnest in publishing it.