211 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 2 'Son of man, set thy face unto Jerusalem, and prophesy unto the holy places, and prophesy unto the ground of Israel; 3 and thou hast said unto the ground of Israel: Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I 'am' against thee, And have brought out My sword from its scabbard, And have cut off from thee righteous and wicked. 4 Because that I have cut off from thee righteous and wicked, Therefore go out doth My sword from its scabbard, Unto all flesh, from south to north. 5 And known have all flesh that I, Jehovah, Have brought out My sword from its scabbard, It doth not turn back any more. 6 And thou, son of man, sigh with breaking of loins, yea, with bitterness thou dost sigh before their eyes, 7 and it hath come to pass, when they say unto thee, For what art thou sighing? that thou hast said: Because of the report, for it is coming, And melted hath every heart, And feeble hath been all hands, And weak is every spirit, And all knees go—waters, Lo, it is coming, yea, it hath been, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.'
8 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying, 9 'Son of man, prophesy, and thou hast said, Thus said Jehovah, say: A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished. 10 So as to slaughter a slaughter it is sharpened. So as to have brightness it is polished, Desire hath rejoiced the sceptre of my son, It is despising every tree. 11 And he giveth it for polishing, For laying hold of by the hand. It is sharpened—the sword—and polished, To give it into the hand of a slayer. 12 Cry and howl, son of man, For it hath been among My people, It 'is' among all the princes of Israel, Cast unto the sword have been My people. Therefore strike on thy thigh, 13 Because 'it is' a trier, And what if even the sceptre it is despising? It shall not be, an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah. 14 And thou, son of man, prophesy, And smite hand on hand, And bent is the sword a third time, The sword of the wounded! It 'is' the sword of the wounded—the great one, That is entering the inner chamber to them. 15 To melt the heart, and to multiply the ruins, By all their gates I have set the point of a sword. Ah, it is made for brightness, Wrapt up for slaughter. 16 Take possession of the right, place thyself at the left, Whither thy face is appointed. 17 And I also, I smite My hand on my hand, And have caused My fury to rest; I, Jehovah, have spoken.'
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.