Charles Ellicott Commentary Ezekiel 21
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Ezekiel 21
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Ezekiel 21
"Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop [thy word] toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel;" — Ezekiel 21:2 (ASV)
Set thy face ... drop thy word ... prophesy. —These expressions, with say to the land of Ezekiel 21:3, connect this with Ezekiel 20:46, 47; but there they were followed by figurative terms, while here we have plainly Jerusalem, the holy places, and the land of Israel.
"and say to the land of Israel, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked. Seeing then 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:" — Ezekiel 21:3-4 (ASV)
The righteous and the wicked. —This explains the green tree and the dry of Ezekiel 20:47; and all flesh of Ezekiel 21:4-5 corresponds to all faces of the same. These expressions are meant to show the universality of the approaching desolation. The actual separation in God’s sight between the righteous and the wicked has already been plainly set forth in Ezekiel 9:4-6. But still, in this, as in all national judgments, the innocent must necessarily be involved in the same temporal sufferings with the guilty. The general terms of this prophecy are to be limited by what is elsewhere said of the mercy that will be shown to a remnant.
"and all flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more." — Ezekiel 21:5 (ASV)
It shall not return any more — that is, until it has fully accomplished its purpose. Other judgments upon Israel had been arrested in mercy—the sword had been returned to the scabbard while its work was still incomplete. This will go on to the end.
"Sigh therefore, thou son of man; with the breaking of thy loins and with bitterness shalt thou sigh before their eyes." — Ezekiel 21:6 (ASV)
With the breaking of your loins. —The loins were regarded as the seat of strength (Job 40:16); and the breaking of these, therefore, expresses entire prostration. Compare to Psalm 66:11; Psalms 69:23; Isaiah 21:3; Nahum 2:10. The prophet was to do this before their eyes, that is, was in some way to express before them a sense of extreme dejection and prostration, such as should call forth the question and reply of the following verse. With the expression Every heart shall melt, compare to Luke 21:26.
"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah: Say, A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished; it is sharpened that it may make a slaughter; it is furbished that it may be as lightning: shall we then make mirth? the rod of my son, it contemneth every tree. And it is given to be furbished, that it may be handled: the sword, it is sharpened, yea, it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer. Cry and wail, son of man; for it is upon my people, it is upon all the princes of Israel: they are delivered over to the sword with my people; smite therefore upon thy thigh. For there is a trial; and what if even the rod that contemneth shall be no more? saith the Lord Jehovah. Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thy hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the deadly wounded: it is the sword of the great one that is deadly wounded, which entereth into their chambers. I have set the threatening sword against all their gates, that their heart may melt, and their stumblings be multiplied: ah! it is made as lightning, it is pointed for slaughter. Gather thee together, go to the right, set thyself in array, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is set. I will also smite my hands together, and I will cause my wrath to rest: I, Jehovah, have spoken it." — Ezekiel 21:8-17 (ASV)
This second prophecy is an expansion of the last, Ezekiel 21:8–13 corresponding to Ezekiel 21:2-5, and Ezekiel 21:14-17 to Ezekiel 21:6-7. In several of its clauses modern criticism has been able to improve the translation, and make it clearer.
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