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.
Parallel Translations
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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.
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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.
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(21-20) I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may melt, and their stumblings be multiplied; ah! it is made glittering, it is sharpened for slaughter.
Cross-references (9)
Passages linked to Ezekiel 21:15 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Jeremiah 17:27 But if you will not listen to me to make the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem. It will not be quenched.” ’ ”
- Ezekiel 21:10 It is sharpened that it may make a slaughter. It is polished that it may be as lightning. Should we then make mirth? The rod of my son condemns every tree.
- 2 Samuel 17:10 Even he who is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men.
- Psalms 22:14 I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is melted within me.
- Ezekiel 15:7 I will set my face against them. They will go out from the fire, but the fire will devour them. Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I set my face against them.
- Ezekiel 20:47 Tell the forest of the South, ‘Hear Yahweh’s word: The Lord Yahweh says, “Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it will devour every green tree in you, and every dry tree. The burning flame will not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north will be burned by it.
- Ezekiel 21:7 It shall be, when they ask you, ‘Why do you sigh?’ that you shall say, ‘Because of the news, for it comes! Every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it comes, and it shall be done, says the Lord Yahweh.’ ”
- Ezekiel 21:22 In his right hand was the lot for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, and to build forts.
- Ezekiel 21:28 “You, son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says this concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach: “A sword! A sword is drawn! It is polished for the slaughter, to cause it to devour, that it may be as lightning;
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Eze 21:15 I have set the point of the…
Eze 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.
Ver. 15. Ah! it is made bright.] By this doleful exclamation the prophet venteth himself tanquam coram deformitatem cladis cerneret, {a} as if he had seen the execution.
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{a} Oecolamp.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain The Lord hath gathered them together round about Jerusalem,…
The Lord hath gathered them together round about Jerusalem, with their swords sharpened and drawn at every gate to slay whosoever attempt to come out, or to slay all they meet with when they take the city.
All their gates; both of meaner cities, of their palaces, and private houses.
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That their heart may faint; as what heart can be thought able to retain its courage, when beset with death by an enemy’s sword, which killeth all that come out, and entereth to kill all that stay within?
Multiplied; for number made many, for nature made very great.
Made bright; prepared, brightened, and sharpened.
Wrapped up; and hath been carefully kept in the scabbard, that it might keep its edge, and not be blunted.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain I will also smite my hands together,.... As well…
I will also smite my hands together,.... As well as the prophet was bid to do, Eze 21:14, either expressing a concern for the calamity of the people, or indignation at their sins: or rather as encouraging their enemies to make use of the sword pointed at them, and, as it were, rejoicing at their destruction for the honour of his justice. The Targum is,
"and even I will bring vengeance upon vengeance:''
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and I will cause my fury to rest; when the sword has done its business, and just vengeance is taken, the fury of the Lord shall cease; it shall proceed no further, it shall be kept within due bounds, and no more or further rage:
I the Lord have said it; who is omnipotent, and can do all things, and will do everything that he has said, whether in a way of promise or threatening.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain All their gates - Both of cities, of palaces,…
All their gates - Both of cities, of palaces, and of private houses. Wrapt up - And hath been carefully kept in the scabbard, that it might not be blunted.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 15. Wrapped up] It is not a blunt…
Verse 15. Wrapped up] It is not a blunt sword, it is carefully sharpened and preserved for the slaughter.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Ready. Literally, "covered," (amicti. Haydock) in the scabbard, and…
Ready. Literally, "covered," (amicti. Haydock) in the scabbard, and quite new and sharp.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain point--"the whirling glance of the sword" [FAIRBAIRN]. "The naked…
point--"the whirling glance of the sword" [FAIRBAIRN]. "The naked (bared) sword" [HENDERSON].
ruins--literally, "stumbling-blocks." Their own houses and walls shall be stumbling-blocks in their way, whether they wish to fight or flee.
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made bright--made to glitter.
wrapped, &c.--namely, in the hand of him who holds the hilt, or in its scabbard, that the edge may not be blunt when it is presently drawn forth to strike. GESENIUS, translates, "sharpened," &c.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 15. Point — The word has been supposed to…
15. Point — The word has been supposed to mean “threatening,” “terror,” “shouting,” “waving.”
Glitter — It literally means whirl. “Almost exactly the same word in Assyrian means slaughter.” — W.A.I., 2:23, 9.
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Their ruins be multiplied — Rather, there be many to stumble over (Jer_6:21), or, by a slight change, those overthrown may be multiplied.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 15. the point of the sword] Or, the glitter,…
15. the point of the sword] Or, the glitter, lit. whirl or swing. Others by changing a letter would read “slaughter,” which Frd. Del. (Baer, Ezek.) by comparison of Assyr. considers the word to mean as it stands.
ruins be multiplied] Or, stumbling-blocks, Jer_6:21. Or, by a slight change in pointing: those overthrown may be multiplied; Jer_18:23; cf. Jer_46:16.
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wrapt up] sharpened, as marg.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (15) The point.—The Hebrew word occurs only here. The…
(15) The point.—The Hebrew word occurs only here. The marginal rendering comes nearer its sense, but the exact meaning is the glance or the whirl of the sword. The glancing or the whirling motion of the sword was to be everywhere, “against all their gates.”
Their ruins be multiplied.—Literally, their stumbling blocks be multiplied. The thought is that in the coming desolation trouble shall be on every side and, in their perplexity, occasions for ill-advised action shall arise all around. “Bright” means “glittering.” (Comp. Deu_32:41; Job_20:25; Nah_3:3.)
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It is wrapped.—The margin has sharpened, but the exact sense is drawn, “drawn out for the slaughter.”
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain For their ruins shall be multiplied, read, with the…
For their ruins shall be multiplied, read, with the Revised Version, that their stumblings; and for wrapped up, pointed, or sharpened.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Connecting Statement:
Connecting Statement:
Yahweh continues to describe the sword of Yahweh which is a metaphor for the enemy army that Yahweh will use to attack Jerusalem. (See: Metaphor)
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to melt their hearts
This speaks of causing the people to be so terrified that it is as if their hearts were melting. AT: "to fill them with terror" or "to cause them to be terrified" (See: Metaphor)
to multiply their fallen
Here "fallen" refers to the people killed in battle. This means there will be a greater number of people killed. AT: "to kill many people among them" (See: Metonymy)
set the sword for slaughter
Here the sword of Yahweh represents men with swords that are to attack Jerusalem. Also, the word "slaughter" can be expressed as a verb. AT: "placed soldiers armed with swords at their gates, ready to slaughter the people" (See: Metaphor and Abstract Nouns)
their gates
The word "their" refers to the people of Jerusalem.
It is made like lightning
This compares how the sword is well polished and how it reflects light to appear like lightning. AT: "My sword is polished and flashes like lightning" or "It is polished and reflects light as being like lightning" (See: Simile)
it is grasped for slaughter
The sword of Yahweh represents the men with swords that are to attack Jerusalem. AT: "released to slaughter the people" (See: Metaphor)
You, sword! Strike to the right! ... Go wherever your face is turned. For
Here Yahweh speaks to those who will attack his people as if they could hear him and as if they were a sword that they would use in the attack. He does this to emphasize that he is in control of what is happening during the attack. The phrase "wherever your face is turned" is an idiom for "wherever you desire to go." AT: "I tell those attacking with swords, 'Strike to the right! ... Attack in every direction.' For" (See: Apostrophe and Metonymy and Idiom)
hit my two hands together
"clap my hands." Here clapping hands is a sign of triumph. AT: "clap my hands in triumph" (See: Symbolic Action)
translationWords
heart
slaughter
gate
woe
Yahweh
declare
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.