Ezekiel 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. IT IS SHARPENED TO MAKE A SORE SLAUGHTER - literally, 'that killing it may kill.' IT IS FURBISHED THAT IT MAY GLITTER - literally, glitter as the lightning-flash: flashing terror into the foe. SHOULD WE THEN MAKE MIRTH? - it is no time for levity when such a calamity is impending (Isaiah 22:12). IT CONTEMNETH THE ROD OF MY SON, AS EVERY TREE. The sword has no more respect to the trivial "rod" or sceptre of Judah () than if it were any common "tree." "Tree" is the image retained from...

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....

Verse Ezekiel 21:10. _IT CONTEMNETH THE ROD OF MY SON_] "It," the sword of Nebuchadnezzar, "contemneth the rod," despises the power and influence _of my son_-Israel, the Jewish people: "Out of Egypt have I called MY SON." AS _EVERY TREE._] As all the _stocks_, kindreds, and nations, over which I have already given him commission. Can the _rod of Israel_ be spared, when the _trees of Assyria, Egypt_, c., have been cut down?...

The second word of judgment: the glittering and destroying sword. The passage may be called the “Lay of the Sword;” it is written in the form of Hebrew poetry, with its characteristic parallelism. Ezekiel 21:10 IT CONTEMNETH THE ROD OF MY SON, AS EVERY TREE - The rod is the scepter of dominion, assigned to Judah Genesis 49:10. The destroying sword of Babylon despises the scepter of Judah; it despises every tree. Others render the verse, “Shall we make mirth” (saying), “the rod of my son,” (the rod which corrects my people) “contemneth” (treats with scorn, utterly confounds) “every tree” (every other nation); or, the scepter of my people “contemneth” (proudly despises) every other nation. Proud as the people are, they shall be broug

EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 21:2, EZEKIEL 21:3 The opening words, reproducing those of Ezekiel 20:46, indicate that the interpretation of that parable is coming. So the three variants of "south" are shown to mean respectively Jerusalem, the holy places, and the land of Israel. So, in Ezekiel 20:3, the RIGHTEOUS and the WICKED take the place of the "green" and the "dry" tree, and the fire is explained as meaning the sword of the invader. The teaching of Ezekiel

IT IS SHARPENED TO MAKE A SORE SLAUGHTER,.... To cut easily, and wound deeply, and make a slaughter of men, like beasts for sacrifice; a sacrifice to the justice of God for their sins, and so acceptable to him; and it is he indeed that sharpens it, or prepares the instruments of his vengeance, whether Chaldeans, or Romans, or both; and gives them might and courage to execute his will with great keenness of wrath and fury: IT IS FURBISHED THAT IT MAY GLITTER; and so strike terror on those against whom it is drawn, and for whom it is prepared, as glittering armour does: SHOULD WE THEN MAKE MIRTH? sing, and dance, and feast, and indulge ourselves in all kind of mirth and jollity, when this is the case, a drawn, sharp, glittering sword hangs over our heads? no, surely! there is good reason for you to lament and sigh, as I do; you ask me the reason of it, this is it; is there not a cause? t...

Ezekiel 21:1. A solemn message is given to the prophet: “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.” It was to be a widespread judgment, against all flesh. Ezekiel was commanded to sigh with bitterness before their eyes and was to tell them the cause of his grief (Ezekiel 21:1). The sharpening of the sword of judgment is given in Ezekiel 21:8. It was hanging over their heads, ready to strike at any moment. The question is asked, “Should we then make mirth?” is this the time of mirth, worldly pleasures and enjoyment? Not for the faithful in Israel. Nor is the present solemn time a time of mirth for those who know the signs of the times and

EZEKIEL 20:45 TO EZEKIEL 21:32. THE TERRIBLE SWORD OF NEBUCHADREZZAR. Here again, as shortly before (chs. 18f.), a piece of theological oratory is followed by a poem this time a wild irregular dithyramb (esp. Ezekiel 21:8), the text of which is, unhappily, corrupt in places to the point of desperation. But perhaps its very perplexities reflect the tumult of the prophet's soul. The nearer the doom approaches, the more vividly does he conceive it. EZEKIEL 20:5. He begins by announcing a supernatural conflagration in the south, which is to scorch the land bare. On Ezekiel's audience objecting to his allegorical descript

MAKE. SORE SLAUGHTER. Figure of speech _Polyptbton_ (App-6), for emphasis. Hebrew to slay. slaughter. GLITTER. flash as lightning. SHOULD WE THEN MAKE MIRTH? or, "should we flourish [the sceptre of My son (i.e. of Judah? " IT, &c. i.e. "Jehovah's sword despiseth the [wooden] sceptre of My son (i.e. Judah), as [it despiseth] every tree". The Ellipsis is to be thus supplied. ROD. sceptre....

Ezekiel 20:45 to Ezekiel 21:32. The avenging sword of the Lord The passage Ezekiel 20:45-49 belongs to ch. 21 (as in Heb.). The time to which the chapter is to be assigned is the early period of Nebuchadnezzar's movements westwards. The prophet foresees the coming desolation of Israel by the conqueror, which he expresses under the figure of a devouring fire, consuming all indiscriminately. The passage has two divisions, ch. Ezekiel 20:45 to Ezekiel 21:27, and...