Ezekiel 21:3

And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked. I ... WILL CUT OFF FROM THEE THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED - not contradictory of ; , and . Ezekiel here views the mere outward aspect of the indiscriminate universality of the national calamity. But really the same captivity to the "righteous" would prove a blessing, as a wholesome discipline, which to the "wicked" would be an unmitigated punishment. The godly were sealed with a mark (), not for outward exemption from the common calamity. but as marked for the secr...

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 21:3. _BEHOLD, I AM_ AGAINST _THEE_] Dismal news! When God is _against us_, who can be _for us_? _AND WILL DRAW FORTH MY SWORD_] War. _AND WILL CUT OFF FROM THEE_] The land of Judea. _THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED._] All shall be _removed from thee_. Some shall be _cut off_-removed by the _sword_; shall be slain in _battle_, or by the _pestilence_; and some shall be _cut off_ - die by the _famine_; and some shall be _cut off_ - removed from the land by _captivity_. Now, among the two latter classes there might be _many_ _righteous_ as well as _wicked_. And when all the provisions were consumed, so that there was no more bread in the city, during the siege by Nebuchadnezzar, the righteous must have suf

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

AND SAY TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL,.... The inhabitants of it, signified by the "forest of the south field", Ezekiel 20:47: THUS SAITH THE LORD, BEHOLD, I AM AGAINST THEE; and sad it is to have the Lord against a people, a nation, a city, or a family, or a particular person; for there is no contending with him, or standing before him; there is always a reason for it, it is for sin when God is against a people, even his own professing people: AND WILL DRAW FORTH MY SWORD OUT OF HIS SHEATH; bring the Chaldean army out of Babylon; which interprets what is meant by the "fire" he would kindle in the land of Israel, Ezekiel 20:47, namely, the sword of the enemy, which he would bring upon it; or war, with all its desolating train of judgments: and will cut off

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

BEHOLD. Figure of speech _Asterismos._ App-6. DRAW FORTH MY SWORD, See note on Ezekiel 5:2; Ezekiel 5:17, and Ezekiel 12:14. THE RIGHTEOUS, &c. Therefore Ezekiel 18:2; Ezekiel 18:3, is not yet ful filled, but corresponds with the green tree and the dry of Ezekiel 20:47. THE RIGHTEOUS. a righteous one. THE WICKED. a lawless one. Heb, _rasha'._ App-44....

Ezekiel 21:1-5. These verses, though still figurative, are plainer than the preceding, of which they furnish the explanation. The sword of the Lord is drawn finally from its sheath, to which it shall not return (Ezekiel 21:5); it is drawn against Jerusalem and its sanctuaries (Ezekiel 21:2); it shall slay indiscriminately righteous and wicked (Ezekiel 21:3, cf. Ezekiel 20:47), and all flesh shall know that it is the sword of the Lord, and that it is his hand that wields it (Eze

AND SAY TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL— The prophet addresses Jerusalem and Judaea, his face turned towards them, and speaks to them as if they were present. Instead of, _will cut off from thee,_ Houbigant reads, _will take away_ or _carry off from thee;_ and he reads the fourth verse thus; _Because thou hast taken away the righteous as well as the wicked from thee; therefore,_ &c. The plain meaning is, that the just as well as the wicked should be involved in the same common calamity, and should be carried away into captivity together; which we know was the case....