1.
And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
the LORD . Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .
2.
Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel,
Son of man. See note on Ezekiel 2:1 .
holy. See note on Exodus 3:5 .
the land of Israel = the soil of Israel, Hebrew. 'admath Israel . See note on Ezekiel 11:17 .
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.
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 .
4.
Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
5.
That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.
it shall not return , &c.: i.e. until it has executed its mission.
6.
Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.
7.
And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD.
spirit. Hebrew. ruach, App-9 .
saith the Lord GOD = [is] Adonai Jehovah's oracle. See note on Ezekiel 2:4 .
8.
Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
9.
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
the LORD = Jehovah. App-4 . Some codices, with three early printed editions (one Rabbinic in margin), read Adonai. App-4 .
A sword , a sword. Figure of speech Epizeuxis ( App-6 ), for emphasis = a great or sharp sword.
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.
make a sore slaughter. Figure of speech Polyptbton ( App-6 ), for emphasis. Hebrew to slay a 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.
11.
And he hath give it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.
the slayer : i.e. the king of Babylon.
12.
Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.
it : i.e. the sword of Jehovah, the king of Babylon.
princes = leaders.
be = come.
terrors by , &c. = who shall be delivered to the sword with My People.
smite therefore , &c. This was the symbol of grief in man, as beating the breast was in woman.
13.
Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.
it is a trial = sit (Jehovah's sword) has been tried (or proved).
and what , &c. = and what [will happen or be the result] if [Jehovah's sword shall not despise] the [wooden] sceptre?
it shall be no more = it will not [despise it.
saith the Lord GOD = [is] Adonai Jehovah's oracle.
14.
Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together, and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their privy chambers.
smite thine hands together , &c. A sign of disappointment or grief in men. Reference to Pentateuch (Numbers 24:10 ).
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.
their ruins = the overthrown. So the Septuagint and Syriac. Compare Jeremiah 18:23 .
bright = bright as lightning.
wrapped up keen, or sharp.
16.
Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.
Go thee . Figure of speech Apostrophe. App-6 . Addressedto the sword.
thee : i.e. the sword. Not Ezekiel. It is feminine, not masculine: = Go to the right, turn to the left: or, One stroke to the right, another to the left, &c.
thy face = thine edge.
17.
I will also smite mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the LORD have said it.
I will also smite , &c. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6 .
18.
The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
19.
Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both twain shall come forth out of one land: and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city.
that the sword . . . may come = for the sword to come.
both twain = the two ways.
choose thou a place = grave a hand: i.e. set up a
sign = post.
20.
Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.
21.
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.
stood = bath come to a stand.
to use divination = to divine a divination.
made his arrows bright = hath shaken his arrows. This was one of the modes of divination by which the arrow (marked like a lot), gave the decision.
images = teraphim.
looked in , &c. = inspected the liver; another mode of divination. It healthy or double and the lobes inclined inward, the omen was favourable; but if diseased or too dry, or without a lobe or a band between the parts, the omen was unfavourable.
22.
At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.
appoint captains = set up battering-rams. Compare Ezekiel 4:2 .
the mouth in the slaughter = a hole by a breach.
shouting = a war shout.
and. Some codices, with four early printed editions (one Rabbinic in margin), Aramaean, Septuagint, and Syriac, read this "and" in the text.
a fort = a siege wall.
23.
And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.
them : i.e. Zedekiah and the rulers in Jerusalem. sworn oaths. Referring to Zedekiah's reacherous breach of faith with the king of Babylon. See Ezekiel 17:11-21 .
iniquity = treachery. Hebrew. 'avdh . App-44 .
24.
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.
transgressions = rebellion (plural of Majesty) = great rebellion. Hebrew. pasha'. App-44 .
sins . Hebrew. chata '. App-44 . plural of Majesty = great sin.
with the hand = captured, or made captives.
25.
And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end,
profane = pierced through: i.e. deadly wounded
one . Zedekiah a type of the future Antichrist. Compare Revelation 13:3 .
wicked = lawless. Hebrew. rasha . App-44 . x,
iniquity . . . an end. Figure of speech Hypallage . App-8 , Hebrew "iniquity of the end" = an end
of the iniquity. Hebrew. 'avah , as in Ezekiel 21:23 .
26.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.
be the same: or, endure. They might exalt and abase. but Jehovah would not recognise it.
27.
I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.
overturn, &c. Figure of speech Epizeuxis ( App-6 ), for great emphasis.
until He come: i.e. the promised Messiah Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 49:10 ). App-92 . See Isaiah 9:6 , Isaiah 9:7 ; Isaiah 42:1 .Jeremiah 23:5 ; Jeremiah 33:17 . Zechariah 6:12 , Zechariah 6:13 , &c.
28.
And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering:
their reproach. Brought against Jerusalem. See Jeremiah 49:1 .Zephaniah 2:8 .
to consume = that when it beginneth it may flash like lightning.
29.
Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.
the wicked = wicked ones (plural) their. Refers to "them" (Ezekiel 21:23 ).
30.
Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity.
31.
And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee, I will blow against thee in the fire of my wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, and skilful to destroy.
men. Hebrew, plural of 'enosh. App-14 .
32.
Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.