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Ezekiel 20-21
New English Translation

Israel’s Rebellion

20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month,[a] some of the elders[b] of Israel came to seek[c] the Lord, and they sat down in front of me. 2 The Lord’s message came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me,[d] declares the Sovereign Lord.’ 4 Are you willing to pronounce judgment on them?[e] Are you willing to pronounce judgment, son of man? Then confront them with the abominable practices of their fathers, 5 and say to them:

“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel I swore[f] to the descendants[g] of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore[h] to them, “I am the Lord your God.” 6 On that day I swore[i] to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land that I had picked out[j] for them, a land flowing with milk and honey,[k] the most beautiful of all lands. 7 I said to them, “Each of you must get rid of the detestable idols you keep before you,[l] and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.” 8 But they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me; no one got rid of their detestable idols,[m] nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out[n] my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 I acted for the sake of my reputation,[o] so that I would not be profaned before the nations among whom they lived,[p] before whom I revealed myself by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.[q]

10 “‘So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them to the wilderness. 11 I gave them my statutes[r] and revealed my regulations to them. The one[s] who carries[t] them out will live by them![u] 12 I also gave them my Sabbaths[v] as a reminder of our relationship,[w] so that they would know that I, the Lord, sanctify them.[x] 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not follow my statutes and they rejected my regulations (the one who obeys them will live by them), and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out[y] my rage on them in the wilderness and destroy them.[z] 14 I acted for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 15 I also swore[aa] to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them to the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 16 I did this[ab] because they rejected my regulations, did not follow my statutes, and desecrated my Sabbaths; for their hearts followed their idols.[ac] 17 Yet I had pity on[ad] them and did not destroy them, so I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

18 “‘But I said to their children[ae] in the wilderness, “Do not follow the practices of your fathers; do not observe their regulations,[af] nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God; follow my statutes, observe my regulations, and carry them out. 20 Treat my Sabbaths as holy[ag] and they will be a reminder of our relationship,[ah] and then you will know that I am the Lord your God.” 21 But the children[ai] rebelled against me, did not follow my statutes, did not observe my regulations by carrying them out (the one who obeys[aj] them will live by them), and desecrated my Sabbaths. I decided to pour out[ak] my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I refrained from doing so[al] and acted instead for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 I also swore[am] to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.[an] 24 I did this[ao] because they did not observe my regulations, they rejected my statutes, they desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on[ap] their fathers’ idols. 25 I also gave[aq] them decrees[ar] that were not good and regulations by which they could not live. 26 I declared them to be defiled because of their sacrifices[as]—they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire[at]—so that I might devastate them, so that they would know that I am the Lord.’[au]

27 “Therefore, speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this way too your fathers blasphemed me when they were unfaithful to me. 28 I brought them to the land that I swore[av] to give them, but whenever they saw any high hill or leafy tree, they offered their sacrifices there and presented the offerings that provoked me to anger. They offered their soothing aroma there and poured out their drink offerings. 29 So I said to them, “What is this high place you go to?”’ (So it is called “High Place”[aw] to this day.)

30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers[ax] and engage in prostitution with detestable idols? 31 When you present your sacrifices[ay]—when you make your sons pass through the fire—you defile yourselves with all your idols to this very day. Will I allow you to seek me,[az] O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not allow you to seek me![ba]

32 “‘What you plan[bb] will never happen. You say, “We will be[bc] like the nations, like the clans of the lands, who serve gods of wood and stone.”[bd] 33 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm[be] and with an outpouring of rage, I will be king over you. 34 I will bring you out from the nations and will gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm and with an outpouring of rage! 35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Sovereign Lord. 37 I will make you pass under[bf] the shepherd’s staff,[bg] and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 I will eliminate from among you the rebels and those who revolt[bh] against me. I will bring them out from the land where they have been residing, but they will not come to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

39 “‘As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Each of you go and serve your idols,[bi] if you will not listen to me.[bj] But my holy name will not be profaned[bk] again by your sacrifices[bl] and your idols. 40 For there on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord, all the house of Israel will serve me, all of them[bm] in the land. I will accept them there, and there I will seek your contributions and your choice gifts, with all your holy things. 41 When I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, I will accept you along with your soothing aroma. I will display my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. 42 Then you will know that I am the Lord when I bring you to the land of Israel, to the land I swore[bn] to give to your fathers. 43 And there you will remember your conduct[bo] and all your deeds by which you defiled yourselves. You will despise yourselves[bp] because of all the evil deeds you have done. 44 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for the sake of my reputation and not according to your wicked conduct and corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Prophecy Against the South

45 (21:1)[bq] The Lord’s message came to me: 46 “Son of man, turn toward[br] the south,[bs] and speak out against the south.[bt] Prophesy against the open scrub[bu] land of the Negev, 47 and say to the scrub land of the Negev, ‘Listen to the Lord’s message! This is what the Sovereign Lord has said: Look here,[bv] I am about to start a fire in you,[bw] and it will devour every green tree and every dry tree in you. The flaming fire will not be extinguished, and the whole surface of the ground from the Negev to the north will be scorched by it. 48 And everyone[bx] will see that I, the Lord, have burned it; it will not be extinguished.’”

49 Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord! They are saying of me, ‘Does he not simply speak in eloquent figures of speech?’”

The Sword of Judgment

21 (21:6)[by] The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, turn toward[bz] Jerusalem and speak out against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel 3 and say to them,[ca] ‘This is what the Lord says: Look,[cb] I am against you.[cc] I will draw my sword[cd] from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.[ce] 4 Because I will cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked, my sword will go out from its sheath against everyone[cf] from the south[cg] to the north. 5 Then everyone will know that I am the Lord, who drew my sword from its sheath—it will not be sheathed again!’

6 “And you, son of man, groan with an aching heart[ch] and bitterness; groan before their eyes. 7 When they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you will reply, ‘Because of the report that has come. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand will be limp; everyone[ci] will faint, and every knee will be wet with urine.’[cj] Pay attention—it is coming and it will happen, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

8 The Lord’s message came to me: 9 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘A sword, a sword is sharpened,
and also polished.
10 It is sharpened for slaughter,
it is polished to flash like lightning!

“‘Should we rejoice in the scepter of my son? No! The sword despises every tree![ck]

11 “‘He gave it to be polished,
to be grasped in the hand—
the sword is sharpened, it is polished—
giving it into the hand of the executioner.
12 Cry out and moan, son of man,
for it is wielded against my people;
against all the princes of Israel.
They are delivered up to the sword, along with my people.
Therefore, strike your thigh.[cl]

13 “‘For testing will come, and what will happen when the scepter, which the sword despises, is no more?[cm] declares the Sovereign Lord.’

14 “And you, son of man, prophesy,
and clap your hands together.
Let the sword strike twice, even three times!
It is a sword for slaughter,
a sword for the great slaughter surrounding them.
15 So hearts melt with fear and many stumble.
At all their gates I have stationed the sword for slaughter.
Ah! It is made to flash, it is drawn for slaughter!
16 Cut sharply on the right!
Swing to[cn] the left,
wherever your edge[co] is appointed to strike.
17 I too will clap my hands together,
I will exhaust my rage;
I the Lord have spoken.”

18 The Lord’s message came to me: 19 “You, son of man, mark out two routes for the king of Babylon’s sword to take; both of them will originate in a single land. Make a signpost and put it at the beginning of the road leading to the city. 20 Mark out the routes for the sword to take: ‘Rabbah of the Ammonites’ and ‘Judah with Jerusalem in it.’[cp] 21 For the king of Babylon stands at the fork[cq] in the road at the head of the two routes. He looks for omens:[cr] He shakes arrows, he consults idols,[cs] he examines[ct] animal livers.[cu] 22 Into his right hand[cv] comes the portent for Jerusalem—to set up battering rams, to give the signal[cw] for slaughter, to shout out the battle cry,[cx] to set up battering rams against the gates, to erect a siege ramp, to build a siege wall. 23 But those in Jerusalem[cy] will view it as a false omen. They have sworn solemn oaths,[cz] but the king of Babylon[da] will accuse them of violations[db] in order to seize them.[dc]

24 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have brought up[dd] your own guilt by uncovering your transgressions and revealing your sins through all your actions, for this reason you will be taken by force.[de]

25 “‘As for you, profane and wicked prince of Israel,[df]
whose day has come, the time of final punishment,
26 this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
Tear off the turban;[dg]
take off the crown!
Things must change.[dh]
Exalt the lowly;
bring low the exalted![di]
27 A total ruin I will make it![dj]
Indeed, this[dk] will not be
until he comes to whom is the right, and I will give it[dl] to him.’[dm]

28 “As for you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says concerning the Ammonites and their coming humiliation:[dn]

“‘A sword, a sword drawn for slaughter,
polished to consume,[do] to flash like lightning—
29 while seeing false visions about you
and reading lying omens about you[dp]—
to place you[dq] on the necks of the profane wicked,[dr]
whose day has come,
the time of final punishment.
30 Return it to its sheath![ds]
In the place where you were created,[dt]
in your native land, I will judge you.
31 I will pour out my anger on you;
the fire of my fury I will blow on you.
I will hand you over to brutal men,
who are skilled in destruction.[du]
32 You will become fuel for the fire—
your blood will stain the middle of the land;[dv]
you will no longer be remembered,
for I, the Lord, have spoken.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 20:1 sn The date would be August 14th, 591 b.c. The seventh year is the seventh year of Jehoiachin’s exile.
  2. Ezekiel 20:1 tn Heb “men from the elders.”
  3. Ezekiel 20:1 tn See the note at 14:3.
  4. Ezekiel 20:3 tn Or “I will not reveal myself to you.”
  5. Ezekiel 20:4 tn Heb “will you judge.” Here the imperfect form of the verb is probably used with a desiderative nuance. Addressed to the prophet, “judge” means to warn of or pronounce God’s impending judgment.
  6. Ezekiel 20:5 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  7. Ezekiel 20:5 tn Heb “seed.”
  8. Ezekiel 20:5 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  9. Ezekiel 20:6 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand to them.”
  10. Ezekiel 20:6 tn Or “searched out.” The Hebrew word is used to describe the activity of the spies in “spying out” the land of Canaan (Num 13-14); cf. KJV “I had espied for them.”
  11. Ezekiel 20:6 sn The phrase “a land flowing with milk and honey,” a figure of speech describing the land’s abundant fertility, occurs in v. 15 as well as Exod 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:3; Lev 20:24; Num 13:27; Deut 6:3; 11:9; 26:9; 27:3; Josh 5:6; Jer 11:5; 32:23 (see also Deut 1:25; 8:7-9).
  12. Ezekiel 20:7 tn Heb “each one, the detestable things of his eyes, throw away.” The Pentateuch does not refer to the Israelites worshiping idols in Egypt, but Josh 24:14 appears to suggest that they did so.
  13. Ezekiel 20:8 tn Heb “each one, the detestable things of their eyes did not throw away.”
  14. Ezekiel 20:8 tn Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”
  15. Ezekiel 20:9 tn Heb “for the sake of my name.”
  16. Ezekiel 20:9 tn Heb “before the eyes of the nations in whose midst they were.”
  17. Ezekiel 20:9 tn Heb “to whom I made myself known before their eyes to bring them out from the land of Egypt.” The translation understands the infinitive construct (“to bring them out”) as indicating manner. God’s deliverance of his people from Egypt was an act of self-revelation in that it displayed his power and his commitment to his promises.
  18. Ezekiel 20:11 sn The laws were given at Mount Sinai.
  19. Ezekiel 20:11 tn Heb “the man.”
  20. Ezekiel 20:11 tn Heb “does.”
  21. Ezekiel 20:11 tn The wording and the concept are contained in Lev 18:5 and Deut 30:15-19.
  22. Ezekiel 20:12 sn Ezekiel’s contemporary, Jeremiah, also stressed the importance of obedience to the Sabbath law (Jer 17).
  23. Ezekiel 20:12 tn Heb “to become a sign between me and them.”
  24. Ezekiel 20:12 tn Or “set them apart.” The last phrase of verse 12 appears to be a citation of Exod 31:13.
  25. Ezekiel 20:13 tn Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”
  26. Ezekiel 20:13 tn Heb “to bring them to an end.”
  27. Ezekiel 20:15 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  28. Ezekiel 20:16 tn The words “I did this” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied for stylistic reasons. Verses 15-16 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. The translation divides this sentence into two for stylistic reasons.
  29. Ezekiel 20:16 tn Heb “for after their idols their heart was going.” The use of the active participle (“was going”) in the Hebrew text draws attention to the ongoing nature of their idolatrous behavior.
  30. Ezekiel 20:17 tn Heb “my eye pitied.”
  31. Ezekiel 20:18 tn Heb “sons,” reflecting the patriarchal idiom of the culture.
  32. Ezekiel 20:18 tn Or “standard of justice.” See Ezek 7:27.
  33. Ezekiel 20:20 tn Or “set apart my Sabbaths.”
  34. Ezekiel 20:20 tn Heb “and they will become a sign between me and you.”
  35. Ezekiel 20:21 tn Heb “sons.”
  36. Ezekiel 20:21 tn Or “carries them out.”
  37. Ezekiel 20:21 tn Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”
  38. Ezekiel 20:22 tn Heb “drew my hand back.” This idiom also occurs in Lam 2:8 and Ps 74:11.
  39. Ezekiel 20:23 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  40. Ezekiel 20:23 sn Though the Pentateuch does not seem to know of this episode, Ps 106:26-27 may speak of God’s oath to exile the people before they had entered Canaan.
  41. Ezekiel 20:24 tn The words “I did this” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied for stylistic reasons. Verses 23-24 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. The translation divides this sentence into two for stylistic reasons.
  42. Ezekiel 20:24 tn Or “they worshiped” (NCV, TEV, CEV); Heb “their eyes were on” or “were after” (cf. v. 16).
  43. Ezekiel 20:25 tn Or “permitted.” sn The content of the verse is shocking: that God would “give” bad decrees. This probably does not refer to the Mosaic law but to the practices of the Canaanites who were left in the land in order to test Israel. See Judg 2:20-23, the note on “decrees” here in Ezek 20:25, and the note on “pass through the fire” in v. 26.
  44. Ezekiel 20:25 tn The Hebrew term חֻקּוֹת (khuqqot; translated “statutes” elsewhere in this chapter) is normally feminine. Here Ezekiel changes the form to masculine: חֻקִּים (khuqqim). Further, they are not called “my decrees” as vv. 11 and 13 refer to “my statutes.” The change is a signal that Ezekiel is not talking about the same statutes in vv. 11 and 13, which lead to life.
  45. Ezekiel 20:26 tn Or “gifts.”
  46. Ezekiel 20:26 sn This act is prohibited in Deut 12:29-31 and Jer 7:31; 19:5; 32:35. See also 2 Kgs 21:6; 23:10. This custom indicates that the laws the Israelites were following were the disastrous laws of pagan nations (see Ezek 16:20-21).
  47. Ezekiel 20:26 sn God sometimes punishes sin by inciting the sinner to sin even more, as the biblical examples of divine hardening and deceit make clear. See Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., “Divine Hardening in the Old Testament,” BSac 153 (1996): 410-34; idem, “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 11-28. For other instances where the Lord causes individuals to act unwisely or even sinfully as punishment for sin, see 1 Sam 2:25; 2 Sam 17:14; 1 Kgs 12:15; 2 Chr 25:20.
  48. Ezekiel 20:28 tn Heb “that I lifted up my hand.”
  49. Ezekiel 20:29 tn The Hebrew word בָּמָה (bamah) means “high place.”
  50. Ezekiel 20:30 tn Heb “in the way of your fathers.”
  51. Ezekiel 20:31 tn Or “gifts.”
  52. Ezekiel 20:31 tn Or “Will I reveal myself to you?”
  53. Ezekiel 20:31 tn Or “I will not reveal myself to you.”
  54. Ezekiel 20:32 tn Heb “what comes upon your mind.”
  55. Ezekiel 20:32 tn The Hebrew could also read: “Let us be.”
  56. Ezekiel 20:32 tn Heb “serving wood and stone.” sn This verse echoes the content of 1 Sam 8:20.
  57. Ezekiel 20:33 sn This phrase occurs frequently in Deuteronomy (Deut 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 11:2; 26:8).
  58. Ezekiel 20:37 tn This is the same Hebrew verb used to describe the passing of the children through the fire.
  59. Ezekiel 20:37 sn The metaphor may be based in Lev 27:32 (see also Jer 33:13 and Matt 25:32-33). A shepherd would count his sheep as they passed beneath his staff.
  60. Ezekiel 20:38 tn See the note at 2:3.
  61. Ezekiel 20:39 sn Compare the irony here to Amos 4:4 and Jer 44:25.
  62. Ezekiel 20:39 tn Heb “and after, if you will not listen to me.” The translation leaves out “and after” for smoothness. The text is difficult. M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 1:374) suggests that it may mean “but afterwards, if you will not listen to me…” with an unspoken threat.
  63. Ezekiel 20:39 sn A similar concept may be found in Lev 18:21 and 20:3.
  64. Ezekiel 20:39 tn Or “gifts.”
  65. Ezekiel 20:40 tn Heb “all of it.”
  66. Ezekiel 20:42 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  67. Ezekiel 20:43 tn Heb “ways.”
  68. Ezekiel 20:43 tn Heb “loathe yourselves in your faces.”
  69. Ezekiel 20:45 sn Beginning with 20:45, the verse numbers through 21:32 in the English Bible differ by five from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 20:45 ET = 21:1 HT, 20:46 ET = 21:2 HT, 21:1 ET = 21:6 HT etc., through 21:32 ET = 21:37 HT. Beginning with 22:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
  70. Ezekiel 20:46 tn Heb “set your face toward.” This expression occurs as well in Ezek 6:2 and 13:17.
  71. Ezekiel 20:46 tn Or “the way toward the south,” or “the way toward Teman.” Teman is in the south and may be a location or the direction.
  72. Ezekiel 20:46 tn Or “toward Darom.” Darom may mean the south or a region just north of the southern city of Beer Sheba. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:417-18.
  73. Ezekiel 20:46 tn The Hebrew term can also mean “forest,” but a meaning of uncultivated wasteland fits the Negev region far better. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:418.
  74. Ezekiel 20:47 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  75. Ezekiel 20:47 tn Fire also appears as a form of judgment in Ezek 15:4-7 and 19:12, 14.
  76. Ezekiel 20:48 tn Heb “all flesh.”
  77. Ezekiel 21:1 sn Ezek 21:1 in the English Bible is 21:6 in the Hebrew text (BHS). See the note at 20:45.
  78. Ezekiel 21:2 tn Heb “set your face toward.”
  79. Ezekiel 21:3 tn Heb “the land of Israel.”
  80. Ezekiel 21:3 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) draws attention to something and has been translated here as a verb.
  81. Ezekiel 21:3 tn Or “I challenge you.” The phrase “I am against you” may be a formula for challenging someone to combat or a duel. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:201-2, and P. Humbert, “Die Herausforderungsformel ‘hinnenî ’êlékâ’” ZAW 45 (1933): 101-8.
  82. Ezekiel 21:3 sn This is the sword of judgment; see Isa 31:8; 34:6; 66:16.
  83. Ezekiel 21:3 sn Ezekiel elsewhere pictures the Lord’s judgment as discriminating between the righteous and the wicked (9:4-6; 18:1-20; see as well Pss 1 and 11) and speaks of the preservation of a remnant (3:21; 6:8; 12:16). Perhaps here he exaggerates for rhetorical effect in an effort to subdue any false optimism. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:25-26; D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:669-70; and W. Zimmerli, Ezekiel (Hermeneia), 1:424-25. The words do not require all the people in each category to be cut off.
  84. Ezekiel 21:4 tn Heb “all flesh” (also in the following verse).
  85. Ezekiel 21:4 tn Heb “Negev.” The Negev is the south country.
  86. Ezekiel 21:6 tn Heb “breaking loins.”
  87. Ezekiel 21:7 tn Heb “every spirit will be dim.”
  88. Ezekiel 21:7 sn This expression depicts in a very vivid way how they will be overcome with fear. See the note on the same phrase in 7:17.
  89. Ezekiel 21:10 tn Heb “Or shall we rejoice, scepter of my son? It despises every tree.” The translation understands the subject of the verb “despises,” which is a feminine form in the Hebrew text, to be the sword (which is a feminine noun) mentioned just before this. Alternatively, the line may be understood as “Let us not rejoice, O tribe of my son; it despises every tree.” The same word in Hebrew may be either “rod,” “scepter,” or “tribe.” The word sometimes translated as “or” or taken as an interrogative particle may be a negative particle. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:672, n. 79.sn The people of Judah should not place false hope in their king, symbolized by his royal scepter, for God’s judgment (symbolized by fire and then a sword) would destroy every tree (see 20:47), symbolizing the righteous and wicked (see 21:3-4).
  90. Ezekiel 21:12 sn This physical action was part of an expression of grief. Cf. Jer 31:19.
  91. Ezekiel 21:13 tn Heb “For testing (will come), and what if also a scepter it despises will not be?” The translation understands the subject of the verb “despises,” which is a feminine form in the Hebrew text, to be the sword (which is a feminine noun) mentioned in the previous verses. The text is very difficult, and any rendering is uncertain.
  92. Ezekiel 21:16 tn Heb “Put to.”
  93. Ezekiel 21:16 tn Heb “face.”
  94. Ezekiel 21:20 tc The MT reads “Judah in fortified Jerusalem,” a geographic impossibility. The translation follows the LXX, which assumes בְּתוֹכָהּ (betokhah, “in it”) for בְּצוּרָה (betsurah, “fortified”). sn As the Babylonians approached from the north, one road would branch off to the left and lead down the east side of the Jordan River to Ammon. The other road would veer to the right and lead down west of the Jordan to Jerusalem.
  95. Ezekiel 21:21 tn Heb “mother.”
  96. Ezekiel 21:21 sn Mesopotamian kings believed that the gods revealed the future through omens. They employed various divination techniques, some of which are included in the list that follows. A particularly popular technique was the examination and interpretation of the livers of animals. See R. R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel, 90-110.
  97. Ezekiel 21:21 tn This word refers to personal idols that were apparently used for divination purposes (Gen 31:19; 1 Sam 19:13, 16).
  98. Ezekiel 21:21 tn Heb “sees.”
  99. Ezekiel 21:21 tn Heb “the liver.”
  100. Ezekiel 21:22 tn Or “on the right side,” i.e., the omen mark on the right side of the liver.
  101. Ezekiel 21:22 tn Heb “to open the mouth” for slaughter.
  102. Ezekiel 21:22 tn Heb “to raise up a voice in a battle cry.”
  103. Ezekiel 21:23 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people in Jerusalem) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  104. Ezekiel 21:23 sn When the people of Judah realized the Babylonians’ intentions, they would object on grounds that they had made a treaty with the Babylonian king (see 17:13).
  105. Ezekiel 21:23 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king of Babylon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  106. Ezekiel 21:23 tn Or “iniquity.”
  107. Ezekiel 21:23 tn Heb “and he will remind of guilt to be captured.” The king would counter their objections by pointing out that they had violated their treaty with him (see 17:18), thus justifying their capture.
  108. Ezekiel 21:24 tn Heb “caused to be remembered.”
  109. Ezekiel 21:24 tn Heb “Because you have brought to remembrance your guilt when your transgressions are uncovered so that your sins are revealed in all your deeds—because you are remembered, by the hand you will be seized.”
  110. Ezekiel 21:25 tn This probably refers to King Zedekiah.
  111. Ezekiel 21:26 tn Elsewhere in the Bible the turban is worn by priests (Exod 28:4, 37, 39; 29:6; 39:28, 31; Lev 8:9; 16:4), but here a royal crown is in view.
  112. Ezekiel 21:26 tn Heb “This not this.”
  113. Ezekiel 21:26 tn Heb “the high one.”
  114. Ezekiel 21:27 tn Heb “A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I will make it.” The threefold repetition of the noun “ruin” is for emphasis and draws attention to the degree of ruin that would take place. See IBHS 233 §12.5a and GKC 431-32 §133.k. The pronominal suffix (translated “it”) on the verb “make” is feminine in Hebrew. The probable antecedent is the “turban/crown” (both nouns are feminine in form) mentioned in verse 26. The point is that the king’s royal splendor would be completely devastated as judgment overtook his realm and brought his reign to a violent end.
  115. Ezekiel 21:27 tn The pronoun “this” is feminine, while the following negated verb (“will not be”) is masculine. Some emend the verb to a feminine form (see BHS), In this case the statement refers to the destiny of the king's turban crown (symbolizing his reign). See the previous note. It ultimately denotes kingship in Israel, as with “not this” in v. 26.
  116. Ezekiel 21:27 tn Horace D. Hummel, Ezekiel (Concordia Commentary), 2:642, states that the suffixed object of the Hebrew verb for “give” (נָתַן, natan) can be indirect: “to him,” while the direct object (“it”) is understood from the preceding “right.” However, a more likely candidate for the understood object would be “this,” the turban/crown and the kingship it implies. The one who comes already has the “right.”
  117. Ezekiel 21:27 tn Hummel, Ezekiel, 2:658, states that “very early” interpreters saw similarity between this verse and Gen 49:10. Early Christian scholars like Jerome interpreted Ezek 21:27 of Jesus Christ, as did the majority of Christian scholars until rather recent times. The phrase “until he comes to whom it belongs” in Gen 49:10 resembles the words here. “Until” and “comes” are the same in both verses. In both verses there follows a relative pronoun like “who,” the preposition “to,” a prepositional object “him,” and an understood linking verb “is.” An allusion would favor those Hebrew words having the same meaning in both verses, with “right, legal claim” as the sense for מִשְׁפָּט, (mishpat) rather than “judgment,” since it is more compatible with an allusion. sn A popular alternative view of this verse takes “right” as “judgment,” views the one who comes as Nebuchadnezzar, and translates “until” (עַד, ‘ad) as “when.” The basis for this unique translation of עַד (which rarely can mean “while”) is that here it would refer to the period during which the devastation is realized rather than to its termination point. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:19, 21. Ezekiel often has מִשְׁפָּט as “judgment” and does not use it elsewhere as “right.” God promises to “give” “judgment” to the Babylonians in 23:24, as he would here. However, “right” is a normal sense for מִשְׁפָּט, and even most who see Nebuchadnezzar as the one who comes find an allusion to Gen 49:10 here, though inverted. However, this verse can alter the idea of Gen 49:10 even without Allen’s view, since Gen 49:10 promises that the scepter will not depart from Judah until the Messiah comes, while Ezek 21:27 promises that the royal turban/crown will be a ruin until Messiah comes. Robert W. Jenson, Ezekiel (Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible), 173, favors the traditional view “because of the eschatological rhetoric of the whole poem,” adding that “ending merely with Nebuchadnezzar would be a poetically disastrous anticlimax.” For Ezek 34:23-24 and 37:22, 24-25 promise the restoration of Davidic kingship in the Messiah.
  118. Ezekiel 21:28 tn Heb “their reproach.”
  119. Ezekiel 21:28 tn Heb “to contain, endure,” from כוּל (khul). Since that sense is difficult here, most take the text to read either “to consume” or “for destruction.” GKC 186 §68.i suggests that the form represents the Hiphil of אָכַל (’akhal, “consume”). The ’alef (א) would have dropped out, as it sometimes does and might do with אָכַל in Ezek 42:5. D. I. Block (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:693) prefers seeing כוּל as a byform of כָּלָה (kalah, “be complete”), with a meaning like “consume” in the Hiphil. The weakness of Block’s suggestion is that כָּלָה does not elsewhere exhibit a Hiphil.
  120. Ezekiel 21:29 tn Heb “in the seeing concerning you falsehood, in divining concerning you a lie.” This probably refers to the attempts of the Ammonites to ward off judgment through prophetic visions and divination.
  121. Ezekiel 21:29 tn The antecedent for you is the sword mentioned in v. 28.
  122. Ezekiel 21:29 sn The second half of the verse appears to state that the sword of judgment would fall upon the wicked Ammonites, despite their efforts to prevent it.
  123. Ezekiel 21:30 sn Once the Babylonian king’s sword (vv. 19-20) has carried out its assigned task, the Lord commands a halt. The resheathed sword will return to the land where it was created, and there itself face judgment. The pronouns continue to be second person feminine singular. The sword figuratively represents the Babylonian nation, whose land is the locus of judgment.
  124. Ezekiel 21:30 tn In the Hebrew text of vv. 30-32 the second person verbal and pronominal forms are generally feminine singular. This continues the address of the personified Babylonian sword from verse 29 (the Hebrew word for “sword” is feminine). “Return” is masculine, either due to the Hebrew preference for the masculine gender, or to the fact that soldiers were men.
  125. Ezekiel 21:31 sn The imagery of blowing on the sword with fire and putting it in the hands of skillful men can evoke the work of smithies.
  126. Ezekiel 21:32 tn Heb “your blood will be in the middle of the land.” sn This can be the blood that covered the sword in its great slaughter (v. 14), figuratively representing the end of Babylon. The pronouns are still second person feminine singular.
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Ezekiel 20-21
New International Version

Rebellious Israel Purged

20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire(A) of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.(B)

2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders(C) of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire(D) of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.(E)’

4 “Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors(F) 5 and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose(G) Israel, I swore with uplifted hand(H) to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.(I)” 6 On that day I swore(J) to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey,(K) the most beautiful of all lands.(L) 7 And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images(M) you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols(N) of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.(O)”

8 “‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me;(P) they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt.(Q) So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt.(R) 9 But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt.(S) I did it to keep my name from being profaned(T) in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites. 10 Therefore I led them out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.(U) 11 I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws, by which the person who obeys them will live.(V) 12 Also I gave them my Sabbaths(W) as a sign(X) between us,(Y) so they would know that I the Lord made them holy.(Z)

13 “‘Yet the people of Israel rebelled(AA) against me in the wilderness. They did not follow my decrees but rejected my laws(AB)—by which the person who obeys them will live—and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths.(AC) So I said I would pour out my wrath(AD) on them and destroy(AE) them in the wilderness.(AF) 14 But for the sake of my name I did what would keep it from being profaned(AG) in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out.(AH) 15 Also with uplifted hand I swore(AI) to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them into the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands(AJ)— 16 because they rejected my laws(AK) and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts(AL) were devoted to their idols.(AM) 17 Yet I looked on them with pity and did not destroy(AN) them or put an end to them in the wilderness. 18 I said to their children in the wilderness, “Do not follow the statutes of your parents(AO) or keep their laws or defile yourselves(AP) with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God;(AQ) follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.(AR) 20 Keep my Sabbaths(AS) holy, that they may be a sign(AT) between us. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.(AU)”

21 “‘But the children rebelled against me: They did not follow my decrees, they were not careful to keep my laws,(AV) of which I said, “The person who obeys them will live by them,” and they desecrated my Sabbaths. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger(AW) against them in the wilderness.(AX) 22 But I withheld(AY) my hand, and for the sake of my name(AZ) I did what would keep it from being profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 Also with uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would disperse them among the nations and scatter(BA) them through the countries, 24 because they had not obeyed my laws but had rejected my decrees(BB) and desecrated my Sabbaths,(BC) and their eyes lusted after(BD) their parents’ idols.(BE) 25 So I gave(BF) them other statutes that were not good and laws through which they could not live;(BG) 26 I defiled them through their gifts—the sacrifice(BH) of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.(BI)’

27 “Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this also your ancestors(BJ) blasphemed(BK) me by being unfaithful to me:(BL) 28 When I brought them into the land(BM) I had sworn to give them and they saw any high hill or any leafy tree, there they offered their sacrifices, made offerings that aroused my anger, presented their fragrant incense and poured out their drink offerings.(BN) 29 Then I said to them: What is this high place(BO) you go to?’” (It is called Bamah[a] to this day.)

Rebellious Israel Renewed

30 “Therefore say to the Israelites: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves(BP) the way your ancestors did and lust after their vile images?(BQ) 31 When you offer your gifts—the sacrifice of your children(BR) in the fire—you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. Am I to let you inquire of me, you Israelites? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not let you inquire of me.(BS)

32 “‘You say, “We want to be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.” But what you have in mind will never happen. 33 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will reign over you with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm(BT) and with outpoured wrath.(BU) 34 I will bring you from the nations(BV) and gather(BW) you from the countries where you have been scattered—with a mighty hand(BX) and an outstretched arm and with outpoured wrath.(BY) 35 I will bring you into the wilderness(BZ) of the nations and there, face to face, I will execute judgment(CA) upon you. 36 As I judged your ancestors in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CB) 37 I will take note of you as you pass under my rod,(CC) and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant.(CD) 38 I will purge(CE) you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(CF)

39 “‘As for you, people of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Go and serve your idols,(CG) every one of you! But afterward you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name(CH) with your gifts and idols.(CI) 40 For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel,(CJ) declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land all the people of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them. There I will require your offerings(CK) and your choice gifts,[b] along with all your holy sacrifices.(CL) 41 I will accept you as fragrant incense(CM) when I bring you out from the nations and gather(CN) you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy(CO) through you in the sight of the nations.(CP) 42 Then you will know that I am the Lord,(CQ) when I bring you into the land of Israel,(CR) the land I had sworn with uplifted hand to give to your ancestors.(CS) 43 There you will remember your conduct(CT) and all the actions by which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves(CU) for all the evil you have done.(CV) 44 You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake(CW) and not according to your evil ways and your corrupt practices, you people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.(CX)’”

Prophecy Against the South

45 The word of the Lord came to me: 46 “Son of man, set your face toward(CY) the south; preach against the south and prophesy against(CZ) the forest of the southland.(DA) 47 Say to the southern forest:(DB) ‘Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to set fire to you, and it will consume(DC) all your trees, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north(DD) will be scorched by it.(DE) 48 Everyone will see that I the Lord have kindled it; it will not be quenched.(DF)’”

49 Then I said, “Sovereign Lord,(DG) they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?(DH)’”[c]

Babylon as God’s Sword of Judgment

21 [d]The word of the Lord came to me:(DI) 2 “Son of man, set your face against(DJ) Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary.(DK) Prophesy against(DL) the land of Israel 3 and say to her: ‘This is what the Lord says: I am against you.(DM) I will draw my sword(DN) from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.(DO) 4 Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword(DP) will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.(DQ) 5 Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword(DR) from its sheath; it will not return(DS) again.’(DT)

6 “Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief.(DU) 7 And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?(DV)’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear(DW) and every hand go limp;(DX) every spirit will become faint(DY) and every leg will be wet with urine.’(DZ) It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

8 The word of the Lord came to me: 9 “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“‘A sword, a sword,
    sharpened and polished—
10 sharpened for the slaughter,(EA)
    polished to flash like lightning!

“‘Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.(EB)

11 “‘The sword is appointed to be polished,(EC)
    to be grasped with the hand;
it is sharpened and polished,
    made ready for the hand of the slayer.
12 Cry out and wail, son of man,
    for it is against my people;
    it is against all the princes of Israel.
They are thrown to the sword
    along with my people.
Therefore beat your breast.(ED)

13 “‘Testing will surely come. And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign Lord.’

14 “So then, son of man, prophesy
    and strike your hands(EE) together.
Let the sword strike twice,
    even three times.
It is a sword for slaughter—
    a sword for great slaughter,
    closing in on them from every side.(EF)
15 So that hearts may melt with fear(EG)
    and the fallen be many,
I have stationed the sword for slaughter[e]
    at all their gates.
Look! It is forged to strike like lightning,
    it is grasped for slaughter.(EH)
16 Slash to the right, you sword,
    then to the left,
    wherever your blade is turned.
17 I too will strike my hands(EI) together,
    and my wrath(EJ) will subside.
I the Lord have spoken.(EK)”

18 The word of the Lord came to me: 19 “Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword(EL) of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost(EM) where the road branches off to the city. 20 Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites(EN) and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. 21 For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He will cast lots(EO) with arrows, he will consult his idols,(EP) he will examine the liver.(EQ) 22 Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry,(ER) to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp(ES) and to erect siege works.(ET) 23 It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind(EU) them of their guilt(EV) and take them captive.

24 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do—because you have done this, you will be taken captive.

25 “‘You profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come,(EW) whose time of punishment has reached its climax,(EX) 26 this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Take off the turban, remove the crown.(EY) It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.(EZ) 27 A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come;(FA) to him I will give it.’(FB)

28 “And you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about the Ammonites(FC) and their insults:

“‘A sword,(FD) a sword,
    drawn for the slaughter,
polished to consume
    and to flash like lightning!
29 Despite false visions concerning you
    and lying divinations(FE) about you,
it will be laid on the necks
    of the wicked who are to be slain,
whose day has come,
    whose time of punishment has reached its climax.(FF)

30 “‘Let the sword return to its sheath.(FG)
    In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,(FH)
    I will judge you.
31 I will pour out my wrath on you
    and breathe(FI) out my fiery anger(FJ) against you;
I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men,
    men skilled in destruction.(FK)
32 You will be fuel for the fire,(FL)
    your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered(FM) no more;
    for I the Lord have spoken.’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 20:29 Bamah means high place.
  2. Ezekiel 20:40 Or and the gifts of your firstfruits
  3. Ezekiel 20:49 In Hebrew texts 20:45-49 is numbered 21:1-5.
  4. Ezekiel 21:1 In Hebrew texts 21:1-32 is numbered 21:6-37.
  5. Ezekiel 21:15 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
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