Christian Standard Bible
Ezekiel 21:10
10It is sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Should we rejoice? The scepter of my son, the sword despises every tree.
Ezekiel 21:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! “ ‘Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.
- English Standard Version (ESV)sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! (Or shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, with everything of wood.)
- New King James Version (NKJV)Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning! Should we then make mirth? It despises the scepter of My son, As it does all wood.
Context of Ezekiel 21:10
8The word of the Lord came to me: 9“Son of man, prophesy, ‘This is what the Lord says! ’ You are to proclaim, ‘A sword! A sword is sharpened and also polished. It is sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Should we rejoice? The scepter of my son, the sword despises every tree. 11The sword is given to be polished, to be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened, and it is polished, to be put in 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 given over to the sword with my people. Therefore strike your thigh in grief.
Read all of Ezekiel 21Ezekiel 21:10 word by word
לְמַ֨עַן טְבֹ֤חַ טֶ֙בַח֙ הוּחַ֔דָּה לְמַעַן־הֱיֵה־לָ֥הּ בָּ֖רָק מֹרָ֑טָּה א֣וֹ נָשִׂ֔ישׂ שֵׁ֥בֶט בְּנִ֖י מֹאֶ֥סֶת כָּל־עֵֽץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- It is sharpenedחָדַדchâdad · be sharpH2300
- to make a soreטֶ֫בַחţebach · slaughterH2874
- slaughterטָבַחţâbach · to slaughterH2873
- it is furbishedמוֹרָטmôrâţ · make smoothH4178
- that it may glitterבָּרָקbârâq · lightningH1300
- shouldאוֹ'ô 'av · orH176
- we then make mirthשׂוּשׂώûώ ώîyώ · to rejoiceH7797
- it contemnethמָאַסmâ'as · to rejectH3988
- the rodשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribe: staffH7626
- of my sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- every treeעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
Cross-references for Ezekiel 21:10
- Jeremiah 46:4Harness the horses; mount the steeds; take your positions with helmets on! Polish the lances; put on armor!
- Nahum 3:3Charging horseman, flashing sword, shining spear; heaps of slain, mounds of corpses, dead bodies without end — they stumble over their dead.
- Habakkuk 3:11Sun and moon stand still in their lofty residence, at the flash of your flying arrows, at the brightness of your shining spear.
- Esther 3:15The couriers left, spurred on by royal command, and the law was issued in the fortress of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, while the city of Susa was in confusion.
- Ecclesiastes 3:4a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;
- Isaiah 5:12At their feasts they have lyre, harp, tambourine, flute, and wine. They do not perceive the Lord’s actions, and they do not see the work of his hands.
- Isaiah 22:12On that day the Lord God of Armies called for weeping, for wailing, for shaven heads, and for the wearing of sackcloth.
- Amos 6:3You dismiss any thought of the evil day and bring in a reign of violence.
- Nahum 1:10For they will be consumed like entangled thorns, like the drink of a drunkard and like straw that is fully dry.
- Luke 21:34“Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly
- Ezekiel 19:11It had strong branches, fit for the scepters of rulers; its height towered among the clouds. So it was conspicuous for its height as well as its many branches.
- Ezekiel 20:47and say to the forest there, ‘Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord God says: I am about to ignite a fire in you, and it will devour every green tree and every dry tree in you. The blazing flame will not be extinguished, and every face from the south to the north will be scorched by it.
- 2 Samuel 7:14I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with a rod of men and blows from mortals.
- Psalms 2:7I will declare the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.
- Psalms 89:26He will call to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the rock of my salvation.’
- Psalms 110:5The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his anger.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 21:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10It 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, etc., have been cut down?Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8-17Verses 8-17 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-11sword, sharpened and polished: These actions prepare the weapon to be deadly and effective. Once the sword is ready, it will be given to the executioner (the one who carries out a death sentence). He will use it against God’s people.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. to make a sore slaughter--literally, "that killing it may kill." glitter--literally, "glitter as the lightning flash": flashing terror into the foe. should we ... make mirth--It is no time for levity when such a calamity is impending (Is 22:12, 13). it contemneth the rod of my son, &c.--The sword has no more respect to the trivial "rod" or scepter of Judah (Ge 49:10) than if it were any common "tree." "Tree" is the image retained from Eze 20:47…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 21:10
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Ezekiel 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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