Christian Standard Bible
Ezekiel 21:14
14“So you, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands together: Let the sword strike two times, even three. It is a sword for massacre, a sword for great massacre — it surrounds them!
Ezekiel 21:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)“So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"As for you, son of man, prophesy. Clap your hands and let the sword come down twice, yes, three times, the sword for those to be slain. It is the sword for the great slaughter, which surrounds them,
- New King James Version (NKJV)“You therefore, son of man, prophesy, And strike your hands together. The third time let the sword do double damage. It is the sword that slays, The sword that slays the great men, That enters their private chambers.
Context of Ezekiel 21:14
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. 13Surely it will be a trial! And what if the sword despises even the scepter? The scepter will not continue.” This is the declaration of the Lord God. “So you, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands together: Let the sword strike two times, even three. It is a sword for massacre, a sword for great massacre — it surrounds them! 15I have appointed a sword for slaughter at all their gates, so that their hearts may melt and many may stumble. Yes! It is ready to flash like lightning; it is drawn for slaughter. 16Slash to the right; turn to the left — wherever your blade is directed.
Read all of Ezekiel 21Ezekiel 21:14 word by word
וְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֔ם הִנָּבֵ֕א וְהַ֖ךְ כַּ֣ף אֶל־כָּ֑ף וְתִכָּפֵ֞ל חֶ֤רֶב שְׁלִישִׁ֙תָה֙ חֶ֣רֶב חֲלָלִ֔ים הִ֗יא חֶ֚רֶב חָלָ֣ל הַגָּד֔וֹל הַחֹדֶ֖רֶת לָהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thou therefore, sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- of manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- prophesyנָבָאnâbâ' · to prophesyH5012
- and smiteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
- handsכַּףkaph · palmH3709
- and let the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- be doubledכָּפַלkâphal · to doubleH3717
- the thirdשְׁלִישִׁיshelîyshîy · thirdH7992
- of the slainחָלָלchâlâl · slain: killedH2491
- of the greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- which entereth into their privy chambersחָדַרchâdar · to surroundH2314
Cross-references for Ezekiel 21:14
- Ezekiel 21:17I also will clap my hands together, and I will satisfy my wrath. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
- Ezekiel 6:11“This is what the Lord God says: Clap your hands, stamp your feet, and cry out over all the evil and detestable practices of the house of Israel, who will fall by the sword, famine, and plague.
- Numbers 24:10Then Balak became furious with Balaam, struck his hands together, and said to him, “I summoned you to put a curse on my enemies, but instead, you have blessed them these three times.
- Leviticus 26:21“If you act with hostility toward me and are unwilling to obey me, I will multiply your plagues seven times for your sins.
- 2 Kings 24:1During Jehoiakim’s reign, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon attacked. Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years, and then he turned and rebelled against him.
- 2 Kings 25:1In the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon advanced against Jerusalem with his entire army. They laid siege to the city and built a siege wall against it all around.
- Daniel 3:19Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times more than was customary,
- Ezekiel 8:12He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his idol? For they are saying, ‘The Lord does not see us. The Lord has abandoned the land.’”
- 1 Kings 20:30The ones who remained fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall fell on those twenty-seven thousand remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled and went into an inner room in the city.
- 1 Kings 22:25Micaiah replied, “You will soon see when you go to hide in an inner chamber on that day.”
- Amos 9:2If they dig down to Sheol, from there my hand will take them; if they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 21:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Let the sword be doubled the third time - The sword has been doubled, and it shall come the third time. Nebuchadnezzar came against Judea Thrice. Against Jehoiakim. Against Jeconiah. Against Zedekiah. The sword had already been doubled; it is to come now the third time, i.e., against Zedekiah. The sword of the slain - חללים חרב chereb chalalim, "the sword of the soldiers," of the Chaldeans. So in the next clause, הגדול חלל חרב היא hi chereb chalal…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. 14-17As the Lord's representative, Ezekiel was to clap his hands in a threatening way and wave the sword three times. This action symbolized the complete massacre to come. There would be no place to escape. No one could hide from the sword of judgment. When the Lord was ready to act, he would destroy his people. In this way, he would satisfy his fury (his burning anger). They would be filled with terror. Their courage would disappear.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. smite ... hands together--(Nu 24:10), indicative of the indignant fury with which God will "smite" the people. sword ... doubled the third time--referring to the threefold calamity:--(1) The taking of Zedekiah (to whom the "rod," or scepter, may refer); (2) the taking of the city; (3) the removal of all those who remained with Gedaliah. "Doubled" means "multiplied" or "repeated." The stroke shall be doubled and even trebled. of the slain--that is, by…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 21:14
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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