Ezekiel 21:4

Ezekiel 21:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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:
• New International Version (NIV)Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall be drawn from its sheath against all flesh from south to north.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north,

Context of Ezekiel 21:4

2‘Son of man, look towards Jerusalem. Speak about the things in my holy place that are wrong. Speak my message to warn the people of Israel. 3Say to them, “This is what the Lord says: I am now your enemy. I will take my sword in my hand. I will use it to kill both righteous people and wicked people. I will remove righteous people and wicked people from among you. So I will use my sword to attack everyone in the land, from the north to the south. 5Then all the people will know that I am the Lord. I am the one who is punishing them with my sword. And I will not put it back in its place.” 6So now, son of man, cry aloud. Let the people see how sad and upset you are.

Ezekiel 21:4 word by word

יַ֛עַן אֲשֶׁר־הִכְרַ֥תִּי מִמֵּ֖ךְ צַדִּ֣יק וְרָשָׁ֑ע לָ֠כֵן תֵּצֵ֨א חַרְבִּ֧י מִתַּעְרָ֛הּ אֶל־כָּל־בָּשָׂ֖ר מִנֶּ֥גֶב צָפֽוֹן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Seeingיַעַןya‛an · becauseH3282
• then that I will cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
• from thee the righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
• and the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
• therefore shall my swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• go forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
• out of his sheathתַּ֫עַרta‛ar · razorH8593
• against all fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
• from the southנֶ֫גֶבnegeb · southH5045
• to the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828

Cross-references for Ezekiel 21:4

• Ezekiel 6:11This is what I, the Almighty Lord, say to you, Ezekiel: ‘Clap your hands together. Stamp on the ground with your feet. Show that you are very upset because of all the disgusting, evil things that Israel's people have done. War, famine and disease will kill them.
• Ezekiel 7:2‘Son of man, this is what I, the Almighty Lord, say to the land of Israel: The end is now here! I will soon destroy the whole land.
• Ezekiel 20:47Say to those forests, “Listen to this message from the Lord. This is what the Almighty Lord says: Listen! I will start a fire to burn you. The fire will destroy all the green trees and all the dry trees. Nobody will be able to stop that fire. From the dry land in the south, all the way to the north, the fire will burn everything.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 21:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4From the south to the north - The whole land shall be ravaged from one end to the other.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The righteous and the wicked - take the place of “every green tree and every dry tree” Ezekiel 20:47; “all faces” that of “all flesh:” to show the universality of the destructions. National judgment involves the innocent in the temporal ruin of the guilty. The equity of God is vindicated by the ruin being only temporal. From the south to the north - From one end of the holy land to the other; the seer is in the north, and looks at once on the whole extent…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-5The Lord himself was the true enemy Israel needed to fear. He was about to bring a complete judgment against them. Normally, people expect the righteous to escape judgment and the wicked to receive it. This contrast is like the green tree and the dry tree in the parable (Ezekiel 20:47–48). God’s judgment on sin would be like a very hot fire. It would burn everything it touched.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. The "sword" did not, literally, slay all; but the judgments of God by the foe swept through the land "from the south to the north."Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 21:4

• Judgments

In the dictionaries

• Parting
• Privy
• Sword

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