English Standard Version
Ezekiel 21:14
14"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,
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Son of man, prophesy to them and clap your hands. Then take the sword and brandish it twice, even three times, to symbolize the great massacre, the great massacre facing them on every side.
Context of Ezekiel 21:14
12Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people. It is against all the princes of Israel. They are delivered over to the sword with my people. Strike therefore upon your thigh. 13For it will not be a testing—what could it do if you despise the rod?" declares the Lord God. "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, 15that their hearts may melt, and many stumble. At all their gates I have given the glittering sword. Ah, it is made like lightning; it is taken up for slaughter. 16Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face 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, and I will satisfy my fury; I the Lord have spoken."
- Ezekiel 6:11Thus says the Lord God: "Clap your hands and stamp your foot and say, Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.
- Numbers 24:10And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times.
- Leviticus 26:21"Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins.
- 2 Kings 24:1In his days, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant for three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him.
- 2 Kings 25:1And in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem and laid siege to it. And they built siegeworks all around it.
- Daniel 3:19Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated.
- Ezekiel 8:12Then he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, 'The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.'"
- 1 Kings 20:30And the rest fled into the city of Aphek, and the wall fell upon 27,000 men who were left. Ben-hadad also fled and entered an inner chamber in the city.
- 1 Kings 22:25And Micaiah said, "Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself."
- Amos 9:2"If they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand 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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