God’s Word Translation
Ezekiel 21:7
7When they ask you why you are groaning, say, ‘News has come that will discourage everyone. People’s hands will hang limp, their hearts will lose courage, and their knees will become as weak as water. It’s coming! It will surely take place!’ declares the Almighty Lord.”
Ezekiel 21:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord God.
- New International Version (NIV)And when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you shall say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every leg will be wet with urine.’ It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And when they say to you, 'Why do you groan?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that it is coming. Every heart will melt, and all hands will be feeble; every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming, and it will be fulfilled,'" declares the Lord God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And it shall be when they say to you, ‘Why are you sighing?’ that you shall answer, ‘Because of the news; when it comes, every heart will melt, all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water. Behold, it is coming and shall be brought to pass,’ says the Lord God.”
Context of Ezekiel 21:7
5Then everyone will know that I, the Lord, have taken my sword from its scabbard, and I will not put it back again.’ 6“So, son of man, groan with a breaking heart and with bitter crying while the people watch you. When they ask you why you are groaning, say, ‘News has come that will discourage everyone. People’s hands will hang limp, their hearts will lose courage, and their knees will become as weak as water. It’s coming! It will surely take place!’ declares the Almighty Lord.” 8The Lord spoke his word to me. He said, 9“Son of man, prophesy. Tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: A sword, a sword is sharpened and polished,
Read all of Ezekiel 21Ezekiel 21:7 word by word
וְהָיָה֙ כִּֽי־יֹאמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ עַל־מָ֖ה אַתָּ֣ה נֶאֱנָ֑ח וְאָמַרְתָּ֡ אֶל־שְׁמוּעָ֣ה כִֽי־בָאָ֡ה וְנָמֵ֣ס כָּל־לֵב֩ וְרָפ֨וּ כָל־יָדַ֜יִם וְכִהֲתָ֣ה כָל־ר֗וּחַ וְכָל־בִּרְכַּ֙יִם֙ תֵּלַ֣כְנָה מַּ֔יִם הִנֵּ֤ה בָאָה֙ וְנִֽהְיָ֔תָה נְאֻ֖ם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it shall be, when they sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto thee, Wherefore sighestאָנַח'ânach · to sighH584
- For the tidingsשְׁמוּעָהshemû‛âh · tidingsH8052
- because it comethבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- and every heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
- shall meltמָסַסmâsas · to meltH4549
- and all handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- shall be feebleרָפָהrâphâh · to slackenH7503
- and every spiritרוּחַrûach · spiritH7307
- shall faintכָּהָהkâhâh · to grow dimH3543
- and all kneesבֶּ֫רֶךְberek · kneeH1290
- shall be weakיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
- and shall be brought to passהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
- the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
- Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
Cross-references for Ezekiel 21:7
- Ezekiel 12:9“Son of man, didn’t the rebellious nation of Israel ask you what you were doing?
- Ezekiel 20:49Then I said, “Oh no! Almighty Lord, no! The people already say that I’m only telling stories.”
- Ezekiel 24:19The people asked me, “Tell us, what do these things that you are doing mean to us?”
- Ezekiel 7:26One disaster will happen after another. One rumor will follow another. People will ask for a vision from a prophet. The teachings of priests and the advice of leaders will disappear.
- 2 Kings 21:12So this is what I, the Lord God of Israel, said: I’m going to bring such a disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears about it will ring.
- Isaiah 7:2When word reached David’s family that the Arameans had made an alliance with Ephraim, the hearts of the king and his people were shaken as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
- Isaiah 28:19Each time it passes by it will take you. It will pass by morning after morning, during the day and during the night. Understanding this message brings only terror.
- Jeremiah 6:22This is what the Lord says: An army is going to come from the north. A great nation is preparing itself in the distant parts of the earth.
- Jeremiah 49:23This is a message about Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are worried because they heard the bad news. They melt in fear. They are troubled like a sea that can’t be calmed.
- Exodus 15:15The tribal leaders of Edom will be terrified. The powerful men of Moab will tremble. The people of Canaan will be deathly afraid.
- Deuteronomy 20:8The officers should also tell the troops, “If you are afraid or have lost your courage, you may go home. Then you won’t ruin the morale of the other Israelites.”
- Joshua 2:9She said to them, “I know the Lord will give you this land. Your presence terrifies us. All the people in this country are deathly afraid of you.
- Joshua 5:1All the Amorite kings west of the Jordan River and all the Canaanite kings along the Mediterranean Sea heard that the Lord had dried up the Jordan River so that the Israelites could cross. So they lost heart and had no courage left to face the people of Israel.
- 2 Samuel 17:10Even the bravest man with a heart like a lion would lose his courage, because all Israel knows that your father is a warrior and the men with him are brave.
- Nahum 2:10Nineveh is destroyed, deserted, demolished. Hearts are melting. Knees are knocking. Every stomach becomes upset. Every face turns pale.
- Job 4:3Certainly, you have instructed many people: When hands were weak, you made them strong.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 21:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Wherefore sighest thou? - The prophet was a sign unto them. His sighing and mourning showed them how they should act. All knees shall be weak as water - See the note on Ezekiel 7:17.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-7Ezekiel's groaning showed that in the coming judgment, even the bravest would feel fear and the strong would become weak. The judgment that had been announced was now a harsh reality (compare Ezekiel 7:1–4).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. The abrupt sentences and mournful repetitions imply violent emotions.Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 21:7
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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