New English Translation
Ezekiel 21:22
22Into his right hand comes the portent for Jerusalem – to set up battering rams, to give the signal for slaughter, to shout out the battle cry, to set up battering rams against the gates, to erect a siege ramp, to build a siege wall.
Ezekiel 21:22 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.
- New International Version (NIV)Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry, to set battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp and to erect siege works.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Into his right hand comes the divination for Jerusalem, to set battering rams, to open the mouth with murder, to lift up the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to build siege towers.
- New King James Version (NKJV)In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to lift the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a wall.
Context of Ezekiel 21:22
20Mark out the routes for the sword to take: “Rabbah of the Ammonites” and “Judah with Jerusalem in it.” 21For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road at the head of the two routes. He looks for omens: He shakes arrows, he consults idols, he examines animal livers. Into his right hand comes the portent for Jerusalem – to set up battering rams, to give the signal for slaughter, to shout out the battle cry, to set up battering rams against the gates, to erect a siege ramp, to build a siege wall. 23But those in Jerusalem will view it as a false omen. They have sworn solemn oaths, but the king of Babylon will accuse them of violations in order to seize them. 24“Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: ‘Because you have brought up your own guilt by uncovering your transgressions and revealing your sins through all your actions, for this reason you will be taken by force.
Read all of Ezekiel 21Ezekiel 21:22 word by word
בִּֽימִינ֞וֹ הָיָ֣ה׀ הַקֶּ֣סֶם יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם לָשׂ֤וּם כָּרִים֙ לִפְתֹּ֤חַ פֶּה֙ בְּרֶ֔צַח לְהָרִ֥ים ק֖וֹל בִּתְרוּעָ֑ה לָשׂ֤וּם כָּרִים֙ עַל־שְׁעָרִ֔ים לִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ סֹלְלָ֖ה לִבְנ֥וֹת דָּיֵֽק׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- At his right handיָמִיןyâmîyn · rightH3225
- was the divinationקֶ֫סֶםqesem · divinationH7081
- for Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
- to appointשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
- captainsכַּרkar · ramH3733
- to openפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
- the mouthפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
- in the slaughterרֶ֫צַחretsach · shatteringH7524
- to lift upרוּםrûm · to exaltH7311
- the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
- with shoutingתְּרוּעָהterû‛âh · shoutH8643
- against the gatesשַׁ֫עַרsha‛ar · gateH8179
- to castשָׁפַךְshâphak · to pour: build siege moundH8210
- a mountסֹלְלָהsôlelâh sôlelâh · moundH5550
- to buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
- a fortדָּיֵקdâyêq · siegeworkH1785
Cross-references for Ezekiel 21:22
- Ezekiel 4:2Lay siege to it! Build siege works against it. Erect a siege ramp against it! Post soldiers outside it and station battering rams around it.
- Exodus 32:17When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “It is the sound of war in the camp!”
- Joshua 6:10Now Joshua had instructed the army, “Do not give a battle cry or raise your voices; say nothing until the day I tell you, ‘Give the battle cry.’ Then give the battle cry!”
- 1 Samuel 17:20So David got up early in the morning and entrusted the flock to someone else who would watch over it. After loading up, he went just as Jesse had instructed him. He arrived at the camp as the army was going out to the battle lines shouting its battle cry.
- Job 39:25At the sound of the trumpet, it says, ‘Aha!’ And from a distance it catches the scent of battle, the thunderous shouting of commanders, and the battle cries.
- Jeremiah 51:14The Lord who rules over all has solemnly sworn, ‘I will fill your land with enemy soldiers. They will swarm over it like locusts. They will raise up shouts of victory over it.’
- Jeremiah 32:24Even now siege ramps have been built up around the city in order to capture it. War, starvation, and disease are sure to make the city fall into the hands of the Babylonians who are attacking it. Lord, you threatened that this would happen. Now you can see that it is already taking place.
- Jeremiah 33:4For I, the Lord God of Israel, have something more to say about the houses in this city and the royal buildings which have been torn down for defenses against the siege ramps and military incursions of the Babylonians:
- Jeremiah 52:4King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem with his whole army and set up camp outside it. They built siege ramps all around it. He arrived on the tenth day of the tenth month in the ninth year that Zedekiah ruled over Judah.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 21:22
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem - He had probably written on two arrows; one, Jerusalem; the other, Riblath; the third, left blank. He drew, and that on which Jerusalem was written came to his hand; in consequence of which he marched immediately against that city. It was ripe for destruction; and had he marched before or after, it would have fallen; but he never considered himself as sure of the conquest till now.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18-32Verses 18-32 The third word of judgment. The king of Babylon‘s march upon Judaea and upon the Ammonites. Destruction is to go forth not on Judah only, but also on such neighboring tribes as the Ammonites (compare Jeremiah 27:2-3). Ezekiel 21:19 Appoint thee - Set before thee. Choose thou a place, choose it - Rather, “mark a spot, mark it,” as upon a map, at the head of the two roads, one leading to Jerusalem, the other to Ammon. These were the two roads…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-27Verses 18-27 By the Spirit of prophecy Ezekiel foresaw Nebuchadnezzar's march from Babylon, which he would determine by divination. The Lord would overturn the government of Judah, till the coming of Him whose right it is. This seems to foretell the overturnings of the Jewish nation to the present day, and the troubles of states and kingdoms, which shall make way for establishing the Messiah's kingdom throughout the earth. The Lord secretly leads all to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-32This chapter repeatedly mentions a sword (Ezekiel 21:3–5, 9, 11–12, 14–16, 19, 28–30). Each time, the sword represents God’s judgment.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. Rather, "In his right hand was [is] the divination," that is, he holds up in his right hand the arrow marked with "Jerusalem," to encourage his army to march for it. captains--The Margin, "battering-rams," adopted by Fairbairn, is less appropriate, for "battering-rams" follow presently after [Grotius]. open the mouth in ... slaughter--that is, commanding slaughter: raising the war cry of death. Not as Gesenius, "to open the mouth with the war shout."Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 21:22
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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