New International Version
Ezekiel 21:7
7And 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.”
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.
- 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.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)When they ask why you are groaning, tell them, ‘I groan because of the terrifying news I have heard. When it comes true, the boldest heart will melt with fear; all strength will disappear. Every spirit will faint; strong knees will become as weak as water. And the Sovereign Lord says: It is coming! It’s on its way!’”
Context of Ezekiel 21:7
5Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword from its sheath; it will not return again.’ 6“Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief. 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.” 8The word of the Lord came to me: 9“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: “ ‘A sword, a sword, 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, did not the Israelites, that rebellious people, ask you, ‘What are you doing?’
- Ezekiel 20:49Then I said, “Sovereign Lord, they are saying of me, ‘Isn’t he just telling parables?’ ”
- Ezekiel 24:19Then the people asked me, “Won’t you tell us what these things have to do with us? Why are you acting like this?”
- Ezekiel 7:26Calamity upon calamity will come, and rumor upon rumor. They will go searching for a vision from the prophet, priestly instruction in the law will cease, the counsel of the elders will come to an end.
- 2 Kings 21:12Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.
- Isaiah 7:2Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.
- Isaiah 28:19As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through.” The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror.
- Jeremiah 6:22This is what the Lord says: “Look, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is being stirred up from the ends of the earth.
- Jeremiah 49:23Concerning Damascus: “Hamath and Arpad are dismayed, for they have heard bad news. They are disheartened, troubled like the restless sea.
- Exodus 15:15The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away;
- Deuteronomy 20:8Then the officers shall add, “Is anyone afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his fellow soldiers will not become disheartened too.”
- Joshua 2:9and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you.
- Joshua 5:1Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the Lord had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted in fear and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.
- 2 Samuel 17:10Then even the bravest soldier, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a fighter and that those with him are brave.
- Nahum 2:10She is pillaged, plundered, stripped! Hearts melt, knees give way, bodies tremble, every face grows pale.
- Job 4:3Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands.
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
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