New King James Version
Ezekiel 21:10
10Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning! Should we then make mirth? It despises the scepter of My son, As it does all wood.
Ezekiel 21:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.
- New International Version (NIV)sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! “ ‘Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.
- English Standard Version (ESV)sharpened for slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! (Or shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, with everything of wood.)
- New Living Translation (NLT)It is sharpened for terrible slaughter and polished to flash like lightning! Now will you laugh? Those far stronger than you have fallen beneath its power!
Context of Ezekiel 21:10
8Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ Say: ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened And also polished! Sharpened to make a dreadful slaughter, Polished to flash like lightning! Should we then make mirth? It despises the scepter of My son, As it does all wood. 11And He has given it to be polished, That it may be handled; This sword is sharpened, and it is polished To be given into the hand of the slayer.’ 12“Cry and wail, son of man; For it will be against My people, Against all the princes of Israel. Terrors including the sword will be against My people; Therefore strike your thigh.
Read all of Ezekiel 21Ezekiel 21:10 word by word
לְמַ֨עַן טְבֹ֤חַ טֶ֙בַח֙ הוּחַ֔דָּה לְמַעַן־הֱיֵה־לָ֥הּ בָּ֖רָק מֹרָ֑טָּה א֣וֹ נָשִׂ֔ישׂ שֵׁ֥בֶט בְּנִ֖י מֹאֶ֥סֶת כָּל־עֵֽץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- It is sharpenedחָדַדchâdad · be sharpH2300
- to make a soreטֶ֫בַחţebach · slaughterH2874
- slaughterטָבַחţâbach · to slaughterH2873
- it is furbishedמוֹרָטmôrâţ · make smoothH4178
- that it may glitterבָּרָקbârâq · lightningH1300
- shouldאוֹ'ô 'av · orH176
- we then make mirthשׂוּשׂώûώ ώîyώ · to rejoiceH7797
- it contemnethמָאַסmâ'as · to rejectH3988
- the rodשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribe: staffH7626
- of my sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- every treeעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
Cross-references for Ezekiel 21:10
- Jeremiah 46:4Harness the horses, And mount up, you horsemen! Stand forth with your helmets, Polish the spears, Put on the armor!
- Nahum 3:3Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. There is a multitude of slain, A great number of bodies, Countless corpses— They stumble over the corpses—
- Habakkuk 3:11The sun and moon stood still in their habitation; At the light of Your arrows they went, At the shining of Your glittering spear.
- Esther 3:15The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.
- Ecclesiastes 3:4A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
- Isaiah 5:12The harp and the strings, The tambourine and flute, And wine are in their feasts; But they do not regard the work of the Lord, Nor consider the operation of His hands.
- Isaiah 22:12And in that day the Lord God of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth.
- Amos 6:3Woe to you who put far off the day of doom, Who cause the seat of violence to come near;
- Nahum 1:10For while tangled like thorns, And while drunken like drunkards, They shall be devoured like stubble fully dried.
- Luke 21:34“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.
- Ezekiel 19:11She had strong branches for scepters of rulers. She towered in stature above the thick branches, And was seen in her height amid the dense foliage.
- Ezekiel 20:47and say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be scorched by it.
- 2 Samuel 7:14I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.
- Psalms 2:7“I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
- Psalms 89:26He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’
- Psalms 110:5The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.
Commentaries on Ezekiel 21:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10It contemneth the rod of my son - "It," the sword of Nebuchadnezzar, "contemneth the rod," despises the power and influence of my son - Israel, the Jewish people: "Out of Egypt have I called My Son." As every tree - As all the stocks, kindreds, and nations, over which I have already given him commission. Can the rod of Israel be spared, when the trees of Assyria, Egypt, etc., have been cut down?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. 8-11sword, sharpened and polished: These actions prepare the weapon to be deadly and effective. Once the sword is ready, it will be given to the executioner (the one who carries out a death sentence). He will use it against God’s people.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. to make a sore slaughter--literally, "that killing it may kill." glitter--literally, "glitter as the lightning flash": flashing terror into the foe. should we ... make mirth--It is no time for levity when such a calamity is impending (Is 22:12, 13). it contemneth the rod of my son, &c.--The sword has no more respect to the trivial "rod" or scepter of Judah (Ge 49:10) than if it were any common "tree." "Tree" is the image retained from Eze 20:47…Read the comment
Topics related to Ezekiel 21:10
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries