New King James Version
Ezekiel 21:22
22In 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.
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 Living Translation (NLT)The omen in his right hand says, ‘Jerusalem!’ With battering rams his soldiers will go against the gates, shouting for the kill. They will put up siege towers and build ramps against the walls.
Context of Ezekiel 21:22
20Appoint a road for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem. 21For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liver. 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. 23And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken. 24“Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins appear—because you have come to remembrance, you shall be taken in hand.
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 against it, build a siege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it; set camps against it also, and place battering rams against it all around.
- Exodus 32:17And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.”
- Joshua 6:10Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”
- 1 Samuel 17:20So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took the things and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle.
- Job 39:25At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’ He smells the battle from afar, The thunder of captains and shouting.
- Jeremiah 51:14The Lord of hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you with men, as with locusts, And they shall lift up a shout against you.”
- Jeremiah 32:24‘Look, the siege mounds! They have come to the city to take it; and the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the sword and famine and pestilence. What You have spoken has happened; there You see it!
- Jeremiah 33:4“For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah, which have been pulled down to fortify against the siege mounds and the sword:
- Jeremiah 52:4Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around.
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries