Ezekiel 21:4

Ezekiel 21:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
• New International Version (NIV)Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Because I will cut off from you both righteous and wicked, therefore my sword shall be drawn from its sheath against all flesh from south to north.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Yes, I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked! I will draw my sword against everyone in the land from south to north.

Context of Ezekiel 21:4

2“Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, preach against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel; 3and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I am against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both righteous and wicked from you. Because I will cut off both righteous and wicked from you, therefore My sword shall go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north, 5that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return anymore.” ’ 6Sigh therefore, son of man, with a breaking heart, and sigh with bitterness before their eyes.

Ezekiel 21:4 word by word

יַ֛עַן אֲשֶׁר־הִכְרַ֥תִּי מִמֵּ֖ךְ צַדִּ֣יק וְרָשָׁ֑ע לָ֠כֵן תֵּצֵ֨א חַרְבִּ֧י מִתַּעְרָ֛הּ אֶל־כָּל־בָּשָׂ֖ר מִנֶּ֥גֶב צָפֽוֹן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Seeingיַעַןya‛an · becauseH3282
• then that I will cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
• from thee the righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
• and the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
• therefore shall my swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• go forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
• out of his sheathתַּ֫עַרta‛ar · razorH8593
• against all fleshבָּשָׂרbâώâr · fleshH1320
• from the southנֶ֫גֶבnegeb · southH5045
• to the northצָפוֹןtsâphôn tsâphôn · northH6828

Cross-references for Ezekiel 21:4

• Ezekiel 6:11‘Thus says the Lord God: “Pound your fists and stamp your feet, and say, ‘Alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! For they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.
• Ezekiel 7:2“And you, son of man, thus says the Lord God to the land of Israel: ‘An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.
• 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.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 21:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4From the south to the north - The whole land shall be ravaged from one end to the other.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The righteous and the wicked - take the place of “every green tree and every dry tree” Ezekiel 20:47; “all faces” that of “all flesh:” to show the universality of the destructions. National judgment involves the innocent in the temporal ruin of the guilty. The equity of God is vindicated by the ruin being only temporal. From the south to the north - From one end of the holy land to the other; the seer is in the north, and looks at once on the whole extent…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-5The Lord himself was the true enemy Israel needed to fear. He was about to bring a complete judgment against them. Normally, people expect the righteous to escape judgment and the wicked to receive it. This contrast is like the green tree and the dry tree in the parable (Ezekiel 20:47–48). God’s judgment on sin would be like a very hot fire. It would burn everything it touched.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. The "sword" did not, literally, slay all; but the judgments of God by the foe swept through the land "from the south to the north."Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 21:4

• Judgments

In the dictionaries

• Parting
• Privy
• Sword

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