New King James Version
Ezekiel 21:7
7And 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.”
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.
- New International Version (NIV)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.”
- 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 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
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. 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.” 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!
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, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, ‘What are you doing?’
- Ezekiel 20:49Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Does he not speak parables?’ ”
- Ezekiel 24:19And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things signify to us, that you behave so?”
- Ezekiel 7:26Disaster will come upon disaster, And rumor will be upon rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet; But the law will perish from the priest, And counsel from the elders.
- 2 Kings 21:12therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.
- Isaiah 7:2And it was told to the house of David, saying, “Syria’s forces are deployed in Ephraim.” So his heart and the heart of his people were moved as the trees of the woods are moved with the wind.
- Isaiah 28:19As often as it goes out it will take you; For morning by morning it will pass over, And by day and by night; It will be a terror just to understand the report.”
- Jeremiah 6:22Thus says the Lord: “Behold, a people comes from the north country, And a great nation will be raised from the farthest parts of the earth.
- Jeremiah 49:23Against Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are shamed, For they have heard bad news. They are fainthearted; There is trouble on the sea; It cannot be quiet.
- Exodus 15:15Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; The mighty men of Moab, Trembling will take hold of them; All the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.
- Deuteronomy 20:8“The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, ‘What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.’
- Joshua 2:9and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you.
- Joshua 5:1So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.
- 2 Samuel 17:10And even he who is valiant, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will melt completely. For all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men.
- Nahum 2:10She is empty, desolate, and waste! The heart melts, and the knees shake; Much pain is in every side, And all their faces are drained of color.
- Job 4:3Surely you have instructed many, And you have strengthened weak 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries