Ezekiel 21:20

Ezekiel 21:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.
• New International Version (NIV)Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, into Jerusalem the fortified.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Appoint a road for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem.

Context of Ezekiel 21:20

18Then this message came to me from the Lord: 19“Son of man, make a map and trace two routes on it for the sword of Babylon’s king to follow. Put a signpost on the road that comes out of Babylon where the road forks into two— one road going to Ammon and its capital, Rabbah, and the other to Judah and fortified Jerusalem. 21The king of Babylon now stands at the fork, uncertain whether to attack Jerusalem or Rabbah. He calls his magicians to look for omens. They cast lots by shaking arrows from the quiver. They inspect the livers of animal sacrifices. 22The 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.

Ezekiel 21:20 word by word

דֶּ֣רֶךְ תָּשִׂ֔ים לָב֣וֹא חֶ֔רֶב אֵ֖ת רַבַּ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֑וֹן וְאֶת־יְהוּדָ֥ה בִירוּשָׁלִַ֖ם בְּצוּרָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Appointשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: makeH7760
• a wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
• that the swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• may comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• to Rabbathרַבָּהrabbâh · RabbahH7237
• of the Ammonitesעַמּוֹן‛ammôn · AmmonH5983
• of the Ammonitesבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
• and to Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• in Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵםyerûshâlaim yerûshâlayim · JerusalemH3389
• the defencedבָּצַרbâtsar · to gather/restrain/fortifyH1219

Cross-references for Ezekiel 21:20

• Ezekiel 25:5And I will turn the city of Rabbah into a pasture for camels, and all the land of the Ammonites into a resting place for sheep and goats. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
• Deuteronomy 3:11(King Og of Bashan was the last survivor of the giant Rephaites. His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. It can still be seen in the Ammonite city of Rabbah.)
• 2 Samuel 12:26Meanwhile, Joab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and he captured the royal fortifications.
• Jeremiah 49:2In the days to come,” says the Lord, “I will sound the battle cry against your city of Rabbah. It will become a desolate heap of ruins, and the neighboring towns will be burned. Then Israel will take back the land you took from her,” says the Lord.
• Amos 1:14So I will send down fire on the walls of Rabbah, and all its fortresses will be destroyed. The battle will come upon them with shouts, like a whirlwind in a mighty storm.
• 2 Samuel 5:9So David made the fortress his home, and he called it the City of David. He extended the city, starting at the supporting terraces and working inward.
• 2 Chronicles 26:9Uzziah built fortified towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the angle in the wall.
• 2 Chronicles 32:5Then Hezekiah worked hard at repairing all the broken sections of the wall, erecting towers, and constructing a second wall outside the first. He also reinforced the supporting terraces in the City of David and manufactured large numbers of weapons and shields.
• 2 Chronicles 33:14After this Manasseh rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, from west of the Gihon Spring in the Kidron Valley to the Fish Gate, and continuing around the hill of Ophel. He built the wall very high. And he stationed his military officers in all of the fortified towns of Judah.
• Psalms 48:12Go, inspect the city of Jerusalem. Walk around and count the many towers.
• Psalms 125:1Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever.
• Isaiah 22:10You survey the houses and tear some down for stone to strengthen the walls.
• Lamentations 4:12Not a king in all the earth— no one in all the world— would have believed that an enemy could march through the gates of Jerusalem.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 21:20

• 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. 18-20The sword of the Lord was not just a symbol. It would become the sword of the king of Babylon. That king was Nebuchadnezzar. His army would carry out God’s judgment. Ezekiel showed this in a visual way. He drew a map to show the king’s two possible targets. One was Rabbah, the capital of Ammon. The other was Jerusalem, the capital of Judah.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Rabbath of the Ammonites--distinct from Rabbah in Judah (2Sa 12:26). Rabbath is put first, as it was from her that Jerusalem, that doomed city, had borrowed many of her idols. to Judah in Jerusalem--instead of simply putting "Jerusalem," to imply the sword was to come not merely to Judah, but to its people within Jerusalem, defended though it was; its defenses on which the Jews relied so much would not keep the foe out.Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 21:20

• Ammonites
• Rabbah

In the dictionaries

• Jerusalem
• Judah
• Judah, kingdom of Judah
• Judea, Judah
• Magic
• Parting
• Privy
• Groan
• Rabbah
• Zedekiah (2)

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