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 King James Version (NKJV)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,

Context of Ezekiel 21:4

2“Son of man, turn and face Jerusalem and prophesy against Israel and her sanctuaries. 3Tell her, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am your enemy, O Israel, and I am about to unsheath my sword to destroy your people—the righteous and the wicked alike. 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. 5Everyone in the world will know that I am the Lord. My sword is in my hand, and it will not return to its sheath until its work is finished.’ 6“Son of man, groan before the people! Groan before them with bitter anguish and a broken heart.

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“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Clap your hands in horror, and stamp your feet. Cry out because of all the detestable sins the people of Israel have committed. Now they are going to die from war and famine and disease.
• Ezekiel 7:2“Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to Israel: “The end is here! Wherever you look— east, west, north, or south— your land is finished.
• Ezekiel 20:47Tell the southern wilderness, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Hear the word of the Lord! I will set you on fire, and every tree, both green and dry, will be burned. The terrible flames will not be quenched and will scorch everything from south to north.

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