a word · noun, common masculine singular construct
LORD
יְהוָ֖הYah.weh
H3068
Jehovah · proper noun, a title
saying
לֵאמֹֽרle.Mor
H559
to say (used with great latitude) · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Ezekiel 21:8-17
Here is another prophecy of the sword, which is delivered in a very affecting manner; the expressions here used are somewhat intricate, and perplex interpreters. The sword was unsheathed in the foregoing verses; here it is fitted up to do execution, which the prophet is commanded to lament. Observe,
I. How the sword is here described. 1. It is sharpened, that it may cut and wound, and make a sore slaughter. The wrath of God will put an edge upon it; and, whatever instruments God shall please to make use of in executing his judgments, he will fill them with strength, courage, and fury, according to the service they are employed in. Out of the mouth of Christ goes a sharp sword, Rev 19:15. 2.…
The abrupt sentences and mournful repetitions imply violent emotions.
Adam Clarke on Ezekiel 21:7
Wherefore 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 Eze 7:17.
John Gill on Ezekiel 21:8
Again, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. Either this is a new prophecy of another sword, distinct and different from that of the Chaldeans, even of the sword of the Romans, as Cocceius thinks or it is a further explanation of the former, and an enlargement upon it.
Keil & Delitzsch on Ezekiel 21:8-17
The Sword is Sharpened for Slaying
Eze 21:8. And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Eze 21:9. Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah, A sword, a sword sharpened and also polished: Eze 21:10. That it may effect a slaughter is it sharpened; that it may flash is it polished: or shall we rejoice (saying), the sceptre of my son despiseth all wood? Eze 21:11. But it has been given to be polished, to take it in the hand; it is sharpened, the sword, and it is polished, to give it into the hand of the slayer. Eze 21:12. Cry and howl, son of man, for it goeth over my people, it goeth over all the princes of Israel: they have fallen by the sword along with my people: therefore smite upo…
The Church Fathers
(Vers. 8 et seq.) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord God, speak: A sword, a sharp sword, has been sharpened and polished, to slaughter victims; it has been sharpened, and polished, to shine: you who move the scepter of my son, you have cut down every tree. And I have given him to be polished, to be held in hand: this sword has been sharpened, and this sword has been polished, to be in the hand of the one who kills. Cry out and wail, son of man, for this has happened in my people, it has happened to all the leaders of Israel. Those who fled were delivered over to the sword along with my people. Therefore, strike your thigh and clap your hands in applause, for he has been tested and when he overturns the scepter, it will not be. This is what the Lord God says. As for you, son of man, be a prophet and strike hand against hand, and let the sword be doubled and tripled for the slayers. This is the sword of great slaughter that makes them astonished, causes their hearts to melt, and multiplies ruins. In all their gates I have given confusion of sharp and polished swords to flash: clothed for slaughter. Go to the right or to the left, wherever your desire leads your face. Indeed, I will applaud hand to hand, and I will fulfill my indignation, I, the Lord, have spoken. It is much if I present both editions, and the length of the books is extended, especially where there is either no distance or a small one. Therefore, I will present some things that differ. For this reason, what we said: 'Whoever moves the scepter of my son, cut down every tree,' they translated as: 'Kill, despise, reject every tree.' And again, where we said: 'Those who fled were handed over to the sword,' they translated as: 'My guests, or inhabitants.' And where we said: 'Applaud on the thigh,' they put: 'Strike with the hand.' And where we translated: 'And when he overturns this with the scepter, the edition belongs to them: Three are repelled.' However, he speaks to the sword of Nebuchadnezzar, that it may come against Jerusalem, to be sharpened and polished, for there are many to be slain; and he addresses Nebuchadnezzar himself. You are the one who moves and overturns the scepter of my son, the dominion of the people of Israel, and you cut down every tree, the entire multitude of the people. I have given, he says, this sword, that it…
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Prophecy · .Ezekiel — .Ezekiel
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
a sword is being sharpened and polished: These processes prepared a weapon for deadly effectiveness; once it was prepared, it would be handed over to the executioner, who would use it against God’s people.
Rashi on Ezekiel 21:8
righteous and wicked That is “the moist and the dry.”
