Ezekiel 21:1-32

Ezekiel 20:45 to Ezekiel 21:32. The avenging sword of the Lord

The passage Ezekiel 20:45-49 belongs to ch. 21 (as in Heb.). The time to which the chapter is to be assigned is the early period of Nebuchadnezzar's movements westwards. The prophet foresees the coming desolation of Israel by the conqueror, which he expresses under the figure of a devouring fire, consuming all indiscriminately. The passage has two divisions, ch. Ezekiel 20:45 to Ezekiel 21:27, and Ezekiel 21:28-32.

First division. Ezekiel 20:45 to Ezekiel 21:27.

(1) Ezekiel 20:45-49. A conflagration shall be lighted in the forest of the south, which shall consume all, the green tree and the dry.

(2) Ezekiel 21:1-5. Explanation: the sword of the Lord shall be on Jerusalem and her sanctuaries, and on the land of Israel. Righteous and wicked shall perish; and men shall know that the Lord hath drawn his sword.

(3) Ezekiel 20:6. Agitation of the prophet at the thought of the coming desolation: so shall all men be agitated and confounded.

(4) Ezekiel 20:8. Song of the sword the sword of the Lord whetted and furbished against Jerusalem.

(5) Ezekiel 20:18. He who is the sword or wields it, the king of Babylon. The prophet returning to the point from which he started represents the king of Babylon hesitating whether to march against Ammon or Jerusalem. He consults the oracle and the lot comes out "Jerusalem."

Ezekiel 20:45-49. Figure of a forest in which a great conflagration is kindled. The fire is unquenchable (Ezekiel 20:47), it devours all alike, the green tree and the dry (Ezekiel 20:47); all faces from north to south shall be scorched by it (Ezekiel 20:47); and all flesh shall see that it is the hand of the Lord which has kindled so great a flame (Ezekiel 20:48).