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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Ezekiel 21:16

Perhaps with R.V., "gather thee together, go to the right; set thyself in array, go to the left!" The sword is addressed by the Lord and bidden concentrate its force to smite on the right, and set itself on to slaughter on the left. Others by changes in the text find a command to the sword to smite in all the four directions (Boett.), which is more artificial.

thy faceis set Or, thine edge is appointed. Cf. same word "appointed" used of the sword, Jeremiah 47:7, of the rod, Micah 6:9.

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See also Ezekiel 21:16 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Ezekiel 21:16. _GO THEE ONE WAY OR OTHER_] Thou shalt prosper, O sword, whithersoever thou turnest; against Ammon, or Judea, or Egypt....

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    The second word of judgment: the glittering and destroying sword. The passage may be called the “Lay of the Sword;” it is written in the form of Hebrew poetry, with its characteristic parallelism. Ez...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    Ezekiel 21:1. A solemn message is given to the prophet: “Behold I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.” It was to b...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    EZEKIEL 20:45 TO EZEKIEL 21:32. THE TERRIBLE SWORD OF NEBUCHADREZZAR. Here again, as shortly before (chs. 18f.), a piece of theological oratory is followed by a poem this time a wild irregular dithyra...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    GO THEE. Figure of speech _Apostrophe._ App-6. Addressedto the sword. THEE: i.e. the sword. Not Ezekiel. It is feminine, not masculine:. Go to the right, turn to the left: or, One stroke to the right...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    B. The Song of the Sword 21:8-17 TRANSLATION (8) And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (9) Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the LORD: Say: A sword, a sword is sharpened and also poli...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set. Apostrophe to the sword. GO THEE ONE WAY OR OTHER - rather [ hit'achªdiy (H258)], 'Concentrate th...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    3, 4. THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED] corresponding to the green tree and the dry in the parable (Ezekiel 20:47). In spite of his strict theory of retribution in Ezekiel 18, Ezekiel recognised the fact...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    EZEKIEL: ‘THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM GOD’ THE *SIN OF JUDAH AND THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD EZEKIEL CHAPTER S 1 TO 24 _IAN MACKERVOY_ CHAPTER 21 * This chapter describes how the king of Babylon and his...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    (8-17) This second prophecy is an expansion of the last, Ezekiel 21:8 corresponding to 2-5, and Ezekiel 21:14 to Ezekiel 21:6. In several of its clauses modern criticism has been able to improve the t...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    GO THEE ONE WAY OR OTHER. — An address to the sword, the animation of which is singularly lost in our version; the sword is addressed as a host, to be prepared for instant action in every quarter: “Ga...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    _[Ezekiel 21:21]_ הִתְאַחֲדִ֥י הֵימִ֖נִי הָשִׂ֣ימִי הַשְׂמִ֑ילִי אָ֖נָה

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE SWORD UNSHEATHED Ezekiel 21:1 THE date at the beginning of chapter 20 introduces the fourth and last section of the prophecies delivered before the destruction of Jerusalem. It also divides the f...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The commission was then repeated in terms of explanation. Ezekiel was to set his face against Jerusalem, and prophesy against the land of Israel, declaring that Jehovah would draw His sword out of its...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Go thee (n) one way or other, [either] on the right hand, [or] on the left, wherever thy face [is] set. (n) Provide for yourself: for you will see God's plague of all parts on this country....

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    This seems to be another sermon to the same amount as the former. The Lord directs His servant to continue his alarming message, and again and again to cry concerning the sword of the Lord's slaughter...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 20 AND 21. Chapter 20 begins a new prophecy, which, with its subdivisions, continues to the end of chapter 23. It will have been remarked that the general div...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    GO THEE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER,.... Go to some one place: or "unite thyself" a; to other swords, or join other soldiers holding swords; the address is to the sword, to steer its course some one way, and s...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Go thee one way or other, [either] on the right hand, [or] on the left, whithersoever thy face [is] set. Ver. 16. _Go thee one way or other._] This he speaketh to the bright and sharp sword, stirring...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ezekiel 21:14 ; EZEKIEL 21:17. _Prophesy, and smite thy hands together_ In token of amazement and sorrow. _And let the sword be doubled the third time_ Bishop Newcome reads, _Bring the sword twice; ye...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The Sword of the Lord....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Go thee one way or other, literally, "gather thy strength," EITHER ON THE RIGHT HAND OR ON THE LEFT, striking wherever an opportunity offers, WHITHERSOEVER THY FACE IS SET, the activity and rapidity o...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    OR ON THE LEFT, WHITHERSOEVER THY FACE IS SET: _ Heb._ set thyself, take the left hand...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-17 Here is an explanation of the parable in the last chapter. It is declared that the Lord was about to cut off Jerusalem and the whole land, that all might know it was his decree against a wicked...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    O sword, take thy own course; O ye slaughtermen, ye Babylonian soldiers, all is open before you, go which way you will; I have brought you to waste the land from south to north, begin where you will,...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Ezekiel 21:16 ready H258 (H8690) Thrust H7760 (H8685) right H3231 (H8685) left H8041 (H8685) Wherever...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    A VIVID PICTURE OF THE SEVERITY OF THE JUDGMENT. “You therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite your hands together, and let the sword be doubled the third time (or ‘be doubled, yes tripled'), the sw...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Parable of the sighing prophet, and of the sword of God. No king for Israel until Messiah comes to reign. CHARACTERS: God, Christ, Ezekiel, King of Babylon. CONCLUSION: When the sword is u...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Ezekiel 21:2. _Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places._ In the Latin bibles, this chapter begins at 21:45 of the preseding, which preserves unity in the su...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set._ RELIGIOUS DECISION I. The nature of religious decision. In general terms, this may be said to be a...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 21:8 This oracle uses the image of a sharpened sword. Verses Ezekiel 21:8 focus on the nature of the sword itself, honed to razor sharpness. Verses...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 21:14, EZEKIEL 21:17 As in Ezekiel 6:11, to clap your hands

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    EXEGETICAL NOTES. (Ezekiel 21:8.) The sword is sharpened for slaying. As they are a people who refuse to understand, the judgment is announced in the plainest terms. Ezekiel 21:9. “AND ALSO FURBISHED....

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION EZEKIEL 21:2, EZEKIEL 21:3 The opening words, reproducing those of Ezekiel 20:46, indicate that the interpretation of that parable is coming. So the

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Shall we turn now in our Bibles to Ezekiel 21, the twenty-first chapter of Ezekiel. Now the prophets of God were often very colorful persons. And because people would not always listen to the Word of...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Ezekiel 14:17; Ezekiel 16:46; Ezekiel 21:20; Ezekiel 21:4; Genesis 1

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Go — O sword, take thy own course....

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