Hesekiel 21:3

3 und sprich zum Lande Israel: So spricht der HERR HERR: Siehe, ich will an dich; ich will mein Schwert aus der Scheide ziehen und will in dir ausrotten beide, Gerechte und Ungerechte.

Hesekiel 21:3 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 21:3

And say to the land of Israel
The inhabitants of it, signified by the "forest of the south field", ( Ezekiel 20:47 ) : thus saith the Lord, behold, I am against thee;
and sad it is to have the Lord against a people, a nation, a city, or a family, or a particular person; for there is no contending with him, or standing before him; there is always a reason for it, it is for sin when God is against a people, even his own professing people: and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath;
bring the Chaldean army out of Babylon; which interprets what is meant by the "fire" he would kindle in the land of Israel, ( Ezekiel 20:47 ) , namely, the sword of the enemy, which he would bring upon it; or war, with all its desolating train of judgments: and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked;
meant by the green and dry tree, ( Ezekiel 20:47 ) , who, though they shall not perish everlastingly together, yet may fall together in temporal calamities; the one may be chastised, and the other condemned; or the one be carried captive for their good, as Ezekiel and Daniel and others be cut off by sword and famine; and such as were captives, never the better for their captivity. The Targum is,

``I will remove out of thee thy righteous ones, that I may destroy thy wicked ones.''
Some think that only such who were righteous in appearance, or in their own sight, are here meant. R. Saadiah Gaon, as Kimchi quotes him, interprets them of such as were righteous to Baal, and served him continually, in distinction from such as were wicked to him, and did not serve him continually; and both were wicked before the Lord, and therefore justly cut off.

Hesekiel 21:3 In-Context

1 Und des HERRN Wort geschah zu mir und sprach:
2 Du Menschenkind, richte dein Angesicht wider Jerusalem und predige wider die Heiligtümer und weissage wider das Land Israel
3 und sprich zum Lande Israel: So spricht der HERR HERR: Siehe, ich will an dich; ich will mein Schwert aus der Scheide ziehen und will in dir ausrotten beide, Gerechte und Ungerechte.
4 Weil ich denn in dir Gerechte und Ungerechte ausrotte, so wird mein Schwert aus der Scheide fahren über alles Fleisch, von Mittag her bis gen Mitternacht.
5 Und soll alles Fleisch erfahren, daß ich, der HERR, mein Schwert habe aus der Scheide gezogen; und es soll nicht wieder eingesteckt werden.
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