Ezekiel 21:1

The sword

1 TheLORD's word came to me:

Ezekiel 21:1 Meaning and Commentary

Ver. 1. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying.
] Upon theEzekiel 21:2

Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem
Which shows that this city was meant by "the south", ( Ezekiel 20:46 ) : and drop thy word toward the holy places;
which also are meant by the south in the passage referred to, even the holy land, holy city, and holy temple; or the temple itself is only meant, with the courts adjoining to it; or as consisting of three parts, as Kimchi, the porch, the temple, and the oracle; or the outward court, the holy place, and the holy of holies; and it may respect all other places for sacred worship, as their synagogues, both in city and country; which were not to be spared any more than the temple, nor were they, ( Psalms 74:7 Psalms 74:8 ) . Jarchi thinks that the destruction both of the first and second temple is here intended; and which sense Kimchi also mentions. And prophesy against the land of Israel:
by which it appears that this is intended by the "forest of the south field": even the numerous inhabitants of it in general, as well as the city of Jerusalem, ( Ezekiel 20:46 ) .

Ezekiel 21:1 In-Context

1 TheLORD's word came to me:
2 Human one, face Jerusalem, preach against their sanctuary, and prophesy against Israel's fertile land.
3 Say to Israel's fertile land, The LORD proclaims: I'm now against you! I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off both the righteous and the wicked from you.
4 In order to cut off the righteous and wicked from you, my sword will go out from its sheath against everyone from south to north.
5 And everyone will know that I, the LORD, have taken my sword out of its sheath. It won't be put away again.

Footnotes 1

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