Ezekiel 21:1

A Vision of the Avenging Sword of Yahweh

1 And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying},

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 And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying},

2 "Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, and preach to [the] sanctuaries, and prophesy to the land of Israel.

3 And you must say to the land of Israel, 'Thus says Yahweh: "Look! I [am] against you, and I will draw out my sword from its sheath, and I will cut [off] from you [the] righteous and [the] wicked.

4 Because I will cut [off] from you [both] righteous and wicked, therefore my sword will go out from its sheath to all creatures from south [to] north.

5 And they will know, all creatures, that I, Yahweh, I will bring out my sword from its sheath; it will not return again!" '

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "was"
• [b] Literally "to say"