Ezekiel 21:20

20 Tu traceras l'un des chemins pour que l'épée arrive à Rabbath, ville des enfants d'Ammon, et l'autre pour qu'elle arrive en Juda, à Jérusalem, ville fortifiée.

Ezekiel 21:20 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 21:20

Appoint a way
Mark out a way, describe a road, draw one out upon the ground, or point out one upon a table, or tile: that the sword may come;
in which the sword will come; or those that kill with the sword, as the Targum, even the Chaldean army under Nebuchadnezzar: to Rabbath of the Ammonites;
which was the metropolis of the Ammonites, and is now called Philadelphia, as Jerom writes; it is so called, to distinguish it from others of the same name; see ( 2 Samuel 12:26 ) : and to Judah in Jerusalem, the defenced city;
which was so both by nature and art; it had mountains round about it, and had been fortified by several kings from the time of David, as Solomon, Hezekiah, and Manasseh. Judah is said to be in it; though it would seem more properly that Jerusalem was in Judah, because that people from all parts of Judah, upon hearing of the king of Babylon's intention and near approach to invade their land, fled to Jerusalem, being a fortified place, for security. Now the prophet is bid to describe a way hither; not that one and the same way led to Rabbath and Jerusalem; but he was to describe a way from the place where Nebuchadnezzar stopped, which led to Rabbath, and another which led to Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 21:20 In-Context

18 La parole de l'Eternel me fut adressée, en ces mots:

19 Fils de l'homme, trace deux chemins pour servir de passage à l'épée du roi de Babylone; tous les deux doivent sortir du même pays; marque un signe, marque-le à l'entrée du chemin qui conduit à une ville.

20 Tu traceras l'un des chemins pour que l'épée arrive à Rabbath, ville des enfants d'Ammon, et l'autre pour qu'elle arrive en Juda, à Jérusalem, ville fortifiée.

21 Car le roi de Babylone se tient au carrefour, à l'entrée des deux chemins, pour tirer des présages; il secoue les flèches, il interroge les théraphim, il examine le foie.

22 Le sort, qui est dans sa droite, désigne Jérusalem, où l'on devra dresser des béliers, commander le carnage, et pousser des cris de guerre; on dressera des béliers contre les portes, on élèvera des terrasses, on formera des retranchements.