Ezek. 21 Ezekiel prophesieth the sword of the Lord against all flesh in the land of Israel, sighing bitterly for a sign, Ezek. 21:1–7. Another prophecy of a bright and sharp sword, commissioned to destroy, Ezek. 21:8–17.

A command or direction to speak plainly, that none might quarrel with his obscurity.

Set thy face; put thyself in a posture may bespeak thy going to prophesy. Toward Jerusalem, or against Jerusalem, called, Ezek. 20:46, forest of the south field. Drop thy word; of the phrase see Ezek. 20:46; as rain from heaven, so distil my word.

Publish it to all the people of the land, if any will consider it; it is not the severe and morose conjecture of a disturbed and injured man, let them know God the Lord speaks it. Weigh this, I say it is of great importance.

I will cut off; it is both my purpose and threat, to do that by the Chaldeans in such manner as that it shall appear I did it. The righteous, signified by the green tree, Ezek. 20:47. The wicked; the dry tree, Ezek. 20:47.

That they that smart and suffer may see and own God in their just sufferings, they that see and hear it may confess God’s doings herein. It shall not return any more: in Ezek.

Sigh; thereby express to them deepest sorrows for what is present, and most piercing fears of what is to come. With the breaking of thy loins; like a woman in travail, or as one whose griefs are ready to break his heart, Isa. 21:3. With bitterness; with all sorts of the most bitter cries and tears.

This directs the prophet what account to give them, when they shall, as they certainly will, inquire what he meaneth by such unusual sorrows. Is it any private misery that makes thee sigh thus, or does it bode evil to others, or to us? For the tidings; the news that is told me from Heaven, for the…

This I suppose is a further explication of what was said already of the sword God draweth out against them; with a further direction or command how the prophet should note out the nearness of the evil; he is bade to speak plainly, and tell them they may see it.

As if he pointed to it, crying out as one that suddenly seeth some dreadful sight. A mighty sword, or many; so the ingemination may imply the forces of Nebuchadnezzar and his confederates. Sharpened; prepared to wound, slay, and that with greater speed and sureness.

To make a sore slaughter; to slay many, and with as little regard as men kill beasts, or to offer whole herds of wicked men in sacrifice to the offended justice of God; much after this style both David, Ps. 44:22, Isa. 34:6. May glitter, and strike a terror into the enemy.

He hath given it; either God, whose sword it is; or Nebuchadnezzar, God’s servant herein. Some refer it to Christ, who is Lord and Sovereign of his church, and Governor of the world. That it may be handled; be the fitter for use in the hand of the slayer, i.e. the Chaldean.

Cry, as one in great distress; nay, how unseemly soever it may appear, howl, that they may by this know what sorrows are coming on them, and how they, like wild beasts taken in the toils and girts, shall howl. For the devouring sword of Babylon shall certainly be upon all, high and low.

It is a sore trial, therefore show all the signs of grief and sorrow; or it may refer to what follows in the verse; thus, since this is the exploration, or trial, which I make in so severe manner to bring them to repentance, mourn for them, lest they should harden themselves.

Smite thine hands together; either in token of amazement and sorrow, or else to signify what pleasure it should be to see justice executed on obstinate rebels; or rather, as Ezek. 21:17, clap thy hands, to awaken and hearten the Babylonians on to the slaughter.

The Lord hath gathered them together round about Jerusalem, with their swords sharpened and drawn at every gate to slay whosoever attempt to come out, or to slay all they meet with when they take the city. All their gates; both of meaner cities, of their palaces, and private houses.

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, and proceed as you will, none shall be able to resist you.

Smite mine hands together, in token of my approbation and well-pleasedness in those executions which the Chaldeans shall finish against you; those hands, that were used to restrain and check, shall excite and encourage your enemies. My fury: see Ezek. 5:13.

Appoint; paint, mark out, or describe on the or tablet, as Ezek. 4:1, two roads, and set it before thy countrymen in Babylon, and let them know that the arms and sword of Nebuchadnezzar are designed for exploits, where those ways lead them.

This royal city of the Ammonites, it seems, the king of Babylon had a quarrel with, as well as with Jerusalem, and he was resolved, when he came out of Babylon, to set upon one of them.

The prophet, by reason of the certainty of the thing, speaketh of what shall be as if it were already; he stood, i.e. he will make a halt, pitch his camp, and consult, on the borders of Arabia the Desert, to which one road brings travellers from Babylon, but henceforward it divides, and be comes…

Either the divination which concerned Jerusalem was managed on his right hand, that way the arrows were thrown, the images stood, and sacrifices were offered; or else the lot drawn with the right hand of the priest came forth for Jerusalem.

Unto them; the Jews, who shall either not believe that Nebuchadnezzar did so consult, or else that it is a vain, false, and lying divination, which will delude him that believes it, but never hurt them who deride it.

Either referring to God, who saw still their wicked perjuries, and other sins which they persisted in, or rather referring to Nebuchadnezzar, and his ministers of state and war, to whose memory all the falsehood of the Jews was still kept fresh by repeated disloyalty, with reproach to God, whose…

Then; Zedekiah. Profane; tainted with secret deep irreligious opinions, whence he despised God and his oath, and profaned the name of God. Prince: so much was his royal dignity lessened, that indeed he was rather a prince subject and dependent than a king.

Either God speaks to the prophet to declare the thing, or to Nebuchadnezzar to do the thing, to take away the diadem, the royal tire of the head, which the king did ordinarily and daily wear.

This triplication of the threat speaks the certainty of the event, and also the gradual, successive troubles and overthrows that this kingdom should ever after be afflicted with.

In Ezek. 21:19–20 you had the mention of Rabbath, chief city of the Ammonites, in equal danger with Jerusalem; but while Jerusalem is threatened, Rabbath is no further minded, till now God directs the prophet to declare the ruin thereof.

War and desolation indeed hasten on thee, though in the mean while thy astrologers and soothsayers promise peace and prosperity, and deceive thee with fair but false divinations, of which Jeremiah warns them, Jer. 27:9.

Some read it without interrogation, as an advice to the Ammonites to put up the sword they had drawn for their defence, as being to no purpose to resist.

Pour out; as a flood sweeps all away, so God will let out his indignation to overwhelm the Ammonites. I will blow against thee; as those who melt down metals blow upon the metal in the fire, that the fire might burn the fiercer, and consume the dross.

Thou; Rabbath, and thy people. For fuel; which is soon and unavoidably consumed in such a furnace. Thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt no where be safe, or thy blood shall not be covered, nor thou buried. Thou shalt be no more remembered; thy name shall perish.