Chapter 21

1 Ezekiel prophesieth against Jerusalem with a sign of sighing. 8 The sharp and bright sword, 18 against Jerusalem, 25 against the kingdom, 28 and against the Ammonites.

1. The word of the Lord. Verses 1–7 reproduce in plain language the enigmatical parable of ch. 20:45–59.

2. Toward Jerusalem. Instead of the threefold “south” (ch. 20:46) the expressions “Jerusalem,” “the holy places,” and “the land of Israel” now appear.

3. My sword. The “fire” of the enigmatical parable (ch. 20:47) is shown to be the sword of the invader.

4. The righteous. See on ch. 20:47. In national judgments the innocent are frequently involved in the same temporal sufferings as the guilty.

5. Not return any more. That is, until it had completed its mission. Then it must of necessity return. The expression “not return any more” must be taken in this limited sense. The same idea of restricted duration is found in ch. 20:48, where it is stated that the fires of God’s judgments shall not be quenched (see comment there). Similar expressions are at times mistakenly taken to mean that there will be no end to the punishment. In each case the length of continuance must be determined by the context (see on ch. 30:13).

6. Breaking of thy loins. Compare Nahum 2:1, 10. The prophet is bidden to make vivid to his listeners how deeply all would be moved by the news of Jerusalem’s fall.

7. Every heart shall melt. Compare Luke 21:26.

8. The word of the Lord. Verses 8–17 may be entitled “The Song of the Sharpened and Furbished Sword.” In general these verses are an expansion of the message of vs. 1–6.

10. Contemneth the rod of my son. The Hebrew of this sentence is obscure. It reads literally, “Or we will rejoice, the rod of my son, despising every tree.” The LXX reads, “Slay, set at nought, despise every tree” (the reference may be to the green and dry trees of ch. 20:47). The Hebrew may be understood as follows: “Or shall we rejoice, the rod [that is, of chastisement (see Prov. 10:13)], my son, despising every tree” (see on Eze. 20:47).

11. The slayer. That is, the king of Babylon (see v. 19).

12. Upon thy thigh. A mark of extreme shame or grief (see Jer. 31:19). The object of the gestures was to attract attention and to raise inquiry (see on Eze. 4:1).

13. Because it is a trial. The Hebrew of this passage is obscure. The translation of the RSV, “For it will not be a testing—what could it do if you despise the rod?” is an attempt to make understandable this obscure passage.

14. Smite thine hands. A gesture of strong emotion, here evidently of horror (see Eze. 21:17; cf. Num. 24:10).

The third time. An obscure passage possibly meaning that the stroke of the sword would come not only once or twice but three times.

Privy chambers. The last clause reads literally, “which encompasses them,” that is, preventing escape.

15. The point. Heb. ibchah, a word occurring only here. Some think Хibchah may be a misspelling of tibcah, a word occurring in 1 Sam. 25:11; Ps. 44:22; Jer. 12:3 with the meaning “flesh,” or “slaughter.” The sentence would then read, “I have appointed a sword for slaughter.”

16. One way or other. The command is given to the sword, as is clearly evident in the Hebrew.

17. Smite mine hands together. By a figure ascribing human acts and feelings to God, Jehovah is here declared as doing what He commanded the prophet to do (see on v. 14).

My fury to rest. See on ch. 16:42.

18. The word of the Lord. The third prophecy of the chapter, more specific than the former.

19. Two ways. The king of Babylon is pictured at the crossroads hesitating as to whether he should take first the road to Jerusalem or the one to the capital of the Ammonites (v. 20).

Choose thou a place. Literally, “cut a hand.” That is, erect a signpost. This would be placed several hundred miles west of Babylon, perhaps at Tadmor (see on 1 Kings 9:18), or perhaps as far as the valley of the Orontes.

21. To use divination. The heathen resorted to divination when important questions were to be decided. Three particular forms are here mentioned.

Made his arrows bright. Better, “shook his arrows together.” The Babylonian method was probably similar to that used by the Arabs later. Several headless arrows marked with appropriate messages were shaken together in a quiver or other vessel, and one drawn out; or the container was whirled, and the one that fell out first was chosen. The mark upon this arrow was supposed to indicate the will of the gods.

Images. Heb. teraphim, small human figurines (see on Gen. 31:19). How they were used for divination is not known.

Looked in the liver. This mode of divining, called hepatoscopy (see on Dan. 1:20), was common among the Babylonians. Clay models of sheep’s livers, marked with lines and inscriptions, and evidently used for instructional purposes, have been discovered.

Although no form of divination is countenanced by the Christian church, many Christians attempt to obtain divine guidance by methods not approved of God—methods in their essential nature similar to ancient methods of divination. Among such methods may be listed that of seeking an answer from God by tossing up a coin; or that of asking the Lord to answer Yes or No by writing the words on either side of the card, and then dropping it, accepting as an answer the way in which the card falls. Some permit the Bible to fall open at random and accept the message of the text upon which their eyes fall. Again, others place various ideas on different cards, then shake them around and accept the answer of the one drawn. Other devices could be listed, all of which follow the same basic pattern of chance. It is not denied that the Lord at times has given guidance by some of these means, especially to the unenlightened, or possibly in emergencies, but they are haphazard methods that ought to be discarded as the soul grows in grace.

If, in every decision of life, a man received a direct answer from God by some outward sign, he would become a mere machine. He would rob himself of the basic right and freedom of man, namely, that of self-determination, a faculty given to him of God.

The casting of lots belongs in this same category and ought not to be resorted to. The following counsel has been given: “I have no faith in casting lots. … To cast lots for the officers of the church is not in God’s order” (EGW letter 37, 1900).

22. At his right hand. That is, the lot for Jerusalem came into the king’s right hand.

23. As a false divination. That is, in the sight of the people of Jerusalem.

Sworn oaths. This again may be understood to refer to the Jews, who had sworn fidelity to the Babylonians (2 Chron. 36:13; Eze. 17:18, 19). These oaths they had violated. This appears to be the simplest meaning of the text.

Call to remembrance. The subject may be the Lord, and the “iniquity” the general sinfulness of the people. Or the subject may be Nebuchadnezzar, who will call to remembrance and punish the violation of the oath (2 Chron. 36:10, 13; Jer. 52:3; Eze. 17:15–19).

24. Your sins do appear. Their sins should have been covered in the service of the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16). Inasmuch as Israel had refused to acknowledge her guilt, it stood “discovered,” and demanded punishment. Every fresh transgression called to mind the whole record of the earlier sinful course, and now the cumulative total called for speedy retribution.

25. Wicked prince. Zedekiah.

26. Diadem. Heb. misnepheth, translated “diadem” only here. Elsewhere (Ex. 28:4, 37, 39; 29:6; 39:28, 31; Lev. 8:9; 16:4) it describes the “mitre” of the high priest. Misnepheth comes from the root, sanaph, “to wrap around,” hence properly means a turban. Here the kingly turban, a badge of royalty, is apparently referred to.

Not be the same. There would be a complete change in the existing state of things.

27. I will overturn. The passage reads literally, “a ruin, a ruin, a ruin, I will set it.” The threefold repetition intensifies the idea. The edict is concerning the throne of the house of David. “Not until Christ Himself should set up His kingdom, was Judah again to be permitted to have a king” (PK 451; cf. Ed 179).

28. Concerning the Ammonites. Although the king of Babylon chose to attack Jerusalem instead of Rabbath (vs. 20–22), the Ammonites would not escape punishment (see ch. 25:1–7).

29. See. Heb. chazah, frequently used with reference to the utterances of the seer or prophet; here doubtless of the Ammonite soothsayers.

To bring thee. That is, the sword described in v. 28.

30. Shall I cause it to return? Literally an imperative: “Cause it to return into its sheath.” The command is addressed to the Ammonites (see v. 28). Their venture would be carried out in vain. In their own country they would receive punishment for their misdeeds.

31. Brutish. Heb. boФarim, derived from beФir, “beasts,” “cattle” (see Ps. 49:10; 92:6). These brutish men are pointed out in Eze. 25:4, 10.

32. No more remembered. In contrast with the glorious promise to Israel (v. 27).

Ellen G. White comments

3, 5, 7 PK 452

25–27PK 451

26, 27  Ed 179

27   8T 86, 97

31   PK 452