Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity.
Parallel translations
- WEB Cause it to return into its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your birth, will I judge you.
- BSB Return the sword to its sheath! In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you.
- NKJV ‘Returnit to its sheath. I will judge you In the place where you were created, In the land of your nativity.
- NASB Return it to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you.
- NLT “Now return the sword to its sheath, for in your own country, the land of your birth, I will pass judgment upon you.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God tells Ammon to return the sword to its sheath, for He will judge them in their own homeland. Their judgment will be on their native soil.
Overview
After the sword's terror, the Lord declares Ammon will be judged 'in the place where you were created,' meaning their own land. This shows that God's justice reaches each nation in its own territory, not only Judah. The certainty of the verdict rests on God's word, not human strength.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Ezek 16:38And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.
- Jer 47:6–7O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thyself into thy scabbard, rest, and be still.
- Gen 15:14And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
- Ezek 28:15Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
- Ezek 28:13Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
- Ezek 21:4–5Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
- Ezek 16:3–4And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem; Thy birth and thy nativity is of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 21:30 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.