Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
Parallel translations
- WEB “Son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘Yahweh says: “A sword! A sword! It is sharpened, and also polished.
- BSB “Son of man, prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord says: ‘A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished—
- NKJV “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord!’ Say: ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened And also polished!
- NASB “Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:’ Say, ‘A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished!
- NLT “Son of man, give the people this message from the Lord: “A sword, a sword is being sharpened and polished.
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
Ezekiel is to proclaim that a sword is sharpened and polished, ready for its terrible work. The repeated cry dramatizes the readiness of God's judgment.
Overview
The doubled exclamation 'A sword! A sword!' conveys urgency and dread as the instrument of judgment is prepared. Being sharpened and polished, it is fully fit for slaughter, leaving no doubt of its deadly purpose. This vivid poetry forces the complacent people to reckon with the imminence and severity of God's wrath.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ezek 21:28And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering:
- Isa 34:5–6For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment.
- Ezek 21:3And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
- Jer 15:2And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.
- Ezek 21:15I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter.
- Jer 12:12The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.
- Isa 27:1In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.
- Ps 7:11–13God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
- Isa 66:16For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
- Job 20:25It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.
- Amos 9:4And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.
- Deut 32:41–42If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.
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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 21:9 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.