Ezekiel 21:16 kjv
Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.
Ezekiel 21:16 nkjv
"Swords at the ready! Thrust right! Set your blade! Thrust left? Wherever your edge is ordered!
Ezekiel 21:16 niv
Slash to the right, you sword, then to the left, wherever your blade is turned.
Ezekiel 21:16 esv
Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face is directed.
Ezekiel 21:16 nlt
O sword, slash to the right,
then slash to the left,
wherever you will,
wherever you want.
Ezekiel 21 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 32:41-42 | "If I sharpen My glittering sword... I will render vengeance on My foes and repay those who hate Me. I will make My arrows drunk with blood..." | God's sharpened sword brings vengeance. |
| Lev 26:25 | "And I will bring a sword against you to avenge the breach of the covenant..." | Sword as vengeance for covenant breach. |
| Isa 34:5-6 | "For My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens... it descends on Edom, on the people I have doomed to destruction." | Divine sword targeting judgment. |
| Jer 12:12 | "On all the barren heights in the desert destroyers have come, for the sword of the LORD devours from one end of the land to the other; no flesh has peace." | Sword devouring extensively. |
| Jer 25:29 | "For behold, I begin to work disaster at the city that is called by My name, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for I am calling for a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD." | Judgment starts at Jerusalem, then all. |
| Ezek 5:12 | "A third of you shall die of pestilence and be consumed by famine in your midst; a third shall fall by the sword all around you..." | Diverse forms of judgment, including sword. |
| Ezek 6:3 | "...Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you..." | Sword judgment on all places of idolatry. |
| Ezek 14:17 | "Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I cut off from it man and beast..." | God commanding the sword to act. |
| Hos 11:6 | "A sword shall whirl through their cities and consume their bars and devour them because of their schemes." | Sword's swift, destructive action. |
| Amos 9:4 | "And if they go into captivity before their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them, and I will set My eyes against them for harm and not for good." | inescapable judgment by divine command. |
| Hab 1:6 | "For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own." | Chaldeans (Babylon) as God's instrument. |
| Isa 10:5-6 | "Ah, Assyria, the rod of My anger; the staff in their hand is My fury! Against a godless nation I send him..." | Assyria as another instrument of judgment. |
| Amos 9:1-2 | "Let none of them flee away; let none of them escape... though they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down." | Inescapable reach of God's judgment. |
| Lam 2:21 | "You slaughtered, you did not spare; those from infancy and those old in days. My young women and My young men You killed by the sword on the day of Your anger..." | Indiscriminate nature of judgment. |
| Prov 16:9 | "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." | God's sovereignty over direction. |
| Ps 33:10-11 | "The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever..." | God's unchangeable purpose and will. |
| Dan 4:35 | "He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’" | God's absolute sovereignty and action. |
| Isa 9:13 | "The people did not turn to Him who struck them, nor inquire of the LORD of hosts." | Lack of repentance fuels judgment. |
| Jer 8:4-5 | "Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return." | Persistent rebellion leads to judgment. |
| Jer 46:14 | "Publish in Egypt... For the sword shall devour round about thee." | Devouring sword, encompassing destruction. |
| Zech 13:7 | "Awake, O sword, against My shepherd, against the man who is My associate,' declares the LORD of hosts. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered..." | Divine sword, even against His shepherd. |
| Rev 19:15 | "From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron." | Christ's ultimate judgment (future). |
Ezekiel 21 verses
Ezekiel 21 16 Meaning
Ezekiel 21:16 commands the "sword of the Lord," personified as an instrument of divine judgment, to unleash its devastation without discrimination or hesitation. The verse conveys the unstoppable and pervasive nature of God's impending judgment upon Jerusalem and Judah. The sword is instructed to prepare itself and strike decisively in any direction, for its path is divinely ordained and purposeful, ensuring no one can escape the coming wrath. This passage highlights the absolute sovereignty of God over historical events and His unyielding justice when His people persist in rebellion.
Ezekiel 21 16 Context
Ezekiel chapter 21 is a prophetic message commonly referred to as "The Song of the Sword" or "The Prophecy of the Sword," announcing the complete and final destruction of Jerusalem and the land of Judah by the Babylonians. The chapter begins with God declaring His intent to draw His sword against His own people (Ezek 21:3-5), signifying that His patience has ended. He instructs Ezekiel to sigh mournfully as a sign of the impending catastrophe (Ezek 21:6-7). The passage then personifies this divine judgment as a sharpened and polished sword (Ezek 21:9-11), destined for slaughter and bringing terror upon all princes of Israel. Verse 16 specifically commands this metaphorical sword, representing the Babylonian army empowered by God, to take decisive and sweeping action. This immediate historical context places the prophecy in the turbulent years leading up to the final destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, when Judah faced a direct existential threat from Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar, whom God was using as His instrument of judgment due to Judah's prolonged idolatry and rebellion. The verse ensures that the judgment will be total, leaving no room for escape, directly countering any lingering belief that Jerusalem or the temple would remain inviolable.
Ezekiel 21 16 Word analysis
- "Go thee one way or other," (הִתְאַחֲדִי הָכִינִי hit'akhadi hakini):
- הִתְאַחֲדִי (hit'akhadi): This Hithpael imperative comes from the root אָחַד (akhad), meaning "to unite" or "to be one." In context, it can be interpreted as "sharpen yourself," "be made ready," or "be unified" in its devastating purpose. It conveys the preparation for full, concentrated force.
- הָכִינִי (hakini): This Hiphil imperative from כּוּן (kun) means "to establish, make firm, prepare, make ready." It reinforces the command for the sword to be absolutely prepared and decisive. Together, these commands underscore an urgent, unhesitating readiness for comprehensive action.
- "...either to the right hand, or to the left," (לַיְּמִין הַעְתַּפִ֑י הַשְׂמְאִילִי la'yemin ha'taphi ha'sm'ili):
- לַיְּמִין (la'yemin): "to the right."
- הַעְתַּפִ֑י (ha'taphi): Hiphil imperative, from עָתַף (atap), usually meaning "to wrap around" or "to grow faint," but in this active command context for the sword, it implies to "turn vigorously" or "be set towards."
- הַשְׂמְאִילִי (ha'sm'ili): Hiphil imperative from שְׂמֹאל (smol), meaning "to go left."
- This phrase does not merely suggest a choice of direction but an emphatic instruction to act in both directions. It depicts a sweeping, indiscriminate devastation that covers all areas and spares no one, symbolizing the pervasive reach of divine judgment. This pervasive action stands in stark contrast to previous divine instructions to God's people to not turn "right or left" from His commands (e.g., Deut 5:32; Josh 1:7), but here, God commands His instrument of judgment to act in all directions.
- "...whithersoever thy face is set." (בַּאֲשֶׁר פָּנַיִךְ מֻעָדוֹת׃ ba'asher panaikh mu'adot):
- בַּאֲשֶׁר (ba'asher): "wherever," "according to what," indicating direction or purpose.
- פָּנַיִךְ (panaikh): "your face" (feminine singular, referring to the personified sword). This implies directionality and intent, as faces are turned toward an intended target.
- מֻעָדוֹת (mu'adot): This feminine plural passive participle from יָעַד (ya'ad) means "appointed," "designated," or "set." It indicates that the sword's path is predetermined and divinely mandated.
- This phrase powerfully underscores God's sovereignty; the sword's actions are not random or uncontrolled but proceed with a specific, unwavering purpose that God has established. The judgment's trajectory cannot be diverted or evaded.
Ezekiel 21 16 Bonus section
The sword motif, particularly "the sword of the Lord," is a recurring theme in prophetic literature, signifying divine judgment. It’s not just a weapon of war but a symbol of God's active, piercing word and His righteous anger against sin. The command for the sword to "go one way or other" dismantles any belief in an "easy out" or finding refuge in any corner; God's judgment is pervasive. Furthermore, the active verbs given to the inanimate sword underscore God's direct agency and intervention, refuting any idea of a passive or absent deity during the historical unfolding of these devastating events. This direct address to the sword is a polemic against reliance on political maneuvering or other gods for protection, as the true director of events is the Lord Himself, whose purpose, once set, cannot be thwarted.
Ezekiel 21 16 Commentary
Ezekiel 21:16 is a concise yet vivid expression of divine judgment, personifying the "sword" as an active agent under God's command. It serves as a stern announcement that God's patience has worn thin, and irreversible destruction is at hand for Judah. The emphasis is on the sword's total preparedness and relentless execution ("Go thee one way or other"), signifying that the devastation will be thorough and inescapable. No place, person, or direction will be safe from this divinely orchestrated calamity. The concluding phrase, "whithersoever thy face is set," firmly attributes the direction and purpose of this destruction to God Himself. This isn't merely a natural consequence or a political disaster, but a direct act of divine will, an instrument of justice aimed precisely at the unrepentant nation. It powerfully conveys the message that the Lord is the ultimate orchestrator of history and holds nations accountable, using earthly powers as His tools to enforce His holy standard.