ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for Ezekiel 21

Ezek. 21:1–7 The opening words directly correspond with those of 20:46–47: set your face, preach, prophesy, and say all appear in the same order in those preceding verses. Now, however, the people addressed are clearly identified. The “southland” is Jerusalem, the “south” is now sanctuaries, the “forest land” is the land of Israel (see note on 7:2). No doubt remains about the focus of the Lord’s judgment, and the destroying agent is identified as the drawn sword (21:3).

Ezek. 21:3–4 The righteous and wicked correspond to the “green” and “dry” trees of 20:47. Here God predicts a judgment that will come on the whole nation and will affect everyone. Sometimes the righteous suffer not because of judgment for their own sin, but because they live in a fallen world.

Ezek. 21:6–7 These verses seem to continue describing the destruction of both “righteous and wicked” (see note on vv. 3–4). The groan and breaking heart of v. 6 point back to 9:4, which identifies the righteous by this behavior. Verse 7 of ch. 21 echoes 7:17 and the reaction to the coming day of the Lord. The closing phrase, behold . . . it will be fulfilled, echoes 7:5–6, 10.

Ezek. 21:8–17 This oracle uses the image of a sharpened sword. Verses 8–13 focus on the nature of the sword itself, honed to razor sharpness. Verses 14–17 describe its lethal effect.

Ezek. 21:12 The princes of Israel may refer to the tragic events at Riblah (2 Kings 25:6–7). Strike . . . your thigh is an action associated with lament (see Jer. 31:19).

Ezek. 21:14, 17 As in 6:11, to clap your hands communicates nervous anxiety, perhaps in anticipation of the approaching judgment.

Ezek. 21:18–29 In v. 11 the sword was committed to the “hand of the slayer,” identified here as the king of Babylon. Ezekiel performs another symbolic action (see ch. 4). He draws (presumably on the ground) a map with a forked road, and adds road signs. It is unknown how much of the rest of the action was actually performed or whether it was simply narrated. It describes Nebuchadnezzar at his camp, probably somewhere in Syria, deciding whether to head west toward Jerusalem or east toward Rabbah (21:20, modern Amman, Jordan). He decides to attack Jerusalem (v. 22).

Ezek. 21:24–27 Now that God has given the sword to the Babylonian king, judgment on Jerusalem is announced. The “wicked” prince of Israel must be Zedekiah.

Ezek. 21:30–32 The instruction to return the sword to its sheath (v. 30) completes the action begun in v. 3. With its work done, Babylon is now subject to judgment (as was Assyria in Isa. 10:5–19). The conclusion in Ezek. 21:31–32 points in two directions: fire of my wrath refers back to the parable of the fire that began this oracle (20:45–49), and it anticipates the conclusion to a later oracle (22:31). Fuel for the fire points back to 20:45–49, while the reference to blood prepares the way for ch. 22.