Ezekiel 21:9
New International Version
“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: “’A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished—

New Living Translation
“Son of man, give the people this message from the Lord: “A sword, a sword is being sharpened and polished.

English Standard Version
“Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, say: “A sword, a sword is sharpened and also polished,

Berean Standard Bible
“Son of man, prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord says: ‘A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished—

King James Bible
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:

New King James Version
“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD!’ Say: ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened And also polished!

New American Standard Bible
“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the LORD says:’ Say, ‘A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished!

NASB 1995
“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD.’ Say, ‘A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished!

NASB 1977
“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD.’ Say, ‘A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished!

Legacy Standard Bible
“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord.’ Say, ‘A sword, a sword sharpened And also polished!

Amplified Bible
“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the LORD.’ Say, ‘A sword, a sword [from Babylon] is sharpened And also polished!

Christian Standard Bible
“Son of man, prophesy, ‘This is what the Lord says! ’ You are to proclaim, ‘A sword! A sword is sharpened and also polished.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Son of man, prophesy: This is what the Lord says! You are to proclaim: A sword! A sword is sharpened and also polished.

American Standard Version
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith Jehovah: Say, A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished;

English Revised Version
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD: Say, A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Son of man, prophesy. Tell them, 'This is what the Lord says: A sword, a sword is sharpened and polished,

Good News Translation
"Mortal man, prophesy. Tell the people what I, the Lord, am saying: A sword, a sword is sharpened and polished.

International Standard Version
"Son of Man, prophesy and say, 'This is what the Lord GOD says: 'A sword! A sword is being sharpened. It's also being polished.

Majority Standard Bible
“Son of man, prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord says: ‘A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished—

NET Bible
"Son of man, prophesy and say: 'This is what the Lord says: "'A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished.

New Heart English Bible
"Son of man, prophesy, and say, 'Thus says the LORD: Say, "A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished;

Webster's Bible Translation
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:

World English Bible
“Son of man, prophesy, and say, ‘Yahweh says: “A sword! A sword! It is sharpened, and also polished.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“Son of man, prophesy, and you have said, Thus said YHWH: Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished.

Young's Literal Translation
'Son of man, prophesy, and thou hast said, Thus said Jehovah, say: A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also polished.

Smith's Literal Translation
Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus said Jehovah: say, A sword, a sword was sharpened, and also polished.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus saith the Lord God: Say: The sword, the sword is sharpened, and furbished.

Catholic Public Domain Version
“Son of man, prophesy, and you shall say: Thus says the Lord God: Speak: The sword! The sword has been sharpened and polished!

New American Bible
Son of man, prophesy! say: Thus says the LORD: A sword, a sword has been sharpened, a sword, a sword has been burnished:

New Revised Standard Version
Mortal, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord; Say: A sword, a sword is sharpened, it is also polished;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus says the LORD God: A sword, a sword is sharpened;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
“Son of man, prophesy, and say, thus says THE LORD OF LORDS: ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus saith the LORD: Say: A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, And also furbished:

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Son of man, prophesy, and thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Say, Sword, sword, be sharpened and rage,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The LORD's Sword of Judgment
8Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 9“Son of man, prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord says: ‘A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished— 10it is sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Should we rejoice in the scepter of My son? The sword despises every such stick.…

Cross References
Isaiah 34:5-6
When My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens, then it will come down upon Edom, upon the people I have devoted to destruction. / The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood. It drips with fat—with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

Jeremiah 47:6-7
‘Alas, O sword of the LORD, how long until you rest? Return to your sheath; cease and be still!’ / How can it rest when the LORD has commanded it? He has appointed it against Ashkelon and the shore of its coastland.”

Zechariah 13:7
Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones.

Deuteronomy 32:41-42
when I sharpen My flashing sword, and My hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on My adversaries and repay those who hate Me. / I will make My arrows drunk with blood, while My sword devours flesh—the blood of the slain and captives, the heads of the enemy leaders.”

Isaiah 66:16
For by fire and by His sword, the LORD will execute judgment on all flesh, and many will be slain by the LORD.

Jeremiah 25:31
The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth because the LORD brings a charge against the nations. He brings judgment on all mankind and puts the wicked to the sword,’” declares the LORD.

Revelation 19:15
And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Isaiah 31:8
“Then Assyria will fall, but not by the sword of man; a sword will devour them, but not one made by mortals. They will flee before the sword, and their young men will be put to forced labor.

Jeremiah 12:12
Over all the barren heights in the wilderness the destroyers have come, for the sword of the LORD devours from one end of the earth to the other. No flesh has peace.

Revelation 1:16
He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

Matthew 10:34
Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Isaiah 27:1
In that day the LORD will take His sharp, great, and mighty sword, and bring judgment on Leviathan the fleeing serpent—Leviathan the coiling serpent—and He will slay the dragon of the sea.

Jeremiah 9:16
I will scatter them among the nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off.”

Revelation 2:12
To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of the One who holds the sharp, double-edged sword.


Treasury of Scripture

Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus said the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:

A sword

Ezekiel 21:3,15,28
And 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…

Deuteronomy 32:41,42
If 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…

Job 20:25
It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.

sharpened

Psalm 7:11-13
God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day…

Isaiah 27:1
In 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.

Isaiah 34:5,6
For my sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon the people of my curse, to judgment…

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Ezekiel 21
1. Ezekiel prophesies 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














Son of man
This phrase is a frequent designation for Ezekiel, emphasizing his humanity and role as a representative of the people. In Hebrew, "ben adam" underscores the prophet's connection to mankind, highlighting his role as a mediator between God and Israel. It serves as a reminder of the prophet's humble position and the divine authority behind his message.

prophesy
The Hebrew word "naba" means to speak or sing by inspiration, indicating that Ezekiel's words are not his own but are divinely inspired. This command to prophesy underscores the urgency and importance of the message, as it comes directly from God. It is a call to deliver a message of warning and judgment, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.

and say
This phrase emphasizes the act of speaking God's words. It is a directive for Ezekiel to vocalize the divine message, ensuring that the people hear and understand the impending judgment. The repetition of the command to speak highlights the necessity of clear communication of God's will.

This is what the Lord says
This declaration asserts the divine origin of the message. The Hebrew "koh amar Adonai" is a formulaic introduction to prophetic oracles, affirming that the words are not Ezekiel's but God's. It establishes the authority and authenticity of the prophecy, demanding attention and reverence from the listeners.

A sword, a sword
The repetition of "sword" in Hebrew ("chereb, chereb") serves to intensify the image of impending judgment and destruction. The sword is a common biblical symbol of divine judgment and warfare, representing the execution of God's justice. This imagery would have been particularly poignant for the original audience, who understood the sword as a tool of both protection and devastation.

sharpened and polished
These terms describe the preparation and readiness of the sword for use. "Sharpened" (Hebrew "chadad") suggests precision and effectiveness, while "polished" (Hebrew "marat") implies a gleaming, fearsome appearance. Together, they convey the inevitability and thoroughness of God's judgment. The imagery of a prepared sword serves as a stark warning to the people of Israel, urging them to recognize the seriousness of their situation and the certainty of divine retribution.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of man,
אָדָ֕ם (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

prophesy
הִנָּבֵא֙ (hin·nā·ḇê)
Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 5012: To prophesy, speak, by inspiration

and tell them
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

that this is what
כֹּ֖ה (kōh)
Adverb
Strong's 3541: Like this, thus, here, now

the Lord
אֲדֹנָ֑י (’ă·ḏō·nāy)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 136: The Lord

says:
וְאָ֣מַרְתָּ֔ (wə·’ā·mar·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘A sword,
חֶ֥רֶב (ḥe·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

a sword,
חֶ֛רֶב (ḥe·reḇ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

sharpened
הוּחַ֖דָּה (hū·ḥad·dāh)
Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 2300: To be, sharp, severe

and
וְגַם־ (wə·ḡam-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

polished—
מְרוּטָֽה׃ (mə·rū·ṭāh)
Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - feminine singular
Strong's 4803: To make smooth, bare or bald, to scour, polish


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OT Prophets: Ezekiel 21:9 Son of man prophesy and say Thus (Ezek. Eze Ezk)
Ezekiel 21:8
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