BibleWord.ai› Bible› Ezekiel› Chapter 21› Verse 30

Ezekiel 21:30

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 21:30 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Cause it to return into its sheath. In the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy birth, will I judge thee.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Cause it to return into its sheath. In the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy birth, will I judge thee.
Ezekiel 21:30 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 21

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
27I will overturn, overturn, overturn it: this also shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it [him].
28And thou, son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah concerning the children of Ammon, and concerning their reproach; and say thou, A sword, a sword is drawn, for the slaughter it is furbished, to cause it to devour, that it may be as lightning;
29while they see for thee false visions, while they divine lies unto thee, to lay thee upon the necks of the wicked that are deadly wounded, whose day is come in the time of the iniquity of the end.
30Cause it to return into its sheath. In the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy birth, will I judge thee.
31And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee; I will blow upon thee with the fire of my wrath; and I will deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, skilful to destroy.
32Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land; thou shalt be no more remembered: for I, Jehovah, have spoken it.
← Ezekiel 21:29Ezekiel 21:31 →
← Full Chapter 21 Ezekiel Overview

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? &c.] The drawn and furbished sword of the Chaldeans? no, I will not; it shall never return or be put up until the Ammonites are utterly consumed. Some read these words in the imperative, as the Targum, “return the sword to its sheath;” so the Vulgate Latin version, “return to thy sheath”; and so may be considered as a direction to the Ammonites to put up their swords, and not stand in their own defence, since it would be to no purpose; though Jerom, and Grotius after him, take the words to be an apostrophe to the drawn sword of the Chaldeans to sheath itself, having done its work upon the Jews and Ammonites; or to the Chaldeans to return to…”
Read attributed excerpt →
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Shall I cause it to return into his sheath--namely, without first destroying Ammon. Certainly not (Jer 47:6-7). Others, as the Margin, less suitably read it imperatively, "Cause it to return," that is, after it has done the work appointed to it. in the land of thy nativity--Ammon was not to be carried away captive as Judah, but to perish in his own land.”
Read attributed excerpt →
Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The third word of judgment. The king of Babylon’s march upon Judaea and upon the Ammonites. Destruction is to go forth not on Judah only, but also on such neighboring tribes as the Ammonites (compare Jeremiah 27:2-3). Ezekiel 21:19 Appoint thee - Set before thee. Choose thou a place, choose it - Rather, “mark a spot, mark it,” as upon a map, at the head of the two roads, one leading to Jerusalem, the other to Ammon. These were the two roads by one or other of which an invading army must march from Babylon to Egypt. Ezekiel 21:21 The Chaldaean king is depicted standing at the entrance of the holy land from the north, meditating his campaign, using rites of divination that really belonged to…”
Read attributed excerpt →
Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Shall I cause it - God will by no means suffer the sword to be sheathed. Judge thee - Condemn, and execute. Ezekiel 21:31”
Read attributed excerpt →
Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“21:30-32 The sword would return . . . to its sheath, not to rest there, but to accomplish the Lord’s judgment against its own country, Babylon. God would also pour out . . . fury and the fire of his anger on Babylon. It had no special protection simply because God had used it as his tool in judging others. Judgment may have begun with God’s household (1 Pet 4:17), but it did not end there. God’s judgment included the pagan nations around Judah.”
Read attributed excerpt →
Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Shall I cause it to return: or, Cause it to return, Eze 21:4, Eze 21:5; Jer 47:6, Jer 47:7 I will: Eze 16:38, Eze 28:13, Eze 28:15; Gen 15:14 in the: Eze 16:3, Eze 16:4 Ezekiel 21:31”
Read attributed excerpt →

Related study paths

Read Ezekiel 21 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification