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Ezekiel 21:4

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 21:4 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
Ezekiel 21:4 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 21

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
1And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
2Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop [thy word] toward the sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel;
3and say to the land of Israel, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
4Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:
5and all flesh shall know that I, Jehovah, have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more.
6Sigh therefore, thou son of man; with the breaking of thy loins and with bitterness shalt thou sigh before their eyes.
7And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt say, Because of the tidings, for it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and it shall be done, saith the Lord Jehovah.
← Ezekiel 21:3Ezekiel 21:5 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, &c.] Some by the sword, some by famine, some by pestilence, and others by captivity; and, upon the whole, none spared, but the land left desolate: therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh, from the south to the north; the Chaldean army shall go out of their own land against all the inhabitants of Judea, from Beersheba to Dan; this explains what is meant by all faces being burnt from the south to the north, (<262047>Ezekiel 20:47), namely, the general destruction of the Jews by the Chaldeans.”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The "sword" did not, literally, slay all; but the judgments of God by the foe swept through the land "from the south to the north."”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The righteous and the wicked - take the place of “every green tree and every dry tree” Ezekiel 20:47; “all faces” that of “all flesh:” to show the universality of the destructions. National judgment involves the innocent in the temporal ruin of the guilty. The equity of God is vindicated by the ruin being only temporal. From the south to the north - From one end of the holy land to the other; the seer is in the north, and looks at once on the whole extent of the ruin. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“All flesh - All the Jews that dwell in the land. Ezekiel 21:5”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“against: Eze 6:11-14, Eze 7:2, Eze 20:47 Ezekiel 21:5”
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Related study paths

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

Sources and verification