Ezekiel 21:20

Contemporary English Version

Clearly mark where the two roads lead. One goes to Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and the other goes to Jerusalem, the fortified capital of Judah.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Mark out a road that the sword can take to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem.

Hebrew Names Version
You shall appoint a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of `Ammon, and to Yehudah in Yerushalayim the fortified.

King James Version
Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.

English Standard Version
Mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, into Jerusalem the fortified.

New American Standard Bible
"You shall mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem.

New Century Version
Mark one sign to show the road he can take with his sword to Rabbah in the land of the Ammonites. Mark the other sign to show the road to Judah and Jerusalem, which is protected with strong walls.

Amplified Bible
"You shall point out a way for the [Babylonian] sword to come to Rabbah [the capital] of the sons of Ammon, and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem.

World English Bible
You shall appoint a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Appoint a way, that the sworde may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Iudah in Ierusalem the strong citie.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You shall mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem.

Legacy Standard Bible
You shall mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and to Judah into fortified Jerusalem.

Berean Standard Bible
Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and another against Judah into fortified Jerusalem.

Complete Jewish Bible
So that their hearts will melt, and many will stumble and fall, I have posted the point of the sword at every one of their gates. See how it flashes, sharpened for the kill!

Darby Translation
Appoint a way for the coming of the sword to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah at the fenced [city] of Jerusalem.

Easy-to-Read Version
Use the sign to show which road the sword will use. One road leads to the Ammonite city of Rabbah. The other road leads to Judah, to the protected city, Jerusalem.

George Lamsa Translation
And prepare a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah and to Jerusalem, the mighty city.

Good News Translation
One will show the king the way to the Ammonite city of Rabbah, and the other the way to Judah, to the fortified city, Jerusalem.

Lexham English Bible
You must mark a road for the coming of the sword to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah, in Jerusalem the fortified.

Literal Translation
You shall set a way that the sword may enter into Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and into Judah, into fortified Jerusalem.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Make ye a strete, that the swearde maye come towarde Rabath of the Ammonites, and to the stronge cite of Ierusalem.

American Standard Version
Thou shalt appoint a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified.

Bible in Basic English
Put a pillar at the top of the road for the sword to come to Rabbah in the land of the children of Ammon, and to Judah and to Jerusalem in the middle of her.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may melt, and their stumblings be multiplied; ah! it is made glittering, it is sharpened for slaughter.

King James Version (1611)
Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Iudah in Ierusalem the defenced.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Appoynt a way that the sworde may come towarde Rabbath of the Ammonites, and towarde Iuda in the defenced Hierusalem.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
that the sword may enter in upon Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and upon Judea, and upon Jerusalem in the midst thereof.

English Revised Version
Thou shalt appoint a way, for the sword to come to Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
settinge a weye, that the swerd come to Rabath of the sones of Amon, and to Juda in to Jerusalem moost strong.

Update Bible Version
You shall appoint a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified.

Webster's Bible Translation
Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the fortified.

New English Translation
Mark out the routes for the sword to take: "Rabbah of the Ammonites" and "Judah with Jerusalem in it."

New King James Version
Appoint a road for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem.

New Living Translation
one road going to Ammon and its capital, Rabbah, and the other to Judah and fortified Jerusalem.

New Life Bible
Mark a way for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah into the strong city of Jerusalem.

New Revised Standard
mark out the road for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites or to Judah and to Jerusalem the fortified.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
A way, shalt thou appoint, for the sword to enter. Even to Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, - And to Judah against Jerusalem, the defenced,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt make a way that the sword may come to Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and to Juda unto Jerusalem the strong city.

Revised Standard Version
mark a way for the sword to come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah and to Jerusalem the fortified.

Young's Literal Translation
A way appoint for the coming of the sword, Unto Rabbath of the sons of Ammon, And to Judah, in Jerusalem -- the fenced.

Contextual Overview

¹⁸ The Lord said: ¹⁹ Ezekiel, son of man, mark two roads for the king of Babylonia to follow when he comes with his sword. The roads will begin at the same place, but be sure to put up a signpost where the two roads separate and go in different directions. ²⁰ Clearly mark where the two roads lead. One goes to Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and the other goes to Jerusalem, the fortified capital of Judah. ²¹ When the Babylonian king stands at that signpost, he will decide which way to go by shaking his arrows, by asking his idols, and by carefully looking at the liver of a sacrificed animal. ²² His right hand will pull out the arrow marked "Jerusalem." Then he will immediately give the signal to shout the battle cry, to build dirt ramps to the top of the city walls, to break down its walls and gates with large wooden poles, and to kill the people. ²³ Everyone in Jerusalem had promised to be loyal to Babylonia, and so none of them will believe that this could happen to them. But Babylonia's king will remind them of their sinful ways and warn them of their coming captivity. ²⁴ Ezekiel, tell the people of Jerusalem and their ruler that I, the Lord God, am saying: Everything you do is wicked and shows how sinful you are. You are guilty and will be taken away as prisoners. ²⁵ And now, you evil and wicked ruler of Israel, your day of final punishment is almost here. ²⁶ I, the Lord God, command you to take off your royal turban and your crown, because everything will be different. Those who had no power will be put in charge, and those who now rule will become nobodies. ²⁷ I will leave Jerusalem in ruins when my chosen one comes to punish this city.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Rabbath: Ezekiel 25:5, Deuteronomy 3:11, 2 Samuel 12:26, Jeremiah 49:2, Amos 1:14, Rabbah

the defenced: 2 Samuel 5:9, 2 Chronicles 26:9, 2 Chronicles 32:5, 2 Chronicles 33:14, Psalms 48:12, Psalms 48:13, Psalms 125:1, Psalms 125:2, Isaiah 22:10, Lamentations 4:12

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 32:41 - whet Joshua 13:25 - Rabbah 2 Samuel 11:1 - Rabbah 2 Samuel 12:27 - Rabbah 1 Chronicles 20:1 - Rabbah Ezekiel 21:16 - Go Ezekiel 21:28 - concerning the

Cross-References

Genesis 16:12
But your son will live far from his relatives; he will be like a wild donkey, fighting everyone, and everyone fighting him."

Genesis 17:20
I have heard what you asked me to do for Ishmael, and so I will also bless him with many descendants. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make his family a great nation.

Genesis 21:2
Although Abraham was very old, Sarah had a son exactly at the time God had said.

Genesis 21:3
Abraham named his son Isaac,

Genesis 21:23
Now I want you to promise in the name of God that you will always be loyal to me and my descendants, just as I have always been loyal to you in this land where you have lived as a foreigner."

Genesis 21:24
And so, Abraham promised.

Genesis 21:25
One day, Abraham told Abimelech, "Some of your servants have taken over one of my wells."

Genesis 25:27
As Jacob and Esau grew older, Esau liked the outdoors and became a good hunter, while Jacob settled down and became a shepherd.

Genesis 27:3
So take your bow and arrows, then go out in the fields, and kill a wild animal.

Genesis 28:15
Wherever you go, I will watch over you, then later I will bring you back to this land. I won't leave you—I will do all I have promised.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Appoint a way,.... Mark out a way, describe a road, draw one out upon the ground, or point out one upon a table, or tile:

that the sword may come; in which the sword will come; or those that kill with the sword, as the Targum, even the Chaldean army under Nebuchadnezzar:

to Rabbath of the Ammonites; which was the metropolis of the Ammonites, and is now called Philadelphia, as Jerom writes; it is so called, to distinguish it from others of the same name; see 2 Samuel 12:26:

and to Judah in Jerusalem, the defenced city; which was so both by nature and art; it had mountains round about it, and had been fortified by several kings from the time of David, as Solomon, Hezekiah, and Manasseh. Judah is said to be in it; though it would seem more properly that Jerusalem was in Judah, because that people from all parts of Judah, upon hearing of the king of Babylon's intention and near approach to invade their land, fled to Jerusalem, being a fortified place, for security. Now the prophet is bid to describe a way hither; not that one and the same way led to Rabbath and Jerusalem; but he was to describe a way from the place where Nebuchadnezzar stopped, which led to Rabbath, and another which led to Jerusalem.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 the Akkadians, a primitive race which originally occupied the plains of Mesopotamia. The Accadians and the Etruscans belong through the Finnish family to the Turanian stock; this passage therefore shows a characteristic mode of divination in use among two widely separated nations; and as the Romans acquired their divination from the conquered Etruscans, so the Chaldaeans acquired the same art from the races whose soil they had occupied as conquerors.

He made his arrows briqht - Rather, he shook his arrow; a mode of divination much in practice with the Arabians. It was usual to place in some vessel three arrows, on one of which was written, “My God orders me;” on the other, “My God forbids me;” on the third was no inscription. These three arrows were shaken together until one came out; if it was the first, the thing was to be done; if the second, it was to be avoided; if the third, the arrows were again shaken together, until one of the arrows bearing a decided answer should come forth.

Images - Teraphim (Genesis 31:19 note).

He looked in the liver - It was the practice both of the Greeks and the Romans (derived from the Etruscans) to take omens from the inspection of the entrails (especially the liver) of animals offered in sacrifice.

Ezekiel 21:22

The divination for Jerusalem - The lot fixing the campaign against Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 21:23

It shalt be unto them - The Jews in their vain confidence shall look upon the hopes gathered from the divinations by the Babylonians as false and groundless.

To them that have sworn oaths - According to some, “oaths of oaths are theirs;” i. e., they have the most solemn oaths sworn by God to His people, in these they trust, forgetful of the sin which broke the condition upon which these promises were given. More probably the allusion is to the oaths which the Jews had sworn to Nebuchadnezzar as vassals Ezekiel 17:18-19; therefore they trust he will not attack them, forgetting how imperfectly they had kept their oaths, and that Nebuchadnezzar knew this.

But he will call to remembrance the iniquity - The king of Babylon will by punishment remind them of their perjury 2 Kings 25:6-7; 2 Chronicles 36:17.

Ezekiel 21:25

Profane - Rather, “wounded,” - not dead but - having a death-wound. The prophet, turning from the general crowd, addresses Zedekiah.

When iniquity shall have an end - i. e., at the time when iniquity shall be closed with punishment. So in Ezekiel 21:29.

Ezekiel 21:26

The diadem (“the mitre,” the unique head-dress of the high priest) shall be removed, and the crown taken off (this shall not be as it is), the low exalted, and the high abased. Glory shall be removed alike from priest and king; the present glory and power attached to the government of God’s people shall be quite removed.

Ezekiel 21:27

It shall be no more - Or, “This also shall not be;” the present state of things shall not continue: all shall be confusion “until He come” to whom the dominion belongs of right. Not Zedekiah but Jeconiah and his descendants were the rightful heirs of David’s throne. Through the restoration of the true line was there hope for Judah (compare Genesis 49:10), the promised King in whom all power shall rest - the Son of David - Messiah the Prince. Thus the prophecy of destruction ends for Judah in the promise of restoration (as in Ezekiel 20:40 ff).

Ezekiel 21:28

The burden of the Song of the Sword, also in the form of poetry, is again taken up, directed now against the Ammonites, who, exulting in Judah’s destruction, fondly deemed that they were themselves to escape. For Judah there is yet hope, for Ammon irremediable ruin.

Their reproach - The scorn with which they reproach Judah (marginal references).

The sword ... the glittering - Or, “the sword is drawn for the slaughter; it is furbished that it may detour, in order that it may glitter.” In the Septuagint (and Vulgate) the sword is addressed; e. g., Septuagint, “Arise that thou mayest shine.”

Ezekiel 21:29

Whiles ... unto thee - A parenthesis. The Ammonites had their false diviners who deluded with vain hopes.

To bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain - To cast thee (Ammon) upon the heap of slaughtered men.

Shall have an end - Shall have its final doom.

Ezekiel 21:30

Shall I cause it to return ... - Or, Back to its sheath! The work of the sword is over.