Ezekiel 21:16

Complete Jewish Bible

The sword was given to be polished, so that it could be wielded; it was sharpened and polished to be placed in the slaughterer's hand.'

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Slash to the right;turn to the left—wherever your blade is directed.

Hebrew Names Version
Gather you together, go to the right, set yourself in array, go to the left, wherever your face is set.

King James Version
Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.

English Standard Version
Cut sharply to the right; set yourself to the left, wherever your face is directed.

New American Standard Bible
"Prove yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your edge is ordered.

New Century Version
Sword, cut on the right side; then cut on the left side. Cut anywhere your blade is turned.

Amplified Bible
"Turn O sword and cut right or cut left, whichever way your thirst for blood and your edge direct you.

World English Bible
Gather you together, go to the right, set yourself in array, go to the left, wherever your face is set.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Get thee alone: goe to the right hande, or get thy selfe to the left hande, whithersoeuer thy face turneth.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Show yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your edge is appointed.

Legacy Standard Bible
Show yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your edge is appointed.

Berean Standard Bible
Slash to the right; set your blade to the left-wherever your blade is directed.

Contemporary English Version
It will slash right and left, wherever the blade is pointed.

Darby Translation
Gather up [strength], go to the right hand, turn thee, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is appointed.

Easy-to-Read Version
Sword, be sharp! Cut on the right side. Cut straight ahead. Cut on the left side. Go wherever your edge was chosen to go.

George Lamsa Translation
Take hold firmly my right hand, take hold firmly my left hand, wherever my face is turned;

Good News Translation
Cut to the right and the left, you sharp sword! Cut wherever you turn.

Lexham English Bible
Gather together, strike to the right; cause to go to the left, where your edge is directed.

Literal Translation
Sharpen yourself on the right! Set yourself on the left, wherever your face is appointed.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Get the to some place alone, ether vpon the right honde or on the lefte, whither so euer thy face turneth.

American Standard Version
Gather thee together, go to the right, set thyself in array, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is set.

Bible in Basic English
Be pointed to the right, to the left, wherever your edge is ordered.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it is given to be furbished, that it may be handled; the sword, it is sharpened, yea, it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.

King James Version (1611)
Goe thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoeuer thy face is set.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Get thee one way or other, either vpon the right hande or vpon the left, whyther soeuer thy face turneth.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And do thou go on, sharpen thyself on the right and on the left whithersoever thy face may set itself.

English Revised Version
Gather thee together, go to the right; set thyself in array, go to the left; whithersoever thy face is set.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Be thou maad scharp, go thou to the riyt side, ether to the left side, whidur euer the desir of thi face is.

Update Bible Version
Gather yourself together, go to the right, set yourself in array, go to the left, wherever your face is set.

Webster's Bible Translation
Go thee one way or other, [either] on the right hand, [or] on the left, whithersoever thy face [is] set.

New English Translation
Cut sharply on the right! Swing to the left, wherever your edge is appointed to strike.

New King James Version
"Swords at the ready! Thrust right! Set your blade! Thrust left-- Wherever your edge is ordered!

New Living Translation
O sword, slash to the right, then slash to the left, wherever you will, wherever you want.

New Life Bible
O sharp sword, cut to the left and to the right. Cut wherever you have been sent.

New Revised Standard
Attack to the right! Engage to the left! —wherever your edge is directed.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
One firm stroke to the right. Turn to the left,- Whithersoever thine edge is directed,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Be thou sharpened, go to the right hand, or to the left, which way soever thou hast a mind to set thy face.

Revised Standard Version
Cut sharply to right and left where your edge is directed.

Young's Literal Translation
Take possession of the right, place thyself at the left, Whither thy face is appointed.

Contextual Overview

⁸ tell the land of Isra'el that Adonai Elohim says, ‘I am against you. I will draw my sword from its scabbard and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. ⁹ Since I am going to rid you of both righteous and evildoers, my sword will also go out of its scabbard against everyone, from the Negev to the north. ¹⁰ Everyone alive will know that I, Adonai , drew my sword from its scabbard; it will not be sheathed again.' ¹¹ "Therefore, human being, groan! Groan bitterly, as if your heart would break, as they watch. ¹² Then, when they ask you, ‘Why are you groaning?' you will answer, ‘Because of the news, because it's coming. All hearts will melt, all hands hang limp, all spirits faint and all knees turn to water; here, it's coming, it will happen,' says Adonai Elohim ." ¹³ The word of Adonai came to me: ¹⁴ "Human being, prophesy. Say that Adonai Elohim says to say this: ‘A sword, a sword has been sharpened and polished, ¹⁵ sharpened in order to slaughter and slaughter, polished to flash like lightning. But how can we rejoice? My son rejects the rod and every other stick. ¹⁶ The sword was given to be polished, so that it could be wielded; it was sharpened and polished to be placed in the slaughterer's hand.' ¹⁷ "Shout and wail, human being, because it's coming upon my people, upon all the leaders of Isra'el — they will be victims of the sword along with my people. Strike your thigh in remorse!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Go: Ezekiel 21:4, Ezekiel 21:20, Ezekiel 14:17, Ezekiel 16:46

either: Genesis 13:9

or on the left: Heb. set thyself, take the left hand

Reciprocal: Jeremiah 49:21 - earth

Cross-References

Genesis 27:38
‘Esav said to his father, "Have you only one blessing, my father? Father, bless me too!" ‘Esav wept aloud,

Genesis 29:11
Ya‘akov kissed Rachel and wept aloud.

Genesis 44:34
For how can I go up to my father if the boy isn't with me? I couldn't bear to see my father so overwhelmed by anguish."

Judges 2:4
When the angel of Adonai spoke these words to all the people of Isra'el, they began crying and wailing at the top of their voices.

Ruth 1:9
May Adonai grant you security in the home of a new husband." Then she kissed them, but they began weeping aloud.

1 Samuel 24:16
Adonai be the judge; let him decide between you and me. May he take my side and rescue me from your power!"

1 Samuel 30:4
Then David and the people with him cried aloud until they had no more power to cry.

1 Kings 3:26
At this, the woman to whom the living child belonged addressed the king, because she felt so strongly toward her son: "Oh, my lord, give her the living child; you mustn't kill it!" But the other one said, "It will be neither yours nor mine. Divide it up!"

Esther 8:6
For how can I bear to see the disaster that will overcome my people? How can I endure seeing the extermination of my kinsmen?"

Isaiah 49:15
Can a woman forget her child at the breast, not show pity on the child from her womb? Even if these were to forget, I would not forget you.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Go thee one way or another,.... Go to some one place: or "unite thyself" a; to other swords, or join other soldiers holding swords; the address is to the sword, to steer its course some one way, and slay as it goes along, sparing none:

either on the right, or on the left; or south, or north; so the Targum,

"unsheathe, and slay on the south, and destroy on the north:''

whithersoever thy face is set; or prepared, as the Targum, or appointed for destruction; this is the usual interpretation: but why may not the words be an apostrophe to the prophet, to go alone or single, either to the right or left, south or north, as his face was set, Ezekiel 21:2, sighing and crying, smiting his hands together, in order to affect the minds of the people with the sense of their calamities coming upon them?

a התאחדי "unito Montanus", Piscator, Polanus; "unitor te", Starckius; "in unum dirigitor", Cocceius.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The second word of judgment: the glittering and destroying sword. The passage may be called the “Lay of the Sword;” it is written in the form of Hebrew poetry, with its characteristic parallelism.

Ezekiel 21:10

It contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree - The rod is the scepter of dominion, assigned to Judah Genesis 49:10. The destroying sword of Babylon despises the scepter of Judah; it despises every tree. Others render the verse, “Shall we make mirth” (saying), “the rod of my son,” (the rod which corrects my people) “contemneth” (treats with scorn, utterly confounds) “every tree” (every other nation); or, the scepter of my people “contemneth” (proudly despises) every other nation. Proud as the people are, they shall be brought to sorrow.

Ezekiel 21:12

Terrors - Better as in the margin.

Smite upon thy thigh - A token of mourning (compare the marginal reference note).

Ezekiel 21:13

Or,

For it is put to the proof, and if it contemneth even the rod, What shall not be? saith the Lord

i. e., What horrors will not arise when the sword shall cut down without regard the ruling scepter of Judah!

Ezekiel 21:14

Doubled the third time - i. e., “thrice doubled” to express its violence and force.

The sword of the slain - The sword whereby men are to be slain.

Of the great men ... - Or, The sword of the mighty slain, which presseth hard upon them.

Ezekiel 21:15

The point of the sword - The threatening sword or terror; as in Genesis 3:24, “the flaming sword.”

And their ruins be multiplied - literally, “to the multiplication of stumblingblocks,” that is, so that the causes of their fall may be more numerous. Compare Jeremiah 46:16.

Made bright ... - Or,

Ah! It is prepared for a lightning-flash, Drawn for slaughter.

Ezekiel 21:16

The prophet addresses the sword,

Gather thyself up, O sword, to the right or to the left.

Another rendering is: “Turn thee backwards! get thee to the right! Set thee forwards (?)!get thee to the left! O whither is thy face appointed?

Ezekiel 21:17

The Lord smites together His hands in anger (marginal reference), man in consternation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 21:16. Go thee one way or other — Thou shalt prosper, O sword, whithersoever thou turnest; against Ammon, or Judea, or Egypt.