Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, April 26th, 2026
the Fourth Sunday after Easter
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

JPS Old Testament

Ezekiel 21:11

Sigh therefore, thou son of man; with the breaking of thy loins and with bitterness shalt thou sigh before their eyes.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - War;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Arms, Military;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Repentance;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ezekiel;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Furbish;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Assassination;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The sword is given to be polished,to be grasped in the hand.It is sharpened, and it is polished,to be put in the hand of the slayer.’
Hebrew Names Version
It is given to be furbished, that it may be handled: the sword, it is sharpened, yes, it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the killer.
King James Version
And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.
English Standard Version
So the sword is given to be polished, that it may be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished to be given into the hand of the slayer.
New American Standard Bible
"And it is given to be polished, so that it may be handled; the sword is sharpened and polished, to hand it over to the slaughterer.
New Century Version
The sword should be polished. It is meant to be held in the hand. It is made sharp and polished, ready for the hand of a killer.
Amplified Bible
"The sword [of Babylon] is ready to be polished so that it may be handled and put to use; the sword is sharpened and polished to be put in the hand of the slayer (Nebuchadnezzar).
World English Bible
It is given to be furbished, that it may be handled: the sword, it is sharpened, yes, it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the killer.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And he hath giuen it to be fourbished, that he may handle it: this sword is sharpe, & is fourbished, that he may giue it into ye hand of the slayer.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"It is given to be polished, that it may be handled; the sword is sharpened and polished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.
Legacy Standard Bible
It is given to be polished, that it may be seized by the hand; the sword is sharpened and polished, to give it into the hand of the one who kills.
Berean Standard Bible
The sword is appointed to be polished, to be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished, to be placed in the hand of the slayer.
Contemporary English Version
My sword has been polished; it's sharp and ready to kill.
Complete Jewish Bible
"Therefore, human being, groan! Groan bitterly, as if your heart would break, as they watch.
Darby Translation
And he hath given it to be furbished that it may be handled. The sword,—it is sharpened, and it is furbished to give it into the hand of the slayer.
Easy-to-Read Version
So the sword has been polished. Now it can be used. The sword was sharpened and polished. Now it can be put in the hand of the killer.
George Lamsa Translation
I have given it to be burnished, that it may be handled; the sword is sharpened and polished to deliver it into the hand of the slayer.
Good News Translation
The sword is being polished, to make it ready for use. It is sharpened and polished, to be put in the hands of a killer.
Lexham English Bible
And he gives it to be polished, to be seized by the hand. It is sharpened—a sword—and it is polished to give it into the hand of the killer.
Literal Translation
And He has given it to be polished, to be taken by the hand. The sword, it is sharpened, and it is polished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He hath put his swearde to ye dightinge, yt good holde maye be take of it. This swearde is sharpened & dight, yt it maye be geuen in to the honde of the manslayer.
American Standard Version
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.
Bible in Basic English
And I have given it to the polisher so that it may be taken in the hand: he has made the sword sharp, he has had it polished, to put it into the hand of him who gives death.
King James Version (1611)
And he hath giuen it to be fourbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is fourbished to giue it into the hand of the slayer.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He hath geuen it to be furbished, to holde it in the hande: this sworde is sharpened, and furbished, to geue it into the hande of the slayer.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he made it ready for his hand to hold: the sword is sharpened, it is ready to put into the hand of the slayer.
English Revised Version
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.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y yaf it to be forbischid, that it be holdun with hond; this swerd is maad scharp, and this is maad briyt, that it be in the hond of the sleere.
Update Bible Version
And it is given to be furbished, that it may be handled: the sword, it is sharpened, yes, it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: the sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.
New English Translation
"‘He gave it to be polished, to be grasped in the hand— the sword is sharpened, it is polished— giving it into the hand of the executioner.
New King James Version
And He has given it to be polished, That it may be handled; This sword is sharpened, and it is polished To be given into the hand of the slayer.'
New Living Translation
Yes, the sword is now being sharpened and polished; it is being prepared for the executioner.
New Life Bible
The sword is being shined to make it ready to use. It is made sharp and shiny, to be put into the hand of the killer.
New Revised Standard
The sword is given to be polished, to be grasped in the hand; it is sharpened, the sword is polished, to be placed in the slayer's hand.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
It hath. however been given to be furbished that it may be grasped by the hand:The same is a sword sharpened. Yea the same, is furbished, Ready to be given into the hand of the slayer.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And I have given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, that it may be in the hand of the slayer.
Revised Standard Version
So the sword is given to be polished, that it may be handled; it is sharpened and polished to be given into the hand of the slayer.
Young's Literal Translation
And he giveth it for polishing, For laying hold of by the hand. It is sharpened -- the sword -- and polished, To give it into the hand of a slayer.
THE MESSAGE
"‘The sword is made to glisten, to be held and brandished. It's sharpened and polished, ready to be brandished by the killer.'

Contextual Overview

8 and say to the land of Israel: Thus saith the LORD: 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. 9 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; 10 and all flesh shall know that I the LORD have drawn forth My sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more. 11 Sigh therefore, thou son of man; with the breaking of thy loins and with bitterness shalt thou sigh before their eyes. 12 And 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 slack, and every spirit shall be faint, and all knees shall drip with water; behold, it cometh, and it shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.' 13 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: 14 'Son of man, prophesy, and say: Thus saith the LORD: Say: A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished: 15 It is sharpened that it may make a sore slaughter, it is furbished that it may glitter--or shall we make mirth?--against the rod of My son, contemning every tree. 16 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. 17 Cry and wail, son of man; for it is upon My people, it is upon all the princes of Israel; they are thrust down to the sword with My people; smite therefore upon thy thigh.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

to give: Ezekiel 21:19, Jeremiah 25:9, Jeremiah 25:33, Jeremiah 51:20-23

Cross-References

Genesis 17:18
And Abraham said unto God: 'Oh that Ishmael might live before Thee!'
Genesis 21:1
And the LORD remembered Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as He had spoken.
Genesis 21:2
And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.
2 Samuel 18:33
span data-lang="eng" data-trans="jps" data-ref="2sa.18.1" class="versetxt"> And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. And David sent forth the people, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people: 'I will surely go forth with you myself also.' But the people said: 'Thou shalt not go forth; for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us; but thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou be ready to succour us out of the city.' And the king said unto them: 'What seemeth you best I will do.' And the king stood by the gate-side, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying: 'Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.' And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. So the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim. And the people of Israel were smitten there before the servants of David, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men. For the battle was there spread over the face of all the country; and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. And Absalom chanced to meet the servants of David. And Absalom was riding upon his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth, and his head caught hold of the terebinth, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went on. And a certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said: 'Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in a terebinth.' And Joab said unto the man that told him: 'And, behold, thou sawest it, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have had to give thee ten pieces of silver, and a girdle.' And the man said unto Joab: 'Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, yet would I not put forth my hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying: Beware that none touch the young man Absalom. Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against mine own life--and there is no matter hid from the king--then thou thyself wouldest have stood aloof.' Then said Joab: 'I may not tarry thus with thee.' And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the terebinth. And ten young men that bore Joab's armour compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him. And Joab blew the horn, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held back the people. And they took Absalom, and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones; and all Israel fled every one to his tent.-- Now Absalom in his life-time had taken and reared up for himself the pillar, which is in the king's dale; for he said: 'I have no son to keep my name in remembrance'; and he called the pillar after his own name; and it is called Absalom's monument unto this day. Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok: 'Let me now run, and bear the king tidings, how that the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies.' And Joab said unto him: 'Thou shalt not be the bearer of tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, forasmuch as the king's son is dead.' Then said Joab to the Cushite: 'Go tell the king what thou hast seen.' And the Cushite bowed down unto Joab, and ran. Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab: 'But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite.' And Joab said: 'Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou wilt have no reward for the tidings?' 'But come what may, [said he,] I will run.' And he said unto him: 'Run.' Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and overran the Cushite. Now David sat between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold a man running alone. And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the king said: 'If he be alone, there is tidings in his mouth.' And he came apace, and drew near. And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called unto the porter, and said: 'Behold another man running alone.' And the king said: 'He also bringeth tidings.' And the watchman said: 'I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.' And the king said: 'He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings.' And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king: 'All is well.' And he bowed down before the king with his face to the earth, and said: 'Blessed be the LORD thy God, who hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king.' And the king said: 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And Ahimaaz answered: 'When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was.' And the king said: 'Turn aside, and stand here.' And he turned aside, and stood still. And, behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said: 'Tidings for my lord the king; for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee.' And the king said unto the Cushite: 'Is it well with the young man Absalom?' And the Cushite answered: 'The enemies of my lord the king and all that rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.'

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he hath given it to be furbished, that it might be handled,.... Either Nebuchadnezzar, or rather God, or the Son of God, prepared and brightened the sword, that it might be handled and made use of, either by the Chaldeans or Romans, to the destruction of the Jews. The Targum is,

"he gave their vengeance to be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.''

The sword is sharpened and furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer; either the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar; or the Roman emperor, Titus Vespasian.

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 21:11. This sword is sharpened — It is prepared for the slaughter, it is furbished; from the French, foubir, to polish, brighten. He shall have splendid victories every where. Some complain of corruption in the original in this place; but I think without sufficient reason.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile