Ezekiel 21:10 - The LORD's Sword of Judgment

it is sharpened for the slaughter
This phrase indicates preparation for judgment. In the context of Ezekiel, the "sword" symbolizes God's impending judgment on Jerusalem and Judah. The sharpening of the sword suggests readiness and inevitability, reflecting the seriousness of the coming destruction. Historically, this aligns with the Babylonian invasion, which was a divine instrument of judgment. The imagery of a sharpened sword is also found in other prophetic books, such as Isaiah 34:5-6, emphasizing God's wrath against sin.

polished to flash like lightning!
The polishing of the sword to flash like lightning suggests both the swiftness and the terrifying nature of the judgment. Lightning is often associated with divine presence and power, as seen in Exodus 19:16 during the giving of the Law at Sinai. This imagery underscores the unstoppable and fearsome nature of God's judgment. The polished sword also reflects the purity and righteousness of God's justice, as nothing can withstand His holy decree.

Should we rejoice in the scepter of My son?
The "scepter" symbolizes authority and kingship, often associated with the Davidic line. Here, it questions whether there should be joy in the current leadership, which has failed to uphold God's covenant. The phrase "My son" could refer to the Davidic king, possibly Zedekiah, who was the last king of Judah before the Babylonian exile. This rhetorical question highlights the failure of the earthly kingship to bring about righteousness and points to the need for a true and righteous King, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Son of David.

The sword despises every such stick.
The "stick" here contrasts with the "scepter," suggesting weakness and inadequacy. The sword, representing God's judgment, shows no regard for the false security or authority that the people might trust in. This reflects the futility of relying on human power or false idols, as seen throughout the Old Testament, such as in Isaiah 30:1-5, where reliance on Egypt is condemned. The ultimate fulfillment of true authority and power is found in Christ, who wields the sword of truth and justice (Revelation 19:15).

Persons / Places / Events

1. Ezekiel
A prophet of God who ministered to the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. He is the author of the book and the one delivering God's message.

2. Babylon
The empire that conquered Jerusalem and took the Israelites into exile. It is the backdrop for Ezekiel's prophecies.

3. The Sword
Symbolizes God's impending judgment and the instrument of His wrath against Jerusalem and its inhabitants.

4. The Scepter
Represents the ruling authority, possibly referring to the Davidic line or the leadership of Israel, which is under judgment.

5. The Trees
Symbolic of people or nations, often used in prophetic literature to represent those who will be affected by God's judgment.

Teaching Points

The Certainty of God's Judgment
God's judgment is inevitable and precise, as depicted by the sharpened and polished sword. Believers should live with an awareness of God's holiness and justice.

The Sovereignty of God
The imagery of the sword and scepter reminds us that God is sovereign over nations and rulers. Trust in His ultimate authority and plan.

Repentance and Readiness
The call to recognize the impending judgment should lead to repentance and spiritual readiness. Evaluate your life in light of God's standards.

The Power of God's Word
Just as the sword is sharp and effective, so is God's Word. Engage with Scripture regularly to allow it to shape and guide your life.

Hope in God's Promises
Even in judgment, God's promises remain. Look to the hope of restoration and redemption through Christ.

(10) Make mirth.--The answer to this question has already been given in Ezekiel 21:6, and is repeated in Ezekiel 21:12.

Contemneth the rod of my son.--This refers to Genesis 49:9-10, in which Jacob addresses Judah as "my son," and foretells that "the sceptre shall not depart from" him until Shiloh come. There is another allusion to the same passage in Ezekiel 21:27. Comp, also Ezekiel 17:22-23. There is, however, serious difficulty as to the construction and meaning of the clause. The ancient versions and many commentators have more or less changed the text without improvement. The original is obscure in its extreme brevity, and allows "the rod of my son" to be either the object (as it is taken in the text) or the subject (as in the margin). The true sense is probably that which makes the clause into an objection offered by the Jew to the prophet's denunciation: "But 'the rod of my son' despiseth every tree;" i.e., the Divine promise of old to Judah is sure, and his sceptre must remain whatever power arises against it. The objection was in a certain sense true, but the objectors had little idea of the means by which its truth should be established, and vainly imagined that it gave a temporal security to the kingdom of Judah, whatever might be its sins. The prophet does not notice the objection further than to go on with his prediction of the approaching desolation. . . .

Verse 10. - The sceptre of my son, etc. The clause is obscure, possibly corrupt, and has received many interpretations.

(1) Taking the received text, the most probable explanation is that given by Keil and Kliefoth: Shall we rejoice (saying), The sceptre of my son despiseth all woods. Here the "rod" is the "sceptre" of the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10), and the words are supposed to be spoken by those who hear of the destroying sword. They need not dread the sword, they say, because the sceptre of the house of David, whom Jehovah recognizes as his son, despises all wood, looks on every other rod that is the symbol of sovereignty, with scorn. It is urged, in favour of this interpretation, that ver. 27 contains an unmistakable refer, nee to the prophetic words of Genesis 49:10.

(2) Ewald: It is no weak rod of my son, the softest of all wood; i.e. the sword of Jehovah is no weak weapon such as might be used for the chastisement of a child (Proverbs 10:13; Proverbs 13:24).

(3) Hengstenberg: Shall we rejoice over the rod of my son, despising every tree? There is no cause for anything but the reverse of joy in the rod, the punishment which God appoints for Israel as his son, and which surpasses all others in its severity. . . . Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

it is sharpened
הוּחַ֔דָּה (hū·ḥad·dāh)
Verb - Hofal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 2300: To be, sharp, severe

for
לְמַ֨עַן (lə·ma·‘an)
Conjunction
Strong's 4616: Purpose -- intent

the slaughter,
טֶ֙בַח֙ (ṭe·ḇaḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2873: To slaughter, butcher, slay

polished
מֹרָ֑טָּה (mō·rāṭ·ṭāh)
Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 4803: To make smooth, bare or bald, to scour, polish

to flash like lightning!
בָּ֖רָק (bā·rāq)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1300: Lightning, a gleam, a flashing sword

Should we rejoice
נָשִׂ֔ישׂ (nā·śîś)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural
Strong's 7797: To be bright, cheerful

in the scepter
שֵׁ֥בֶט (šê·ḇeṭ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7626: Rod, staff, club, scepter, tribe

of My son?
בְּנִ֖י (bə·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1121: A son

The sword despises
מֹאֶ֥סֶת (mō·’e·seṯ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3988: To spurn, to disappear

every
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

tree.
עֵֽץ׃ (‘êṣ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood

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Ezekiel 21:10 Catholic BibleOT Prophets: Ezekiel 21:10 It is sharpened that it may make (Ezek. Eze Ezk)