It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree.

EZEKIEL 21:10KJV
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Ezekiel 21:10 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 21:10 mean?

Ezekiel 21:10 describes a sword that has been sharpened and polished to carry out a devastating slaughter, shining with deadly purpose. The verse warns against celebrating or making light of the situation, because the sword disregards any authority or protection, treating even the "rod" of the king’s son as if it were nothing.

In this passage, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Israel, warning them of an imminent and severe judgment. The "sword" is a symbol of coming destruction, likely referring to the Babylonian invasion. The verse uses vivid language to show that no one, not even royal authority, will be able to stop or withstand what is coming.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 21:10

  • "Sharpened" (חדד, chadad): This word means to make something sharp or ready for use. Here, it emphasizes that the coming judgment is prepared and intentional, not accidental.
  • "Furbished" (מרט, marat): This means to polish or make something shine. The sword is not just sharp but also polished to catch the eye, highlighting its readiness and the seriousness of the threat.
  • "Contemneth" (מאס, ma'as): This word means to despise or treat with contempt. The sword "despises" the "rod," showing that even symbols of power or discipline (like a king’s scepter) are powerless against this judgment.
  • "Rod" (שבט, shevet): Often used for a staff or scepter, a symbol of authority or rule. The sword’s disregard for the "rod of my son" suggests that even royal power (possibly the Davidic line) will not be spared.

Why Ezekiel 21:10 matters

  • Ezekiel 21:10 clears up any idea that the coming disaster is random or avoidable; the sword is prepared and unstoppable, showing the seriousness of God’s warning.
  • The verse highlights that no human authority, not even the royal family or their symbols of power, can protect against this judgment, emphasizing the totality of what is coming.
  • This verse connects to the larger message in Ezekiel 21, where God’s judgment is pictured as a sword drawn against Jerusalem, warning the people not to take their situation lightly or with false hope.

Where else these words appear

“sharpened” Hebrew H2300 · used in 5 verses

  • Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
  • Ezekiel 21:9 Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:
  • Ezekiel 21:11 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.

“furbished” Hebrew H4178 · used in 5 verses

  • 1 Kings 7:45 And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels, which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, were of bright brass.
  • Isaiah 18:2 That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!
  • Isaiah 18:7 In that time shall the present be brought unto the LORD of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion.

“slaughter” Hebrew H2873 · used in 11 verses

  • Genesis 43:16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.
  • 1 Samuel 25:11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?
  • Jeremiah 11:19 But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.

“sore” Hebrew H2874 · used in 12 verses

  • Genesis 43:16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon.
  • Isaiah 34:2 For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.
  • Jeremiah 48:15 Moab is spoiled, and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.