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.

EZEKIEL 21:11KJV
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Ezekiel 21:11 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 21:11 mean?

Ezekiel 21:11 describes a sword that has been polished and sharpened so it can be used by someone to kill. The verse emphasizes that the sword is now ready and has been prepared specifically to be placed in the hand of an executioner or slayer.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Israel, warning them of coming judgment. The sword represents a tool of destruction, symbolizing the coming attack or punishment. The careful preparation of the sword shows that the judgment is intentional and imminent, not accidental or random.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 21:11

  • "Furbished" (לָטַשׁ, latash) means to polish or make something shine, highlighting that the sword is not just sharpened but made ready for use, emphasizing its preparedness.
  • "Handled" (כַּף, kaph; תָּפַשׂ, tafas) includes both the idea of the hand (kaph) and the act of grasping or taking hold (tafas), stressing that the sword is meant to be actively used, not just displayed.
  • "Slayer" (הָרֵג, hareg) refers to someone who kills or executes, making clear that the sword’s purpose is for carrying out death, not for ceremony or show.

Why Ezekiel 21:11 matters

  • This verse clears up that the coming judgment is deliberate and prepared, not a sudden accident; the sword is made ready for a specific purpose.
  • The focus on the sword being given into the hand of the slayer connects to the larger warning in Ezekiel 21, where God’s judgment is described as unavoidable and near.
  • Understanding the preparation and handing over of the sword helps readers see the seriousness of the warning, showing that God’s message through Ezekiel is both urgent and certain.

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 21:10 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.

“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.

“furbished” Hebrew H4803 · used in 9 verses

  • Leviticus 13:40 And the man whose hair is fallen off his head, he is bald; yet is he clean.
  • Ezra 9:3 And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied.
  • Ezekiel 21:9 Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:

“handled” Hebrew H8610 · used in 60 verses

  • Genesis 4:21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
  • 2 Kings 14:13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
  • Jeremiah 49:16 Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.