Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.

EZEKIEL 21:20KJV
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Ezekiel 21:20 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 21:20 mean?

Ezekiel 21:20 describes God instructing the prophet to mark out two possible routes for the invading sword—one leading to Rabbath, the main city of the Ammonites, and the other to Jerusalem in Judah, which is described as fortified. The verse shows that both places are being singled out as targets for coming judgment.

In this passage, God is speaking through Ezekiel to the people of Israel during a time when foreign armies threatened their land. The "sword" represents military invasion, and God directs Ezekiel to make it clear that both the Ammonites and the people of Judah are in danger. The mention of Jerusalem as "defenced" (fortified) highlights its strong defenses, but also that even such a city is not safe from what is coming.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 21:20

  • "Appoint" (שִׂים, sîm): This word means to set, place, or designate. Here, it emphasizes that Ezekiel is to deliberately mark out or assign the paths of judgment, not just mention them generally.
  • "Way" (דֶּרֶךְ, derek): This word means road or path. The use here underlines the idea of two specific routes or choices for the advancing army, making the prophecy vivid and concrete.
  • "Defenced" (בָּצוּר, batsur): This word means fortified or protected. Calling Jerusalem "defenced" stresses its reputation for strength, making the warning of its vulnerability more striking.

Why Ezekiel 21:20 matters

  • This verse clarifies that God's judgment is not limited to Israel; neighboring nations like the Ammonites are also included, showing the broad scope of the prophecy.
  • The act of marking out the ways makes the coming judgment feel deliberate and unavoidable, not random or accidental.
  • By highlighting Jerusalem's defenses, the verse underscores that no amount of human strength can guarantee safety when facing divine judgment, setting up the tension for the rest of the chapter.

Where else these words appear

“Rabbath” Hebrew H7237 · used in 14 verses

  • Deuteronomy 3:11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
  • 2 Samuel 12:26 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
  • 1 Chronicles 20:1 And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it.

“defenced” Hebrew H1219 · used in 38 verses

  • Genesis 11:6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
  • 2 Kings 18:13 Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them.
  • Isaiah 27:10 Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.

“Ammonites” Hebrew H5983 · used in 98 verses

  • Genesis 19:38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
  • Judges 11:36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
  • 1 Chronicles 19:9 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array before the gate of the city: and the kings that were come were by themselves in the field.