Cry and howl, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.

Cry, and howl, 0 son of man, for this sword is upon my people, it is upon all the princes of Israel, that are fled: they are delivered up to the sword with my people, strike therefore upon thy thigh,

Cry and howl, son of man; for it shall be against my people, it shall be against all the princes of Israel: they are given up to the sword along with my people: smite therefore upon the thigh.

Cry and howl, son of man: for it is upon my people, it is upon all the princes of Israel: they are delivered over to the sword with my people: smite therefore upon thy thigh.

Give loud cries and make sounds of grief, O son of man: for it has come on my people, it has come on all the rulers of Israel: fear of the sword has come on my people: for this cause give signs of grief.

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.

Cry out and wail, O son of man! For this has been done among my people, this is among all the leaders of Israel, who have fled. They have been handed over to the sword, with my people. Therefore, slap your thigh,

Terrors - Better as in the margin.
Smite upon thy thigh - A token of mourning (compare the marginal reference note).

Smite - upon thy thigh - See on Jeremiah 31:19 (note). So Homer, Il. 15 ver. 113: -
Ὡς εφατ'· αυταρ Αρης θαλερω πεπληγετο μηρω
Χερσι καταπρηνεσσ,ολοφυρομενος δε προσηυδα.
"She spake; and, with expanded arms his thighs
Smiting, thus sorrowful the god exclaimed."
Cowper.

Cry and wail, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it [shall be] upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: (k) smite therefore upon [thy] thigh.
(k) Read (Ezekiel 6:11).

Cry, howl, son of man,.... Not only sigh, but cry; and not cry only, but howl; signifying hereby that this would be the case of the Jews when these calamities should come upon them; and, in order to affect them with them before hand, the prophet is ordered to act such a part, as well as to express his sympathy with them:
for it shall be upon my people; that is, the sword, or the calamity signified by it; this should be not upon other nations, but upon the Lord's own people; such who professed themselves to be his people, and whom he had distinguished from all others; this is said, to affect the prophet the more, they being both the Lord's people, and his also:
and it shall be upon all the princes of Israel; who were slain in Riblah by the king of Babylon, Jeremiah 52:10, the sword spared neither people nor princes.
Terrors, by reason of the sword, shall be upon my people; upon the rumour of the invasion, and when besieged in the city, and when attempting to make their escape by flight: or "my people are fallen by the sword" (u), as some:
smite therefore upon thy thigh; as one grieved in spirit, in great distress and anguish; see Jeremiah 31:19.
(u) So R. Song Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 59. 1.

terrors by reason of the sword, &c.--rather, "they (the princes of Israel) are delivered up to the sword together with My people" [GLASSIUS].
smite . . . upon . . . thigh--a mark of grief (Jeremiah 31:19).

It - The devouring sword. Upon thy thigh - In token of thy sense of what they must suffer.