Ezekiel - 21:16



16 Gather yourselves together, go to the right, set yourselves in array, go to the left, wherever your face is set.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Ezekiel 21:16.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.
Gather thee together, go to the right, set thyself in array, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is set.
Be thou sharpened, go to the right hand, or to the left, which way soever thou hast a mind to set thy face.
Gather up strength, go to the right hand, turn thee, go to the left, whithersoever thy face is appointed.
Take possession of the right, place thyself at the left, Whither thy face is appointed.
Go you one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, wherever your face is set.
Be pointed to the right, to the left, wherever your edge is ordered.
Go thee one way to the right, or direct thyself to the left; whither is thy face set?
Be sharpened! Go to the right or to the left, whichever way is the desire of your face.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

The prophet addresses the sword,
Gather thyself up, O sword, to the right or to the left.
Another rendering is: "Turn thee backwards! get thee to the right! Set thee forwards (?)!get thee to the left! O whither is thy face appointed?

Go thee one way or other - Thou shalt prosper, O sword, whithersoever thou turnest; against Ammon, or Judea, or Egypt.

Go thee (n) one way or other, [either] on the right hand, [or] on the left, wherever thy face [is] set.
(n) Provide for yourself: for you will see God's plague of all parts on this country.

Go thee one way or another,.... Go to some one place: or "unite thyself" (a); to other swords, or join other soldiers holding swords; the address is to the sword, to steer its course some one way, and slay as it goes along, sparing none:
either on the right, or on the left; or south, or north; so the Targum,
"unsheathe, and slay on the south, and destroy on the north:''
whithersoever thy face is set; or prepared, as the Targum, or appointed for destruction; this is the usual interpretation: but why may not the words be an apostrophe to the prophet, to go alone or single, either to the right or left, south or north, as his face was set, Ezekiel 21:2, sighing and crying, smiting his hands together, in order to affect the minds of the people with the sense of their calamities coming upon them?
(a) "unito Montanus", Piscator, Polanus; "unitor te", Starckius; "in unum dirigitor", Cocceius.

Apostrophe to the sword.
Go . . . one way--or, "Concentrate thyself"; "Unite thy forces on the right hand" [GROTIUS]. The sword is commanded to take the nearest route for Jerusalem, "whither their face was set," whether south or north ("right hand or left"), according to where the several parts of the Chaldean host may be.
or other, . . . on the left--rather "set thyself on the left." The verbs are well-chosen. The main "concentration" of forces was to be on "the right hand," or south, the part of Judea in which Jerusalem was, and which lay south in marching from Babylon, whereas the Chaldean forces advancing on Jerusalem from Egypt, of which Jerusalem was north, were fewer, and therefore "set thyself" is the verb used.

Go - O sword, take thy own course.

*More commentary available at chapter level.


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