Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 21:16
Go thee one way or other, [either] on the right hand, [or] on the left, whithersoever thy face [is] set.
16. Perhaps with R.V., “gather thee together, go to the right; set thyself in array, go to the left!” The sword is addressed by the Lord and bidden concentrate its force to smite on the right, and set itself on to slaughter on the left. Others by changes in the text find a command to the sword to smite in all the four directions (Boett.), which is more artificial.
thy face is set ] Or, thine edge is appointed. Cf. same word “appointed” used of the sword, Jer 47:7, of the rod, Mic 6:9.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Eze 21:16
Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.
Religious decision
I.
The nature of religious decision. In general terms, this may be said to be an inflexible regard for the will and honour of God–a firm adherence under all circumstances to that course of duty which He has commanded, and a personal dedication of the heart and soul to His service.
1. Religious decision is founded on a special regard to the will of God. In this respect it differs from a native or innate decision of character, which is simply a following the bias of the mind.
2. Religious decision is exercised in regard to matters of real importance. In matters of trivial concern. Christian decision may be yielding. It is always candid. It shows due respect for the feelings and preferences of others.
3. True religious decision will never be anxious about consequences. In obeying the clear injunctions of conscience and of God, it is prepared to leave events in His hands who has required the sacrifice.
4. True Christian decision is uniform and unqualified. The man of decided principle will not admit the thought of a compromise with sin or with error.
II. The importance of religious decision.
1. It is important as a matter of Christian consistency.
2. Religious decision is a satisfactory test of Christian character.
3. Christian decision is important, as a means of securing the respect and confidence of mankind. Men may think you needlessly precise, they may even suspect the purity of your motives, but they will admire the conduct that agrees with the profession.
4. Our usefulness is greatly involved in religious decision. The Great Head of the Church does not select for the execution of His grandest plans the timid, the hesitating, the wavering. No. He employs those to whom He has not given the spirit of fear; but of power, of love, and of a sound mind. (Anon.)
To the waverer
I. Thy nature of religious decision.
1. It is founded on a special regard to the Word of God.
2. It is exercised in matters that are religious.
3. It spurns all considerations of consequences.
4. It acts uniformly and undeviatingly.
II. Its importance.
1. As an index of Christian consistency.
2. As a test of personal Christianity.
3. As a passport to general confidence.
4. As an element of usefulness. (G. Brooke.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 16. Go thee one way or other] Thou shalt prosper, O sword, whithersoever thou turnest; against Ammon, or Judea, or Egypt.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
O sword, take thy own course; O ye slaughtermen, ye Babylonian soldiers, all is open before you, go which way you will; I have brought you to waste the land from south to north, begin where you will, and proceed as you will, none shall be able to resist you.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. Apostrophe to the sword.
Go . . . one wayor,”Concentrate thyself”; “Unite thy forceson 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 severalparts of the Chaldean host may be.
or other, . . . on theleftrather “set thyself on the left.” Theverbs are well-chosen. The main “concentration” offorces was to be on “the right hand,” or south, thepart of Judea in which Jerusalem was, and which lay south in marchingfrom Babylon, whereas the Chaldean forces advancing on Jerusalem fromEgypt, of which Jerusalem was north, were fewer, and therefore “setthyself” is the verb used.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
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, Eze 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.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(16) Go thee one way or other.An address to the sword, the animation of which is singularly lost in our version; the sword is addressed as a host, to be prepared for instant action in every quarter: Gather thyself up (close up ranks) right; set thyself, left.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. Go thee one way or other, etc. R.V., “Gather thee together, go to the right; set thyself in array, go to the left; whithersoever thy face is set.” Toy changes text slightly so as to read, “Turn thee, O sword, to the rear, to the right, to the front, to the left, whithersoever thine edge is appointed to turn.”
The prophet is commanded to make a mimic representation, perhaps upon a brick (Eze 4:1-3), or on the floor of his house, of the great highway leading out of Babylon, which at a certain point divided into two roads, the one to Rabbah, the other to Jerusalem. He then pictures the king of Babylon coming to the parting of the ways, where he consults the oracle as to which road he shall take, and is led to the right hand toward Jerusalem. Even the divination of the heathen is overruled by Jehovah and used for the chastisement of his sinning people (Eze 21:18-27).
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Eze 21:16 Go thee one way or other, [either] on the right hand, [or] on the left, whithersoever thy face [is] set.
Ver. 16. Go thee one way or other. ] This he speaketh to the bright and sharp sword, stirring it up to make impression that way whereunto it was appointed, quocunque occurrent tibires comparatae. a
a Tremel.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Go thee. Figure of speech Apostrophe. App-6. Addressedto the sword.
thee: i.e. the sword. Not Ezekiel. It is feminine, not masculine: = Go to the right, turn to the left: or, One stroke to the right, another to the left, &c.
thy face = thine edge.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Go: Eze 21:4, Eze 21:20, Eze 14:17, Eze 16:46
either: Gen 13:9
or on the left: Heb. set thyself, take the left hand
Reciprocal: Jer 49:21 – earth
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 21:16. The I/ord is still addressing himself to the prophet, and In some figurative way is going to describe his actions toward the people. One way or other is a figure and the meaning is that there will be no way of turning that will not see the dealing to be meted out under the decree of the Lord.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
21:16 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.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The Lord spoke to His instrument of judgment urging it to show itself sharp by slaying His people on every side, as the Lord directed. Yahweh would also give His approval by clapping His hands and appeasing His wrath against His sinful people.
"At least some of the problem that Ezekiel’s audience had in accepting such a gloomy picture of the future can be traced to the natural religious tendency to think of God as kindly and thus not really capable of punishing people decisively. Why would God destroy His own beloved people in whom He had invested such time and effort since He brought them out of Egypt centuries before? Some of the problem lay also in people’s natural, routine optimism. It is hard to imagine the country in which one grew up and enjoyed life in the past actually coming to an end, never again to be an independent nation, never again to have its own government and laws and economy and stable traditions." [Note: Stuart, pp. 199-200.]