ÉzéchielChapitre 21

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The word of the LORD came to me:

Son of man, set your face toward the south, preach against the southland, and prophesy against the forest of the southern field.

Say to the forest of the Negev: Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD: I am about to kindle a fire in you, and it will devour every tree in you, both green and dry. The blazing flame will not be quenched, and every face from south to north will be scorched by it.

Then all flesh will see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it will not be quenched.

Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! They are saying of me, 'Is he not just spinning out riddles?'"

And the word of the LORD came to me:

Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, preach against her sanctuaries, and prophesy against the land of Israel.

Say to the land of Israel: Thus says the LORD: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.

Because I am cutting off from you both righteous and wicked, my sword will come out of its sheath against all flesh, from south to north.

Then all flesh will know that I, the LORD, have drawn my sword from its sheath; it will not return again.

And you, son of man, groan! With loins broken and in bitterness, groan before their eyes.

And when they ask you, "Why are you groaning?" say: Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, every hand will go limp, every spirit will faint, and every knee will turn to water. It is coming, it is here, declares the Lord GOD.

The word of the LORD came to me:

Son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord: A sword, a sword—sharpened and also polished!

Sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning. Shall we then rejoice? The scepter of my son despises every tree.

He has given it to be polished, to be gripped in the hand. The sword is sharpened, it is polished, ready to be placed in the hand of the slayer.

Cry out and wail, son of man, for it comes against my people, against all the princes of Israel. They are thrown to the sword along with my people; therefore strike your thigh.

For the testing is here—and what then, if even the scepter that despises comes to nothing? declares the Lord GOD.

And you, son of man, prophesy and clap your hands together. Let the sword strike twice, yes, three times—the sword for the slain, the sword for the great slaughter, closing in on them from every side.

So that hearts may melt and many may stumble, I have set the sword's flashing point at all their gates. Ah! It is made to flash like lightning, honed for the slaughter.

Slash to the right, sword; then to the left—wherever your edge is turned.

I too will clap my hands, and my fury will come to rest. I, the LORD, have spoken.

The word of the LORD came to me:

Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to travel—both of them leading out from the same land. Set up a signpost where the road forks toward the city.

Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and another against Judah, against fortified Jerusalem.

For the king of Babylon will stand at the fork of the road, where the two ways part, to seek an omen: he will shake the arrows, consult the household idols, and examine the liver.

Into his right hand comes the omen—Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to open the mouth for the slaughter, to raise the voice with the battle shout, to bring the rams against her gates, to throw up siege ramps and build siege walls.

To them it will seem a false omen, for they have sworn solemn oaths—but he calls their guilt to mind, so that they will be captured.

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Because you have brought your guilt to mind, so that your rebellions are laid bare and your sins are exposed in everything you do—because you have brought yourselves to remembrance, you will be taken captive by force.

And you, profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, the time of your final punishment—

thus says the Lord GOD: Remove the turban, take off the crown! Nothing will remain as it was: the lowly will be lifted up, and the exalted brought low.

A ruin, a ruin, a ruin I will make it! Nor will this stand until he comes to whom the judgment belongs; to him I will give it.

And you, son of man, prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites and their taunting. Say: A sword, a sword, drawn for the slaughter, polished to devour, to flash like lightning—

while they see false visions for you and divine lies for you—to lay it on the necks of the wicked who are doomed to die, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment.

Return it to its sheath! In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you.

I will pour out my indignation upon you; I will breathe the fire of my wrath against you and hand you over to brutal men, skilled in destruction.

You will be fuel for the fire; your blood will be spilled in the land. You will not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 21

Main Theme: God announces his inevitable judgment over Jerusalem through the sword, using Babylon as his instrument.

Content: The chapter opens with a prophecy about fire that will consume the forest in the south—a picture of judgment against Jerusalem. God commands Ezekiel to sigh and lament, for his sword will destroy both the righteous and the wicked. The king of Babylon stands at the crossroads and uses divination to choose his path—the lot falls on Jerusalem. The prince of Israel shall lose his crown until "he comes who has the right to it." The people of Ammon will also be struck by God's judgment.

Key Words/Images:

The Sword (חֶרֶב): God's instrument of judgment, sharpened and polished for slaughter, placed in the hands of a killer.
The Two Ways: The king of Babylon chooses between Jerusalem and Rabbah through divination—the lot falls on Jerusalem.
The Crown and Turban: Symbols of royal authority that will be removed from Israel's wicked prince.
"Until he comes who has the right": A messianic prophecy about a future ruler who will restore righteous rule.

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for Ezekiel 21

Places

The chapter mentions several geographically significant locations. Negev (נֶגֶב), Temanah (תֵּימָנָה), and Darom (דָּרוֹם) are all Hebrew words for south or a southern direction, and here they figuratively refer to Judah and Jerusalem as seen from Babylon. The prophecy concerning the fire of "the forest of the Negev" (יַעַר הַשָּׂדֶה נֶגֶב) in verses 1–5 is then explicitly interpreted as referring to Jerusalem and its sanctuaries in verse 7.

Rabbah of the Ammonites (רַבַּת בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֑וֹן) was the capital of the Ammonite kingdom, located where modern-day Amman in Jordan stands today. Archaeological excavations have confirmed significant settlement from the Iron Age. The place is mentioned because Nebuchadnezzar stood at a crossroads and had to choose whether to attack Jerusalem or Rabbah first (verses 25–27). Historically, he chose Jerusalem, while Ammon was temporarily spared.

Events and Customs

The chapter provides a rare detailed description of Babylonian divination methods in verse 26. Belomancy (קִלְקַל בַּחִצִּים, "shook the arrows") was a widespread practice in which arrows inscribed with the names of potential targets were shaken in a quiver; the first to fall out or be drawn indicated the will of the gods. Teraphim (תְּרָפִים) were household idols or cult figures used for oracle responses, known from both Mesopotamian and Canaanite religion. Hepatoscopy (רָאָה בַּכָּבֵד, "examined the liver") was the most important form of divination in Mesopotamia; thousands of liver texts from Babylon and Assyria have been preserved, containing detailed interpretive rules for various anomalies in the shape of sacrificial livers.

Key Terms

The sword (חֶרֶב) is the dominant symbol of the chapter and is mentioned about fifteen times. The Hebrew expression "drawn from its sheath" (הוֹצֵאתִי חַרְבִּי מִתַּעְרָהּ) in verses 8–10 denotes irreversible judgment—once the sword is drawn, it shall not return.

The expression "strike the thigh" (סְפֹק אֶל־יָרֵךְ) in verse 17 was a gesture of grief and despair in the ancient Near East, also attested in Jeremiah 31:19.

The verse concerning the turban and crown (verse 31) uses mitsnefet (מִצְנֶפֶת), the high priest’s head covering, and atara (עֲטָרָה), the royal crown. This suggests that both priestly and royal authority will be removed. Zedekiah was the reigning king at this time.

Verse 32 contains the important expression עַד־בֹּא אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ הַמִּשְׁפָּט ("until he comes to whom judgment belongs"), which is traditionally understood as a messianic reference with an allusion to Genesis 49:10.

Chapter-Specific Findings

Babylonian chronicles confirm Nebuchadnezzar’s campaigns against both Judah and Ammon during this period. An inscription from the time of Nebuchadnezzar mentions his consultation of oracles before making military decisions, which corresponds with Ezekiel’s description. Clay liver models inscribed with divinatory texts from Babylon, dated to this period, illustrate the practice described in verse 26 and show that the prophet had precise knowledge of Babylonian rituals.

Personnages

Aucun personnage connu dans ce chapitre.

Mots-clés9

Ezekiel — A prophet in the Old Testament who received visions and messages from God.
The Sword — Symbolizes God's judgment and punishment upon the people, especially Israel and Jerusalem.
Lord — Another designation for God, often used to show respect and reverence.
Prophecy — Predictions or messages given by God through a prophet, often concerning future events or warnings.
Judgment — God's righteous assessment and consequences for human actions, both individually and collectively.
Jerusalem — The capital of ancient Israel and a central place for Jewish faith and culture.
Ammonites — An ancient people who lived east of the Jordan River; often in conflict with Israel.
Babylon — A powerful empire in antiquity, represented by King Nebuchadnezzar, which conquered Jerusalem and led the Israelites into exile.
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