Ezekiel 21:21
Ezekiel 21:21 in Multiple Translations
For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He shakes the arrows, he consults the idols, he examines the liver.
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shook the arrows to and fro, he consulted the teraphim, he looked in the liver.
For the king of Babylon took his place at the parting of the ways, at the top of the two roads, to make use of secret arts: shaking the arrows this way and that, he put questions to the images of his gods, he took note of the inner parts of dead beasts.
The king of Babylon is standing at the fork in the road where the two roads meet looking for a prophetic sign: he casts lots using arrows, he asks advice from idols, and he examines the liver of sacrificial animals.
And the King of Babel stoode at the parting of the way, at the head of the two wayes, consulting by diuination, and made his arrowes bright: hee consulted with idoles, and looked in the liuer.
For stood hath the king of Babylon at the head of the way, At the top of the two ways, to use divination, He hath moved lightly with the arrows, He hath asked at the teraphim, He hath looked on the liver.
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination. He shook the arrows back and forth. He consulted the teraphim. He looked in the liver.
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.
For the king of Babylon stood in the highway, at the head of two ways, seeking divination, shuffling arrows: he inquired of the idols, and consulted entrails.
When the army of Babylonia comes to where the road divides, they will stop, and the king will perform magic rituals to decide which road to go on. He will throw arrows; then consult his idolsabout which road to go on, and he will ◄examine/look at► the liverof a sheep.
Berean Amplified Bible — Ezekiel 21:21
BAB
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Ezekiel 21:21 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
הִתְאַחֲדִ֥י
הֵימִ֖נִי
הָשִׂ֣ימִי
הַשְׂמִ֑ילִי
אָ֖נָה
פָּנַ֥יִ/ךְ
מֻעָדֽוֹת
הִתְאַחֲדִ֥י
ʼâchad
H258
to go either way
V-Hithpael-Impv-2fs
הֵימִ֖נִי
yâman
H3231
to go right
V-Hiphil-Impv-2fs
הָשִׂ֣ימִי
sûwm
H7760
to set
V-Hiphil-Impv-2fs
הַשְׂמִ֑ילִי
sâmaʼl
H8041
to go left
V-Hiphil-Impv-2fs
אָ֖נָה
ʼân
H575
where?
Adv
פָּנַ֥יִ/ךְ
pânîym
H6440
face
N-cp | Suff
מֻעָדֽוֹת
yâʻad
H3259
to appoint
V-Hophal-Inf-c
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Ezekiel 21:21
הִתְאַחֲדִ֥י
ʼâchad
H258
"to go either way"
V-Hithpael-Impv-2fs
The word 'achad means to unify or collect one's thoughts, and can also mean to go one way or another, or to be sharp, as seen in its various uses in the Bible.
Definition: (Hithpael) to go one way or another, to be sharp
Usage: Occurs in 1 OT verses. KJV: go one way or other. See also: Ezekiel 21:21.
הֵימִ֖נִי
yâman
H3231
"to go right"
V-Hiphil-Impv-2fs
To go right means to move in a rightward direction or to use the right hand. This term is used in the Bible to describe physical actions, such as turning to the right or using the right hand for a task.
Definition: (Hiphil) to choose the right, go to the right, use the right hand, be right handed Also means: a.man (אָמַן "to turn right" H0541)
Usage: Occurs in 4 OT verses. KJV: go (turn) to (on, use) the right hand. See also: Genesis 13:9; 1 Chronicles 12:2; Ezekiel 21:21.
הָשִׂ֣ימִי
sûwm
H7760
"to set"
V-Hiphil-Impv-2fs
This Hebrew word means to put or place something, and is used in many different ways in the Bible, such as to appoint or determine something. It is first used in Genesis to describe God's creation. In the KJV, it is translated as 'appoint' or 'set' in various contexts.
Definition: : make/establish 1) to put, place, set, appoint, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to put, set, lay, put or lay upon, lay (violent) hands on 1a2) to set, direct, direct toward 1a2a) to extend (compassion) (fig) 1a3) to set, ordain, establish, found, appoint, constitute, make, determine, fix 1a4) to set, station, put, set in place, plant, fix 1a5) to make, make for, transform into, constitute, fashion, work, bring to pass, appoint, give 1b) (Hiphil) to set or make for a sign 1c) (Hophal) to be set
Usage: Occurs in 550 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work. See also: Genesis 2:8; Leviticus 20:5; 1 Samuel 21:13.
הַשְׂמִ֑ילִי
sâmaʼl
H8041
"to go left"
V-Hiphil-Impv-2fs
This verb means to go or turn to the left, using the left hand or direction. It appears in various forms, including 'go to the left' and 'turn aside to the left'.
Definition: 1) to take the left, go to the left 1a) (Hiphil) 1a1) to go to the left 1a2) to turn (aside) to the left (fig) 1a3) to use the left hand
Usage: Occurs in 5 OT verses. KJV: (go, turn) (on the, to the) left. See also: Genesis 13:9; 1 Chronicles 12:2; Isaiah 30:21.
אָ֖נָה
ʼân
H575
"where?"
Adv
The Hebrew word for 'where' is used to ask about location or direction, like in Genesis 3:9 and Exodus 2:13. It can also mean 'when' or 'how long'.
Definition: 1) where?, whither? (of place) 2) when?, until when?, how long? (of time)
Usage: Occurs in 33 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] any (no) whither, now, where, whither(-soever). See also: Genesis 16:8; 2 Kings 6:6; Psalms 13:2.
פָּנַ֥יִ/ךְ
pânîym
H6440
"face"
N-cp | Suff
This word means face or presence, like being in front of someone or something. It's used in many contexts, like in Genesis, Exodus, and Psalms, to describe interactions and relationships.
Definition: : face 1) face 1a) face, faces 1b) presence, person 1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim) 1d) face (of animals) 1e) face, surface (of ground) 1f) as adv of loc/temp 1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before 1g) with prep 1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of
Usage: Occurs in 1891 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 43:31; Exodus 30:16.
מֻעָדֽוֹת
yâʻad
H3259
"to appoint"
V-Hophal-Inf-c
To appoint or agree on something, like setting a time to meet or making a plan, as seen in Esther when the king appoints a new leader. It can also mean to gather or assemble people for a purpose.
Definition: 1) to fix, appoint, assemble, meet, set, betroth 1a)(Qal) to appoint, assign, designate 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to meet 1b2) to meet by appointment 1b3) to gather, assemble by appointment 1c) (Hiphil) to cause to meet 1d) (Hophal) to be set, be placed before, be fixed
Usage: Occurs in 29 OT verses. KJV: agree,(maxke an) appoint(-ment, a time), assemble (selves), betroth, gather (selves, together), meet (together), set (a time). See also: Exodus 21:8; 2 Samuel 20:5; Psalms 48:5.
Study Notes — Ezekiel 21:21
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Ezekiel 21:21 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Ezekiel 21:21
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ezekiel 21:21
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Ezekiel 21:21
- Trapp's Commentary on Ezekiel 21:21
- Ellicott's Commentary on Ezekiel 21:21
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Ezekiel 21:21
- Cambridge Bible on Ezekiel 21:21
- Whedon's Commentary on Ezekiel 21:21
- Sermons on Ezekiel 21:21
Context — God’s Sword of Judgment
19“Now you, son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same land. And make a signpost where the road branches off to each city.
20Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and another against Judah into fortified Jerusalem.
21For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He shakes the arrows, he consults the idols, he examines the liver.
22In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect a siege wall. 23It will seem like a false omen to the eyes of those who have sworn allegiance to him, but it will draw attention to their guilt and take them captive.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judges 18:20 | So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people. |
| 2 | Proverbs 16:33 | The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. |
| 3 | Judges 17:5 | Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest. |
| 4 | Genesis 31:30 | Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?” |
| 5 | Genesis 31:19 | Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols. |
| 6 | Acts 16:16 | One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling. |
| 7 | Numbers 23:23 | For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’ |
| 8 | Proverbs 16:10 | A divine verdict is on the lips of a king; his mouth must not betray justice. |
| 9 | 2 Kings 23:24 | Furthermore, Josiah removed the mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this to carry out the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the house of the LORD. |
| 10 | Judges 18:18 | When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” |
Ezekiel 21:21 Summary
[The king of Babylon is trying to figure out which road to take, and he's using some pretty strange methods to make his decision, like shaking arrows and looking at animal livers. This shows that he's not trusting in God, but instead is relying on his own understanding and false sources of guidance. As Christians, we can learn from this verse to always seek guidance from God's Word, and to trust in His sovereignty, even when things don't make sense (Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 119:105). By seeking God's truth, we can avoid the pitfalls of false guidance and find true wisdom and direction.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the king of Babylon doing in Ezekiel 21:21?
The king of Babylon is seeking an omen, or a sign, to determine which road to take, by shaking arrows, consulting idols, and examining a liver, which was a common practice in ancient times to seek guidance from false gods, as seen in Ezekiel 21:19-20 and 2 Kings 13:6.
What does it mean to 'shake the arrows' in this verse?
Shaking the arrows was a form of divination, where the king would shake a container with arrows, and the direction or marking on the arrow that fell out would be taken as a sign or guidance, similar to the casting of lots in Proverbs 16:33 and Acts 1:26.
Is the king of Babylon's method of seeking guidance effective?
No, the king's method of seeking guidance through idols and omens is not effective, as it is based on false and unreliable sources, and is ultimately subject to God's sovereignty, as seen in Psalm 33:10-11 and Isaiah 19:3.
How does this verse relate to the rest of the chapter?
This verse is part of a larger prophecy against Jerusalem and the surrounding nations, and the king of Babylon's actions are a fulfillment of God's judgment, as seen in Ezekiel 21:19-23 and Jeremiah 25:9.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I seek guidance or make decisions, and are they based on God's Word or on my own understanding?
- How can I trust in God's sovereignty, even when I don't understand the circumstances around me, like the king of Babylon in this verse?
- What are some idols or false sources of guidance that I may be consulting, and how can I turn away from them and seek God's truth instead?
- How can I apply the lesson of this verse to my own life, by seeking guidance from God's Word and not from false or unreliable sources?
Gill's Exposition on Ezekiel 21:21
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways,.... That is, he would stand there; the prophet knew that it was certain it should be, and therefore represents it
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Ezekiel 21:21
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Ezekiel 21:21
The prophet, by reason of the certainty of the thing, speaketh of what shall be as if it were already; he stood, i.e. he will make a halt, pitch his camp, and consult, on the borders of Arabia the Desert, to which one road brings travellers from Babylon, but henceforward it divides, and be comes two, one leading to Jerusalem, the other to Rabbath To use divination; to consult with his gods, and to cast lots; and here the prophet foretells what divination he useth. Made his arrows bright: this, the first kind of divination he used by arrows, (Begouanteia,) either writing on then the names of the cities and countries, then putting then into a quiver, and there mixing them, and thence drawing them out, and concluding according as the names were which were on the arrows, or perhaps by shooting the arrows and judging by the flight, or casting them up in the air and divining by their fall, as beggars are said to go a their staff falls. So then if Jerusalem were on the first arrow drawn out of the quiver, or if the arrows best ties or most fell that way, toward Jerusalem, Nebuchadnezzar will take that way. The next way of divining was by asking counsel of his idol, or image, which being made artificially by the skill of their juggling priests and conjurers, with little help they could give answers, and the image spake aloud what the sorcerer spake more softly, somewhat like the artificial whispering places which convey the voice, from unseen persons. Or by a Divine permission the devil gave them answers from those images. The third divination is by sacrifice, and judging of future prosperous or unprosperous events by the entrails, and more especially by the liver, its position and colour. All these he used, that with greater confidence of success he might proceed.
Trapp's Commentary on Ezekiel 21:21
Ezekiel 21:21 For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made [his] arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.Ver. 21. For the king of Babylon stood at the parting.] Heb., At the mother of the way; ubi via una in ducts bifidata est. To use divination.] Without which, and offering sacrifice, the very heathens held it not fit to fight. But this their art of divination was, as one saith of alchymy, Ars falsissima et fallacissima. He made his arrows bright.] Vulg., He mingled his arrows; that is, saith Jerome, he took two arrows, writing upon the one Jerusalem, and upon the other Rabbath. Then, putting them into a quiver together, he took one out, being blindfolded; upon which seeing Jerusalem written, he divined that he should go with success against Jerusalem. He consulted with images.] In which the devil sometimes spake. See Aug., De Civitate Dei, lib. iv. cap. 18. He looked into the liver.] This was much practised by the Roman generals, as by Caesar, when he went against Pompey. Ubi se via findit in ambas. - Virg.
Lucan.
Ellicott's Commentary on Ezekiel 21:21
(21) To use divination.—Various particular forms of divination are mentioned just afterwards. This is a general term to include them all. Divination was always resorted to by the heathen on occasions of important questions. In this case, while Nebuchadnezzar thought in this way to determine his action, it was already fixed for him by a higher Power. Made his arrows bright.—Rather, shook his arrows. This was a mode of divination in use among the ancient Arabs, as well as in Mesopotamia, and something very similar is mentioned by Homer as practised among the ancient Greeks (II., iii. 316). It continued to be used among the Arabs until the time of Mohammed, who strictly torbade it in the Koran (3:39, 5:4, 94). Several arrows, properly marked, were shaken together in a quiver or other vessel, and one drawn out. The mark upon the one drawn was supposed to indicate the will of the gods. It was thus simply one form of casting lots.
Consulted with images.—The particular images here mentioned were “teraphim,” small idols, which are often spoken of in Scripture as used in divination by the Israelites themselves, and common also among the heathen. (See 1 Samuel 15:23, where the word “idolatry” is in the original “teraphim.”) Nothing is known of the way in which these were used in divination. Looked in the liver.—The inspection of the entrails of sacrificial victims, and especially of the liver, as a means of ascertaining the will of the gods, is familiar to every reader of classical literature. There is evidence that the same custom prevailed also in Babylonia. The king is represented as employing all these different kinds of divination to make sure of the proper path.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Ezekiel 21:21
Verse 21. For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way] He was in doubt which way he should first take; whether to humble the Ammonites by taking their metropolis, Riblath, or go at once against Jerusalem. In this case of uncertainty, he made use of divination. And this was of three kinds: 1. By arrows. 2. By images or talismans. 3. By inspecting the entrails of a sacrifice offered on the occasion. 1. He made bright his arrows. This might be after the manner in which the divination is still practiced among the Arabs. These arrows were without head or wing.
They took three. On one they wrote, Command me, Lord. On the second, Forbid me, Lord. The third was blank. These were put in a bag, and the querist put in his hand and took one out. If it was Command me, he set about the business immediately; if it was Forbid me, he rested for a whole year; if it was the blank one, he drew again. On all occasions the Arabs consulted futurity by such arrows. See D'Herbelot, under the word ACDAH. 2. As to the images, the Hebrew calls them תרפים teraphim. See Clarke on Genesis 31:19. 3.
And as to the liver, I believe it was only inspected to see whether the animal offered in sacrifice were sound and healthy, of which the state of the liver is the most especial indication. When the liver is sound, the animal is healthy; and it would have been a bad omen to any who offered sacrifice, to find that the animal they had offered to their gods was diseased; as, in that case, they would have taken for granted that the sacrifice was not accepted.
Cambridge Bible on Ezekiel 21:21
21. for the king … stood] standeth. All the verbs had better be put in the present. made his arrows bright] he shaketh the arrows, he consulteth the teraphim, he looketh in the liver. These ceremonies explain the phrase “to use divination,” The process has several parts: a sacrifice was offered to the deity or image, the liver of the animal apparently being inspected to see what intimations it suggested. Then arrows (among the Arabs they were pointless and unfeathered), inscribed with the names or things between which a decision was sought from the god (here Rabbah and Jerusalem), were cast into a vessel or bag; these were shaken and brought before the god from whom the decision was sought; one was then drawn, and the inscription it bore was the answer of the god to the alternative propounded for his settlement; in the present case the king’s right hand drew out the arrow inscribed “Jerusalem.” This method of divination by arrows was common among the Arabs (cf. Wellhausen, Skizzen, iii. p. 127), and apparently also in Chaldea (Lenormant, La Divination chez les Chaldéens, ch. ii. iv., Sayce, Trans. Soc. Bib. Archæology, vol. iii. 145). It is related of the poet Imru’ulḳ ?ais that he used this method of divination to ascertain whether he should avenge his father’s death or no, and the answer always coming out “no,” he became enraged and breaking the arrows flung them in the god’s face, telling him that if the case had been that of his own father he would not have given such a decision, and (in Arab fashion) applying many foul epithets to the god’s mother.—The teraphim are the deities which Nebuchadnezzar carried with him, who gave the oracle. The plur. does not imply the use of more than one image.
Whedon's Commentary on Ezekiel 21:21
21. Stood — Literally, standeth. The prophet sees what shall come to pass as if it had already happened. Made his arrows bright, etc.
Sermons on Ezekiel 21:21
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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The Supremacy of Christ in an Age of Terror by John Piper | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes that the reason for the existence of a troubled and terrorized world is not because God is not in control. The Bible clearly states that God |
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Of the Providence of God by Thomas Boston | Thomas Boston preaches on the providence of God, emphasizing how God's care extends even to the smallest details of creation, such as sparrows. He explains that providence involves |
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Look Up by Erlo Stegen | Erlo Stegen emphasizes the importance of looking up to God during life's storms, using the story of a sailor who found stability by focusing on his captain's voice. He reminds us t |
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Going Back to the Altar by John Hames | John Hames preaches on the importance of returning to our spiritual 'Bethel' when we find ourselves straying away from God's path. Using Jacob's experience as an example, he highli |
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(Genesis) Genesis 31:32-36 by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the story of Jacob and Laban from the book of Genesis. Jacob confronts Laban, questioning why he is pursuing him so aggressively. Jacob is c |
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Witchcraft - Public Enemy #1 - Part 2 by Derek Prince | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the story of Paul and Silas encountering a slave girl possessed by a spirit of divination. The preacher emphasizes that Satan often uses occu |
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Blocked and Guided by the Spirit by Jim Cymbala | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of being directed by the Holy Spirit in our lives. He encourages the audience to trust the Holy Spirit and wait for His guidan |