Ezekiel 21:17

Eze 21:17 I will also smite mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the LORD have said [it].

Ver. 17. I will also smite mine hands together.] As animating the enemy and rejoicing at thy ruin. {a} Chaldee, I will bring revenge upon revenge;

“ Animumque explesse iuvabit. ”

“And he will help satisfy the spirit.”

{a} Exultat quasi hortator gladii saevientis. He exalts just as I will exhortthe angry sword. - Jerome.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jehovah Himself smites His hands together, doing what He had commanded Ezekiel to do (see on Eze 21:14), in token of His smiting Jerusalem; compare the similar symbolical action (Kg2 13:18-19).

cause . . . fury to rest--give it full vent, and so satisfy it (Eze 5:13).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(17) My fury to rest.—As in Eze_16:42, because it has accomplished its purpose and has nothing more to do. (Comp. Eze_5:13; Eze_14:13.)

At Eze_21:18 the third and final prophecy of the chapter begins, and, besides being much more explicit than the others, includes also a new subject (Eze_21:28-32), a prophecy against Ammon. Hitherto it has only been foretold that Judah shall be desolated, now it is added that this shall be effected by the king of Babylon, and that he shall also extend his conquests to the Ammonites.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17. smite mine hands] The strong anthropomorphism suggests a tumult of emotion in the Divine mind, and sympathy with the terrible work.

cause my fury to rest] Appease, or, assuage my fury. Cf. ch. Eze_5:13.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Also thou, son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come,.... Describe or draw out upon a table or tile, as in Eze 4:1, or on the ground, two roads, such as are described in maps; which it may be supposed the king of Babylon would take, either the one or the other, in order to make war against some king or another:

both twain shall come forth out of one land; both ways must be drawn as coming from one country, even Babylon;

and choose thou a place, choose it at the head of the way to the city; fix upon some spacious place, where Nebuchadnezzar may be supposed to bring his army, as a proper rendezvous for them to muster them in; and let be where two ways meet, that lead to cities, one to one city, and another to another: and it seems that upon the desert of Arabia, through which the king of Babylon came, there was such a place, where two ways met, and one led to Jerusalem, and the other to Rabbath; and this is the place the prophet was to describe, and where in fact Nebuchadnezzar came.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Smite mine hands together, in token of my approbation and well-pleasedness in those executions which the Chaldeans shall finish against you; those hands, that were used to restrain and check, shall excite and encourage your enemies.

My fury: see Eze 5:13.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vers. 17-19. The new section opens in a different strain. Ezekiel sees, as in vision, Nebuchadnezzar and his army on their march. He is told to appoint (better, make, or mark, as on a brick or tile, as in Eze_4:1) a place where the road bifurcated. Both come from one land, i.e. from Babylon; but from that point onwards one road led to Rabbath, the capital of the Ammonites (Deu_3:11; 2Sa_11:1) the other to Jerusalem. Apparently, the exiles and the people of Judah flattered themselves that the former was the object of the expedition. The answer to that false hope is a vivid picture of what was passing in the council of war which Nebuchadnezzar was holding at that parting of the ways. The prophet sees, as it were, the sign post pointing, as with a hand, to each of the two cities The king consults his soothsayers, and uses divinations. Of these Ezekiel enumerates three:

(1) He shakes the arrows to and fro (Revised Version). This was known among the Greeks as the belomanteia The arrows were put into a quiver, with names (in this case probably Rabbath and Jerusalem) written on them. One was then drawn, or thrown, out as by chance, and decided the direction of the campaign.

(2) He consults the images (Hebrew, teraphim). The modus operandi in this case is not known, but Jud_1:18:18 and Hos_3:4 point to some such use of them.

(3) There remains the sacrifice and the inspection of the liver, familiar alike in Greek, Etrurian, and Roman divination (Cicero, "De Divin.," 6:13).

The satisfaction of God"s fury.

This is a most awful subject. Gladly would we leave it alone. Oh for a fresh sight of God"s eternal love, instead of this horror of great darkness, this vision of wrath and judgment unrestrained and fully satisfied! Yet the fearful words are before us and they invite our earnest regard.

I GOD"S FURY IS FEARFULLY PROVOKED BY SIN. It is only against sinners that these dreadful words are written. The righteous may share the temporal calamities that smite the wicked (ver. 4), but they incur none of the wrath of God that lies behind those calamities. Nevertheless, as we are all sinners, there is little comfort in this thought. Consider how greatly sin provokes wrath.

1. It is committed in full daylight. The Jews possessed the land. We know Christ. We cannot plead ignorance. Even the heathen have accusing consciences.

2. It is committed against love. We sin against our Father, to whom we ewe everything, and who has been infinitely gracious to us.

3. It is committed in spite of warnings. Israel had her grand procession of minatory prophets from Elijah to Ezekiel. We have the warnings of the Bible.

4. It is committed without necessity. There is a better way and a happier. Nothing but the most wilful perversity can make us choose the evil path. A saving hand has been held out to protect us. When we sin we reject that help.

5. It is committed after Gods long suffering has been tried. He has long refrained from punishing. Yet men have made his long suffering an excuse for greater sin. Thus they have "treasured up wrath for the day of wrath.

II GOD"S FURY CANNOT BE RESISTED.

1. It cannot be opposed by mens powers. The sinner has to contend with the Almighty and the All-wise. The stoutest must fall in such a contest, and the most cunning must fail in the foolish attempt to outwit God.

2. It cannot be opposed by any excuses. Unhappily, there is no doubt as to the guilt of the sinner. He had opportunities of return, and he rejected them. Conscience must paralyze resistance.

3. It cannot be opposed by Gods love. There is no schism in the nature of God. Love itself must approve of wrath directed against hardened impenitence.

III GOD"S FURY WILL BE SATISFIED.

1. It will not fail. Nothing that God attempts can fail. This we may infer as a conclusion from the observations under the previous head. It will not endure forever. When it has accomplished its work it will rest. It may be that some of the results of it will endure forever. The slain man will not arise again on earth, but he is not being killed continuously. The ruined city may never be rebuilt, and yet the earthquake that overthrew temples and palaces has long subsided, and all is now still and calm.

2. It will be satisfied when it has accomplished its end. God"s fury is not like his love. It does not spring unprovoked from his own heart. It is roused by sin, and when it has punished sin, it is satisfied. But this is the most awful satisfaction of it. There is another satisfaction, viz.:

3. It will be satisfied when it is propitiated. This is not stated in the verse before us. But it is the burden of the gospel. Christ our Advocate propitiates the wrath of God. (1Jn_2:1, 1Jn_2:2) Then if we have confessed our sin, and sought the saving help of Christ, we need fear the wrath of God no longer. It is satisfied.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Smite my hands - In token of my approbation.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

and wail Heb. וְהֵילֵל, a term for wailing (יְלָלָה).

for it The sword will be upon My people and upon their princes and officers.

those gathered to the sword Heb. מְגוּרֵי, a gathering of nations coming to the sword were around My people. So did Jonathan render מְגוּרֵי, related to the word in (Prov. 10: 5): “An intelligent son gathers (אוֹגֵר) in the summer”; (ibid. 6:8), “She gathers (אָגְרָה) her food in the harvest”; (Joel 1:17), “garners (מַמְּגֻרוֹת) are demolished”; (Haggai 2:19), “The seed is still in the granary (בַּמְגוּרָה).” Menachem, however, connected it to the word for fear, like (Num. 22:3): “And Moab became terrified (וַיָגָר).”

therefore, clap upon your thigh as a wailing and a lament.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.