“Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:”
My Notes
What Does Ezekiel 21:9 Mean?
"A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished." Ezekiel announces God's weapon of judgment with dramatic repetition: a sword. The doubling — "a sword, a sword" — creates urgency and emphasis. This isn't a metaphorical instrument; it's the sword of Babylon, the military force God is wielding against Jerusalem.
The sword is both sharpened (for cutting) and furbished (polished, for glittering). It's prepared for maximum effectiveness: sharp enough to kill and polished enough to terrify. The visual of a glittering, sharp blade catching the light as it's swung is designed to inspire dread.
Ezekiel 21 develops the sword song at length — it's one of the most sustained poetic treatments of divine judgment in the prophets. The sword doesn't just appear and strike. It's announced, described, dedicated, directed, and then released. The buildup is itself part of the judgment — the anticipation of what's coming is as devastating as its arrival.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What 'sword' is being sharpened in your direction — what consequence is approaching but hasn't yet arrived?
- 2.Why does God announce judgment before executing it?
- 3.How is the anticipation period itself an act of grace?
- 4.What will you do with the time between the warning and the consequence?
Devotional
A sword. A sword. Sharpened for killing. Polished for terror. The repetition is the drumbeat of approaching judgment — each mention of the word brings it closer.
Ezekiel doesn't just announce judgment — he stages it. The sword appears in prophecy before it appears in person. The sharpening is described before the cutting begins. The polishing is noted before the blade catches the light. God gives His people time to see it coming, to hear the grinding stone, to watch the metal gleam.
The dual preparation — sharpened and furbished — addresses both function and appearance. The sharpening makes it effective. The polishing makes it visible. God's judgment is designed to work and to be seen working. It's not covert. The gleaming blade announces itself.
The buildup is intentional. Ezekiel spends an entire chapter on this sword before it strikes. Why? Because anticipation is its own form of judgment. The dread of what's coming is punishment before the punishment arrives. And the dread serves a purpose: maybe, during the buildup, someone will repent. Maybe the gleam of the approaching blade will produce the change the prophetic words didn't.
What sword is being sharpened in your direction? What judgment has been announced but not yet executed? The gleaming is the grace — the warning period between the sharpening and the strike. What will you do with the time between the announcement and the arrival?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And he hath given it to be furbished, that it might be handled,.... Either Nebuchadnezzar, or rather God, or the Son of…
The second word of judgment: the glittering and destroying sword. The passage may be called the “Lay of the Sword;” it…
Here is another prophecy of the sword, which is delivered in a very affecting manner; the expressions here used are…
The destroying sword of the Lord. The violent agitation of the prophet at the thought of the coming destruction finds…
Cross References
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