The Meaning of Ezekiel 21:3 Explained

Ezekiel 21:3

KJV: And say to the land of Israel, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.

YLT: and thou hast said unto the ground of Israel: Thus said Jehovah: Lo, I am against thee, And have brought out My sword from its scabbard, And have cut off from thee righteous and wicked.

Darby: and say to the land of Israel, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, and I will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.

ASV: and say to the land of Israel, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And say  to the land  of Israel,  Thus saith  the LORD;  Behold, I [am] against thee, and will draw forth  my sword  out of his sheath,  and will cut off  from thee the righteous  and the wicked. 

What does Ezekiel 21:3 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 21

1  Ezekiel prophesies against Jerusalem with a sign of sighing
8  The sharp and bright sword
18  against Jerusalem
25  against the kingdom
28  and against the Ammonites

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 21:3 mean?

and say to the land of Israel thus says Yahweh behold I [am] against you and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you both righteous and wicked
וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ לְאַדְמַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִנְנִ֣י אֵלַ֔יִךְ וְהוֹצֵאתִ֥י חַרְבִּ֖י מִתַּעְרָ֑הּ וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י מִמֵּ֖ךְ צַדִּ֥יק וְרָשָֽׁע

וְאָמַרְתָּ֞  and  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לְאַדְמַ֣ת  to  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
כֹּ֚ה  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֣ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
הִנְנִ֣י  behold  I  [am] 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
אֵלַ֔יִךְ  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
וְהוֹצֵאתִ֥י  and  I  will  draw 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
חַרְבִּ֖י  My  sword 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: חֶרֶב  
Sense: sword, knife.
מִתַּעְרָ֑הּ  out  of  its  sheath 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: תַּעַר  
Sense: razor, sheath (making naked).
וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י  and  cut  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
מִמֵּ֖ךְ  from  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
צַדִּ֥יק  both  righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
וְרָשָֽׁע  and  wicked 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.