Yehezkiel 19:12

19:12 But it was plucked up in anger; it was thrown down to the ground.

The east wind ¹  dried up its fruit;

its strong branches broke off and withered –

a fire consumed them.

Yehezkiel 19:14

19:14 A fire has gone out from its branch; it has consumed its shoot and its fruit. ² 

No strong branch was left in it, nor a scepter to rule.’

This is a lament song, and has become a lament song.”

Yehezkiel 21:10

21:10 It is sharpened for slaughter,

it is polished to flash like lightning!

“‘Should we rejoice in the scepter of my son? No! The sword despises every tree! ³ 

Yehezkiel 21:13

21:13 “‘For testing will come, and what will happen when the scepter, which the sword despises, is no more? ⁴  declares the sovereign Lord.’

[19:12]  ¹ sn The east wind symbolizes the Babylonians.

[19:14]  ² tn The verse describes the similar situation recorded in Judg 9:20.

[21:10]  ³ tn Heb “Or shall we rejoice, scepter of my son, it despises every tree.” The translation understands the subject of the verb “despises,” which is a feminine form in the Hebrew text, to be the sword (which is a feminine noun) mentioned just before this. Alternatively, the line may be understood as “let us not rejoice, O tribe of my son; it despises every tree.” The same word in Hebrew may be either “rod,” “scepter,” or “tribe.” The word sometimes translated as “or” or taken as an interrogative particle may be a negative particle. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:672, n. 79.

[21:10]  sn The people of Judah should not place false hope in their king, symbolized by his royal scepter, for God’s judgment (symbolized by fire and then a sword) would destroy every tree (see 20:47), symbolizing the righteous and wicked (see 21:3-4).

[21:13]  ⁴ tn Heb “For testing (will come) and what if also a scepter, it despises, will not be?” The translation understands the subject of the verb “despises,” which is a feminine form in the Hebrew text, to be the sword (which is a feminine noun) mentioned in the previous verses. The text is very difficult and any rendering is uncertain.