21:28 “As for you, son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says concerning the Ammonites and their coming humiliation; 1 say:
“‘A sword, a sword drawn for slaughter,
polished to consume, 2 to flash like lightning –
1 tn Heb “their reproach.”
2 tn Heb “to contain, endure.” Since the Hebrew text as it stands makes little, if any, sense, most emend the text to read either “to consume” or “for destruction.” For discussion of options see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:693.
3 tn Heb “a stumbling block of iniquity.” This is a unique phrase of the prophet Ezekiel (cf. also Ezek 7:19; 14:3, 4, 7; 18:30).
4 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
5 tn Heb “will bear.”