14 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 (), 1:, n. 79. 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).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord, say:

“A sword, a sword is sharpened

and also polished,

sharpened for slaughter,

polished to flash like lightning!

(Or shall we rejoice? You have despised the rod, my son, with everything of wood.) So the sword is given to be polished, that it may be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished to be given into the hand of the slayer.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Son of man, prophesy and say, ‘This is what the Lord says:

“ ‘A sword, a sword,

sharpened and polished—

sharpened for the slaughter,

polished to flash like lightning!

“ ‘Shall we rejoice in the scepter of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.

“ ‘The sword is appointed to be polished,

to be grasped with the hand;

it is sharpened and polished,

made ready for the hand of the slayer.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Son of man, prophesy, ‘This is what the Lord says!’ You are to proclaim,

‘A sword! A sword is sharpened

and also polished.

It is sharpened for slaughter,

polished to flash like lightning!

Should we rejoice?

The scepter of my son,

the sword despises every tree.

The sword is given to be polished,

to be grasped in the hand.

It is sharpened, and it is polished,

to be put in the hand of the slayer.’

NLTNew Living Translation

“Son of man, give the people this message from the Lord:

“A sword, a sword

is being sharpened and polished.

It is sharpened for terrible slaughter

and polished to flash like lightning!

Now will you laugh?

Those far stronger than you have fallen beneath its power!

Yes, the sword is now being sharpened and polished;

it is being prepared for the executioner.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“Son of man, prophesy, and you must say, ‘Thus says the Lord,’ say, ‘A sword, a sword is sharpened and is also polished. It is sharpened to slaughter a slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Or will we rejoice? A rod, my son, is despising every tree. And he gives it to be polished, to be seized by the hand. It is sharpened—a sword—and it is polished to give it into the hand of the killer.

KJV 1900King James Version

Son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus saith the Lord; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished: It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make mirth? it contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree. And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into the hand of the slayer.

Public Domain