Ezekiel 21:7
in Ezekiel 21And when they ask, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you are to say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, and every hand will go limp. Every spirit will faint, and every knee will turn to water.’ Yes, it is coming and it will surely happen, declares the Lord GOD.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt say, Because of the tidings, for it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and it shall be done, saith the Lord Jehovah.
KJV
And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt answer, For the tidings; because it cometh: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord God.
⋯
This verse in Ezekiel 21
Commentary
6 notes on this verse(Vers. 6, 7.) And you, son of man, groan in the breaking of your loins, and groan bitterly before them. And when they say to you, 'Why do you groan?' you shall say, 'Because of the news, for it is coming, and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be loosened, and every spirit shall faint, and water shall flow from all knees. Behold, it is coming, and it shall be,' says the Lord (Vulgate adds 'God'). LXX: And you, son of man, groan in the breaking of your loins, and groan in pains before them.
This site's exposition
with the breaking of thy loins
on Ezekiel 21:6-7
The prophet is himself made a sign, commanded to sigh with the breaking of thy loins and with bitterness before the eyes of the exiles. Henry reads the bodily collapse the verse then describes as Ezekiel's own body rehearsing in advance the terror Jerusalem's people would feel.
This site's exposition
Why are you groaning
The groaning was meant to be seen and asked about. Clarke called the prophet a sign whose mourning showed the exiles how they ought to mourn. The melting heart and the knees turned to water repeat the terror of 7:17.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The wrath of God will put an edge upon it; and, whatever instruments God shall please to make use of in executing his judgments, he will fill them with strength, courage, and fury, according to the service they are employed in. Out of the mouth of Christ goes a sharp sword, Rev. xix. It is furbished, that it may glitter, to the terror of those against whom it is drawn.
And it shall be, when they say unto thee, wherefore sighest thou?....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Wherefore sighest thou? - The prophet was a sign unto them. His sighing and mourning showed them how they should act. All knees shall be weak as water - See the note on Eze 7:17.
The words behind it
32 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיָה֙ | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| יֹאמְר֣וּ | yomeru | they will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵלֶ֔יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | concerning | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מָ֖ה | mah | what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אַתָּ֣ה | ʾatah | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| נֶאֱנָ֑ח | neenach | groaning | H584 → | 13 times |
| וְאָמַרְתָּ֡ | veamarta | and you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | because of | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שְׁמוּעָ֣ה | shemuah | a report | H8052 → | 27 times |
| כִֽי־ | khi- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| בָאָ֡ה | vaah | [it is] coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וְנָמֵ֣ס | venames | and it will melt | H4549 → | |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לֵב֩ | lev | heart | H3820 → | 595 times |
| וְרָפ֨וּ | verafu | and they will hang limp | H7503 → | 46 times |
| כָל־ | khol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יָדַ֜יִם | yadayim | pair of hands | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| וְכִהֲתָ֣ה | vekhihatah | and it will grow faint | H3543 → | |
| כָל־ | khol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| ר֗וּחַ | ruach | spirit | H7307 → | 378 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בִּרְכַּ֙יִם֙ | birkayim | knees | H1290 → | 25 times |
| תֵּלַ֣כְנָה | telakhnah | they will go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| מַּ֔יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| הִנֵּ֤ה | hineh | there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| בָאָה֙ | vaah | [it is] coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| וְנִֽהְיָ֔תָה | venihyatah | and it will happen | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| נְאֻ֖ם | neum | [the] utterance of | H5002 → | 376 times |
| אֲדֹנָ֥י | ʾadonai | [the] Lord | H136 → | 440 times |
| יְהוִֽה׃ פ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3069 → | 306 times |
וְהָיָה֙and it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
יֹאמְר֣וּthey will say
yomeruH559 →5305 times
אֵלֶ֔יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
עַל־concerning
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מָ֖הwhat?
mahH4100 →752 times
אַתָּ֣ה[are] you
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
נֶאֱנָ֑חgroaning
neenachH584 →13 times
וְאָמַרְתָּ֡and you will say
veamartaH559 →5305 times
אֶל־because of
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שְׁמוּעָ֣הa report
shemuahH8052 →27 times
כִֽי־that
khi-H3588 →4482 times
בָאָ֡ה[it is] coming
vaahH935 →2568 times
וְנָמֵ֣סand it will melt
venamesH4549 →
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
לֵב֩heart
levH3820 →595 times
וְרָפ֨וּand they will hang limp
verafuH7503 →46 times
כָל־every
khol-H3605 →5413 times
יָדַ֜יִםpair of hands
yadayimH3027 →1618 times
וְכִהֲתָ֣הand it will grow faint
vekhihatahH3543 →
כָל־every
khol-H3605 →5413 times
ר֗וּחַspirit
ruachH7307 →378 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
בִּרְכַּ֙יִם֙knees
birkayimH1290 →25 times
תֵּלַ֣כְנָהthey will go
telakhnahH1980 →1546 times
מַּ֔יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
הִנֵּ֤הthere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
בָאָה֙[it is] coming
vaahH935 →2568 times
וְנִֽהְיָ֔תָהand it will happen
venihyatahH1961 →3559 times
נְאֻ֖ם[the] utterance of
neumH5002 →376 times
אֲדֹנָ֥י[the] Lord
ʾadonaiH136 →440 times
יְהוִֽה׃ פYahweh
yahwehH3069 →306 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Nahum 2:10She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and laid waste! Hearts melt, knees knock, bodies tremble, and every face grows pale!
it leads to
- Isaiah 13:7–8
Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joel 2:6
Nations writhe in horror before them; every face turns pale.
- Psalms 22:14
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me.
- Daniel 5:6
his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together.
- Jeremiah 30:6
Ask now, and see: Can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor and every face turned pale?
- Isaiah 13:7–8
Through
Ezekiel 7:26Disaster upon disaster will come, and rumor after rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet, but instruction from the priests will perish, as will counsel from the elders.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 4:20
Disaster after disaster is proclaimed, for the whole land is laid waste. My tents are destroyed in an instant, my curtains in a moment.
- Micah 3:6
Therefore night will come over you without visions, and darkness without divination. The sun will set on these prophets, and the daylight will turn black over them.
- Ezekiel 14:1
Then some of the elders of Israel came and sat down before me.
- Jeremiah 4:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ezekiel

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
