A new section of the prophecy about God’s sword of judgment begins here, but the meaning does not get any easier to understand.
Prophesy therefore, son of man: This introductory formula is shorter than that used in the previous prophecies in this chapter (see verses 2 and 9). It may be translated “Now, human being, deliver my message [or, speak my word] to the people.”
Clap your hands is literally “and strike hand to hand” (similarly New Revised Standard Version). This gesture does not express applause or happiness, but is an expression of anger and sorrow (compare 6.11). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch makes this clear by saying “Clap your hands together angrily.”
Let the sword come down twice, yea thrice: Here God is addressing the sword to strike the people of Judah. Translators should take care not to imply that Ezekiel is wielding a sword (so New Living Translation). They may say “Let the sword strike them…” or “The sword will strike them….” If some languages cannot speak of a sword acting in this way, it is acceptable to describe God using the sword, as in “I will strike them with the sword….” This whole clause is literally “and the sword will be doubled a third time,” which probably means that the sword will strike two or three times or, more likely, “again and again” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). Translators may say “The sword will strike them [or, I will strike them with the sword] a second time and then a third time.” But some translations suggest that this clause refers to how strong the strokes of the sword will be; for example, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “The sword doubles its impact,” and Jerusalem Bible has “Let the sword be twice, three times, as cruel.”
The sword for those to be slain; it is the sword for the great slaughter, which encompasses them: This last half of the verse describes the sword. It is the sword for those to be slain, that is, a sword for killing people. New Revised Standard Version says “it is a sword for killing” (similarly Good News Translation, New Century Version). The Hebrew word rendered those to be slain means “pierce through” and is exactly appropriate for the way people die by the sword. It is the sword for the great slaughter means it will kill many people. New Century Version says “a sword meant for much killing,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “a sword for great carnage.” Which encompasses them pictures the sword moving so rapidly that it seems to be on all sides of the people at the same time. This clause may be rendered “which surrounds them” (New American Standard Bible; similarly New Revised Standard Version, New Century Version), “that hems them in” (Moffatt), or “threatening them from every side” (New Jerusalem Bible; similarly Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible). King James Version misunderstands the Hebrew verb rendered encompasses as a noun meaning “privy chambers” (similarly New King James Version ), which are small rooms surrounded by walls. Good News Translation has the verb “terrifies,” which renders a different Hebrew verb that is very similar to the one translated encompasses. Some Hebrew manuscripts actually have the verb that Good News Translation translates. The Septuagint and some other early translations also translate that word. We prefer the reading in Masoretic Text, which is followed by Revised Standard Version and most other versions. The last half of this verse may be rendered “It is a sword for killing people, yes, even for killing many people, a sword that attacks them from every side.”
Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .