Ezekiel 21:7

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.

Ezekiel 21:7 (KJV)

Context

Ezekiel prophesied to the Israelites during their exile in Babylon. God called him to deliver a message of impending judgment upon Jerusalem and Judah because of their persistent rebellion and disobedience to His commandments.

Meaning

In this verse, the people ask Ezekiel why he is sighing. Sighing often expresses grief or distress, and they are curious about the reason behind his emotional state. Ezekiel is instructed to answer that he sighs because of the tidings—the news—he has received from God. This news is the report of the approaching Babylonian army that will invade Judea and besiege Jerusalem.

The verse describes the devastating impact of this news: every heart shall melt, all hands shall be feeble, every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water. These physical descriptions symbolize total loss of courage, strength, and hope in the face of certain judgment. The people’s response shows the complete helplessness of humanity before divine judgment.

The verse concludes with a statement of certainty: “behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord God.” This emphasizes that the prophecy is not a vague warning but a definite decree. God declares what will happen, and it will come to pass, affirming His sovereignty over history.

Biblical connections

The prophetic action of sighing served as a visible sign of the grief and burden that the message of judgment brought. It made the people confront the reality of their situation and the certainty of God’s judgment, functioning as a final warning to a people who had persistently rebelled.

Application

Ezekiel 21:7 warns of the seriousness of disobedience and the consequences that follow. It highlights the emotional and physical impact that the news of judgment can have, and affirms the certainty of God’s prophetic word. For readers today, it calls for genuine repentance and reverence for God’s holiness, recognizing that His word is sure and His judgment is real.