Ezekiel Chapter 21 verse 21 Holy Bible
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shook the arrows to and fro, he consulted the teraphim, he looked in the liver.
read chapter 21 in ASV
For the king of Babylon took his place at the parting of the ways, at the top of the two roads, to make use of secret arts: shaking the arrows this way and that, he put questions to the images of his gods, he took note of the inner parts of dead beasts.
read chapter 21 in BBE
For the king of Babylon standeth at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shaketh [his] arrows, he inquireth of the teraphim, he looketh in the liver.
read chapter 21 in DARBY
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.
read chapter 21 in KJV
read chapter 21 in WBT
For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shook the arrows back and forth, he consulted the teraphim, he looked in the liver.
read chapter 21 in WEB
For stood hath the king of Babylon at the head of the way, At the top of the two ways, to use divination, He hath moved lightly with the arrows, He hath asked at the teraphim, He hath looked on the liver.
read chapter 21 in YLT
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(21) To use divination.--Various particular forms of divination are mentioned just afterwards. This is a general term to include them all. Divination was always resorted to by the heathen on occasions of important questions. In this case, while Nebuchadnezzar thought in this way to determine his action, it was already fixed for him by a higher Power.Made his arrows bright.--Rather, shook his arrows. This was a mode of divination in use among the ancient Arabs, as well as in Mesopotamia, and something very similar is mentioned by Homer as practised among the ancient Greeks (II., iii. 316). It continued to be used among the Arabs until the time of Mohammed, who strictly torbade it in the Koran (3:39, 5:4, 94). Several arrows, properly marked, were shaken together in a quiver or other vessel, and one drawn out. The mark upon the one drawn was supposed to indicate the will of the gods. It was thus simply one form of casting lots.Consulted with images.--The particular images here mentioned were "teraphim," small idols, which are often spoken of in Scripture as used in divination by the Israelites themselves, and common also among the heathen. (See 1Samuel 15:23, where the word "idolatry" is in the original "teraphim.") Nothing is known of the way in which these were used in divination.Looked in the liver.--The inspection of the entrails of sacrificial victims, and especially of the liver, as a means of ascertaining the will of the gods, is familiar to every reader of classical literature. There is evidence that the same custom prevailed also in Babylonia. The king is represented as employing all these different kinds of divination to make sure of the proper path.Parallel Commentaries ...HebrewForכִּֽי־ (kî-)ConjunctionStrong's 3588: A relative conjunctionthe kingמֶלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)Noun - masculine singular constructStrong's 4428: A kingof Babylonבָּבֶ֜ל (bā·ḇel)Noun - proper - feminine singularStrong's 894: Babylon -- an eastern Mediterranean empire and its capital citystandsעָמַ֨ד (‘ā·maḏ)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularStrong's 5975: To stand, in various relationsatאֶל־ (’el-)PrepositionStrong's 413: Near, with, among, tothe forkאֵ֣ם (’êm)Noun - feminine singular constructStrong's 517: A mother, )in the road,הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ (had·de·reḵ)Article | Noun - common singularStrong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of actionat the junctionבְּרֹ֛אשׁ (bə·rōš)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructStrong's 7218: The headof the twoשְׁנֵ֥י (šə·nê)Number - mdcStrong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)roads,הַדְּרָכִ֖ים (had·də·rā·ḵîm)Article | Noun - common pluralStrong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of actionto seekלִקְסָם־ (liq·sām-)Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructStrong's 7080: To distribute, determine by lot, magical scroll, to divinean omen:קָ֑סֶם (qā·sem)Noun - masculine singularStrong's 7081: A lot, divination, oracleHe shakesקִלְקַ֤ל (qil·qal)Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singularStrong's 7043: To be slight, swift or triflingthe arrows,בַּֽחִצִּים֙ (ba·ḥiṣ·ṣîm)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine pluralStrong's 2671: A piercer, an arrow, a wound, thunderbolt, the shaft of a, spearhe consultsשָׁאַ֣ל (šā·’al)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularStrong's 7592: To inquire, to request, to demandthe idols,בַּתְּרָפִ֔ים (bat·tə·rā·p̄îm)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine pluralStrong's 8655: (a kind of idol) perhaps household idolhe examinesרָאָ֖ה (rā·’āh)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singularStrong's 7200: To seethe liver.בַּכָּבֵֽד׃ (bak·kā·ḇêḏ)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singularStrong's 3516: The liverJump to PreviousArrows Arts Babylon Beasts Bright Cast Consult Consulted Consults Dead Divination Examine Fork Forth Fro Gods Head Household Idols Images Inner Inquireth Liver Note Omen Parting Parts Questions Road Roads Secret Seek Shakes Shaketh Shaking Shook Standeth Stands Stood Stop Teraphim Top Use Way Ways
