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.
It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter - literally, 'that killing it may kill.'
It is furbished that it may glitter - literally, glitter as the lightning-flash: flashing terror into the foe.
Should we then make mirth? - it is no time for levity when such a calamity is impending (Isaiah 22:12-13).
It contemneth the rod of my son, as every tree. The sword has no more respect to the trivial "rod" or sceptre of Judah (Genesis 49:10) than if it were any common "tree." "Tree" is the image retained from Ezekiel 20:47; explained Ezekiel 21:2-3. God calls Judah "my son" (cf. Exodus 4:22; Hosea 11:1). Fairbairn arbitrarily translates, 'perchance the sceptre of my son rejoiceth (i:e., Judah proudly presumes on being My son; but such confidence is vain, for) it (the sword) despiseth every tree.' I prefer the English version to this translation (see Ezekiel 21:13, which confirms the English version), and also to Henderson's, 'the rod of my son
(i:e., the rod employed in punishing my son) contemneth every tree' (i:e., every prince: as in Ezekiel 17:24).