And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering:
Thus saith the Lord God concerning the Ammonites. Lest Ammon should think to escape because Nebuchadnezzar had taken the route to Jerusalem, Ezekiel denounces judgment against Ammon, without the prospect of a restoration, such as awaited Israel Jeremiah 49:6, it is true, speaks of a "bringing again of its captivity," but this probably refers to its spiritual restoration under Messiah; or, if referring to it politically, must refer to but a partial restoration at the downfall of Babylon under Cyrus.
And concerning their reproach. This constituted a leading feature in their guilt: they treated with proud contumely the covenant-people after the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar (Ezekiel 25:3; Ezekiel 25:6; Zephaniah 2:9-10), and appropriated Israel's territory, and "ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their border (Jeremiah 49:1, Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad? " Amos 1:13-15).
The sword, the sword ... for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering. Maurer punctuates thus, 'Drawn for the slaughter, it is furbished to devour ("consume"), to glitter.' The English version, "to consume because of the glittering," means 'to consume by reason of the lightning-flash-like rapidity with which it falls.' Five years after the fall of Jerusalem, Ammon was destroyed for aiding Ishmael in usurping the government of Judea against the will of the King of Babylon: it was to the Ammonites that he fled from Johanan after murdering Gedaliah, and it was Banlis, king of the Ammonites who instigated him to the murder (2 Kings 25:25; Jeremiah 40:14; Jeremiah 41:15). (Grotius.)