H0258 H0258
Gather yourself, sharpen yourself (reflexive command to a sword in prophetic imagery)
This unusual Hithpael imperative form comes from a root meaning "be sharp" or "sharpen." It appears in Ezekiel 21, part of an extended oracle personifying the sword of divine judgment. The prophet commands the sword to prepare itself—to gather or sharpen itself for its terrible work of judgment against Israel. The reflexive form intensifies the image: the sword is not merely sharpened by another but prepares itself for destruction.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A reflexive imperative addressed to a personified sword in Ezekiel's dramatic judgment oracle. The Ezekiel 21:16 context features repeated imperatives to the sword, treating it as an active agent of divine wrath. The multilingual glosses vary between "gather" and "unite," reflecting different understandings of whether the command emphasizes assembling force or sharpening edge, though both capture the preparation for destructive action. 1×
AR["تَوَحَّدِي"]·ben["একত্রিত-হও"]·DE["[התאחדי]"]·EN["gather-yourself"]·FR["unir"]·heb["התאחדי"]·HI["तेज़-हो"]·ID["satukanlah-dirimu"]·IT["[התאחדי]"]·jav["Dipun-satunggalaken"]·KO["하나로-모여라"]·PT["Une-te"]·RU["соберись"]·ES["Únete"]·SW["Jiunge"]·TR["birleş"]·urd["تیز-ہو"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חָדַד vb. be sharp, keen (Aramaic חֲדַד; NH חִדֵּד sharpen; Arabic حَدَّ be sharp and sharpen; Assyrian uddudu, sharpen, DlPr 174; cf. I. חָדָה)— Qal Pf. וְחַדּ֫וּ מִזְּאֵבֵי עֶרֶב consec. Hb 1:8 are keener than evening wolves (of impetuous Chaldean horses). Hiph. הֵחֵד (Che Or Brd) or יַחֵד (Näg cf. Dr§ 123 a, R), ins. Is 44:12 after 𝔊 𝔖: the smith sharpeneth an axe. Hoph. Pf. 3 fs. הוּחַדָּה Ez 21:14, 15, 16 be sharpened (in all, subj. חֶרֶב). Hithpa. הִתְאַחֲדִי Ez 21:21.