Common misinterpretations treat this verse as Ezekiel issuing military orders or endorsing divination by signs, ignoring its prophetic role in revealing God's predetermined judgments; others apply it literally to modern decision-making or wars, overlooking the historical context of Babylon's invasions circa 586 BC; some dismiss it as mere fatalism, failing to see God's justice targeting covenant-breaking Judah and pagan Ammon equally.
Ezekiel 21:20
King James Version (1769)
20 Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.
Ezekiel 21:20 depicts God's sovereign control over the Babylonian king, directing him through prophetic signs to choose between invading Rabbah of the Ammonites or Jerusalem, illustrating divine orchestration of judgment against both Israel's unfaithfulness and neighboring nations' idolatry, affirming that earthly powers unwittingly serve God's purposes of retribution and purification.