Most translations apply verses 29-32 to the people of Ammon, as a prediction of the judgment and complete destruction that is about to come on them. To do so, they take the pronoun you to refer to the Ammonites, but in these verses the Hebrew pronoun for you is always feminine singular, so it must refer to the sword. The sword is a symbol for Nebuchadnezzar and the nation of Babylonia (compare verse 19). Only a few translations make this clear (so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

While they see for you false visions, while they divine lies for you: As noted above the pronoun you refers to the sword as a symbol of the Babylonians. The pronoun they refers to the people of Ammon. They consulted their gods and had dreams about what the sword would do. However, their visions about the sword were false, and so were the messages they received from their gods. Their predictions of peace were the result of false dreams and divination. For false visions, see 12.24; and for divine lies, see 13.6-7. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders these two clauses as “Because they have prophesied falsely about you [the sword] and have divined deceitfully concerning you.”

To be laid on the necks of the unhallowed wicked is literally “to give you [the sword] on the necks of those polluted wicked.” To lay a sword on the necks of people means to cut off their heads or, more generally, to kill them. The unhallowed wicked refers to the Ammonites. For unhallowed and wicked, see verse 25.

Whose day has come, the time of their final punishment: See verse 25.

Models for this verse are:

• The sword will cut off the heads of the vile and evil people of Ammon. The time has come for them to be punished. Their sin has added up. It’s high time for their punishment. The visions they had about the sword were false. When they consulted their gods about what would happen, their answers were lies.

• The king of Babylonia will kill the Ammonites [or, cut off the heads of the Ammonites] with his sword. The time has come when I will punish them. They have sinned so much that it is time for me to punish them. The visions they had about the king of Babylonia’s sword were false. When they used magic to find what would happen, the answers were lies.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .