Ezekielchapter 17
24 verses · BSBEzekiel book hub →
A.A riddle of two great eagles and a spreading vinevv. 1-10
1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, pose a riddle; speak a parable to the house of Israel 3 and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar. 4 He plucked off its topmost shoot, carried it to the land of merchants, and planted it in a city of traders. 5 He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it by abundant waters and set it out like a willow. 6 It sprouted and became a spreading vine, low in height, with branches turned toward him; yet its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and yielded branches and sent out shoots. 7 But there was another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him. It stretched out its branches to him from its planting bed, so that he might water it. 8 It had been planted in good soil by abundant waters in order to yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’ 9 So you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Will it flourish? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it shrivels? All its foliage will wither! It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by its roots. 10 Even if it is transplanted, will it flourish? Will it not completely wither when the east wind strikes? It will wither on the bed where it sprouted.’”
B.The oath sworn to Babylon's king, then brokenvv. 11-21
11 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 12 “Now say to this rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, carried off its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon. 13 He took a member of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he carried away the leading men of the land, 14 so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant. 15 But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’ 16 ‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke. 17 Pharaoh with his mighty army and vast horde will not help him in battle, when ramps are built and siege walls constructed to destroy many lives. 18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Seeing that he gave his hand in pledge yet did all these things, he will not escape!’ 19 Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘As surely as I live, I will bring down upon his head My oath that he despised and My covenant that he broke. 20 I will spread My net over him and catch him in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and execute judgment upon him there for the treason he committed against Me. 21 All his choice troops will fall by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken.’
C.A tender twig planted on a high mountainvv. 22-24
22 This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will take a shoot from the lofty top of the cedar, and I will set it out. I will pluck a tender sprig from its topmost shoots, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23 I will plant it on the mountain heights of Israel so that it will bear branches; it will yield fruit and become a majestic cedar. Birds of every kind will nest under it, taking shelter in the shade of its branches. 24 Then all the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD. I bring the tall tree down and make the low tree tall. I dry up the green tree and make the withered tree flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it.’”
Chapter summary
A riddle and a parable.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
Chapter summary
A riddle and a parable.
Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴
A riddle and a parable. A great eagle comes to Lebanon, crops the topmost twig of the cedar and carries it to a city of merchants, then plants seed of the land by great waters, where it becomes a spreading vine of low stature. But the vine bends its roots toward a second great eagle (Zedekiah's turn to Egypt) and the question comes: shall it prosper? He despised the oath and broke the covenant, and he shall die in Babylon. Then God plants for himself: 'I will also take of the lofty top of the cedar… and will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain,' a goodly cedar where every bird finds shelter.
Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.
Context
Prophecy · Ezekiel — Ezekiel overview
- A. 1–10 A riddle of two great eagles and a spreading vine
- B. 11–21 The oath sworn to Babylon's king, then broken
- C. 22–24 A tender twig planted on a high mountain
Top cross-references8 chapters ▾
Ezekiel 176 verses
- Ezekiel 17:3and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar.
- Ezekiel 17:5He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it by abundant waters and set it out like a willow.
- Ezekiel 17:7But there was another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him. It stretched out its branches to him from its planting bed, so that he might water it.
- Ezekiel 17:10Even if it is transplanted, will it flourish? Will it not completely wither when the east wind strikes? It will wither on the bed where it sprouted.’”
- Ezekiel 17:14so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to lift itself up, surviving only by keeping his covenant.
- Ezekiel 17:15But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’
- Read Ezekiel 17 →
Ezekiel 203 verses
- Ezekiel 20:35And I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, where I will enter into judgment with you face to face.
- Ezekiel 20:40For on My holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, there the whole house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land. There I will accept them and will require your offerings and choice gifts, along with all your holy sacrifices.
- Ezekiel 20:49Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?’”
- Read Ezekiel 20 →
Matthew 132 verses
- Matthew 13:32Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
- Matthew 13:35So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
- Read Matthew 13 →
Ezekiel 312 verses
- Ezekiel 31:4The waters made it grow; the deep springs made it tall, directing their streams all around its base and sending their channels to all the trees of the field.
- Ezekiel 31:6All the birds of the air nested in its branches, and all the beasts of the field gave birth beneath its boughs; all the great nations lived in its shade.
- Read Ezekiel 31 →
4 more chapters this one speaks with
Ezekiel 292 verses
- Ezekiel 29:6Then all the people of Egypt will know that I am the LORD. For you were only a staff of reeds to the house of Israel.
- Ezekiel 29:14I will restore Egypt from captivity and bring them back to the land of Pathros, the land of their origin. There they will be a lowly kingdom.
- Read Ezekiel 29 →
Jeremiah 52 verses
- Jeremiah 5:2Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.”
- Jeremiah 5:9Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
- Read Jeremiah 5 →
2 Kings 252 verses
- 2 Kings 25:5but the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was separated from him.
- 2 Kings 25:11Then Nebuzaradan captain of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the deserters who had defected to the king of Babylon and the rest of the population.
- Read 2 Kings 25 →
2 Chronicles 361 verse
- 2 Chronicles 36:13He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God. But Zedekiah stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD, the God of Israel.
- Read 2 Chronicles 36 →
Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.