Ezekiel 17:7
in Ezekiel 17But 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend its roots toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him, from the beds of its plantation, that he might water it.
KJV
There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.
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This verse in Ezekiel 17
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Another great eagle - This is the king of Egypt, mighty indeed but not like the first. By the furrows of her plantation - From the beds, where it was planted to bring forth fruit for another, it shot forth its roots to him that he might water it. Zedekiah was courting the favor of Egypt while he owed his very position to the bounty of Assyria.
This site's exposition
There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers
on Ezekiel 17:7-8
A second eagle appears, Egypt under Pharaoh Hophra, and the vine bends its roots toward this new power. Gill reads the picture as Zedekiah's actual embassy to Egypt, confirmed at Jeremiah 37:5-7. The soil and water were already good, Clarke notes, the turn to Egypt answered no real need.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Another crowd was taken by him, and it became a vine, less vigorous than it was when it was in the vineyard of God and on holy ground, where the sacrifices of God are celebrated, but it was transferred to Babylon as a weak vine.
(Verse 7 and following) And another great eagle appeared, with large wings and many feathers. And behold, this vineyard sent out its roots toward it, extending its branches toward it, in order to be irrigated by the streams of its sap. It was planted in good soil, above abundant waters, in order to produce leaves and bear fruit, and to become a great vineyard. Say: Thus says the Lord God: Will it succeed?
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Those two great potentates, the kings of Babylon and Egypt, were but two great eagles, birds of prey. This great eagle of Egypt is said to have great wings, but not to be long-winged as the king of Babylon, because, though the kingdom of Egypt was strong, yet it was not of such a vast extent as that of Babylon was.
There was also another great eagle,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Rather, "by" or "out of the furrows." It refers to the waters of Egypt, the Nile being made to water the fields by means of small canals or "furrows"; these waters are the figure of the auxiliary forces wherewith Egypt tried to help Judah. See the same figure, Isa 8:7.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Another great eagle - Pharaoh-hophra, or Apries, king of Egypt. With great wings - Extensive dominion. And many feathers - Numerous subjects. Did bend her roots - Looked to him for support in her intended rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֤י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| נֶֽשֶׁר־ | nesher- | an eagle | H5404 → | 26 times |
| אֶחָד֙ | ʾechad | one | H259 → | 971 times |
| גָּד֔וֹל | gadol | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| גְּד֥וֹל | gedol | great of | H1419 → | 526 times |
| כְּנָפַ֖יִם | kenafayim | wings | H3671 → | 109 times |
| וְרַב־ | verav- | and great of | H7227 → | 454 times |
| נוֹצָ֑ה | notzah | plumage | H5133 → | |
| וְהִנֵּה֩ | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הַגֶּ֨פֶן | hagefen | the vine | H1612 → | 55 times |
| הַזֹּ֜את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| כָּֽפְנָ֧ה | kafenah | it bent | H3719 → | |
| שָׁרֳשֶׁ֣יהָ | shorosheiha | roots its | H8328 → | 33 times |
| עָלָ֗יו | ʾalav | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וְדָֽלִיּוֹתָיו֙ | vedaliyotav | and branches its | H1808 → | 8 times |
| שִׁלְחָה־ | shilchah- | it sent out | H7971 → | 845 times |
| לּ֔וֹ | lo | to it | ||
| לְהַשְׁק֣וֹת | lehashkot | to water | H8248 → | |
| אוֹתָ֔הּ | ʾotah | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מֵעֲרֻג֖וֹת | mearugot | from [the] beds of | H6170 → | |
| מַטָּעָֽהּ׃ | mataah | planting its | H4302 → | 6 times |
וַיְהִ֤יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
נֶֽשֶׁר־an eagle
nesher-H5404 →26 times
אֶחָד֙one
ʾechadH259 →971 times
גָּד֔וֹלgreat
gadolH1419 →526 times
גְּד֥וֹלgreat of
gedolH1419 →526 times
כְּנָפַ֖יִםwings
kenafayimH3671 →109 times
וְרַב־and great of
verav-H7227 →454 times
נוֹצָ֑הplumage
notzahH5133 →
וְהִנֵּה֩and there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
הַגֶּ֨פֶןthe vine
hagefenH1612 →55 times
הַזֹּ֜את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
כָּֽפְנָ֧הit bent
kafenahH3719 →
שָׁרֳשֶׁ֣יהָroots its
shorosheihaH8328 →33 times
עָלָ֗יוon it
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
וְדָֽלִיּוֹתָיו֙and branches its
vedaliyotavH1808 →8 times
שִׁלְחָה־it sent out
shilchah-H7971 →845 times
לּ֔וֹto it
lo
לְהַשְׁק֣וֹתto water
lehashkotH8248 →
אוֹתָ֔הּ<obj.> it
ʾotahH853 →10935 times
מֵעֲרֻג֖וֹתfrom [the] beds of
mearugotH6170 →
מַטָּעָֽהּ׃planting its
mataahH4302 →6 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
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…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 36:13
He 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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 38:18
But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself…
- 2 Kings 24:20
For because of the anger of the LORD, all this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until He finally banished them from His presence. And Zedekiah also rebelled against the king of Babylon.
- Jeremiah 34:3
And you yourself will not escape his grasp, but will surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You will see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to…
- Jeremiah 52:3
For because of the anger of the LORD, all this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, until He finally banished them from His presence. And Zedekiah also rebelled against the king of Babylon.
- 2 Chronicles 36:13
Through
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.
it leads to
- Revelation 17:1
Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
- Revelation 17:15
Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute was seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
- Proverbs 14:28
A large population is a king’s splendor, but a lack of subjects is a prince’s ruin.
- Revelation 17:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Ezekiel

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON EZEKIEL 11:2.
