Ezekiel 19:11
in Ezekiel 19It had strong branches, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick branches, conspicuous for its height and for its dense foliage.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And it had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and their stature was exalted among the thick boughs, and they were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches.
KJV
And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
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This verse in Ezekiel 19
Commentary
10 notes on this verseShe had strong rods - Zedekiah, and his many sons. Her stature was exalted - Zedekiah grew proud of his numerous offspring and prosperity; and although he copied the example of Jehoiakim, yet he thought he might safely rebel against the king of Babylon.
This site's exposition
like a vine in thy blood
on Ezekiel 19:10-11
The allegory changes: Judah is now a vine planted by the waters, its strong rods fit to be the sceptres of them that bare rule. Keil ties the figure back to the vine brought out of Egypt in Psalm 80, the same national image carried across the canon.
This site's exposition
It had strong branches
The strong branches are the royal line, sons fit to rule. Clarke reads them as Zedekiah and his many sons, and the towering height as the pride that led Zedekiah to break faith with Babylon. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown see the former dignity set against the ruin to come.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 10 and following) Your mother is like a vine planted over the water, your blood. Its fruits and branches grew abundantly from many waters. And solid rods became scepters of rulers for it, and its stature was elevated in its branches. And it saw its height in the multitude of its palm trees. And in anger, it was uprooted and thrown to the ground, and a scorching wind dried up its fruit. Its strong rods withered and dried up, and fire consumed it. And now she has been transplanted into a desert in an impassable land and thirsty.
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Orders given to the prophet to bewail the fall of the royal family, which had long made so great a figure by virtue of a covenant of royalty made with David and his seed, so that the eclipsing and extinguishing of it are justly lamented by all who know what value to put upon the covenant of our God, as we find, after a very large account of that covenant with David ( Ps. lxxxix.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Strong rods - Many excellent persons endowed with qualifications befitting kings, that they might sway the scepter. Exalted - Above the ordinary majesty of other kingdoms. Thick branches - This kingdom equalled, if not excelled, the greatest neighbour-kingdoms, and her kings exceeded all their neighbouring kings, in riches and power.
And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bear rule,....
And those are strong rods that are fit for sceptres, men of strong judgments and strong resolutions that are fit for magistrates.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The mention of their former royal dignity, contrasting sadly with her present sunken state, would remind the Jews of their sins whereby they had incurred such judgments. stature-- (Da 4:11). among the thick branches--that is, the central stock or trunk of the tree shot up highest "among its own branches" or offshoots, surrounding it.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Sceptres - Gen 49:10. The thick branches - Or, the clouds; so Eze 31:3, Eze 31:10, Eze 31:14.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
sturdy rods for the scepters of the rulers Powerful rulers and mighty kings.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Your mother is like a vine This is still part of the lamentation.
The Congregation of Yisrael, when performing the Torah, is like a vine planted by a spring of water, whose branches are beautiful and whose boughs cast shade, planted by much water.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּֽהְיוּ־ | vaiyihyu- | and they belonged | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לָ֞הּ | lah | to it | ||
| מַטּ֣וֹת | matot | branches of | H4294 → | 252 times |
| עֹ֗ז | ʾoz | strength | H5797 → | 92 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שִׁבְטֵי֙ | shivtei | scepters of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| מֹֽשְׁלִ֔ים | moshelim | rulers | H4910 → | |
| וַתִּגְבַּ֥הּ | vatigbah | and it was lofty | H1361 → | 34 times |
| קֽוֹמָת֖וֹ | komato | stature its | H6967 → | 45 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | above | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בֵּ֣ין | bein | between | H996 → | 407 times |
| עֲבֹתִ֑ים | ʾavotim | branches | H5688 → | 24 times |
| וַיֵּרָ֣א | vaiyera' | and it was seen | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| בְגָבְה֔וֹ | vegaveho | by height its | H1363 → | 17 times |
| בְּרֹ֖ב | bero | by [the] abundance of | H7230 → | 149 times |
| דָּלִיֹּתָֽיו׃ | daliyotav | branches its | H1808 → | 8 times |
וַיִּֽהְיוּ־and they belonged
vaiyihyu-H1961 →3559 times
לָ֞הּto it
lah
מַטּ֣וֹתbranches of
matotH4294 →252 times
עֹ֗זstrength
ʾozH5797 →92 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שִׁבְטֵי֙scepters of
shivteiH7626 →190 times
מֹֽשְׁלִ֔יםrulers
moshelimH4910 →
וַתִּגְבַּ֥הּand it was lofty
vatigbahH1361 →34 times
קֽוֹמָת֖וֹstature its
komatoH6967 →45 times
עַל־above
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
בֵּ֣יןbetween
beinH996 →407 times
עֲבֹתִ֑יםbranches
ʾavotimH5688 →24 times
וַיֵּרָ֣אand it was seen
vaiyera'H7200 →1300 times
בְגָבְה֔וֹby height its
vegavehoH1363 →17 times
בְּרֹ֖בby [the] abundance of
beroH7230 →149 times
דָּלִיֹּתָֽיו׃branches its
daliyotavH1808 →8 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
Genesis 49:10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his.
it leads to
- Numbers 24:17
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come forth from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel. He will crush the skulls of Moab and…
- Luke 1:32–33
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David,
- Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of…
- Psalms 60:7
Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim is My helmet, Judah is My scepter.
- Isaiah 33:22
For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our King. It is He who will save us.
- Numbers 24:17
Through
Psalms 80:15the root Your right hand has planted, the son You have raised up for Yourself.
it leads to
- John 15:1
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard.
- John 15:1
Through
Daniel 4:11The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth.
it leads to
- Matthew 11:23
And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would…
- Deuteronomy 9:1
Hear, O Israel: Today you are about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities fortified to the heavens.
- Matthew 11:23
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ezekiel
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Ezekiel; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Patrick Fairbairn, An Exposition of Ezekiel.