And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:
Ver. 3. A great eagle with great wings.] An eagle, that king of birds, is a fit emblem of an emperor; a as it is here of Nebuchadnezzar the Great. Eze 17:12 Jeremiah 48:40 ; Jer 49:22 Monarchs, as eagles, have quick eyes, long talons, fly high pitches, aim at great matters, strive to get above all others, choose themselves high and firm seats, &c. See Job 39:27,30, with the notes. Ajax is called αιτος, an eagle, in Pindarus; so is King Pyrrhus in Plutarch, and took delight in that title. The Spaniard was well laughed at by Captain Drake and his forces when they took Santo Domingo, 1585, and found in the townhall the King of Spain's arms, and under them a globe of the world, out of which issued, not a well-plumed eagle, but a flying home, with this inscription, Non sufficit orbis the world is not enough. We could not so well bridle his Pegasus at Santo Domingo, yet we put a stop to him at Jamaica; but we have lately pulled his plumes in Flanders to some purpose, by gaining from him Dunkirk, now b held by the English, and likewise Berghen, another place of great strength, now held by the French; the good news whereof came to us yesterday, being June 27, 1658. Praised be the holy name of God for ever.
Came unto Lebanon,] i.e., Unto Judea, which lieth near the forest of Lebanon, which forest also lieth in the way from Babylon to Judea.
And took the highest branch of the cedar.] Taleam, the top branch. This was Jeconiah. 2Ki 24:12
a Vide Pier. in Hieroglyph.
b This was written June 28, 1658.