Ezekiel 17:1-24 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

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Zedekiah's Perfidy and its Punishment

Zedekiah had been placed on the throne of Judah as a vassal of Babylon, but was led by his nobles to intrigue with Egypt and to throw off the Babylonian yoke. The revolt actually took place in 588 b.c., but it had been contemplated much earlier: see Jeremiah 27:1-11, where 'Zedekiah' should be read for 'Jehoiakim' in Jeremiah 27:1; Jeremiah 27:15 of this chapter refers to an embassy to Egypt, of which Ezekiel had heard in BabyIonia. The prophet exposes this rebellious policy in an allegory, condemns it, and prediets its failure and punishment. The royal house of Judah is a cedar of Lebanon. BabyIon (or Nebuchadrezzar) is an eagle, which crops off the highest twig of the cedar (Jehoiachin) and carries it to a land and city of commerce (Babylon). The eagle takes of the seed of the land (Zedekiah) and plants it so that it becomes a dwarf vine bending towards the eagle (subordinate to Babylon). There is another eagle (Egypt, or Pharaoh-Hophra) towards which the vine (Zedekiah) turns (seeking Egyptian instead of Babylonian overlordship). God will not allow such treachery to prosper. The vine will be uprooted. Egyptian help will fail. Zedekiah will be taken captive and will die in Babylon (Ezekiel 17:1-21).

But God Himself will take another twig of the cedar, and will plant it on a high mountain of Israel, where it will become a great, spreading, and fruitful tree. All the trees (nations) will learn that God directs the destinies of every one of them (Ezekiel 17:22-24). This is a prophecy of the restoration of the Jewish kingdom which was never literally fulfilled, but which contains a promise of the Messiah—the ideal future king.

5, 6. A willow.. a vine of low stature] indicating the dependent position of Zedekiah's kingdom: see Ezekiel 17:14.

12, 13. These vv. describe the captivity of Jehoiachin (597 b.c.) and the appointment of Zedekiah as king under a solemn oath of allegiance to Babylon.

Related Commentaries of Ezekiel 17:1

Ezekiel 17:1-24

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

3 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:

4 He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.

5 He took also of the seed of the land, and planteda it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.

6 And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.

7 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.

8 It was planted in a good soilb by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.

9 Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.

10 Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.

11 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

12 Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;

13 And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:

14 That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.

15 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?

16 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.

17 Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:

18 Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.

19 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.

20 And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me.

21 And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it.

22 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent:

23 In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.

24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.