The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel
Ezekiel 17
Chapter XVII · Vol. III, pp. 1333–1334
1 Under the parable of two eagles and a vine, 11 is showed God's judgment upon Zedekiah for revolting from Babylon to Egypt. 22 God promiseth to plant the cedar of the gospel.
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,1
1 'From the beauty of its images, the elegance of its composition, the perspicuity of its language, the rich variety of its matter, and the easy transition from one part of the subject to another, this chapter forms one of the most beautiful and perfect pieces of its kind that can possibly be conceived in so small a compass' (Smith).—P.
2 Son of man, put forth a ariddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;
a Ju.14.12. Nu.23.7,18; 24.3. Mat.13.13. ch.20.49.
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD, A great eagle2 with great wings,3 long-winged, full of feathers, which had divers 4colours, bcame unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:
2 Nebuchadnezzar, ver.12. Je.48.40; 4.13; 49.22. Ho.8.1. De.28.49. Da.3.3; 4.1,22.
3 Great wings—an extensive empire. Full of feathers—a numerous army. Divers colours—many different nations united under one leader. Highest branch—Jehoiachin.—C.
4 Heb. embroidering.
b ver.12. 2 Ki.24.1,10-16. 2 Ch.36.6,9,10. Je.22.24-28.
4 He cropped off the top of his young 5twigs, and carried it into a land of traffic;6 he set it in a city of merchants.7
5 Young twigs—princes. Land of traffic—Chaldea. City of merchants—Babylon.—C.
6 Chaldea.
7 Babylon, ver.12. Is.47.15.
5 He took also of the seed of the land,8 and planted it in a fruitful field;9 he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow-tree:
8 Zedekiah, ver.13. 2 Ki.24.17. Je.37.1.
6 And cit 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.
c ver.14; ch.19.10,11.
7 There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers;1 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 2plantation.
1 Pharaoh king of Egypt, 2 Ch.36.13. Je.37.5,7. 2 Ki.24.20. ver.15.
2 In the plain of Damascus, where vines are largely cultivated, they are planted in rows; between these, furrows are dug to a depth of from two to three feet. At regular intervals the furrows are flooded, and the soil thus abundantly watered. The produce of these vineyards is enormous, and both the bunches and grapes are much larger than I have seen elsewhere.—P.
8 Itd was planted in a good soil3 by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.
d De.8.7. Is.44.4. Je.17.25; 38.17. 2 Ki.24.20.
3 Heb. field.
9 Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD, eShall it prosper? gshall 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.
e Is.8.9,10,12; 30.1-6; 31.1-3. ver.15-21.
g 2 Ki.25.7. Je.xxxix.lii.; 21.4; 37.10; 24.8-10. 2 Ch.36.13-17.
10 Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shallh it not utterly wither,4 when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.
A.M. cir. 3411. B.C. cir. 593.
h Is.27.8. Je.4.11. ch.19.12. Ho.12.1; 13.15.
4 Utterly wither. The regal government shall no more be restored.—East wind. The army of Nebuchadnezzar coming from the east as a parching wind. See Ge.41.6,23,27.—C.
11 Moreover, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
12 Say now to the irebellious house, jKnow ye not what these things mean? tell them, kBehold, 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;
i ch.2.3-8; 3.7-9. Is.1.2; 5.8-23; 59.1-18.
k ver.3,4. 2 Ki.24.11-17. 2 Ch.36.9,10. Je.22.24-28; 24.1,5. Is.39.7. Da.1.2.
13 And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him:5 he hath also taken the mighty of the land:6
5 Heb. brought him to an oath, 2 Ch.36.13.
6 He hath also taken the mighty of the land. The principal men for hostages—living pledges and guarantees for the fulfilment of Zedekiah's promise of allegiance.—C.
14 Thatl the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.7
l Je.27.12,17. ch.29.14.
7 Heb. to keep his covenant, to stand to it.
15 Butn he rebelled against him, in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. oShall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?
n 2 Ki.24.20. Je.52.3. 2 Ch.36.13. Is.31.1-3; 36.9. Je.37.5,7. ver.7.
16 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, pwhose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him, qin the midst of Babylon, he shall die.
17 Neitherr 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 sgiven his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.
s Je.50.15. 2 Ch.30.8. La.5.6. 1 Ch.29.24.
19 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, As I live, tsurely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.8
t Ex.20.7. ver.13,15,16,18. Jos.9.19. 2 Sa.21.1. Is.24.5,6.
8 Reference is here made to Zedekiah, who had sworn allegiance to the king of Babylon. He had ratified his oath by an appeal to Jehovah, and he is therefore justly charged with despising the oath of God. To appeal to the true God in proof of faithfulness, and then to act unfaithfully, was to bring dishonour upon the God of Israel.—P.
20 And I will uspread my net9 upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare; and vI will bring him to Babylon, and xwill plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me.
u ch.12.13; 32.3. La.4.20. Je.39.5-7, with 2 Sa.18.9. Jos.10.16.
9 An allusion to the method of taking birds by drawing a net over them—while they are intently watching a dog trained for their discovery—the apt emblem of a sinner with soul absorbed and body enslaved by the world, sedulously guarding against temporal evils, and totally unaware till overwhelmed by divine judgment.—C.
A.M. cir. 3411. B.C. cir. 593.
v ver.16. 2 Ki.25.6,7. Je.32.4,5; 34.3-5; 39.7; 52.10,11.
x ch.20.36; 38.22. Je.2.35.
21 Andy all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be zscattered toward all winds; and aye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it.
22 Thus saith the Lord GOD, bI will also take of the highest branch1 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 cupon an high mountain and eminent:
b Is.4.2; 7.14; 11.1; 53.2. Je.23.5,6; 33.15,16. ch.34.29. Zec.3.8; 4.12-14; 6.12.
1 Of the highest branch. A descendant of the house of David—Messiah: for no other king, such as is here described, arose after the captivity.—C.
c ch.20.40. Ps.2.6; 72.16. Hag.2.7. Mal.3.1. Is.2.2,3; 9.6,7. Zec.6.13. Mi.4.1,2. ch.40.2. Re.14.1. Da.2.35,44. Ep.1.22.
23 In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; dand it shall bring forth 2boughs, and bear fruit, and be ea goodly cedar: and gunder it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.
* Boughs—apostles, evangelists, &c. Fowl of every wing—people of all nations, Jews and Gentiles, flying from the storm or the eagle, as doves to their windows. In the shadow—under Messiah's protection, as a weary traveller beneath the shade of a rock or tree. Dwell—continue in the faith of Jesus and love of God, 1 Jn.4.16.—C.
d Jn.12.23,24; 15.5,8. Ps.1.3; 92.12,13.
2 See note * in first column.
e Re.22.2,14. 1 Co.1.30. Ac.2.36; 5.31. Ep.1.21,22. Phi.2.9-11. Je.23.5, or De.vi.
g Mat.13.47,48. Lu.14.21-23. Ps.22.27-30; 72.8-17; 45.3-16; 68.18,19. Is.11.10; xlix.liv.lv.lx. Ps.91.1,9. Re.11.15. Ho.14.7, with ch.31.6. Da.4.12.
24 And all the trees of the field shall know that hI the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree,3 have dried up the igreen tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken, and have done it.
h Da.4.35; 2.35,44; 7.14,27. Lu.1.52,53. 1 Co.1.27,28; 4.24. Is.9.6,7. Ps.75.6,7.
3 The low tree—the dry tree. Christ, who 'humbled himself,' was 'meek and lowly in heart,' and sprung up before the eye of sense, not as 'a tree planted by the rivers,' but 'as a root out of a dry ground,' Is.53.2.—C.
i Lu.23.31.
Notes
Ver. 2-7. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and Pharaoh-hophra king of Egypt, are represented as great eagles, because of their great power, high dignity, tyrannical murder, and oppression of their neighbours. Their great wings represent their extensive dominions. King Jeconiah, and his family and princes, carried to Babylon, were the highest branch carried into a land of traffic. Zedekiah made king by Nebuchadnezzar, as his sworn tributary, over the Jewish multitudes in Judea in a state of subjection to the Chaldeans, is the seed of the land planted with circumspection in a fruitful field, that it might be a vine of low stature. Its bending its roots and branches towards the other eagle, refers to his sending ambassadors to Pharaoh-hophra, for procuring troops to assist him against the Chaldeans. 22-24. Out of the royal family of David I will raise up the Messiah, exalt him to my right hand, and make him Head of his church and of all things to her; and to him shall multitudes of all nations be converted, for salvation and comfort, and become members of his church. And all the nations of the world shall remark my power in exalting and prospering my once despised church, and in bringing down her most powerful enemies, Chaldeans, Jews, Romans, Antichristians, or Turks.
Ver. 5. Seed of the land—Zedekiah, ver. 13. Fruitful field—Judea. Great waters—as a dependant upon Babylon, emblematized by 'great waters,' because it derived its magnificence from the Euphrates and Tigris. As a willow—of little strength, easily bended, and deriving safety, not from its resistance, but its elasticity. C.
Reflections.—Ministers must turn themselves every way to promote the conviction or conversion of sinners; and plain similitudes are of great use for the illustration of divine truths, and impression of them upon men's minds. What a despicable appearance, even as ravenous beasts, do the mightiest conquerors and kings make before a great and righteous God! And if his providence reduce us to a low condition, it is our wisdom, and will be our comfort, to submit to our lot, and improve it in the best way we can. But it is dreadfully criminal and dangerous to violate oaths and covenants with God, or even with wicked men, as God is made witness and guarantee of the solemn transaction. Men's sinful evasions to extricate themselves do but involve them in more certain and tremendous ruin. And fatal experience will at last force sinners to believe God's threatenings. It is in vain to attempt restoring the credit of decayed families till God himself rise for their help. And it is infinitely to the glory of his sovereign grace that scenes of wickedness and ruin introduce exhibitions of Jesus Christ, and his eternal redemption and glory.