Ezekiel 17:1-6

Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

1 And the word of Yahweh {came} to me, {saying},

2 "Son of man, tell a riddle and quote a proverb to the house of Israel,

3 and you must say, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "{The great eagle with great wings and long feathers} [and] {full of variegated plumage} came to Lebanon and he took the treetop of the cedar.

4 He plucked the top of its new plant shoot, and he brought it to the land of Canaan [and] put it in a city of merchants,

5 and he took from the seed of the land and placed it in {fertile soil} on many waters; [like] a willow he planted it.

6 And it sprouted, and {it became a vine spreading out}, low of height, turning its branches to him, and its roots were under it, and {it became a vine}, and it made branches, and it sent out foliage.

Ezekiel 17:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 17

Under the simile of two eagles and a vine are represented the kings of Babylon and Egypt, and the condition of the Jews, who are threatened with ruin for their perfidy; and yet a promise is made of the raising up of the house of Judah, and family of David, in the Messiah. The prophet is bid to deliver a riddle or parable to the house of Israel, Eze 17:1,2. The riddle or parable is concerning two eagles and a vine, which is delivered, Eze 17:3-10; and the explanation of it is in Eze 17:11-15; and then the destruction of the Jews is threatened for their treachery to the king of Babylon, Eze 17:16-21; and the chapter is closed with a promise of the Messiah, and the prosperity of his kingdom, Eze 17:22-24.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "was"
• [b] Literally "to say"
• [c] Or "mortal," or "son of humankind"
• [d] Literally "the eagle the great great of [the] wings long of [the] feather"
• [e] Literally "full of [the] plumage which [is] for him [the] variegated"
• [f] Literally "a field of seed"
• [g] Or "by"
• [h] Literally "he was to vine spreading out"
• [i] Literally "and it was to a vine"
• [j] Or "sprouted"