Yechezkel 17:15

15 But he rebelled against him in sending his malachim into Mitzrayim, that they might give him susim and much people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape that doeth such things? Or shall he break the brit (covenant), and be delivered?

Yechezkel 17:15 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 17:15

But he rebelled against him
Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon, broke the covenant he entered into, and violated his oath: in sending his ambassadors into Egypt;
to form an alliance with the king of it, and obtain help from him to break off the Babylonian yoke; this is signified by the vine "bending [its] roots, [and] shooting forth [its] branches [towards] another great eagle", the king of Egypt, ( Ezekiel 17:7 ) ; that they might give him horses and much people;
with both which Egypt abounded, ( 1 Kings 10:28 ) ( Isaiah 31:1 Isaiah 31:3 ) ; but in Judea there was a scarcity, as of horses, so of men, by means of the multitude of captives which the king of Babylon had carried away; wherefore Zedekiah sent to Egypt for both, for recruits of men; and for horses to form a cavalry, to free himself from the king of Babylon, and defend himself and people against him: shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such [things]?
that is guilty of breaking an express law of God, which forbids the kings of Israel multiplying horses, and sending to Egypt for them, ( Deuteronomy 17:16 ) ; and placing confidence in an arm of flesh, ( Isaiah 31:1 Isaiah 31:3 ) ( 36:9 ) ; and of such base ingratitude to the king of Babylon, who had set him upon the throne, and put him in a comfortable and flourishing condition: or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?
shall one guilty, as of the other crimes, so of breach of covenant, and of perjury, escape the vengeance of God and man? he shall not.

Yechezkel 17:15 In-Context

13 And hath taken of the royal zera, and cut a Brit with him, and hath taken an oath of him; he hath also taken away the mighty of ha’aretz;

14 That the mamlachah (kingdom) might be abased, that it might not exalt itself, but that by being shomer over his brit it might stand.

15 But he rebelled against him in sending his malachim into Mitzrayim, that they might give him susim and much people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape that doeth such things? Or shall he break the brit (covenant), and be delivered?

16 As I live, saith Adonoi Hashem, surely in the makom where the melech dwelleth that made him melech, whose oath he despised, whose brit he broke, even with him in the midst of Bavel he shall die.

17 Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great kahal do anything for him in the milchamah, by casting up siege mounds, and building siegework, to cut off many nefashot.