Ezekiel 17:12-22

12 Say now to the rebellious house: Do ye not know what these things mean? Tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem and has taken its king and its princes and led them with him to Babylon;
13 and has taken of the seed of the kingdom and made a covenant with him and has brought him to an oath: he has also taken the mighty of the land:
14 that the kingdom might be cast down, that it might not lift itself up, but that it might keep his covenant and stay in her.
15 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors unto Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he be prospered, shall he that does such things escape? And shall he who broke the covenant be able to flee?
16 As I live, said the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwells that made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon, he shall die.
17 And not with a mighty army, nor with a great company shall Pharaoh do anything for him in the battle when they cast up mounts, and build forts to cut off many lives:
18 seeing he despised the oath to invalidate the covenant when, behold, he had given his hand and has done all these things, he shall not escape.
19 Therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said: As I live, surely my oath that he has despised and my covenant that he has broken, even it will I turn 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 enter into judgment with him there for his trespass with which he has rebelled against me.
21 And all his fugitives with all his armies shall fall by the sword, and those that remain shall be scattered toward all winds; and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it.
22 Thus hath the Lord GOD said: I will also take of the highest branch of that high cedar and will set it up; I will crop off from the principal branch a shoot and will plant it upon the high and sublime mountain:

Ezekiel 17:12-22 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.

The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010