Ezekiel 19:1-9

1 "Sing a funeral song for the leaders of Israel.

2 Say: 'Your mother was like a female lion. She lay down among the young lions. She had many cubs.

3 When she brought up one of her cubs, he became a strong lion. He learned to tear the animals he hunted, and he ate people.

4 The nations heard about him. He was trapped in their pit, and they brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.

5 "'The mother lion waited and saw that there was no hope for her cub. So she took another one of her cubs and made him a strong lion.

6 This cub roamed among the lions. He was now a strong lion. He learned to tear the animals he hunted, and he ate people.

7 He tore down their strong places and destroyed their cities. The land and everything in it were terrified by the sound of his roar.

8 Then the nations came against him from areas all around, and they spread their net over him. He was trapped in their pit.

9 Then they put him into a cage with chains and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him into prison so his roar could not be heard again on the mountains of Israel.

Ezekiel 19:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 19

The subject matter of this chapter is a lamentation for the princes and people of the Jews, on account of what had already befallen them, and what was yet to come, Eze 19:1. The mother of the princes is compared to a lioness, and they to lions; who, one after another, were taken and carried captive, Eze 19:2-9; again, their mother is compared to a vine, and they to branches and rods for sceptres, destroyed by an east wind, and consumed by fire, Eze 19:10-14.