Ezekiel 19

A mother’s sons

1 You, raise a lament for Israel's princes.

2 Say: What a lioness among lionesses was your mother! She bedded down among the strong young lions and reared her cubs.

3 She singled out one of her cubs and he became a strong young lion; he learned to tear flesh and devour humans.

4 When the nations heard about him, they caught him in their trap and carried him with hooks to the land of Egypt.

5 When she realized that she waited in vain, her hope faded. So she took another of her cubs and set him up as a strong young lion.

6 He went on the prowl with the other lions and became a strong young lion. He learned to tear flesh and devour humans;

7 he ravaged their widows and laid waste to their cities. When the earth and everything in it became horrified by the sound of his raging,

8 the nations from the surrounding regions allied against him. They cast their nets over him and caught him in their trap.

9 They put a collar on him and brought him with hooks. They brought him with nets to the king of Babylon so that his voice would no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel.

The proud mother

10 Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard planted beside the waters;

11 she bore lush fruit and foliage because of the plentiful water, and she produced mighty branches, fit for rulers' scepters. She grew tall, and her crown went up between the clouds. Because of her height and thick growth, she became conspicuous.

12 So she was struck down in anger, thrown down to the ground. The east wind dried her out and destroyed her fruit; it sapped the branch of its strength, and fire consumed it.

13 So now she is planted in the desert, in a parched and thirsty land,

14 and fire has gone out from her branch and consumed her foliage and fruit, leaving her no strong branch or ruler's scepter. This is a lamentation, and it will serve as a lamentation.

Ezekiel 19 Commentary

Chapter 19

A parable lamenting the ruin of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim. (1-9) Another describing the desolation of the people. (10-14)

Verses 1-9 Ezekiel is to compare the kingdom of Judah to a lioness. He must compare the kings of Judah to a lion's whelps; they were cruel and oppressive to their own subjects. The righteousness of God is to be acknowledged, when those who have terrified and enslaved others, are themselves terrified and enslaved. When professors of religion form connexions with ungodly persons, their children usually grow up following after the maxims and fashions of a wicked world. Advancement to authority discovers the ambition and selfishness of men's hearts; and those who spend their lives in mischief, generally end them by violence.

Verses 10-14 Jerusalem was a vine, flourishing and fruitful. This vine is now destroyed, though not plucked up by the roots. She has by wickedness made herself like tinder to the sparks of God's wrath, so that her own branches serve as fuel to burn her. Blessed be God, one Branch of the vine here alluded to, is not only become a strong rod for the sceptre of those that rule, but is Himself the true and living Vine. This shall be for a rejoicing to all the chosen people of God throughout all generations.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or knew
• [b]. Or in your blood

Chapter Summary

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.