Ezekiel 19

PLUS
The Book of Ezekiel
Chapter 19

Chapter Overview:


The kingdom of Judah and house of David is compared to a lioness, and their princes to lions taken in nets, ver. 1 - 9.
The kingdom and house are compared to a vine, and these princes to branches, now broken off and burnt, ver. 10 - 14.
Verses:
19:1For the princes - Jehoahaz, Jehoiachim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah.
19:2What - What resemblance shall I use to set out the nature, deportment, and state of the mother of these princes? Thy - One of whom was upon the throne at once, and therefore the prophet speaks to one at a time. Mother - The land of Judea, and Jerusalem, the chief city of it, the royal family of David. Lioness - Tho' chosen of God to execute justice; yet they soon degenerated into the fierce and ravening nature of the lioness. Lay down - Associated, and grew familiar with neighbour kings, called here lions; fierce and bloody.Her whelps - Her sons, successors to the crown. Young lions - Either foreign princes and kings, or some of the fierce, unjust, tyrannizing princes at home.
19:3Brought up - Advanced, caused him to take the throne after the slaughter of Josiah. One - Jehoahaz the second son of Josiah.Became - Soon shewed his fierce, cruel, and bloody disposition.
19:4The nations - The Egyptians heard what he did.
19:5Made him - King, and infused the lion - like maxims into him.
19:6He - Jehoiachim. Went up - He continued eleven years on the throne; whereas Jehoahaz was taken as soon as he first ventured out.The lions - Heathen kings, with whom he entered into leagues.He became - Fierce, ravenous, unsatiable.
19:7He knew - By taking them, he came to know their places, which are here called, what he made them, desolate. Roaring - By the perpetual violent threats of this cruel king.
19:8The nations - Which were tributary to Nebuchadnezzar.Set against - By order of the king of Babylon.The provinces - Which belonged to the Babylonish kingdom.
19:10Thy mother - O thou prince of Israel. By the waters - In a very fruitful soil. Full of branches - Full of children; when Josiah died, he left four behind him, beside other branches of the royal line.
19:11Strong rods - Many excellent persons endowed with qualifications befitting kings, that they might sway the scepter. Exalted - Above the ordinary majesty of other kingdoms. Thick branches - This kingdom equalled, if not excelled, the greatest neighbour - kingdoms, and her kings exceeded all their neighbouring kings, in riches and power.
19:12The east wind - God raised up the king of Babylon to pull up this sinful kingdom. Dried up - Blasted all her fruit, deposed her king, captivated him, his family, and the whole kingdom. Strong rods - All the choice men.
19:13She - A few of the branches of the last pruning.In the wilderness - Tho' Babylon was in a very fruitful place, yet the cruelty of the Babylonians, made it to the Jews as terrible as a wilderness.
19:14Fire - The fire of rebellion, kindled by Zedekiah, who is of the blood - royal. No strong rod - The regal dignity is ceased.