Ezekiel 17:15

15 However, this king revolted against him^[a] by sending his ambassadors to Egypt so they might give him horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and [still] escape?

Ezekiel 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.

Ezekiel 17:15 In-Context

13 He took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. Then he took away the leading men of the land,

14 so the kingdom might be humble and not exalt itself but might keep his covenant in order to endure.

15 However, this king revolted against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt so they might give him horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and [still] escape?

16 "As I live"-[this is] the declaration of the Lord God -"he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.

17 Pharaoh will not help him with [his] great army and vast horde in battle, when ramps are built and siege walls constructed to destroy many lives.

Footnotes

• [a]. 2 Kg 24:20