Ezekiel 17:15

15 But the king rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?

Ezekiel 17:15 in Other Translations

15 But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?

15 But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape?

15 “Nevertheless, this man of Israel’s royal family rebelled against Babylon, sending ambassadors to Egypt to request a great army and many horses. Can Israel break her sworn treaties like that and get away with it?

15 "'But he rebelled and sent emissaries to Egypt to recruit horses and a big army. Do you think that's going to work? Are they going to get by with this? Does anyone break a covenant and get off scot-free?

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?

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 Then he took a member of the royal family and made a treaty with him, putting him under oath. He also carried away the leading men of the land,

14 so that the kingdom would be brought low, unable to rise again, surviving only by keeping his treaty.

15 But the king rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?

16 “ ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, he shall die in Babylon, in the land of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose treaty he broke.

17 Pharaoh with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives.

Cross References

• 1. Jeremiah 52:3
• 2. S Isaiah 30:2; S Jeremiah 37:5
• 3. S Deuteronomy 17:16
• 4. S Psalms 56:7; S Isaiah 30:5; Jeremiah 34:3; Jeremiah 38:18; Ezekiel 29:16