Ezekiel 19

1 And take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

2 and thou shalt say, How hast thy mother, the lioness, lain down among the lions? She raised her whelps among the young lions.

3 And she brought up one of her whelps; it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey and to devour men.

4 The Gentiles also heard of him; he was taken in their trap, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.

5 Now when she saw that she had waited a long time and her hope was being lost, then she took another of her whelps and made him a young lion.

6 And he went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion and learned to catch the prey and devoured men.

7 And he knew their widows, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fullness thereof, by the voice of his roaring.

8 Then the Gentiles set against him on every side from the provinces and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.

9 And they put him in prison in chains and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into fortresses that his voice should no longer be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

10 Thy mother was like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters, bearing fruit and spreading forth branches by reason of the many waters.

11 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of those that bore rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height and with the multitude of her branches.

12 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit; her branches were broken, and she withered; fire consumed the rod of her strength.

13 And now she is planted in the wilderness in a dry and thirsty ground.

14 And fire is gone out of the rod from her branches, which has devoured her fruit, so that no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule has remained in her. This is a lamentation and shall be for 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.

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.