Yechezkel 17:13

13 And hath taken of the royal zera, and cut a Brit with him, and hath taken an oath of him; he hath also taken away the mighty of ha’aretz;

Yechezkel 17:13 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 17:13

And hath taken of the king's seed
One of the royal family, signified by the seed of the land, ( Ezekiel 17:5 ) . Mattaniah, son of King Josiah, and uncle to King Jeconiah; whom Nebuchadnezzar took and made king of Judea, and called him Zedekiah, which signifies the "justice of the Lord": to put him in mind of doing justly, by observing the covenant and oath after mentioned, or that he must expect vengeance: and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him;
he gave him the throne and kingdom upon certain conditions to be performed, and for the perform once of which he made him swear by the God of Israel; see ( 2 Chronicles 36:13 ) ; he hath also taken the mighty of the land:
or, "the rams of the land" {x}; the principal men of it for wisdom, riches, and valour, the princes and nobles of it; which he did, as to weaken the nation, that it might not be so capable of rebelling against him, so to be hostages for the performance of the covenant entered into; and this is meant by planting the seed with circumspection, ( Ezekiel 17:5 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 (Urah ylya) "arietes terrae", Montanus.

Yechezkel 17:13 In-Context

11 Moreover the Devar Hashem came unto me, saying,

12 Say now to bais hameri (the rebellious house), Know ye not what these things mean? Tell them: Hinei, Melech Bavel is come to Yerushalayim, and hath taken HaMelech thereof, and the sarim thereof, and led them with him to Bavel;

13 And hath taken of the royal zera, and cut a Brit with him, and hath taken an oath of him; he hath also taken away the mighty of ha’aretz;

14 That the mamlachah (kingdom) might be abased, that it might not exalt itself, but that by being shomer over his brit it might stand.

15 But he rebelled against him in sending his malachim into Mitzrayim, that they might give him susim and much people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape that doeth such things? Or shall he break the brit (covenant), and be delivered?