Yechezkel 19

1 9 Moreover take thou up a kinah (lament) for the nasi’im of Yisroel,

2 And say, What is immecha, a lioness? She lay down among arayot (lions), rearing her cubs among young lions.

3 And she brought up one of her cubs; it became a strong lion, and it learned to tear teref (prey); it devoured adam.

4 The Goyim also heard of him; he was trapped in their shachat (pit), and they brought him with hooks unto Eretz Mitzrayim.

5 Now when she saw that in vain she had waited, and her tikvah (hope) was lost, then she took another of her cubs, and made him a strong lion.

6 And he went up and down among the arayot (lions), he became a strong lion, and learned to tear the teref, and devoured adam.

7 And he destroyed their strongholds, and he laid waste their towns; and eretz and the fulness thereof became desolate, through the sound of his roaring.

8 Then the Goyim set against him on every side from the medinot (provinces), and spread their reshet (net) over him; he was trapped in their shachat (pit [trap]).

9 And they put him in a neckstock with hooks, and brought him to Melech Bavel; they brought him into metzodot (fortresses), that his voice should no more be heard upon the harim of Yisroel.

10 Immecha is like a gefen (vine) full of shoots, planted by the mayim; she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of mayim rabbim.

11 And she had strong branches that became the shivtei moshlim (scepters of rulers), and her stature towered above the thick branches, and she was seen in her height amid the dense branches.

12 But she was uprooted in chemah (fury), she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her p’ri; her strong branches were broken and withered; the eish consumed them.

13 And now she is planted in the midbar, in a dry and thirsty eretz.

14 And eish is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her p’ri, so that she hath no strong branch to be a shevet (sceptre) to rule. This is a kinah lament, and shall be for a funeral dirge.

Yechezkel 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.