Ezekiel 19:3

3 And she bringeth up one of her whelps, A young lion it hath been, And it learneth to tear prey, man it hath devoured.

Ezekiel 19:3 Meaning and Commentary

Ezekiel 19:3

And she brought up one of her whelps
Or sons, as the Targum: or, "made him to ascend" ^F20, as the word signifies; to mount the throne; this was Jehoahaz, whom the people of the land took and anointed him, and made him king in the stead of Josiah his father, ( 2 Kings 23:30 ) ; it become a young lion;
that is, a king, as the same Targum explains it, and a tyrannical and arbitrary one: and it learned to catch the prey;
being instructed by evil counsellors, he soon learned to oppress his subjects, to get their substance from them, and do many evil things, as he is said to do, ( 2 Kings 23:32 ) ; it devoured men;
or a man, Adam, the people of Israel, so called, ( Ezekiel 34:31 ) ; as the Jews frequently observe; it ate up and destroyed their liberties, privileges, and property.

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 (letw) "et ascendere fecit", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version.

Ezekiel 19:3 In-Context

1 And thou, lift up a lamentation unto princes of Israel,

2 and thou hast said: What [is] thy mother? -- a lioness, Among lions she hath crouched down, In the midst of young lions she hath multiplied her whelps.

3 And she bringeth up one of her whelps, A young lion it hath been, And it learneth to tear prey, man it hath devoured.

4 And hear of it do nations, In their pit it hath been caught, And they bring it in with chains unto the land of Egypt.

5 And she seeth, that stayed -- perished hath her hope, And she taketh one of her whelps, A young lion she hath made it.