Ezekiel
Chapter 17
1-2
And the word/'doctrinal communication' {dabar}
of
Jehovah/God came unto me {Ezekiel}, saying, 2
"Son
of man, put forth a riddle,
and
speak a parable unto the house of Israel."
3
"And say, 'Thus said the Lord/'Adonay God/Jehovah . . .
A
great eagle with great wings,
long-winged,
full
of feathers,
which
had divers colours,
came
unto Lebanon,
and
took the highest branch of the cedar.
4
He cropped off the top of his young twigs,
and
carried it into a land of traffic;
he
set it in a city of merchants.
5
He took also of the seed of the land,
and
planted it in a fruitful field;
he
placed it by great waters,
and
set it as a willow tree.
6
And it grew,
and
became a spreading vine of low stature,
whose
branches turned toward him,
and
the roots thereof were under him:
so
it became a vine,
and
brought forth branches,
and
shot forth sprigs.
7
There was also another great eagle
with
great wings and many feathers.
And,
behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him,
and
shot forth her branches toward him,
that
he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.
8
It was planted in a good soil by great waters,
that
it might bring forth branches, a
nd
that it might bear fruit,
that
it might be a goodly vine.
9
Say you,
'Thus
said the Lord/'Adonay God/Jehovah,
'Shall
it prosper?
Shall
He not pull up the roots thereof,
and
cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither?
It
shall wither in all the leaves of her spring,
even
without great power or many people
to
pluck it up by the roots thereof.' 10
Yes,
behold, being planted, shall it prosper?
Shall
it not utterly wither,
when
the east wind touches it?
It shall wither in the furrows where it grew.
{See
Also Jeremiah 27 and Zedekiah's Breaking of His Word}
11~~Moreover
the word/'doctrinal communication' {dabar}
of
Jehovah/God came unto me {Ezekiel}, saying, 12~~
"Say
now to the rebellious house
{Southern Kingdom in revolt},
Do
you not know what these things mean?
Tell
them, Behold, the king of Babylon
{Nebuchadnezzar's first defeat of Jerusalem}
is
come to Jerusalem,
and
has taken the king thereof,
and
the princes thereof,
and
led them with him to Babylon."
13~~"And
has taken of the king's seed,
and
made a covenant with him {King Zedekiah},
and
has taken an oath from him
{leaving Zedekiah in charge in 597 as a vassal of Nebuchadnezzar}.
He has also taken the mighty {strong warriors} of the land."
14~~"
That the kingdom might be base,
that
it might not lift itself up,
but
that by keeping of his covenant it might stand."
{Note: This verse is saying that the Jews of the Southern Kingdom could be stabilized and remain in place as a semi-independent nation had they honored the oath given to Nebuchadnezzar.}
{See
also Isaiah 30:1 and 31:1}
17:15~~But,
in contrast, he {Zedekiah} rebelled
against
him {Nebuchadnezzar}
in
sending his ambassadors into Egypt,
that
they might give him horses and many soldiers.
Shall he prosper?
Shall
he
{anyone who breaks his solemn oath}
escape
who does such things?
Or
shall he break the covenant
{oath
of alliance with Nebuchadnezzar},
and
be delivered?
{Note: 'Do you go down to Egypt for help' means to rely on man for salvation from your troubles. Instead, rely on the Lord!}
16~~"As
I live",
said
the Lord/'Adonay God/Jehovah,
"surely
in the place
where
the king dwells that made him king
{Nebuchadnezzar appointed Zedekiah king in his first conquest of
Jerusalem},
whose
oath he despised,
and
whose covenant he brake
{Zedekiah was NOT a man of his word},
even
with him in the midst of Babylon
he
shall die."
17~~"Neither
shall Pharaoh with his mighty army
and
great company help him in war
{Pharaoh will turn on Zedekiah and Not help him against the
Chaldeans in Nebuchadnezzar's second invasion of Jerusalem},
by
casting up mounts,
and
building forts,
to
cut off many persons."
18~~"Seeing
he {Zedekiah} despised the oath
by
breaking the covenant,
when,
lo, he had given his hand,
and
had done all these things,
he
shall not escape."
19~~Therefore
thus said the Lord/'Adonay God/Jehovah,
"As
I live, surely My oath
{means Nebuchadnezzar was God's man}
that
he has despised,
and
My covenant that he has broken,
even
it will I recompense upon his own head."
{Note: Zedekiah was captured by Nebuchadnezzar and taken to Babylon. His children were killed in front of his eyes and then he was blinded. Later, Zedekiah remembered the doctrine he had been taught and rebounded and grew. When he died, he was given the honorable burial of a king.}
20
And I will spread my net upon him,
and
he shall be taken in My snare,
and
I will bring him to Babylon,
and
will plead with him there for his trespass
that
he has trespassed against Me.
21
And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword,
and
those who remain shall be scattered toward all winds:
and
you shall know that I Jehovah/God have spoken it.
22
Thus said the Lord/'Adonay God/Jehovah;
I
will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar,
and
will set it;
I
will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one,
and
will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent:
23 In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it.
And
it shall bring forth boughs,
and
bear fruit,
and
be a goodly cedar
and
under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing;
in
the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.
24
And all the trees of the field shall know
that
I, Jehovah/God,
have
brought down the high tree,
have
exalted the low tree,
have
dried up the green tree,
and
have made the dry tree to flourish.
I, Jehovah/God, have spoken and have done it.
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