Ezekiel 17

An eagle takes a cedar tip to merchants where it prospers 1
Seed taken to grow in fertile soil 5
Branches & roots grew toward second eagle 7
The vine will wither 9
King of Babylon takes Judah's king; the latter rebels 11
King will die for breaking treaty; others will die 16
The Lord will take king to Babylon; troops killed and scattered 19
Finally the Lord will plant a cedar tip on a high mountain 22
Text Comments
.1 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
 2  Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;
  2 - Riddle From chidah. Something hard to understand. See the word in ps04904, ps07802.
 
 3  And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:   A great eagle Rather "the great eagle meaning the king of Babylon. See je4840, je4922.
  Lebanon ... cedar See ps10416, but poetically representing Judah. Compare 1ki0702, 1ki1017,21.
.4  He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.   Highest branch Apparently the top or the tree referring to King Jehoiachin who was a captive of Nebuchadnezzar 2ki2412.
  Traffick Here probably "merchandise."
  City of merchants Babylon?
.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.
  5 - Seed of the land That is, Zedekiah whom Nebuchadnezzar had used to replace Jehoiachin who may have favored Egypt.
.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, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.
  7 - Another great eagle This would have been Hophra of Egypt. Zedekiah broke his pledge to Nebuchadnezzar in seeking help from Egypt.
.9  Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; 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  Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.
  10 - East wind See on jb1502.
.11  Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
 12  Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;
 13  And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant [treaty] with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:
  12 - King thereof Jehoiachin 2ki2410ff.
  13 - Covenant Reference is to Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle. Neb. changed the name to Zedekiah 2ki2417. He was the shoot planted in fertile soil v5.
 14  That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.
.15  But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?
  15 - Egypt Zedekiah liked this nation.
.16  As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
 17  Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:
 18  Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.
  16 - He shall die And he did ez1213.
  17 - Make for him Pharaoh was of no help to him.
  18 - Given his hand How could he be helped when he had broken his promise?
.19  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.
 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 hath trespassed against me.
.21  And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it.
  21 - Fall by sword Also ez0512.
.22 ¶ Thus saith the Lord GOD; 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 the LORD 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 the LORD have spoken and have done it.
  22 - Highest branch ... plant it The Lord Himself will intervene. The nation will be restored ez3423f. David (long dead at this time) will be king ez3724f. Many think that the temple will be rebuilt in the nation now called Israel. Ezekiel did not teach this. Christ, the branch, will be king when He comes in glory to take us to heaven re1115. He then assumes the throne and role of David. Israel, will be spiritual Israel made up of all the faithful ga0328f.
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