The Prophet Ezekiel

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- Chapter 17 -

(Matthew 13:24–30)

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

“Son of man, propose an enigma and describe a parable to the house of Israel,

and you shall say: Thus says the Lord God: A large eagle, with great wings and elongated pinions, full of feathers with many colors, came to Lebanon. And he took the kernel of the cedar.(a)

(b)

(c)

He tore off the summit of its branches, and he transported it to the land of Canaan; he placed it in a city of merchants.(d)

And he took from the seed of the land and placed it in the ground for seed, so that it might take firm root above many waters; he placed it at the surface.(e)

And when it had germinated, it increased into a more extensive vine, low in height, with its branches facing toward itself. And its roots were underneath it. And so, it became a vine, and sprouted branches, and produced shoots.(f)

And there was another large eagle, with great wings and many feathers. And behold, this vine seemed to bend its roots towards him, extending its branches toward him, so that he might irrigate it from the garden of its germination.(g)

It had been planted in a good land, above many waters, so that it would produce branches and bear fruit, so that it would become a large vine.

Speak: Thus says the Lord God: What if it does not prosper? Should he not pull up its roots, and strip off its fruit, and dry up all the branches that it has produced, and let it wither, though he is without a strong arm and without many people to pull it up by the root?

Behold, it has been planted. What if it does not prosper? Should it not be dried up when the burning wind touches it, and should it not wither in the garden of its germination?”

The Parable Explained

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

“Say to the provoking house: Do you not know what these things signify? Say: Behold, the king of Babylon arrives in Jerusalem. And he will take away its king and princes, and he will lead them away to himself in Babylon.(h)

And he will take one from the offspring of the king, and he will strike a pact with him and receive an oath from him. Moreover, he will take away the strong ones of the land,

so that it may be a lowly kingdom, and may not lift itself up, and may instead keep his pact and serve it.

But, withdrawing from him, he sent messengers to Egypt, so that it would give him horses and many people. Should he who has done these things prosper and obtain safety? And should he who has broken the pact go free?

As I live, says the Lord God, in the place of the king, who appointed him as king, whose oath he has made void, and whose pact he has broken, under which he was living with him, in the midst of Babylon, he shall die.

And not with a great army, nor with many people will Pharaoh undertake a battle against him, when he will cast up ramparts and build defenses, in order to put to death many souls.

For he has despised an oath, in that he broke the pact. And behold, he had given his hand. And so, since he has done all these things, he shall not escape.(i)

Because of this, thus says the Lord God: As I live, I will place upon his head the oath that he has spurned and the pact that he has betrayed.

And I will spread my net over him, and he will be captured in my dragnet. And I will lead him into Babylon, and I will judge him there for the transgression by which he has despised me.

And all his fugitives, with all his procession, will fall by the sword. Then the remainder will be scattered into every wind. And you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken.”

Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take from the kernel of the exalted cedar, and I will establish it. I will tear off a tender twig from the top of its branches, and I will plant it on a mountain, lofty and exalted.(j)

(k)

On the sublime mountains of Israel, I will plant it. And it shall spring forth in buds and bear fruit, and it shall be a great cedar. And all the birds will live under it, and every bird will make its nest under the shadow of its branches.

And all the trees of the regions will know that I, the Lord, have brought low the sublime tree, and have exalted the lowly tree, and have dried up the green tree, and have caused the dry tree to flourish. I, the Lord, have spoken and acted.”

Footnotes

(a)17:3 A large eagle:Nabuchodonosor, king of Babylon.(Challoner)

(b)17:3 Came to Libanus:That is, to Jerusalem.(Challoner)

(d)17:4 Chanaan:This name, which signifies traffic, is not taken here for Palestine, but for Chaldea: and the city of merchants here mentioned is Babylon.(Challoner)

(e)17:5 Of the seed of the land, etc:Viz., Sedecias, whom he made king.(Challoner)

(f)17:6 Towards him:Nabuchodonosor, to whom Sedecias swore allegiance.(Challoner)

(g)17:7 Another large eagle:Viz., the king of Egypt.(Challoner)

(h)17:12 Shall take away:Or, has taken away, etc., for all this was now done.(Challoner)

(i)17:18 He gave his hand in the sense that he swore an oath. This is comparable to the practice today, of raising one’s right hand in order to swear to something.(Conte)

(j)17:22 Of the marrow of the high cedar, etc:Of the royal stock of David.(Challoner)

(k)17:22 A tender twig:Viz., Jesus Christ, whom God has planted in mount Sion, that is, the high mountain of his church, to which all nations flow.(Challoner)

(Matthew 13:24–30)

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“Son of man, tell a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;

and say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “A great eagle with great wings and long feathers, full of feathers which had various colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.

He cropped off the topmost of its young twigs, and carried it to a land of traffic. He planted it in a city of merchants.

“‘“He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fruitful soil. He placed it beside many waters. He set it as a willow tree.

It grew and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots were under him. So it became a vine, produced branches, and shot out sprigs.

“‘“There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. Behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot out its branches toward him, from the ground where it was planted, that he might water it.

It was planted in a good soil by many waters, that it might produce branches and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a good vine.”’

“Say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Will it prosper? Won’t he pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, that it may wither, that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? It can’t be raised from its roots by a strong arm or many people.

Yes, behold, being planted, will it prosper? Won’t it utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the ground where it grew.”’”

The Parable Explained

Moreover the LORD’s word came to me, saying,

“Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king, and its princes, and brought them to him to Babylon.

He took one of the royal offspring,(a) and made a covenant with him. He also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land,

that the kingdom might be brought low, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand.

But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the covenant, and still escape?

“‘As I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the middle of Babylon he will die.

Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company won’t help him in the war, when they cast up mounds and build forts to cut off many persons.

For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things. He won’t escape.

“Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘As I live, I will surely bring on his own head my oath that he has despised and my covenant that he has broken.

I will spread my net on him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgment with him there for his trespass that he has trespassed against me.

All his fugitives in all his bands will fall by the sword, and those who remain will be scattered toward every wind. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken it.’

“The Lord GOD says: ‘I will also take some of the lofty top of the cedar, and will plant it. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.

I will plant it in the mountain of the height of Israel; and it will produce boughs, and bear fruit, and be a good cedar. Birds of every kind will dwell in the shade of its branches.

All the trees of the field will 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 flourish. “‘I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.’”

Footnotes

(a)17:13 or, seed