Ezekiel 17

King James Version

Full text for Ezekiel Chapter 17

1¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;

3And 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:

4He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.

5He 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.

6And 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.

7There 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.

8It 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.

9Say 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.

10Yea, 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.

11Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

12Say 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;

13And hath taken of the king's seed, and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him: he hath also taken the mighty of the land:

14That the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, [but] that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.

15But 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?

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.

17Neither 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:

18Seeing 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.

19Therefore 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.

20And 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.

21And 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].

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:

23In 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.

24And 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].

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Ezekiel presents a riddle of two eagles and a vine, symbolizing Judah's political alliances and rebellion. The first eagle, Babylon, establishes King Zedekiah under a covenant, but Zedekiah, the vine, rebels by seeking aid from the second eagle, Egypt. God declares judgment upon Zedekiah for breaking his oath, promising his death in Babylon and the futility of Egyptian help. However, the chapter concludes with God's promise to plant a tender branch from the cedar, signifying a future restoration and the establishment of His righteous kingdom.

Medium Summary

The Lord instructs Ezekiel to deliver a riddle to Israel concerning two great eagles and a vine. The first eagle, representing Babylon, removes the highest branch of a cedar (King Jehoiachin) and plants a seed (Zedekiah) as a low vine, establishing a covenant. This vine, Judah, then turns its roots and branches towards a second great eagle, Egypt, seeking military assistance and thereby breaking the solemn oath made to Babylon. God sternly questions if this rebellious vine will prosper, declaring it will surely wither and face divine judgment. He explicitly interprets the parable, revealing Zedekiah's rebellion against Babylon and the futility of relying on Pharaoh. The Lord vows to bring Zedekiah to Babylon for breaking His covenant, ensuring his death there. Despite this judgment, the chapter concludes with a promise that God Himself will take a tender twig from the high cedar and plant it on a high mountain in Israel, where it will flourish and provide shelter, symbolizing a future, divinely-ordained restoration.

Long Summary

The word of the LORD comes to Ezekiel, commanding him to present a riddle and a parable to the house of Israel. He describes a great eagle with diverse colours and mighty wings, symbolizing the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. This eagle comes to Lebanon, representing Jerusalem, and takes the highest branch of the cedar, signifying King Jehoiachin, carrying him to a land of traffic, Babylon. The eagle then takes a seed of the land, representing Zedekiah, and plants it in a fruitful field by great waters, establishing him as a low, spreading vine. This vine's branches and roots turn towards the first eagle, indicating Zedekiah's initial allegiance and covenant with Babylon. However, another great eagle, symbolizing Pharaoh of Egypt, appears, and the vine rebelliously bends its roots and shoots its branches towards this second eagle, seeking water and aid. The Lord God questions whether this rebellious vine will prosper, prophesying its utter withering and destruction without great power, as the east wind will cause it to perish. The Lord then explicitly interprets the parable for the rebellious house of Israel. He explains that the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took King Jehoiachin and his princes to Babylon, and then took of the king's seed, Zedekiah, making a covenant and an oath with him to ensure the kingdom remained subservient. Yet, Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon by sending ambassadors to Egypt to obtain horses and many people for military support. God declares that Zedekiah will not escape or prosper, for he despised the oath and broke the covenant. The Lord God solemnly swears that Zedekiah will die in Babylon, in the very place of the king who made him king, whose oath he scorned. Pharaoh, with his mighty army, will be powerless to help Zedekiah in the ensuing war. God affirms that He will recompense the broken oath and covenant upon Zedekiah's head, spreading His net to capture him and bring him to Babylon for judgment. All his fugitives will fall by the sword, and the remainder scattered, so that Israel will know the Lord has spoken. Finally, the Lord God proclaims a future hope: He Himself will take a tender twig from the highest branch of the high cedar, a symbol of the Davidic line, and plant it on a high and eminent mountain in Israel. This new planting will become a goodly cedar, bearing boughs and fruit, under whose shadow all fowl of every wing will dwell. This signifies the establishment of a righteous, enduring kingdom under a future ruler, likely a Messianic figure. Through this act, all the trees of the field, representing the nations, will know that the Lord brings down the high and exalts the low, dries up the green and makes the dry flourish, demonstrating His absolute sovereignty and power to fulfill His word.

Core Concepts

  • The Riddle of the Eagles and VineEzekiel is commanded to present a complex parable involving two great eagles, a high cedar, and a low vine, which serves as an allegorical representation of Judah's political history and alliances.
  • Babylonian DominionThe first great eagle symbolizes King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who established his authority over Judah by removing King Jehoiachin and installing Zedekiah under a binding covenant.
  • Covenant Breaking and RebellionZedekiah, represented by the vine, rebels against the solemn oath and covenant made with Babylon by seeking military aid from Egypt, thereby incurring divine wrath for his treachery.
  • Divine JudgmentGod pronounces severe judgment upon Zedekiah for breaking His covenant, declaring that he will die in Babylon, and Egyptian assistance will prove utterly futile against the Lord's decree.
  • Futility of Egyptian AidThe chapter explicitly states that Pharaoh's mighty army will be unable to help Zedekiah, emphasizing that human alliances cannot thwart God's determined judgment against covenant breakers.
  • Future Restoration and Messianic HopeDespite the impending judgment, God promises to take a tender twig from the high cedar and plant it on a high mountain in Israel, symbolizing the future establishment of a righteous, enduring kingdom, often interpreted as a Messianic prophecy.
  • God's SovereigntyThe chapter concludes by affirming God's ultimate power to bring down the mighty and exalt the humble, demonstrating His control over nations and His ability to fulfill His promises of both judgment and restoration.