Ezekiel 19

King James Version

Full text for Ezekiel Chapter 19

1¶ Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

2And say, What [is] thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.

3And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.

4The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.

5Now when she saw that she had waited, [and] her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, [and] made him a young lion.

6And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, [and] devoured men.

7And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.

8Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.

9And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

10¶ Thy mother [is] like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.

11And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.

12But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.

13And now she [is] planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.

14And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, [which] hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod [to be] a sceptre to rule. This [is] a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Ezekiel is commanded to lament the princes of Israel, using two parables. First, the nation is likened to a lioness whose two fierce whelps, representing kings, were captured by foreign powers after preying on others. Second, Israel is depicted as a once-fruitful vine with strong rulers, now plucked up, withered, and consumed by fire, leaving no royal authority. This lamentation foretells the complete downfall of Israel's monarchy and its desolation.

Medium Summary

The prophet Ezekiel is instructed to utter a lamentation concerning the princes of Israel, employing two distinct parables to illustrate their fate and the nation's decline. First, Israel is portrayed as a lioness who raised two whelps, each becoming a fierce young lion that devoured men and laid waste to lands. The first whelp was captured and taken to Egypt, while the second, equally destructive, was ensnared by nations and brought in chains to Babylon, silencing its roar from Israel's mountains. Secondly, the nation is likened to a prosperous vine, well-watered and bearing strong rods suitable for sceptres, symbolizing its powerful rulers. However, this vine was violently uprooted, cast to the ground, and its fruit and strong rods withered and consumed by fire. It is now replanted in a desolate wilderness, with internal strife or judgment further destroying its remaining strength, leaving no sceptre to rule. This entire chapter serves as a sorrowful prophecy of the end of Israel's royal line and its national devastation.

Long Summary

Ezekiel is commanded by the Lord to take up a solemn lamentation for the princes of Israel, signifying a profound period of national mourning and judgment. The prophecy unfolds through two vivid allegories. The first depicts Israel's royal lineage as a formidable lioness, which nurtured two of her whelps into powerful young lions. The first whelp, after learning to hunt and devour men, was captured by foreign nations and led away in chains to the land of Egypt, symbolizing the exile of an Israelite king. Subsequently, the lioness raised another whelp, who also grew to be a destructive young lion, laying waste to cities and causing desolation with its roaring. This second prince, too, was encircled by nations, caught in their net, and brought in chains to the king of Babylon, ensuring that his voice of authority would no longer be heard in Israel. This dual narrative powerfully illustrates the successive downfalls and exiles of Israel's kings. The second allegory shifts to portray Israel as a flourishing vine, planted by abundant waters, which grew fruitful and full of branches. This vine possessed strong rods, fit to be sceptres for those who ruled, symbolizing the nation's robust monarchy. Yet, in divine fury, this once-exalted vine was violently plucked up, cast to the ground, and its fruit withered by the scorching east wind. Its strong rods, representing the rulers, were broken and consumed by fire, signifying the destruction of the royal house. The lament concludes by stating that the vine is now replanted in a barren wilderness, a dry and thirsty land. Furthermore, fire emerges from one of its own branches, consuming its fruit, leaving no strong rod to serve as a sceptre. This final image underscores the complete and irreversible loss of Israel's independent sovereignty and the utter desolation of its royal line, affirming that this entire prophecy is indeed a lamentation, and shall forever remain so.

Core Concepts

  • Lamentation for PrincesThe chapter opens with a command to utter a sorrowful song or dirge specifically for the princes of Israel, foreshadowing their downfall and the nation's desolation.
  • Lioness and Whelps AllegoryIsrael is personified as a powerful lioness who raises two fierce whelps, symbolizing two successive kings of Israel who became predatory rulers but were ultimately captured by foreign powers.
  • Exile to EgyptThe first young lion, after becoming a menace, was caught by nations and brought in chains to Egypt, illustrating the historical capture and exile of an Israelite king by Pharaoh.
  • Exile to BabylonThe second destructive young lion was similarly ensnared by nations and taken to the king of Babylon, signifying the subsequent capture and deportation of another Israelite monarch.
  • Vine AllegoryIsrael is also likened to a once-fruitful vine, well-watered and bearing strong branches suitable for sceptres, which symbolizes its former prosperity and royal authority.
  • Loss of SovereigntyThe once-mighty vine is plucked up, withered, and its strong rods broken, signifying the complete destruction of Israel's monarchy and its independent rule, leaving no one to wield a sceptre.
  • Desolation and BarrennessThe vine is replanted in a dry wilderness, and fire consumes its remaining strength, illustrating the utter desolation, barrenness, and internal decay that befalls the land and its people.