Ezekiel 19
BSB
A Lament for the Princes of Israel
1“As for you, take up a lament for the princes of Israel 2and say:
‘What was your mother?
A lioness among the lions!
She lay down among the young lions;
she reared her cubs.
3She brought up one of her cubs,
and he became a young lion.
After learning to tear his prey,
he devoured men.
4When the nations heard of him,
he was trapped in their pit.
With hooks they led him away
to the land of Egypt.
5When she saw that she had waited in vain,
that her hope was lost,
she took another of her cubs
and made him a young lion.
6He prowled among the lions,
and became a young lion.
After learning to tear his prey,
he devoured men.
7He broke down their strongholds
and devastated their cities.
The land and everything in it
shuddered at the sound of his roaring.
8Then the nations set out against him
from the provinces on every side.
They spread their net over him;
he was trapped in their pit.
9With hooks they caged him
and brought him to the king of Babylon.
They brought him into captivity
so that his roar was heard no longer
on the mountains of Israel.
10Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard,
planted by the water;
it was fruitful and full of branches
because of the abundant waters.
11It had strong branches, fit for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered high above the thick branches,
conspicuous for its height
and for its dense foliage.
12But it was uprooted in fury,
cast down to the ground,
and the east wind dried up its fruit.
Its strong branches were stripped off
and they withered;
the fire consumed them.
13Now it is planted in the wilderness,
in a dry and thirsty land.
14Fire has gone out from its main branch
and devoured its fruit;
on it no strong branch remains
fit for a ruler’s scepter.’
This is a lament and shall be used as a lament.”
Introduction
Ezekiel 19
The scope of this chapter is much the same with that of the 17th, to foretel and lament the ruin of the house of David, the royal family of Judah, in the calamitous exit of the four sons and grandsons of Josiah - Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah, in whom that illustrious line of kings was cut off, which the prophet is here ordered to lament (Eze 19:1). And he does it by similitudes. I. The kingdom of Judah and house of David are here compared to a lioness, and those princes to lions, that were fierce and ravenous, but were hunted down and taken in nets (Eze 19:2-9). II. That kingdom and that house are here compared to a vine, and these princes to branches, which had been strong and flourishing, but were now broken off and burnt (Eze 19:10-14). This ruin of that monarchy was now in the doing, and this lamentation of it was intended to affect the people with it, that they might not flatter themselves with vain hopes of the lengthening out of their tranquility.
Cross-references: Ezek 19:1 · Ezek 19:2 · Ezek 19:10