EZK 19

Ezekiel 19:11

WEB

It had strong branches for the scepters of those who ruled. Their stature was exalted among the thick boughs. They were seen in their height with the multitude of their branches.

BSB

It 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.

KJV

And 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.

Matthew Henry

Verses 10–14

Ezekiel 19:10–14

Jerusalem, the mother-city, is here represented by another similitude; she is a vine, and the princes are her branches. This comparison we had before, Eze 15:1. Jerusalem is as a vine; the Jewish nation is so: Like a vine in they blood (Eze 19:10), the blood-royal, like a vine set in blood and watered with blood, which contributes very much to the flourishing and fruitfulness of vines, as if the blood which had been shed had been designed for the fattening and improving of the soil, in such plenty was it shed; and for a time it seemed to have that effect, for she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of the waters, the many waters near which she was planted. Places of great wickedness may prosper for a while; and a vine set in blood may be full of branches. Jerusalem was full of able magistrates, men of sense, men of learning and experience, that were strong rods, branches of this vine of uncommon bulk and strength, or poles for the support of this vine, for such magistrates are. The boughs of this vine had grown to such maturity that they were fit to make white staves of for the sceptres of those that bore rule, Eze 19:11. And those are strong rods that are fit for sceptres, men of strong judgments and strong resolutions that are fit for magistrates. When the royal family of Judah was numerous, and the courts of justice were filled with men of sense and probity, then Jerusalem's stature was exalted among thick branches; when the government is in good able hands a nation is thereby made considerable Then she was not taken for a weak and lowly vine, but she appeared in her height, a distinguished city, with the multitude of her branches. Tanquam lenta solent inter viburna cupressi - Midst humble withies thus the cypress soars. "In thy quietness" (so some read that, Eze 19:10, which we translate in thy blood) "thou wast such a vine as this." When Zedekiah was quiet and easy under the king of Babylon's yoke his kingdom flourished thus. See how slow God is to anger, how he defers his judgments, and waits to be gracious. 2. This vine is now quite destroyed. Nebuchadnezzar, being highly provoked by Zedekiah's treachery, plucked it up in fury (Eze 19:12), ruined the city and kingdom, and cut off all the branches of the royal family that fell in his way. The vine was cut off close to the ground, though not plucked up by the roots. The east wind dried up the fruit that was blasted. The young people fell by the sword, or were carried into captivity. The aspect of it had nothing that was pleasing, the prospect nothing that was promising. Her strong rods were broken and withered; her great men were cut off, judges and magistrates deposed. The vine itself is planted in the wilderness, Eze 19:13. Babylon was as a wilderness to those of the people that were carried captives thither; the land of Judah was as a wilderness to Jerusalem, now that the whole country was ravaged and laid waste by the Chaldean army - a fruitful land turned into barrenness. "It is burnt with fire (Psa 80:16) and that fire has gone out of a rod of her branches (Eze 19:14); the king himself, by rebelling against the king of Babylon, has given occasion to all this mischief. She may thank herself for the fire that consumes her; she has by her wickedness made herself like tinder to the sparks of God's wrath, so that her own branches serve as fuel for her own consumption; in them the fire is kindled which devoured the fruit, the sins of the elder being the judgments which destroy the younger; her fruit is burned with her own branches, so that she has no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule, none to be found now that are fit for the government or dare take this ruin under their hand, as the complaint is (Isa 3:6, Isa 3:7), none of the house of David left that have a right to rule, no wise men, or men of sense, that are able to rule." It goes ill with any state, and is likely to go worse, when it is thus deprived of the blessings of government and has no strong rods for sceptres. Woe unto thee, O land! when thy king is a child, for it is as well to have no rod as not a strong rod. Those strong rods, we have reason to fear, had been instruments of oppression, assistant to the king in catching the prey and devouring men, and now they are destroyed with him. Tyranny is the inlet to anarchy; and, when the rod of government is turned into the serpent of oppression, it is just with God to say, "There shall be no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule; but let men be as are the fishes of the sea, where the greater devour the less." Note, This is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation. The prophet was bidden (Eze 19:1) to take up a lamentation; and, having done so, he leaves it to be made use of by others. "It is a lamentation to us of this age, and, the desolations continuing long, it shall be for a lamentation to those that shall come after us; the child unborn will rue the destruction made of Judah and Jerusalem by the present judgments. They were a great while in coming; the bow was long in the drawing; but now that they have come they will continue, and the sad effects of them will be entailed upon posterity." Note, Those who fill up the measure of their fathers' sins are laying up in store for their children's sorrows and furnishing them with matter for lamentation; and nothing is more so than the overthrow of government.

Cross-references: Ezek 15:1 · Ezek 19:10 · Ezek 19:11 · Ezek 19:12 · Ezek 19:13 · Ps 80:16 · Ezek 19:14 · Isa 3:6 · Isa 3:7 · Ezek 19:1

Hebrew interlinear

לָ֞הּlahprep + suffix · pronominal · 3rd · fem · sing

H1961

הָיָהhâyâh/haw-yaw/

v — exist, be, become, come to pass

Derivation: a primitive root (compare 1933);

to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)

KJV: beacon, × altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, × have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, × use.

הָיָה

vb — fall out

הָיָה 3570 vb. fall out, come to pass, become, be

Qal

I.

1.

a. Fall out, happen

b. occur, take place, come about, come to pass

2. esp. & very oft., come about, come to pass

a.

(1). וַיְהִי and it came to pass that, most often (c. 292 t.)

(2). rarely also Pf. c. וְ conj. וְהָיָה

b. less oft. וְהָיָה Pf. consec. and it shall come to pass, or frequentat. came to pass (repeatedly, etc.)

II. Come into being, become

1.

a. abs., in lively narrative, arise, appear, come

b. sq. prep.

2. become

a. sq. pred. noun (to be viewed as implicit accus.)

b. sq. pred. adj.

c. become like

d. sq. pred. לְ pers.

e. sq. לְ pred.

f. oft. c. לְ pred. לְ pers.

g. with עַל and לְ

h. sts. c. לְ pers. only = became the property of, come into the possession of

III. Be (often with subbordinate idea of becoming)

1. exist, be in existence

2. abide, remain, continue

3. with word of locality, be in or at a place, be situated, stand, lie

4. as copula, joining subj. & pred.

5. periphrastic conjug.

Niph.

1. either be done, be brought about, or occur, come to pass

2. be done, finished, gone

H4294

מַטֶּהmaṭṭeh/mat-teh'/

n-m — branch, extending, tribe, rod, correction, sceptre, lance, staff, support

Derivation: or (feminine) מַטָּה; from 5186;

a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a support of life, e.g. bread)

KJV: rod, staff, tribe.

מַטֶּה

n.m — branch

מַטֶּה 251 n.m.

1. staff, rod, shaft

2. branch

3. tribe

H5797

עֹזʻôz/oze/

n-m — strength, force, security, majesty, praise

Derivation: or (fully) עוֹז; from 5810;

strength in various applications (force, security, majesty, praise)

KJV: boldness, loud, might, power, strength, strong.

עֹז

n.m — strength

עֹז, and (rarely) עוֹז n.m. strength, might

1. material and physical

2. personal, social, and political

3. might of י׳

4. = boldness, impudence

5. = stronghold

H413

אֵלʼêl/ale/

prep — near, with, among, to

Derivation: (but only used in the shortened constructive form אֶל ); a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e.

near, with or among; often in general, to

KJV: about, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, × hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).

אֶל

prep — motion to

אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).

1. of motion to or unto a person or place

2. Where the limit is actually entered, into

3. Of direction towards anything

4. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against

5. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to

6. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of

7. Of rule or standard according to (rare)

8. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion

9. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to

H7626

שֵׁבֶטshêbeṭ/shay'-bet/

n-m — scion, stick, clan

Derivation: from an unused root probably meaning to branch off;

a scion, i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan

KJV: × correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.

שֵׁ֫בֶט

n.m — rod

שֵׁ֫בֶט 189 n.m. 1. rod, staff, club, sceptre. 2. tribe

H4910

מָשַׁלmâshal/maw-shal'/

v — rule

Derivation: a primitive root;

to rule

KJV: (have, make to have) dominion, governor, × indeed, reign, (bear, cause to, have) rule(-ing, -r), have power.

מָשַׁל

vb — rule

מָשַׁל vb. rule, have dominion, reign

Qal

1. human subj., rule, have dominion over

2. of heavenly bodies

3. of God

Hiph. cause to rule; exercise dominion

H1361

גָּבַהּgâbahh/gaw-bah'/

v — soar, be lofty, be haughty

Derivation: a primitive root;

to soar, i.e. be lofty; figuratively, to be haughty

KJV: exalt, be haughty, be (make) high(-er), lift up, mount up, be proud, raise up great height, upward.

גָּבַהּ

vb — be high

גָּבַהּ vb. be high, exalted

Qal

1. be high, lofty, tall

2. be exalted

3. lofty

Hiph. make high, exalt

H6967

קוֹמָהqôwmâh/ko-maw'/

n-f — height

Derivation: from 6965;

height

KJV: × along, height, high, stature, tall.

קוֹמָה

n.f — height

קוֹמָה, קֹמָה 45 n.f. height

H5921

עַלʻal/al/

prep — above, over, upon, against

Derivation: properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following);

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, × as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, × both and, by (reason of), × had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, × with.

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

עַל

subst — above

עַל, עָ֑ל

I. subst. height

II. As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1. Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

a.

(a). of clothing, etc., which any one wears

(b). With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

b. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

c. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

d. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

e. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

f. Of the ground or basis, on which a thing is done

2. It expresses excess

3. It denotes elevation or pre-eminence

4. It expresses addition

5. It expresses the idea of being extended, or suspended over anything, without however being in contact with it, above, over

6. From the sense of inclining or impending over, על comes to denote contiguity or proximity, Engl. by (or sts. on)

7. In connection with verbs of motion (actual or fig.)

8. By writers of the silver age, על is sts. used with the force of a dative

9. With other particles:

III. As conj.

a. עַל אֲשֶׁר because that

b. עַל כִּי similar in meaning, but less frequent

c. עַל alone:

(a). because

(b). notwithstanding that, although

IV. Compounds:

1. with כְּ (rare and late)

a. as concerning, as upon

b. the like of their deeds is the like of (that which) he will repay

2. מֵעַל from upon, from over, from by

H996

בֵּיןbêyn/bane/

prep — between, either, or

Derivation: (sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly, the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from 995; a distinction; but used only as a preposition,

between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...or

KJV: among, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), + from (the widest), × in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.

בַּ֫יִן

subst — interval

בַּ֫יִן subst. prop. interval, space between

1. always (exc. dual) as prep. in the interval of, between

2. Dual בֵּנַ֫יִם space between two armies

H5688

עֲבֹתʻăbôth/ab-oth'/

n — intwined, string, wreath, foliage

Derivation: or עֲבוֹת; or (feminine) עֲבֹתָה; the same as 5687;

something intwined, i.e. a string, wreath or foliage

KJV: band, cord, rope, thick bough (branch), wreathen (chain).

עֲבֹת

n.m — twisted

עֲבֹת n.m. et f. (twisted) cord, rope; cordage; interwoven foliage (?)

H7200

רָאָהrâʼâh/raw-aw'/

v — see

Derivation: a primitive root;

to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)

KJV: advise self, appear, approve, behold, × certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, × indeed, × joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, × be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), × sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, × surely, × think, view, visions.

רָאָה

vb — see

רָאָה 1315 vb. see

Qal 1141

1.

a. see, subj.

b. see, c. acc. rei

2. see, sq. acc. cl. or phr. of closer design

3. see, so as to learn to know

4. abs. see, have (power of) vision

5. see = perceive

6. look at, see, by direct volition

7. of mental observation

8.

a. c. ב, lit., look into, hence look at with interest

b. see, c. acc. rei

Niph.

1. appear

2. be seen

3. be visible

Pu. appar. his bones are not detected

Hithp. recipr. look at each other

Hiph.

1.

a. cause one to see something, shew

b. cause to experience something

2. cause to look intently at, to behold

Hoph.

1. be caused to see, be shewn

2. be exhibited to

H1363

גֹּבַהּgôbahh/go'-bah/

n-m — elation, grandeur, arrogance

Derivation: from 1361;

elation, grandeur, arrogance

KJV: excellency, haughty, height, high, loftiness, pride.

גֹּ֫בַהּ

n.m — height

גֹּ֫בַהּ n.m. height

1. height, of buildings and trees

2. exaltation, grandeur

3. haughtiness

H7230

רֹבrôb/robe/

n-m — abundance

Derivation: from 7231;

abundance (in any respect)

KJV: abundance(-antly), all, × common (sort), excellent, great(-ly, -ness, number), huge, be increased, long, many, more in number, most, much, multitude, plenty(-ifully), × very (age).

רֹב

n.m — multitude

רֹב 151 n.m. multitude, abundance, greatness

H1808

דָּלִיָּהdâlîyâh/daw-lee-yaw'/

n-f — dangling, bough

Derivation: from 1802;

something dangling, i.e. a bough

KJV: branch.

דָּלִיּוֹת

n.f — branch

[דָּלִיּוֹת] pl. of [דָּלִית] n.f. branch, bough

Bible49 app

Get translation compare, commentary, and interlinear study — offline, on iPhone and Mac.

See Bible49