EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries
Ezekiel 17:1-24
Ezekiel: ‘They shall know that I am God’
The *Sin of Judah and the Judgement of God
Ezekiel Chapter s 1 to 24
Ian Mackervoy
Chapter 17
This chapter contains a puzzle and its meaning. Two powerful nations ruled the region about Judah. And these two nations opposed each other. These nations were Egypt and Babylon. The king of Judah had promised to be loyal to the king of Babylon. But the king of Judah did not do as he had promised. So, the king of Babylon would destroy Judah.
- However, the *Lord was also making promises. And the *Lord always performs his promises. In time, he would re-establish *Israel. And his king, the *Messiah, would rule *Israel.
A story about two *eagles – Ezekiel 17:1-24
(1) Two large *eagles – Ezekiel 17:1-10
v1 The *LORD spoke to me. v2 ‘*Son of man, give this puzzle to the nation called *Israel. Tell them this story. v3 Say to them, “This is what the *LORD your King says. There was a large *eagle. It had strong wings with long feathers of many colours. It flew to Lebanon where it grasped the top of a *cedar tree. v4 It pulled off the top branch. It brought the branch to a country of merchants. There he planted it in the city of merchants.
v5 The *eagle also took some seed from the country. He planted the seed in a good field near plenty of water. He planted it like a *willow tree by a stream. v6 It grew and it became a low *vine. It spread over the ground. The branches grew toward the *eagle, and the roots grew deep below him. So, the seed became a *vine. And its branches grew and they sent out leaves.
v7 But there was another large *eagle with strong wings and many feathers. Then the *vine bent its roots toward this *eagle. The *vine also turned its branches toward him. The *vine turned from where the first *eagle had planted it. The *vine turned to the second *eagle so that he might water it. v8 The first *eagle had planted the *vine in a good field by plenty of water. So, it could grow branches and much fruit. It could have become a splendid *vine.”
v9 Say to the nation called *Israel, “The *LORD your King says this. The *vine will not continue to grow. The first *eagle will pull up the *vine's roots. He will cut off its fruit. Then the *vine and all its new leaves will dry up and die. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull up the roots of the *vine. v10 Someone could plant the *vine again but it would not grow. In the place where the first *eagle planted it, the east wind will blow on it. And the *vine will dry up and die.” ’
Verses 1-6 The puzzle is in two parts. It is about two *eagles. The *eagle is a very great and powerful bird. The first part of the puzzle describes an *eagle that was strong. It had feathers of many colours. It flew to the country called Lebanon. It took from there the top branch of a *cedar tree. It took the branch to the country of merchants, which means Babylon. Then the *eagle took some of the seed and planted it in good ground. A *vine grew and spread towards the *eagle.
Verses 7-10 The second part of the puzzle shows a second *eagle. It was a strong *eagle. Its feathers were not so attractive as the first one. But it caused the *vine to turn toward it. This *eagle was Egypt.
The *vine could have produced good fruit. But now it could not do so. The first *eagle will pull up the roots of the *vine and cut off the fruit. The *vine will dry up and die.
(2) The meaning of the story – Ezekiel 17:11-21
v11 The *LORD spoke to me again. v12 ‘Now speak to the people who refuse to obey me. Ask them, “Do you know what these things mean?” Say to them, “The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem. He took the king and the important people from there. He brought them back with him to Babylon. v13 The king of Babylon chose a member of the family of the king of Judah. He made an agreement with him. The king forced this person to promise that he would be loyal to him. The king of Babylon also took all the leaders of Judah to Babylon. v14 He made the *kingdom of Judah weak so that it could not be strong again. The *kingdom of Judah could continue only if it were loyal to the king of Babylon. v15 But the king of Judah was not loyal to the king of Babylon. He sent a message to Egypt. He asked them to send horses and many soldiers. But the king of Judah will not succeed. The one who does such things will not escape. He did not obey the agreement and he will not escape.
v16 I am the *LORD your King, and I live. And this is what I say. The king of Judah will die in Babylon. He will die in the country of the king who made him the king of Judah. The king of Judah did not do as he had promised. He did not obey the agreement with the king of Babylon. v17 The king of Egypt has a large army and many people. But he will not be able help the king of Judah in the war. The army of Babylon will build slopes against the walls of the cities. Then they will attack and kill many people. v18 The king of Judah did not do as he had promised. He did not obey the agreement. He was not loyal to the king of Babylon. Therefore, he will not escape.
v19 Therefore, this is what the *LORD your King says. I am the God who lives. What I say is true. I will punish the king of Judah because he hated my promise. And he did not obey my agreement. v20 It will be as if I am hunting him. I will spread my net over him, and I will catch him in my trap. Then I will bring him to Babylon. There I will punish him because he was not loyal to me. v21 All the people and soldiers who try to escape with him will die by the sword. Those who remain alive will scatter. They will go in all directions. Then you will know that I, the *LORD, have spoken.” ’
Verses 11-14 The first *eagle means Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. The top of a *cedar tree means Jehoiachin, the king of Judah. In the year 597 *BC, Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin to Babylon. King Jehoiachin was 18 years old when he went to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar also took most of the important people to Babylon. Some of these were the *exiles that were with Ezekiel.
Nebuchadnezzar chose Mattaniah, the youngest son of King Josiah, to rule over Judah. He gave Mattaniah the name of Zedekiah. He was an uncle of Jehoiachin. But Zedekiah had to agree to be loyal to Nebuchadnezzar and to serve him.
Zedekiah would have signed the form of the agreement. In it, he would promise in the name of the *Lord to obey it. In other words, Zedekiah agreed to be responsible to the *Lord if he did not obey.
The *kingdom of Judah was weak. It could be strong only if it remained loyal to the king of Babylon.
Verse 15 The second *eagle in the puzzle means the king of Egypt. His name was Hophra. He started to rule in Egypt in the year 588 *BC.
Zedekiah had promised to serve the king of Babylon. But he (Zedekiah) was not loyal to his promise. In the year 588 *BC, he asked the king of Egypt to send soldiers to him. He hoped to fight against Babylon. He wanted to be free from Nebuchadnezzar. But Zedekiah’s plan could not succeed. He would not escape.
Verses 16-21 God would use Nebuchadnezzar to punish Zedekiah and Judah. Nebuchadnezzar had appointed Zedekiah to be king in Judah but now he would kill him. Zedekiah deserved to die because he did not obey his promise.
Zedekiah had promised to be loyal to the king of Babylon. Instead, he *turned to the king of Egypt for help. But the king of Egypt would not help him. Zedekiah would be unable to escape from the king of Babylon. The army of Babylon would surround Jerusalem and attack it.
The agreement was with both Nebuchadnezzar and God. So, God would punish Zedekiah. The army of Judah would fail and many would die. Zedekiah would try to run away but he would not succeed. God would cause the *Babylonians to take Zedekiah to Babylon. He would die there.
Many of the people in Judah would die and many would go into *exile. All of this would happen. Then the *exiles will know that God has spoken.
(3) A future promise – Ezekiel 17:22-24
v22 ‘ “This is what the *LORD your King says. I myself will take a young branch from the top of a *cedar tree and I will plant it. I will cut off a small piece from the young branches at the top of the tree. I will plant this piece on a very high mountain. v23 I will plant it on a high mountain in *Israel. It will grow branches and it will yield fruit. It will become a splendid *cedar tree. Birds of every kind will build nests in it. They will live in the shelter of its branches. v24 All the trees of the field shall know that I am the *LORD. I bring down the high tree and I make the low tree tall. I dry up the healthy tree and I make the dry tree grow. I, the *LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.” ’
Verses 22-24 The *Lord now promises a future for the *Israelites. He will take a young branch from the top of the *cedar tree. He will plant that piece on a high mountain in *Israel. That high mountain is called Mount Zion. (See Isaiah 2:2.)
The *cedar tree means the family of David. Jehoiachin had come from that family. But God will bring another king from the *cedar tree. This is a promise that the *Messiah (Christ) will come as king in *Israel. He is king David’s greater son. (That is, the most important person born from David’s family. See Matthew 1:1).
When the *Messiah is king, the nation called *Israel will be strong. All the nations of the world will respect the king of *Israel. They will come to him and he will rule them all. (See Zechariah 14:16-21).
sin ~ Sin means the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God. People are called sinners because of their sins.
Lord ~ a title for God, to show that he is over all people and things.
LORD ~ ‘LORD’ is the special name that God gave to himself. It probably means ‘always God’. This name has a relationship with the special promises that God gave to his people.
Israel ~ Israel is the nation whose ancestors were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The country in which they live is called Israel. Israel became the name of the northern nation when it separated from Judah. However, Ezekiel sometimes uses the word ‘Israel’ to refer to Judah.
ancestors ~ people in history from whom your family has come.
Messiah ~ The Jews expect a king to come who will save them. That king, called the Messiah, will rule both them and all people.
Jews ~ another name for the Israelites.
Israelites ~ the people whose ancestors are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
ancestors ~ people in history from whom your family has come.
eagle ~ a very large and quick bird.
Lord ~ a title for God, to show that he is over all people and things.
LORD ~ ‘LORD’ is the special name that God gave to himself. It probably means ‘always God’. This name has a relationship with the special promises that God gave to his people.
cedar ~ a kind of tree.
willow ~ a kind of tree.
vine ~ a plant on which grapes grow.
grapes ~ fruit of a vine (a climbing plant). You can make grapes into wine.
kingdom ~ the place or territory where a king rules.
BC ~ years before Christ was born.
exile ~ When people have to live in a foreign country they are in exile. Such a person is called an exile.
turn ~ to change your behaviour, your friends, or your God; or, to carry out actions in order to oppose someone.
Babylonian ~ a person from the nation called Babylon or anything that has a relationship with Babylon.
Israelites ~ the people whose ancestors are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
ancestors ~ people in history from whom your family has come.