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EZEKIEL 17

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: EZEKIEL 17:1-6
 ¹Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, ²"Son of man, propound a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel, ³saying, 'Thus says the Lord God, "A great eagle with great wings, long pinions and a full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar. ⁴He plucked off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders. ⁵He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters; he set it like a willow. ⁶Then it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and yielded shoots and sent out branches."

17:2 This verse has two parallel IMPERATIVES.

1. "propound a riddle," BDB 295, KB 309, Qal IMPERATIVE, cf. Jdg. 14:12-19
2. "speak a parable," BDB 605 II, KB 648 I, Qal IMPERATIVE, cf. Ezek. 12:23; 16:44; 17:2; 18:2; 20:49; 24:3

The term "riddle" (BDB 295, note the relation of the VERB, BDB 295, and NOUN, BDB 295) means a statement that needs to have some information hinted at or supplied to be understood (cf. Prov. 1:6).

The term "parable" (BDB 605 II, note the relation of the VERB, BDB 605 II, and NOUN, BDB 605 II) implies a brief poetic structure, possibly a proverb which uses comparison as a way to illustrate truth. Ezekiel often used well known cultural proverbs.

Ezekiel has been using highly figurative language to convince the exiles of the just and sure judgment of Jerusalem.

17:3 "a great eagle" The imaginary bird (eagle or vulture, a large bird of prey) is described as

1. "great," BDB 152
2. "great wings," BDB 152 CONSTRUCT BDB 489
3. "long pinions," BDB 74 CONSTRUCT BDB 7
4. "rich in plumage," BDB 570 CONSTRUCT BDB 663
5. "of many colors," BDB 955

This is a description of the large mercenary and conscripted army of Neo-Babylon who captured Jerusalem in 605, 597, 586, 582 B.C. In this context it is the 597 B.C. exile (i.e., "took the top of the cedar") in which Ezekiel and thousands of other craftsmen and leaders were taken to Babylon (cf. Ezek. 17:12-13; 2 Kgs. 24:24,15).

▣ "Lebanon" This is imagery referring to Judah. Possibly it is used because the parable will involve tall cedars and Lebanon was famous for hers (cf. Ezek. 31:3).

▣ "top" This term (BDB 856) is found only in Ezekiel (i.e., Ezek. 17:3,22; 31:3,10,14). Its etymology is unknown. The meaning is derived from the context.

17:4 The destination of the Judean society is described as

1. "to a land of trade," BDB 488 II
2. "a city of traders," BDB 746, and BDB 940, KB 1237, Qal PARTICIPLE

Back in Ezek. 12:13 Chaldea is the destination of the exiles (cf. Ezek. 1:3). The term Chaldea (BDB 505) may be related to the term Canaanite (BDB 489, "merchants" in Ezek. 16:29, where they appear together).

SPECIAL TOPIC: CHALDEANS

17:5 This is a description of the relatively easy treatment of the first exiles. They were settled by a canal and given limited autonomy.

17:5 "land" The MT has "the seed of the land." But the JPSOA, in a footnote, suggests an emendation to "cedar."

1. land, ארץ (BDB 75)
2. cedar, ארז

Both make sense in this context and refer to a community of transplanted Judean captives.

The problem is the Hebrew CONSONANTS (word), קח (BDB 881 brief note), which does not exist. Therefore, most translations supply the VERB "place" or "set" (BDB 542, KB 534, Qal IMPERFECT with waw, לקח).

This term (BDB 861) is found only here in the OT. It seems to be of onomatopoeic origin from the Arabic term for "rustling." Context implies an easily germinating tree twig (cf. Ezek. 17:22).

17:6 This verse describes the low growth of the remaining Judeans in Judea. They were still in the Promised Land, but were very weak as a vassal nation (cf. Ezek. 17:13-14).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: EZEKIEL 17:7-10
 ⁷"But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was planted, that he might water it. ⁸It was planted in good soil beside abundant waters, that it might yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine." ⁹Say, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withers—so that all its sprouting leaves wither? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again. ¹⁰Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it — wither on the beds where it grew?"'"

17:7 "another eagle" The first eagle referred to Nebuchadnezzar II. This refers to Egypt (cf. Ezek. 17:15). Judah looked to Egypt for military aid and protection (i.e., Jeremiah 37).

The MT has "one" but the LXX has "another." This is another example of Hebrew CONSONANTS "R" and "D" being confused.

1. "one" ‒ אחד (MT)
2. "another" ‒ אחר (LXX, JPSOA, Peshitta)

The UBS Text Project, p. 49, mentions that this same confusion occurs in Ezek. 11:19; 19:5; 34:23; 37:16.

17:8 There is a series of Qal INFINITIVE CONSTRUCTS. They describe in this verse (1) how Zedekiah believed that an alliance with Egypt would help Judah or (2) a repeat of Ezek. 17:5, illustrating that there was no need for Zedekiah to rebel and seek help from Egypt

1. that it might yield branches
2. that it might bear fruit
3. that it might become a splendid vine

17:9-10 These are parallel and describe Judah's attempt to seek help from Egypt, but YHWH will not allow it.

17:9 "leaves" This term (BDB 383) normally refers to the prey of a lion, killed and torn apart (cf. Ezek. 19:3,6; 22:25,27). Only here does it refer to plucked leaves (although the same CONSONANTS with different VOWELS refer to plucked olive leaves in Gen. 8:11).

17:10 "completely wither" This is an emphatic grammatical construction that uses the INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and the IMPERFECT VERB of the same root (BDB 386, KB 384) together. The VERB is used twice in Ezek. 17:9 and twice in Ezek. 17:10.

▣ "the east wind" This CONSTRUCT (BDB 924 and BDB 870) is used as an active representation of God's power (ruah) to accomplish His purposes. The east wind is associated with judgments and the west wind with blessings.

1. the Lord directed an east wind. . .brought the locusts, Exod. 13:10
2. the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind, Exod. 14:21; 15:10
3. with the east wind, Thou does break the ships of Tarshish, Ps. 48:7
4. like an east wind I will scatter them (Israel) before the enemy, Jer. 18:17
5. completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it (Judah), Ezek. 17:10
6. the east wind dried up its (Israel) fruit, Ezek. 19:12
7. the east wind has broken you (Tyre), Ezek. 27:26
8. an east wind will come. . .his (Israel) spring will be dried up, Hosea 13:15
9. God appointed a scorching east wind, Jonah 4:8
10. an east wind is implied in Job 1:19 and Jer. 4:11

The west wind is mentioned once in Exod. 10:19 and implied in Num. 11:31. Rain would come from a northwesterly direction.

SPECIAL TOPIC: BREATH, WIND, SPIRIT

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: EZEKIEL 17:11-21
 ¹¹Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ¹²"Say now to the rebellious house, 'Do you not know what these things mean?' Say, 'Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and princes and brought them to him in Babylon. ¹³He took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land, ¹⁴that the kingdom might be in subjection, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant that it might continue. ¹⁵But he rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape? ¹⁶As I live,' declares the Lord God, 'Surely in the country of the king who put him on the throne, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, in Babylon he shall die. ¹⁷Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in the war, when they cast up ramps and build siege walls to cut off many lives. ¹⁸Now he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he pledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.'" ¹⁹Therefore, thus says the Lord God, "As I live, surely My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke, I will inflict on his head. ²⁰I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare. Then I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there regarding the unfaithful act which he has committed against Me. ²¹All the choice men in all his troops will fall by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to every wind; and you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken."

17:11-21 This is the interpretation of the imagery of Ezek. 17:1-10 about the two great eagles.

17:11-12 "saying, Say. . ." This is a Qal IMPERATIVE (BDB 55, KB 65), repeated for emphasis. YHWH is speaking to Judah through His prophet.

17:12 "the rebellious house" This is a characteristic phrase of Ezekiel referring to Judah (cf. Ezek. 2:5,6,8; 3:9,26,27; 12:2 [twice],3,9,25; 17:12; 24:3). Moses first called Israel rebellious (BDB 598) in Deut. 9:7; 31:27.

SPECIAL TOPIC: STUBBORNNESS (OT)

▣ "the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and princes, and brought them to him in Babylon" This exile is recorded in 2 Kings 24. The date would be 597 B.C.

SPECIAL TOPIC: KINGS OF NEO-BABYLON

17:13 The new Babylonian puppet king was Jehoiachin's uncle, Mattaniah, whose name was changed to Zedekiah (cf. 2 Kgs. 24:17; 2 Chr. 36:10).

17:14 Nebuchadnezzar II was hoping that the partial deportation would teach Judah a lesson and keep them a vassal nation (i.e., paying tribute, cf. Jeremiah 27), but it did not work (cf. Ezek. 17:16).

17:15 "But he rebelled" See 2 Kgs. 24:20, where Zedekiah, King of Judah, rebelled

1. against the prophecy of Jeremiah (cf. Jeremiah 27 and 37)
2. by breaking his pledge to Nebuchadnezzar II, which he had taken in YHWH's name (cf. Ezek. 17:18; 2 Chr. 36:13)

17:16 "in Babylon he shall die" See Jeremiah 52:11.

The imagery for giving an oath (BDB 46) was "he gave his hand" (BDB 678, KB 733, Qal PERFECT). The giving of one's hand denoted

1. friendship, 2 Kgs. 10:15
2. pledge/oath, 1 Chr. 29:24; 2 Chr. 30:8; Ezra 10:19; Lam. 5:6; Ezek. 17:18
3. allowing one to do something, Exod. 10:25
4. giving power to, 2 Sam. 16:8
5. entrusting to, 2 Chr. 34:16
6. giving authority to, Gen. 39:4,8,22

SPECIAL TOPIC: HAND

17:19 This verse relates to Zedekiah's oath to Nebuchandezzar II (cf. Ezek. 17:13,14). It was made in YHWH's name.

1. "As I live" ‒ This is a wordplay on the covenant name for Judah's God, YHWH, cf. Num. 14:21,28; Isa. 45:23; 49:18
2. "My oath" ‒ BDB 46, cf. Deut. 29:14. This refers to YHWH's covenant promises which, when violated, become "a curse," cf. Deut. 29:19
3. "which he despised"
   1. Judah, 16:59
   2. Zedekiah, 17:16,18,19
4. My covenant

SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D.

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT PROMISES TO THE PATRIARCHS

17:20 This is mentioned earlier in Ezek. 12:13 and is documented in 2 Kgs. 25:7; Jer. 39:7; 52:11.

The MT has "his fugitives (BDB 138), which is found only here in the OT. It is related to the VERB "flee" (BDB 137, KB 156). The UBS Text Project, p. 50, mentions "his places" of refuge" (Qere), but gives it a "C" rating (considerable doubt).

The UBS Text Project suggests another root (BDB 103), "chosen."

1. םברחיו (Qere) ‒ "his places of refuge"
2.  םבחריו ‒ "his chosen troops"

This verse may refer to Zedekiah and his bodyguard trying to escape Jerusalem, but were captured. The king was blinded and exiled, his men killed. If this is true, then both options above fit the context.

▣ "the survivors will be scattered to every wind" See note at Ezek. 5:10.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: EZEKIEL 17:22-24
 ²²Thus says the Lord God, "I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. ²³On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches. ²⁴All the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will perform it."

17:22-23 Again, at the end of a judgment oracle there is hope for a future for YHWH's covenant people (cf. Ezek. 16:60-63).

17:22 "young twigs a tender one" The imagery of a newly planted twig begins in vv. 1-6, referring to Judah in exile. However, here the inagery is repeated of a future national hope in Canaan. This hope is a returning Davidic seed.

The concept of a "shoot," "stem," or "branch" (cf. Isa. 11:1) becomes a Messianic symbol of the restoration of the Davidic seed (cf. 2 Samuel 9; Psalm 89). The Branch (cf. Isa. 4:2; 11:1; 53:2; Jer. 23:5; 33:15; Zech. 3:8; 6:12; Acts 13:23; Rom. 15:12) becomes the hope of all mankind for God to fulfill His promises to Israel and to the nations! Remember Gen. 3:15 is a promise to humanity made in YHWH's image, not Israel!

SPECIAL TOPIC: JESUS THE NAZARENE

SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN

SPECIAL TOPIC: WHY DO OT COVENANT PROMISES SEEM SO DIFFERENT FROM NT COVENANT PROMISES?

▣ "on a high and lofty mountain" This refers to the supremacy of God's universal rule (cf. Micah 5:5) through His people (cf. Isa. 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-4).

17:23 "birds of every kind" This is a universal element, as is "all the trees of the field" in Ezek. 17:24. Isaiah captures this same planting imagery that reaches all the world in Isa. 27:6. YHWH has an eternal redemptive plan for all the sons and daughters of Adam, not just Jacob's children!

17:24 YHWH describes His control of His creation in a series of plant imagery.

1. I bring down the high tree
2. I exalt the low tree (i.e., here)
3. I dry up the green tree
4. I make the dry tree flourish

Examples of #1,3 would be Egypt in Ezekiel 31 and Babylon in Daniel 4. An example of #2,4 would be the promises to restore Israel/Judah (Ezek. 16:60-63; 17:24). In the NT the mustard seed and resulting large bush become the symbol of a universal tree (cf. Matt. 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18-19. Also note Dan. 4:12,21), which is the kingdom of our God and His Christ!

The final statement, "I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will perform it," is a key theological statement (i.e., Isa. 55:9-11). Humans can depend on God's word, both His judgments and His promises! He is the creator and controller of all life! History/time are in His hands (cf. Ezek. 12:25,28; 22:14; Isa. 14:24; 55:11)!

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