Ezekiel 19
19
A Song of Sorrow
1“Now Ezekiel, sing this funeral song to mourn the rulers # 19:1 Or “princes,” the term Ezekiel uses throughout his book for kings. of Israel, 2saying,
“ ‘What a lioness was your mother among lions! # 19:2 Or “What is your mother? A lioness!” The “lioness” is a metaphor for the royal lineage of King David (see Gen. 49:9). The “mother” likely represents Israel; however, some see the mother as Hamutal, the wife of Josiah and mother of Jehoahaz and Zedekiah. In Ezek. 19:2–9, there are four different Hebrew words used for the lions (words for “lioness,” “lions,” “young lions,” and “cubs”).
She lay down among the young lions
and reared her cubs.
3One of the cubs she raised
grew into a young and powerful man-eating lion # 19:3 This ferocious lion is King Jehoahaz, who was only twenty-three when he ascended to the throne.
who learned to hunt and devour his prey.
4The nations heard about him,
and they trapped him in their pit.
With hooks they dragged him off to Egypt. # 19:4 Jehoahaz was deposed and taken captive to Egypt in 609 BC. See 2 Kings 23:31–34.
5When she realized that he was not coming back,
she despaired and her hopes were dashed.
She chose another of her cubs to take his place
and made a powerful lion of him too. # 19:5 Modern Christian commentators see here a reference to King Jehoiachin while Jewish scholars believe it is King Jehoiakim.
6He prowled among the pride
and grew into a powerful man-eating lion,
who learned to hunt and devour his prey.
7He demolished their strongholds # 19:7 As translated from ancient versions, Theodotion, and the Targum. The Hebrew is “He knew [had sex with] their widows,” which was the custom of kings in the ancient world when they had defeated a rival. Similarly, when a new lion becomes the dominant male of the pride, he mates with all the females to establish his status. Thus, this clause suggests that the mother’s second son became Judah’s king.
and destroyed their cities.
Whenever the lion released his roar,
the land and all the people were terrified!
8The nations marched out against him
from all around.
They threw their net over him,
and he was trapped in their pit.
9With their hooks they captured him, # 19:9 Or “put him in a cage.”
led him with bands around his neck to the king of Babylon.
They threw him into a dungeon
so that his roar could never be heard again
on the mountains of Israel. # 19:9 See 2 Kings 24:8–17.
10“ ‘Your mother was like a grapevine
planted beside a stream,
with luscious fruit and full of branches,
because the water flowed so abundantly. # 19:10 In vv. 10–14 the parable changes to a different metaphor but with the same theme. Here Israel is the fruitful vine, and her sons are the branches.
11She grew strong branches, and some grew very high,
which became royal scepters.
The vine grew higher and higher,
up into the clouds.
Everyone could see her towering height
and the vast number of her branches.
12But disaster struck the vine.
Angry, mighty hands pulled it up by its roots # 19:12 That is, the hands of God came against Israel in judgment and devastated the nation.
and threw it to the ground.
The hot east wind dried it up,
and her fruit shriveled and fell to the ground. # 19:12 Literally “[her fruit] was broken in pieces.”
Her strong stem # 19:12 Her “strong stem” is likely a reference to King Zedekiah. was withered
and was consumed by the fire.
13Now what remains of her has been transplanted to the desert,
to a dry and thirsty land. # 19:13 That is, Israel was “transplanted” into captivity in Babylon.
14Fire spread from her stem
and devoured its fruit.
There is not a strong branch left
that could become a scepter for a king.’ ”
This is a funeral song of lament, and it should be used as such.
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Ezekiel 19: TPT
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