Ezekiel 19
19
Allegory of the Lions#Some commentators identify Jehoahaz and Zedekiah, sons of the same mother, as the “two young lions”; they were deported to Egypt and Babylon respectively. Cf. 2 Kgs 23:31–34; 24:18–20.
1As for you, raise a lamentation over the princes of Israel, 2and say:
What a lioness was your mother,
a lion among lions!
She made her lair among young lions,
to raise her cubs;
3One cub she raised up,
a young lion he became;
He learned to tear apart prey,
he devoured people.#2 Kgs 23:31–34.
4Nations heard about him;
in their pit he was caught;
They took him away with hooks
to the land of Egypt.#A common fate for royal prisoners: e.g., Assurbanipal claims he put a ring in the jaw of a captive king and a dog collar around his neck (cf. v. 9). A wall relief shows Esarhaddon holding two royal captives with ropes tied to rings in their lips. #2 Chr 36:4.
5When she realized she had waited in vain,
she lost hope.
She took another of her cubs,
and made him a young lion.
6He prowled among the lions,
became a young lion;
He learned to tear apart prey,
he devoured people.#2 Kgs 24:9.
7He ravaged their strongholds,
laid waste their cities.
The earth and everything in it were terrified
at the sound of his roar.
8Nations laid out against him
snares all around;
They spread their net for him,
in their pit he was caught.#2 Kgs 24:2–15.
9They put him in fetters and took him away
to the king of Babylon,
So his roar would no longer be heard
on the mountains of Israel.
Allegory of the Vine Branch
10Your mother was like a leafy vine#Vine: Judah. One strong branch: the Davidic king. This allegory describes the deportation of the Davidic dynasty to Babylon and laments the destruction of the house of David. From Ezekiel’s perspective, the arrogance of Judah’s kings leads to this tragedy (vv. 12–14).
planted by water,
Fruitful and full of branches
because of abundant water.
11One strong branch grew
into a royal scepter.
So tall it towered among the clouds,
conspicuous in height,
with dense foliage.#Dn 4:11.
12But she was torn out in fury
and flung to the ground;
The east wind withered her up,
her fruit was plucked away;
Her strongest branch dried up,
fire devoured it.#Hos 13:15.
13Now she is planted in a wilderness,
in a dry, parched land.#cf. Ez 20:35.
14Fire flashed from her branch,
and devoured her shoots;
Now she does not have a strong branch,
a royal scepter!#cf. Ez 20:47.
This is a lamentation and serves as a lamentation.
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Ezekiel 19: NABRE
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Ezekiel 19
19
Lament for the Leaders of Israel
1“And you, raise a lament about#Or “over” the leaders of Israel, 2and you must say,
‘What a lioness was your mother
among the lions.
She lay down in the midst of young lions,
and she reared her lion cubs.
3And she raised up one from her cubs;
he became a fierce lion,
and he learned to tear prey;
he ate#Or “devoured” humans.#Hebrew “human”
4And nations heard about him;
in their pit he was caught,
and they brought him with hooks
to the land of Egypt.
5And she saw#Or “realized” that she was waiting in vain;
her hope was destroyed,
and she took one from her cubs,
and she made him a fierce lion.
6And he walked about in the midst of lions;
he became a fierce lion,
and he learned to tear prey;
he ate#Or “devoured” humans.#Hebrew “human”
7And he knew their widows,#Or “ravished/raped”; or “he ravaged their strongholds”
and he devastated their cities,
and the land was appalled, and everyone in it#Literally “its fullness”
at the sound of his roar.
8And nations set out against him
from the surrounding provinces,#Literally “all around from the provinces”
and they spread their net over him,
and he was caught in their pit.
9And they put him in a collar with hooks,
and they brought him to the king of Babylon;
they brought him into#Hebrew “in” a prison,
so that his voice would not be heard any longer#Literally “longer”
on the mountains of Israel.
10Your mother was like the vine in your vineyard;#Or “in the vineyard”
planted fruitfully#Literally “fruitful” beside water,
and it was full of branches
from many waters.#Or “from waters abundant/many”
11And she produced branches of strength#Literally “they became to her branches/rods of strength”
to#Or “for” scepters of rulers;
its height became tall
between#Or “among” thick foliage,
and it was seen#Or “visible” because of its tallness
among the abundance of its branches.
12But it was uprooted in rage;
it was thrown to the earth,
and the east wind dried up its fruit;
they were stripped off,
and its strong branch dried up;
fire consumed it.
13And now it is planted in the desert,
in a dry and thirsty land.#Literally “a land of dryness and thirst”
14And so fire has gone out from the stem of its branches;
its fruit it has consumed,
and there was not in it a strong branch,#Literally “a branch of strength”
a scepter for ruling.’ ”
This is a lament, and it will be used as a lament.#Literally “she is for a lament”
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