Ezekiel 17:9

Translations

Modern

So you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Will it flourish? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it shrivels? All its foliage will wither! It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by its roots.

Traditional

Say thou, Thus saith the Lord God; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.

Literal

Say, thus says the Lord YHWH: ‘Will it prosper? Will he not its roots pull up and strip off its fruit, so it withers—all of the fresh sproutings of its branch wither? And not a great arm or many people to lift it up by its roots.

Latin

Dic: Hæc dicit Dominus Deus: Ergone prosperabitur? nonne radices ejus evellet, et fructus ejus distringet, et siccabit omnes palmites germinis ejus, et arescet, et non in brachio grandi, neque in populo multo, ut evelleret eam radicitus?

Original

Hebrew

English

So you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Will it flourish? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it shrivels? All its foliage will wither! It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by its roots.

Notes

Ezekiel 17:7–9

There was a second great eagle. It was like the first eagle, but it was not as impressive or powerful.
The future of the vine was easy to foresee. In trying to gain more, it would lose what it already had. Its desire for more would bring loss instead of gain.
The second eagle would not help the vine. At the same time, the first eagle would become angry. That anger would be justified because the vine had been unfaithful.

Ezekiel 17:1–24

This chapter includes a riddle. A riddle is a type of metaphorical speech (language that uses pictures and comparisons). It both hides and shows the meaning at the same time.

The chapter is also a fable. A fable is a story that teaches a moral lesson. It often tells the lesson through plants or animals instead of people.

This creative setting creates distance between the story and real life. That distance helps the listener receive the message. It lowers resistance to a message that may be hard or unpleasant to hear.

Ezekiel 15:1–24:14

This section includes eight metaphors, each showing from a different angle the certainty of Jerusalem's upcoming judgment. The images are of:

a worthless vine (Ezekiel 15);
a faithless wife (Ezekiel 16);
a vine and two eagles (Ezekiel 17);
Sour grapes (Ezekiel 18);
a lion and her cubs (Ezekiel 19);
a sword (Ezekiel 21);
two corrupt sisters (Ezekiel 23); and
a cooking pot (Ezekiel 24).

Events

Prophecies of Ezekielc. 593 BC

Related verses

Ezekiel 17:10
Even if it is transplanted, will it flourish? Will it not completely wither when the east wind strikes? It will wither on the bed where it sprouted.’”
Jeremiah 32:5
He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will stay until I attend to him, declares the LORD. If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed.’”
Ezekiel 17:15–17
But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’
Jeremiah 52:7–11
Then the city was breached; and though the Chaldeans had surrounded the city, all the men of war fled the city by night by way of the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden. They headed toward the Arabah,
Isaiah 8:9–10
Huddle together, O peoples, and be shattered; pay attention, all you distant lands; prepare for battle, and be shattered; prepare for battle, and be shattered!
2 Chronicles 13:12
Now behold, God Himself is with us as our head, and His priests with their trumpets sound the battle call against you. O children of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed.”
Jeremiah 37:10
Indeed, if you were to strike down the entire army of the Chaldeans that is fighting against you, and only wounded men remained in their tents, they would still get up and burn this city down.”
Jeremiah 21:4–7
…this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will turn against you the weapons of war in your hands, with which you are fighting the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who besiege you outside the wall, and I will assemble their forces in the center of this city.
Jeremiah 29:4–7
This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Isaiah 30:1–7
“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin.
Numbers 14:41
But Moses said, “Why are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD? This will not succeed!
Jeremiah 24:8–10
But like the bad figs, so bad they cannot be eaten,’ says the LORD, ‘so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem—those remaining in this land and those living in the land of Egypt.

Parallels

Matthew 13:24–30

People

LORD: Names or title used to refer to God

Glossary

Alliance Cedar Ezekiel, Book of Hosea, Book of Riddle Vine, Wild Vine

Topics

Babylon: Revolt of the Jews From, and Their Punishment Illustrated Ezekiel: Teaches by Pantomime: Prophesies by Parable of an Eagle Grape: Parables of the Vine Parables of the Vine Prophets: Frequently Spoke in Parables and Riddles Vine: Parables of

Ezekiel 17:9

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