Keraia
Ezekiel 19

Ezekiel 19:11

A Lament for the Princes of Israel · Ezekiel 19:1–14
Read Ezekiel 19

Translations

Modern
It had strong branches, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick branches, conspicuous for its height and for its dense foliage.
Traditional
And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
Literal
And there were unto her branches of strength for scepters of rulers, and she towered in height over among the thick branches, and it was seen in its height, in the abundance of its branches.
Latin
Et factæ sunt ei virgæ solidæ in sceptra dominantium, et exaltata est statura ejus inter frondes, et vidit altitudinem suam in multitudine palmitum suorum.

Original

Hebrew
English
It had strong branches, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick branches, conspicuous for its height and for its dense foliage.

Notes

Ezekiel 19:11–12

Judah’s pride led to its fall. The Lord removed the nation in his anger (compare Ezekiel 17:1–10). He then placed Judah in exile. Exile is life away from the land God had given them. It was like being planted in a dry desert.

Ezekiel 19:1–14

  • In the ancient Near East, a funeral song had a special rhythm and style. It usually praised the good qualities of the person who had died. It also compared past glory with the present loss.

    In this chapter, however, the people being mourned were not yet dead. The song does not praise them. Instead, it lists their sins and failures. This funeral song clearly shows that their judgment was certain and explains why it would happen.

  • The lion (Ezekiel 19:2–9) and the vine (19:10–14) were common pictures for Israel’s princes and for the royal family of Judah. These images would have been familiar to the people who first heard this message.

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:

  1. a worthless vine (Ezekiel 15);

  2. a faithless wife (Ezekiel 16);

  3. a vine and two eagles (Ezekiel 17);

  4. Sour grapes (Ezekiel 18);

  5. a lion and her cubs (Ezekiel 19);

  6. a sword (Ezekiel 21);

  7. two corrupt sisters (Ezekiel 23); and

  8. a cooking pot (Ezekiel 24).

Events

Glossary

Ezekiel, Book of Scepter

Topics

Grape: Parables of the Vine Parables of the Vine Symbols and Similitudes: A Vine Vine: Parables of