Keraia
Ezekiel 19

Ezekiel 19:14

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

Translations

Modern
Fire has gone out from its main branch and devoured its fruit; on it no strong branch remains fit for a ruler’s scepter.’ This is a lament and shall be used as a lament.”
Traditional
And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
Literal
And fire has gone out from a staff of her branches; it devoured her fruit, so that there should not be in her a staff of strength, a scepter for ruling.’ This is a lamentation, and it is for lamentation.”
Latin
Et egressus est ignis de virga ramorum ejus, qui fructum ejus comedit: et non fuit in ea virga fortis, sceptrum dominantium. Planctus est, et erit in planctum.

Original

Hebrew
English
Fire has gone out from its main branch and devoured its fruit; on it no strong branch remains fit for a ruler’s scepter.’ This is a lament and shall be used as a lament.”

Notes

Ezekiel 19:13–14

The fire that came from the vine’s own branches probably represents Zedekiah. That fire burned up the fruit. The fruit represents the land and the people.

After this destruction, no strong branch remained. There was no branch able to become a ruler’s scepter (a symbol of kingly authority). Zedekiah would not have an immediate successor.

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