Study

a Bible passage

Click a verse to see commentary

Select a resource above

19. Lament for Israel's Princes

¹ “Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel ² and say:

   “‘What a lioness was your mother
   among the lions!
She lay down among them
   and reared her cubs.
³ She brought up one of her cubs,
   and he became a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
   and he became a man-eater.
⁴ The nations heard about him,
   and he was trapped in their pit.
They led him with hooks
   to the land of Egypt.

    ⁵ “‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,
   her expectation gone,
she took another of her cubs
   and made him a strong lion.
⁶ He prowled among the lions,
   for he was now a strong lion.
He learned to tear the prey
   and he became a man-eater.
⁷ He broke down Targum (see Septuagint); Hebrew He knew their strongholds
   and devastated their towns.
The land and all who were in it
   were terrified by his roaring.
⁸ Then the nations came against him,
   those from regions round about.
They spread their net for him,
   and he was trapped in their pit.
⁹ With hooks they pulled him into a cage
   and brought him to the king of Babylon.
They put him in prison,
   so his roar was heard no longer
   on the mountains of Israel.

    ¹⁰ “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard Two Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts your blood
   planted by the water;
it was fruitful and full of branches
   because of abundant water.
¹¹ Its branches were strong,
   fit for a ruler’s scepter.
It towered high
   above the thick foliage,
conspicuous for its height
   and for its many branches.
¹² But it was uprooted in fury
   and thrown to the ground.
The east wind made it shrivel,
   it was stripped of its fruit;
its strong branches withered
   and fire consumed them.
¹³ Now it is planted in the desert,
   in a dry and thirsty land.
¹⁴ Fire spread from one of its main Or from under its branches
   and consumed its fruit.
No strong branch is left on it
   fit for a ruler’s scepter.’

“This is a lament and is to be used as a lament.”

He afterwards adds, that the nations had heard, and were taken in their pit-fall. Here Ezekiel states that Jehoahaz was hurled from the royal throne, and taken captive by the Egyptians, not only because God had beheld his cruelty, but because the Gentiles had observed it; and it was notorious among them all. In this way he signifies that the cruelty of King Jehoahaz was intolerable: and he mentions him, since all the neighboring nations had heard of his fame, and had conspired to destroy him; and so he was taken in their pit, and confined by chains, and led away into Egypt. He means, as I said, Jehoahaz, whom King Pharaoh-nechoh took captive. (2 Kings 23; 2 Chronicles 36.) For when he thought that the Egyptians were distracted by foreign wars, he took the opportunity of collecting an army, and endeavored to seize on certain neighboring cities. But Pharaoh, after he was disengaged from other business, entered Judea, and since Jehoahaz was unable to resist, he was taken. We now understand the Prophet’s meaning, namely, when this first calamity and destruction happened to the Jews they were justly chastised, because they were young lions; and a lion had sprung from them whose cruelty was already intolerable to the profane Gentiles: this is the sense of the passage. Now if we consider who was the father of Jehoahaz this will be more detestable. For we know, that if ever any king excelled in piety and every virtue, Josiah was among the number: and from the son being so unlike his father, we perceive his perverse disposition. There can be no doubt that his father desired to instruct him in the fear and worship of God, and to train him to the discharge of the royal office. But if we descend to the whole people, the prodigy will be yet more detestable. For we know with what fervor and zeal Josiah strove to form the morals of the people, so that the kingdom should be entirely renewed. But the people soon declined, so that the Holy Spirit says, their mother was a lioness, and lay down among lions, whence we see their depraved nature. It now follows —