Ezechiele 19:4 Commento

The scope of this chapter is much the same with that of the 17th, to foretel and lament the ruin of the house of David, the royal family of Judah, in the calamitous exit of the four sons and grandsons of Josiah - Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah, in whom that illustrious line of kings was cut off, which the prophet is here ordered to lament (Eze 19:1). And he does it by similitudes. I. The kingdom of Judah and house of David are here compared to a lioness, and those princes to lions, that were fierce and ravenous, but were hunted down and taken in nets (Eze 19:2-9). II. That kingdom and that house are here compared to a vine, and these princes to branches, which had been strong and flourishing, but were now broken off and burnt (Eze 19:10-14). This ruin of that monarchy was now in the doing, and this lamentation of it was intended to affect the people with it, that they might not flatter themselves with vain hopes of the lengthening out of their tranquility.

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 19 The subject matter of this chapter is a lamentation for the princes and people of the Jews, on account of what had already befallen them, and what was yet to come, Eze 19:1. The mother of the princes is compared to a lioness, and they to lions; who, one after another, were taken and carried captive, Eze 19:2; again, their mother is compared to a vine, and they to branches and rods for sceptres, destroyed by an east wind, and consumed by fire, Eze 19:10.

The nations also heard of him,.... The neighbouring nations, particularly the Egyptians; the fame of his behaviour reached them; they were informed how he used his own subjects, and what designs he had formed, and what preparations he was making against his neighbours; wherefore they thought it proper to oppose his measures in time, and to hinder him from proceeding and putting his projects into execution, by coming out against him, and fighting with him, as they did: he was taken in their pit; alluding to the manner of hunting and taking lions, and such like beasts of prey; which was done by digging pits, and covering the mouths of them with straw, as Jarchi observes, into which in their flight they fell unawares: so Pharaohnecho king of Egypt came out against Jehoahaz, and took him, and put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might reign no more in Jerusalem, after he had been on the throne but three months, Kg2 23:31; and they brought him with chains into the land of Egypt; or, "with hooks" (u); in his nose, as in Isa 37:29; or with a bridle, as the Septuagint; or with branches, as the Syriac version, in his jaws; the Targum renders it in chains, as we do: it is certain that Jehoahaz was put in bonds or fetters, and carried into Egypt, where he died, Kg2 23:33. (u) "in, vel cum hamis", Montanus, Tigurine version, Cocceius, Starckius.

(Chapter 19, verses 1 onwards) And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel, and say: Why did your mother, a lioness, lie down among lions? In the midst of young lions she raised her cubs. And one of her cubs grew up, he became a lion and learned to catch prey and devour men. The nations heard about him and captured him in their own traps, and they brought him with chains to the land of Egypt. When she saw that she had been frustrated and her hope was lost, she took one of her cubs and made him a lion. He who walked among lions, became a lion. He learned to capture prey and devour men. He learned to make widows and turn their cities into deserts, and the land was laid waste, and its fullness, by the roar of his voice. And nations from all provinces gathered against him and spread their nets over him; he was captured in their wounds. And they put him in a cage, they led him in chains to the king of Babylon, and they sent him to prison so that his voice would no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel. LXX: And you shall take up a lamentation for the prince of Israel, and you shall say: What was your mother's lioness? She has grown up among lions and has brought up her cubs among lions. And one of her cubs has come up: he has become a lion, and he has learned to catch the prey. He devours people, and the nations have heard of him. He has been trapped in their pits, and they have brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt. And when she saw that she was taken captive and her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a lion. And he went about among lions. He became a lion, and learned to seize prey. He devoured men, and fed on their audacity. He brought their cities to desolation, and laid waste to the land and its abundance with the sound of his roaring. Nations from all around set traps for him, and spread their nets over him. He was captured in their corruption, and they put him in a cage. He was brought to the king of Babylon in chains, and they brought him into prison, so that his voice would no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel. I know that in this place I have read a multitude of explanations, and hindered by such obscurities, that it has not so much revealed as enveloped the reading, while all the writings refer to opposing strengths, and in heavenly Jerusalem describes lions and battles: how one of them is captured, and another is placed in his stead, and he provides many testimonies: that the devil and his companions are often called lions, as in that passage about the apostle Peter: Our adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8); and in the Psalms: Do not give the soul of your confession to wild beasts (Psalm 73:19). Certainly, when it comes to history, it is said that Johanan, the son of Carea, was taken to Egypt: how he was called a lion while fleeing with a few, I do not know; and the other lion, Zedekiah, who was also taken to Babylon. However, leaving such explanations to the judgment of the reader, let us say that the prophet predicts not so much the future as he narrates the past. For after the sixth year of Zedekiah (for immediately afterwards we read: And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth day) a lamentation is made over the princes, or over the prince of Israel, and it is said: Why has your mother the lioness lain among the lions? Therefore, the lamentation is over the princes, namely all those who are descended from the line of Josiah. The mother of the princes of Jerusalem is called a lioness, who gave birth to and nursed little lions: and she brought up one of her little lions, and made him a lion, signifying Joachaz the son of Josiah, whom Pharaoh Neco took to Egypt, and in his place made Joakim. After his death, Jechoniah his son was made king, and he was carried off to Babylon with his mother and the nobles of the city by Nebuchadnezzar: and from him is born Salathiel, the father of Zerubbabel, who received his name because he was born in Babylon (2 Kings 23). And it is clear that under the metaphor of the lioness, lion cubs, and lion, and again of another lion, those things which had already happened at that time when this prophet was speaking are described. For after he had taken Jerusalem from the royal lineage of Joachaz son of Josiah and made him king, he became so cruel in a short time that he is said to have metaphorically seized prey and devoured men. When an Egyptian came to him, he captured him not without wounds, either in a pit, as is specifically stated in Hebrew, in order to preserve the metaphorical capture of lions, which are always caught in pits. And he brought him in chains or shackles to the land of Egypt, and there he died. When his mother, who had borne him, who had raised him, who had established him as king, saw this, her hope was destroyed. She took one of the other kings, Jechoniah, son of Jehoiakim, and made him king. He, imitating the cruelty of his predecessor, is described as savage like a lion, as he devoured men, made many widows, led cities to ruin; and at the sound of his roar, the whole province was terrified, so that nations gathered around him, spread their nets over him, captured him in a pit, put him in a cage and in chains. Not that Jechoniah experienced this, for he himself surrendered to the king of Babylon and was carried off to Chaldea; but this translation is kept like that of a lion, who is caught in pits, bound in chains, and kept in cages. Furthermore, according to history: we read this about Zedekiah, who was appointed king of Jerusalem after Jehoiachin. And this is the reason why, because chains are mentioned, and a cage, and a prison is named, most people understand it to refer to Zedekiah rather than Jehoiachin. Therefore, he was saved in prison, not killed, and only removed from the kingdom. However, the history tells us that Zedekiah, being blind, was taken to Babylon, and there he was immediately killed.

This chapter contains two beautiful examples of the parabolic kind of writing; the one lamenting the sad catastrophe of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim, Eze 19:1-9, and the other describing the desolation and captivity of the whole people, Eze 19:10-14. In the first parable, the lioness is Jerusalem. The first of the young lions is Jehoahaz, deposed by the king of Egypt; and the second lion is Jehoiakim, whose rebellion drew on himself the vengeance of the king of Babylon. In the second parable the vine is the Jewish nation, which long prospered, its land being fertile, its princes powerful, and its people flourishing; but the judgments of God, in consequence of their guilt, had now destroyed a great part of the people, and doomed the rest to captivity.

The nations also heard of him - The king of Egypt, whose subjects were of divers nations, marched against Jerusalem, took Jehoahaz prisoner, and brought him to Egypt. Thus: - He was taken in their pit - Here is an allusion to those trap-pits digged in forests, into which the wild beasts fall, when the huntsmen, surrounding a given portion of the forest, drive the beasts in; by degrees narrowing the inclosure, till the animals come to the place where the pits are, which, being lightly covered over with branches and turf, are not perceived, and the beasts tread on them and fall in. Jehoahaz reigned only three months before he was dethroned by the king of Egypt, against whom it is apparent some craft was used, here signified by the pit, into which he fell.

ELEGY OVER THE FALL OF DAVID'S HOUSE. (Eze 19:1-14) princes of Israel--that is, Judah, whose "princes" alone were recognized by prophecy; those of the ten tribes were, in respect to the theocracy, usurpers.

The nations--Egypt, in the case of Jehoahaz, who probably provoked Pharaoh by trying to avenge the death of his father by assailing the bordering cities of Egypt (Kg2 23:29-30). in their pit--image from the pitfalls used for catching wild beasts (Jer 22:11-12). chains--or hooks, which were fastened in the noses of wild beasts (see on Eze 19:9).