The Parable of the Two Eagles: Zedekiah's Folly
Ezekiel 17:1-24
Eze.17.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
Parallels
- Jeremiah 1:4 (verbal): Uses the same prophetic formula 'The word of the LORD came to me, saying'—standard call/commission introduction.
- Ezekiel 1:3 (verbal): Another opening in Ezekiel: 'The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel…'—same verbal/structural prophetic framing within the book.
- Hosea 1:1 (verbal): Begins with 'The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea…'—parallel introductory formula for a prophetic oracle.
- Zechariah 1:1 (verbal): 'The word of the LORD came unto Zechariah…'—similar chronological/introductory clause announcing a prophetic message.
- Amos 3:1 (thematic): 'Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you…'—thematic parallel as an opening injunction introducing a prophetic address to Israel.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
- And the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Eze.17.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חוד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חידה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ומשל: CONJ+PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- משל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezekiel 23:1-4 (structural): Same prophetic formula: 'Son of man' introduces an extended allegory/parable about two sisters (Israel and Samaria). Shares genre and didactic use of symbolic story to address the house of Israel.
- Judges 14:12 (verbal): Uses the Hebrew word חִידָה (hiddah, 'riddle') for a poetic riddle (Samson's riddle). Parallels Ezek.17:2's pairing of a 'riddle' (חידה) with a symbolic saying, showing the term's broader literary use.
- Psalm 78:2 (thematic): 'I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old.' Closely parallels the language and function — speaking parables/riddles to teach Israel through allegory and cryptic sayings.
- Matthew 13:34-35 (allusion): Matthew links Jesus' use of parables to the Hebrew prophetic/psalm tradition (quoting Psalm 78:2). Illustrates continuity of addressing God's people through parable/riddle as a prophetic mode.
Alternative generated candidates
- Son of man, set a riddle and tell a parable to the house of Israel.
- Son of man, set a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel.
Eze.17.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואמרת: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- הנשר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הגדול: ADJ,m,sg,def
- גדול: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- הכנפים: NOUN,f,pl,def
- ארך: ADJ,m,sg
- האבר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- מלא: ADJ,m,sg
- הנוצה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- הרקמה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- בא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אל: NEG
- הלבנון: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויקח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- צמרת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- הארז: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Ezekiel 17:7 (verbal): Same riddle-parable continued: repeats the image of the great eagle coming to Lebanon and taking the top of the cedar—direct verbal parallel and immediate exegesis of v.3.
- Ezekiel 31:3-9 (thematic): Extended cedar-of-Lebanon imagery portraying a great tree/kingdom (Assyria); parallels the use of the cedar as a symbol of political/military greatness later seized or felled by foreign power.
- Deuteronomy 32:11 (allusion): Uses the image of an eagle spreading its wings over its young; Ezekiel’s eagle evokes the same motif but inverted—here the eagle is a predatory power that seizes the cedar’s crown rather than a protective bearer.
- Daniel 4:20-22 (thematic): Tree-as-king motif: Nebuchadnezzar’s greatness is likened to a lofty tree whose top (crown) is cut down—parallels the cedar-top imagery as symbol of royal removal or humiliation.
Alternative generated candidates
- And say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: A great eagle, greatest of wings and many of plumage, long of pinion and full of feathers, with beautiful plumage, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
- And say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A great eagle, great of wing, long-winged and full of plumage, whose pinions were beautiful, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
Eze.17.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- את: PRT,acc
- ראש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יניקותיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs,poss:3ms
- קטף: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ויביאהו: VERB,hiphil,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg+PRON,3,m
- אל: NEG
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כנען: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בעיר: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- רכלים: NOUN,prop,pl,abs
- שמו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Ezekiel 17:5 (verbal): Immediate continuation of the same riddle: the plucking of the top shoot and its removal are narrated in parallel language within the chapter.
- Ezekiel 17:8 (verbal): Restates the image of the transplanted shoot set 'in a city of merchants,' reiterating the motif of relocation and vulnerability.
- Psalm 80:8-9 (thematic): Uses the image of a vine/plant brought out and planted in a new land—similar transplant imagery emphasizing dependence on where a plant is set.
- Isaiah 5:1-2 (thematic): Parable of a carefully planted vineyard (choice planting and expectations) echoes the motif of planting/transplanting a prized shoot and its hoped-for fruitfulness.
- Ezekiel 31:3-9 (thematic): Tree/cedar imagery used to symbolize nations and their fate; thematically parallels the use of a tree/branch to represent political actors and transplantation/uprooting.
Alternative generated candidates
- He plucked the highest of its young twigs and brought it into the land of Canaan—to a city called Rakkath.
- He plucked off the highest of its young twigs and brought it to the land of traders; he set it in a city of merchants.
Eze.17.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מזרע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ויתנהו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg,obj3ms
- בשדה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- זרע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- קח: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- על: PREP
- מים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- רבים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- צפצפה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שמו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 17:7-8 (verbal): Both use the image of a tree planted by waters to symbolize security and flourishing; Jeremiah explicitly says the person 'is like a tree planted by the water' whose roots spread out by the river.
- Psalm 1:3 (verbal): Psalm 1 uses the same motif of a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit and prospering—parallel language and symbolism of vitality from proximity to water.
- Ezekiel 31:8-9 (structural): Ezekiel elsewhere describes a great tree planted by waters (the Assyrian cedar in Eden); similar transplanted/tree imagery and the theme of a tree’s fate reflecting a nation’s condition.
- Genesis 2:8 (allusion): God plants a garden in Eden and places trees by rivers; the motif of planting beside waters evokes divine cultivation and the ideal transplanted environment.
- Hosea 14:5-7 (thematic): Uses motifs of rooting, flourishing, and blessing in Israel — 'I will be like dew...they shall flourish like the lily, strike root' — resonating with the transplanted/tree flourishing theme in Ezekiel 17:5.
Alternative generated candidates
- He took a shoot of the land and put it in a fertile field; he set it beside abundant waters and planted it as a poplar—its name was Poplar.
- He took of the seed of the land and put it in a field—a place for planting by abundant waters; he set it up as a willow; its name was ‘Willow.’
Eze.17.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויצמח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- לגפן: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- סרחת: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- שפלת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- קומה: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- לפנות: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- דליותיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- ושרשיו: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- תחתיו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- יהיו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- ותהי: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- לגפן: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ותעש: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,f,sg
- בדים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ותשלח: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- פארות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Ezekiel 17:5 (structural): Immediate context/continuation of the same parable — verse 5 describes the planting of the shoot that ‘sprouts’ and becomes the vine in v.6.
- Psalm 80:8–9 (thematic): God bringing out and planting a vine (Israel) parallels the imagery of a planted shoot taking root and growing into a vine.
- Isaiah 5:1–2 (thematic): The Song of the Vineyard uses planting and vine-growth imagery (planting, hedges, expecting fruit) that parallels the cultivated shoot becoming a vine and sending out tendrils.
- Jeremiah 2:21 (verbal): ’I planted you like a choice vine…’ uses the same planted‑vine language (planting, roots, turning) to describe Israel’s origin and development, echoing the planted shoot/roots motif.
- Hosea 10:1 (thematic): Israel described as a luxuriant vine whose branches spread — a national vine metaphor comparable to the shoot that grows, branches out, and sends tendrils in Ezekiel 17:6.
Alternative generated candidates
- It grew and became a vine, a spreading vine of low stature; its branches turned toward it, and its roots were under it. So it became a vine, and sent forth branches and shot out shoots.
- It sprouted and became a low, spreading vine; its tendrils turned toward it and its roots were under it. So it became a vine, produced branches, and sent out shoots.
Eze.17.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- נשר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- גדול: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- גדול: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- כנפים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ורב: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg
- נוצה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- והנה: ADV
- הגפן: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הזאת: DEM,f,sg,def
- כפנה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שרשיה: NOUN,m,pl,abs,3,m,sg
- עליו: PREP,3,m,sg
- ודליותיו: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,abs,3,m,sg
- שלחה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- להשקות: PREP+VERB,qal,infc
- אותה: PRON,dem,3,f,sg
- מערגות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- מטעה: PART,qal,ptcp,act,m,sg
Parallels
- Ezekiel 17:3-6 (structural): Immediate context in the same parable: an earlier 'great eagle' plants a tree/cedar and the vine's movement toward a foreign power continues the motif of political planting and patronage within the chapter.
- Isaiah 5:1-2 (thematic): The 'song of the vineyard' uses the same vineyard/vine imagery of planting, care, and expectation—God as planter and Israel as vine that should flourish but fails, echoing Ezekiel's cultivated-vine symbolism.
- Psalm 80:8-9 (verbal): Speaks of God bringing a vine out of Egypt and planting it so that it took root and filled the land—parallels the transplanted/vitalized vine image and the language of planting and rooting found in Ezekiel 17:7.
- Hosea 10:1 (thematic): Calls Israel 'a luxuriant vine' that yields fruit for itself but not for God, reflecting the prophetic use of vine imagery to describe Israel's dependence, misplaced alliances, and failure to serve its covenant Lord.
- Jeremiah 2:21 (verbal): Speaks of a 'wild vine' becoming a cultivated vine (or vice versa) and Israel's misplaced turning—parallels Ezekiel's focus on the vine's turning of its roots/branches toward foreign powers and the consequences of that turning.
Alternative generated candidates
- And behold, another great eagle, great of wing and many of plumage, looked on it. And the vine bent its roots toward him and sent its branches to him for water, to exalt it.
- Behold, another great eagle, great of wing and many-feathered, saw it. And the vine bent its roots toward him and sent its branches to him to be watered by his streams.
Eze.17.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אל: NEG
- שדה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- אל: NEG
- מים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- רבים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- היא: PRON,dem,3,f,sg
- שתולה: VERB,ptc,pass,3,f,sg
- לעשות: VERB,qal,inf
- ענף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולשאת: CONJ+VERB,qal,inf
- פרי: NOUN,m,sg,cs
- להיות: VERB,qal,inf,NA,NA,NA
- לגפן: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אדרת: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezekiel 17:7 (structural): Immediate parallel within the same riddle: describes being planted in good soil by abundant waters, producing branches and becoming a vine—same imagery and narrative development.
- Jeremiah 17:8 (verbal): Uses very similar language—'a tree transplanted by the waters... will not fear when heat comes'—portrays flourishing, rootedness by water as life and stability.
- Psalm 1:3 (thematic): Speaks of a person as 'a tree planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in season'—shared motif of vitality and fruitfulness from being by abundant water.
- John 15:1-5 (allusion): Jesus' vine-and-branches metaphor (abiding in the vine to bear fruit) echoes the vine imagery of rooted growth and fruitfulness; theological appropriation of the vineyard motif.
Alternative generated candidates
- To a good field, to abundant waters it leaned, to make a branch and to bear fruit—to be a noble vine.
- To a good field, to abundant waters it was planted, that it might put forth a shoot and bear fruit and become a noble vine.
Eze.17.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- תצלח: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- הלוא: PART
- את: PRT,acc
- שרשיה: NOUN,m,pl,poss_3s
- ינתק: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ואת: CONJ
- פריה: NOUN,m,sg,poss_3s
- יקוסס: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ויבש: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- כל: DET
- טרפי: NOUN,m,pl,poss_3s
- צמחה: NOUN,m,sg,poss_3s
- תיבש: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- בזרע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גדולה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- ובעם: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רב: ADJ,m,sg
- למשאות: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- אותה: PRON,dem,3,f,sg
- משרשיה: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,poss_3s
Parallels
- Ezekiel 17:6 (structural): Immediate context in the same oracle—describes the vine being plucked up and transplanted, using the same uprooting/transplant imagery.
- Ezekiel 17:8 (structural): Earlier/later line in the chapter about the plant's growth and eventual failure—parallels the question whether it will 'thrive' and the reality of withering.
- Isaiah 5:24 (verbal): Uses the image of vegetation consumed and declares 'their root shall be as rottenness'—parallel language of roots, withering, and judgment on growth.
- Matthew 15:13 (allusion): Jesus' statement that 'every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted' echoes the motif of divinely effected uprooting and failed growth.
- Psalm 52:5 (verbal): Speaks of God removing and 'rooting out' the wicked—similar vocabulary of being cut off/uprooted by divine action.
Alternative generated candidates
- Thus says the Lord GOD: Will it prosper? Will he not uproot its roots and strip off its fruit, so that every tender branch withers? It will wither for want of a great seed and of many people to lift it up from its roots.
- Thus says the Lord GOD: Will it prosper? Will its roots not be torn up, and its fruit not be stripped off? All its tender growth will wither—no great power, no great multitude will carry it up from its roots.
Eze.17.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והנה: ADV
- שתולה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- התצלח: VERB,hitpael,perf,3,m,sg
- הלוא: PART
- כגעת: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- בה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- הקדים: VERB,hiph,perf,3,pl
- תיבש: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- יבש: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- ערגת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- צמחה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- תיבש: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Ezekiel 17:8-9 (structural): Immediate context of the same parable: records the planted shoot's growth and its vulnerability—prepares for and repeats the language of withering by wind that appears in v.10.
- Ezekiel 17:11-12 (structural): A restatement/exposition of the parable in the chapter that reiterates the image of a transplanted shoot that withers—internal parallel that explains the fate described in v.10.
- Jeremiah 17:8 (thematic): Contrasts Ezekiel’s image: a person/tree 'planted by water' does not fear heat or drought; Jeremiah’s flourishing-tree motif highlights the opposite outcome of Ezekiel’s withered shoot.
- Psalm 1:3 (thematic): Uses the same agricultural/tree imagery of stability and fruitfulness for the righteous—serves as a thematic counterpoint to the shoot in Ezek.17:10 that dries up and fails.
- Isaiah 40:6-8 (thematic): Speaks of the transience of grass and flowers that wither—echoes the prophetic motif of vegetation failing to illustrate fragility and the fleeting nature of life or power, as in Ezekiel’s withered shoot.
Alternative generated candidates
- Behold, though it were planted—shall it prosper? If the east wind touch it, it will wither; on the bed of its growth it will dry up.
- And behold, when it is transplanted, will not the east wind wither it on the banks of its growth? It will wither—its station will be parched.
Eze.17.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהי: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- לאמר: INF,qal,infc
Parallels
- Ezekiel 2:1 (verbal): Identical prophetic formula (וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהוָה אֵלַי לֵאמֹר) introducing a divine message to Ezekiel.
- Jeremiah 1:4 (verbal): Same introductory phrase 'The word of the LORD came to me,' marking prophetic revelation and commission.
- Hosea 1:1 (structural): Book introduction uses 'The word of the LORD that came to Hosea…', a parallel structural formula introducing prophetic oracles.
- Amos 3:1 (thematic): Begins with an address ('Hear this word') that functions as a prophetic proclamation introducing divine judgment—thematically parallel to the opening of an oracle.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
- And the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Eze.17.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- נא: PART
- לבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,cns
- המרי: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הלא: PART
- ידעתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- מה: PRON,int
- אלה: DEM,pl,abs
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הנה: PART
- בא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,prop,sg,abs
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויקח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- מלכה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ואת: CONJ
- שריה: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אותם: PRON,3,m,pl,obj
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- בבלה: PREP+NOUN,prop,f,sg
Parallels
- 2 Kings 24:12-16 (verbal): Records the king of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar) coming to Jerusalem and carrying off King Jehoiachin, his mother, servants and princes to Babylon—closely parallels Ezek. 17:12’s wording and event.
- 2 Kings 25:7 (verbal): Describes the capture of King Zedekiah—taken by the king of Babylon, his sons slain and he was bound and carried to Babylon—another concrete report of the same Babylonian seizure of Judahite kings.
- Jeremiah 39:1-10 (thematic): Narrates Nebuchadnezzar’s siege and capture of Jerusalem and the fate of the king and officials; thematically parallels Ezekiel’s denunciation of the rebellious house and the Babylonian deportation.
- Jeremiah 52:11 (verbal): Affirms that Nebuchadnezzar carried Jehoiachin to Babylon and set up a new king—repeats the historical act cited in Ezek. 17:12 and elsewhere, underscoring the exile motif.
- Isaiah 39:6-7 (allusion): Hezekiah is warned that envoys from Babylon will return and some of his descendants will be carried off to Babylon—theologically anticipates the motif of royal removal and exile found in Ezek. 17:12.
Alternative generated candidates
- “Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Do you not know what these things mean? Do you not know what will happen?
- Say now to the rebellious house: Do you not know what these things mean?
Eze.17.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויקח: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מזרע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המלוכה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ויכרת: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- ברית: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ויבא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,sg
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- באלה: PREP+DEM,pl
- ואת: CONJ
- אילי: NOUN,m,pl,cstr
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- לקח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Kings 24:1-2 (thematic): Nebuchadnezzar forces Jehoiakim into vassalage (serving him three years), reflecting the practice of compelling Judah's king into a covenant/servitude as in Ezek. 17:13.
- 2 Kings 24:12-16 (structural): Nebuchadnezzar carries Jehoiachin, his mother and the princes into exile—directly parallels ‘taking the seed of the royal house’ and removing the nobles as servants.
- 2 Chronicles 36:10-11 (thematic): Nebuchadnezzar deports the king (Jehoiachin) to Babylon and installs a vassal (Zedekiah), echoing the political hostage-taking and covenantal subjection described in Ezek. 17:13.
- Isaiah 39:6-7 (allusion): Isaiah foretells that descendants of the Davidic house will be taken to Babylon and made servants—thematising the removal of royal seed that Ezek. 17:13 depicts.
- Ezekiel 17:15 (verbal): Immediate context within the same parable: verse 15 recounts the king seeking a covenant with Egypt—closely related language and theme about making foreign covenants and reliance on other powers.
Alternative generated candidates
- A king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took its king and princes and brought them to Babylon.
- Say, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took its king and its princes and brought them to himself to Babylon.
Eze.17.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- להיות: VERB,qal,inf,NA,NA,NA
- ממלכה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שפלה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- לבלתי: PART,neg
- התנשא: VERB,hitpael,impf,3,m,sg
- לשמר: VERB,qal,inf
- את: PRT,acc
- בריתו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- לעמדה: VERB,qal,inf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Ezekiel 29:15 (verbal): Ezekiel 29:15 uses nearly the same language — God declares Egypt will be made “the basest of kingdoms” and “shall not exalt itself any more above the nations,” a close verbal echo of the humiliation theme in Ezek. 17:14.
- Isaiah 14:12-17 (thematic): The taunt against the king of Babylon describes a proud ruler brought low (“how you are fallen…you shall be brought down to Sheol”), paralleling the theme of a kingdom stripped of exaltation and reduced to low estate.
- Isaiah 47:7-9 (thematic): Isaiah’s oracle against Babylon emphasizes presumptuous pride followed by sudden humiliation (“you said, ‘I shall be forever’…you shall be brought down”), echoing Ezek.17:14’s depiction of a kingdom humbled and never again exalted.
- Jeremiah 51:53 (thematic): Jeremiah declares that even if Babylon mounts up in strength, God will bring spoilers against her so she will not remain mistress — a parallel promise that a once-dominant kingdom will be made low and lose its rule.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he took a shoot of the royal line and made a covenant with him, bringing him to Babylon, and he took the might of the land.
- And he took of the seed of the kingdom and cut a covenant with him; he put him under oath and took the chiefs of the land.
Eze.17.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וימרד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- בו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- לשלח: VERB,qal,inf
- מלאכיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3,m,sg
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- לתת: VERB,qal,inf
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- סוסים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ועם: CONJ+PREP
- רב: ADJ,m,sg
- היצלח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- הימלט: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- העשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אלה: DEM,pl,abs
- והפר: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ברית: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ונמלט: VERB,niphal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Ezekiel 17:12-14 (verbal): Immediate context in the same parable—earlier verses recount the sending of messengers to Egypt, seeking support, and the breaking of the covenant; 17:15 repeats and concretizes that action.
- 2 Kings 25:4-7 (structural): Narrates the historical fulfillment: the king of Judah fled during the fall of Jerusalem, was captured, his sons were killed and he was blinded and taken to Babylon—an outcome that echoes the parable’s description of flight and broken covenant.
- 2 Kings 24:20 (verbal): States explicitly that the king of Judah rebelled against the king of Babylon—paralleling Ezekiel’s charge that the ruler ‘rebelled’ and sought foreign help (Egypt) in breach of allegiance.
- 2 Chronicles 36:13 (verbal): Summarizes Zedekiah’s reign by noting his rebellion against Babylon, directly corresponding to Ezekiel’s depiction of covenant-breaking and reliance on Egypt.
- Isaiah 31:1 (thematic): Condemns seeking help from Egypt and trusting in horses/chariots rather than God—the same theological critique behind Ezekiel’s rebuke of turning to Egypt and violating the covenant.
Alternative generated candidates
- That he might be a lowly kingdom and not exalt himself, to keep the covenant and stand. But he rebelled against him and sent his envoys to Egypt to give him horses and a great host, that he might escape.
- That the kingdom might be low and not lift itself up, to keep his covenant and be a vassal. But he rebelled against him and sent his envoys to Egypt to give him horses and many troops to help him.
Eze.17.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- חי: ADJ,m,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- נאם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אם: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- במקום: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המלך: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הממליך: VERB,piel,ptcp,3,m,sg,def
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בזה: PREP+DEM
- את: PRT,acc
- אלתו: PREP,3,m,sg
- ואשר: CONJ+PRON,rel
- הפר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- בריתו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- בתוך: PREP
- בבל: NOUN,prop,sg,abs
- ימות: VERB,qal,juss,3,m,sg
Parallels
- 2 Kings 24:17-20 (structural): Narrative parallel: Nebuchadnezzar installs Zedekiah (Mattaniah) as vassal king; Zedekiah rebels against Babylon after swearing allegiance, bringing about judgment—same political situation Ezekiel’s parable addresses.
- Jeremiah 52:8-11 (thematic): Describes Zedekiah’s capture, the slaughter of Jerusalem’s leaders, and Zedekiah’s being bound and taken to Babylon—fulfillment/illustration of the judgment in Babylon promised for breaking covenant.
- Ezekiel 17:18-20 (verbal): Immediate internal parallel within the same chapter: God declares He will hand the land and the king over to Babylon because the king broke his covenant—repeats the oath-formula and the judicial consequence in verse 16.
- Jeremiah 27:6-8 (allusion): Prophetic admonition to submit to Nebuchadnezzar’s yoke; warns that refusing vassalage or breaking terms brings sword, famine, and exile—the broader theological principle underlying Ezekiel’s threat of judgment in Babylon.
Alternative generated candidates
- As I live, declares the Lord GOD, if the king who set him on the throne had not set him there—yet because he broke his covenant he shall die in Babylon.
- As I live, declares the Lord GOD, in the place where the king who made him king lives—whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke—there in the midst of Babylon he shall die.
Eze.17.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולא: CONJ
- בחיל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גדול: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ובקהל: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רב: ADJ,m,sg
- יעשה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- אותו: PRON,3,m,sg
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- במלחמה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בשפך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- סללה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ובבנות: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- דיק: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- להכרית: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- נפשות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- רבות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 33:16-17 (verbal): Uses virtually the same idea and language: a king/warrior is not saved by the multitude of an army or by great strength, paralleling Ezekiel's 'not by great army and great company.'
- Zechariah 4:6 (thematic): Contrasts human military/political power with divine agency—'not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit'—echoing Ezekiel's point that Pharaoh's military works will not ultimately prevail.
- Psalm 20:7 (thematic): Declares that some trust in chariots and horses (military strength) while relying on the LORD instead; thematically parallels Ezekiel's critique of reliance on siege works and large forces.
- Isaiah 37:33-36 (structural): Narrative of a besieging power and God's decisive intervention (the angel defeating a great army) that renders human siege-works and numbers ineffective—structurally parallels Ezekiel's picture of the futility of Pharaoh's military measures.
Alternative generated candidates
- Nor will Pharaoh, with great strength and a multitude of men, make him escape in war—by slaughter, by casting down, by the exaction of many lives.
- Nor by great force, nor by a mighty host shall Pharaoh make him escape in war; by warfare and by the swelling of the river and by the strength of his forces he shall not carry off many lives.
Eze.17.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ובזה: CONJ+PREP+DEM,m,sg
- אלה: DEM,pl,abs
- להפר: PREP+VERB,hif,inf
- ברית: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- והנה: ADV
- נתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- ידו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- אלה: DEM,pl,abs
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- ימלט: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Hosea 6:7 (verbal): Both accuse the people of treachery against the covenant (Hosea: 'they like men have transgressed the covenant'), similar language of covenant violation.
- Isaiah 24:5 (thematic): Speaks of the land/pople defiled because they 'have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant,' echoing the theme of covenant breach and consequent judgment.
- Jeremiah 34:18-20 (thematic): Records punishment for leaders who broke a covenant (to free slaves); like Ezekiel 17:18 it links covenant-violation with inevitable punitive consequences—'they shall not escape'.
- Psalm 89:30-34 (thematic): God's promise to David includes conditional penalties for covenant-breaking—if his descendants forsake My law I will punish them—paralleling the idea that treachery against the covenant brings certain retribution.
- Ezekiel 16:59-63 (structural): Within Ezekiel's own corpus this passage treats Israel's unfaithfulness and God's attendant judgment/restoration, using covenantal language and the assurance that covenant-breaking will be avenged—closely related in theme and theological logic to 17:18.
Alternative generated candidates
- For he broke his covenant; and behold, he put his hand to all these deeds—he shall not escape.
- For he despised the oath and broke the covenant; behold, he gave his hand to do all these things—he shall not escape.
Eze.17.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לכן: ADV
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- חי: ADJ,m,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- אם: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- אלתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בזה: PREP+DEM
- ובריתי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,poss,1
- אשר: PRON,rel
- הפיר: VERB,hiph,perf,3,m,sg
- ונתתיו: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- בראשו: PREP,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Ezekiel 5:11 (verbal): Uses the same oath-formula 'Thus says the Lord GOD, As I live...' to announce divine judgment—parallels the sworn declaration in Ezek. 17:19 to bring a determined plague/penalty upon the subject.
- Genesis 22:16 (verbal): God's self-swearing ('By myself have I sworn...')—a similar motif of the deity invoking his own life or authority to guarantee that his declared action will be carried out.
- Isaiah 14:24 (thematic): The LORD of hosts swears that his purpose shall stand and his decree come to pass—parallels the theme of God's sovereign oath and the certainty that what he has sworn will be brought upon the target.
- Ezekiel 16:59-63 (structural): God speaks of remembering his covenant, repaying Israel for her deeds and thereby vindicating his name—connects with Ezek. 17:19's language of bringing an oath/covenant upon Israel and executing related judgment and recompense.
Alternative generated candidates
- Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, I will repay upon his own head the reproach he has scorned and the covenant he has broken.
- Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke I will require upon his own head.
Eze.17.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ופרשתי: CONJ+VERB,qal,perf,1,,sg
- עליו: PREP,3,m,sg
- רשתי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- ונתפש: CONJ+VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- במצודתי: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- והביאותיהו: VERB,hiphil,perf,1,-,sg
- בבלה: PREP+NOUN,prop,f,sg
- ונשפטתי: VERB,niphal,perf,1,-,sg
- אתו: PRON,3,m,sg,acc
- שם: ADV
- מעלו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- אשר: PRON,rel
- מעל: PREP
- בי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Ezekiel 17:21 (structural): Immediate continuation of the parable; repeats and develops the judgement language of capture and being given into the hand of the king of Babylon.
- 2 Kings 24:12-16 (verbal): Historical account of Jehoiachin (and others) being taken to Babylon—parallels the wording and action of ‘bringing him to Babylon’ and handing him over to the king of Babylon.
- 2 Kings 25:7 (thematic): Narrative of Zedekiah’s capture and punishment by the Babylonians; thematically parallels the prophetic consequence of rebellion portrayed in Ezekiel’s parable.
- Jeremiah 27:6-7 (thematic): Prophetic declaration that God has given nations and their kings into Nebuchadnezzar’s hand—echoes Ezekiel’s point that God brings a king into Babylonian captivity as judgment.
- Jeremiah 52:11 (verbal): Larger historical summary of Jehoiachin being taken prisoner to Babylon; parallels the exile motif and the concrete act of carrying a king off to Babylon found in Ezekiel 17:20.
Alternative generated candidates
- I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare; I will bring him to Babylon and there will I judge him for the act of his transgression, and he shall not escape.
- I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare; I will bring him to Babylon and there will I judge him for the breach of my covenant.
Eze.17.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואת: CONJ
- כל: DET
- מברחיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בכל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אגפיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+suff,3,m,sg
- בחרב: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יפלו: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,pl
- והנשארים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,def
- לכל: PREP
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יפרשו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- וידעתם: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- דברתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
Parallels
- Ezekiel 17:20 (verbal): Immediate context: repeats the image of shoots/branches being cut off and left to the wind—same prophetic oracle about destruction and dispersion.
- Ezekiel 17:22-24 (structural): Contrasts the judgment in v.21 with the subsequent promise of a new sprig/renewal—same chapter’s opposite outcome to underscore God's sovereignty.
- Psalm 1:4 (thematic): Uses the image of the wicked being like chaff driven by the wind; parallels the motif of unrooted survivors dispersed/consumed by every wind.
- Ezekiel 31:12-14 (thematic): Imagery of a great tree (nations/kingdom) stripped, its branches cut down and given over to destruction—similar metaphor of lofty power reduced and dispersed by foreign force and divine judgment.
Alternative generated candidates
- All his fugitives, every one of his troops, shall fall by the sword; and those that remain shall be scattered to every wind. Then you shall know that I the LORD have spoken.
- And all his fugitives, in all his branches, shall fall by the sword; and those who remain shall be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken.
Eze.17.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כה: ADV
- אמר: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אדני: NOUN,m,sg,abs,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ולקחתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,m,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- מצמרת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- הארז: NOUN,m,sg,def
- הרמה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ונתתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- מראש: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ינקותיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss3,m
- רך: ADJ,m,sg
- אקטף: VERB,qal,impf,1,NA,sg
- ושתלתי: VERB,qal,impf,1,NA,sg
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- על: PREP
- הר: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- גבה: ADJ,m,sg
- ותלול: ADJ,m,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 11:1 (verbal): Uses the same ‘shoot/branch’ motif (a new tender shoot arising) to signify God‑ordained renewal and the rise of a leader, echoing Ezekiel’s taking a twig from the cedar.
- Jeremiah 23:5 (thematic): God promises to raise up a ‘righteous Branch’ of David — a parallel theme of God planting/raising a new royal figure from a shoot.
- Psalm 92:12-13 (verbal): Explicit cedar imagery for flourishing under God’s care (“the righteous shall flourish… and grow like a cedar in Lebanon”), resonating with Ezekiel’s cedar‑shoot planted on a high mountain.
- Ezekiel 17:23-24 (structural): Immediate continuation/parallel within the same oracle that repeats and expands the image of planting the tender shoot on a high mountain and the resulting universal acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty.
- Ezekiel 31:3-9 (thematic): Cedar imagery used to portray imperial greatness and divine control (Assyria as a great cedar that is cut down) — contrasts and complements Ezekiel 17’s use of cedar/branch language to speak of God’s planting and enthronement of a ruler.
Alternative generated candidates
- Thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will take from the top of the tall cedar the highest branch, and I will pluck a tender one from the top of its young twigs and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
- Thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will take from the top of the high cedar the tender shoot and set it; I will pluck off from the top a tender one and plant it on a high mountain.
Eze.17.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בהר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- מרום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אשתלנו: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- ונשא: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ענף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ועשה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- פרי: NOUN,m,sg,cs
- והיה: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- לארז: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדיר: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- ושכנו: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- תחתיו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- כל: DET
- צפור: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כל: DET
- כנף: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בצל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דליותיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- תשכנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,pl
Parallels
- Ezekiel 17:22 (verbal): Immediate parallel in the same prophetic unit—repeats the language of God taking a sprig and planting it on a high mountain of Israel, stressing divine planting and exaltation that culminates in v.23.
- Ezekiel 31:3-6 (verbal): Uses the same cedar imagery—an overwhelmingly large cedar whose branches shelter every bird; both passages portray a mighty tree (cedar) providing refuge, underscoring royal/kingly symbolism.
- Psalm 104:16-17 (thematic): Speaks of the cedars of Lebanon that the Lord planted—connects the theme of God as planter of majestic trees and the special status and provision associated with cedars he has planted.
- Isaiah 61:3 (thematic): Describes God’s people as a ‘planting of the LORD’ (oaks/trees of righteousness) — parallels the motif of divine planting, growth, restoration and the resulting shelter/benefit for others.
Alternative generated candidates
- On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, and it shall bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a noble cedar. Under it every bird of every wing shall dwell; in the shadow of its branches they shall nestle.
- On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a noble cedar. Under it every bird of every wing will dwell; in the shadow of its branches they shall live.
Eze.17.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וידעו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- כל: DET
- עצי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- השדה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- כי: CONJ
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- השפלתי: VERB,hiph,perf,1,_,sg
- עץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- גבה: ADJ,m,sg
- הגבהתי: VERB,hiph,perf,1,_,sg
- עץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שפל: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- הובשתי: VERB,hiph,perf,1,_,sg
- עץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והפרחתי: VERB,hiph,perf,1,_,sg
- עץ: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יבש: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- דברתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- ועשיתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,com,sg
Parallels
- 1 Samuel 2:8 (verbal): Speaks of God raising the poor from the dust and bringing low the proud—verbal/thematic parallel to 'I have brought low the high tree, exalted the low tree.'
- Psalm 75:6-7 (verbal): Declares that promotion comes from God who brings down one and exalts another—echoes Ezekiel’s divine reversal of fortunes language.
- Psalm 113:7-8 (thematic): Describes God lifting the poor from the dust and seating them with princes—the theme of God reversing status matches Ezek.17:24’s exaltation of the low.
- Isaiah 40:23-24 (thematic): God brings princes to nothing and their growth withers like grass blown away—shares the imagery of withering/exalting and divine control over flourishing and drying.
Alternative generated candidates
- And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have lowered the high tree and exalted the low tree, I have dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish. I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it.’
- And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, that I have dried up the green tree and made the dry tree to flourish. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Son of man, set a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel. And say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A great eagle, great of wings, long of pinions, full of plumage and splendid of feather,
came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar; he plucked off the topmost of its young shoots and brought it to the land of Canaan, to the city of traders—its name is Rakkelim.
He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in a field for planting; he set it beside abundant waters and it became a poplar—its name was Poplar.
It sprouted and became a vine, a low, spreading vine; its tendrils turned to it and its roots were under it. It became a vine and produced branches and sent forth foliage.
Behold, another great eagle, great of wings and many of plumage, came—yet this vine had turned its roots toward him and sent its tendrils to him to be watered by its moisture.
To a good field, to abundant waters it was planted, to put forth branches and to bear fruit, to be a stately vine. Thus says the Lord GOD: Will it prosper? Will its roots not be torn up, and its fruit stripped, so that all its tender growth withers? It will wither; there will be neither great yield nor many to carry it up from its roots. And behold—though it be planted, if the east wind touch it, will it not wither? Its growth will dry up upon the mound of its planting and it will wither. And the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
Say now to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Say, Behold, a king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took its king and princes and brought them to himself to Babylon. And he took of the offspring of the royal house and made a covenant with him; he brought him into his service and took some of the nobles of the land.
To make him a lowly kingdom, that he should not lift himself up, to keep the terms of the covenant and stand. But he rebelled against him: he sent envoys to Egypt to procure for him chariots and many horsemen. Did he succeed in escaping? He did these things and broke his covenant and fled.
As I live, declares the Lord GOD, if not in the place of the king who made him king—there, in the presence of him whose authority he had forsaken and whose covenant he broke—there in Babylon he shall die.
Nor by great force and a multitude will Pharaoh make him stand in battle; with nets, pits, and ambushes to cut off many lives, he will not.
Because of all this, to break the covenant—behold, he gave his hand and did all these things; he shall not escape.
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, I will hold him to account for breaking my covenant; I will seize him and bring him to judgment.
I will spread my net over him, and he shall be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylon and there I will judge him for the treason he committed against me. And all his fugitives, in every branch of his power, shall fall by the sword; and those who remain shall be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken. Thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will take from the top of the highest cedar the choicest shoot; I will pluck off a tender one from its topmost young twigs and plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may put forth boughs and bear fruit and become a majestic cedar. Under it every bird of every wing shall dwell, and in the shade of its branches they shall nest. And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD: I abase the high tree and exalt the low tree; I wither the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.