A Lament for Israel's Princes
Ezekiel 19:1-14
Eze.19.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואתה: CONJ+PRON,2,m,sg
- שא: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- קינה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- נשיאי: NOUN,m,pl,const
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Amos 5:1 (verbal): Opens with nearly identical prophetic formula: 'Hear this word which I take up against you, a lamentation (kinah), O house of Israel' — direct verbal and genre parallel (a prophetic lament for Israel).
- 2 Samuel 1:17 (verbal): David 'took up this lamentation' (kinah) for Saul and Jonathan — same verb and literary form: a sung lament over fallen leaders.
- Jeremiah 9:17 (thematic): God commands calling for mourning women and lamentation for the people — shares the prophetic summons to lament and ritual expression of grief for Israel.
- Isaiah 14:4 (allusion): Begins 'Take up this proverb against the king of Babylon' — similar prophetic convention of announcing a poetic taunt/dirge against a ruler, structurally like 'take up a lamentation' for princes.
Alternative generated candidates
- And you, raise a lamentation for the princes of Israel.
- And you, raise a lamentation for the princes of Israel.
Eze.19.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואמרת: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- מה: PRON,int
- אמך: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- לביא: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בין: PREP
- אריות: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- רבצה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- בתוך: PREP
- כפרים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- רבתה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- גוריה: NOUN,m,pl,suff
Parallels
- Genesis 49:9 (verbal): Jacob's blessing calls Judah a 'lion's whelp'—uses lion imagery to describe Israelite leadership/tribal power, paralleling Ezekiel's 'lioness among lions' motif.
- Ezekiel 17:2 (structural): Ezekiel elsewhere frames a political oracle as a riddle/parable ('put forth a riddle and speak a parable'), matching the parabolic form and didactic method of Ezek 19:2.
- Ezekiel 22:27 (thematic): Ezekiel condemns the princes as predatory ('her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey'), echoing Ezek 19's denunciation of leaders likened to lions and their destructive role.
- Proverbs 28:15 (thematic): Compares a wicked ruler to a 'roaring lion,' thematically linking lion imagery with dangerous or oppressive leadership as in Ezek 19.
Alternative generated candidates
- And say, “What is your mother? A lioness among lions—she crouched among young lions; she nourished her cubs, and made many of them.”},{
- And say: What is your mother like? A lioness among lions—she crouched in the midst of many villages; she nurtured her cubs.
Eze.19.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותעל: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- מגריה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כפיר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- וילמד: VERB,qal,imperfect,3,m,sg
- לטרף: VERB,qal,inf
- טרף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Genesis 49:9 (verbal): Jacob’s blessing calls Judah a young lion (כְּפִיר/‘kefir’); both verses use the same lion-cub vocabulary to portray a tribal/princely figure as a predatory lion.
- Hosea 5:14 (verbal): God threatens to be like a lion/young lion against Israel and Judah—similar imagery of a lion as a devouring power and as an agent of judgment.
- Psalm 17:12 (verbal): The psalm speaks of a lion (and young lion) lying in ambush, greedy for prey—parallels the predatory, man‑devouring activity ascribed to the lion-figure in Ezekiel 19:3.
- Amos 3:8 (thematic): ‘The lion has roared’ motif: the lion’s roar/attack functions as an image of impending judgment or violent action, resonating with Ezekiel’s depiction of a princely lion who devours men.
Alternative generated candidates
- One of her cubs grew up — a young lion; he learned to seize the prey; he devoured men.
Eze.19.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וישמעו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- אליו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- גוים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בשחתם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m,pl
- נתפש: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
- ויבאהו: CONJ+VERB,hiph,perf,3,mp
- בחחים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אל: NEG
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Genesis 37:28 (verbal): Joseph is drawn from a pit and sent into Egypt—close verbal/structural echo of being seized in a pit and brought into Egypt.
- 2 Kings 25:7 (thematic): Zedekiah is bound with fetters and taken captive by foreign powers—parallels the motif of a prince seized by nations and carried away in bonds.
- Ezekiel 17:15–16 (allusion): Describes a ruler seeking Egypt and the consequences of foreign entanglements; echoes Ezekiel’s theme of princes captured after involving Egypt.
- Isaiah 20:4–5 (thematic): Predicts Egyptians being led away into captivity by a foreign power—parallels the motif of nations seizing and leading people/royalty off to another land.
Alternative generated candidates
- The nations heard of him; in their rage they laid snares for him; they trapped him and led him away with hooks to the land of Egypt.
Eze.19.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותרא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,f,sg
- כי: CONJ
- נוחלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אבדה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תקותה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ותקח: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- אחד: NUM,card,m,sg
- מגריה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כפיר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שמתהו: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Ezekiel 19:3 (verbal): Immediate context: the same lioness-and-cub imagery and the act of taking a cub appear earlier in the lament, making this verse a direct verbal parallel within the chapter.
- Ezekiel 19:6-9 (structural): Continuation of the lament: describes the cub’s maturation into a young lion and its subsequent capture/exile—structurally parallels the outcome implicit in 19:5.
- Ezekiel 17:15-21 (thematic): The riddle-parable of misplaced hope in Egypt and consequent capture mirrors the theme of 'hope lost' and the political failure that produces leaders who are removed or destroyed.
- Genesis 49:9-10 (allusion): Jacob’s depiction of Judah as a 'lion’s cub' establishes royal/tribal lion imagery; Ezekiel’s use of a cub becoming a lion evokes this tradition of leaders likened to lions.
- Hosea 5:14 (thematic): Uses lion imagery for judgment against Ephraim/Israel; thematically parallels the lion-symbol as a marker of leadership, conflict, and divine judgment in Israel’s prophetic tradition.
Alternative generated candidates
- She saw that her heritage had been carried off, that her hope was gone; she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion.
Eze.19.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויתהלך: VERB,hitp,impf,3,m,sg
- בתוך: PREP
- אריות: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כפיר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- וילמד: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לטרף: INF,qal
- טרף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אכל: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Judges 14:5-6 (verbal): Samson encounters and rends a young lion—direct use of a 'young lion' and tearing prey echoes Ezekiel's image of a lion that has learned to seize and devour.
- 1 Samuel 17:34-36 (thematic): David recounts how, as a youth, he struck down a lion (and a bear) that took a lamb—parallel theme of youthful prowess against dangerous beasts and the lion motif tied to leadership/valor.
- Genesis 49:9 (allusion): Jacob's blessing brands Judah as a 'lion's whelp'—shared royal/lion imagery linking tribal/royal identity to lion-like strength, relevant to Ezekiel's lament over princes.
- Ezekiel 19:2 (structural): Earlier line in the same lament uses the lion/lioness motif to portray Israel's rulers—provides immediate literary context for v.6's image of a young lion turned to devouring men.
- Amos 3:8 (thematic): The roaring lion as an omen of judgment—echoes the prophetic use of lion imagery to signify threat, power, and coming punishment associated with leaders or divine action.
Alternative generated candidates
- He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion; he learned to seize the prey; he devoured men.
Eze.19.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וידע: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אלמנותיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs+3ms
- ועריהם: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,poss:3mp
- החריב: VERB,hiph,perf,3,m,sg
- ותשם: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- ארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ומלאה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מקול: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שאגתו: NOUN,f,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Ezekiel 19:4 (structural): Immediate intra‑chapter parallel—Ezekiel 19 consistently uses lion imagery for Judah’s princes; v.4 (earlier verse) also describes a lion’s roar and predatory acts that leave devastation, echoing the same lament and motifs in v.7.
- Isaiah 5:29 (verbal): Uses the image of roaring lions ('they roar like young lions') to describe violent, predatory nations; parallels Ezek.19:7’s 'noise of his roaring' as a metaphor for an invading force that lays waste.
- Amos 3:8 (thematic): 'The lion has roared—who will not fear?' employs the lion’s roar as the signal of coming judgment; thematically related to Ezek.19:7’s roaring as the sound of devastation and divine/imperial punishment.
- Isaiah 10:5-6 (thematic): Speaks of Assyria as the rod of God sent to ravage nations and bring desolation—parallels Ezek.19:7’s picture of cities made desolate and people made widows by a conquering power.
- Lamentations 1:1 (thematic): Describes Jerusalem laid waste and bereft of her people—the city’s desolation and communal bereavement resonate with Ezek.19:7’s image of ruined cities, wasted land, and the aftermath of violent invasion.
Alternative generated candidates
- He laid waste their widows and overthrew their strongholds; the land became desolate and was filled with the sound of his roar.
Eze.19.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויתנו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- עליו: PREP,3,m,sg
- גוים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- סביב: ADV
- ממדינות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ויפרשו: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,m,pl
- עליו: PREP,3,m,sg
- רשתם: NOUN,f,sg,abs,suff:3,m,pl
- בשחתם: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,suff:3,m,pl
- נתפש: VERB,niphal,perf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 57:6 (verbal): Uses the same imagery of enemies preparing a net and digging a pit to capture the victim—parallels Ezek. 19:8's 'they spread their net… he was taken in their pit.'
- Psalm 141:9 (verbal): A petition to be kept from the snares/traps that adversaries lay—echoes the metaphor of hostile forces setting nets and snares for their prey.
- Amos 3:5 (thematic): Rhetorical use of a bird falling into a snare/gin: a parallel thematic image of creatures being ensnared by traps set by others, comparable to nations surrounding and ensnaring the lion.
- Genesis 37:24 (thematic): Joseph is cast into a pit by his brothers—shares the concrete motif of capture by means of a pit and the broader theme of betrayal and imprisonment like the lion seized in a net/pit.
Alternative generated candidates
- Nations set themselves against him round about from the lands; they spread their net for him and in their pit they seized him.
Eze.19.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויתנהו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg,obj3ms
- בסוגר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בחחים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ויבאהו: CONJ+VERB,hiph,perf,3,mp
- אל: NEG
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- בבל: NOUN,prop,sg,abs
- יבאהו: VERB,hifil,impf,3,m,pl
- במצדות: PREP
- למען: PREP
- לא: PART_NEG
- ישמע: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- קולו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+SUFF:3ms
- עוד: ADV
- אל: NEG
- הרי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- 2 Kings 25:7 (verbal): Describes Zedekiah being seized, bound in fetters, his eyes put out, and being taken to Babylon—directly parallels being bound and delivered to the king of Babylon and removed from the mountains of Israel.
- Jeremiah 52:11 (verbal): Reports the carrying of Judah’s king to Babylon in chains and the removal of Jerusalem’s treasures—echoes the image of royal captivity and imprisonment in Babylon found in Ezekiel 19:9.
- 2 Kings 24:12–16 (thematic): Narrates the exile of Jehoiachin and many others to Babylon and the removal of temple and royal valuables—provides the historical context of Judean kings and elites being taken to Babylon as in Ezekiel’s lament.
- Daniel 1:1–2 (thematic): Records Nebuchadnezzar’s capture of Jerusalem and the deportation of nobles and youths to serve in the Babylonian court—parallels the forced transfer of Judah’s leaders to Babylonian custody implied in Ezekiel 19:9.
- Isaiah 39:6–7 (allusion): Hezekiah’s prophecy that some of his descendants will be carried off to Babylon and become servants anticipates the motif of royal exile and loss of influence reflected in Ezekiel 19:9.
Alternative generated candidates
- They bound him with hooks and brought him to the king of Babylon; they put him in chains, they brought him into prisons, so that his voice should be heard no more on the mountains of Israel.
Eze.19.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אמך: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- כגפן: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בדמך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs,suff:2f
- על: PREP
- מים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- שתולה: VERB,ptc,pass,3,f,sg
- פריה: NOUN,m,sg,poss_3s
- וענפה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3fs
- היתה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- ממים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- רבים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 80:8-9 (verbal): Uses the image of a vine brought out of Egypt and planted by the waters — closely echoes the ‘vine by the waters’ language and national/parental portrayal of Israel.
- Ezekiel 17:5-8 (thematic): Within Ezekiel the image of a plant/tree planted by abundant waters is used to portray a royal house planted and flourishing — similar metaphor and theological function.
- Hosea 10:1 (thematic): Describes Israel as a luxuriant vine (a ‘luxuriant vine’/‘fat vine’) — the vine metaphor is applied to the nation’s prosperity and subsequent judgment.
- Isaiah 5:1-2 (thematic): The song of the vineyard portrays Israel as a vineyard planted and expected to bear fruit — a parallel use of cultivated-plant imagery to evaluate the nation’s fruitfulness.
- John 15:1-8 (thematic): Jesus’ vine-and-branches teaching reworks the biblical vine motif to describe the relationship between God, Israel/Christ, and believers — echoes the vine-by-the-waters metaphor of life and fruitfulness.
Alternative generated candidates
- Your mother was like a vine planted by abundant waters; she bore fruit, and her branches were many because of plentiful waters.
Eze.19.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהיו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- לה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
- מטות: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- עז: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אל: NEG
- שבטי: NOUN,m,pl,con
- משלים: VERB,qal,ptcp,ms
- ותגבה: VERB,qal,imperf,3,f,sg
- קומתו: NOUN,f,sg,abs,3ms-suff
- על: PREP
- בין: PREP
- עבתים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וירא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בגבהו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- ברב: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- דליתיו: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Ezekiel 31:3-9 (verbal): Describes a majestic tree/cedar that grew tall and luxuriant “because of many waters,” using similar language of height, branches, and flourishing.
- Ezekiel 17:22-24 (structural): Uses the image of a shoot/tree raised to greatness as a parable for a ruler/nation; parallels Ezek.19’s royal arboreal imagery and its ironic fall.
- Psalm 1:3 (thematic): Portrays the blessed person as a tree planted by streams of water, flourishing and fruitful—a common biblical motif echoed in Ezek.19.11’s waters-and-growth imagery.
- Jeremiah 17:8 (thematic): Compares the faithful/secure to a tree by water that spreads roots and does not fear heat—similar motifs of rooting, waters, and exalted stature.
- Psalm 80:8-11 (allusion): Speaks of Israel as a vine transplanted that grew and filled the land—connecting national/royal growth imagery (vine/tree) later subject to judgment, paralleling Ezekiel’s lament for a princely shoot.
Alternative generated candidates
- Strong rods were her shoots — like the scepters of rulers; her stature was exalted among thick boughs; she lifted her height by reason of many shoots.
Eze.19.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותתש: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- בחמה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- השלכה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ורוח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הקדים: VERB,hiph,perf,3,pl
- הוביש: VERB,hiph,perf,3,ms
- פריה: NOUN,m,sg,poss_3s
- התפרקו: VERB,hitpael,perf,3,m,pl
- ויבשו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- מטה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עזה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אש: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אכלתהו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Ezek.15:5-6 (verbal): Uses the vine/wood metaphor and the image of fire consuming the branches — like 19:12's 'fire consumed her branches' and the theme of a withered vine becoming fuel.
- Ezek.17:10 (allusion): Earlier Ezekiel vine imagery describes a planted shoot that withers under adverse winds and is cast down — closely paralleling the east-wind drying and withering language of 19:12.
- Hosea 9:16 (thematic): Speaks of Israel/Ephraim's root drying up and bearing no fruit — a parallel theme of withering fruit and failed leadership reflected in Ezek.19:12.
- Psalm 80:15-16 (thematic): Prays for the restoration of a vine brought out of Egypt, contrasting with the image of a vine burned or consumed by fire, echoing Ezekiel's 'fire consumed her branches.'
- Isaiah 5:4-6 (thematic): In the Song of the Vineyard God judges an unfruitful vine, letting it be trampled and devoured — thematically parallel to the judgmental withering and destruction in Ezek.19:12.
Alternative generated candidates
- But she was torn by the heat and cast down to the earth; the east wind withered her fruit; her strong rod was broken and fire consumed her.
Eze.19.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ועתה: CONJ
- שתולה: VERB,ptc,pass,3,f,sg
- במדבר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- ציה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וצמא: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ezekiel 17:8-10 (verbal): Uses the same planting imagery and contrast of location/water: a tree/vine planted by abundant waters versus its future fate — parallels Ezekiel 19's language of being planted and the significance of land/water.
- Psalm 80:8-9 (thematic): Israel portrayed as a vine brought out of Egypt and planted in a land; the psalm laments the vine's ruined condition, echoing Ezekiel's image of a planted vine now in a desolate place.
- Jeremiah 2:21 (verbal): God declares 'I planted you a noble vine' to describe Israel's origins and subsequent perversion — closely paralleling the planted-vine metaphor in Ezekiel 19 (planted but now in a dry land).
- Isaiah 5:1-7 (thematic): The 'song of the vineyard' presents Israel as a vineyard that fails to produce good fruit and faces judgment — thematically parallel to Ezekiel's lament of a planted vine/figure placed in a barren setting and as an object of disaster.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
Eze.19.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ותצא: VERB,qal,wayyiqtol,3,f,sg
- אש: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ממטה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בדיה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- פריה: NOUN,m,sg,poss_3s
- אכלה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- ולא: CONJ
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
- מטה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עז: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שבט: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- למשול: VERB,qal,inf
- קינה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- היא: PRON,dem,3,f,sg
- ותהי: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- לקינה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg
Parallels
- Isaiah 5:1-7 (thematic): Both portray Israel as a vineyard/vine that failed to produce expected fruit and therefore suffers judgment; the vineyard motif links divine disappointment and punitive consequences.
- Psalm 80:8-16 (thematic): Uses vine imagery to describe Israel (a vine brought out of Egypt) and laments its devastation and loss of strength—paralleling the image of a once-planted vine now ruined and mocked.
- Joel 1:4,10-12 (verbal): Explicit language of fire consuming the fields, vines, and trees echoes Ezekiel’s line 'fire came out from her branches and consumed her fruit,' conveying agricultural devastation as divine judgment.
- Ezekiel 17:5-10 (structural): Another Ezekiel allegory about branches/trees and the removal of leaders by foreign powers; both passages use arborial symbolism to depict the stripping away of rulership and exile.
Alternative generated candidates
- A fire has gone out from her stem and eaten her shoots; there is no strong rod left for a scepter to rule — it is a lamentation, yes, it shall be a lamentation.
And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel.
Say: What is your mother like? A lioness among young lions—she lay among the pride in the midst of the villages; she nourished her cubs.
One of her cubs grew up; he became a young lion; he learned to seize the prey and devoured men.
Nations heard of him; they laid a snare for him and caught him in their pit; with hooks they brought him in chains to the land of Egypt.
When she saw that her hope was lost and her refuge gone, she took another of her cubs; he became a young lion.
He walked among the lions; he became a young lion; he learned to seize the prey and devoured men.
He made their strongholds a ruin and devastated their cities; the land lay desolate and was filled with the sound of his roaring.
Rounded about by nations from the provinces, they set a net for him; they spread their net over him—he was taken in their pit.
They bound him with hooks and brought him in chains to the king of Babylon; they led him into captivity, that his voice should no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel.
Your mother was like a vine planted by abundant waters; she spread her branches and bore much fruit.
Her shoots were strong as scepters for rulers; her stature rose above the dense foliage, and her height was seen in the multitude of her branches. But she was torn up by the east wind and cast down to the earth; her fruit withered, her strong rod was broken, and fire consumed it. Now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
Fire went forth from her stem and consumed her fruit; there was no strong rod left to be a scepter of rule. It is a lamentation—indeed it has become a lamentation.