Ezekiel 17

Ezekiel 17:3

And say, Thus saith the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings, long-winged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, is a great eagle: his long wings and many feathers are his several dominions; whose divers colours are the rites and various forms of government, in those sundry nations: he came into Judea, where Lebanon is renowned and conspicuous; and took away king Jechoniah, the highest branch of the cedars there:

Ezekiel 17:4

He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants.

He cropped off the top of his young twigs, all their prime nobility and able soldiery, and carried them into captivity, and set them in Babylon.

Ezekiel 17:5

He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.

He took also of the seed royal, even Zedekiah, and planted him in the fruitful land of Judea, where he had store of means to have lived and flourished.

Ezekiel 17:6

And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, &c.

And he grew up, and prospered exceedingly, and became a great and wealthy prince, howsoever tributary to Babylon: both his family and his power were greatly enlarged.

Ezekiel 17:7

There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.

There was also another great king, of ample dominions and mighty power, even the king of Egypt: and, behold, Zedekiah thus set up by Nebuchadnezzar, yet did unthankfully incline unto and rely upon that king of Egypt, to be supported by him in his revolt.

Ezekiel 17:8

It was planted in a goodly soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, &c.

He was, if he could have kept him so, well planted in his own soil, which was rich and plentiful.

Ezekiel 17:9

Say thou, Thus saith the Lord God; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? &c.

Thus saith the Lord, Shall this man prosper in his treachery and ingratitude? No; that great monarch, from whom he is revolted, shall take just revenge on him, and shall utterly defeat and root him out. So also verse 10.

Ezekiel 17:22

Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take off the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, &c.

Thus saith the Lord, I will, at the last, work out the delivery and redemption of my people: out of the seed of David, will I raise up the Messiah, and set him on high in my holy Church.

Ezekiel 17:23

In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fuel of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.

Even in my glorious Evangelical Church, will I exalt his power; and he shall spread my Gospel, and enlarge his spiritual dominions all the world over; and all his elect shall shroud themselves under his grace and protection.

Ezekiel 17:24

And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.

And all the people of the earth shall know, that I have brought down the proud and mighty tyrants of the world; and have exalted this meek and despised Saviour of Mankind above every name, that is named in heaven and in earth.