Ezequiel 17

ARC · Chapter 17/48

1E veiu a mim a palavra do Senhor, dizendo:

2Filho do homem, propõe uma parabola, e usa d'uma comparação para com a casa de Israel.

3E disse: Assim diz o Senhor Jehovah: Uma grande aguia, de grandes azas, comprida de plumagem, e cheia de pennas de varias côres, veiu ao Libano e levou o mais alto ramo d'um cedro.

4E arrancou a ponta mais alta dos seus ramos, e a trouxe á terra de mercancia, na cidade de mercancia, na cidade de mercadores a poz.

5Tomou da semente da terra, e a lançou n'um campo de semente: tomando-a, a poz junto ás grandes aguas com grande prudencia.

6E brotou, e tornou-se n'uma videira mui larga, de pouca altura, virando-se para ella os seus ramos, porque as suas raizes estavam debaixo d'ella; e tornou-se n'uma videira, e produzia sarmentos, e brotava renovos.

7E houve mais uma grande aguia, de grandes azas, e cheia de pennas; e eis que esta videira lançou para ella as suas raizes, e estendeu para ella os seus ramos, para que a regasse pelas aréolas do seu plantio.

8N'uma boa terra, á borda de muitas aguas, estava ella plantada, para produzir ramos, e para dar fructo, para que fosse videira excellente.

9Dize: Assim diz o Senhor Jehovah: Porventura prosperará? ou não lhe arrancará as suas raizes, e não cortará o seu fructo, e seccar-se-ha? em todas as folhas de seus renovos se seccará, e isto não com braço grande, nem com muita gente, para a arrancar pelas suas raizes.

10Mas eis que porventura, estando plantada, prosperará? porventura, tocando-lhe vento oriental, de todo não se seccará? nas aréolas do seu plantio se seccará.

11Então veiu a mim a palavra do Senhor, dizendo:

12Dize agora á casa rebelde: Porventura não sabeis o que querem dizer estas coisas? dize: Eis que veiu o rei de Babylonia a Jerusalem, e tomou o seu rei e os seus principes, e os levou comsigo para Babylonia;

13E tomou um da semente real, e fez concerto com elle, e o trouxe para fazer juramento; e tomou os poderosos da terra comsigo,

14Para que o reino ficasse humilhado, e não se levantasse: para que, guardando o seu concerto, podesse subsistir.

15Porém se rebellou contra elle, enviando os seus mensageiros ao Egypto, para que se lhe mandassem cavallos e muita gente: porventura prosperará ou escapará aquelle que faz taes coisas? ou quebrantará o concerto, e ainda escapará?

16Vivo eu, diz o Senhor Jehovah, que morrerá em logar do rei que o fez reinar, cujo juramento desprezou, e cujo concerto quebrantou; com elle no meio de Babylonia morrerá.

17E Pharaó, nem com grande exercito, nem com uma companhia numerosa, nada acabará com elle em guerra, levantando tranqueiras e edificando baluartes, para destruir muitas vidas.

18Porque desprezou o juramento, quebrantando o concerto, e eis que deu a sua mão; havendo pois feito todas estas coisas, não escapará.

19Portanto, assim diz o Senhor Jehovah: Vivo eu, que o meu juramento, que desprezou, e o meu concerto, que quebrantou, isto farei recair sobre a sua cabeça.

20E estenderei sobre elle a minha rede, e ficará preso no meu laço; e o levarei a Babylonia, e ali entrarei em juizo com elle pela rebeldia com que se rebellou contra mim.

21E todos os seus fugitivos, com todas as suas tropas, cairão á espada, e os que restarem serão espalhados a todo o vento; e sabereis que eu, o Senhor, o fallei.

22Assim diz o Senhor Jehovah: Tambem eu tomarei do cucuruto do cedro alto, e o plantarei; do principal dos seus renovos cortarei o mais tenro, e o plantarei sobre um monte alto e sublime.

23No monte alto d'Israel o plantarei, e produzirá ramos, e dará fructo, e se fará um cedro excellente; e habitarão debaixo d'elle todas as aves de toda a sorte de azas, e á sombra dos seus ramos habitarão.

24Assim saberão todas as arvores do campo que eu, o Senhor, abaixei a arvore alta, alcei a arvore baixa, sequei a arvore verde, e fiz reverdecer a arvore secca: eu, o Senhor, o fallei, e o farei.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

A parable of two great eagles and a vine describes the broken covenant between King Zedekiah of Judah and the king of Babylon, ending with the promise that God will plant a new branch that will become a majestic cedar.

Explanation

The first eagle represents Nebuchadnezzar, who carried the Judean royalty (the 'highest branch of the cedar') to Babylon and set up Zedekiah as a vassal king under oath. The second eagle is Egypt, to whom Zedekiah turned seeking military help, breaking the oath made to Babylon — a serious act of perjury in God's eyes, regardless of international politics. The chapter ends with a messianic promise: God Himself will plant a shoot of the cedar on a high mountain, an image pointing to a future restoration of the Davidic line through the Messiah. The practical lesson concerns the seriousness of commitments and oaths, even those made under political pressure.

Fun facts

  • This historical episode is confirmed in 2 Kings 24:17-20 and Jeremiah 52:3, showing that Ezekiel, despite being in exile, had precise knowledge of political events in Jerusalem.
  • The image of the 'tender twig' planted on the high mountain (v.22-23) is cited by many scholars as one of the clearest Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah descended from David.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Ezequiel 17:1Opening formula for a new parable: this time, a riddle about eagles and a vine that hides a political message.
  2. Ezequiel 17:2The parable of the eagle that snaps off the cedar shoot and plants a vine is a riddle proposed on purpose — the text asks to be decoded, a device common in ancient wisdom literature, before the explanation comes.
  3. Ezequiel 17:3The first eagle snaps off the top of a cedar of Lebanon — Lebanon was famous for the fine timber used in royal buildings, so the riddle already signals it is about royalty.
  4. Ezequiel 17:4The broken-off shoot is carried to a city of merchants — a clue that the riddle describes a king being carried off to another land.
  5. Ezequiel 17:5The eagle plants a second seed near abundant water, tending it with special care — the start of a new ruler placed where the previous one had been.
  6. Ezequiel 17:6The seed grows into a low, spreading vine — the riddle describes a kingdom that develops, yet stays dependent and without greatness of its own.
  7. Ezequiel 17:7A second eagle appears, and the vine turns its roots toward it in search of more water — an image of shifting loyalty, seeking support elsewhere.
  8. Ezequiel 17:8The text stresses that the vine had every condition to thrive on its own, which makes it even stranger that it would seek support from the second eagle.
  9. Ezequiel 17:9The rhetorical question already gives the answer: the vine that shifts its loyalty will wither, and it will not even take much effort for that to happen.
  10. Ezequiel 17:10The east wind, associated in the Middle East with a dry, destructive wind, is the chosen image for how quickly the vine will wither, with no defense.
  11. Ezequiel 17:11Transition formula: introduces the explanation of the riddle, after the parable was told without comment.
  12. Ezequiel 17:12The explanation finally arrives: the first eagle is the king of Babylon, who had already taken Jerusalem’s king and princes into exile before this moment.
  13. Ezequiel 17:13The Babylonian king did not destroy the kingdom completely: he placed a new king on the throne, demanding an oath of loyalty — this is the new ruler represented by the vine.
  14. Ezequiel 17:14Babylon’s intention was to keep this kingdom weak and submissive, yet still functioning, as long as the oath was honored.
  15. Ezequiel 17:15The riddle is about real politics: King Zedekiah had sworn loyalty to the king of Babylon and then rebelled, seeking help from Egypt — breaking an oath made in God’s name was treated as treason against God Himself, not just against the Babylonian king.
  16. Ezequiel 17:16God confirms the fate of the king who broke the oath: he will die in Babylon itself, the very place of the king he owed loyalty to.
  17. Ezequiel 17:17The riddle’s second eagle is Egypt, sought as an ally — but the text warns that not even all of Egypt’s military strength will manage to save the rebel king.
  18. Ezequiel 17:18The central point of the explanation: breaking an oath made in God’s name was treated as far too serious to escape unpunished, even with foreign help.
  19. Ezequiel 17:19God claims the oath as His own: breaking the word given to the Babylonian king is treated as breaking a commitment with God Himself.
  20. Ezequiel 17:20The image of the net and the trap repeats the same language used in chapter 12 about the same king — both texts describe the same historical fate.
  21. Ezequiel 17:21The collapse strikes not only the king but his whole army and support — no one on his side escapes the consequence of the rebellion.
  22. Ezequiel 17:22The tender shoot replanted on a high mountain, which becomes a tree where every bird takes shelter, shifts the parable’s tone toward the future: after showing the fall of a king who broke an oath, the text ends with the promise of new leadership planted by God Himself.
  23. Ezequiel 17:23The replanted tender shoot becomes a tree large enough to shelter every kind of bird — the image of a future leadership that is generous, offering protection to many.
  24. Ezequiel 17:24The chapter ends with a complete reversal: God brings down what was high and raises up what was low — a demonstration that control over history is in His hands, not in the hands of the empires involved.

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