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, Ezekiel 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, Ezekiel 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, Ezekiel 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.
The Fall of the Royal Family;
Fall of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim.
B. C. 593.
This chapter contains two beautiful examples of the parabolic kind of writing;
- the one lamenting the sad catastrophe of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim, 1-9,
- and the other describing the desolation and captivity of the whole people, 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.
Notes on Chapter 19
Verse 1. Moreover take thou up a lamentation
Declare what is the great subject of sorrow in Israel. Compose a funeral dirge. Show the melancholy fate of the kings who proceeded from Josiah. The prophet deplores the misfortune of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim, under the figure of two lion whelps, which were taken by hunters, and confined in cages. Next he shows the desolation of Jerusalem under Zedekiah, which he compares to a beautiful vine pulled up by the roots, withered, and at last burned. Calmet justly observes, that the style of this song is beautiful, and the allegory well supported throughout.
Verse 2. What is thy mother? A lioness
Judea may here be the mother; the lioness, Jerusalem. Her lying down among lions, her having confederacy with the neighbouring kings; for lion here means king.
Verse 3. She brought up one of her whelps
Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, whose father was conquered and slain by Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt.
It learned to catch the prey
His reign was a reign of oppression and cruelty. He made his subjects his prey, and devoured their substance.
Verse 4. 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.
Verse 5. When she saw that she had waited
Being very weak, the Jews found that they could not resist with any hope of success; so the king of Egypt was permitted to do as he pleased.
She took another of her whelps
Jehoiakim.
And made him a young lion.
King of Judea.
Verse 6. And he went up and down among the lions
He became a perfect heathen, and made Judea as idolatrous as any of the surrounding nations. He reigned eleven years, a monster of iniquity, 2 Kings 23:30,
Verse 8. The nations set against him
The Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites, and the king of Babylon-king of many nations.
He was taken
The city was taken by Nebuchadnezzar; and Jehoiakim was taken prisoner, and sent in chains to Babylon.
Verse 9. That his voice should no more be heard
He continued in prison many years, till the reign of Evil-merodach, who set him at liberty, but never suffered him to return to the mountains of Israel. "The unhappy fate of these princes, mentioned Ezekiel 19:4,8,9 is a just subject of lamentation."-Newcome.
Verse 10. Thy mother (Jerusalem) is like a vine in thy blood
Of this expression I know not what to make.
Some think the meaning is "A vine planted by the waters to produce the blood of the grape." See Deuteronomy 32:14.
Others, for bedamecha, in thy blood, would read berimmon, in or at a pomegranate; like a vine planted by or beside a pomegranate-tree, by which it was to be supported.
And so the Septuagint and Arabic appear to have read.
Calmet reads carmecha, thy vineyard, instead of bedamecha, in thy blood. Here is no change but a resh for a daleth. This reading is supported by one of Kennicott's and one of De Rossi's MSS.: "Thy mother is like a vine in thy vineyard, planted by the waters."
Though this is rather an unusual construction yet it seems the best emendation. Of the textual reading no sense can be made. There is a corruption somewhere.
Full on branches
Many princes. See next verse.
Verse 11. She had strong rods
Zedekiah, and his many sons.
Her stature was exalted
Zedekiah grew proud of his numerous offspring and prosperity; and although he copied the example of Jehoiakim, yet he thought he might safely rebel against the king of Babylon.
Verse 12. But she was plucked up in fury
Jerusalem; taken after a violent and most destructive siege; Nebuchadnezzar being violently enraged against Zedekiah for breaking his oath to him.
She was cast down to the ground
Jerusalem was totally ruined, by being burned to the ground.
Her strong rods were broken
The children of Zedekiah were slain before his eyes, and after that his own eyes pulled out; and he was laden with chains, and carried into Babylon.
Verse 13. And now she is planted in the wilderness
In the land of Chaldea, whither the people have been carried captives; and which, compared with their own land, was to them a dreary wilderness.
Verse 14. Fire is gone out
A vindictive and murderous disposition has taken hold-
Of a rod of her branches
Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, who was of the blood-royal of Judah-
Hath devoured her fruit
Hath assassinated Gedaliah, slain many people, and carried off others into the country of the Ammonites. But he was pursued by Jonathan, the son of Kareah, who slew many of his adherents, and delivered much of the people.
She hath no strong rod
None of the blood-royal of Judah left. And from that time not one of her own royal race ever sat upon the throne of Israel.
This is a lamentation
This is a most lamentable business.
And shall be for a lamentation.
These predictions shall be so punctually fulfilled, and the catastrophe shall be so complete, that it shall ever remain as a lamentation; as this state of Jerusalem shall never be restored. Even to the present day this, to a Jew, is a subject of mourning.
