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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 19:1-9

Here are, I. Orders given to the prophet to bewail the fall of the royal family, which had long made so great a figure by virtue of a covenant of royalty made with David and his seed, so that the eclipsing and extinguishing of it are justly lamented by all who know what value to put upon the covenant of our God, as we find, after a very large account of that covenant with David (Ps. 89:3, 20), a sad lamentation for the decays and desolations of his family (v. 38, 39): But thou hast cast off... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 19:2

And say, what is thy mother ?.... That is, say so to the then reigning prince, Zedekiah, what is thy mother like? to what is she to be compared? by whom is meant, not the royal family of David only, or Jerusalem the metropolis of the nation, but the whole body of the people; and so the Targum interprets it of the congregation of Israel. The answer to the question is, a lioness ; she is like to one, not for her strength and glory, but for her cruelty and rapine; for her want of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 19:3

And she brought up one of her whelps ,.... Or sons, as the Targum: or, "made him to ascend" F20 ותעל "et ascendere fecit", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version. , as the word signifies; to mount the throne; this was Jehoahaz, whom the people of the land took and anointed him, and made him king in the stead of Josiah his father, 2 Kings 23:30 ; it become a young lion ; that is, a king, as the same Targum explains it, and a tyrannical and arbitrary one: and it learned to catch... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 19:4

The nations also heard of him ,.... The neighbouring nations, particularly the Egyptians; the fame of his behaviour reached them; they were informed how he used his own subjects, and what designs he had formed, and what preparations he was making against his neighbours; wherefore they thought it proper to oppose his measures in time, and to hinder him from proceeding and putting his projects into execution, by coming out against him, and fighting with him, as they did: he was taken in... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 19:2

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 neighboring kings; for lion here means king. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 19:3

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. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 19:4

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... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 19:2

Verse 2 He says next, that their mother lay down among lions, alluding to the people’s origin from lions, as we said before, when the Prophet calls Judea the descendant of Canaan, and the sister of Sodom and Samaria. When he now says, their mother lay down among lions, he means that they were shamefully mixed with the corruption of the Gentiles, so that they did not differ from them. But God had chosen them as his peculiar people on the very condition of being separate from all the filth of the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 19:4

Verse 4 He afterwards adds, that the nations had heard, and were taken in their pit-fall. Here Ezekiel states that Jehoahaz was hurled from the royal throne, and taken captive by the Egyptians, not only because God had beheld his cruelty, but because the Gentiles had observed it; and it was notorious among them all. In this way he signifies that the cruelty of King Jehoahaz was intolerable: and he mentions him, since all the neighboring nations had heard of his fame, and had conspired to... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 19:1-9

The parable of the lion's whelps. I. THE LION - LIKE CHARACTER OF ISRAEL . This character was especially given to the tribe of Judah, from which the royal family came ( Genesis 49:9 ). There should be something of the better nature of the lion in the people of God. 1 . Strength . With one blow of his paw the lion can break the neck of a bull. The nation of Israel was strong. The Church of God is strong with the might of God. God does not only save his children as weak... read more

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