Ezequiel 17:2-3 NTV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 17:1-21

We must take all these verses together, that we may have the parable and the explanation of it at one view before us, because they will illustrate one another. 1. The prophet is appointed to put forth a riddle to the house of Israel (Ezek. 17:2), not to puzzle them, as Samson's riddle was put forth to the Philistines, not to hide the mind of God from them in obscurity, or to leave them in uncertainty about it, one advancing one conjecture and another another, as is usual in expounding riddles;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 17:2

Son of man, put forth a riddle ,.... A dark saying, but a smart one: "whet a whetting" F11 חוד חידה , Heb. "acue acumen", Piscator. , as in the Hebrew; something at first sight difficult to be understood, yet amusing and entertaining; and, when solved, very useful and instructive: and speak a parable unto the house of Israel ; or, "concerning the house of Israel" F12 אל בית ישראל "de domo Israelis", Junius & Tremellius, Polanus. ; as the Targum and Syriac... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 17:3

And say, thus saith the Lord God ,.... The riddle is not the prophet's, nor the parable his, but the Lord God's; and exceeding beautiful and apt it is, to signify the things designed by it; the wisdom of God is greatly displayed in it: a great eagle ; which is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, as it is explained, Ezekiel 17:12 ; who is compared to an eagle for his power and authority, that being the king of birds, and for his swiftness and voracity in conquering and subduing kingdoms;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 17:2

Son of man, put forth a riddle - Riddle, Anglo-Saxon, from to divine; a thing that must be curiously investigated and sifted, to find out the meaning; and hence, riddle, a sort of coarse sieve to clean corn, to separate coarse chaff and straws from the pure grain. An instrument formerly used for divination. This is not far removed from the Hebrew חידה chidah , from חד chad , to penetrate; not that which penetrates the mind, but which we must penetrate to find out the sense. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 17:3

A great eagle - Nebuchadnezzar. See Jeremiah 48:40 ; Jeremiah 49:22 ; Daniel 7:4 . And see here, Daniel 7:12 , where it is so applied. Great wings - Extensive empire. Long-winged - Rapid in his conquests. Full of feathers - Having multitudes of subjects. Divers colors - People of various nations. Came unto Lebanon - Came against Judea. The highest branch - King Jehoiachin he took captive to Babylon. The cedar - The Jewish state and king. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 17:2

Verse 2 But I come to the words Son of man, set forth in enigma: the noun and the verb mutually answer to each other, hence any one may if he please render the Prophet’s words, by saying enigmatize an enigma: for the Prophet here speaks of allegorical language, חידה, chideh, signifies the same as “allegory,” where the words are different from the sense, that is, where the sense is wrapped up in obscure involutions: but we know that God sometimes spoke enigmatically when unwilling to be... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 17:3

Verse 3 Here the Prophet reasons from the greater to the less: for if Nebuchadnezzar was able to subdue the whole kingdom with ease, when as yet the Jews were untouched, how much more readily would he overthrow them when wretched and all but ruined: for nothing remained which was not threatened with ruin; and this is the meaning of the Prophet. But he compares King Nebuchadnezzar to an eagle, whom he says was great, and then with large or extended wings. There is no doubt that by wings,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 17:1-21

The parable of the vine. Sin of every sort has a baneful power of blinding the mind of the transgressor. The thief does not perceive the criminality of his act. He complains only of the law which is so severe. The drunkard does not perceive the culpability of his course. May he not order his life as he pleases? So is it in every case—even in the case of secret sin. The moral sense is blinded, infatuated, indurated. In all such instances some ingenious method is required to convince the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 17:1-21

A parabolic setting forth of the relations of Judah to Babylon and Egypt. "And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable," etc. Let us notice— I. THE PARABLE AND ITS INTERPRETATION . It would be unwise to attempt to fix a definite meaning to every minute feature of the parable; and its chief features are interpreted for us by Ezekiel. The great eagle is intended to represent the King of Babylon, and, being a royal bird. it... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 17:2

Put forth a riddle, etc. Again there is an interval of silence, till another theme is suggested to the prophet's mind and worked out elaborately. This he describes as a "riddle" (same word as the "dark speeches" of Numbers 12:8 , the "hard questions" of 1 Kings 10:1 ). It will task the ingenuity of his hearers or readers to interpret it, and so he subjoins ( Ezekiel 17:12-24 ) the interpretation. That interpretation enables us to fix the occasion and the date of the prophecy. It... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Ezekiel 17:1-21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 17:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Ezekiel 17:3

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 17:2

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 17:3

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 17:2

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Ezekiel 17:3

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 17:1-21

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 17:1-21

The Pulpit Commentary - Ezekiel 17:2

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