Verse 1
THE PARABLE OF THE TWO EAGLES
The prophecy of this chapter was directed against another false hope of the house of Israel, namely, the national conviction that God's promises to the house of David was an unconditional guarantee that the prosperity of Israel would continue forever, no matter what the moral and spiritual condition of the people was. "They thought that God could not fail toward Zedekiah without reversing his ancient promises to the house of David. Here, the prophet revealed that Zedekiah would receive the due reward of his evil deeds; and, that despite that, God would yet fulfill all of his glorious promises to the Chosen People, though, from human observation, all appeared to be lost, the kingdom of David would be exalted in latter times."[1]
There would indeed be raised up one to sit upon the throne of David; but that spoke of Jesus' resurrection from the grave, and his ascension to the right hand of God, those glorious events which far more than adequately fulfilled all of God's promises to David (Acts 2:29-35).
Concerning the date of the chapter, the last preceding date mentioned by Ezekiel was in Ezekiel 8:1, which was 592 B.C. and the next date mentioned by the prophet (Ezekiel 20:1) was eleven months later. "From Ezekiel 17:20, it is clear that this prophecy was uttered a year or two earlier than the date given in Ezekiel 20:1, say, about 590 B.C."[2]
THE FIRST EAGLE
"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, Put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers, which had divers colors, came unto Lebanon and took the top of the cedar: he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs thereof, and carried it unto a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants. He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters; he set it as a willow tree. 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, and brought forth branches, and shot forth twigs."
The analogy here is called both a riddle and a parable. Indeed, it is both. How the clipping from the cedar became, first "as a willow tree," and later as a vine is not explained.
"The first eagle here represents the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar."[3] "The great eagle' mentioned here is from the Hebrew [~neser], which actually means the griffon vulture; and that is the basis for the Revised Standard Version rendition here."[4] It appears to us that a vulture is more in keeping with the personality of Nebuchadnezzar than an eagle!
"The cedar of Lebanon ..." (Ezekiel 17:3). is a reference to the land of Palestine.
"The topmost of the young twigs thereof ..." (Ezekiel 17:4). refers to the young king Jehoiachin.[5]
"The seed of the land which was planted ..." (Ezekiel 17:5). is a reference to Zedekiah."[6]
"Fruitful soil ... many waters, etc...." (Ezekiel 17:5). These express the beauty and fertility of Palestine.
"Land of traffic ... city of merchants ..." (Ezekiel 17:5). These indicate Babylon, to which Jehoiachin and the first company of deportees were carried away.
"And the roots thereof were under him ..." (Ezekiel 17:6). "This means that Zedekiah's dependence upon Babylon would not change."[7] The earlier statement here that "his branches turned toward him (the king of Babylon)" indicates the same thing. As long as Zedekiah remained true to his sworn allegiance to the king of Babylon, all went well with the kingdom; but his rebellion brought on the swift and total destruction of Jerusalem.
Be the first to react on this!
