Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

Ezekiel 17

1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, pose a riddle, and speak a a parable to the house of Israel, 3 "and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD:
b "A great eagle with large wings and long pinions,
Full of feathers of various colors,
Came to Lebanon
And c took from the cedar the highest branch. 4 He cropped off its topmost young twig
And carried it to a land of trade;
He set it in a city of merchants. 5 Then he took some of the seed of the land
And planted it in d a fertile field;
He placed it by abundant waters
And set it e like a willow tree. 6 And it grew and became a spreading vine f of low stature;
Its branches turned toward him,
But its roots were under it.
So it became a vine,
Brought forth branches,
And put forth shoots.

7 "But there was 1 another great eagle with large wings and many feathers;
And behold, g this vine bent its roots toward him,
And stretched its branches toward him,
From the garden terrace where it had been planted,
That he might water it. 8 It was planted in 2 good soil by many waters,
To bring forth branches, bear fruit,
And become a majestic vine." '

9 "Say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD:
"Will it thrive?
h Will he not pull up its roots,
Cut off its fruit,
And leave it to wither?
All of its spring leaves will wither,
And no great power or many people
Will be needed to pluck it up by its roots. 10 Behold, it is planted,
Will it thrive?
i Will it not utterly wither when the east wind touches it?
It will wither in the garden terrace where it grew." ' "

11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 12 "Say now to j the rebellious house: 'Do you not know what these things mean?' Tell them, 'Indeed k the king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and took its king and princes, and led them with him to Babylon. 13 l 'And he took the king's offspring, made a covenant with him, m and put him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land, 14 'that the kingdom might be n brought low and not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand. 15 'But o he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, p that they might give him horses and many people. q Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered?

16 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'surely r in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke - with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. 17 s 'Nor will Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company do anything in the war, t when they heap up a siege mound and build a 3 wall to cut off many persons. 18 'Since he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, and in fact u gave 4 his hand and still did all these things, he shall not escape.' " 19 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "As I live, surely My oath which he despised, and My covenant which he broke, I will recompense on his own head. 20 "I will v spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon and w try him there for the 5 treason which he committed against Me. 21 x "All his 6 fugitives with all his troops shall fall by the sword, and those who remain shall be y scattered to every wind; and you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken."

22 Thus says the Lord GOD: "I will take also one of the highest z branches of the high cedar and set it out. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a a tender one, and will b plant it on a high and prominent mountain. 23 c "On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it; and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a majestic cedar. d Under it will dwell birds of every sort; in the shadow of its branches they will dwell. 24 "And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, e have brought down the high tree and exalted the low tree, dried up the green tree and made the dry tree flourish; f I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it."

  1. Cross References
    Ezekiel 20:49
    Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! They say of me, 'Does he not speak parables?'
    Ezekiel 24:3
    And utter a parable to the rebellious house, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Put on a pot, set it on, And also pour water into it.
  2. Cross References
    Jeremiah 48:40
    For thus says the LORD: "Behold, one shall fly like an eagle, And spread his wings over Moab.
    Ezekiel 17:12
    Say now to the rebellious house: 'Do you not know what these things mean? ' Tell them, 'Indeed the king of Babylon went to Jerusalem and took its king and princes, and led them with him to Babylon.
    Hosea 8:1
    Set the trumpet to your mouth! He shall come like an eagle against the house of the LORD, Because they have transgressed My covenant And rebelled against My law.
  3. Cross References
    2 Kings 24:12
    Then Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his princes, and his officers went out to the king of Babylon; and the king of Babylon, in the eighth year of his reign, took him prisoner.
  4. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 8:7 - 9
    For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills.
  5. Cross References
    Isaiah 44:4
    They will spring up among the grass Like willows by the watercourses.
  6. Cross References
    Ezekiel 17:14
    That the kingdom might be brought low and not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand.
  7. Cross References
    Ezekiel 17:15
    But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered?
  8. Cross References
    2 Kings 25:7
    Then they killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with bronze fetters, and took him to Babylon.
  9. Cross References
    Ezekiel 19:12
    But she was plucked up in fury, She was cast down to the ground, And the east wind dried her fruit. Her strong branches were broken and withered; The fire consumed them.
    Hosea 13:15
    Though he is fruitful among his brethren, An east wind shall come; The wind of the LORD shall come up from the wilderness. Then his spring shall become dry, And his fountain shall be dried up. He shall plunder the treasury of every desirable prize.
  10. Cross References
    Ezekiel 2:3 - 5
    And He said to me: "Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.
    Ezekiel 12:9
    "Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, 'What are you doing?'
  11. Cross References
    2 Kings 24:11 - 16
    And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, as his servants were besieging it.
    Ezekiel 1:2
    On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity.
    Ezekiel 17:3
    And say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "A great eagle with large wings and long pinions, Full of feathers of various colors, Came to Lebanon And took from the cedar the highest branch.
  12. Cross References
    2 Kings 24:17
    Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah.
    Jeremiah 37:1
    Now King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
    Ezekiel 17:5
    Then he took some of the seed of the land And planted it in a fertile field; He placed it by abundant waters And set it like a willow tree.
  13. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 36:13
    And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD God of Israel.
  14. Cross References
    Ezekiel 29:14
    I will bring back the captives of Egypt and cause them to return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they shall be a lowly kingdom.
  15. Cross References
    2 Kings 24:20
    For because of the anger of the LORD this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, that He finally cast them out from His presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
    2 Chronicles 36:13
    And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear an oath by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the LORD God of Israel.
    Jeremiah 52:3
    For because of the anger of the LORD this happened in Jerusalem and Judah, till He finally cast them out from His presence. Then Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
    Ezekiel 17:7
    But there was another great eagle with large wings and many feathers; And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, And stretched its branches toward him, From the garden terrace where it had been planted, That he might water it.
  16. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 17:16
    "But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, 'You shall not return that way again.'
    Isaiah 31:1
    Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD!
    Isaiah 31:3
    Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out His hand, Both he who helps will fall, And he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together.
    Isaiah 36:6
    Look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
    Isaiah 36:9
    How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
  17. Cross References
    Ezekiel 17:9
    Say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots, Cut off its fruit, And leave it to wither? All of its spring leaves will wither, And no great power or many people Will be needed to pluck it up by its roots.
  18. Cross References
    Jeremiah 52:11
    He also put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in bronze fetters, took him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.
    Ezekiel 12:13
    I will also spread My net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there.
  19. Cross References
    Jeremiah 37:7
    Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Thus you shall say to the king of Judah, who sent you to Me to inquire of Me: "Behold, Pharaoh's army which has come up to help you will return to Egypt, to their own land.
    Ezekiel 29:6
    Then all the inhabitants of Egypt Shall know that I am the LORD, Because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.
  20. Cross References
    Jeremiah 52:4
    Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem and encamped against it; and they built a siege wall against it all around.
    Ezekiel 4:2
    Lay siege against it, build a siege wall against it, and heap up a mound against it; set camps against it also, and place battering rams against it all around.
  21. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 29:24
    All the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, submitted themselves to King Solomon.
    Lamentations 5:6
    We have given our hand to the Egyptians And the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
  22. Cross References
    Ezekiel 12:13
    I will also spread My net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare. I will bring him to Babylon, to the land of the Chaldeans; yet he shall not see it, though he shall die there.
  23. Cross References
    Jeremiah 2:35
    Yet you say, 'Because I am innocent, Surely His anger shall turn from me.' Behold, I will plead My case against you, Because you say, 'I have not sinned.
    Ezekiel 20:36
    Just as I pleaded My case with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will plead My case with you," says the Lord GOD.
  24. Cross References
    Ezekiel 12:14
    I will scatter to every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his troops; and I will draw out the sword after them.
  25. Cross References
    Ezekiel 12:15
    Then they shall know that I am the LORD, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the countries.
    Ezekiel 22:15
    I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you.
  26. Cross References
    Isaiah 11:1
    There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
    Jeremiah 23:5
    Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
    Zechariah 3:8
    Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH.
  27. Cross References
    Isaiah 53:2
    For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
  28. Cross References
    Psalms 2:6
    "Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion."
  29. Cross References
    Isaiah 2:2
    Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.
    Isaiah 2:3
    Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
    Ezekiel 20:40
    For on My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel," says the Lord GOD, "there all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, shall serve Me; there I will accept them, and there I will require your offerings and the firstfruits of your sacrifices, together with all your holy things.
    Micah 4:1
    Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow to it.
  30. Cross References
    Ezekiel 31:6
    All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; Under its branches all the beasts of the field brought forth their young; And in its shadow all great nations made their home.
    Daniel 4:12
    Its leaves were lovely, Its fruit abundant, And in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, The birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, And all flesh was fed from it.
  31. Cross References
    Ezekiel 37:3
    And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord GOD, You know.
    Amos 9:11
    On that day I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old.
    Luke 1:52
    He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.
    Romans 11:23
    And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
    Romans 11:24
    For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
  32. Cross References
    Ezekiel 22:14
    Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the LORD, have spoken, and will do it.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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