Ezekiel 19 - Introduction

Dirge over the princes of Judah

The elegy represents the princes of Judah as young lions, reared among lions by the mother lioness, but caught in pits by the nations and carried away. The mother lioness cannot of course be the natural mother of the princes, but rather the people, Judah itself. Two princes are lamented, one captured and carried to Egypt, viz. Jehoahaz, son and successor of Josiah (Ezekiel 19:1); and another carried to Babylon, who must be Jehoiachin (Ezekiel 19:5). The elegy does not appear to extend further. Ezekiel 19:10-14 refer to Zedekiah, and are prophetic. They are connected in general idea with Ezekiel 19:1, but the figure for the mother is now the vine.

The following table may be useful here.

Josiah falls at Megiddo, b.c. 608.

Jehoahaz his son reigned three months.

Jehoiakim (son of Josiah), 608 597.

Jehoiachin (his son) reigned 3 months.

Zedekiah (son of Josiah), 597 586.

Nebuchadnezzar besieges Jerusalem, 588.

Fall of Jerusalem, 586.

The elegiac measure is maintained in Ezekiel 19:1; it is somewhat disturbed in Ezekiel 19:9; while Ezekiel 19:10 seem in the ordinary measure. The elegiac verse (which may be half or even third of a full verse) is divided by the cesura into two members of unequal length, the second being shorter, and falling with a mournful cadence.