EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 17:1 If ch. Ezekiel 16:1 can be said to express a theological point of view, ch. Ezekiel 17:1 seems to be more political in nature. It is a sort of “fable,” a story form in which plants and animals are used to teach a lesson (e.g., Judges 9:8). Here two eagles, a cedar tree,... [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 17:2 This oracle (vv. Ezekiel 17:1) appears as a RIDDLE, designed to provoke thought, and a PARABLE (also translated “proverb”; see Ezekiel 12:22), which relies on comparison. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 17:3 The terms of the description are significant, for they indicate the status of the various characters. This is the greater eagle, taking a TOPMOST twig as well as a SEED. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 17:7 The second EAGLE lacks the magnificence of the first, while still remaining “great.” ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 17:8 The new orientation of the vine to the second eagle threatens its choice location and flourishing state. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 17:11 The first part identifies the characters of the fable (vv. Ezekiel 17:11) before spelling out the moral of the story (vv. Ezekiel 17:16). The first eagle is the KING OF BABYLON, Nebuchadnezzar, who takes HER KING, that is, Judah’s king Jehoiachin (the “twig”), TO BABYLO... [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 17:19 God takes full responsibility for the disaster to come (RETURN... SPREAD... BRING... ENTER, all first-person verbs). This is not just a military defeat, but divine judgment. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img;... [ Continue Reading ]
EZEKIEL—NOTE ON EZEKIEL 17:22 God’s action continues. The terms of the parable are used to sketch an ideal messianic future. God chooses a new SPRIG from the TOPMOST part of the cedar (v. Ezekiel 17:22) and plants it himself (v. Ezekiel 17:23). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒... [ Continue Reading ]