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Then the word of the LORD came to me:
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“Son of man, put forth a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel.
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Say, Thus says the Lord GOD: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
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He broke off its topmost shoot and carried it to a land of trade, and set it down in a city of merchants.
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He took also some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it beside abundant waters, like a willow tree.
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And it grew and became a spreading vine, low in stature, with its branches turned toward the eagle and its roots under it. So it became a vine and put forth branches and sent out shoots.
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But there was another great eagle, with great wings and many feathers. And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and stretched out its branches to him, that he might water it more than the bed where it was planted.
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Yet it was planted in good soil, beside abundant waters, that it might branch out and bear fruit and become a noble vine.
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Say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will it prosper? Will he not pull up its roots and strip off its fruit, so that all its fresh shoots wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots.
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Behold, it is planted; but will it prosper? Will it not utterly wither when the east wind strikes it? It will wither in the bed where it grew.”
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Then the word of the LORD came to me:
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“Say to the rebellious house, Do you not know what these things mean? Say, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took its king and its princes and brought them to Babylon with him.
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Then he took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took the mighty men of the land,
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that the kingdom might be brought low and not rise again, and that by keeping his covenant it might stand.
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But he rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt, that he might be given horses and a large army. Will he prosper? Can one who does such things escape? Can one who breaks a covenant escape?”
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As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely in the place of the king who made him king, in Babylon, he shall die, because he despised the oath by which that king bound him and broke the covenant with him.
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Pharaoh with a mighty army and a great company will not help him in war, when siege mounds are cast up and siege works are built to cut off many lives.
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He despised the oath and broke the covenant; behold, though he gave his hand in pledge, he has done all these things, and he shall not escape.
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Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: As I live, surely I will bring upon his own head my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke before Me.
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I will spread My net over him, and he shall be caught in My snare; I will bring him to Babylon and there I will enter into judgment with him for the treachery he committed against Me.
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And all his chosen troops shall fall by the sword, and the survivors shall be scattered to every wind. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken.
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Thus says the Lord GOD: I Myself will take a sprig from the top of the lofty cedar and plant it; from the highest of its young shoots I will break off a tender one, and I Myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain;
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on the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. Every kind of bird will dwell under it, every winged creature will rest in the shade of its branches.
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And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree and make the low tree high, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.”
🦅🌱👑 Summary of Ezekiel 17 – The Two Eagles and the Rebellious Vine
Ezekiel 17 is a symbolic parable of two eagles and a vine, portraying Judah’s political betrayal of Babylon and their unfaithfulness to God. Through this symbolic account, God shows that human efforts that rely on foreign power without repentance are futile. Yet at the end, God promises to raise up a new shoot—the true Messiah—who will bring justice and restoration.
📌 1. The Parable of the Two Eagles and the Vine (verses 1–10)
➡️ The first eagle symbolizes the king of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar), who carried the king of Judah and the nobles into exile.
➡️ He planted “royal seed” in fertile soil — Zedekiah was made a puppet king by Babylon.
➡️ But the vine (Judah) turned to the second eagle (Egypt) for help.
➡️ As a result, the Lord declared that the vine would be uprooted, wither, and die — it would not prosper.
🎯 Political betrayal without spiritual faithfulness brings no blessing, only ruin.
📌 2. The Lord’s Interpretation (verses 11–21)
➡️ The Lord makes clear that the parable refers to King Zedekiah, who broke his oath of loyalty to Babylon (and to the Lord).
➡️ He swore by the Lord but acted treacherously; therefore he would be captured and die in Babylon.
➡️ All efforts to ally with Egypt will fail.
➡️ The Lord will punish covenant breaking and break the strength of Judah.
🎯 The Lord honors oaths and covenants; spiritual and political betrayal will be judged.
📌 3. The Promise of a Shoot from the Lord (verses 22–24)
➡️ In the midst of judgment, the Lord promises that He Himself will take a tender twig from the top of the cedar and plant it.
➡️ This shoot will grow into a great tree on the mountain of Israel, becoming a shelter for birds.
➡️ This is a prophecy about the Messiah (Jesus Christ) who will restore Israel spiritually.
🎯 The Lord is able to bring down false greatness and lift up the humble.
📖 Main Lesson
- Unfaithfulness to a covenant, whether toward people or toward God, invites judgment
- Human effort without true repentance is futile, even if it appears politically wise
- The Lord himself will cause new hope to grow — from what is small and unseen
- Faithfulness is more precious in God’s sight than strategy and worldly power
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
📖 Luke 1:52–53
“He has brought down rulers from their thrones and lifted up the lowly.”
➡️ Just as God causes a shoot to grow from below, not from what is great.
📖 Isaiah 11:1
“A shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse…”
➡️ A parallel prophecy: Jesus came as a small shoot that became the king of peace.
📖 Matthew 13:31–32
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed… becoming a tree where the birds make their nests.”
➡️ Just like the tree from the small shoot in Ezekiel 17.
📖 2 Timothy 2:13
“If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.”
➡️ God’s faithfulness remains, even though his people fail again and again.
🕊️ “The king broke his oath and betrayed the covenant.” – Ezekiel 17:16
🕊️ “I am the LORD who brings down the tall tree and lifts up the low tree.” – Ezekiel 17:24
🕊️ “I will plant a tender twig from the top of the cedar.” – Ezekiel 17:22
🕊️ “Under it every kind of bird will dwell…” – Ezekiel 17:23
