Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 17:7
There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.
7. The other great eagle, which however is not described with such imposing epithets as the former, is the king of Egypt. The vine bent its roots toward him sought to draw nourishment from him.
by the furrows ] Rather: from the beds of its plantation i.e. where it was planted. The words are connected with “did bend her roots.” The comparative sense: to water it more than the beds, has less probability; though it would express the uneasiness of Zedekiah and his vain political dreams.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Another great eagle – This is the king of Egypt, mighty indeed but not like the first.
By the furrows of her plantation – From the beds, where it was planted to bring forth fruit for another, it shot forth its roots to him that he might water it. Zedekiah was courting the favor of Egypt while he owed his very position to the bounty of Assyria.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. Another great eagle] Pharaoh-hophra, or Apries, king of Egypt.
With great wings] Extensive dominion.
And many feathers] Numerous subjects.
Did bend her roots] Looked to him for support in her intended rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This is the second part of the parable.
Another great eagle, i.e. the king of Egypt, whether Apries, or Hophra, or what other was his name we need not curiously inquire, it was king of Egypt, Eze 17:15.
Great wings: see Eze 17:3.
This vine; Zedekiah, his nobles and people.
Did bend her roots towards him; sought the friendship and help of the king of Egypt.
Shot forth her branches; sent ambassadors, made a covenant, and trusted to the power of Egypt to defend her branches.
That he might water it; that they might add to their greatness and prosperous condition, as trees grow by due and seasonable watering them.
By the furrows; alluding to the manner of irrigation used in Egypt, by furrows or trenches to convey the water unto their plantations from the river Nile.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. another . . . eagletheking of Egypt (Eze 17:15). The”long-winged” of Eze 17:3is omitted, as Egypt had not such a wide empire and large armies asBabylon.
vine . . . bend . . . rootstowards himliterally, “thirsted after him with itsroots”; expressing the longings after Egypt in the Jewish heart.Zedekiah sought the alliance of Egypt, as though by it he could throwoff his dependence on Babylon (2Ki 24:7;2Ki 24:20; 2Ch 36:13;Jer 37:5; Jer 37:7).
water it by . . . furrows of. . . plantationthat is, in the garden beds (Judea)wherein (the vine) it was planted. Rather, “by” or”out of the furrows.” It refers to the waters ofEgypt, the Nile being made to water the fields by means of smallcanals or “furrows”; these waters are the figure of theauxiliary forces wherewith Egypt tried to help Judah. See the samefigure, Isa 8:7. But see on Eze17:10, “furrows where it grew.“
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
There was also another great eagle,…. Hophra king of Egypt, a very powerful prince, whom Herodotus u calls Apries; and says he was the most happy and fortunate, after Psammitichus, of all the kings that were before; though not so mighty as the king of Babylon; therefore all the same things are not said of the one as of the other:
with great wings and many feathers: had large dominions, but not go extensive as the former, and therefore is not said to be “longwinged” as he; and had “many feathers”, but not “full” of them, nor had it such a variety; he had many people, and much wealth, and a large army, but not equal to the king of Babylon:
and, behold, this vine did bend her roots towards him; Zedekiah, and the people of the Jews under him; inclined to an alliance with the king of Egypt, and gave him some private intimations of it:
and shot forth her branches towards him; sent ambassadors to acquaint him with it, Eze 17:15;
that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation; Nebuchadnezzar had planted this vine, and made furrows for the watering of it, and by his means it was become prosperous and flourishing; but Zedekiah, not content with the greatness and glory he had raised him to, sought to the king of Egypt to help him with horses and people, in order to free himself from subjection to the king of Babylon, and to increase his lustre and glory: the allusion is thought to be to the trenches and canals of the river Nile, by which the land of Egypt was watered: the words may be rendered, “out of the rivulets of her plantation” w which best agrees with watering.
u L. 2. sive Euterpe, c. 161. w “ex rivulis [loci in quo] plantata est”, Gussetius, p. 642. such as run between beds in gardens, of which this word is sometimes used; hence some render it “ex areolis”, Vatablus, Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus, so Ben Melech or ditches and canals, such as were made out of the river Nile to water the land; “a fossa plantarii sui”, Texelius, ut supra, p. 209.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He now detects, under a figure, the perfidy of Zedekiah, since he very soon applied himself to the king of Egypt, and bent his roots and branches towards him, that they might be irrigated. I do not disagree with the opinion of those who think that the Prophet alludes to an Egyptian custom; for we know that they dug furrows through which water flowed through the whole region: hence the fruitfulness of the soil; and thus Egypt is elsewhere compared to a garden. (Deu 11:10.) Whatever the meaning is, the Prophet shows that Zedekiah was deceived by a foolish confidence when he thought himself safe under the protection of the king of Egypt; for he had said that the seed was so planted that the vine did not rise to a great height, but spread itself under the wings of the eagle. But Zedekiah despised the king of Babylon, thinking that he should improve his condition by entering into a treaty with the king of Egypt. It now follows —
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) Another great eagle.This is explained in Eze. 17:15 of Pharaoh. He was also powerful, ruling a populous land, but is not described as with the variegated feathers of Eze. 17:3, because he did not rule over the same diversity of people with Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah, while owing his position to Nebuchadnezzar, treacherously sought the aid of Egypt, as mentioned in Eze. 17:15, and more fully in the historical passages referred to in the note at the beginning of this chapter. A chief task of the prophet Jeremiah was to endeavour to dissuade Zedekiah from this Egyptian alliance.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Another great eagle The king of Egypt.
This vine did bend her roots toward him Zedekiah began to look for nourishment to Egypt, although he had received his crown from Babylon (Eze 17:5; Eze 17:8; Eze 17:13; Eze 17:15). The figure is that this vinelike cedar, instead of striking its roots deep into its own native soil, where the Babylonian eagle had planted it, threw out its roots toward the Nile.
By the furrows R.V., “from the beds;” or as Cornill, “more than the beds in which it was planted.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers, and behold this vine bent its roots towards him, and shot forth its branches towards him from the beds of its plantation, that he might water it. It was planted in a good field by many waters that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, and that it might be a goodly vine.”
The second great eagle is Egypt (Eze 17:15). It too is mighty but it has no long pinions, nor is it as splendid. But Zedekiah was drawn from his loyalty and transferred his fealty to Egypt under Pharaoh Hophra (Jer 44:30). His aim was that he might be watered by Egypt as he had been by Nebuchadnezzar and grow and be fruitful. Eze 17:8 is almost a repetition of Eze 17:6. What Nebuchadnezzar had done for him he also sought from Egypt, but he hoped it would be in much more freedom and with greater honour as a goodly vine rather than one of low stature. He was anticipating the same prosperity from his alliance with Egypt. But it was a hope and not a reality. And it never came to fruition. (Some see Eze 17:8 as recapping what Nebuchadnezzar had done for him, but the sequence suggests it refers to Egypt).
In both cases the vine is planted in Palestine, but watered first from Babylon and then Egypt. Each is seen as the source of water from their great and famed resources.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 17:7. There was also another great eagle That is, Pharaoh Apries, king of Egypt, a great and powerful prince, though less so than the king of Babylon. Zedekiah made an alliance with him, whereupon an army of Egyptians came to his assistance, and. raised the siege of Jerusalem. See Jer 37:5; Jer 37:21. Instead of great, we may read, large wings; and the last clause may, be rendered, And shot forth its branches under him, from the furrows where it was planted, that he might water it.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 17:7 There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.
Ver. 7. There was also another great eagle, ] sc., Pharaoh, another potent monarch; why called an eagle, see on Eze 17:3 .
And, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Eze 17:7-10
7But there was another great eagle with great wings and much plumage; and behold, this vine bent its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him from the beds where it was planted, that he might water it. 8It was planted in good soil beside abundant waters, that it might yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine. 9Say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, Will it thrive? Will he not pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, so that it withersso that all its sprouting leaves wither? And neither by great strength nor by many people can it be raised from its roots again. 10Behold, though it is planted, will it thrive? Will it not completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it wither on the beds where it grew?’
Eze 17:7 another eagle This refers to Egypt (cf. Eze 17:15). Judah looked to Egypt for military aid and protection (i.e., Jeremiah 37).
Eze 17:8 There is a series of Qal infinitive constructs. They describe in this verse (1) how Zedekiah viewed that an alliance with Egypt would help Judah or (2) a repeat of Eze 17:5, illustrating that there was no need for Zedekiah to rebel and seek help from Egypt
1. that it might yield branches
2. that it might bear fruit
3. that it might become a splendid vine
Eze 17:9-10 These are parallel and describe Judah’s attempt to seek help from Egypt, but YHWH will not allow it.
Eze 17:9 leaves This term (BDB 383) normally refers to the prey of a lion, killed and torn apart (cf. Eze 19:3; Eze 19:6; Eze 22:25; Eze 22:27). Only here does it refer to plucked leaves (although the same consonants with different vowels refer to plucked olive leaves in Gen 8:11).
Eze 17:10 completely wither This is an emphatic grammatical construction that uses the INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and the IMPERFECT VERB of the same root (BDB 386, KB 384) together. The VERB is used twice in Eze 17:9 and twice in Eze 17:10.
the east wind This construct (BDB 924 and 870) is used as an active representation of God’s power (ruah) to accomplish His purposes. The east wind is associated with judgments and the west wind with blessings.
1. the Lord directed an east wind. . .brought the locusts, Exo 13:10
2. the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind, Exo 14:21; Exo 15:10
3. with the east wind, Thou does break the ships of Tarshish, Psa 48:7
4. like an east wind I will scatter them (Israel) before the enemy, Jer 18:17
5. completely wither as soon as the east wind strikes it (Judah), Eze 17:10
6. the east wind dried up its (Israel) fruit, Eze 19:12
7. the east wind has broken you (Tyre), Eze 27:26
8. an east wind will come. . .his (Israel) spring will be dried up, Hos 13:15
9. God appointed a scorching east wind, Jon 4:8
10. an east wind is implied in Job 1:19 and Jer 4:11
The west wind is mentioned once in Exo 10:19 and implied in Num 11:31. Rain would come from a northwesterly direction.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
another great eagle. Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt.
bend her roots: i.e. looked for succour to Egypt. Compare verses: Eze 17:5, Eze 17:8
water it. From the Nile.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Eze 17:7-10
Eze 17:7-10
There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation. It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine. Say thou, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? it shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof. Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.
THE OTHER EAGLE
The other eagle depicted here was, of course, another vulture, fitting emblem indeed of the king of Egypt; and the vine bending its roots toward Pharaoh and shooting forth its branches toward him are references to the treachery of Zedekiah against his suzerain overlord, the king of Babylon, as he attempted against all the advice of God’s prophets, to form an effective alliance with Egypt.
God here stated the prophecy of the failure of such a maneuver by Zedekiah in the form of questions, the true meaning of which was summed up in Eze 17:10, “It shall wither in the beds where it grew.” Beasley-Murray identified this second vulture as Pharaoh-Hophra (Jer 44:30).
“When the east wind toucheth it …” (Eze 17:10). “The hot, east wind blowing across the desert here was the armies of Babylon, led by Nebuchadnezzar.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
another: Pharaoh-hophra, or Apries, king of Egypt. Eze 17:15, 2Ki 24:20, 2Ch 26:13, Jer 37:5-7
did bend: Looked to him for support, in his intended rebellion.
Reciprocal: Gen 15:11 – fowls Deu 28:48 – serve Eze 17:3 – A great
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 17:7. The great eagle was Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who would have come to the side of Judah had he been able; this fact is also re-vealed in 2 Kings 24 : It may be seen also that Judah would have been eager to have the support of Egypt, which is the meaning of branches toward him in this verse.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Eze 17:7-8. There was also another great eagle Namely, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, with whom Zedekiah made an alliance; whereupon that king sent an army to raise the siege of Jerusalem, 2Ch 36:13; Jer 37:5; Jer 37:7. With great wings and many feathers Having a great army and many people to support him. And this vine (namely, Zedekiah) did bend her roots toward him, &c. Zedekiah sought the assistance and protection of the king of Egypt. Dr. Waterland renders this clause, And shot forth her branches under him, from the furrows where she was planted, that he might water it: that is, give it assistance. The auxiliary forces which Zedekiah expected from Egypt are here intended. It was planted in a good soil, &c. The words are to the same purpose with Eze 17:5, to show that Zedekiahs condition was so good under the king of Babylon, that he needed not to have broken his oath out of a desire to better it, whereby he involved himself and his country in ruin: see notes on 2Ki 24:20; and Jer 17:25.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
17:7 There was also {f} another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.
(f) Meaning, the king of Egypt from whom Zedekiah sought comfort against Nebuchadnezzar.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Another large eagle, not quite as glorious as the first, came along. The vine reached out with its branches and roots toward it so this eagle might water it. The vine did this even though it was growing in good soil with abundant water nearby, enough to make it a luxuriant and fruitful plant.