Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 17:22
Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set [it]; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant [it] upon a high mountain and eminent:
22. I will also take ] I will take “I” emphatic. The figure refers to the house of David, cf. Eze 17:2-3; Isa 53:2.
high mountain ] This belongs partly to the figure of the cedar, but indicates also the conspicuousness to the eyes of the nations of this great cedar; Isa 2:2.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
22 24. Promise of a new and universal Messianic kingdom in Israel
The attempt of the king of Babylon to set up a kingdom in Israel miscarried; he who set up the kingdom took it away. The shoot planted by him was smitten by the east wind and withered. But Jehovah himself will plant a shoot of the high cedar, the Davidic house, on a high mountain that all nations may see it (Isa 2:2; Isa 11:10), even on the height of the mountain land of Israel, and it shall become a great cedar, so that all the fowls of heaven shall lodge in the branches of it. This kingdom shall be imposing and universal, and all peoples shall find protection under it. And then shall it be known that Jehovah is king among the nations, that kingdoms are in his hand, to set one up and pull another down; that he can make the green tree wither and the dry tree blossom and bear fruit.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A contrast between the dealings of Nebuchadnezzar and of Yahweh. Nebuchadnezzar cut off, Yahweh will set up the topshoot; Nebuchadnezzar carried it into a land of traffic, Yahweh will plant it in the mountain of the height of Israel. Nebuchadnezzar set his favorite as a vine, lowly though not poor, in the place where such trees as the humble willow grow and thrive. Yahwehs favorite is like the lofty cedar, eminent upon a high mountain.
The highest branch of the high cedar – The rightful representative of the royal house of David, the Messiah.
Tender one – The Messiah. This prophecy rests upon Isa 11:1, Isa 11:10.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Eze 17:22-24
I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar.
Divine sovereignty
These verses have been accepted by Jewish commentators and by Christian commentators alike as referring to the Messiah, to be read and pondered and grasped as to their inner meaning and effect. God winds up the whole parable and its application by some marvellous words; He says, And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, etc. Then what mistakes we have to correct! What a revelation there will be at last, what a different view, what a correction of our misinterpretations of Providence: Everything has been of God. Is the high tree down? God felled it. Is the low tree exalted? God lifted it upwards to the blue heavens. Is the green tree dry, withered, utterly desiccated? God hath sucked its juice, and left it a barren, blighted thing in the meadow. Is the dry tree flourishing? Is the tree that men thought dead beginning to show signs of vitality? Are there spring buds upon it? Are the birds looking at it curiously, as if by and by, mayhap, they may build even there? The Lord hath made the dry tree to flourish. This is Divine sovereignty. The God of the riddle and the God who works His will among the trees must be regarded as the same God. What is true in this verse is true to all human life. Is one man successful? God made him so, in the degree in which his success was legitimate, healthy, righteous. Is a man vainly, viciously successful? The green tree shall be dried up. Is a man humbled, laid low in the dust? God may have done that for the mans salvation; after a day or two who can tell what may happen, if the overthrow has been accepted in the right spirit, and if, instead of being turned in the direction of despair, it has been turned in the direction of self-examination and self-accusation and penitence and broken-heartedness? Is the nation suffering from singular visitation? Is trade going away? God is looking on, and He will know when to send the ships back to the ports, and when to revive commerce, and when to make the desert blossom as the rose. Is an enemy hard upon me? It is not the enemy, it is God: I have been doing wrong; when I have opposition to encounter I must ask myself serious questions; as for any man that can assail me, who is he? what faculty has he? what can he do? Have no fear of enemies, but interpret their enmity aright. If a mans ways please the Lord He will make even his enemies to be at peace with him; if a man shall try to be right and good, virtuous, generous, and to live a Divine life, no weapon that is formed against him shall prosper; it shall be forged, it shall be whetted, it shall be lifted up, but it shall never come down upon the head of him for whom it was intended. How joyous would be our life if we could live in this strong conviction! (J. Parker, D. D.)
Gods overrule among the kingdoms of the earth
The attempts of the king of Babylon to set up a kingdom in Israel miscarried; He who set up the kingdom took it away. The shoot planted by him was smitten by the east wind, and withered. But Jehovah Himself will plant a shoot of the high cedar, the Davidic house, on a high mountain, that all nations may see it (Isa 2:2; Isa 11:10), even on the height of the mountain land of Israel, and it shall become a great cedar, so that all the fowls of heaven shall lodge in the branches of it. This kingdom shall be imposing and universal, and all peoples shall find protection under it. (A. B. Davidson, D. D.)
The reign of the Son of God
I. The beautiful and appropriate symbol by which the Son of God is here represented. The highest branch of the high cedar.
1. Because it was the remotest from the root.
2. Because the loftiest of all. He was at once the mightiest and the meanest: rooted in the earth, yet elevated to the skies.
II. The place where this was to be planted. In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it.
1. The truth of the promises God had made.
2. A striking evidence of the almighty power of God. This is the triumph of wisdom over folly–of holiness over sin–of the goodness of God over the malice of men. Its being planted at Jerusalem may be regarded–
3. As the last expression of unrequited kindness and love.
4. As an evident demonstration of the truth and power of the Gospel.
III. The rapid growth of this plant. There are few things more delightful and instructive than to observe the commencement of that which has risen to eminence. As the traveller in America steps over a stream which he may almost dry up with his foot, he is struck with astonishment to know that it is the same fountain, fed by tributary streams, which becomes a mighty river and rolls on to empty itself into the sea. Here is the planting of the tree that is to fill the world. Though Christ is now enthroned in glory, filling heaven with a splendour surpassing that of ten thousand suns, He was once a babe in Bethlehems manger. Tertullian could say, within a short time after the introduction of Christianity, Your towns, your cities, your camps, your palaces, your courts, your army, your senate, your forum–all swarm with Christians.
IV. The productiveness of this tree. It was to bring forth boughs, and to bear fruit.
1. This fruit is varied in its character, etc. Are you ignorant? Here are truths to instruct, wisdom that makes wise unto salvation. Are you guilty? Hero is pardon full, free, and everlasting. Are you forlorn? Are you dying, and recoiling from the prospect of futurity? Behold, the gift of God is everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2. It is satisfying in its enjoyment. As Christ united the glories of the Godhead with humanity, in the sacrifice He made, it must prove all-sufficient to supply the wants of the soul for which He made it. His grace can reach and heal all the maladies of the soul, and save it forever.
3. It is free in its gift.
V. The ultimate blessings which this tree is designed to diffuse through the world. It shall be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell, etc. Have we not numerous indications of this in our day? Never since that sun, which is now setting, began its course–never since he first lightened this earth–have there been such proofs of the increase of the glory of the Gospel as in the day in which we live. (T. Adkins.)
The goodly cedar and the birds of every wing
A glorious prophecy of the Messiah concludes this chapter! Recurring to the cedar of Lebanon, as the type of the people of God, in its noble growth and far-extending shade, Ezekiel foretells how God would take a stem or branch from that tall cedar, which should be the root of David, that, planted by the Divine Hand, it should grow up a goodly cedar tree, and under its boughs the birds of every wing should dwell. So was the Saviour, as to His lineage, of the ancient people, and a branch taken from the noble cedar tree, which typified the Hebrew race. He was born in humility, and cradled in the rude manger of Bethlehem, but from this lowly origin He becomes like the mighty cedar tree of the prophecy, the very perfection of our humanity, in righteousness and nobility of character! Then, as He invited weary souls to come unto Him, we read how they drew nigh and found peace, and dwelt under His shadow. The words of this prophecy also apply to the Church, which is the visible representative of Jesus upon earth! It, like a little plant or cutting, began in weakness. The number of the names, it is written, was but one hundred and twenty. But soon, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, the microscopic organisation developed and grew into the mighty cedar, under which dwelt the fowl of every wing, and found refuge under the shadows of its branches. That the cedar was to be planted on the mountain of Israel foretold that the later, the Christian Church, should grow out of, and be a development from, the older dispensation! But how remarkable to find that the prophet anticipates the admission of the Gentiles. The fowl of every wing are to find a shelter under the boughs of the Gospel cedar. Now, that which was prophecy is being fulfilled. The birds of brightest plumage, the feathered songsters of sweetest voices, the noblest intellects, the most melodious souls that earth has produced, have found in the religion of Jesus peace and satisfaction, and have dwelt restfully under its shadow! The Church must take up her missionary work. Whether it be the ease of our own countrymen, for whose souls no man cares, or the heathen, who abide where overhead flutters the flag of England–the duty lies at our door! (J. W. Hardman, LL. D.)
Refuge for all in Christ
Christ is the cedar, and all kinds of people seek rest in Him, as birds of every wing. Young and old, rich and poor; men high-soaring as the eagle, fierce as the raven, gentle as the dove. The young, just learning to try their wings; the old, weary, and lonely; those who have kept all the commandments from their youth, and those who have broken them all. It does not matter with what wing we come to Jesus, so long as we come. The practised eye can easily recognise the birds by their flight; each bird has its own wing; so every soul has its own disposition and temperament–one feverish, the other languid and lethargic; one impetuous, the other dilatory; one affectionate and warm, the other cool and shy. But the Lord Jesus knows our frame, and understands us afar off. He does not chide the dove because it cannot breast the storm and face the sun like the eagle. He does not expect the sustained flight of the seagull from the sparrow; or the song of the nightingale from the chaffinch. Do not imitate another: be yourself. Do not go about the world counting that you are useless and a failure, because you cannot do what is done by others. Learn how to be abased, and how to abound. Only rest in Christ. Out of the windy storm and tempest, make for your roosting place under the shelter of His wing. (F. B. Meyer, B. A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 22. I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar] I will raise up another monarchy, which shall come in the line of David, namely, the Messiah; who shall appear as a tender plant, as to his incarnation; but he shall be high and eminent; his Church, the royal city, the highest and purest ever seen on the face of the earth.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Whereas the judgments threatened might seem to threaten the utter extirpation of the seed of David, now the Lord is pleased to assure its continuance, and the raising of the Messiah from that house according to promise. Nebuchadnezzar took and planted, and I will also take and plant, saith the Lord, of the royal seed of the house of David, of the highest branch that is heir to the throne, in the type Zorobabel, in the antitype Messiah.
And will set it; both set or plant, and give increase to his kingdom, that from a tender one he should grow up to great strength, victory, and glory.
Upon an high mountain; upon Mount Zion, Psa 2:6, or as Isa 2:2,3. Eminent, not for outward splendour, but for spiritual advantages above other nations in the church.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
22. When the state of Israelshall seem past recovery, Messiah, Jehovah Himself, will unexpectedlyappear on the scene as Redeemer of His people (Isa63:5).
I . . . alsoGodopposes Himself to Nebuchadnezzar: “He took of the seedof the land and planted it (Eze 17:3;Eze 17:5), so will I, butwith better success than he had. The branch he plucked (Zedekiah) andplanted, flourished but for a time, to perish at last; I willplant a scion of the same tree, the house of David, to whom thekingdom belongs by an everlasting covenant, and it shall be theshelter of the whole world, and shall be for ever.”
branchthe peculiartitle of Messiah (Zec 3:8;Zec 6:12; Isa 11:1;Isa 4:2; Jer 23:5;Jer 33:15).
a tender oneZerubbabelnever reigned as a universal (Eze17:23) king, nor could the great things mentioned here be said ofhim, except as a type of Messiah. Messiah alone can be meant:originally “a tender plant and root out of a dry ground”(Isa 53:2); the beginning ofHis kingdom being humble, His reputed parents of lowly rank, thoughKing David’s lineal representatives; yet, even then, God here callsHim, in respect to His everlasting purpose, “the highest . . .of the high” (Ps 89:27).
I . . . will plant it upon anhigh mountainZion; destined to be the moral center andeminence of grace and glory shining forth to the world, out-toppingall mundane elevation. The kingdom, typically begun at the returnfrom Babylon, and the rebuilding of the temple, fully began withChrist’s appearing, and shall have its highest manifestation at Hisreappearing to reign on Zion, and thence over the whole earth(Psa 2:6; Psa 2:8;Isa 2:2; Isa 2:3;Jer 3:17).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thus saith the Lord God,…. Lest it should be thought, by the above prophecies, that the tribe of Judah should be utterly lost, and the family of David extinct, and the promise to him void, that he should have one of his seed to sit upon his, throne for evermore,
Ps 132:11; it is here in a figurative manner signified, that of his seed the Messiah should be raised up, by whom the church and kingdom of God would be brought into a flourishing state and condition:
I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar; Nebuchadnezzar had took one of the family of David, and set, him upon the throne, signified by taking of the seed of the land, and planting it, Eze 17:5; but without success; wherefore the Lord here promises that he will “also”, take one and plant it, which should thrive and prosper: by the “high cedar” is meant the Jewish nation, which the Lord chose and set on high above all nations of the earth distinguishing it with peculiar blessings and favours; for which reason it may be compared to the high and spreading cedar; see Nu 24:5; and by “the highest branch” of it the tribe of Judah, who prevailed above his brethren, because from him came the chief ruler, 1Ch 5:2; and from whence the Messiah was to come, and did, Ge 49:10 Re 5:5;
and set [it]; namely, the slip taken from the highest branch of the high cedar; or one that should descend from the Jewish nation, and particularly from the tribe of Judah, more fully described in the next clause:
I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one; and by the “top” and “young twigs” of the highest branch of the cedar, or of the chief tribe in Israel, are meant the house and family of David, the royal family, and the descendants of it, the chief of the tribe of Judah; and by the “tender one” is designed the Messiah; and so Jarchi interprets it; and which interpretation is mentioned by Kimchi, though he would have Zerubbabel intended; and owns it to be the sense of the Targum, which is this,
“I will bring one of the kingdom of the house of David, which is like to a high cedar, and I will raise him up an infant from his children’s children;”
and so Abendana observes, that from Shealtiel, the son of Jeconiah, comes forth the King Messiah, who shall rule over all the world, and under whom every bird of wing shall dwell. The Messiah is often called a “branch” in prophecy, Isa 4:2; and here a “tender twig” or branch, as in Isa 53:2; a “tender plant”; which is expressive of the meanness of his descent, David’s family being very low at the time of his birth, and of the contemptible appearance he made in the form of a servant; having also all the sinless infirmities of the human nature on him, as well as was attended with poverty, griefs, and sorrows of various kinds; and so made a very unpromising appearance of being the great Prophet, Priest, and King in Israel: and now by the “cropping off” of this tender twig seems to be designed not the incarnation of the Messiah, but his sufferings and death; whereby he was cut off, not for himself, but for the sins of his people, and in which his divine Father had a considerable hand, Isa 53:8; and to which is owing the great fruitfulness of his kingdom and interest,
Joh 12:24; moreover, this may respect not only the person of the Messiah, and his mean appearance in the world; but also his church and interest, which were at first like a little stone cut out of the mountain, and like a grain of mustard seed, the least of all seeds, Da 2:34; the Gospel, which was the instrument of raising the church of God, was very contemptible, because of its subject, a crucified Christ; and the first preachers of it were mean and illiterate persons; those that received it were the poor of this world, and those but a few, and they the offscouring of all things;
and will plant [it] on a high mountain and eminent; which may be expressive not of the incarnation of Christ, but rather of his ascension to heaven after his death, and resurrection from the dead; and the constitution of him upon that as Lord and Christ, or the setting of him up as King over God’s holy hill of Zion, the church of God: and no doubt but there is an allusion to Mount Zion, and to Jerusalem, from whence the Gospel first went forth, and where the first Gospel church was planted; and being said to be on a mountain high and eminent, may note both the visibility and stability of the church of Christ.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The Planting of the True Twig of the Stem of David
Eze 17:22. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, And I will take from the top of the high cedar, and will set it; from the topmost of its shoots will I pluck off a tender one, and will plant it upon a high and exalted mountain. Eze 17:23. On the high mountain of Israel will I plant it, and it will put forth branches, and bear fruit, and become a splendid cedar, so that all the birds of every plumage will dwell under it. In the shade of its branches will they dwell. Eze 17:24. And all the trees of the field will learn that I Jehovah have lowered the lofty tree, lifted up the low tree, made the green tree wither, and the withered tree become green. I Jehovah have said it, and have done it. – Although the sprout of David, whom Nebuchadnezzar had made king, would lose the sovereignty because of his breach of faith, and bring about the destruction of the kingdom of Judah, the Lord would not let His kingdom be destroyed, but would fulfil the promise which He had given to the seed of David. The announcement of this fulfilment takes its form from the preceding parable. As Nebuchadnezzar broke off a twig from the top of the cedar and brought it to Babel (Eze 17:13), so will Jehovah Himself also pluck off a shoot from the top of the high cedar, and plant it upon a high mountain. The Vav before is the Vav consec., and is appended to the verb for the sake of emphasis; but in antithesis to the acting of the eagle, as described in Eze 17:3, it is placed after it. The cedar, which it designated by the epithet ramah , as rising above the other trees, is the royal house of David, and the tender shoot which Jehovah breaks off and plants is not the Messianic kingdom or sovereignty, so that Zerubbabel could be included, but the Messiah Himself as “a distinct historical personage” (Hvernick). The predicate , tender, refers to Him; also the word , a sprout (Isa 53:2), which indicates not so much the youthful age of the Messiah (Hitzig) as the lowliness of His origin (compare Isa 11:1; Isa 53:2); and even when applied to David and Solomon, in 2Sa 3:39; 1Ch 22:5; 1Ch 29:1, expresses not their youthfulness, but their want of strength for the proper administration of such a government. The high mountain, described in Eze 17:23 as the high mountain of Israel, is Zion, regarded as the seat and centre of the kingdom of God, which is to be exalted by the Messiah above all the mountains of the earth (Isa 2:2, etc.). The twig planted by the Lord will grow there into a glorious cedar, under which all birds will dwell. The Messiah grows into a cedar in the kingdom founded by Him, in which all the inhabitants of the earth will find both food (from the fruits of the tree) and protection (under its shadow). For this figure, compare Dan 4:8-9. , birds of every kind of plumage (cf. Eze 39:4, Eze 39:17), is derived from Gen 7:14, where birds of every kind find shelter in Noah’s ark. The allusion is to men from every kind of people and tribe. By this will all the trees of the field learn that God lowers the lofty and lifts up the lowly. As the cedar represents the royal house of David, the trees of the field can only be the other kings or royal families of the earth, not the nations outside the limits of the covenant. At the same time, the nations are not to be entirely excluded because the figure of the cedars embraces the idea of the kingdom, so that the trees of the field denote the kingdoms of the earth together with their kings. The clauses, “I bring down the high tree,” contain a purely general thought, as in 1Sa 2:7-8, and the perfects are not to be taken as preterites, but as statements of practical truths. It is true that the thought of the royal house of David in its previous greatness naturally suggests itself in connection with the high and green tree, and that of Jehoiachin in connection with the dry tree (compare Jer 22:30); and these are not to be absolutely set aside. At the same time, the omission of the article from and the objects which follow, is sufficient to show that the words are not to be restricted to these particular persons, but are applicable to every high and green, or withered and lowly tree; i.e., not merely to kings alone, but to all men in common, and furnish a parallel to 1Sa 2:4-9, “The bows of the mighty men are broken; and they that stumbled are girded with strength,” etc.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| Promises of Mercy. | B. C. 593. |
22 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon a high mountain and eminent: 23 In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. 24 And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.
When the royal family of Judah was brought to desolation by the captivity of Jehoiachin and Zedekiah it might be asked, “What has now become of the covenant of royalty made with David, that his children should sit upon his throne for evermore? Do the sure mercies of David prove thus unsure?” To this it is sufficient for the silencing of the objectors to answer that the promise was conditional. If they will keep my covenant, then they shall continue, Ps. cxxxii. 12. But David’s posterity broke the condition, and so forfeited the promise. But the unbelief of man shall not invalidate the promise of God. He will find out another seed of David in which it shall be accomplished; and that is promised in these verses.
I. The house of David shall again be magnified, and out of its ashes another phoenix shall arise. The metaphor of a tree, which was made us of in the threatening, is here presented in the promise, Eze 17:22; Eze 17:23. This promise had its accomplishment in part when Zerubbabel, a branch of the house of David, was raised up to head the Jews in their return out of captivity, and to rebuild the city and temple and re-establish their church and state; but it was to have its full accomplishment in the kingdom of the Messiah, who was a root out of a dry ground, and to whom God, according to promise, gave the throne of his father David, Luke i. 32. 1. God himself undertakes the reviving and restoring of the house of David. Nebuchadnezzar was the great eagle that had attempted the re-establishing of the house of David in a dependence upon him, v. 5. But the attempt miscarried; his plantation withered and was plucked up. “Well,” says God, “the next shall be of my planting: I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar and I will set it.” Note, As men have their designs, God also has his designs; but his will prosper when theirs are blasted. Nebuchadnezzar prided himself in setting up kingdoms at his pleasure, Dan. v. 19. But those kingdoms soon had an end, whereas the God of heaven sets up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, Dan. ii. 44. 2. The house of David is revived in a tender one cropped from the top of his young twigs. Zerubbabel was so; that which was hopeful in him was but the day of small things (Zech. iv. 10), yet before him great mountains were made plain. Our Lord Jesus was the highest branch of the high cedar, the furthest of all from the root (for soon after he appeared the house of David was all cut off and extinguished), but the nearest of all to heaven, for his kingdom was not of this world. He was taken from the top of the young twigs, for he is the man, the branch, a tender plant, and a root out of a dry ground (Isa. liii. 2), but a branch of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. 3. This branch is planted in a high mountain (v. 22), in the mountain of the height of Israel, v. 23. Thither he brought Zerubbabel in triumph; there he raised up his son Jesus, sent him to gather the lost sheep of the house of Israel that were scattered upon the mountains, set him his king upon his holy hill of Zion, sent forth the gospel from Mount Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem; there, in the height of Israel, a nation which all its neighbours had an eye upon as conspicuous and illustrious, was the Christian church first planted. The churches of Judea were the most primitive churches. The unbelieving Jews did what they could to prevent its being planted there; but who can pluck up what God will plant? 4. Thence it spreads far and wide. The Jewish state, though it began very low in Zerubbabel’s time, was set as a tender branch, which might easily be plucked up, yet took root, spread strangely, and after some time became very considerable; those of other nations, fowl of every wing, put themselves under the protection of it. The Christian church was at first like a grain of mustard-seed, but became, like this tender branch, a great tree, its beginning small, but its latter end increasing to admiration. When the Gentiles flocked into the church then did the fowl of every wing (even the birds of prey, which those preyed upon, as the wolf and the lamb feeding together, Isa. xi. 6) come and dwell under the shadow of this goodly cedar. See Dan. iv. 21.
II. God himself will herein be glorified, v. 24. The setting up of the Messiah’s kingdom in the world shall discover more clearly than ever to the children of men that God is the King of all the earth, Ps. xlvii. 7. Never was there a more full conviction given of this truth, that all things are governed by an infinitely wise and mighty Providence, than that which was given by the exaltation of Christ and the establishment of his kingdom among men; for by that it appeared that God has all hearts in his hand, and the sovereign disposal of all affairs. All the trees of the field shall know, 1. That the tree which God will have to be brought down, and dried up, shall be so, though it be ever so high and stately, ever so green and flourishing. Neither honour nor wealth, neither external advancements nor internal endowments, will secure men from humbling withering providence. 2. That the tree which God will have to be exalted, and to flourish, shall so be, shall so do, though ever so low, and ever so dry. The house of Nebuchadnezzar, that now makes so great a figure, shall be extirpated, and the house of David, that now makes so mean a figure, shall become famous again; and the Jewish nation, that is now despicable, shall be considerable. The kingdom of Satan, that has borne so long, so large, a sway, shall be broken, and the kingdom of Christ, that was looked upon with contempt, shall be established. The Jews, who, in respect of church-privileges, had been high and green, shall be thrown out, and the Gentiles, who had been low and dry trees, shall be taken in their room, Isa. liv. 1. All the enemies of Christ shall be abased and made his footstool, and his interests shall be confirmed and advanced: I the Lord have spoken (it is the decree, the declared decree, that Christ must be exalted, must be the headstone of the corner), and I have done it, that is, I will do it in due time, but it is as sure to be done as if it were done already. With men saying and doing are two things, but they are not so with God. What he has spoken we may be sure that he will do, nor shall one iota or tittle of his word fall to the ground, for he is not a man, that he should lie, or the son of man, that he should repent either of his threatenings or of his promises.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
RESTORATION OF DAVID’S HOUSE
Verses 22-24:
Verse 22 calls upon Ezekiel to declare that the Lord would take of the highest branch of the high cedar and set it; Then He would crop off of the top twigs of that high cedar and plant a tender one upon an high and eminent mountain. The cedar was the house of David. The sprout was Zedekiah who by his rebellion would be cut off, lose his sovereignty, bringing judgment upon the house of Judah, but not totally destroying her, Gen 49:10. The tender one from among the twigs seems to be a prophecy of our Lord, as a sprout, or root out of dry ground, Psa 2:6; Isa 11:1; Isa 53:2; Isa 63:5; Jer 23:5; Zec 3:8.
Verse 23 declares that the Lord would plant that one is the height of the mountain of Israel, even Mt Zion, Psa 48:3; Eze 20:40; Isa 2:2-3; Mic 4:1. This is to be realized in the golden millennial age, yet to come, perhaps not far away: This tree is to be evergreen, bearing food of fruit of every need. Under her branches of protection will come to dwell, or reside and trust, every kind of fowl from Eden’s garden, Eze 31:6; Dan 4:8-9; Dan 4:12; Gen 7:14. Perhaps this also alludes to men from every nation and tribe on earth, Mat 13:32; Eze 31:6; Dan 4:12.
Verse 24 concludes that all the trees (governors or rulers) will come to know at that time that He, as Lord, has: a) brought down the high tree, b) exalted the low tree, and made the dry tree to flourish, as Lord and Life-giver of all creation, Act 17:27-29. God brings down the mighty and lifts up the lowly among men and nations to the degree that they reverence and obey Him, Luk 18:18; Jas 4:6; Jas 4:10; 1Pe 5:6; Dan 2:44; Dan 5:19; Dan 5:22.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Here the Prophet begins to treat of the restoration of the nation and kingdom. Thus this prophecy without doubt refers to Christ, because although in some sense God had pity on the people when they enjoyed the liberty of returning under Cyrus and Darius, yet what is here written was never fully exhibited except under Christ. It is indeed true, as I have elsewhere expressed, that when the prophets promise restoration to the Church, that they do not restrict their discourse to the person of Christ, but begin with the return of the people for that was the beginning of the full and solid liberty which was at length made manifest in Christ. And Christian writers have erred in urging so precisely that anything said about the restitution of the Church must be understood of the person of Christ, and thus they make themselves ridiculous to the Jews. But, as it has been said already, as often as the Prophets hold out the hope of liberty to the elect and the faithful, they embrace the whole of the time from the return of the people, or from the end of their exile to the end of the kingdom of Christ. When, therefore, the reign of Christ is treated, we must date its commencement from the period of the building of the temple after the people’s return from their seventy years captivity: and then we must take its boundary, not at the ascension of Christ, nor yet in the first or second centuries, but through the whole progress of his kingdom, until he shall appear at the last day. Now let us come to the Prophet’s words, thus says the Lord Jehovah, I will take from the top of the lofty ( or tall) cedar. God pursues the allegory which we saw: for as he said that the top was torn off, or that the highest branch was plucked from the cedar of Lebanon, so he now says, that he would take from the top of the cedar, and after he had plucked or wrenched off a bough, and planted it, such would be the increase, that all the trees would acknowledge that to be a wonderful work. Now this restoration is described to us variously, because after God had spoken of a lofty bough, he descends to a low and abject one; he then pronounces that such should be the beginning of the new kingdom, that he would make the dry tree to bud and humble the lofty one. These things at first sight seem to be opposite to each other, but they agree very well, because God took from the top of a lofty cedar when he planted a new king. For Christ, as respects God’s eternal decree, was always more excellent than heaven and earth; at the same time God afterwards says that he was humble, as he certainly was. But let us follow up the words, I will take, says he, from the top of a lofty cedar, and I will set it: from the top of its twigs I will pluck a tender one, and I will plant it upon a lofty and elevated mountain. Here, as I have said, he speaks of a tall and lofty cedar, and then he speaks of a high branch, but he adds afterwards, I will pluck a tender one from it, by which he means that the twig which he should pluck and plant would be without strength. Here, therefore, is shown the contemptible beginning of the reign of Christ, as the Prophet afterwards more clearly explains himself.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
THE RESTORATION OF DAVIDS HOUSE (Eze. 17:22-24)
EXEGETICAL NOTES.The dire judgments of God which had been foretold will do their awful work. But beyond them, the prophet sees Gods merciful purpose to restore the fallen House of David, in the person of His Messiah. The true twig of the stem of David will spring up and flourish, under whose shadow the whole family of man may dwell in safety.
Eze. 17:22. I also will take of the highest branch of the highest cedar, and will set it. The cedar, as before, is the House of David. That sprout of the House of David, Zedekiah, on account of his rebellion, would lose his sovereignty and bring destruction upon the kingdom of Judah, but Gods kingdom would still be secure. He would fulfil the promise which He had made to the seed of David. I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon a high mountain and eminent. As the highest branch was the furthest from the roots, the reference is to the remote descendants of the royal family, and the tender one beautifully symbolizes the Messiah as the shoot and the sprout, predicted (Isa. 11:1). The high and eminent mountain was Zion (Psa. 2:6). It is here described as the mountain of the height of Israel, as at chap. Eze. 20:40, in reference to Jerusalem, which at the time of the Messiahs advent was to be what it had been, the centre of all the tribes, who, restored to their land, would go up again to the festivals, as they had done before the revolt. It derived its chief glory, however, from its being destined to become the spot where the spiritual kingdom was to be established, and whence it was to extend its blessings throughout the whole world.(Henderson).
Eze. 17:23. In the mountain of the height of Israel. This was Mount Zion regarded as to its spiritual significance. In actual height, it was far behind Lebanon; but it was a symbol of the kingdom of God, the centre from which salvation should go forth (Psa. 48:3; Psa. 68:17). This prophecy reaches it complete fulfilment in the times of the Messiah (Isa. 2:2). The kingdom of God is to be raised to a supremacy above all the kingdoms of the world. And be a goodly cedar; and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell The Messiah grows into a cedar in the kingdom founded by Him, in which all the inhabitants of the earth will find both food (from the fruits of the tree) and protection (under its shadow). For this figure, compare Dan. 4:8-9. Birds of every kind of plumage is derived from Gen. 7:14, where birds of every kind find shelter in Noahs ark. The allusion is to men from every kind of people and tribe.(Keil)
Eze. 17:24. I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree. By this all the trees of the field learn that God lowers the lofty and lifts up the lowly. As the cedar represents the royal house of David, the trees of the field can only be the other kings or royal families of the earth, not the nations outside the limits of the covenant. At the same time, the nations are not to be entirely excluded because the figure of the cedars embraces the idea of the kingdom, so that the trees of the field denote the kingdoms of the earth together with their kings.(Keil.) And have made the dry tree to flourish. The stem of Judah was dry as regards spiritual promise. The genealogy of the Messiah is traced through such names as Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. How despicable soever the kingdom of Christ may appear to a worldly mind, and however small it was at its commencement, it is truly prolific; and while all the glory of earthly kingdoms fades and perishes, it affords refuge and nourishment to man of every colour and every clime.(Henderson.)
HOMILETICS
THE GLORY OF MESSIAHS KINGDOM
I. It is to be erected upon the ruin of the worlds hopes. The prophet had hitherto spoken only of judgments which were to fall upon nations for their sins, and chiefly against Israel for her sin against greater light and privilege. Davids crown is cast to the ground, the kingdom of Judah is undone, all human hope gone. But the prophet now has a brighter vision. He sees the storm-cloud of judgment pass away, and the rainbow of mercy shows itself. From the ruins of the kingdom the family of David is to be revived in the person of the Messiah. It was necessary that there should be a long time of chastisement, affliction, and sorrow, in order to prepare the chosen nation for the purpose of God. And the same preparation for the coming of Messiahs kingdom was equally necessary for the rest of mankind. Christ was to come in the fulness of time, when events were ripe for His coming. It was necessary that the world should have sufficient time to make experiments in order to discover whether men could find all help in themselves. The worlds pride and confidence had to be broken, so that, in the end, it might humble itself under the Cross of Christ, and therein behold the power and the wisdom of God. Two great experiments had to be carried out. The Jew had to find out whether righteousness could come by the law, whether the law could give life, sanctify, and save; or, whether there was not some intractable perversity in mans nature which would baffle all such attempts. The same kind of process had to be carried on in the Jewish nation, which was accomplished in the life of the individual when Saul, the persecutor, was transformed into Paul, the Apostle. He had tried all that the law could do for him, and from his failure, from the wreck of all his hopes he passed into the kingdom of the grace of God. The Gentile had to make his experiment in order to discover, whether man could unfold his own blessedness out of himself; whether art, or philosophy, or political institutions could completely satisfy all the yearnings of his spiritual nature. The heathen world had time enough, and opportunity allowed for this experiment. God had raised up among them men of great parts, and gifts; and strength of will who could attempt this problem, and solve it, had they been able. If the world could have been redeemed by such means, these men could have accomplished its redemption. But all had failed. The histories of the great nations of old furnish a sad illustration of the truth, that the paths of glory lead but to the gravethe grave of political, intellectual, moral conquests and hopes. The prodigal child, far away from his true home, had come to the husks. The soul of man was still hungry. All had failed to satisfy. This was that emptiness of which Christs kingdom of grace was the answering fulness. Out of the wrecks and fragments of the old world was to be built up the new.
II. It is to be an omnipotent kingdom. Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it. I, who am mightier than the royal eagle of Babylon; I, who bore Israel from Egypt as upon eagles wings. I will lay hold of the seed of David, and raise up my Messiah from thence and establish His kingdom. That kingdom should, indeed, advance from weak beginnings, I will crop off from the top of his young twigs, a tender one. But the tree was the planting of the Lord, His omnipotence would uphold it, and it must stand for ever. Christ is to fill all things. And His Church is to be the fulness of Him who filleth all in all (Eph. 1:23).
III. Its rule is to be marked by tenderness. The high cedar. A tender one. The glory of Lebanon is to be added to the lowly but fruitful vine. Majesty wedded to meekness; a kingdom of immortal strength, but founded upon patience (Rev. 1:9). Its victories were to be the victories of the Lamb. The omnipotence and the love of God were to join hands in the religion of mercy which was to be founded upon Calvary (Mat. 12:19-21).
IV. It is to be a wide kingdom. A large fellowship. Under the shadow of this goodly cedar shall dwell all fowl of every wing. None are to be left out. It is written of Zions King that He shall be favourable to the simple and needy, and preserve the souls of the poor. His kingdom shall embrace heaven and earth, reconciling all things. Christianity alone has the proper qualities of an universal religion.
V. It is to be an eternal kingdom. Being planted by God Himself, this kingdom could have in it no seeds of decay. It can never be moved, but must stand as long as the sun and moon endure, and of the increase of it there shall be no end.
VI. It is to bring abasement to all human pride. And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish. Such has ever been the process and the end of the Lord in His dealings with men (1Sa. 2:7-8). The rich tree, boasting and promising so much, is withered (Psa. 37:35-36). The sapless stem shall be revived (Isa. 61:3). It was one of the praises by which the worlds salvation was greeted. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and hath exalted the humble and meek. The conquests of David, and the magnificence of Solomon ended in the humiliation and shame of Zedekiahs reign. But that royal family was raised up again in Christ; and from it sprang Messiah, the King, whose kingdom was destined to put an end to all those of the world which were founded upon force, error, and fraud. The kingdom founded upon love would exalt the good and the true, though in lowly condition; and debase the proud, though surrounded by all the glory which the world could give.
THE TREE CHRIST, WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR US
1. As to its nature.
2. As to its destiny. Summer and winter the cedar is green, and never loses its leaves or its verdure. The everlastingly green Tree of Life is Christ. No wood is more durable; so Christ is the indestructible foundation for our hopes, etc. We are the branches in the cedar of God. Our fruits are Christs, who produces them in us and by us. John and Peter, Paul and James, what boughs in that Cedar! and the fathers and the Reformers, and all believers since. What a Tree! What a green, flourishing, fruit-laden array of branches that which sways around it! What a mighty, densely-foliaged far-shadowing-crown! and in the crown what gales, and zephyrs, and rustlings of holy life and divine love! Here there is promised to Christ and His cause nothing less than final triumph over the whole worldthe pompous glory of Babylon, Egypt, Rome, and Athens, where is it to be found?(Krummacher.)
1. After grievous judgments threatened, God comforts His people. When God should root out Zedekiah and his people the kingdom would be laid waste; the faithful should suffer much, lose estates, friends, liberty, country, temple, ordinances, and worship of God. Now for comfort against all these evils, he tells them of the Messiah. The stem of Jesse seemed to be cut down, and the root of Jesse to be pulled up; but the Lord preserved the root and stem, out of which he brought a rod and a branch for the comfort of the faithful, suffering Jews. This promise of the Branch is often mentioned for the purpose of comfort (Jer. 23:5-6; Jer. 33:15-16; Zec. 3:8; Zec. 6:12-13).
2. The Lord Christ descended from the highest. I will take of the highest branch, etc. He came from the loins of Jeconiah, who was King of Judah, and from fourteen kings before him (Matthew 1). He was the son of nobles, and born a king (Mat. 2:12). He was the first-born of the kings of Judah, the right heir to the kingdom which Herod at that time usurped.
3. The beginnings of Christ were mean and low. I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one. Christ, at first, was as a little tender shoot of a tree set in the earth; and how weak, mean, low, and inconsiderable is such a thing. Such were the beginnings of Christ. He took flesh of a poor virgin, the wife of a carpenter. He was born in a poor village (Mic. 5:2); in a stable, laid in a manger (Luk. 2:7). He was subject to his parents (Luk. 2:51). He lay in the dark till thirty years of age (Luk. 3:23); and then He began with two or three poor fishermen (Mat. 4:18-22); then some others to the number of twelve; and even now, when He seemed to be somebody, He had not a house or bed for Himself or for them (Luk. 9:58). And for His maintenance, it was at the good will of others (Luk. 8:3).
4. The Lord Christ is planted in the Church, and becomes a fruitful and goodly cedar therein. I will plant it upon a high mountain, etc. Christ was planted in Zion, there He grew, there He brought forth fruit. With the timber of this cedar was the Church built, with the fruit of this cedar it is maintained (Isa. 4:2). The branch was Christ, and He should be for beauty and glory to the Church, and the fruit that should come from Him should be excellent. The Church saith, His fruit was sweet to my taste. Wisdom, righteousness, redemption, and sanctification are the fruits of this cedar (1Co. 1:30); the life of the world (Joh. 6:33); the ordinances of the Gospel (Mat. 28:19; 1Co. 1:23); exceeding great and precious promises; reconciliation (Col. 1:20); the gift of the comforter (Joh. 16:7); revelation of the counsels of God (Joh. 15:15); fellowship with the Father and the Son (Joh. 14:9; 1Jn. 1:3); eternal life (Joh. 10:28). Such was the fruit this cedar bore. In the midst of the Church He was planted, fruitful, and sang praise to God (Heb. 2:12). And so high is this cedar grown, that it is now in heaven at the right hand of God (Eph. 1:20-21). The mountain of the Lord is on the top of all mountains, and this cedar on the top of that mountain.
5. There is safety under Christ, He will protect His people from all harms. Under it shall they dwell. Men will not dwell where there is no safety. Those who come under Christs shadow, His power and government, shall dwell there in safety. He will protect His Church, and tread down the enemies thereof, whatever their power, politics, and pretences are. He is a cedar in wisdom (Col. 2:3); a cedar in power (Mat. 28:18); a cedar in His providence and vigilance (Isa. 28:3); hence saith the Church, I sat under His shadow with great delight (Son. 2:3). It is Christ secures from sin, from the wisdom of the flesh, the storms of the world, temptations of hell, and whatever is dangerous Isa. 25:4). If you be under the shadow of this cedar, though the winds blow hard, the floods beat sore, and rain fall with strength, yet you shall be as safe as the house built upon the rock (Mat. 7:24-25).
6. Princes that are haughty and proud, God will bring them down though they be in flourishing conditions. I have brought down the high tree, etc. Zedekiah was a high tree; the king of Judah, and his spirit was high; he hearkened not to the God of Israel, nor to His prophets; he would not keep covenant and promise with the king of Babylon. But God laid the axe to the root of this tree and hewed it down. No trees are so high, but the Lord who is higher than they, can lay them low. Let them be green with boughs, branches, leaves; let them have many soldiers, many counsellors, many kingdoms, all cannot preserve them from ruin. Nebuchadnezzar was a high tree, his top reached to heaven (Dan. 4:11); but, A watcher and a holy one came down from heaven, cried aloud and said, Hew down the tree, cut off his branches, etc. Dan. 4:13-14). There is a watcher who observes the plots and practices of kings, and hews them down at His pleasure. Pharaoh was a high tree, the highest in all Egypt; he said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. Here was pride and cruelty, which usually go together; and what followed hereupon? Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters (Exo. 15:9-10.) Saul was a goodly man, a high tree in Israel; he was proud, cruel, false, disobedient to God; and He rejected him, and cut him down by the Philistines and his own sword (1 Samuel 31). So Ahab (1 Kings 22); Herod (Act. 12:23); Belshazzar (Dan. 5:5; Dan. 5:22-23; Dan. 5:30). The Lord hath days and times to reckon with the high and haughty ones (Isa. 10:33-34; Isa. 2:12-17).
7. How low soever the conditions of kingdoms, families, or persons are, God is able to raise them. I have exalted the low tree, etc. The kingdom of Judah, the house of David, the person of Jeconiah, were very low in Babylon, like low shrubs, dry trees. But God exalted them, and brought a glorious kingdom and a church out of those low beginnings. Was not Christ like a low and dry tree, when He lay in the loins of Jeconiah, a prisoner, a captive; when He lay in the womb of the Virgin; hewed timber, made houses for His living; especially when He was cut down and laid in the heart of the earth? Was He not a dry tree then? But God exalted Him, set Him at His right hand; and Peter proclaimed it (Act. 2:33; Act. 2:36).
8. God will do all these things so eminently that the world shall take notice, and be filled with the glory thereof. And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the Lord, etc. Not only the orchard trees, but the field trees, not domestic alone, but wild ones. Men shall fear and hide themselves, for the glory of His Majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth (Isa. 2:19)(Greenhill.)
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
V. MESSIAH: THE STATELY CEDAR 17:2224
TRANSLATION
(22) Thus says the Lord GOD: Moreover I, even I, will take of the top of the lofty cedar, and I will set it; and I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs, a tender one, and I will plant it upon a high and eminent mountain; (23) in the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs and produce fruit, and it shall be a glorious cedar; and under it shall dwell every bird of every wing in the shadow of its branches shall they dwell. (24) And all the trees of the field shall know that I the LORD have brought low the high tree, have exalted the low tree, and have dried up the green tree, and I have caused the withered tree to flourish; I the LORD have spoken and done it.
COMMENTS
The message of doom in the preceding parable and application is tempered by a word of hope in Eze. 17:22-24. God in His sovereign grace is about to act. Nebuchadnezzar had cut a twig from the cedar and had removed it to far off Babylon (cf. Eze. 17:3 f,). But God would now cut a twig from that same royal cedar tree and plant it upon a high mountain (Eze. 17:22). The basic idea is that the Davidic dynasty would be reinstated and would achieve a prominence which it had not heretofore enjoyed. The Messiah King of the house of David is in view here.[328] Jesus of Nazareth now occupies the throne of God and rules over the New Israel of God,
[328] Some interpret this as a reference to the restoration under Zerubbabel, a descendant of Jehoiachin. But Zerubbabel was never a king.
The Messianic twig would be prominent, planted in the high mountain of Israel. The cedar Messianic Jerusalem, the church of Christ would be stately, i.e., dignified. It would bear fruit. The Messiah heads a royal family of kings and priests (1Pe. 2:9). Many birds (different nations) would place themselves under the protection of this Messianic Monarch (verse 23). The high trees proud kingdoms of Ezekiels day would be cut down or dry up. The low tree Gods people would be exalted under the leadership of the Messiah. All peoples would then realize that it is by the will of God that the haughty are humbled and the debased exalted (verse 29),
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(22) I will also take.In what has passed all has been done according to Gods will, but yet through human instrumentality: Israel has been punished, Jehoiachin has been, and Zedekiah is about to be, carried into captivity, as God designed; yet Nebuchadnezzar has done it all for his own purposes. Now God Himself directly interposes, and takes a scion of the same high cedar, the royal house of David. In accordance with the allegory, this can only be an his tropical personage, and from the description which follows, this person can only be the Messiah. So it has been understood by nearly all interpreters, Jewish and Christian.
A tender one.This epithet is used of the Messiah in reference to the lowliness of His immediate human origin and condition. (Comp. Isa. 53:2.) David applies the same expression to himself (2Sa. 3:39), and to Solomon (1Ch. 22:5; 1Ch. 29:1), in reference to their want of strength for the work required of them as the heads of Israel. This figure of the Messiah as a scion of the royal tree of David, though naturally growing out of the allegory here, had been used by the prophets long before, as in Isa. 11:1, and the name the Branch had almost become a distinctive title for Him (Isa. 4:2; Jer. 23:5, &c).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
22. I will also take and will plant Jehovah will do better than Nebuchadnezzar and better than Pharaoh-Hophra. (See Eze 17:3.) The Babylonian king failed in his attempt to make the kingdom of Israel “stand,” and the Egyptian king was a weak ally, but Jehovah will not fail.
The most learned Jewish rabbis have always interpreted this of the kingdom of the coming Messiah.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh, “I will also take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it. I will crop off from the topmost of his young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a high and eminent mountain. In the mountain of the house of Israel will I plant it, and it will bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar. And under it will dwell all fowl of every wing. They will dwell in the shadow of its branches.” ’
In Eze 17:4 the topmost of the young twigs represented Jehoiachin. Thus here we have a prophecy of the rise of the future expected Davidic king (Eze 34:23; Eze 37:24; Isa 9:6-7; Isa 11:1-5; Jer 23:5-6), partially fulfilled in Zerubbabel, but only finding its final fulfilment in Jesus Christ. This young twig will be planted in the mountain of the house of Israel, thus he will grow from a nation of Israel again established in the land.
The fact that it comes from the top of a lofty cedar, and is planted on a high and eminent mountain stresses his greatness and pre-eminence. He will grow and prosper and achieve pre-eminence for he will bring forth boughs and bear fruit and be a goodly cedar. And all birds of every kind will dwell in his branches, a picture of all nations finding shelter in him. Compare Mat 13:2 where this refers to the Kingly Rule of God introduced by Jesus.
It is significant that Ezekiel does not make the mountain of the house of Israel more specifically the mountain of Yahweh’s house as earlier prophets do (Isa 2:2; Mic 4:1), as many commentators do here. But ‘the mountain’ regularly means the hill country stretching from Galilee in the north to Judah in the south. The idea of the temple being central is deliberately avoided. It is the king who is central.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 17:22-23. I will also take, &c. I will also take of a branch of the high cedar, and I will give out from the top of his young suckers a tender twig: I will crop it off, and will plant it, &c. Eze 17:23. In the mountain, &c. And it shall send forth shoots, and give blossoms, and grow up to a good cedar, Houbigant. We have here a striking promise of the restoration and establishment of the kingdom of Judah. The terms in which the prophesy is conceived, agree only with the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. In vain do the Jews pretend to explain them of Zerubbabel, or of the Maccabees: the state of the Jews, under both one and the other, was by no means proportioned to the expressions which we read here. Who ever saw in their person, a cedar planted upon a high mountain, which became fruitful, and shot forth its branches on all sides, stretching itself out in such a manner that the birds came and reposed under its shadow? Nothing of all this corresponds properly to any but Jesus Christ, who collected together in his church, and under his empire, all the birds of heaven; that is to say, all those who through grace arose above earthly things, and attached themselves to God alone by the profession and possession of Christianity. And why may not this prophesy have a reference to the increase of this church and empire to the end of time? See Calmet.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 1106
PARABLE OF THE TWIG OF A CEDAR PLANTED IN THE HEIGHT OF ISRAEL
Eze 17:22-24. Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and wilt plant it upon an high mountain and eminent: in the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know, that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.
THE promises of God to his Church are not unfrequently connected with, and, as it were, made to arise out of, his judgments denounced against his enemies. Of this we have a very striking example in the chapter before us, where the very images which are used to represent the guilt and punishment of the king of Judah are employed to prefigure the establishment and increase of the Church of Christ.
To understand the text aright, the preceding context should be considered.
The prophet was commanded to deliver a riddle, or parable, that should set forth the conduct of the Jewish people in a mysterious, but just, light: and then, lest it should not be fully understood, he was to give them the true interpretation of it. Nebuchadnezzar, having taken Jeconiah king of Judah and all his princes captive to Babylon, would not entirely destroy Jerusalem, but made Mattaniah (whom he named Zedekiah) king in the place of Jeconiah his uncle, and suffered him to enjoy all the rights and honours of royalty, on the express condition of his holding them, not as an independent sovereign, but as tributary to the king of Babylon. All this was quite a gratuitous act; and it lay Zedekiah under the strongest obligations to fulfil towards his benefactor all the engagements that he had entered into, more especially as they were confirmed by a solemn oath. But Zedekiah, unmindful of his oaths, sought the aid of the king of Egypt, that so he might be delivered from what he considered as a disgraceful vassalage, and enjoy a sovereignty independent and uncontrolled. This treachery is represented by God under the image of a twig, cropt off a lofty cedar by a great eagle, and planted by him in a fruitful field, and growing so as to be highly respectable, though inferior in grandeur to the parent stock. This young cedar, dissatisfied with its state, spreads its roots towards another great eagle, (the king of Egypt,) in hopes that through his influence it shall attain a far greater eminence and fertility. But God, whose oath was thereby violated, declared, that the attempt should not prosper, but that, on the contrary, the perjured monarch, who was thus described, should bring ruin, irreparable ruin, on his own head [Note: This was preached within about three weeks of Buonaparte being sent to St. Helena. The extraordinary resemblance between his fate and Zedekiahs, as well as of the grounds and occasions of it, cannot fail to strike the attentive reader, who compares them together. See ver. 1821.]. From hence it might be supposed, that Davids throne should never be re-established; but God promises, under precisely the same figure that had been employed to represent these things, that he will restore the kingdom of David, partly under Zerubbabel, but principally under the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ; and that, instead of being ever subverted, like the Jewish polity, or the kingdoms of this world, it shall stand for ever and ever, a glorious monument of his power and truth.
We propose to consider this prophecy,
I.
As already accomplished
The Church, though low in its origin, is become exceeding great
[The Lord Jesus Christ, the Founder of it, was brought into the world when the family of David was reduced to a very low and abject state. He is fitly called A rod out of the stem of Jesse [Note: Isa 11:1.], that grew up as a tender plant, as a root out of a dry ground [Note: Isa 53:2.]. During the whole time of his sojourning on earth, he existed in a state of the deepest humiliation: and his Church which he established, consisted only of himself and a few poor fishermen. However, this twig, being planted in the height of Israel, grew, and brought forth boughs, and bare fruit, and speedily became a goodly cedar. Great and vehement were the storms which menaced its existence; but it withstood them all; and in a little time it spread its branches throughout all the Roman empire. Then birds of every wing (that is, Jews and Gentiles) came to dwell under its shadow, and to be nourished by its fruits. At this hour its growth is visible from year to year: and in due season it will fill the whole earth, and be the one centre of union, and source of happiness, to all mankind.]
And thus far God is greatly glorified in it
[Every tree of the field must know whose work this is, and to whom all the glory of it belongs. Who can survey the Church in its infancy, and not wonder that it was not rooted up as soon as ever it was planted? Every arm was lifted up against it: all the powers of the world combined for its destruction; and not one friend or ally was found for it on the face of the whole earth. The great empires of the world, the Assyrian, Chaldean, Persian, Grecian, Roman, all successively fell to ruin, notwithstanding the efforts made for their preservation: but the Church, without any sword but the word of God, or any shield that was visible to human eyes, stood, and stands to this day, deriding all the efforts of men or devils to subvert it. Who then, we would ask, Who is it that has thus brought down the high tree, and exalted the low? Who is it that has thus dried up the green tree, and made the dry tree to flourish? Is not all this the work of God? Verily, the burning bush has been a just and lively exhibition of the Church in every age: God was in it, and therefore it was not consumed. In like manner we may speak of every individual branch or twig that grows upon this tree; Who is it that has preserved even the meanest of the saints, in the midst of all the difficulties and trials he has had to contend with? Must it not be said of all, He that hath wrought us to the self-same thing is God? Yes, in every tree of righteousness which is the planting of the Lord, God, and God alone, must be glorified [Note: Isa 60:21; Isa 61:3.]. If St. Paul himself was constrained to say, Not I, but the grace of God that was with me, it will scarcely be thought that any one else can arrogate to himself the honour of his own growth, stability, or fruitfulness.]
Gloriously as this prophecy has been already fulfilled, it should be contemplated by us,
II.
As yet further to be accomplished
The Church will doubtless be yet more widely extended through the earth
[In truth, this cedar has attained at present but a small measure of its destined growth. It is but in a small part of the world that even the name of Christ is known: and, where his religion is professed, there are but few, very few indeed, who experience its renovating power. But it shall not be always thus: the time is coming when he will multiply them that they shall not be few, and will glorify them that they shall not be small [Note: Jer 30:18-19.] Then, in a far different sense from what can be affixed to the words at this time, shall it be said, that fowl of every wing come to dwell under the shadow of this goodly cedar; for all shall know the Lord, from the least even to the greatest: all kings shall fall down before him, all nations shall serve him: the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.]
Then shall God be more abundantly glorified in it
[The whole Church, and every individual in it, is to God for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory. It is in his hands a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty [Note: Isa 62:3.]. But how greatly will his power and goodness appear, when all flesh shall see the salvation of God, yea, and actually enjoy it! If now, when the attainments of his people are so low, he is honoured, how will he be glorified when the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun sevenfold, as the light of seven days! And how will he be exalted in that day, when all his saints from the beginning of the world shall be gathered in one bright assembly, and shall join together in one general chorus; how, I say, will he then be glorified in his saints, and admired in all that believe! ]
Viewing now the Lord Jesus Christ, or rather his holy religion, as this goodly cedar, let us, in conclusion,
1.
Come and rest under his shadow
[Verily there is no rest for us any where else: we are like the dove which Noah sent forth from the ark, and which could find no rest for the sole of her foot but in the ark itself. But if we feel our need of a Saviour, if we are sensible that without an interest in him we must for ever perish, then let us attend to his inviting voice, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest! ]
2.
Give him the glory of all the rest we enjoy
[Nothing can be more offensive to God than the sacrificing to our own net, and burning incense to our own drag. This is a provocation which God will not endure: he will not give his glory to another, nor will he suffer any flesh to glory in his presence. Let us in particular remember, that by the law of faith, that is, by the Gospel, boasting is, and must for ever be, excluded. For the Saviour that he has given, for the inclination and ability which we have to trust in him, and for all the grace that we have derived from him, we must say, Not unto me, O Lord, but unto thy name be the praise. Let us remember, that by covenant and by oath we are bound to trust in him alone: let us not then, like Zedekiah, be bending our roots towards any other, or be looking to any other confidence; but let us seek to please him only whose servants we are, and to glorify him only who hath done so great things for us.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Reader! how refreshing is it, after going through a long chapter full of the history of the perfidy and baseness of man, to come to a portion of it, however short, yet full of grace, to show the goodness and loving-kindness of God. Not more grateful to the parched traveler over a long and dreary desert, is it, when he meets with a cooling stream. We have here the Lord’s gracious provision for the recovery of his people, when to all human appearance the whole seed of Israel was destroyed. The Lord calls upon the Church to attend to his promise concerning it. There shall be deliverance, for the highest branch of the cedar of Lebanon is still left, and which shall be planted. This shall become a goodly tree full of branches. Under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing. And though now the Church is in Babylon, this branch shall be planted in the mountain of the height of Israel. And to give certainty to the promise, the Lord saith, that He will plant it; yea, that all the trees of the field shall know it. Reader! see, behold, and admire, with thankfulness and praise, how, under this similitude, Jesus, that plant of renown, is promised. And do not fail to remark, under the figure, the many delightful features of the Lord’s Christ, which point to His person, and offices, and character. And how fully is the whole made to answer in the Church of the Lord, when, in the use of ordinances and means of grace, the people of Jesus sit down under His shadow with great delight, and find His fruit sweet to their taste. Truly hath God the Holy Ghost recorded it of Him, that His branches shall spread, and His beauty shall be as the olive tree, and His smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under His shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the vine of Lebanon. Hos 14:6-7 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Eze 17:22 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set [it]; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant [it] upon an high mountain and eminent:
Ver. 22. I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar. ] a Understand this great and precious promise of Zerubbabel and his successors, but especially of Christ and his kingdom. How oft in the prophets is he styled the “branch.” Isa 11:1 And how ordinary is it with God, after dreadful threats against the wicked, to come in with his attamen nevertheless for the comfort of his elect, who in their deepest distress have cause enough to encourage themselves in the Lord Christ their God, as did David at the sack of Ziklag. 1Sa 30:6 Here they are excited, in the loss of all else, to fetch comfort from Christ’s descent from David, his exaltation to the kingdom of the Church universal, his bounty and benefits, his bringing in the fulness of the Gentiles, and his setting forth of his Father’s glory.
A tender one.
And will plant it.
a Insignis est haec prophetia. – Lavat.
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Eze 17:22-24
22Thus says the Lord GOD, I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches. 24All the trees of the field will know that I am the LORD; I bring down the high tree, exalt the low tree, dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it.
Eze 17:22-23 Again, at the end of a judgment oracle there is hope for a future for YHWH’s covenant people (cf. Eze 16:60-63).
Eze 17:22 young twigs a tender one The concept of a shoot, stem, or branch (cf. Isa 11:1) becomes a Messianic symbol of the restoration of the Davidic seed (cf. 2 Samuel 9; Psalms 89). The Branch (cf. Isa 4:2; Isa 11:1; Isa 53:2; Jer 23:5; Jer 33:15; Zec 3:8; Zec 6:12; Act 13:23; Rom 15:12) becomes the hope of all mankind for God to fulfill His promises to Israel and to the nations! Remember Gen 3:15 is a promise to humanity made in YHWH’s image, not Israel!
on a high and lofty mountain This refers to the supremacy of God’s universal rule (cf. Mic 5:5) through His people (cf. Isa 2:2-4; Mic 4:1-4).
Eze 17:23 birds of every kind This is a universal element, as is all the trees of the field in Eze 17:24. Isaiah captures this same planting metaphor that reaches all the world in Isa 27:6. YHWH has an eternal redemptive plan for all the sons and daughters of Adam, not just Jacob’s children!
Eze 17:24 YHWH describes His control of His creation in a series of plant metaphors.
1. I bring down the high tree
2. I exalt the low tree (i.e., here)
3. I dry up the green tree
4. I make the dry tree flourish
Examples of #1,3 would be Egypt in Ezekiel 31 and Babylon in Daniel 4. An example of #2,4 would be the promises to restore Israel/Judah (Eze 16:60-63; Eze 17:24). In the NT the mustard seed and resulting bush become the symbol of a universal tree (cf. Mat 13:31-32; Mar 4:30-32; Luk 13:18-19. Also note Dan 4:12; Dan 4:21), which is the kingdom of our God and His Christ!
The final statement, I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will perform it, is a key theological statement. Humans can depend on God’s word, both His judgments and His promises! He is the creator and controller of all life! History/time are in His hands (cf. Eze 12:25; Eze 12:28; Eze 22:14; Isa 14:24; Isa 55:11)!
the highest branch. Sets forth the restoration of the kingdom in the Messiah.
branch. Compare Jer 23:5, Jer 23:6; Jer 33:15. Zec 3:8; Zec 6:12; and Isa 4:2.
a tender one. Compare Isa 11:1; Isa 53:1, Isa 53:2, The Chaldee Targum interprets this of the Messiah. Those who interpret this of Zedekiah’s “younger daughter” are guilty of substituting her for the Messiah Himself; Whose future kingdom is to be “in the mountain of the height of Israel”, and not in any other country; or, during the present dispensation. See notes on or Eze 23:24.
Eze 17:22-24
Eze 17:22-24
“Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I will take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it upon a high and lofty mountain: in the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all birds of every wing; in the shade of the branches thereof shall they dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know that I, Jehovah, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I, Jehovah, have spoken and have done it.”
“This prophecy was fulfilled only in a Messianic sense. “We have here a striking prediction of the kingdom of Messiah. May noted that this scripture corresponds, “with the common designation of the Messiah as the Branch.
There is actually another parable here, using the same figures with different interpretations from the same figures in the first part of the chapter. “The `tender one’ taken from the topmost twigs is the Messiah of the house of David (Jer 23:5 f; Jer 33:15). Other Biblical examples of kingdoms sheltering beasts and birds are in Eze 31:6; Eze 31:12; Dan 4:12; Dan 4:21; and Mar 4:32.
The promise here revealed that God would indeed honor all of the sacred promises to David, but that he would do so with entirely different personnel from that of the apostate Israel as represented by the unfaithful and treacherous Zedekiah.
“All the trees of the field” (Eze 17:24). “These are the rulers of the world and the nations governed by them. The world-wide acceptance of Christ in his Messianic rule is indicated by this, but not in the sense that “the nations” shall be incorporated into God’s kingdom.
Unfaithful Jerusalem – Eze 15:1 to Eze 17:24
Open It
1. What is one of your favorite love stories? Why?
2. In what ways are you most like one or both of your parents?
Explore It
3. Why did God vow to treat the remnant of His people in Jerusalem like a vine thrown into the fire? (Eze 15:6-8)
4. What reception did the allegorical Jerusalem get at the time of her birth? (Eze 16:3-5)
5. Into what relationship did God enter with the woman when she was grown? (Eze 16:8)
6. How are Gods blessings to His people described in the allegory Ezekiel told? (Eze 16:9-14)
7. How did Jerusalem respond to Gods love and her good fortune? (Eze 16:15-19)
8. With what nations did Jerusalem prostitute herself? (Eze 16:23-29)
9. What punishment does God detail for Jerusalems unfaithfulness? (Eze 16:35-43)
10. How would God reverse the fortunes of the Jews and the Canaanites in order to humble them? (Eze 16:53-58)
11. What did God promise to do for Israel in the final analysis? (Eze 16:59-63)
12. What is described in the parable told by Ezekiel? (Eze 17:1-6)
13. How did the vine respond to the appearance of another eagle? (Eze 17:7-8)
14. What fate did God predict for the “unfaithful” vine? (Eze 17:9-10)
15. How did God explain the allegory of the two eagles and the vine? (Eze 17:11-15)
16. What did God say would happen to the king who turned to Egypt for help? (Eze 17:16-21)
17. After all of this destruction, what did God intend to do with a “shoot”? (Eze 17:22-24)
Get It
18. How can some woods be useful even after they are burned?
19. According to the parable of the baby turned woman, what chance did Jerusalem have to thrive apart from Gods grace and favor?
20. What were the allegorical equivalents of some of the blessings enjoyed by Jerusalem as Gods people?
21. In what ways is idolatry portrayed in the parable of the woman?
22. What do you think is the greatest condemnation in the parable of the woman?
23. How do you imagine it felt to Jews to be compared unfavorably to Sodom?
24. What will likely happen if we seek earthly recourse for the bad circumstances God has allowed to happen to us?
25. How can we be certain that God will carry through on His words?
Apply It
26. How many ways can you list that God has blessed you as He blessed Israel?
27. How can you guard against the temptation to seek earthly allies rather than turning to God?
highest: Eze 34:29, Psa 80:15, Isa 4:2, Isa 11:1-5, Jer 23:5, Jer 23:6, Jer 33:15, Jer 33:16, Zec 3:8, Zec 4:12-14, Zec 6:12, Zec 6:13
a tender: Isa 53:2
upon: Eze 20:40, Eze 40:2, Psa 2:6, Psa 72:16, Isa 2:2, Isa 2:3, Dan 2:35, Dan 2:44, Dan 2:45, Mic 4:1
Reciprocal: 1Ch 16:33 – the trees Job 14:9 – and bring Isa 30:25 – upon every high Isa 41:19 – plant Eze 21:27 – until Eze 31:3 – a cedar Eze 31:9 – all the trees Hos 14:5 – cast Mic 5:2 – yet Mar 4:31 – is less than Luk 1:32 – give Luk 13:19 – and it Luk 24:44 – in the prophets Act 15:16 – build again the tabernacle Act 26:6 – the promise
Eze 17:22-24. These verses should he grouped in a bracket and given a twofold interpretation. The first is a prediciton of the return of Gods people from captivity. The second is a prediction of Christ as King and Redeemer over all earth spiritually.
Eze 17:22-23. I will also take of the highest branch, &c. God, having spoken of Jerusalem, in the first part of this chapter, under the figure of a cedar, and the king of it as the highest branch of the cedar, here carries his view to farther scenes, and, after having acquainted his prophet with the fate of Zedekiah, informs him, that as Nebuchadnezzar had taken of the seed of the land, (or the king,) and planted it, so he himself would take of the highest branch of the cedar and set it, &c. This appears plainly to be a prediction of the restoration of the royal family of David; and it was in some degree fulfilled at the return from the captivity, when Zerubbabel, of the lineage of David, had a shadow of kingly authority among the Jews, and by his means their state was again restored. But if the words be properly examined, the expressions will be found to be such as, in their full sense, can only belong to Christ and his kingdom, which shall be extended over all the world. I will crop off from the young twigs a tender one This may fitly be applied to our Saviour, in respect to the low estate to which the family of David was then reduced, and the meanness of Christs outward condition and appearance: see Isa 53:2. And will plant it upon a high mountain Upon mount Zion, a type of the gospel church; and eminent Not for outward splendour, but for spiritual advantages. In the mountain of the height of Israel In Jerusalem, the capital city of my people, will I plant it I will make him ruler of my church. He alludes to the temple placed on mount Moriah, a part of mount Zion, thence styled Gods holy mountain; which expression is often used in the prophets to denote the Christian Church, which is described as a city set on a hill, and conspicuous to all the world. And it shall bring forth boughs Have many members and subjects; and bear fruit Do much good. The living members of the church are often compared to fruitful trees and flourishing branches. And be a goodly cedar The most happy society in the world, Deu 33:29; Psa 144:15. And under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing Persons of all nations shall become members of it. A powerful, especially if it be a mild government, is a shelter and security to all its subjects: compare Eze 31:6; Dan 4:12. Such shall the kingdom of Christ be to all that submit themselves to his laws.
17:22 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch {n} of the high cedar, and will set [it]; I will crop off from the {o} top of its young twigs a tender one, and will plant [it] upon an high mountain and eminent:
(n) This promise is made to the Church which will be as a small remnant, and as the top of a tree.
(o) I will trim it, and dress it.
The theological epilogue to the riddle 17:22-24
Like the preceding parable, this one also ends with a promise of hope (cf. Eze 16:60-63).
The Lord Himself would also snip a tender twig from the top of the tall cedar tree that represented the Davidic line of kings. (The eagle is no longer Nebuchadnezzar but Yahweh in this parable.) Yahweh would plant this twig on a high mountain in Israel so that it would grow there, produce sheltering boughs, and bear fruit. Birds of every kind would come and take refuge in its shady branches. People would dwell securely under the protection of this great kingdom (cf. Hos 14:5-7; Dan 4:12; Dan 4:21; Mat 13:32; Mar 4:32). [Note: For discussion of the ancient mythological "cosmic tree," of which Ezekiel’s tree is a variation, see Block, The Book . . ., p. 551.]
"Israel will protect surrounding nations rather than being their pawn. . . .
"Ezekiel compared God’s future actions to those of the two eagles (Babylon and Egypt) already mentioned. Neither of those eagles had been able to provide the security and prosperity Israel desperately longed for, but God would succeed where they had failed." [Note: Dyer, "Ezekiel," p. 1259.]
The tender twig seems clearly to be a messianic reference (cf. Isa 11:1; Jer 23:5-6; Jer 33:14-16; Zec 3:8; Zec 6:12-13). The high mountain is probably Mount Zion, the place where Messiah will set up His throne in the Millennium (cf. Psa 2:6). Then the cedar tree (messianic kingdom) will be very stately and fruitful.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)