The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 1 — Section 304

ln its meo.ning, as in eh. xvi. 29), i.e. to the Revised Version, fresh-springing leaves; Bnbylon, 11s pre-eminently the merchant- or, the leaves of her sprouling. Tho Autho- city of the time. Thie, ol' course, refers to rized Version and the Revised Version of the Nebuchadnezzo.r's deportation of Jeconiah last clause seems to assert that N ebuchad- and the more eminent citizens of Jerusalem, nezzar would have e.n easy victory. It (2 Kings xxiv. 8-15). would not take great power or much peopla Ver. 5.-The seed of the land is Zedekiah, to pluck up such a vine from its roots. I who was made king by Nebuchadnezzar in adopt, with Keil u.ncl Hi tzig, the rendering, Jeconiah's pince. The imagery of the not with great pou:er or much people uiU willow (the Hebrew word occurs here only) men be able to raise it up from its roots; i.e. seems suggested by Ezekicl's surroundings. no forces of Egypt or other allies should be No tree could st11nd out in greater contrast able to restore Judah from its ruins. Its fall to the cedar of Lebanon than the willows was, fortl,etime, irretrievable(comp. ver.17). whioh he saw growing by the waters of Ver. 10.-The question, Shall it prosperl Babylon (Ps. cxxxvii. 2, though the word comes with all the emphasis of iteration. is different). The choice of the willow The east wind is; as elsewhere, the symbol determined the rest of the imagery, and of scorchiDg and devastating power (eh. xix. the fruitful field and the great or " many" 12; Hoa. xiii. 15; Jonah iv. 8; Job xxvii. (Revised Version) waters represent Judah, 21). For furrows, read beds, with Revised possibly with reference to its being in its Version. In the case of the Chaldeans, who measure a " land of brooks of waters," of came from the east, there was a special "fountains and depths," of "wheat and appropriateness in the symbolism. barley and wine" (Deut. viii. 7-9; :ri. Vers.12, 13.-Theparable has been spoken. 10-12). The kingdom of Zedekie.h, i.e., Ezekiel, after the po.use implied in ver. 11, was left with sufficient elements for material now becomes its iDterpreter. And that prosperity. That prosperity is indicated in interpretation is to be addressed to the ver. 6 by the fact that the willow became e. "rebellious house" (eh. ii. 3, 6) among vine. It was of " low stature," indeed, whom he lived. Probably even among the tre.iling on the ground. It could not claim exiles of Tel-Abib there were some who the greatness of an independent kingdom. cherished hopes of the auccesa of the Its branches turned toward the planter Egyptian alliance, and of the downfall of (ver. 6); its roots were under him. It ac- the power of Babylon as its outcome. The knowledged, that is, Nebuchadnezzar's tenses are better in the indefinite pest- suzerainty, and so, had things continued " came," •• took," "bronght," and so on in as they were, it might have prospered. ver. 13. The history of J econiah'a depor- Ver. 7.-The other great eagle is, of tation and of Zedekiah's oath of fealty (2 course, Egypt, then under Apries, or Chron. xxxvi. 13) is recapitulated. He Pharaoh-Hophra (Jer. xliv. 30). We note dwells specially on the fact that the mighty the absence of the "long pinions" and the of the land had been carried off with Jeco- "many colours" of the first eagle. Egypt niah. It was Nebuchadnezzar's policy to was not so strong, nor did her sway extend deprive the kingdom of all its elements of over so great a variety of nations as Baby- strength-to leave it "bare." Even masons, lon. 'l'o that eagle the vine bent its roots, smiths, and carpenters were carried off, lest i.e., as in ver. 15, Zedekia.h courted the they should be used for warlike preparations alliance of Pharaoh (A pries), and trusted in (2 Kings xxiv. 16). It could not lift itself his chariots. He was to water the vine, up. It was enough if "by keeping its which so turned to him from the beds of covenant" it was allowed to stand. her plantation (Revised Version). Ver. 15.-That they might give him Ver. 8.-Ezekiel repeats, as justifying horses. The "chariots and horses " of Nebuchadnezzar's aotion, thilt his first in• Egypt seem, throughout its whole history, tention had been to leave Zedekiah under to have been its ohief element of strength. conditions which would have given his See for the time of Moses (Exod. xiv. 7), of kingdom a fair measure of prosperity. The Solomon (1 Kings x. 28, 29), of Rehoboam vine might have home fruit. (2 Chron. xii. 3), of Hezekiah (Iss. :uxi. 1 ; Ver. 9.-The prophet, like his contempo- xuvi. 9). Shall he prosper t What had rary J eremia.h(xuvii. 7), like his p1·edecessor been asked in the parable is u.sked also, in Isaiah (xxx. 1-7), is ag11inst this policy of identical terms, in the interpretation. cm Egyptiu.n alliance. The question which Ezekiel presses home the charge of perfidy he asks, as the prophet of Jehovah, implies as well as rebellion. Like Jeremiah, he an answer in the negative. The doom of looks on Nebuchadnezzar as reigning by a failure we.a written 011 all such projects. Divine right. 'fhe he of the next question is oot Nebu- Ver. 16.-Ezekiel repeats the prediction chu.dMzzar, but iodeftnite, like the French of oh. xii. 13. 'l'he prison in Baby Ion, under on. For leaves of her spring, read, with the eye of the king against whom he had 304 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZ)i]KIEL. [cH, xvn. 1-24,