Ezekiel 17:10

Eze 17:10 Yea, behold, [being] planted, shall it prosper? shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? it shall wither in the furrows where it grew.

Ver. 10. Shall it not utterly wither?] As Jonah’s gourd did when smitten with a worm; as Phocas’s wall came down with a witness, because built upon mines of gunpowder - sin lay at the bottom, as one told him - which, being once fired, would blow up all.

When the east wind toucheth it.] Which is very hurtful to vines, saith, Columella. As all creatures, so the winds are God’s agents; as to purge the air - Rupertus calleth them the besoms of the air - and to refresh men’s spirits, so to execute many of God’s judgments upon his rebels, as here. Aliorum perditio nostra sit cautio; Let other men’s destruction be our instruction.

It shall wither in the furrows where it grew,] i.e., In Egypt, where it rained not, but was all watered by furrows drawn from Nile, to run into all their fields. Here this vine should thrive, one would think, if anywhere - viz., in moist and fat furrows but it could not, because blasted by God’s curse.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17:10 In Judah, the east wind blows from the desert and is therefore hot and dry.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

By this dry wind he meaneth the Babylonians.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

being planted--that is, "though planted."

east wind--The east wind was noxious to vegetation in Palestine; a fit emblem of Babylon, which came from the northeast.

wither in . . . furrows where it grew--Zedekiah was taken at Jericho, on Jewish soil (Jer 52:8). "It shall wither, although it has furrows from which it expects continual waterings" [CALVIN], (Eze 19:12; Hos 13:15).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 10. Shall - utterly whither] The regal government shall be no more restored. Zedekiah shall be the last king, and the monarchy shall finally terminate with him.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. Destruction under another figure, that of the east wind, before which vegetation crumbles into dust. Cf. ch. Eze_19:12; Hos_13:15; Isa_27:8; Isa_40:7; Job_27:21.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. Here follows the explanation of the above riddle and parable, which the prophet from the Lord had orders to deliver.

Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying. Here follows the explanation of the above riddle and parable, which the prophet from the Lord had orders to deliver.

Ezekiel 17:12

eze 17:12

eze 17:12

eze 17:12Say now to the rebellious house,.... It had been a rebellious house to God, and to his prophets, before; see Eze 2:5 and See Gill on Eze 2:5; and now, besides this was rebellious to the king of Babylon, to whom they were in some measure subject, Eze 17:15;

know ye not what these things mean? the riddle and parable concerning the two eagles and the vine; suggesting that they must be very inattentive, and very stupid, if they did not know the meaning of them; for though the things intended were delivered in an enigmatical and parabolical way, yet they were easily to be understood by all that know the affairs of the Jewish nation; being things that were lately transacted there, and were obvious to everyone's view; but if they were so stupid and blockish as not to understand them, the prophet had the following order, to explain them to them:

tell them, behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem; so that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is meant by the first "eagle", and the land of Judea, and particularly Jerusalem, by Lebanon, it came unto, Eze 17:3. The Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions, read this and the following verses in the future; as if these were things that were yet to come to pass, whereas they are related as things already done; and so the Targum renders all in the past sense, as the history of them requires it should:

and hath taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon; the king of Judea, and the princes of it; Jeconiah and his nobles, who had been carried captive into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar; for Ezekiel was among these captives, Eze 1:2; see Kg2 24:12; so that it appears that by the "twigs" of the cedar the princes of the land are designed; and by the "top" of them King Jeconiah; and by "the land of traffic" the land of Chaldea; and by the "city of merchants" the city of Babylon, Eze 17:4; whither they were carried.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Nay, suppose this contrivance were successful, suppose this vine were planted by the help of Egypt, could it possibly prosper? No, no.

When the east wind; when the king of Babylon, which like the blasting wind conms from the north-east, shall but touch it, it will utterly wither.

In the furrows; even amidst its greatest and best helps to make it flourish. This discontent, ingratitude, and treachery will occasion the utter ruin of this people.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. When the east wind toucheth it — After having been pulled up it shall not take root again, but shall wither where it falls (xix, 12). “Its destruction shall come from the quarter where it derived its origin.” — Skinner.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The question, Shall it prosper? comes with all the emphasis of iteration. The east wind is, as elsewhere, the symbol of scorching and devastating power. (Eze_19:12; Hos_13:15; Jon_4:8; Job_27:21) For furrows, read beds, with Revised Version. In the ease of the Chaldeans, who came from the east, there was a special appropriateness in the symbolism.

Shall it prosper?

I PROSPERITY IS NATURALLY SOUGHT AFTER. False ideas of prosperity may blind us as to its true nature. There is a prosperity which none need covet, a swollen worldly success that leaves the soul starved, barren, and sapless. It may be more blessed to suffer from the stimulating shocks of adversity than to be surfeited with such a false prosperity. But real prosperity is naturally and rightly desired. No one ought to be content to make shipwreck of life. We may not attain to the objects which we set before ourselves, and we may never realize any very great success in the eyes of men. But that our lives should break up in ruin is of all things most to he deplored. The question, "Shall it prosper?" is thus to be asked with natural anxiety. We may ask it in regard to

(1) the soul;

(2) the Church;

(3) a specific enterprise.

II PROSPERITY MAY BE EASILY MISSED. The vine in the parable did not prosper. Zedekiah"s diplomacy was a failure. Many men make shipwreck of life. Churches sink into deadness. The inquiry should go back to the possible causes of failure.

1. A false aim. Zedekiah thought only of his own throne. He did not give evidence of the genuine patriotism which would have preferred the welfare of the nation to his own safety. Selfishness may win worldly success. But it is certain to starve the roots of soul prosperity.

2. A false trust. Zedekiah trusted to Pharaoh instead of God. If we are looking for prosperity in any region to the neglect of our trust in God, we are courting failure, for with him are the issues of life.

3. A false character. Zedekiah not only leaned upon a broken reed in trusting to Egypt; he acted treacherously in so doing. Deceit is fatal to the soul. Fraud never secures true prosperity, though it may win earthly pelf.

III PROSPERITY NEED NOT BE MISSED. Here, again, we must bear in mind the nature of true prosperity. We cannot all be rich or successful in earthly enterprises. But no soul need be wrecked, for it is within the power of all to attain to a life which shall be reckoned successful in the sight of God. We should see to it that we have the secret of this prosperity.

1. Living for God. This will give us a right aim. The soul that lives for self, for the world, for any lower aim, is running for the rocks. But no one who truly lives for God can utterly fail.

2. Trusting in God. It is not easy to pursue this high aim; indeed, it is impossible to do so without the aid of Divine grace. The life of faith is the only perfectly prosperous life. The heroes of faith whose fame is celebrated in Hebrews 11. were all of them truly successful, though many of them suffered and some died as martyrs.

IV PROSPERITY IS WORTH INQUIRING ABOUT. Ezekiel"s question is pertinent. Everything else may look fair, but if this vital question receives a negative reply, all the other points of excellence count for nothing, or even tell against us in mockery of the one fatal flaw. The life may be comfortable; the Church may be sound and orthodox, or popular and attractive; the plan of work may be clever and original. But what is the use of all these pleasant features if they are to end in failure?

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Yea - Suppose this vine were planted by the help of Egypt. The east wind - When the king of Babylon, who like the blasting wind comes from the northeast, shall but touch it, it shall wither. In the furrows - Even amidst its greatest helps, to make it flourish.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

And behold now it is planted as they wished.

will it prosper Is it possible that it will prosper, this one that betrayed the one who planted it originally?

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.