Ezekiel 17:7

Eze 17:7 There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.

Ver. 7. There was also another great eagle,] sc., Pharaoh, another potent monarch; why called an eagle, see on Eze 17:3.

And, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him.] Which was the worst chare for herself that ever she did. The devil of discontent put her upon this unhappy project, whereby, instead of mending herself, she soon marred all; so true is that of Solomon, "Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good." {Ecc 9:18} Zedekiah little thought once ever to have been a king; Nebuchadnezzar made him so, whenas he might as well have refused him for the rebellions of his two predecessors. He had also dealt nobly with him, though his vassal, and would have defended him against any adverse power, &c., so that he had no reason at all to rebel, but that he was infatuated and besotted by ambition and avarice, which Plutarch finely and fitly calleth νοσηματα συμφυτα ταις δυναστειαις, diseases natural to potentates.

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.

Eze 17:7-8. There was also another great eagle — Namely, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, with whom Zedekiah made an alliance; whereupon that king sent an army to raise the siege of Jerusalem, 2Ch 36:13; Jer 37:5; Jer 37:7. With great wings and many feathers — Having a great army and many people to support him. And this vine (namely, Zedekiah) did bend her roots toward him, &c. — Zedekiah sought the assistance and protection of the king of Egypt. Dr. Waterland renders this clause, And shot forth her branches under him, from the furrows where she was planted, that he might water it: that is, give it assistance. The auxiliary forces which Zedekiah expected from Egypt are here intended. It was planted in a good soil, &c. — The words are to the same purpose with Eze 17:5, to show that Zedekiah’s condition was so good under the king of Babylon, that he needed not to have broken his oath out of a desire to better it, whereby he involved himself and his country in ruin: see notes on 2Ki 24:20; and Jer 17:25.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17:7-9 There was a second great eagle like the first, although not quite so glorious. • The fate of the vine was predictable. In seeking to gain more, it would lose what it already had. The second eagle would not do anything for it, and the anger of the first eagle would be justly aroused.

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

Meaning, the king of Egypt, of whom Zedekiah sought succor against Nebuchadnezzar.

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

another . . . eagle--the king of Egypt (Eze 17:15). The "long-winged" of Eze 17:3 is omitted, as Egypt had not such a wide empire and large armies as Babylon.

vine . . . bend . . . roots towards him--literally, "thirsted after him with its roots"; expressing the longings after Egypt in the Jewish heart. Zedekiah sought the alliance of Egypt, as though by it he could throw off his dependence on Babylon (Kg2 24:7, Kg2 24:20; Ch2 36:13; Jer 37:5, Jer 37:7).

water it by . . . furrows of . . . plantation--that is, in the garden beds (Judea) wherein (the vine) it was planted. Rather, "by" or "out of the furrows." It refers to the waters of Egypt, the Nile being made to water the fields by means of small canals or "furrows"; these waters are the figure of the auxiliary forces wherewith Egypt tried to help Judah. See the same figure, Isa 8:7. But see on Eze 17:10, "furrows where it grew."

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 7. Another great eagle] Pharaoh-hophra, or Apries, king of Egypt.

With great wings] Extensive dominion.

And many feathers] Numerous subjects.

Did bend her roots] Looked to him for support in her intended rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar.

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

He now detects, under a figure, the perfidy of Zedekiah, since he very soon applied himself to the king of Egypt, and bent his roots and branches towards him, that they might be irrigated. I do not disagree with the opinion of those who think that the Prophet alludes to an Egyptian custom; for we know that they dug furrows through which water flowed through the whole region: hence the fruitfulness of the soil; and thus Egypt is elsewhere compared to a garden. (Deuteronomy 11:10.) Whatever the meaning is, the Prophet shows that Zedekiah was deceived by a foolish confidence when he thought himself safe under the protection of the king of Egypt; for he had said that the seed was so planted that the vine did not rise to a great height, but spread itself under the wings of the eagle. But Zedekiah despised the king of Babylon, thinking that he should improve his condition by entering into a treaty with the king of Egypt. It now follows —

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(7) Another great eagle.—This is explained in Eze_17:15 of Pharaoh. He was also powerful, ruling a populous land, but is not described as with the variegated feathers of Eze_17:3, because he did not rule over the same diversity of people with Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah, while owing his position to Nebuchadnezzar, treacherously sought the aid of Egypt, as mentioned in Eze_17:15, and more fully in the historical passages referred to in the note at the beginning of this chapter. A chief task of the prophet Jeremiah was to endeavour to dissuade Zedekiah from this Egyptian alliance.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. The other great eagle, which however is not described with such imposing epithets as the former, is the king of Egypt. The vine bent its roots toward him—sought to draw nourishment from him.

by the furrows] Rather: from the beds of its plantation—i.e. where it was planted. The words are connected with “did bend her roots.” The comparative sense: to water it more than the beds, has less probability; though it would express the uneasiness of Zedekiah and his vain political dreams.

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.

It was planted in, a good soil, by great waters,.... As is expressed in Eze 17:5; this was done by the king of Babylon, who had raised Zedekiah from a low estate to a high one, and set him on the throne of Judah, over many people; and put him in such a condition, and in such circumstances, that he and his people might have been very happy, could they have been content:, for his view was,

that he might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine; that he and his people might grow numerous and rich, and be a prosperous and flourishing kingdom; this is mentioned to aggravate the ingratitude of Zedekiah, and the people of the Jews, in rebelling against the king of Babylon, who had used them well, and of whom they had no reason to complain.

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

Another great eagle - This is the king of Egypt, mighty indeed but not like the first.

By the furrows of her plantation - From the beds, where it was planted to bring forth fruit for another, it shot forth its roots to him that he might water it. Zedekiah was courting the favor of Egypt while he owed his very position to the bounty of Assyria.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Eagle. The king of Egypt, (Challoner) Vaphres, who came at the request of Sedecias, to oppose the Chaldeans, but was routed; and they returned to the siege of Jerusalem, Jeremias xxxvii. 4. --- Plantation, as the waters of the Nile were conducted to different parts by ditches, Deuteronomy xi. 10.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

This is the second part of the parable.

Another great eagle, i.e. the king of Egypt, whether Apries, or Hophra, or what other was his name we need not curiously inquire, it was king of Egypt, Eze 17:15.

Great wings: see Eze 17:3.

This vine; Zedekiah, his nobles and people.

Did bend her roots towards him; sought the friendship and help of the king of Egypt.

Shot forth her branches; sent ambassadors, made a covenant, and trusted to the power of Egypt to defend her branches.

That he might water it; that they might add to their greatness and prosperous condition, as trees grow by due and seasonable watering them.

By the furrows; alluding to the manner of irrigation used in Egypt, by furrows or trenches to convey the water unto their plantations from the river Nile.

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

7. Another great eagle — The king of Egypt.

This vine did bend her roots toward him — Zedekiah began to look for nourishment to Egypt, although he had received his crown from Babylon (Eze_17:5; Eze_17:8; Eze_17:13; Eze_17:15). The figure is that this vinelike cedar, instead of striking its roots deep into its own native soil, where the Babylonian eagle had planted it, threw out its roots toward the Nile.

By the furrows — R.V., “from the beds;” or as Cornill, “more than the beds in which it was planted.”

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

The other great eagle is, of course, Egypt, then under Apries, or Pharaoh-Hophra. (Jer_44:30) We note the absence of the "long pinions" and the "many colours" of the first eagle. Egypt was not so strong, nor did her sway extend over so great a variety of nations as Babylon. To that eagle the vine bent its roots, i.e., as in ver. 15, Zedekiah courted the alliance of Pharaoh (Apries), and trusted in his chariots, lie was to water the vine, which so turned to him from the beds of her plantation (Revised Version).

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

Another - The king of Egypt. This vine - Zedekiah, his nobles and people. Did bend - Sought his friendship. Shot forth - Sent ambassadors, and trusted to the power of Egypt. Water it - That they might add to their greatness, as trees grow by seasonable watering them. By the furrows - Alluding to the manner of watering used in Egypt, by furrows or trenches to convey the water from the river Nile.

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

General Information:

The introductory "but" shows that a different eagle is being described other than the one before.

another great eagle

"another large eagle"

Behold!

The word "behold" here alerts us to pay attention to the surprising information that follows.

This vine turned its roots toward the eagle

Yahweh speaks of the vine as if it were able to behave like a person and intentionally turned its roots toward the other eagle to receive nourishment from it. AT: "The roots of the vine grew toward the eagle" (See: Personification)

from the place it had been planted so it would be watered

This can be stated in active form. AT: "from the place that the first eagle had planted it so that it would have water" (See: Active or Passive)

It had been planted

This can be stated in active form. AT: "The first eagle had planted the vine" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

vine

fruit

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Now there was one...eagle The king of Egypt.

gathered its roots Heb. כָּפְנָה, an expression of hunger, like (Job 5:22): “plunder and famine (וּלְכָפָן).” The roots of this vine hungered and longed for that eagle. (Addendum:) Some explain כָּפְנָה like אָסְפָה, gathered, the letters [of כָּפְנָה] being transposed. In the words of our Sages there is something similar to it, for they call a public gathering כְּנוּפְיָא. כָּפְנָה is like כָּנְפָה, amassa in French, brought in, gathered.

and its tendrils it sent forth to him And her emissaries she sent to him, to come to her and water her.

from the furrows of its planting From the water ditches that the first eagle had made for it.

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.