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A Parable of Two Eagles and a Vine

17 The Lord’s message came to me: “Son of man, offer a riddle,[a] and tell a parable to the house of Israel. Say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:[b]

“‘A great eagle[c] with broad wings, long feathers,[d]
with full plumage that was multi-hued,[e]
came to Lebanon[f] and took the top of the cedar.
He plucked off its topmost shoot;
he brought it to a land of merchants
and planted it in a city of traders.
He took one of the seedlings[g] of the land,
placed it in a cultivated plot;[h]
a shoot by abundant water,
like a willow he planted it.
It sprouted and became a vine,
spreading low to the ground;[i]
its branches turning toward him,[j] its roots were under itself.[k]
So it became a vine; it produced shoots and sent out branches.
“‘There was another great eagle[l]

with broad wings and thick plumage.
Now this vine twisted its roots toward him
and sent its branches toward him
to be watered from the soil where it was planted.
In a good field, by abundant waters, it was planted
to grow branches, bear fruit, and become a beautiful vine.’

“Say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Will it prosper?
Will he not rip out its roots
and cause its fruit to rot[m] and wither?
All its foliage[n] will wither.
No strong arm or large army
will be needed to pull it out by its roots.[o]
10 Consider! It is planted, but will it prosper?
Will it not wither completely when the east wind blows on it?
Will it not wither in the soil where it sprouted?’”

11 Then the Lord’s message came to me: 12 “Say to the rebellious house of Israel:[p] ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’[q] Say: ‘See here, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took her king and her officials prisoner and brought them to himself in Babylon. 13 He took one from the royal family,[r] made a treaty with him, and put him under oath.[s] He then took the leaders of the land 14 so it would be a lowly kingdom that could not rise on its own but had to keep its treaty with him in order to stand. 15 But this one from Israel’s royal family[t] rebelled against the king of Babylon[u] by sending his emissaries to Egypt to obtain horses and a large army. Will he prosper? Will the one doing these things escape? Can he break the covenant and escape?

16 “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, surely in the city[v] of the king who crowned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke—in the middle of Babylon he will die! 17 Pharaoh with his great army and mighty horde will not help[w] him in battle, when siege ramps are erected and siege walls are built to kill many people. 18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Take note[x]—he gave his promise[y] and did all these things. He will not escape!

19 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will certainly repay him[z] for despising my oath and breaking my covenant! 20 I will throw my net over him and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylon and judge him there because of the unfaithfulness he committed against me. 21 All the choice men[aa] among his troops will die[ab] by the sword, and the survivors will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken!

22 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘I will take a sprig[ac] from the lofty top of the cedar and plant it.[ad]
I will pluck from the top one of its tender twigs;
I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
23 I will plant it on a high mountain of Israel,
and it will raise branches and produce fruit and become a beautiful cedar.
Every bird will live under it;
Every winged creature will live in the shade of its branches.
24 All the trees of the field will know that I am the Lord.
I make the high tree low; I raise up the low tree.
I make the green tree wither, and I make the dry tree sprout.
I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it!’”

Individual Retribution

18 The Lord’s message came to me: “What do you mean by quoting this proverb concerning the land of Israel:

“‘The fathers eat sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth become numb?’[ae]

“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord,[af] you will not quote this proverb in Israel anymore! Indeed! All lives are mine—the life of the father as well as the life of the son is mine. The one[ag] who sins will die.

“Suppose a man is righteous. He practices what is just and right, does not eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains[ah] or pray to the idols[ai] of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, does not approach a woman for marital relations[aj] during her period, does not oppress anyone, but gives the debtor back whatever was given in pledge,[ak] does not commit robbery,[al] but gives his bread to the hungry and clothes the naked, does not engage in usury or charge interest,[am] but refrains[an] from wrongdoing, promotes true justice[ao] between men, and follows my statutes and observes my regulations by carrying them out.[ap] That man[aq] is righteous; he will certainly live,[ar] declares the Sovereign Lord.

10 “Suppose such a man has[as] a violent son who sheds blood and does any of these things[at] mentioned previously 11 (though the father did not do any of them).[au] He eats pagan sacrifices on the mountains,[av] defiles his neighbor’s wife, 12 oppresses the poor and the needy,[aw] commits robbery, does not give back what was given in pledge, prays to[ax] idols, performs abominable acts, 13 engages in usury, and charges interest. Will he live? He will not! Because he has done all these abominable deeds he will certainly die.[ay] He will bear the responsibility for his own death.[az]

14 “But suppose he in turn has a son who notices all the sins his father commits, considers them, and does not follow his father’s example.[ba] 15 He does not eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains, does not pray to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, 16 does not oppress anyone or keep what has been given in pledge, does not commit robbery, gives his food to the hungry and clothes the naked, 17 refrains from wrongdoing,[bb] does not engage in usury or charge interest, carries out my regulations, and follows my statutes. He will not die for his father’s iniquity;[bc] he will surely live. 18 As for his father, because he practices extortion, robs his brother, and does what is not good among his people, he will die for his iniquity.

19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not suffer[bd] for his father’s iniquity?’ When the son does what is just and right, and observes all my statutes and carries them out, he will surely live. 20 The person who sins is the one who will die. A son will not suffer[be] for his father’s iniquity, and a father will not suffer[bf] for his son’s iniquity; the righteous person will be judged according to his righteousness, and the wicked person according to his wickedness.[bg]

21 “But if the wicked person turns from all the sin he has committed and observes all my statutes and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. 22 None of the sins he has committed will be held[bh] against him; because of the righteousness he has done, he will live. 23 Do I actually delight in the death of the wicked, declares the Sovereign Lord? Do I not prefer that he turn from his wicked conduct and live?

24 “But if a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and practices wrongdoing according to all the abominable practices the wicked carry out, will he live? All his righteous acts will not be remembered; because of the unfaithful acts he has done and the sin he has committed, he will die.[bi]

25 “Yet you say, ‘The Lord’s conduct[bj] is unjust!’ Hear, O house of Israel: Is my conduct unjust? Is it not your conduct that is unjust? 26 When a righteous person turns back from his righteousness and practices wrongdoing, he will die for it;[bk] because of the wrongdoing he has done, he will die. 27 When a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life. 28 Because he considered[bl] and turned from all the sins he had done, he will surely live; he will not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The Lord’s conduct is unjust!’ Is my conduct unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your conduct that is unjust?

30 “Therefore, I will judge each person according to his conduct,[bm] O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent[bn] and turn from all your wickedness; then it will not be an obstacle leading to iniquity.[bo] 31 Throw away all your sins you have committed and fashion yourselves a new heart and a new spirit![bp] Why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no delight in the death of anyone,[bq] declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

Lament for the Princes of Israel

19 “And you, sing[br] a lament for the princes of Israel, and say:

“‘What a lioness was your mother among the lions!
She lay among young lions;[bs] she reared her cubs.
She reared one of her cubs; he became a young lion.
He learned to tear prey; he devoured people.[bt]
The nations heard about him; he was trapped in their pit.
They brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.[bu]
“‘When she realized that she waited in vain, her hope was lost.

She took another of her cubs[bv] and made him a young lion.
He walked about among the lions; he became a young lion.
He learned to tear prey; he devoured people.
He broke down[bw] their strongholds[bx] and devastated their cities.
The land and everything in it was frightened at the sound of his roaring.
The nations—the surrounding regions—attacked him.
They threw their net over him; he was caught in their pit.
They put him in a collar with hooks;[by]
they brought him to the king of Babylon;
they brought him to prison[bz]
so that his voice would not be heard
any longer on the mountains of Israel.
10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard,[ca] planted by water.

It was fruitful and full of branches because it was well-watered.
11 Its boughs were strong, fit[cb] for rulers’ scepters; it reached up into the clouds.
It stood out because of its height and its many branches.[cc]
12 But it was plucked up in anger; it was thrown down to the ground.
The east wind[cd] dried up its fruit;
its strong branches broke off and withered—
a fire consumed them.
13 Now it is planted in the wilderness,
in a dry and thirsty land.[ce]
14 A fire has gone out from its branch; it has consumed its shoot and its fruit.[cf]
No strong branch was left in it, nor a scepter to rule.’

“This is a lament song, and has become a lament song.”

Israel’s Rebellion

20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month, on the tenth of the month,[cg] some of the elders[ch] of Israel came to seek[ci] the Lord, and they sat down in front of me. The Lord’s message came to me: “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Are you coming to seek me? As surely as I live, I will not allow you to seek me,[cj] declares the Sovereign Lord.’ Are you willing to pronounce judgment on them?[ck] Are you willing to pronounce judgment, son of man? Then confront them with the abominable practices of their fathers, and say to them:

“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel I swore[cl] to the descendants[cm] of the house of Jacob and made myself known to them in the land of Egypt. I swore[cn] to them, “I am the Lord your God.” On that day I swore[co] to bring them out of the land of Egypt to a land that I had picked out[cp] for them, a land flowing with milk and honey,[cq] the most beautiful of all lands. I said to them, “Each of you must get rid of the detestable idols you keep before you,[cr] and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.” But they rebelled against me and refused to listen to me; no one got rid of their detestable idols,[cs] nor did they abandon the idols of Egypt. Then I decided to pour out[ct] my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. I acted for the sake of my reputation,[cu] so that I would not be profaned before the nations among whom they lived,[cv] before whom I revealed myself by bringing them out of the land of Egypt.[cw]

10 “‘So I brought them out of the land of Egypt and led them to the wilderness. 11 I gave them my statutes[cx] and revealed my regulations to them. The one[cy] who carries[cz] them out will live by them![da] 12 I also gave them my Sabbaths[db] as a reminder of our relationship,[dc] so that they would know that I, the Lord, sanctify them.[dd] 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not follow my statutes and they rejected my regulations (the one who obeys them will live by them), and they utterly desecrated my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out[de] my rage on them in the wilderness and destroy them.[df] 14 I acted for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 15 I also swore[dg] to them in the wilderness that I would not bring them to the land I had given them—a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 16 I did this[dh] because they rejected my regulations, did not follow my statutes, and desecrated my Sabbaths; for their hearts followed their idols.[di] 17 Yet I had pity on[dj] them and did not destroy them, so I did not make an end of them in the wilderness.

18 “‘But I said to their children[dk] in the wilderness, “Do not follow the practices of your fathers; do not observe their regulations,[dl] nor defile yourselves with their idols. 19 I am the Lord your God; follow my statutes, observe my regulations, and carry them out. 20 Treat my Sabbaths as holy[dm] and they will be a reminder of our relationship,[dn] and then you will know that I am the Lord your God.” 21 But the children[do] rebelled against me, did not follow my statutes, did not observe my regulations by carrying them out (the one who obeys[dp] them will live by them), and desecrated my Sabbaths. I decided to pour out[dq] my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in the wilderness. 22 But I refrained from doing so[dr] and acted instead for the sake of my reputation, so that I would not be profaned before the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. 23 I also swore[ds] to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands.[dt] 24 I did this[du] because they did not observe my regulations, they rejected my statutes, they desecrated my Sabbaths, and their eyes were fixed on[dv] their fathers’ idols. 25 I also gave[dw] them decrees[dx] that were not good and regulations by which they could not live. 26 I declared them to be defiled because of their sacrifices[dy]—they caused all their firstborn to pass through the fire[dz]—so that I might devastate them, so that they would know that I am the Lord.’[ea]

27 “Therefore, speak to the house of Israel, son of man, and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In this way too your fathers blasphemed me when they were unfaithful to me. 28 I brought them to the land that I swore[eb] to give them, but whenever they saw any high hill or leafy tree, they offered their sacrifices there and presented the offerings that provoked me to anger. They offered their soothing aroma there and poured out their drink offerings. 29 So I said to them, “What is this high place you go to?”’ (So it is called “High Place”[ec] to this day.)

30 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will you defile yourselves like your fathers[ed] and engage in prostitution with detestable idols? 31 When you present your sacrifices[ee]—when you make your sons pass through the fire—you defile yourselves with all your idols to this very day. Will I allow you to seek me,[ef] O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I will not allow you to seek me![eg]

32 “‘What you plan[eh] will never happen. You say, “We will be[ei] like the nations, like the clans of the lands, who serve gods of wood and stone.”[ej] 33 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm[ek] and with an outpouring of rage, I will be king over you. 34 I will bring you out from the nations and will gather you from the lands where you are scattered, with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm and with an outpouring of rage! 35 I will bring you into the wilderness of the nations, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Sovereign Lord. 37 I will make you pass under[el] the shepherd’s staff,[em] and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 I will eliminate from among you the rebels and those who revolt[en] against me. I will bring them out from the land where they have been residing, but they will not come to the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.

39 “‘As for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Each of you go and serve your idols,[eo] if you will not listen to me.[ep] But my holy name will not be profaned[eq] again by your sacrifices[er] and your idols. 40 For there on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord, all the house of Israel will serve me, all of them[es] in the land. I will accept them there, and there I will seek your contributions and your choice gifts, with all your holy things. 41 When I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the lands where you are scattered, I will accept you along with your soothing aroma. I will display my holiness among you in the sight of the nations. 42 Then you will know that I am the Lord when I bring you to the land of Israel, to the land I swore[et] to give to your fathers. 43 And there you will remember your conduct[eu] and all your deeds by which you defiled yourselves. You will despise yourselves[ev] because of all the evil deeds you have done. 44 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for the sake of my reputation and not according to your wicked conduct and corrupt deeds, O house of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Prophecy Against the South

45 (21:1)[ew] The Lord’s message came to me: 46 “Son of man, turn toward[ex] the south,[ey] and speak out against the south.[ez] Prophesy against the open scrub[fa] land of the Negev, 47 and say to the scrub land of the Negev, ‘Listen to the Lord’s message! This is what the Sovereign Lord has said: Look here,[fb] I am about to start a fire in you,[fc] and it will devour every green tree and every dry tree in you. The flaming fire will not be extinguished, and the whole surface of the ground from the Negev to the north will be scorched by it. 48 And everyone[fd] will see that I, the Lord, have burned it; it will not be extinguished.’”

49 Then I said, “O Sovereign Lord! They are saying of me, ‘Does he not simply speak in eloquent figures of speech?’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 17:2 sn The verb occurs elsewhere in the OT only in Judg 14:12-19, where Samson supplies a riddle.
  2. Ezekiel 17:3 tn The parable assumes the defection of Zedekiah to Egypt and his rejection of Babylonian lordship.
  3. Ezekiel 17:3 sn The great eagle symbolizes Nebuchadnezzar (17:12).
  4. Ezekiel 17:3 tn Hebrew has two words for wings; it is unknown whether they are fully synonymous or whether one term distinguishes a particular part of the wing such as the wing coverts (nearest the shoulder), secondaries (mid-feathers of the wing), or primaries (last and longest section of the wing).
  5. Ezekiel 17:3 tn This term was used in 16:10, 13, and 18 of embroidered cloth.
  6. Ezekiel 17:3 sn In the parable Lebanon apparently refers to Jerusalem (17:12).
  7. Ezekiel 17:5 tn Heb “took of the seed of the land.” For the vine imagery, “seedling” is a better translation, though in its subsequent interpretation the “seed” refers to Zedekiah through its common application to offspring.
  8. Ezekiel 17:5 tn Heb “a field for seed.”
  9. Ezekiel 17:6 tn Heb “short of stature.”
  10. Ezekiel 17:6 tn That is, the eagle.
  11. Ezekiel 17:6 tn Or “him,” i.e., the eagle.
  12. Ezekiel 17:7 sn The phrase another great eagle refers to Pharaoh Hophra.
  13. Ezekiel 17:9 tn The Hebrew root occurs only here in the OT and appears to have the meaning of “strip off.” In application to fruit the meaning may be “cause to rot.”
  14. Ezekiel 17:9 tn Heb “all the טַרְפֵּי (tarpe) of branches.” The word טַרְפֵּי occurs only here in the Bible; its precise meaning is uncertain.
  15. Ezekiel 17:9 tn Or “there will be no strong arm or large army when it is pulled up by the roots.”
  16. Ezekiel 17:12 tn The words “of Israel” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied in the translation as a clarification of the referent.sn The book of Ezekiel frequently refers to the Israelites as a rebellious house (Ezek 2:5, 6, 8; 3:9, 26-27; 12:2-3, 9, 25; 17:12; 24:3).
  17. Ezekiel 17:12 sn The narrative description of this interpretation of the riddle is given in 2 Kgs 24:11-15.
  18. Ezekiel 17:13 tn Or “descendants”; Heb “seed” (cf. v. 5).
  19. Ezekiel 17:13 tn Heb “caused him to enter into an oath.”
  20. Ezekiel 17:15 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the member of the royal family, v. 13) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  21. Ezekiel 17:15 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the king of Babylon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  22. Ezekiel 17:16 tn Heb “place.”
  23. Ezekiel 17:17 tn Heb “deal with” or “work with.”
  24. Ezekiel 17:18 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates being aware of or taking notice of something.
  25. Ezekiel 17:18 sn Heb “hand.” “Giving one’s hand” is a gesture of promise (2 Kgs 10:15).
  26. Ezekiel 17:19 tn Heb “place it on his head.”
  27. Ezekiel 17:21 tc Some manuscripts and versions read “choice men,” while most manuscripts read “fugitives”; the difference arises from the reversal, or metathesis, of two letters, מִבְרָחָיו (mivrakhayv) for מִבְחָריו (mivkharayv).
  28. Ezekiel 17:21 tn Heb “fall.”
  29. Ezekiel 17:22 sn The language is analogous to messianic imagery in Isa 11:1; Zech 3:8; 6:4, although the technical terminology is not the same.
  30. Ezekiel 17:22 tc The LXX lacks “and plant it.”
  31. Ezekiel 18:2 tn This word occurs three times, in the Qal stem here and the parallel passage in Jer 31:29-30, and in the Piel stem at Eccl 10:10. In the latter passage it refers to the bluntness of an ax that has not been sharpened. Here the “bluntness” of the teeth is not due to grinding them down because of the bitter taste of sour grapes but to the fact that they have lost their “edge,” “bite,” or “sharpness” because they are numb from the sour taste. For this meaning for the word, see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah (Hermeneia), 2:197.
  32. Ezekiel 18:3 tn This expression occurs often in Ezekiel (5:11; 14:16, 18, 20; 16:48; 17:16, 19; 20:3, 31, 33; 33:11, 27; 34:8; 35:6, 11).
  33. Ezekiel 18:4 tn Heb “life.”
  34. Ezekiel 18:6 tn Heb “on the mountains he does not eat.” The mountains are often mentioned as the place where idolatrous sacrifices were eaten (Ezek 20:28; 22:9; 34:6).
  35. Ezekiel 18:6 tn Heb “does not lift up his eyes.” This refers to looking to idols for help.
  36. Ezekiel 18:6 tn The expression קָרַב אֶל (qarav ʾel) means “draw near to” or “approach,” but is also used as a euphemism for the intended purpose of sexual relations (Lev 18:14; Deut 22:14; Isa 8:3).
  37. Ezekiel 18:7 tn Heb “restores to the debtor his pledge.” The root occurs in Exod 22:25 in reference to restoring a man’s garment as a pledge before nightfall.
  38. Ezekiel 18:7 tn The Hebrew term refers to seizure of property, usually by the rich (Isa 3:14; 10:2; Mic 2:2; see Lev 5:21, 22 HT [6:2, 3 ET]).
  39. Ezekiel 18:8 sn This law was given in Lev 25:36.
  40. Ezekiel 18:8 tn Heb, “turns back his hand.”
  41. Ezekiel 18:8 tn Heb “justice of truth.”
  42. Ezekiel 18:9 tc The MT reads לַעֲשׂוֹת אֱמֶת (laʿasot ʾemet, “to do with integrity”), while the LXX reads “to do them,” presupposing לַעֲשׂוֹת אֹתָם (laʿasot ʾotam). The ם (mem) and ת (tav) have been reversed in the MT. The LXX reflects the original, supported by similar phrasing in Ezekiel 11:20; 20:19.
  43. Ezekiel 18:9 tn Heb “he.”
  44. Ezekiel 18:9 tn Heb “living, he will live.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.
  45. Ezekiel 18:10 tn Heb “begets.”
  46. Ezekiel 18:10 tn Heb “and he does, a brother, from one of these.” If “brother” is retained, it may be an adverbial accusative: “against a brother” (i.e., fellow Israelite). But the form is likely dittographic, as the consonants that spell “brother” אח (alef-het) occur in the following word).
  47. Ezekiel 18:11 tn Heb “and he all of these did not do.” The parenthetical note refers back to the father described in the preceding verses.
  48. Ezekiel 18:11 sn See note on “mountains” in v. 6.
  49. Ezekiel 18:12 sn The poor and needy are often mentioned together in the OT (Deut 24:14; Jer 22:16; Ezek 16:49; Pss 12:6; 35:10; 37:14).
  50. Ezekiel 18:12 tn Heb “lifts up his eyes.”
  51. Ezekiel 18:13 tn Heb “be put to death.” The translation follows an alternative reading that appears in several ancient textual witnesses.
  52. Ezekiel 18:13 tn Heb “his blood will be upon him.”
  53. Ezekiel 18:14 tn Heb “and he sees and does not do likewise.”
  54. Ezekiel 18:17 tc This translation follows the LXX. The MT reads: “restrains his hand from the poor,” which makes no sense here.
  55. Ezekiel 18:17 tn Or “in his father’s punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity/punishment” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here and in vv. 18, 19, 20; 3:18, 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 24:23; 33:6, 8, 9; 39:23. The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment for iniquity.”
  56. Ezekiel 18:19 tn Heb “lift up, bear.”
  57. Ezekiel 18:20 tn Heb “lift up, bear.”
  58. Ezekiel 18:20 tn Heb “lift up, bear.”
  59. Ezekiel 18:20 tn Heb “the righteousness of the righteous one will be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked one will be upon him.”
  60. Ezekiel 18:22 tn Heb “remembered.”
  61. Ezekiel 18:24 tn Heb “because of them he will die.”
  62. Ezekiel 18:25 tn Heb “way.”
  63. Ezekiel 18:26 tn Heb “for them” or “because of them.”
  64. Ezekiel 18:28 tn Heb “he saw.”
  65. Ezekiel 18:30 tn Heb “ways.”
  66. Ezekiel 18:30 tn The verbs and persons in this verse are plural whereas the individual has been the subject of the chapter.
  67. Ezekiel 18:30 tn Or “leading to punishment.”
  68. Ezekiel 18:31 sn In Ezek 11:19 and 36:26 the new heart and new spirit are promised as future blessings.
  69. Ezekiel 18:32 tn Heb “the death of the one dying.”
  70. Ezekiel 19:1 tn Heb “lift up.”
  71. Ezekiel 19:2 sn Lions probably refer to Judahite royalty and/or nobility. The lioness appears to symbolize the Davidic dynasty, though some see the referent as Hamutal, the wife of Josiah and mother of Jehoahaz and Zedekiah. The background for Judah being compared to lions seems to be Gen 49:9.
  72. Ezekiel 19:3 tn Heb “a man.”
  73. Ezekiel 19:4 sn The description applies to King Jehoahaz (2 Kgs 23:31-34; Jer 22:10-12).
  74. Ezekiel 19:5 sn The identity of this second lion is unclear; the referent is probably Jehoiakim or Zedekiah. If the lioness is Hamutal, then Zedekiah is the lion described here.
  75. Ezekiel 19:7 tc The Hebrew text reads “knew” but is apparently the result of a ד/ר (dalet/resh) confusion. For a defense of the emendation, see L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 1:284. However, Allen retains the reading “widows” as the object of the verb, which he understands in the sense of “do harm to,” and translates the line: “He did harm to women by making them widows” (p. 282). The line also appears to be lacking a beat for the meter of the poem.
  76. Ezekiel 19:7 tc The Hebrew text reads “widows” instead of “strongholds,” apparently due to a confusion of ר (resh) and ל (lamed). L. C. Allen (Ezekiel [WBC], 1:284) favors the traditional text, understanding “widows” in the sense of “women made widows.” D. I. Block, (Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:602) also defends the Hebrew text, arguing that the image is that of a dominant male lion who takes over the pride and by copulating with the females lays claim to his predecessor’s “widows.”
  77. Ezekiel 19:9 tn Or “They put him in a neck stock with hooks.” The noun סּוּגַר (sugar), translated “collar,” occurs only here in the Bible. L. C. Allen and D. I. Block point out a Babylonian cognate that refers to a device for transporting prisoners of war that held them by their necks (D. I. Block, Ezekiel [NICOT], 1:597, n. 35; L. C. Allen, Ezekiel [WBC], 1:284). Based on the Hebrew root, the traditional rendering had been “cage” (cf. ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  78. Ezekiel 19:9 tc The term in the MT occurs only here and in Eccl 9:12, where it refers to a net for catching fish. The LXX translates this as “prison,” which assumes a confusion of dalet and resh took place in the MT.
  79. Ezekiel 19:10 tc The Hebrew text reads “in your blood,” but most emend to “in your vineyard,” assuming a ב/כ (beth/kaph) confusion. See L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 1:284. Another attractive emendation assumes a faulty word division and yields the reading “like a vine full of tendrils, which/because…”; see D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 1:607, n. 68.
  80. Ezekiel 19:11 tn The word “fit” does not occur in the Hebrew text.
  81. Ezekiel 19:11 tn Heb “and it was seen by its height and by the abundance of its branches.”
  82. Ezekiel 19:12 sn The east wind symbolizes the Babylonians.
  83. Ezekiel 19:13 sn This metaphor depicts the Babylonian exile of the Davidic dynasty.
  84. Ezekiel 19:14 tn The verse uses language similar to that in Judg 9:20.
  85. Ezekiel 20:1 sn The date would be August 14th, 591 b.c. The seventh year is the seventh year of Jehoiachin’s exile.
  86. Ezekiel 20:1 tn Heb “men from the elders.”
  87. Ezekiel 20:1 tn See the note at 14:3.
  88. Ezekiel 20:3 tn Or “I will not reveal myself to you.”
  89. Ezekiel 20:4 tn Heb “will you judge.” Here the imperfect form of the verb is probably used with a desiderative nuance. Addressed to the prophet, “judge” means to warn of or pronounce God’s impending judgment.
  90. Ezekiel 20:5 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  91. Ezekiel 20:5 tn Heb “seed.”
  92. Ezekiel 20:5 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  93. Ezekiel 20:6 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand to them.”
  94. Ezekiel 20:6 tn Or “searched out.” The Hebrew word is used to describe the activity of the spies in “spying out” the land of Canaan (Num 13-14); cf. KJV “I had espied for them.”
  95. Ezekiel 20:6 sn The phrase “a land flowing with milk and honey,” a figure of speech describing the land’s abundant fertility, occurs in v. 15 as well as Exod 3:8, 17; 13:5; 33:3; Lev 20:24; Num 13:27; Deut 6:3; 11:9; 26:9; 27:3; Josh 5:6; Jer 11:5; 32:23 (see also Deut 1:25; 8:7-9).
  96. Ezekiel 20:7 tn Heb “each one, the detestable things of his eyes, throw away.” The Pentateuch does not refer to the Israelites worshiping idols in Egypt, but Josh 24:14 appears to suggest that they did so.
  97. Ezekiel 20:8 tn Heb “each one, the detestable things of their eyes did not throw away.”
  98. Ezekiel 20:8 tn Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”
  99. Ezekiel 20:9 tn Heb “for the sake of my name.”
  100. Ezekiel 20:9 tn Heb “before the eyes of the nations in whose midst they were.”
  101. Ezekiel 20:9 tn Heb “to whom I made myself known before their eyes to bring them out from the land of Egypt.” The translation understands the infinitive construct (“to bring them out”) as indicating manner. God’s deliverance of his people from Egypt was an act of self-revelation in that it displayed his power and his commitment to his promises.
  102. Ezekiel 20:11 sn The laws were given at Mount Sinai.
  103. Ezekiel 20:11 tn Heb “the man.”
  104. Ezekiel 20:11 tn Heb “does.”
  105. Ezekiel 20:11 tn The wording and the concept are contained in Lev 18:5 and Deut 30:15-19.
  106. Ezekiel 20:12 sn Ezekiel’s contemporary, Jeremiah, also stressed the importance of obedience to the Sabbath law (Jer 17).
  107. Ezekiel 20:12 tn Heb “to become a sign between me and them.”
  108. Ezekiel 20:12 tn Or “set them apart.” The last phrase of verse 12 appears to be a citation of Exod 31:13.
  109. Ezekiel 20:13 tn Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”
  110. Ezekiel 20:13 tn Heb “to bring them to an end.”
  111. Ezekiel 20:15 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  112. Ezekiel 20:16 tn The words “I did this” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied for stylistic reasons. Verses 15-16 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. The translation divides this sentence into two for stylistic reasons.
  113. Ezekiel 20:16 tn Heb “for after their idols their heart was going.” The use of the active participle (“was going”) in the Hebrew text draws attention to the ongoing nature of their idolatrous behavior.
  114. Ezekiel 20:17 tn Heb “my eye pitied.”
  115. Ezekiel 20:18 tn Heb “sons,” reflecting the patriarchal idiom of the culture.
  116. Ezekiel 20:18 tn Or “standard of justice.” See Ezek 7:27.
  117. Ezekiel 20:20 tn Or “set apart my Sabbaths.”
  118. Ezekiel 20:20 tn Heb “and they will become a sign between me and you.”
  119. Ezekiel 20:21 tn Heb “sons.”
  120. Ezekiel 20:21 tn Or “carries them out.”
  121. Ezekiel 20:21 tn Heb “and I said/thought to pour out.”
  122. Ezekiel 20:22 tn Heb “drew my hand back.” This idiom also occurs in Lam 2:8 and Ps 74:11.
  123. Ezekiel 20:23 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  124. Ezekiel 20:23 sn Though the Pentateuch does not seem to know of this episode, Ps 106:26-27 may speak of God’s oath to exile the people before they had entered Canaan.
  125. Ezekiel 20:24 tn The words “I did this” are not in the Hebrew text but are supplied for stylistic reasons. Verses 23-24 are one long sentence in the Hebrew text. The translation divides this sentence into two for stylistic reasons.
  126. Ezekiel 20:24 tn Or “they worshiped” (NCV, TEV, CEV); Heb “their eyes were on” or “were after” (cf. v. 16).
  127. Ezekiel 20:25 tn Or “permitted.” sn The content of the verse is shocking: that God would “give” bad decrees. This probably does not refer to the Mosaic law but to the practices of the Canaanites who were left in the land in order to test Israel. See Judg 2:20-23, the note on “decrees” here in Ezek 20:25, and the note on “pass through the fire” in v. 26.
  128. Ezekiel 20:25 tn The Hebrew term חֻקּוֹת (khuqqot; translated “statutes” elsewhere in this chapter) is normally feminine. Here Ezekiel changes the form to masculine: חֻקִּים (khuqqim). Further, they are not called “my decrees” as vv. 11 and 13 refer to “my statutes.” The change is a signal that Ezekiel is not talking about the same statutes in vv. 11 and 13, which lead to life.
  129. Ezekiel 20:26 tn Or “gifts.”
  130. Ezekiel 20:26 sn This act is prohibited in Deut 12:29-31 and Jer 7:31; 19:5; 32:35. See also 2 Kgs 21:6; 23:10. This custom indicates that the laws the Israelites were following were the disastrous laws of pagan nations (see Ezek 16:20-21).
  131. Ezekiel 20:26 sn God sometimes punishes sin by inciting the sinner to sin even more, as the biblical examples of divine hardening and deceit make clear. See Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., “Divine Hardening in the Old Testament,” BSac 153 (1996): 410-34; idem, “Does God Deceive?” BSac 155 (1998): 11-28. For other instances where the Lord causes individuals to act unwisely or even sinfully as punishment for sin, see 1 Sam 2:25; 2 Sam 17:14; 1 Kgs 12:15; 2 Chr 25:20.
  132. Ezekiel 20:28 tn Heb “that I lifted up my hand.”
  133. Ezekiel 20:29 tn The Hebrew word בָּמָה (bamah) means “high place.”
  134. Ezekiel 20:30 tn Heb “in the way of your fathers.”
  135. Ezekiel 20:31 tn Or “gifts.”
  136. Ezekiel 20:31 tn Or “Will I reveal myself to you?”
  137. Ezekiel 20:31 tn Or “I will not reveal myself to you.”
  138. Ezekiel 20:32 tn Heb “what comes upon your mind.”
  139. Ezekiel 20:32 tn The Hebrew could also read: “Let us be.”
  140. Ezekiel 20:32 tn Heb “serving wood and stone.” sn This verse echoes the content of 1 Sam 8:20.
  141. Ezekiel 20:33 sn This phrase occurs frequently in Deuteronomy (Deut 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 11:2; 26:8).
  142. Ezekiel 20:37 tn This is the same Hebrew verb used to describe the passing of the children through the fire.
  143. Ezekiel 20:37 sn The metaphor may be based in Lev 27:32 (see also Jer 33:13 and Matt 25:32-33). A shepherd would count his sheep as they passed beneath his staff.
  144. Ezekiel 20:38 tn See the note at 2:3.
  145. Ezekiel 20:39 sn Compare the irony here to Amos 4:4 and Jer 44:25.
  146. Ezekiel 20:39 tn Heb “and after, if you will not listen to me.” The translation leaves out “and after” for smoothness. The text is difficult. M. Greenberg (Ezekiel [AB], 1:374) suggests that it may mean “but afterwards, if you will not listen to me…” with an unspoken threat.
  147. Ezekiel 20:39 sn A similar concept may be found in Lev 18:21 and 20:3.
  148. Ezekiel 20:39 tn Or “gifts.”
  149. Ezekiel 20:40 tn Heb “all of it.”
  150. Ezekiel 20:42 tn Heb “I lifted up my hand.”
  151. Ezekiel 20:43 tn Heb “ways.”
  152. Ezekiel 20:43 tn Heb “loathe yourselves in your faces.”
  153. Ezekiel 20:45 sn Beginning with 20:45, the verse numbers through 21:32 in the English Bible differ by five from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 20:45 ET = 21:1 HT, 20:46 ET = 21:2 HT, 21:1 ET = 21:6 HT etc., through 21:32 ET = 21:37 HT. Beginning with 22:1 the verse numbers in the English Bible and the Hebrew Bible are again the same.
  154. Ezekiel 20:46 tn Heb “set your face toward.” This expression occurs as well in Ezek 6:2 and 13:17.
  155. Ezekiel 20:46 tn Or “the way toward the south,” or “the way toward Teman.” Teman is in the south and may be a location or the direction.
  156. Ezekiel 20:46 tn Or “toward Darom.” Darom may mean the south or a region just north of the southern city of Beer Sheba. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:417-18.
  157. Ezekiel 20:46 tn The Hebrew term can also mean “forest,” but a meaning of uncultivated wasteland fits the Negev region far better. See M. Greenberg, Ezekiel (AB), 2:418.
  158. Ezekiel 20:47 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  159. Ezekiel 20:47 tn Fire also appears as a form of judgment in Ezek 15:4-7 and 19:12, 14.
  160. Ezekiel 20:48 tn Heb “all flesh.”