“‘A great eagle 2 with broad wings, long feathers, 3
with full plumage which was multi-hued, 4
came to Lebanon 5 and took the top of the cedar.
17:7 “‘There was another great eagle 6
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.
1 tn The parable assumes the defection of Zedekiah to Egypt and his rejection of Babylonian lordship.
2 sn The great eagle symbolizes Nebuchadnezzar (17:12).
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).
4 tn This term was used in 16:10, 13, and 18 of embroidered cloth.
5 sn In the parable Lebanon apparently refers to Jerusalem (17:12).
6 sn The phrase another great eagle refers to Pharaoh Hophra.