Ezekiel 19:2-3

19:2 and say:

“‘What a lioness was your mother among the lions!

She lay among young lions; ¹  she reared her cubs.

19:3 She reared one of her cubs; he became a young lion.

He learned to tear prey; he devoured people. ² 

Ezekiel 23:14

23:14 But she increased her prostitution. She saw men carved on the wall, images of the Chaldeans carved in bright red, ³ 

Ezekiel 23:31

23:31 You have followed the ways of your sister, so I will place her cup of judgment ⁴  in your hand.

Ezekiel 23:43

23:43 Then I said about the one worn out by adultery, ‘Now they will commit immoral acts with her.’

---

¹ 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. Gen 49:9 seems to be the background for Judah being compared to lions.

² tn Heb “a man.”

³ tn The only other occurrence of the Hebrew term is in Jer 22:14.

⁴ tn Heb “her cup.” A cup of intoxicating strong drink is used, here and elsewhere, as a metaphor for judgment because both leave one confused and reeling. (See Jer 25:15, 17, 28; Hab 2:16.) The cup of wrath is a theme also found in the NT (Mark 14:36).