Discovery BoxEzekiel 17:7 
Context17:7 “‘There was another great eagle 1
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.
Ezekiel 17:12-21
Context17:12 “Say to the rebellious house of Israel: 2 ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ 3 Say: ‘See here, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem 4 and took her king and her officials prisoner and brought them to himself in Babylon. 17:13 He took one from the royal family, 5 made a treaty with him, and put him under oath. 6 He then took the leaders of the land 17:14 so it would be a lowly kingdom which could not rise on its own but must keep its treaty with him in order to stand. 17:15 But this one from Israel’s royal family 7 rebelled against the king of Babylon 8 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?
17:16 “‘As surely as I live, declares the sovereign Lord, surely in the city 9 of the king who crowned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke – in the middle of Babylon he will die! 17:17 Pharaoh with his great army and mighty horde will not help 10 him in battle, when siege ramps are erected and siege-walls are built to kill many people. 17:18 He despised the oath by breaking the covenant. Take note 11 – he gave his promise 12 and did all these things – he will not escape!
17:19 “‘Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will certainly repay him 13 for despising my oath and breaking my covenant! 17:20 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. 17:21 All the choice men 14 among his troops will die 15 by the sword and the survivors will be scattered to every wind. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken!
1 sn The phrase another great eagle refers to Pharaoh Hophra.
2 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).
3 sn The narrative description of this interpretation of the riddle is given in 2 Kgs 24:11-15.
4 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
5 tn Or “descendants”; Heb “seed” (cf. v. 5).
6 tn Heb “caused him to enter into an oath.”
7 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the member of the royal family, v. 13) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the king of Babylon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Heb “place.”
10 tn Heb “deal with” or “work with.”
11 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates being aware of or taking notice of something.
12 sn Heb “hand.” “Giving one’s hand” is a gesture of promise (2 Kgs 10:15).
13 tn Heb “place it on his head.”
14 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 (mivrakhyv) for מִבְחָריו (mivkharyv).
15 tn Heb “fall.”
