Ezekiel 19: A Lament for Fallen Princes
Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.
And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.
Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.
And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.
Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.
And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.
And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
Ezekiel 19 serves as a poignant conclusion to the section beginning in Ezekiel 12:1, driving home the reality of God's impending judgment and dispelling any lingering hopes of escape for Judah and Jerusalem. The chapter takes the form of a lament, a funeral dirge, commanded by God for the "princes of Israel" (Ezekiel 19:1). While a lament is usually reserved for the honorable dead, the kings discussed in this chapter arguably did not deserve such honor due to their wickedness.
The Lioness and Her Cubs (Ezekiel 19:1-4)
The opening verses introduce a powerful image: a lioness who gives birth and raises her cubs (Ezekiel 19:2). This lioness symbolizes Israel, the nation that had historically produced great kings. However, the first "cub" referenced is widely understood to be Jehoahaz. After the untimely death of his father, the righteous King Josiah, Jehoahaz ascended the throne in Jerusalem but quickly proved to be an evil ruler (see 2 Kings 23:31-32). During his brief three-month reign, he "devoured men" through his unjust and destructive decisions. Ultimately, Pharaoh Neco of Egypt captured him and led him away with hooks (Ezekiel 19:3-4; see 2 Kings 23:33), marking a devastating blow to Judah's sovereignty.
The Fate of Jehoiachin (Ezekiel 19:5-9)
Another wicked king, Jehoiachin, followed in the footsteps of Jehoahaz. He too reigned for only three months in Jerusalem, causing immense suffering to the people. His reign ended when Nebuchadnezzar captured him and exiled him to Babylon (see 2 Kings 23:34–24:6). Jehoiachin never returned to his homeland, silencing his "roar" on the mountains of Israel (Ezekiel 19:9) and symbolizing the diminishing power and influence of the Davidic dynasty.
Zedekiah's Broken Covenant (Ezekiel 19:10-14)
The final king lamented in this chapter is Zedekiah. Nebuchadnezzar initially allowed Zedekiah to remain on the throne, leaving Jerusalem relatively intact, like a flourishing vineyard planted in the holy land (Ezekiel 19:10-11). The city and its king had the opportunity to prosper if Zedekiah had remained faithful to his covenant with Nebuchadnezzar. However, Zedekiah broke his word, leading to the devastating consequences of Babylonian invasion. In their fury, the Babylonian army uprooted Jerusalem, and fire consumed the holy city (Ezekiel 19:12; see 2 Kings 24:18–25:7). The people were deported to a "dry and thirsty land" (Ezekiel 19:13), marking the end of Judah's independence and the beginning of the Babylonian exile. The removal of Zedekiah from the throne signified the temporary end of the Davidic kingship. The prophecy states there was no longer "...a strong branch, a scepter for ruling" (Ezekiel 19:14).
Hope for the Future
While Ezekiel 19 paints a bleak picture of Judah's demise, it also subtly points towards a future hope. The "branch" and "scepter" that were seemingly lost will ultimately be restored in Jesus Christ. He is the true and ultimate "Son of David" (Matthew 1:1), "the King of Israel" (John 1:49), and "the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David" (Revelation 5:5). Through Him, the Davidic line will be re-established, and God's kingdom will be established forever.
This lament transitions the narrative into the next section of Ezekiel, which focuses on the history of Judah's sins (Ezekiel 20:1–24:27), providing further context for the judgment that has befallen the nation. Ezekiel 19 serves as a somber reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the importance of faithfulness to God's covenant.
Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.
And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.
The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.
Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.
And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.
Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit.
And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.
And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.
But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.
And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.
And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.
Ezekiel 19 serves as a poignant conclusion to the section beginning in Ezekiel 12:1, driving home the reality of God's impending judgment and dispelling any lingering hopes of escape for Judah and Jerusalem. The chapter takes the form of a lament, a funeral dirge, commanded by God for the "princes of Israel" (Ezekiel 19:1). While a lament is usually reserved for the honorable dead, the kings discussed in this chapter arguably did not deserve such honor due to their wickedness.
The Lioness and Her Cubs (Ezekiel 19:1-4)
The opening verses introduce a powerful image: a lioness who gives birth and raises her cubs (Ezekiel 19:2). This lioness symbolizes Israel, the nation that had historically produced great kings. However, the first "cub" referenced is widely understood to be Jehoahaz. After the untimely death of his father, the righteous King Josiah, Jehoahaz ascended the throne in Jerusalem but quickly proved to be an evil ruler (see 2 Kings 23:31-32). During his brief three-month reign, he "devoured men" through his unjust and destructive decisions. Ultimately, Pharaoh Neco of Egypt captured him and led him away with hooks (Ezekiel 19:3-4; see 2 Kings 23:33), marking a devastating blow to Judah's sovereignty.
The Fate of Jehoiachin (Ezekiel 19:5-9)
Another wicked king, Jehoiachin, followed in the footsteps of Jehoahaz. He too reigned for only three months in Jerusalem, causing immense suffering to the people. His reign ended when Nebuchadnezzar captured him and exiled him to Babylon (see 2 Kings 23:34–24:6). Jehoiachin never returned to his homeland, silencing his "roar" on the mountains of Israel (Ezekiel 19:9) and symbolizing the diminishing power and influence of the Davidic dynasty.
Zedekiah's Broken Covenant (Ezekiel 19:10-14)
The final king lamented in this chapter is Zedekiah. Nebuchadnezzar initially allowed Zedekiah to remain on the throne, leaving Jerusalem relatively intact, like a flourishing vineyard planted in the holy land (Ezekiel 19:10-11). The city and its king had the opportunity to prosper if Zedekiah had remained faithful to his covenant with Nebuchadnezzar. However, Zedekiah broke his word, leading to the devastating consequences of Babylonian invasion. In their fury, the Babylonian army uprooted Jerusalem, and fire consumed the holy city (Ezekiel 19:12; see 2 Kings 24:18–25:7). The people were deported to a "dry and thirsty land" (Ezekiel 19:13), marking the end of Judah's independence and the beginning of the Babylonian exile. The removal of Zedekiah from the throne signified the temporary end of the Davidic kingship. The prophecy states there was no longer "...a strong branch, a scepter for ruling" (Ezekiel 19:14).
Hope for the Future
While Ezekiel 19 paints a bleak picture of Judah's demise, it also subtly points towards a future hope. The "branch" and "scepter" that were seemingly lost will ultimately be restored in Jesus Christ. He is the true and ultimate "Son of David" (Matthew 1:1), "the King of Israel" (John 1:49), and "the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David" (Revelation 5:5). Through Him, the Davidic line will be re-established, and God's kingdom will be established forever.
This lament transitions the narrative into the next section of Ezekiel, which focuses on the history of Judah's sins (Ezekiel 20:1–24:27), providing further context for the judgment that has befallen the nation. Ezekiel 19 serves as a somber reminder of the consequences of disobedience and the importance of faithfulness to God's covenant.