Exposition of Ezekiel 14-19, Commentary on Ezechiel · Chapter 17 · Verse 3 – Verse 5
VERS. 3.
A great Eagle with great wings, long winged, full of feathers which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and tooke the higheſt branch of the Cedar, &c.
THis parable leads us to the conſideration of Nebuchadnezar King of Babylon, who is likened unto an Eagle. This Eagle is diſcovered,
1. From its greatneſſe; A great Eagle, &c.
2. From the extent of it's wings; long winged.
3. From its featherineſſe; full of feathers.
4. From the variety of theſe feathers, which had divers colours.
5. From its actions, two whereof are ſet downe in this verſ.
1. He came to Lebanon.
2. He tooke the higheſt branch of the Cedar.
A great Eagle.
This Eagle is call'd the King of Babylon, verſ. 12. who was Nebuchadnezar, and now it concerns us to ſee the correſpondency between him and an Eagle, and upon what grounds it is that he is ſo cal'd. Some have told us an Eagle was the Babylonian Enſigne: but that is denyed by thoſe who affirme a Dove to be their Enſigne, which they gather from Jer. 25.38. where the words, becauſe of the fierceneſſe of the oppreſſor, in the Original are,foreign becauſe of the fierceneſs of the Dove: And in Jer. 46.16.50.16. where the words are the oppreſſing ſword; in the Originall they are the ſword of the Dove; that is the ſword of Nebuchadnezar, who bare in his Enſigne a Dove: but the root whence jonah, foreign Pagn. Shindl. Avenar. Bux…. Critic. Sac.a dove comes is janah, which ſignifies to oppreſſe, and therefore is not amiſſe rendered by our Tranſlators in the places mentioned: and ſo hath not ſufficient ſtrength to prove that the Enſign of Chaldeans or Babylonians was a Dove. It might be an Eagle notwithſtanding this conjecture: but becauſe both theſe opinions are uncertaine, we ſhall enquire after truth.
1. Eagles mind high and great things;Aquila non captat muſcas. flies and petty things they look not after foreign Eagles ſoare aloft, and are in the clouds. Job 39.27, The eagle mounts up, and makes her neſt on high. So Nebuchadnezar had a high ſpirit,Dan. 3.15. Who is that God ſhall deliver you out of my hands. and minded high, great things, as Monarchs and Princes doe: He made an Image of gold, ſixty cubits in heighth, and ſix in breadth, Dan 3.1. He minded Kingdoms and Nations, Jer. 27.8. His heart was lifted up high when he ſaid, Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the houſe of the Kingdome, by the might of my power, vnd for the honour of my Majeſty? Dan. 4.30. He ſet his neſt on high above others.
2. Eagles are ſwift in their flight and motions. Job 39.30. Where the ſlaine are, there is ſhee. Shee flies ſwiftly to the prey, and upon all occaſions. Deut. 28.49. God threatned if they ſin'd, to bring a nation as ſwift as the Eagle flies, Jer. 4.…. …peaking of Nebuchadnezar; He ſhall come up as clouds, and his chariots as a whirl-wind; his horſes are ſwifter then eagles: They found it ſo, Lam. 4.19. Our perſecutors are ſwifter then the Eagles of heaven. Alexander was quick in his undertakings. Julius Caeſar expeditious, and Nebuchadnezar had his excellency, that he was celer in conficiendis rebus, Jer. 48.40. He ſhall flie as an eagle, and ſpread his wings over Moab.
3. S…rong and cruell; they are the chiefe of all hath wings, they are ſtronger then other fowles. Iſa. 40.31. They ſhall mount up with wings like eagles. They have much ſtrength in them, and being ſtrong, do gripe and tear their prey cruelly. Job 39.30. Her young ones doe ſuck up blood. It's naturall to the eagle to be bloody: ſo Nebuchadnezar was ſtrong and cruell. Nations ſerved him, Jer. 27.7. He is cal'd an oppreſſor. Iſa. 14.4. He ſmote the people in wrath with a continuall ſtroke, he ruled the nations in anger. Perſecu…ed, and none hindered, verſ. 6. This Nebuchadnezar brake the bones of Iſrael, Jer 50.17. He heated the fiery furnace ſeven times hotter then ever, and cauſed the three children to be thrown in.
4. Eagles are quick-ſighted. Job 39.29. She ſits upon the rocke, and her eyes behold a farre off. And we uſe to ſay of men ſagacious and diſcerning, that they are Eagle-eyed. Nebuchadnezar ſate on high in a Throne, and ſo other Princes, and they ſee afarre off; they ſee where prey is to be had; they are greedy of honour, greatneſs, and wealth, and look every way, farre and neare to find out what may ſatisfie; they have eyes and ſpies in all parts of their Kingdomes, to ſearch and ſift out things, and make them knowne unto them.
Great.
foreign The Eagle, the great, he was a great K. and had many Ks. under him, as appears by Jer. 52.32.This Eagle was no ordinary eagle: Nebuchadnezar was a great King. Dan. 2.37. Thou ô King art a King of Kings, for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdome, power, ſtrength, and glory. He was great in titles, great in attendants, great in poſſeſſions, great in power, and great in name.
With great wings.
This notes his power: wings are for motion and flight. Nebuchadnezar had power to move, and move ſpeedily,Sep foreign. as you heard before, for his power was great. By wings we may underſtand his military forces. Jer. 49.22. Behold he ſhall come up and flye as the eagle, and ſpread his wings over Bozra.
Long winged.
Hebrew is, long in feather or wing. foreign. Sep. Longo membrorum ductu. Vulg. Alatiſſima. Jun. Piſcat.If you will refer this to the long ſpears the Babylonians uſed, you may; but I rather judge it's meant of the vaſt and extenſive greatneſſe of this King; for Dan. 33. There were many Provinces under him, all the rulers of the provinces were gathered unto him. Chap. 4.1. Nebuchadnezar the King, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth. His wings were long that reached to all people: and more then this; Verſ. 22. O King thy greatneſſe is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. He had the largeſt dominions of any Prince then living.
Full of feathers.
Hebr. full of feather, the ſingular put for the plurall. The Sept. is, full of nailes or talons. Others read the words as we do; what is meant by feathers muſt be ſeen.foreign Some doe underſtand thereby the great riches and wealth this King had,foreign they were his feathers: and it's a common ſpeech among us that when men are grown rich, we ſay they have feather'd their neſts: And the Germans when they will puniſh a mans purſe, ſay, his feathers muſt be leſſened.Plumas alicujus minuendas. Lavater. This Eagle had ſtore of theſe feathers; his Empire was orientall, and had exceeding great riches in it: ſo full of gold, that the King made ſuch an Image thereof, as the world never ſaw before or ſince, Dan. 3.1.
But without prejudice to this opinion, I conceive principally by feathers people are underſtood, they are the feathers of Kings. Prov. 14.28. In the multitude of people is the Kings honour: but in the want of people is the deſtruction of the Prince. A King may want wealth, and yet be in honour, if the hearts of the people cleave to him, like feathers to the body of an Eagle,He is like an Eagle without feathers. there is his honour: but though hee have treaſures of gold and ſilver, and no people, hee is without honour, he is at the border of deſtruction. That which invites me thus to interpret feathers, is the next words.
Which had divers colours.
foreignHebrew is, variegation; or variety; wee had the word in the 16. Chap. verſ. 10. where I pen'd it at large, and therefore ſhall not critizize upon it at all. Sept. turns it, foreign tacitely implying the people by feathers: For, not his wealth,Voluntatem ingrediendi. but his people had a will and deſire to come to Lebanon, and ſpoile the Jewes.
Beſides, as the feathers of the Eagle is of divers colours, and carry a kind of embroydery upon them which adorn her much: ſo theſe people were of divers colours, being of divers Provinces, and of divers cuſtomes, manners, habits, ranks and orders, which ſerved Nebuchadnezar in his warres with the Jewes, and this variety was an embroydering of the Army, and a glory to the King.
The next thing is the action of this Eagle, which is two-fold.
1. He comes to Lebanon.
Lebanon is a mountaine in Canaan, riſing from the backe of Sidon, & running out 1500. furlongs towards Symira, as Maſius obſerves out of Plinie. It's a hill very high, delightful and fruitful: It's ſo cal'd from the whiteneſſe of it; for the hight is ſuch, that the ſnow continues upon it. Jer. 18.14. Can a man leave the ſnow of Lebanon? Or from the abundance of Frankincenſe there, which is white: It's very delightful by reaſon of the ſweet Frankinſenſe trees which grow there, as alſo the ſweet Cedars. Cant. 4.11. Thy garments are as the ſmell of Lebanon: whereof it's very fruitfull, as appears, 1 King. 5.6. and thrived greatly, Pſal. 92.12. and excel'd, Cant. 5.15. Of the Cedars grew upon this mountaine Solomon built the Temple, which therefore metonimically is cal'd Lebanon, Zech. 11.1. Open thy doores O Lebanon. That is, O Temple which art built of the goodly Cedars grew upon that mountaine, open thy doors. This Eagle Nebuchadnezar came to Lebanon; that is, invaded the holy land which lay contiguous to Lebanon.
And tooke the higheſt branch of the Cedar.
Heb. the top. Sept. the choiſe things. Vulg. is,foreign medullam Cedri, the marrow of the Cedar. The Hebrew is plurall, and notes not one, but many branches, the higheſt branches: but moſt Interpreters render it ſingularly, and underſtand by it Johoiachin King of Judah. There is much written by Plinie of the Cedar, which rather hath a ſhew of truth, then reality.L. 13. Natur. hiſt. c. 5. l. 16. c. 18. It's a tree of goodly ſtature, and therefore they are cal'd Cedars of God, Pſalm 80.11. Like the goodly Cedars. Hebrew is Cedars of God. And the wood of it is very durable; therefore the Temple was built of it, and Solomon made himſelf a Chariot of it, Cant. 3.9.
The Cedar is in Scripture uſed to ſet forth a thriving, growing, flouriſhing condition. Pſal. 92.12. The righteous ſhall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon. Numb. 24.5, 6. Jacobs tents and Tabernacles were goodly as Cedar-trees beſide the waters. Here the Kingdome of Judah is repreſented by the Cedar, which was very high and flouriſhing, ſo you may ſee the ſtate of the Amorites, Amos 2.9. whoſe height was like the height of Cedars. And as Cedars have ſome branches higher then other, ſo had this State a toppe-branch, Jechoniah.
The taking away the higheſt branch, was the removall of the King from his throne, 2 Kings 24.
VERS. 4.
He cropt off the top of his young twiggs, and caryed it into a land of Traffique, hee ſet it in a City of Merchants.
THe Prophet here proceeds in ſetting down the actions of the great Eagle he had ſpoken of before, and here are three actions.
1. Cropping.
2. Carrying.
3. Setting.
He cropt the top of the Cedars young twigs.
He carried it, whether? into a land of Traffique.
He ſet it, where? in a City of Merchants.
He cropt off the top of his young twigs.
Hebr. is, he pull'd away the head of his tender branches. foreign is from foreign to ſucke, becauſe thoſe tender ſhoots or branches do ſuck the juyce of the tree. Sept. is, foreign he hath cut off, or taken away the top of his tenderneſſe. French, le bont de ſes jeunes plantes.
Theſe twigs or plants were the Nobility of Judah, the Princes and Potentates that were higheſt in the Kingdome, and next unto the King. Theſe did Nebuchadnezar deprive of their power and greatneſs, and ſo ſpoil'd the glory of the Land, thoſe were moſt eminent he took away. Being young himſelfe, he had ſuch about him.
And carried it into a land of Traffique.
Heb. is, into the land of Canaan: and ſo the Sept. But the word Canaan is not to be taken properly, but appellatively, and notes Chaldea, which is ſo cal'd, becauſe it's a land of trading and merchandizing; for Canaan in Hebrew is a Merchant. Prov. 31.24. She delivereth girdles unto the Merchant. foreign ſo its uſed Iſa. 23.8. Hoſ. 12.7. And ſome render that in Zach. 14.21. In that day there ſhall be no more THE CANAANITE in the houſe of the Lord, a Merchant in the houſe of the Lord. Chaldaea was a land of traffique, as appears by Rev. 18.11. The merchants of the earth ſhall weepe over Babylon, for no man buyeth their merchandize any more. And it follows in our Prophet.
He ſet it in a City of Merchants.
The word here for Merchant is foreign and noteth eſpecially merchandizing in ſweet things, grocery, ſpicery, perfumes, powders, and therefore in Can…. 3.6. With all powders of the merchant. It's the ſame word, and imports they dealt in Myrrhe, Frankinſence, and all powders.Junius reads it in the Citie of Aromatiſts, thoſe that ſold ſweet things, which hee thinks was ſo cal'd becauſe they were ſo luxurious, as that they ſeemed rather molles Aromatarij quam viri fortes.
The meaning of this verſe is, that Nebuchadnezar tooke away the chiefe men, Princes, Nobles, Counſellors, Judges, Warriers, and carried them to Babylon, and ſet them amongſt thoſe were Merchants, trading for the chiefe things the world had. This you may ſee in the 12. verſ, and alſo in 2 Kings 24.12.14, 15, 16.
VERS. 5.
He tooke alſo of the ſeed of the land, and planted it in a fruitfull field, he placed it by great waters, and ſet it as a willow-tree.
The ſeede of the land.
IEhoiachin, the Princes and Nobles being Captives in Babylon, he tooke Mattaniah who was of the ſeed of the land of Judah, not of Babylon, of the ſeed of the Cedars; for hee was of the blood-royall, Unkle unto Jehoiachin, 2 King. 24. 17. Him did Nebuchadnezar ſet up for King, and changed his name,Sanct. in 4. Reg. 24. calling him Zedekiah. His firſt name was Mattaniah, ſignifying the gift of God, and according to the Syriack, the expectation of God;In the 13. v. of this chap. it's expreſt more fully: and hath taken of the Ks. ſeed, & made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath of him. this he had from Joſiah that godly King, whoſe ſonne he was. His ſecond name was Zedekiah, given him by N…buchadnezar an heathen King, which ſignifies the juſtice of God, whereby he minded him, being ſet up King by him, and ſworn to be ſubject unto him, 2 Chron. 36.13. Of the juſtice of God if he ſhould breake with him.
Planted it in a fruitfull field.
foreignHeb. in a field of ſeed, in a field fit to receive, and fertile to bring forth; he did not plant it in Babylon, or any other Province of his, but in Judaea, which was a fruitfull place. Iſa. 5.1. It was a land flowed with milke and honey, and abounded with good things exceeding all lands, Ezek. 20.6.
He placed it by great waters.
Husband-men when they plant trees are obſervant of the ſoile, whether dry or moyſt. So here, Nebuchadnezar placed this ſeed and young plant Zedekiah (for he was but 21 years old when he began to Reign, 2 Chron. 36.11.) neare unto, or among the waters, that ſo he might root, grow, and bring forth fruit.
Jehoiachin was planted before, but he took no rooting; he reigned but three months and ten days, 2 Chron. 36.9. and then was pluckd up;Ʋt firmaretradices ſupermul…s… aquas. but Nebuchadnezar aimed at the rooting and ſetling of Zedekiah; the Vulg. reads it, that hee might ſtrengthen his roots upon, or amongſt the great waters. Some by waters underſtand people: ſo Rev. 17.1. The whore ſate upon many waters: which verſ. 15. are interpreted people.
They are inconſtant, moveable, this way or that way as waters are. By waters are to be underſtood the poor.
And ſet it as a willow-tree.
foreignHeb. he put it a willow, or as a willow, ſo Interpreters have rendred it, but upon what ground I cannot find; for the word ſafſaphah is either from a word which is to peepe, foreign is ſtridor & muſſitatio aquilae.make a noiſe like birds; as it's in Iſa. 8.19:10.14. And ſo Avenarius deriving the word from hence, interprets our Prophet thus, Stridore & ſibilo emiſſo poſuit ſemen quod ore ſuſtulerat aquila, he ſet it with noiſe and muttering. It's like Nebuchadnezar was troubled at the doings of former Kings, both Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin, and therefore might murmure at the ſetting up of Zedekiah.
Or elſe its from a word that ſignifies to ſpie, watch, foreignobſerve, and ſo ſignies circumſpection, and here is us'd adverbially, and may thus be rendred; he ſet it moſt circumſpectly, or with great circumſpection, and ſo both Junius, Piſcator, and Polanus doe render it,. The Sept. is, foreign he looked into the thing: and Caſtal. compoſite collocavit; fearing leſt he ſhould fall off, he tooke an oath of fidelity of him, and he became tributary to him.