Ezekiel 17:1-10 | The Way of Scripture

Ezekiel 17:1-10

Why does the well-watered vine reach toward another eagle?

Berean Standard Bible

1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, pose a riddle; speak a parable to the house of Israel 3 and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers of many colors, came to Lebanon and took away the top of the cedar. 4 He plucked off its topmost shoot, carried it to the land of merchants, and planted it in a city of traders. 5 He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it by abundant waters and set it out like a willow. 6 It sprouted and became a spreading vine, low in height, with branches turned toward him; yet its roots remained where it stood. So it became a vine and yielded branches and sent out shoots.
7 But there was another great eagle with great wings and many feathers. And behold, this vine bent its roots toward him. It stretched out its branches to him from its planting bed, so that he might water it. 8 It had been planted in good soil by abundant waters in order to yield branches and bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’ 9 So you are to tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Will it flourish? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it shrivels? All its foliage will wither! It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by its roots. 10 Even if it is transplanted, will it flourish? Will it not completely wither when the east wind strikes? It will wither on the bed where it sprouted.’”

What is the context?

The Lord tells Ezekiel to present a riddle and a parable. A great eagle takes the top of a cedar from Lebanon to a city of traders, then plants seed from the land beside abundant water.

The seed becomes a low, spreading vine with its branches turned toward the eagle. It has good soil and enough water to grow and bear fruit.

A second eagle appears, and the vine turns its roots and branches toward this newcomer for water. The story stresses that it was already well provided for where it had been planted.

The Lord asks whether it will flourish. The answer is a warning of uprooting and withering, including the effect of an east wind. The next passage supplies the explanation of the eagles, planting and attempted change of allegiance.

How is this passage commonly understood?

Henry reads the eagles as conquering powers whose actions remain under God’s rule. Wesley identifies the first as Nebuchadnezzar and the second as Egypt’s king, following the explanation given later in the chapter.

Both understand the vine’s turning as a misplaced search for security. The issue is not a shortage of provision where it had been planted, but the attempt to gain a different protector through a change of allegiance. The story’s interpretation comes from the Lord’s explanation, rather than requiring a fixed code for every eagle or tree elsewhere in Scripture.

What is our position?

We don't have a position on this passage yet. When our study reaches a conclusion the text supports, it will appear here.

Where can I study this further?

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