“In the seventh year,
In the fifth month,
On the tenth day
Of the month,
Certain elders
Of Israel
Came to consult
Yahweh.
They sat down
Before me.”
Once again, with a very specific date mentioned, the 7th year of the rule of King Zedekiah, in the 5th month, the 10th day of the month, certain elders came to Ezekiel to talk to him about Yahweh. This would make it August, 591 BCE. They came and sat down in front of Ezekiel, who continued to use the first person singular.
“But the vine
Was plucked up
In fury.
It was cast down
To the ground.
The east wind
Dried it up.
Its fruit
Was stripped off.
Its strong stem
Was withered.
The fire
Consumed it.
Now it was transplanted
Into the wilderness,
Into a dry,
Thirsty land.
The fire has gone out
From its stem.
It has consumed
Its branches.
It has consumed
Its fruit.
Thus there remains
In it
No strong stem.
There is no scepter
For ruling.
This is a lamentation.
It is used
As a lamentation.”
Yahweh, via Ezekiel continued this allegory. The good mother vine was plucked up in anger. It was cast down to the ground. The east wind dried it up. Its fruit was stripped off. The strong stem was withered. Fire consumed it. Then they transplanted it into the wilderness, the desert, a dry thirsty land. A fire consumed its stem, branches, and fruit. There no longer was a strong stem for a ruling scepter. This is a reference that Judah no longer had a ruler. Thus this was a useful lamentation.
“Your mother was
Like a vine
In a vineyard,
Transplanted
By the water.
She was fruitful.
She was full of branches
From abundant water.
Her strongest stem
Became
A ruler’s scepter.
It towered aloft
Among the thick boughs.
It stood out
In its height
With the mass
Of its branches.”
Yahweh, via Ezekiel has another allegory about a vine. This vine was like their mother, large and fruitful. The reference here is to Judah as the mother of the people. This vine had been taken from a normal vineyard and planted near a large water supply. It had long stems so that one became a ruler’s scepter. It was tall with thick branches as it stood out because of its height and massive branches.
“The second young lion
Ravaged
Their strongholds.
He laid waste
To their towns.
The land
Was appalled.
All who were in it
Were appalled
At the sound
Of his roaring.
The nations
Set upon him
From the provinces
All around.
They spread
Their net
Over him.
He was caught
In their pit.
With hooks,
They put him
In a cage.
They brought him
To the king of Babylon.
They brought him
Into custody.
Thus his voice
Would be heard
No more
On the mountains
Of Israel.”
This second young lion ravaged the strongholds and towns around there. The land and everybody in it were appalled at the sound of his roaring. Thus various countries from around the area set upon him. They spread out their nets over him. They caught him in a pit. They hooked him and put him into a cage. They brought him to the king of Babylon. He was now in custody so that his voice would no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel. This sounds a lot like a reference to King Zedekiah (598-587).
“When the lioness saw
That she was thwarted,
That her hope was lost,
She took another
Of her lion cubs.
She made him
A young lion.
He prowled
Among the lions.
He became a young lion.
He learned
To catch prey.
He devoured people.”
With the capture of the first young lion, this lioness tried to develop a second young lion. She had given up hope, but then she found another one of her young lion cubs. She made him into another young lion so that he prowled among the other young lions. He then learned to catch prey and devour humans. Perhaps this lioness is a reference to Hamutal, the wife of King Josiah (640-609 BCE), whose two sons became kings, King Jehoiakim (609-598 BCE) and King Zedekiah (598-587 BCE).
“As for you!
Raise up
A lamentation
For the princes of Israel!
Say!
‘What a lioness
Was your mother
Among lions!
She lay down
Among young lions,
Rearing her cubs.
She raised up
One of her cubs.
He became
A young lion.
He learned
To catch prey.
He devoured humans.
The nations sounded
An alarm
Against him.
He was caught
In their pit.
They brought him
With hooks
To the land of Egypt.”
Now Ezekiel has an allegorical poetic lamentation for the officials and princes of Israel. There was a lioness mother who took care of her cubs. Apparently this is an allusion to Judah, the lioness. One of them became a young lion who learned how to catch prey. In fact, he devoured some humans. Other countries got upset. They then caught him in a pit. They hooked him and brought him to Egypt. Who is this young lion that was brought to Egypt? This may be a reference to King Jehoahaz (609 BCE) who was captured, after the death of his father, King Josiah (640-609 BCE).
“Repent!
Turn
From all your transgressions!
Otherwise iniquity
Will be your ruin!
Cast away
From you
All the transgressions
That you have committed
Against me!
Get yourselves
A new heart!
Get yourselves
A new spirit!
Why will you die?
O house of Israel!
I have no pleasure
In the death
Of anyone.
Turn then !
Live!’
Says Yahweh God.”
Yahweh had a simple solution. They were to repent and turn away from all their transgressions. Otherwise their iniquity would be their ruin. They had to cast away all the transgressions that they had committed against Yahweh. They needed a new heart and a new spirit. Why would they want to die? Yahweh told the house of Israel that he took no pleasure in killing people. They simply had to turn away from their evil ways. Then they would live.
“‘Therefore
I will judge you!
O house of Israel!
All of you!
According to your ways!’
Says Yahweh God.”
Yahweh, their God, was going to judge Israel according to their ways. There was no magic formula. Yahweh was the final judge.
“Yet the house of Israel
Say!
‘The way of Yahweh
Is unfair!’
‘O house of Israel!
Are my ways unfair?
Is it not your ways
That are unfair?’”
Just like earlier in this chapter, Yahweh received a challenge about fairness. Why was Yahweh unfair? Yahweh responded to the house of Israel that it was not his ways that were unfair, rather it was their ways that were unfair.
“Again,
When the wicked
Turn away
From the wickedness
That they have committed,
They shall live.
They do what is lawful.
They do what is right.
They shall save their lives.
Because they considered
Their transgressions,
They turned away
From all the transgressions
That they had committed.
They shall surely live.
They shall not die.”
The opposite is also true. When the wicked turn away from their evil ways, they will live and not die. If they do what is lawful and what is right, they would save their lives. They had considered the transgressions that they had committed, but then they turned away from them. Thus they will live and not die.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 