24 verses
Ezekiel delivers a parable about a mighty eagle, a cedar, and a vine to explain Israel’s dependence on foreign powers and the consequences of breaking covenants, while foretelling judgment upon Babylon and eventual restoration.
The chapter opens with a parable in which a great eagle plucks a cedar from Lebanon and plants it in a foreign city, later sowing its seed in fertile soil to grow a vine that is nurtured by the eagle’s roots. This imagery represents Israel’s political and spiritual alliance with foreign nations, particularly Babylon, which has seized its leaders and imposed a covenant that Israel rebels against. Ezekiel pronounces judgment on the Babylonian king, warning that he will die where he is crowned, and declares that Pharaoh will not protect him. He affirms that God’s oath will be upheld, that He will trap the king in a net and bring him to Babylon as punishment. Despite this judgment, Ezekiel then proclaims that God will take the highest branch of the cedar and plant it on a high mountain in Israel, allowing it to flourish and shelter birds, symbolizing a future restoration of the nation. The chapter concludes with a poetic affirmation that God has both humbled the high tree and raised the low tree, demonstrating His sovereign control.
mixed
The chapter contains prophetic warning and judgment alongside assurances of eventual restoration.