Ezekiel 17:15

Ezekiel 17:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?
• New International Version (NIV)But the king rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?
• English Standard Version (ESV)But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape?
• New King James Version (NKJV)But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered?

Context of Ezekiel 17:15

13And he took a member of the royal family [the king’s uncle, Zedekiah] and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took the important leaders of the land, 14so that the kingdom would be in subjection, unable to restore itself and rise again, but that by keeping his covenant it might continue. But Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar by sending his ambassadors to Egypt so that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant [with Babylon] and [still] escape? 16As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘surely in the country of the king (Nebuchadnezzar) who made Zedekiah [the vassal] king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, in Babylon Zedekiah shall die. 17Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in the war, when they (the Babylonians) put up ramps and build siege walls to destroy many lives.

Ezekiel 17:15 word by word

וַיִּמְרָד־בּ֗וֹ לִשְׁלֹ֤חַ מַלְאָכָיו֙ מִצְרַ֔יִם לָֽתֶת־ל֥וֹ סוּסִ֖ים וְעַם־רָ֑ב הֲיִצְלָ֤ח הֲיִמָּלֵט֙ הָעֹשֵׂ֣ה אֵ֔לֶּה וְהֵפֵ֥ר בְּרִ֖ית וְנִמְלָֽט׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But he rebelledמָרַדmârad · to rebelH4775
• against him in sendingשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• his ambassadorsמַלְאָךְmal'âk · messengerH4397
• into Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• that they might giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• him horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
• and muchרַבrab · manyH7227
• peopleעַם‛am · people: soldiersH5971
• Shall he prosperצָלֵחַtsâlach tsâlêach · to prosperH6743
• shall he escapeמָלַטmâlaţ · to escapeH4422
• that doethעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• or shall he breakפָּרַרpârar · to breakH6565
• the covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285

Cross-references for Ezekiel 17:15

• Ezekiel 17:7“There was [also] another great eagle with great wings and many feathers; and behold, this vine (Zedekiah) bent its roots toward him and sent out its branches toward him, away from the beds where it was planted, for him to water.
• 2 Kings 24:20Because of the anger of the Lord these things happened in Jerusalem and Judah, and it [finally] came to the point that He cast them from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
• 2 Chronicles 36:13He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear allegiance by God. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord God of Israel.
• Jeremiah 52:3For all this came about in Jerusalem and Judah because of the anger of the Lord, and [in the end] He cast them from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
• Deuteronomy 17:16Further, he shall not acquire many [war] horses for himself, nor make the people return to Egypt in order to acquire horses [to expand his military power], since the Lord said to you, ‘You shall never return that way again.’
• Isaiah 30:1“Woe (judgment is coming) to the rebellious children,” declares the Lord, “Who carry out a plan, but not Mine, And make an alliance [by pouring out a libation], but not of My Spirit, In order to add sin to sin;
• Isaiah 31:1Woe (judgment is coming) to those who go down to Egypt for help, Who rely on horses And trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek and consult the Lord!
• Isaiah 36:6Listen carefully, you rely on the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who rely on him.
• Jeremiah 37:5Meanwhile, Pharaoh’s army had set out from Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard the news about them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
• Ezekiel 17:9Thus says the Lord God, ‘Ask, “Will it thrive? Will he (Nebuchadnezzar) not uproot it and strip off its fruit so that all its sprouting leaves will wither? It will not take a strong arm or many people to uproot it [ending Israel’s national existence].
• Deuteronomy 29:12so that you may enter into the covenant of the Lord your God, and into His oath and agreement which the Lord your God is making with you today,
• Jeremiah 22:29O land, land, land, Hear the word of the Lord!
• Ezekiel 17:18Now Zedekiah dishonored the oath by breaking the covenant, and behold, he gave his hand and pledged his allegiance, yet did all these things; he shall not escape.’ ”
• Ezekiel 21:25And you, O dishonored and wicked one [Zedekiah], the prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of final punishment is here,’
• Proverbs 19:5A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who breathes out lies will not escape.
• Jeremiah 32:4and Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye;

Commentaries on Ezekiel 17:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Sending his ambassadors into Egypt - Zedekiah must have sent his ambassadors into Egypt, between the sixth month of his sixth year, and the fifth month of his seventh year. Compare Ezekiel 8:1, with Ezekiel 20:1. - See Newcome.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-21Verses 11-21 The parable is explained, and the particulars of the history of the Jewish nation at that time may be traced. Zedekiah had been ungrateful to his benefactor, which is a sin against God. In every solemn oath, God is appealed to as a witness of the sincerity of him that swears. Truth is a debt owing to all men. If the professors of the true religion deal treacherously with those of a false religion, their profession makes their sin the worse…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-18The first eagle represents Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. The cedar sprig represents Jehoiachin, whom Nebuchadnezzar took away to Babylon. The plant that later grew into a low vine represents Zedekiah. The second eagle represents Egypt. Zedekiah asked Egypt for help because he wanted to break free from Babylon’s rule. The hot east wind represents judgment from Babylon. This wind pulled up and dried out Jerusalem. In other words, Babylon destroyed the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. he rebelled--God permitted this because of His wrath against Jerusalem (2Ki 24:20). horses--in which Egypt abounded and which were forbidden to Israel to seek from Egypt, or indeed to "multiply" at all (De 17:16; Is 31:1, 3; compare Is 36:9). Diodorus Siculus [1.45] says that the whole region from Thebes to Memphis was filled with royal stalls, so that twenty thousand chariots with two horses in each could be furnished for war. Shall he prosper?--The…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 17:15

• Alliances
• Ambassadors
• Citizens
• Covenant
• Egyptians
• Falsehood
• Horse
• Pharaoh
• Zedekiah

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• Ambassador
• Riddle
• Wither
• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• Ezekiel
• Judah, Kingdom of
• Zedekiah (2)
• Pharaoh
• Zedekiah

Commentaries on Ezekiel 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings