Ezekiel 17:3

Ezekiel 17:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And say, Thus saith the Lord God; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:
• New International Version (NIV)Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon. Taking hold of the top of a cedar,
• English Standard Version (ESV)say, Thus says the Lord God: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, rich in plumage of many colors, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “A great eagle with large wings and long pinions, Full of feathers of various colors, Came to Lebanon And took from the cedar the highest branch.

Context of Ezekiel 17:3

1Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2“Son of man, ask a riddle and tell a parable to the house of Israel, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “A great eagle (Nebuchadnezzar) with great wings, long pinions and a rich plumage of many colors came to Lebanon (Jerusalem) and took away the top of the cedar (Judah). 4He broke off the topmost of its young twigs (young King Jehoiachin) and carried it to a land of traders (Babylonia); he set it in a city of merchants (Babylon). 5He also took some of the seed of the land (Zedekiah, of the royal family) and planted it in fertile soil and a fruitful field; he placed it beside abundant waters and set it like a willow tree.

Ezekiel 17:3 word by word

וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הַנֶּ֤שֶׁר הַגָּדוֹל֙ גְּד֤וֹל הַכְּנָפַ֙יִם֙ אֶ֣רֶךְ הָאֵ֔בֶר מָלֵא֙ הַנּוֹצָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־ל֖וֹ הָֽרִקְמָ֑ה בָּ֚א אֶל־הַלְּבָנ֔וֹן וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־צַמֶּ֥רֶת הָאָֽרֶז׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• the Lordאֲדֹנָי'ădônây · LordH136
• Godיְהֹוִהyehôvih · YHWH/GodH3069
• A greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• eagleנֶשֶׁרnesher · eagleH5404
• wingsכָּנָףkânâph · wingH3671
• longwingedאָרֵךְ'ârêk · slowH750
• longwingedאֵ֫בֶר'êber · wingH83
• fullמָלֵאmâlê' · fullH4392
• of feathersנוֹצָהnôtsâh nôtsâh · plumageH5133
• which had divers coloursרִקְמָהriqmâh · embroideryH7553
• cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• unto Lebanonלְבָנוֹןlebânôn · LebanonH3844
• and tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• the highest branchצַמֶּ֫רֶתtsammereth · treetopH6788
• of the cedarאֶ֫רֶז'erez · cedarH730

Cross-references for Ezekiel 17:3

• 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.
• Deuteronomy 28:49“The Lord will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, [as swift] as the eagle swoops down [to attack], a nation whose language you will not understand,
• Jeremiah 4:13“Behold, the enemy comes up like clouds, His chariots like the whirlwind; His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe (judgment is coming) to us, for we are ruined!”
• Jeremiah 48:40For thus says the Lord: “Behold, one (Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon) will fly swiftly like an eagle And spread out his wings against Moab.
• Jeremiah 49:16As for Your terror, The pride and arrogance of your heart have deceived you, O you who live in the clefts of the rock (Sela also called Petra), Who hold and occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as the eagle’s, I will bring you down from there,” says the Lord.
• Lamentations 4:19Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the sky; They pursued us on the mountains, They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.
• Hosea 8:1Set the trumpet to your lips [announcing impending judgment]! Like a [great] vulture the enemy comes against the house of the Lord, Because they have broken My covenant And transgressed and rebelled against My law.
• Matthew 24:28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will flock together.
• Daniel 2:38and wherever the sons of men dwell, and the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You [king of Babylon] are the head of gold.
• Daniel 4:32and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the animals of the field. You will be given grass to eat like the cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you know [without any doubt] that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind and He bestows it on whomever He desires.” ’
• Daniel 7:4The first (the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar) was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind was given to it.
• Ezekiel 17:12“Say now to the rebellious house, ‘Do you not know (realize) what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Hear this, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took its king [Jehoiachin] and its princes and brought them with him to Babylon.
• 2 Kings 24:10At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon went up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.
• 2 Chronicles 36:9Jehoiachin was eight[teen] years old when he became king, and he reigned for three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.
• Jeremiah 22:23O inhabitant of [Jerusalem, whose palaces are made from the cedars of] Lebanon, You who nest in the cedars, How you will groan and how miserable you will be when pains come on you, Pain like a woman in childbirth!
• Jeremiah 24:1After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken Jeconiah [who was also called Coniah and Jehoiachin] the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah [along] with the craftsmen and smiths into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, the Lord showed me [in a vision] two baskets of figs set before the temple of the Lord.

Commentaries on Ezekiel 17:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3A great eagle - Nebuchadnezzar. See Jeremiah 48:40; Jeremiah 49:22; Daniel 7:4. And see here, Daniel 7:12, where it is so applied. Great wings - Extensive empire. Long-winged - Rapid in his conquests. Full of feathers - Having multitudes of subjects. Divers colors - People of various nations. Came unto Lebanon - Came against Judea. The highest branch - King Jehoiachin he took captive to Babylon. The cedar - The Jewish state and king.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3A great eagle … - Probably the golden eagle, whose plumage has the variety of color here depicted. The eagle (the king of birds) is a natural representative of monarchs (compare, Jeremiah 48:40), and was an Assyrian emblem. With great wings, Iongwinged - literally, “great of wing, long of pinion,” because he has swept victoriously over widely distant lands - of divers colors, because his subjects are of various races and tongues. Jerusalem is here called…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-6Babylon was the city filled with merchants (see Ezekiel 16:29).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. eagle--the king of birds. The literal Hebrew is, "the great eagle." The symbol of the Assyrian supreme god, Nisroch; so applied to "the great king" of Babylon, his vicegerent on earth (Jr 48:40; 49:22). His "wings" are his great forces. Such symbols were familiar to the Jews, who saw them portrayed on the great buildings of Babylon; such as are now seen in the Assyrian remains. long-winged--implying the wide extent of his empire. full of feathers--when…Read the comment

Topics related to Ezekiel 17:3

• Eagle
• Ezekiel

In the dictionaries

• God
• Lebanon
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Branch
• Cedar
• Riddle
• Wither
• Branch ;bough
• Ezekiel
• Highest

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