Christian Standard Bible
Ezekiel 17:3
3You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: A huge eagle with powerful wings, long feathers, and full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
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
1The word of the Lord came to me: 2“Son of man, pose a riddle and speak a parable to the house of Israel. You are to say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: A huge eagle with powerful wings, long feathers, and full plumage of many colors came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar. 4He plucked off its topmost shoot, brought it to the land of merchants, and set it in a city of traders. 5Then he took some of the land’s seed and put it in a fertile field; he set it like a willow, a plant by abundant water.
Read all of Ezekiel 17Ezekiel 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“‘But there was another huge eagle with powerful wings and thick plumage. And this vine bent its roots toward him! It stretched out its branches to him from the plot where it was planted, so that he might water it.
- Deuteronomy 28:49The Lord will bring a nation from far away, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down on you like an eagle, a nation whose language you won’t understand,
- Jeremiah 4:13Look, he advances like clouds; his chariots are like a storm. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!
- Jeremiah 48:40For this is what the Lord says: Look! He will swoop down like an eagle and spread his wings against Moab.
- Jeremiah 49:16As to the terror you cause, your arrogant heart has deceived you. You who live in the clefts of the rock, you who occupy the mountain summit, though you elevate your nest like the eagles, even from there I will bring you down. This is the Lord’s declaration.
- Lamentations 4:19Those who chased us were swifter than eagles in the sky; they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness.
- Hosea 8:1Put the ram’s horn to your mouth! One like an eagle comes against the house of the Lord, because they transgress my covenant and rebel against my law.
- Matthew 24:28Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.
- Daniel 2:38Wherever people live — or wild animals, or birds of the sky — he has handed them over to you and made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold.
- Daniel 4:32You will be driven away from people to live with the wild animals, and you will feed on grass like cattle for seven periods of time, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms, and he gives them to anyone he wants.”
- Daniel 7:4“The first was like a lion but had eagle’s wings. I continued watching until its wings were torn off. It was lifted up from the ground, set on its feet like a man, and given a human mind.
- Ezekiel 17:12“Now say to that rebellious house, ‘Don’t you know what these things mean? ’ Tell them, ‘The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon.
- 2 Kings 24:10At that time the servants of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon marched up to Jerusalem, and the city came under siege.
- 2 Chronicles 36:9Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.
- Jeremiah 22:23You residents of Lebanon, nestled among the cedars, how you will groan when pains come on you, agony like a woman in labor.
- Jeremiah 24:1After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had deported Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, the officials of Judah, and the craftsmen and metalsmiths from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of 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
In the dictionaries
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
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