New English Translation
Ezekiel 17:3
3Say to them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: “‘A great eagle with broad wings, long feathers, with full plumage which was multi-hued, 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, offer a riddle, and tell a parable to the house of Israel. Say to them: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: “‘A great eagle with broad wings, long feathers, with full plumage which was multi-hued, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar. 4He plucked off its topmost shoot; he brought it to a land of merchants and planted it in a city of traders. 5He took one of the seedlings of the land, placed it in a cultivated plot; a shoot by abundant water, like a willow he planted it.
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“‘There was another great eagle with broad wings and thick plumage. Now this vine twisted its roots toward him and sent its branches toward him to be watered from the soil where it was planted.
- Deuteronomy 28:49The Lord will raise up a distant nation against you, one from the other side of the earth as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand,
- Jeremiah 4:13Look! The enemy is approaching like gathering clouds. The roar of his chariots is like that of a whirlwind. His horses move more swiftly than eagles.” I cry out, “We are doomed, for we will be destroyed!”
- Jeremiah 48:40For the Lord says, “Look! Like an eagle with outspread wings a nation will swoop down on Moab.
- Jeremiah 49:16The terror you inspire in others and the arrogance of your heart have deceived you. You may make your home in the clefts of the rocks; you may occupy the highest places in the hills. But even if you made your home where the eagles nest, I would bring you down from there,” says the Lord.
- Lamentations 4:19Those who pursued us were swifter than eagles in the sky. They chased us over the mountains; they ambushed us in the wilderness. ר (Resh)
- Hosea 8:1Sound the alarm! An eagle looms over the temple of the Lord! For they have broken their covenant with me, and have rebelled against my law.
- Matthew 24:28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
- Daniel 2:38Wherever human beings, wild animals, and birds of the sky live – he has given them into your power. He has given you authority over them all. You are the head of gold.
- Daniel 4:32You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and seven periods of time will pass by for you before you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.”
- Daniel 7:4“The first one was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off and it was lifted up from the ground. It was made to stand on two feet like a human being, and a human mind was given to it.
- Ezekiel 17:12“Say to the rebellious house of Israel: ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ Say: ‘See here, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and took her king and her officials prisoner and brought them to himself in Babylon.
- 2 Kings 24:10At that time the generals of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon marched to Jerusalem and besieged the city.
- 2 Chronicles 36:9Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the Lord.
- Jeremiah 22:23You may feel as secure as a bird nesting in the cedars of Lebanon. But oh how you will groan when the pains of judgment come on you. They will be like those of a woman giving birth to a baby.
- Jeremiah 24:1The Lord showed me two baskets of figs sitting before his temple. This happened after King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon deported Jehoiakim’s son, King Jeconiah of Judah. He deported him and the leaders of Judah, along with the craftsmen and metal workers, and took them to Babylon.
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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