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

1Then this message came to me from the Lord: 2“Son of man, give this riddle, and tell this story to the people of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: “A great eagle with broad wings and long feathers, covered with many-colored plumage, came to Lebanon. He seized the top of a cedar tree 4and plucked off its highest branch. He carried it away to a city filled with merchants. He planted it in a city of traders. 5He also took a seedling from the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside a broad river, where it could grow 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 17:7But then another great eagle came with broad wings and full plumage. So the vine now sent its roots and branches toward him for water,
• Deuteronomy 28:49“The Lord will bring a distant nation against you from the end of the earth, and it will swoop down on you like a vulture. It is a nation whose language you do not understand,
• Jeremiah 4:13Our enemy rushes down on us like storm clouds! His chariots are like whirlwinds. His horses are swifter than eagles. How terrible it will be, for we are doomed!
• Jeremiah 48:40This is what the Lord says: “Look! The enemy swoops down like an eagle, spreading his wings over Moab.
• Jeremiah 49:16You have been deceived by the fear you inspire in others and by your own pride. You live in a rock fortress and control the mountain heights. But even if you make your nest among the peaks with the eagles, I will bring you crashing down,” says the Lord.
• Lamentations 4:19Our enemies were swifter than eagles in flight. If we fled to the mountains, they found us. If we hid in the wilderness, they were waiting for us there.
• Hosea 8:1“Sound the alarm! The enemy descends like an eagle on the people of the Lord, for they have broken my covenant and revolted against my law.
• Matthew 24:28Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.
• Daniel 2:38He has made you the ruler over all the inhabited world and has put even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold.
• Daniel 4:32You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’
• Daniel 7:4The first beast was like a lion with eagles’ wings. As I watched, its wings were pulled off, and it was left standing with its two hind feet on the ground, like a human being. And it was given a human mind.
• Ezekiel 17:12“Say to these rebels of Israel: Don’t you understand the meaning of this riddle of the eagles? The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took away her king and princes, and brought them to Babylon.
• 2 Kings 24:10During Jehoiachin’s reign, the officers of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came up against Jerusalem and besieged it.
• 2 Chronicles 36:9Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months and ten days. Jehoiachin did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.
• Jeremiah 22:23It may be nice to live in a beautiful palace paneled with wood from the cedars of Lebanon, but soon you will groan with pangs of anguish— anguish like that of a woman in labor.
• Jeremiah 24:1After King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon exiled Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, to Babylon along with the officials of Judah and all the craftsmen and artisans, the Lord gave me this vision. I saw two baskets of figs placed in front of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem.

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
• Branch
• Cedar
• Riddle
• Wither
• Ezekiel
• Highest
• Pinion
• Proverb

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