Ezekiel 19

And Heb. MOreover, take Son of Man, Ezekiel, declare what lamentable state the Princes of Israel are falling into, propound it by parable. thou up a 'Twas usually exprest in verse, as Ieremiah did in his Lamentations, and as appears 2 Chron. 35.25 but the Prophet is here directed to an Hieroglyphick, as ver. 2. lamentation for the Though they were Kings, yet, because subject to Babylon, or Egypt, they are by a diminutive, lessening term called Princes, and these were Iehoahaz, Iehoiachim, Iehoiachin, and Zedekiah. princes of Though they had but the two Tribes under them, yet because some of Israel, that escap't the captivating power of Shalmanezar, were joyned with the two Tribes, they are called by the name of Israel. Israel.

And say, What resemblance shall I use to set out the Nature, Deportment, and State of the Mother of these Princes? An unhappy Mother of unhappy Children. Or alass! thy Mother, &c. what is One of these was upon the Throne at once, and therefore the Prophet speaks to one at a time in the singular number. thy The Land of Iudea and Ierusalem, the chief City of it, the Royal Family of David. mother? a Though chosen of God to execute Justice, defend the Poor, to be his Vicegerents, and to delight in Mercy; yet once advanced, they soon degenerated into the fierce and ravening nature of the Lioness, and as violently siezed the prey. lioness: she Associated, couch't, and grew familiar with, by leagues, commerce, and intermixture of Marriages with Neighbour Kings, call'd here Lions; thou didst learn their manners, and grewest fierce and bloody, as they; lay down among lions, she the Heb. includes both her bringing forth many, and her advancing them to greatness, the Royal Family of that Nation had many Kings, and some very great, but the time the Prophet points now at in particular, was after Iosiah, whose Character given Ier. 22.16. is, that he judged the poor and needy, but his Successors were of another temper, as Ier. 22.13, 14, 15, 17. nourished her i. e. her Sons, Successors to the Crown, which cou'd be call'd nothing else to keep the decorum of the parable. whelps among young Either Forreign Princes and Kings, or else some of the fiercer, unjuster, aspiring and tyrannizing Princes at home; for some such there were in these, as well as in Re o oam's times, who would have the Sons Finger thicker than the Fathers Loin. lions.

And See ver. 3. let. b. she Not as a Nurse, the word is of other import but advanced, promoted, or caused him to take the throne after the slaughter of Iosiah. brought up This was Iehoahaz the second Son of Iosiah, of whom 'tis said 2 Kings 23.30. and 2 Chron. 36.1. the people made him King; for God had not made him so by primogeniture, and right of succession. one of her They lookt upon him as a warlike Prince, fitter for sustaining the troubles of those martial times, then his eldest brother, and therefore strain a point of Law, and right. whelps: it Soon showed his fierce, haughty, cruel, and bloody disposition, as appea s 2 Kings 23.30, 31, 32. though he continued but three months, and some odde days, wherein to play his pranks. became a young lion, and it Had Tutors, and counsellors that showed him the method, and he an apt Scholar in an evil school learnt a pace. learned to To seise first, and then to tear the prey, by frauds and violence to hunt, take, and devour that he took, as Lions use. catch the prey, it Eat up as the word notes, lived upon. devoured Man, Adam the weaker sort, or it may be in those divided times Adam may imply such, as were crusht, because they were not of the tyrannising faction, at that time Pharaoh had some, that inclined to him, and perhaps these were used hardly by Iehoahaz. men.

The The Egyptians heard and considered what he did, they had intelligence of Iehoahaz rigours against them and all that abetted their interest, this made them (as Neighbours do when a Lion is reported to waste their flocks) gather together against him. nations also heard of him; he was taken in their Or in their net, as hunters in those parts dig pits, and spread nets, into which they drive the hunted Lion, or Bear. So here or else thus. This Lion was taken at last though he did some mischief first to the Egyptians, so the word may bear. pit, and they brought him with The story of it you have, 2 Kings 23.33. these barbarous Conquerors used him as men use a Lion, put and keep him in chains, carried him captive into Egypt, where he died, Ier. 22.10, 11, 12. with 2 Kings 23.34. chaines unto the land of Egypt.

Upon the ill success of Iehoahaz, Ierusalem and the Jews in the Land fell from their hopes, under great disappointments, for Iehoahaz is taken, deposed, carried captive by the Egyptians, instead of shaking off the Egyptian yoak. Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then Yet 'tis said 2 Chr. 36.4. and 2 Kings 23.34. That the King of Egypt made the next King, both true, the Jews with Pharaohs liking, or Pharaoh with the Jews consent, advance him, whether 'twere Ieho akim, or Iehojachin. she took another of her whelps, and made him a King and infused the lion-like maxims for his rules. young lion.

And Iehojachim. he went This is said of him, because he continued 11 years, on the throne, and so many years as a Lion, tore and devoured; whereas Iehoahaz was taken as soon almost as he first ventured out to hunt the prey. up and down among the Carried it after the manners and usages of the Heathen Kings, those barbarous Tyrants, with whom he entred leagues, as he saw good, laid aside the Law of God which was to guide King and People. lions, he became a young Grew strong, fierce, ravenous, unsatiable. vid. ver. 4. where the rest is explained. lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured Either his neighbours the Ammonites, and Moabites or he devoured his own subjects, impoverisht, and eat out their Estates, spared not the Prophets, or their Prophesie, Ier. 26.1, 2. and Vria he slew, what Iehojakim was appears, Ier. 22.13, 14, 15, 17. men.

And Iehojachim. he On view not only heard of them, but setting on them violently, and taking them he came to know their Palaces, which are here called, what he made them, desolate, so the word I aiah 13.22. knew their desolate Or it may be rendred widows, and then 'twill refer to such, whose Husbands this Lion devoured, and thereby occasioned their petitioning to him, and thus he knew them, whom he made desolate, but the former best suits what follows. palaces, and he laid Pilling, polling and by exactions driving the inhabitants out by his cruelty, and Tyranny. waste their cities; and the The whole Land, or the Countrey sped as ill as the Cities and so 'twas emptied of men, riches and strength. land was desolate, and the fulness thereof by the noise of his By the perpetual violent threats of this cruel King, which are called his roaring, and so Prov. 19.12. which terrified his neighbours in the three years revolt which are mentioned, 2 Kings 24.1, 2. roaring.

Then the Which were feudatory to Nebuchadnezzar, and were bound to assist him in his Wars. nations set By order of the King of Babylon gathered together to hunt this Lion, to make War on this revolting King. against him on Surrounded him that he might not scape. Which belonged to the Babylonish Kingdom, and were governed by Presidents, or petty Kings, vassals to Nebuchadnezzar. every side from the u provinces, and Soon got him into their toiles, as Huntsmen get a Lion, or other wild beast into their net. spread their net over him, See ver. 4. let. a. he was taken in their pit.

And The armies of the several Nations, or the chief Commanders of those Armies. they put him in In grates, or great Cage, as wild beasts are conveyed. ward in 'Tis reported they put an Iron collar on his neck, and fastned an iron chain to it. chains, and He was carried that long Journey in chains, enough to change his roaring Lion like into the roarings of a desperate, miserable Captive. brought him to the Wherever he was (for some dispute it whether now in Babylon, or else where with some of his armies) however, 'tis this unhappy King was carried to Nebuchadnezzar, or died on the way perhaps, by Command of Nebuchadnezzar so used, that hard usage killed him, and then they cast him out unburied, as Ier. 22.18, 19. foretold. king of Babylon; they brought him into Kept him safe that he should not escape, or brought him to Babylon, which, though one City, yet so large, and had so great, and many Forts about it, that it seemed to be made up of many strong holds. holds, that his That he might never more either afright, or kill, or devour any of his people, and subjects in the Land of Israel. voice should no more be heard on the In a comely observance of the Parable the Kingdom is the Mountains, when the King is the Lion, that rangeth, and roareth on them, Two more Lions of the same temper, and alike miserable in their end, I doubt not, are included in this emblem, and by these the Jews might know what would become of Ieconiah called also Iehojachin, and of Zedekiah, who was called Mattaniah. mountains of Israel.

O thou Prince of Israel. Thy See ver. 2. mother is like a Frequently so compared Psal. 80.8.14, 15, 17. Isa. 3.14. and 5.2. and 27.2. vine in Either when thou wast first-born, as Ezekiel 16.6. or the Royal line thy Kingly race, or in the vigour of thy strength. thy blood, planted by the In a very fruitful soil. waters: she was And accordingly she did thrive, and brought forth much fruit, see chap. 17.8. Though she lost many thousands carried away, yet more were born, bred up, and trained up to useful arts, and imployments say some, but this too general. The Royal Family did spring like a Vine well watered. fruitful and full Full of Children when Iosiah died, he left four behind him, beside other branches of the Royal line. of branches by reason of many waters. The 10th. verse begins the second part of the chapter.

And she had strong Many excellent persons endowed with qualifications befitting Kings, that they might sway the Scepter, and rule the People with equity. rods for the scepters of them that bear rule, and her The grandure of the Kings and Kingdom. stature was Exalted above the ordinary majesty of other Kingdomes. exalted among the thick The goodly Cedars and their thick branches, i. e. This Kingdom equaled, if not excelled, the greatest neighbour Kingdoms, and her Kings as David, Solomon, &c. exceeded all their neighbour Kings, in Riches and Power. branches, and she Like a mighty Tree, that over tops all the forest, so did this goodly Kingdom over all Kingdomes, and it was seen and noted according to Gods promise that it should be the head, and not the tail, and to that Deut. 4.6, 7, 8. appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.

But This flourishing Vine first degenerated, brought forth fruit to it self not to God, and grew proud, abused Gods mercies to all manner of sin. she was Was violently, suddenly, and totally rooted out, tore up by the roots, so was the once flourishing Kingdom of the Jews overthrown. plucked up in fury, Had she been again set, there might have been some hope, but pluckt up root and branch together 'tis perisht for ever. she was cast down to the ground, and To hasten the utter destruction hereof an East-wind, that blasting, piercing wind blows upon her, the King of Babylon with all his Power raised of God to pull up this sinful Kingdom. the ast wind Blasted all her fruit, deposed her King, captivated him, his Family, and the whole Kingdom. dried up her fruit: her strong All the choice men, the Councellours, Warriours, Artificers, all that were like to be the strength of the Kingdom. rods were By Nebuchadnezzars hand pluckt away, and removed into Babylon, where they lay as withered branches. broken, and withered; the Called fury in the former part of the verse. Gods displeasure for their sins, their adversaries rage, and their own animosities burnt them up; their Houses, and Palaces, their City, and Temple all burnt, yea and some persons with this ire were consumed also, beside some that the Conqueror rosted. fire consumed them.

And At this present time. now But, alas! how unlike what she was? a brand pulled out of the burnings, a few of the branches of the last pruning, or a few smaller roots taken up by the provident hand of the Lord of the Vineyard, a remnant that might be a Nursery, a seed plot, but the much greater part of the Vine is, as said, destroyed. she is It is not said who planted them, but it is easie to conjecture Nebuchadnezzar planted them in policy, and for his advantage, they planted themselves out of necessity, and God planted them there in just correcting mercy, and will give them root, and make them thrive, and transplant them after 70 years, and set them on the mountains of Israel again. planted in the So it was to the Jews a forlorn, dangerous, and necessitous state, though Babylon was in a very fruitful place yet the salvage cruelty, and the insulting pride of the Babylonians made it to the Jews, as terrible, as a wilderness, besides there were some barren places of this Kingdom to which some of the Jews might be carried and confined. wilderness, in a This and the other expression are a description of the nature of a Wilderness, and illustrate what the Prophet had spoken, or may be paraphrased by that of David, Psal. 63.1. 'twas dry and thirsty where no one stream ran from that River which made glad the City of God, Psal. 46.4. dry, and thirsty ground.

This verse does give you account of the immediate cause of this hasty, furious totall pulling up of this Vine. And Of rebellion will be kindled by fire is gone out of a Zedekiah, who is of the blood Royal, made King by Nebuchadnezzar, and who swore Allegiance to him. rod of her branches, which has Brought the Land, City, Kings Palaces, and Gods Temple to utter desolation. devoured her fruit, so that she has no strong The regal dignity is ceased and shall no more rise, you shall never have a crowned head to rule you more. rod to be a scepter to rule. This I have told you is the subject of my mournful thoughts. This is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation. And the execution of these things, which shall be much more terrible, shall make you lament at sight of them, and at remembrance of them as long as you live.