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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
17:1-24 The Parable of the Eagles and the Vine. The predominantly theological viewpoint of ch. 16 now gives way to a predominantly political one. It bears the hallmarks of a "fable," a story form in which flora and fauna take the lead roles in order to teach some lesson (e.g., Judg. 9:8-15). Here two eagles, a cedar, and a vine are the main protagonists, and the story turns on the fortunes of the vine (cf. Ezek. 19:10-14; Isa. 5:1-7). The whole is meant to illustrate the current and imminent state of Judah's political fortunes, and ultimately its future under God. The fable is narrated in Ezek. 17:1-12 and successively unpacked, first on the natural plane (vv. 11-18) and then in theological terms (vv. 19-21). Finally, the terms of the fable return to articulate an ideal future (vv. 22-24).
17:1-10 The Parable Narrated. Although the story is easily followed, it still puzzles the hearer. It proceeds in two phases. A great eagle (v. 3) transplants a twig from a cedar, then plants a seed, which becomes a flourishing vine. But then a second, lesser eagle (v. 7) attracts the vine's attention and draws it away from the first.
17:2 This oracle appears as a riddle, designed to provoke thought, and a parable (Hb. mashal, also translated "proverb"; see 12:22), which depends on some comparison.
17:3-5 The terms of the description are significant, as they indicate the relative status of the various characters. This is the greater eagle, taking a topmost twig as well as a seed.
17:7 The second eagle lacks the grandeur of the first, while still remaining "great."
17:8 The new orientation of the vine to the second eagle threatens its choice location and flourishing state.
17:9-10 The provocative questions clearly require a judgment on the part of the hearers and implicate them in that judgment--the function of all good parables.
17:11-18 The Parable Explained. The first phase of explanation identifies the characters of the fable (vv. 11-15) before spelling out the moral of the story (vv. 16-18). The first eagle is the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, who takes her king, i.e., Judah's king Jehoiachin (the "twig"), to Babylon (v. 12). The royal offspring (the "seed") is Zedekiah (v. 13), Jehoiachin's uncle and replacement to whom Ezekiel never refers as a "king." Zedekiah's failure was to break his covenant with Nebuchadnezzar (vv. 13-14) by turning to Egypt (v. 15), whose king was Hophra, the lesser eagle. Ultimately, hope in Egyptian aid will prove futile (v. 17; see Jer. 37:6-10). The breaking of this political covenant will bring disaster on Zedekiah and his people (Ezek. 17:18).
17:19-21 The Parable Interpreted. The "natural," political explanation does not exhaust the meaning of the parable. Zedekiah's political covenant is now termed my covenant by God (v. 19). God takes full responsibility for the disaster to come (return . . . spread . . . bring . . . enter, all first-person verbs), now seen not as military defeat but as divine judgment.
17:22-24 A New Parable. God's action continues as the terms of the parable are used to sketch not a flawed present but an ideal messianic future. The eagles are absent. God chooses a new sprig from the topmost part of the cedar (v. 22) and plants it himself (v. 23). The terms asserting God's sovereignty in v. 24 resonate with 1 Sam. 2:1-10 and Luke 1:46-55.
