The parable of the two eagles and the vine. A promise of the cedar of
Christ and his church.
17:1. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
17:2. Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable to the house
of Israel,
17:3. And say: Thus saith the Lord God; A large eagle with great wings,
long-limbed, full of feathers, and of variety, came to Libanus, and
took away the marrow of the cedar.
A large eagle. . .Nabuchodonosor, king of Babylon.--Ibid. Came to
Libanus. . .That is, to Jerusalem.--Ibid. Took away the marrow of the
cedar. . .King Jechonias.
17:4. He cropped off the top of the twigs thereof: and carried it away
into the land of Chanaan, and he set it in a city of merchants.
Chanaan. . .This name, which signifies traffic, is not taken here for
Palestine, but for Chaldea: and the city of merchants here mentioned is
Babylon.
17:5. And he took of the seed of the land, and put it in the ground for
seed, that it might take a firm root over many waters: he planted it on
the surface of the earth.
Of the seed of the land, etc. . .Viz., Sedecias, whom he made king.
17:6. And it sprung up and grew into a spreading vine of low stature,
and the branches thereof looked towards him: and the roots thereof were
under him. So it became a vine, and grew into branches, and shot forth
sprigs.
Towards him. . .Nabuchodonosor, to whom Sedecias swore allegiance.
17:7. And there was another large eagle, with great wings, and many
feathers: and behold this vine, bending as it were her roots towards
him, stretched forth her branches to him, that he might water it by the
furrows of her plantation.
Another large eagle. . .Viz., the king of Egypt.
17:8. It was planted in a good ground upon many waters, that it might
bring forth branches, and bear fruit, that it might become a large
vine.
17:9. Say thou: Thus saith the Lord God: Shall it prosper then? shall
he not pull up the roots thereof, and strip off its fruit, and dry up
all the branches it hath shot forth, and make it wither: and this
without a strong arm, or many people to pluck it up by the root?
17:10. Behold, it is planted: shall it prosper then? shall it not be
dried up when the burning wind shall touch it, and shall it not wither
in the furrows where it grew?
17:11. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
17:12. Say to the provoking house: Know you not what these things mean?
Tell them: Behold the king of Babylon cometh to Jerusalem: and he shall
take away the king and the princes thereof and carry them with him to
Babylon.
Shall take away. . .Or, hath taken away, etc., for all this was now
done.
17:13. And he shall take one of the king's seed, and make a covenant
with him, and take an oath of him. Yea, and he shall take away the
mighty men of the land,
17:14. That it may be a low kingdom and not lift itself up, but keep
his covenant and observe it.
17:15. But he hath revolted from him and sent ambassadors to Egypt,
that it might give him horses, and much people. And shall he that hath
done thus prosper, or be saved? and shall he escape that hath broken
the covenant?
17:16. As I live, saith the Lord God: In the place where the king
dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he hath made void, and whose
covenant he broke, even in the midst of Babylon shall he die.
17:17. And not with a great army, nor with much people shall Pharao
fight against him: when he shall cast up mounts, and build forts, to
cut off many souls.
17:18. For he had despised the oath, breaking his covenant, and behold
he hath given his hand: and having done all these things, he shall not
escape.
17:19. Therefore thus saith the Lord God: As I live, I will lay upon
his head the oath he hath despised, and the covenant he hath broken.
17:20. And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my
net: and I will bring him into Babylon, and will judge him there for
the transgression by which he hath despised me.
17:21. And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the
sword: and the residue shall be scattered into every wind: and you
shall know that I the Lord have spoken.
17:22. Thus saith the Lord God: I myself will take of the marrow of the
high cedar, and will set it: I will crop off a tender twig from the top
of the branches thereof, and I will plant it on a mountain high and
eminent.
Of the marrow of the high cedar, etc. . .Of the royal stock of
David.--Ibid. A tender twig. . .Viz., Jesus Christ, whom God hath
planted in mount Sion, that is, the high mountain of his church, to
which all nations flow.
17:23. On the high mountains of Israel will I plant it, and it shall
shoot forth into branches and shall bear fruit, and it shall become a
great cedar: and all birds shall dwell under it, and every fowl shall
make its nest under the shadow of the branches thereof.
17:24. And all the trees of the country shall know that I the Lord have
brought down the high tree, and exalted the low tree: and have dried up
the green tree, and have caused the dry tree to flourish. I the Lord
have spoken and have done it.