It grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots were under him. So it became a vine, produced branches, and shot out sprigs.
Parallel Translations
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It grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots were under him. So it became a vine, produced branches, and shot out sprigs.
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And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.
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And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose tendrils might turn toward him, and the roots thereof be under him; so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.
Cross-references (2)
Passages linked to Ezekiel 17:6 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Ezekiel 17:14 that the kingdom might be brought low, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand.
- Proverbs 16:18-19 Pride goes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall. It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, than to divide the plunder with the proud.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain This was Zedekiah’s kingdom.
This was Zedekiah’s kingdom.
That is, might not have power to rebel against Babylon, as verse 14.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Eze 17:6 And it grew, and became a spreading…
Eze 17:6 And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and shot forth sprigs.
Ver. 6. And it grew.] And yet it had a great fall - viz, from a tall cedar to a low vine. Zedekiah, though he had still the title of a king, and was not left without wealth and dignity, yet it was far inferior to that of his predecessors.
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“ Magna repente ruunt, summa cadunt subito. ”
Whose branches turned toward him,] i.e., Toward Nebuchadnezzar, now the chief lord of the land. To him looked and leaned the lords of the land, and so long they did well, for they and the whole kingdom thrived.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain It grew; both the king and kingdom.
It grew; both the king and kingdom.
Became a spreading vine; took root, grew up to a tolerable condition of riches, plenty, and prosperity.
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Of low stature; but never reached the height of the cedar. Nebuchadnezzar, though he made Zedekiah king, yet kept him subject and dependent.
Turned; they grew and flourished, while they owned their state tributary to Babylon.
Toward him; Nebuchadnezzar, as their protector, benefactor, and sovereign lord.
The roots thereof; all the firmness, fruitfulness, and life of this state was in a subjection to the king of Babylon.
So; thus, in this order and manner of dependence, both the Jews and their king had life, growth, and verdure. Branches; greater and stronger boughs for present strength, beauty, and fruit.
Sprigs; younger and tenderer springles, as children, the hope of future times.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain There was also another great eagle,.... Hophra king of…
There was also another great eagle,.... Hophra king of Egypt, a very powerful prince, whom Herodotus (u) calls Apries; and says he was the most happy and fortunate, after Psammitichus, of all the kings that were before; though not so mighty as the king of Babylon; therefore all the same things are not said of the one as of the other:
with great wings and many feathers: had large dominions, but not go extensive as the former, and therefore is not said to be "longwinged" as he; and had "many feathers", but not "full" of them, nor had it such a variety; he had many people, and much wealth, and a large army, but not equal to the king of Babylon:
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and, behold, this vine did bend her roots towards him; Zedekiah, and the people of the Jews under him; inclined to an alliance with the king of Egypt, and gave him some private intimations of it:
and shot forth her branches towards him; sent ambassadors to acquaint him with it, Eze 17:15;
that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation; Nebuchadnezzar had planted this vine, and made furrows for the watering of it, and by his means it was become prosperous and flourishing; but Zedekiah, not content with the greatness and glory he had raised him to, sought to the king of Egypt to help him with horses and people, in order to free himself from subjection to the king of Babylon, and to increase his lustre and glory: the allusion is thought to be to the trenches and canals of the river Nile, by which the land of Egypt was watered: the words may be rendered, "out of the rivulets of her plantation" (w) which best agrees with watering.
(u) L. 2. sive Euterpe, c. 161. (w) "ex rivulis loci in quo plantata est", Gussetius, p. 642. such as run between beds in gardens, of which this word is sometimes used; hence some render it "ex areolis", Vatablus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus, so Ben Melech; or ditches and canals, such as were made out of the river Nile to water the land; "a fossa plantarii sui", Texelius, ut supra, p. 209.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Of low stature - They grew and flourish, while…
Of low stature - They grew and flourish, while they owned their state tributary to Babylon. Toward him - Nebuchadnezzar as their protector, and sovereign Lord. The roots - All the firmness, fruitfulness, and life of this state, was in subjection to him.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 6. A spreading vine of low stature] The…
Verse 6. A spreading vine of low stature] The Jewish state having then no height of dominion, it must abide under the wings or branches of the Chaldean king.
Whose branches turned toward him, and the roots - under him] Zedekiah was wholly dependent on Nebuchadnezzar, both for his elevation to the throne, and his support on it.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Spreading - On the ground, not trained to a…
Spreading - On the ground, not trained to a pole, that it might have no other prop but Nebuchadnezzar. As a vine it was less majestic than a cedar Eze 17:3; but compare Psa 80:10.
Whose branches ... - Rather, in order that her branches should turn unto him, and that her roots should be under him.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Towards him. Nabuchodonosor, to whom Sedecias swore allegiance. (Challoner)…
Towards him. Nabuchodonosor, to whom Sedecias swore allegiance. (Challoner) --- Literally, "to it," eam, the eagle. (Haydock) --- The dominions of Sedecias were extensive, but weak, and dependant on a foreign king.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain vine of low stature--not now, as before, a stately…
vine of low stature--not now, as before, a stately "cedar"; the kingdom of Judah was to be prosperous, but not elevated.
branches turned toward him--expressing the fealty of Zedekiah as a vassal looking up to Nebuchadnezzar, to whom Judah owed its peace and very existence as a separate state. The "branches" mean his sons and the other princes and nobles.
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The roots . . . under him--The stability of Judah depended on Babylon. The repetition "branches" and "springs" is in order to mark the ingratitude of Zedekiah, who, not content with moderate prosperity, revolted from him to whom he had sworn allegiance.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 6. Vine of low stature — The Hebrew tree…
6. Vine of low stature — The Hebrew tree grew luxuriantly, but was, after all, more like a vine than like its ancestral cedar, for “its branches turned again to itself and its roots remained under it.” — Kautzsch.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 6. of low stature] This refers to the dependent…
6. of low stature] This refers to the dependent nature of Zedekiah’s kingdom, as tributary to the lord superior. Cf. Isa_16:8 : Hos_10:1.
whose branches turned] Or, that its branches might turn … and the roots thereof be.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (6) A spreading vine of low stature.—Had Zedekiah been…
(6) A spreading vine of low stature.—Had Zedekiah been faithful to his oath and allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar and to his higher allegiance to God, Israel might have been fruitful and prosperous as a dependent kingdom.
Whose branches turned towards him.—Better, That its branches might turn towards him, and its roots might be under him. This was Nebuchadnezzar’s object—to make of Israel a flourishing kingdom, which should yet be entirely dependent upon himself and helpful to him in his great struggle with the power of Egypt; and hence his especial rage when his politic arrangements were frustrated by Zedekiah’s treachery and folly.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.