Ezekiel 15:2 kjv
Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?
Ezekiel 15:2 nkjv
"Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?
Ezekiel 15:2 niv
"Son of man, how is the wood of a vine different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest?
Ezekiel 15:2 esv
"Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest?
Ezekiel 15:2 nlt
"Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine's wood as useful as the wood of a tree?
Ezekiel 15 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 80:8-9 | You brought a vine out of Egypt... planted it. | Israel as God's vine. |
| Isa 5:1-2 | My beloved had a vineyard... looked for grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. | Israel as unfruitful vineyard. |
| Jer 2:21 | I planted you as a choice vine... how then have you turned... | Israel degenerates from a choice vine. |
| Hos 10:1 | Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit... | Israel's prosperity, but unfruitful spiritually. |
| Jn 15:1-2 | I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser... bears no fruit he prunes it. | Christ as the true vine; call to bear fruit. |
| Jn 15:6 | If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers... and burned. | Unfruitful branches face destruction. |
| Mt 3:10 | Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree that does not bear good fruit... cut down and thrown into the fire. | Judgment on unrighteousness. |
| Lk 3:9 | The ax is already at the root of the trees... | Imminent judgment for lack of fruit. |
| Mt 7:19 | Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. | False prophets identified by their lack of good fruit. |
| Heb 6:7-8 | For land that has drunk the rain... and bears thorns... worthless and near to be cursed. | Land/people producing worthlessness are cursed. |
| Rom 2:28-29 | For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly... | True identity is inward, not merely external. |
| Isa 30:33 | Topheth has long been prepared... it is deep and wide, with fire and much wood. | Fire as an instrument of divine judgment. |
| Mal 4:1 | The day is coming, burning like an oven... consume them. | Judgment day consuming the wicked. |
| 2 Thess 1:7-8 | ...in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God. | Divine retribution by fire. |
| Zech 11:2-3 | Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen... | Destruction of significant 'trees'/leaders. |
| 1 Cor 3:12-15 | Now if anyone builds on the foundation... gold, silver, costly stones... wood, hay, straw... | Quality of spiritual work evaluated; inferior works burnt. |
| Dt 7:7-8 | It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you... but because the LORD loves you. | Israel's chosen status is based on grace, not inherent worth. |
| Amos 3:2 | You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. | Greater privilege entails greater accountability. |
| Gal 5:22-23 | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience... | Righteous character as the "fruit" of the Spirit. |
| Phil 1:11 | filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ. | Christ as the source of true righteousness/fruit. |
| Jas 3:17-18 | The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle... produces a harvest of righteousness. | Righteousness as a harvest from divine wisdom. |
| Jer 7:4 | Do not trust in these deceptive words: 'This is the temple of the LORD... | False reliance on external symbols or status. |
| Mic 3:11 | Her chiefs give judgment for a bribe... yet they lean on the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD in the midst of us?" | Deluded belief in God's favor despite disobedience. |
Ezekiel 15 verses
Ezekiel 15 2 Meaning
Ezekiel 15:2 presents a rhetorical question from God to the prophet, "Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any wood, the grape-vine wood, which is among the trees of the forest?" The implied answer is that vine wood, by itself, is not superior or even useful for any constructive purpose, especially when compared to sturdy forest trees. The value of a vine lies entirely in its fruit, not its wood. This verse introduces a powerful parable concerning Judah's worth and destiny as God's chosen but disobedient people. Their perceived special status would not exempt them from judgment if they failed to bear righteous fruit for God.
Ezekiel 15 2 Context
Ezekiel 15 is a short chapter forming part of a larger series of oracles of judgment against Judah and Jerusalem. This particular parable comes after powerful pronouncements against Judah's idolatry and spiritual adultery in previous chapters (Ezekiel 8-14), especially following the metaphor of the two harlots, Oholah and Oholibah. The people of Judah, particularly those in exile, held onto the belief that they were special because they were God's chosen people, the descendants of Abraham. This prophecy aims to dismantle their misplaced confidence, challenging their perception of their inherent value. The vine analogy contrasts the expected fruitfulness of a chosen people with the intrinsic uselessness of a vine's wood. This immediate context prepares the audience for a message of severe judgment on a nation that has failed in its divinely ordained purpose.
Ezekiel 15 2 Word analysis
- Son of man (בֶּן־אָדָם, ben-adam): This address is used 93 times in Ezekiel, emphasizing the prophet's humanity. It sets Ezekiel apart from the divine voice he transmits, making him a representative human being encountering divine revelation. It highlights his role as a mortal messenger to a mortal people.
- how (מַה, mah): An interrogative pronoun, here used to initiate a rhetorical question. It expects a negative answer, implicitly asserting that the premise of the question is false (i.e., the wood is not better).
- is...better (יֵעָשֶׂה, ye'aseh): From the root עָשָׂה (‘asah), meaning "to make, do, accomplish, become." In this context, it implies becoming useful, or having inherent superiority for practical purposes. The emphasis is on utility, not mere existence.
- the wood of the vine (עֵץ הַגֶּפֶן, etz haggefeni): "Wood" (etz) generally refers to timber, implying strength and usability. "Vine" (gefen) specifies the source. The combination is ironic, as vine wood is notably weak and useless as timber. Its strength is not for structure but for fruit-bearing.
- than any wood (מִכֹּל עֵץ, mikol etz): This phrase broadens the comparison, contrasting the vine's wood against all other types of wood found in general use for construction or craft. It challenges its perceived superiority in any practical sense.
- the grape-vine wood (הַגֶּפֶן הִיא, haggefeni hi): This is a strong re-affirmation, reiterating the subject emphatically. The feminine singular pronoun hi ("she/it") refers back to "vine," underscoring that this very specific vine's wood is the subject of scrutiny.
- which is among the trees of the forest (אֲשֶׁר הָיָה בַּעֲצֵי הַיַּעַר, asher hayah ba'atzei hayya'ar): "Forest trees" (atzei hayya'ar) typically yield strong, useful timber (like oak, cedar, pine) suitable for building and crafts. The vine, even if growing "among" them, stands out in its inherent feebleness and unsuitability as building material, underscoring its uselessness.
Words-group analysis:
- "Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any wood": This entire opening immediately sets up the prophetic oracle as a direct challenge from God, posed through a human agent, to a fundamental assumption about Israel's specialness. The rhetorical "how is... better?" suggests a severe lack of actual, practical worth in something widely considered symbolic and valuable for its fruit.
- "the grape-vine wood, which is among the trees of the forest?": This second part specifically differentiates the vine's value. While grapes are priceless, the wood itself is contrasted sharply with sturdy, useful forest timber. Being among them doesn't make it useful; rather, it highlights its peculiar worthlessness as wood. It reinforces that its specific "nature" as wood is its identifying characteristic in this judgment.
Ezekiel 15 2 Bonus section
This parable's severity comes from the well-established biblical imagery of Israel as God's vine. Passages like Isaiah 5, Jeremiah 2, and Psalm 80 depict Israel as a precious vine God carefully planted and nurtured. However, Ezekiel 15 radically shifts this metaphor, focusing not on the vine's glorious potential or past cultivation, but on its absolute worthlessness as wood. This unexpected turn in the metaphor deepens the sense of tragedy and highlights God's disillusionment with His people. The irony is poignant: the source of such valuable fruit becomes the most contemptible form of timber, highlighting their total spiritual degradation from their divine purpose. This imagery directly addresses any lingering sense of entitlement or special immunity from judgment the people might have held simply because they were "God's people."
Ezekiel 15 2 Commentary
Ezekiel 15:2 is a succinct, potent opening to a parable that stripped away Israel's false security and national pride. The rhetorical question exposes the reality that Israel's value to God was not intrinsic to its "wood" – its mere lineage, external chosenness, or national existence – but lay solely in its capacity to produce spiritual fruit, much like a vine's true worth is its grapes, not its feeble branches. If a vine fails to yield fruit, its wood is useless, suitable only for fuel, and even then, burns quickly and poorly. Judah, having failed to bear the fruit of righteousness and obedience despite God's tending, was rendered as worthless as unproductive vine wood. This divine assessment foreshadows their impending destruction and exile, emphasizing that God judges based on fidelity and fruitfulness, not just chosen status. It served as a stark warning: chosenness brought accountability, and failure meant severe consequences.