Ezekiel 17 15

Ezekiel 17:15 kjv

But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?

Ezekiel 17:15 nkjv

But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and still be delivered?

Ezekiel 17:15 niv

But the king rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?

Ezekiel 17:15 esv

But he rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors to Egypt, that they might give him horses and a large army. Will he thrive? Can one escape who does such things? Can he break the covenant and yet escape?

Ezekiel 17:15 nlt

"Nevertheless, this man of Israel's royal family rebelled against Babylon, sending ambassadors to Egypt to request a great army and many horses. Can Israel break her sworn treaties like that and get away with it?

Ezekiel 17 verses

Ezekiel 17 15 Meaning

Ezekiel 17:15 states that the King of Judah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, sending ambassadors to Egypt seeking military aid and vowing allegiance to the Egyptian pharaoh. This act was a breach of his solemn oath and a rejection of God's established order. The verse highlights the king's defiant choice, his alliance with a pagan nation, and his disregard for his sworn covenant. This ultimately led to divine judgment.

Ezekiel 17 15 Context

Ezekiel 17 is a powerful prophetic oracle delivered to Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, before Jerusalem's final destruction by the Babylonians. The chapter uses the allegory of two eagles and a vine to depict the political situation: Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, is the great eagle; Zedekiah is a transplanted vine; and Egypt is another great eagle. Zedekiah had broken his treaty with Nebuchadnezzar, who had placed him on the throne after exiling Jehoiakim. Zedekiah's decision to seek an alliance with Egypt against Babylon, despite having sworn an oath to Nebuchadnezzar by God, was a grave political and spiritual error. This verse specifically details Zedekiah's treacherous act.

Ezekiel 17 15 Word Analysis

• "He" (וְהוּא - v'hu): Refers back to Zedekiah, the king of Judah.
• "rebelled" (וַיִּמְרָ֥ - vayamra): From the root meaning "to be rebellious," "to strive," or "to be stubborn." It signifies active opposition and defiance.
• "against him" (בּ֖וֹ - bo): Refers to Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king.
• "by sending" (לִשְׁלֹ֤חַ - lishlo'ah): The infinitive construct of the verb "to send," indicating the method of his rebellion.
• "his ambassadors" (מַלְאכָיו֙ - mal'akav): Plural for "messenger" or "envoy." Zedekiah dispatched representatives.
• "into Egypt" (מִצְרַיְמָ֔ה - Mitsraymah): To the land of Egypt, a common destination for Judean political appeals, but ultimately a source of unreliability according to prophetic warnings.
• "for" (לָ֥הֶם֙ - lahem): In the sense of "for themselves" or "on their behalf," indicating the purpose of sending ambassadors.
• "his covenant" (בְרִית־ - brit): The treaty or alliance that had been established. The word implies a binding agreement, often sealed by oath.
• "and gave" (וַיִּתֵּ֖ן - vayetteyn): "And he gave." The action that followed the sending of ambassadors.
• "there" (שָׁ֑מָּה - shamah): To Egypt.
• "an oath" (שְׁב֔וּעָה - shvu'ah): A solemn promise, legally and religiously binding, often invoking God's name. This specifically refers to Zedekiah's oath to Nebuchadnezzar.
• "and rebelled" (וַיִּמְרָ֥ - vayamra): Repeated verb emphasizing the continuity and seriousness of his transgression.
• "against him" (בּ֖וֹ - bo): Again referring to Nebuchadnezzar.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "He rebelled against him by sending his ambassadors into Egypt": This phrase highlights Zedekiah's proactive, diplomatic defiance against the authority that placed him in power. The act of sending emissaries is the mechanism of his betrayal.
• "for his covenant and gave there an oath": This links the political action (sending ambassadors) to the spiritual and legal transgression—the breaking of a sworn oath that had been made in the presence of God.

Ezekiel 17 15 Bonus Section

The imagery of Nebuchadnezzar as a "great eagle" with "great wings, long pinions, full of feathers of various colors" (Ezekiel 17:3) and Egypt as another "great eagle" reflects a common ancient Near Eastern understanding of powerful empires as birds of prey or winged deities. Zedekiah, the "tender vine," was transplanted and grafted into this system by Nebuchadnezzar. His attempt to bend toward the Egyptian eagle symbolized a rejection of his original divine-subordinated status and a pursuit of earthly, and ultimately fleeting, security, ignoring prophetic warnings like those in Isaiah 31:1-3 which explicitly condemned reliance on Egypt. This political maneuver was not just a breach of contract; it was a rejection of God's sovereign hand in history.

Ezekiel 17 15 Commentary

Zedekiah's decision to break his sworn allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar and seek aid from Egypt was a profound act of faithlessness, both to his overlord and to God who had ordained that the Babylonian yoke should be borne. The imagery of sending ambassadors for support and renewing an oath to Egypt underscores the magnitude of his treachery. This verse encapsulates the core of Zedekiah's fatal misjudgment: turning away from the divine order established through Babylon and relying instead on human alliances that God had warned against. This action directly violated the principles of covenant faithfulness and political submission mandated by God.