Ezekiel 17:17 kjv
Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company make for him in the war, by casting up mounts, and building forts, to cut off many persons:
Ezekiel 17:17 nkjv
Nor will Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company do anything in the war, when they heap up a siege mound and build a wall to cut off many persons.
Ezekiel 17:17 niv
Pharaoh with his mighty army and great horde will be of no help to him in war, when ramps are built and siege works erected to destroy many lives.
Ezekiel 17:17 esv
Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in war, when mounds are cast up and siege walls built to cut off many lives.
Ezekiel 17:17 nlt
Pharaoh and all his mighty army will fail to help Israel when the king of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem again and destroys many lives.
Ezekiel 17 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 28:47-49 | "Because you did not serve the Lord... Therefore you shall serve your enemies..." | Consequences for covenant breaking; foreign nation as God's instrument. |
| 2 Ki 24:20 | "For because of the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem..." | God's hand in Judah's rebellion and subsequent judgment. |
| Jer 2:36-37 | "Why do you go about so much to change your way?... You shall be ashamed of Egypt also." | Futility and shame of relying on Egypt; unholy alliances. |
| Jer 30:7 | "...That day is so great that there is none like it..." | A day of great tribulation/judgment, signifying insurmountable difficulty. |
| Jer 37:5-7 | "When Pharaoh's army had come out of Egypt... Then the word of the Lord came..." | Pharaoh's temporary intervention, but ultimate failure against Babylon. |
| Jer 37:9-10 | "Do not deceive yourselves... For though you had struck the whole army..." | God declares Egypt's inability to defeat even a wounded Babylonian force. |
| Lam 1:3 | "Judah has gone into captivity... All her persecutors overtook her..." | Judah's unavoidable fate; judgment coming to full fruition. |
| Lam 4:17 | "As for us, our eyes failed... We have eagerly watched for a nation that could not save." | Despair over fruitless reliance on external help (Egypt). |
| Ezek 17:13 | "...he took him an oath, made him enter into a covenant with him." | Zedekiah's broken covenant as a primary cause for judgment. |
| Ezek 17:18 | "For he despised the oath... so he shall not escape." | Direct reaffirmation of judgment due to oath-breaking. |
| Ezek 17:19 | "...my oath which he despised and my covenant which he broke, I will surely bring it on his own head." | God personally holds Zedekiah accountable for the broken oath/covenant. |
| Isa 30:1-3 | "Woe to the rebellious children... Who take counsel, but not of Me..." | Rebuke for seeking alliances with Egypt instead of trusting God. |
| Isa 31:1-3 | "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help... For the Egyptian is man and not God." | Strong warning against relying on Egypt's chariots and horses (military might). |
| Hos 7:11 | "Ephraim is like a dove, easily deceived, without sense; They call to Egypt..." | Israel's folly in seeking foreign alliances. |
| Amos 2:16 | "...And he who is stout of heart among the mighty shall flee naked in that day." | Military might failing in the day of judgment. |
| Zech 10:11 | "He shall pass through the sea with affliction... all the depths of the Nile shall dry up." | God's power over Egypt, diminishing its perceived strength. |
| Ps 20:7 | "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God." | Contrast between trusting in human power vs. divine power. |
| Ps 33:16-17 | "No king is saved by the multitude of an army... A horse is a vain hope for safety." | Emphasizes the futility of military strength for true deliverance. |
| Prov 21:30-31 | "There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord... The victory is of the Lord." | Human plans, military strength are powerless against God's will. |
| Rom 9:17 | "...for this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you..." | God's sovereign control even over kings and nations. |
| Gal 6:7 | "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." | Principle of divine retribution, linking action to consequences (Zedekiah's oath). |
| Heb 6:13-18 | "For when God made a promise to Abraham... it is impossible for God to lie." | The unwavering nature of God's oaths and covenants, by implication Zedekiah's sin is greater. |
Ezekiel 17 verses
Ezekiel 17 17 Meaning
Ezekiel 17:17 prophesies the failure of Pharaoh's military intervention to save Jerusalem from the impending Babylonian siege. It explicitly states that despite the Egyptian king's formidable army and numerous forces, their attempts to engage in siege warfare tactics (casting up mounds and building siege walls) to relieve the besieged city will be in vain, and they will not succeed in preventing the massive loss of life that awaits Judah. The verse underscores God's absolute sovereignty and the inevitability of the divine judgment executed through Babylon due to Zedekiah's treachery and covenant breaking.
Ezekiel 17 17 Context
Ezekiel 17:17 is part of a prophetic riddle (Ezek 17:1-10) and its subsequent interpretation (Ezek 17:11-21) delivered by God through the prophet Ezekiel to the exiles in Babylon. The riddle depicts a great eagle (Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon) carrying off the top branch of a cedar (Jehoiachin, king of Judah) to a land of trade, and planting a seed from the land (Zedekiah) as a low vine. This vine then turned towards another great eagle (Pharaoh of Egypt), seeking its strength.
The immediate context (Ezek 17:15-16) explains Zedekiah's rebellion against Babylon, violating the oath of fealty he swore to Nebuchadnezzar (who had made him king in Jerusalem after Jehoiachin's exile). This rebellion involved seeking military aid from Pharaoh in Egypt. Ezekiel 17:17 directly addresses the futility of this reliance on Egypt.
The broader historical context is the period leading up to Jerusalem's final destruction in 586 BC. Judah, initially a Babylonian vassal state, had a long history of seeking alliances with Egypt, which was seen as a major power in the ancient Near East. However, these alliances often proved unreliable and displeasing to God, as they demonstrated a lack of trust in His protection and often involved breaking divine covenant obligations. God views Zedekiah's broken oath to Nebuchadnezzar not merely as a political breach but as a profound theological transgression, because oaths sworn by human means were often seen as made before God.
Ezekiel 17 17 Word analysis
- Nor: Hebrew: וְלֹא (weloʾ). This conjunction powerfully introduces a negative consequence, emphasizing the complete futility of the action described. It sets a definitive boundary on what Pharaoh can achieve.
- shall Pharaoh: Hebrew: פַרְעֹה (Parʿoh). Refers to the specific office of the Egyptian king, rather than a particular individual (likely Pharaoh Hophra in this period). "Pharaoh" often serves as a symbol of earthly might and opposition to God's people in biblical narrative, but here, it also represents a false hope for Judah.
- with his mighty army: Hebrew: בְחַיִל כָּבֵד (bəḥayil kāvḗḏ). Ḥayil (חיל) refers to military force, strength, or wealth. Kāvḗḏ (כָּבֵד) means "heavy," "numerous," "important," or "honored." Together, they emphasize the sheer size and impressive strength of the Egyptian military, known for its chariots and numerous infantry. Yet, this great earthly power is explicitly declared ineffective against God's determined plan.
- and great company: Hebrew: וְקָהָל רָב (wəqāhāl rāḇ). Qāhāl (קָהָל) is an "assembly" or "multitude." Rāḇ (רָב) means "great" or "numerous." This phrase further amplifies the vastness of Pharaoh's forces, reiterating the human reliance on overwhelming numbers that will ultimately fail.
- help him: Hebrew: יַעֲזֹר־לוֹ (yaʿăzōr-lô). ʿĀzar (עָזַר) means "to help," "support," or "aid." The direct object "him" refers to the vine, Zedekiah/Judah. This highlights Zedekiah's misguided appeal for assistance from an unreliable earthly ally.
- in war: Hebrew: בַּמִּלְחָמָה (bammilḥāmāh). Refers to the impending military conflict with Babylon, where Egypt was expected to intervene. The verse categorically dismisses Egypt's capacity to alter the outcome of this specific "war" initiated by God's judgment.
- by casting up mounds: Hebrew: בִּסְלֹל סוֹלְלָה (bislōl sôlēlāh). Salal (סלל) means "to cast up" or "raise." Sôlēlāh (סוֹלְלָה) is a "siege mound" or "ramp." These were common siege engines in ancient warfare, earthen ramps constructed to allow attacking forces to reach the city walls or provide a platform for siege engines. It implies a direct engagement with Babylonian siege efforts.
- and building siege walls: Hebrew: וּבִבְנוֹת דַּיִק (ûḇiḇnôt dayiq). Banah (בנה) means "to build." Dayiq (דַּיִק) refers to a "siege wall," "fortification," or a "circumvallation wall" (a wall built around a besieged city to prevent movement in or out). This describes Babylon's strategy to fully enclose Jerusalem. The inability of Egypt to even break through this encircling "wall" shows their impotence.
- to cut off many lives: Hebrew: לְהַכְרִית נְפָשׁוֹת רַבּוֹת (ləhakhriṯ nəp̄āšōṯ rabbôṯ). Hikhriṯ (הִכְרִית) means "to cut off," "destroy," "exterminate," or "bring to an end." Nəp̄āšōṯ (נְפָשׁוֹת) are "souls" or "lives." Rabbôṯ (רַבּוֹת) means "many" or "numerous." This phrase bluntly states the intended grim outcome of the siege: a vast number of fatalities. Egypt's failure means they cannot prevent this divinely ordained slaughter.
- Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in war: This phrase underscores the massive perceived military power that Zedekiah hoped would be his salvation. It juxtaposes the human attempt to overcome a divine decree with God's ultimate sovereignty. The expectation was that such a force would undoubtedly break any siege, yet God declares their utter impotence.
- by casting up mounds and building siege walls to cut off many lives: This describes the specific, brutal realities of ancient siege warfare. The emphasis on these common siege tactics (siege ramps, circumvallation) highlights the thoroughness of Babylon's coming attack, appointed by God. Egypt's inability to counter these measures confirms that the judgment on Judah is divinely unstoppable, no matter the human effort to mitigate it.
Ezekiel 17 17 Bonus section
- The Weight of an Oath: In ancient Near Eastern culture, particularly for kings and vassals, an oath was extremely sacred and often involved divine witnesses, even if sworn to a foreign ruler. Zedekiah's oath to Nebuchadnezzar (Ezek 17:13) was effectively an oath before God, making its breach a profoundly serious offense against divine principles, not merely a political betrayal.
- Irony of Salvation: The very methods Pharaoh's army might have employed to save Jerusalem (counter-siege efforts) are mentioned as ultimately failing, reinforcing the futility of human solutions against divine will.
- The Unstoppable Hand of God: The detailed description of Babylonian siege tactics being unstoppable by Egypt highlights that God has precisely foretold the mechanisms of judgment. This emphasizes His meticulous control over historical events and His use of pagan nations as instruments of His righteous purposes.
Ezekiel 17 17 Commentary
Ezekiel 17:17 powerfully communicates God's sovereignty over earthly powers and His unyielding commitment to fulfilling His righteous judgment. Zedekiah's decision to seek aid from Egypt, rather than trust in the Lord or honor his oath to Babylon, constituted both political folly and a grievous theological transgression. The verse highlights that no matter how mighty or numerous an earthly army may be, it cannot stand against God's decreed purpose. Pharaoh's forces, renowned for their strength and ability to engage in complex siege warfare, would be utterly useless in lifting the siege of Jerusalem because it was a divine act of judgment for broken covenants. This serves as a potent reminder that human alliances, strength, and resources are always secondary to God's will and cannot avert consequences for unfaithfulness.