The parable of the two eagles and the vine. A promise of the cedar of Christ and his church.

¹ And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

² “Son of man, propose an enigma and describe a parable to the house of Israel,

³ and you shall say: Thus says the Lord God: A large eagle, with great wings and elongated pinions, full of feathers with many colors, came to Lebanon. And he took the kernel of the cedar.¹²³

1. 17:3A large eagle: Nabuchodonosor, king of Babylon.(Challoner)
2. 17:3Came to Libanus: That is, to Jerusalem.(Challoner)
3. 17:3Took away the marrow of the cedar: King Jechonias.(Challoner)

⁴ He tore off the summit of its branches, and he transported it to the land of Canaan; he placed it in a city of merchants.¹

1. 17:4Chanaan: This name, which signifies traffic, is not taken here for Palestine, but for Chaldea: and the city of merchants here mentioned is Babylon.(Challoner)

⁵ And he took from the seed of the land and placed it in the ground for seed, so that it might take firm root above many waters; he placed it at the surface.¹

1. 17:5Of the seed of the land, etc: Viz., Sedecias, whom he made king.(Challoner)

⁶ And when it had germinated, it increased into a more extensive vine, low in height, with its branches facing toward itself. And its roots were underneath it. And so, it became a vine, and sprouted branches, and produced shoots.¹

1. 17:6Towards him: Nabuchodonosor, to whom Sedecias swore allegiance.(Challoner)

⁷ And there was another large eagle, with great wings and many feathers. And behold, this vine seemed to bend its roots towards him, extending its branches toward him, so that he might irrigate it from the garden of its germination.¹

1. 17:7Another large eagle: Viz., the king of Egypt.(Challoner)

⁸ It had been planted in a good land, above many waters, so that it would produce branches and bear fruit, so that it would become a large vine.

⁹ Speak: Thus says the Lord God: What if it does not prosper? Should he not pull up its roots, and strip off its fruit, and dry up all the branches that it has produced, and let it wither, though he is without a strong arm and without many people to pull it up by the root?

¹⁰ Behold, it has been planted. What if it does not prosper? Should it not be dried up when the burning wind touches it, and should it not wither in the garden of its germination?”

¹¹ And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

¹² “Say to the provoking house: Do you not know what these things signify? Say: Behold, the king of Babylon arrives in Jerusalem. And he will take away its king and princes, and he will lead them away to himself in Babylon.¹

1. 17:12Shall take away: Or, has taken away, etc., for all this was now done.(Challoner)

¹³ And he will take one from the offspring of the king, and he will strike a pact with him and receive an oath from him. Moreover, he will take away the strong ones of the land,

¹⁴ so that it may be a lowly kingdom, and may not lift itself up, and may instead keep his pact and serve it.

¹⁵ But, withdrawing from him, he sent messengers to Egypt, so that it would give him horses and many people. Should he who has done these things prosper and obtain safety? And should he who has broken the pact go free?

¹⁶ As I live, says the Lord God, in the place of the king, who appointed him as king, whose oath he has made void, and whose pact he has broken, under which he was living with him, in the midst of Babylon, he shall die.

¹⁷ And not with a great army, nor with many people will Pharaoh undertake a battle against him, when he will cast up ramparts and build defenses, in order to put to death many souls.

¹⁸ For he has despised an oath, in that he broke the pact. And behold, he had given his hand. And so, since he has done all these things, he shall not escape.¹

1. 17:18He gave his hand in the sense that he swore an oath. This is comparable to the practice today, of raising one’s right hand in order to swear to something.(Conte)

¹⁹ Because of this, thus says the Lord God: As I live, I will place upon his head the oath that he has spurned and the pact that he has betrayed.

²⁰ And I will spread my net over him, and he will be captured in my dragnet. And I will lead him into Babylon, and I will judge him there for the transgression by which he has despised me.

²¹ And all his fugitives, with all his procession, will fall by the sword. Then the remainder will be scattered into every wind. And you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken.”

²² Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take from the kernel of the exalted cedar, and I will establish it. I will tear off a tender twig from the top of its branches, and I will plant it on a mountain, lofty and exalted.¹²

1. 17:22Of the marrow of the high cedar, etc: Of the royal stock of David.(Challoner)
2. 17:22A tender twig: Viz., Jesus Christ, whom God has planted in mount Sion, that is, the high mountain of his church, to which all nations flow.(Challoner)

²³ On the sublime mountains of Israel, I will plant it. And it shall spring forth in buds and bear fruit, and it shall be a great cedar. And all the birds will live under it, and every bird will make its nest under the shadow of its branches.

²⁴ And all the trees of the regions will know that I, the Lord, have brought low the sublime tree, and have exalted the lowly tree, and have dried up the green tree, and have caused the dry tree to flourish. I, the Lord, have spoken and acted.”