Ezekiel 17:13-19

Bible Text

[13] and he took of the seed royal, and made a covenant with him; he also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land; [14] that the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might stand. [15] 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 who does such things? shall he break the covenant, and yet escape? [16] As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die. [17] Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in the war, when they cast up mounds and build forts, to cut off many persons. [18] For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things; he shall not escape. [19] Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: As I live, surely my oath that he has despised, and my covenant that he has broken, I will even bring it on his own head.

Babylon was the Mesopotamian empire that had taken Jerusalem’s king captive and installed Zedekiah, while Canaan, Jerusalem, and Lebanon evoke Judah’s land, capital, and royal house. Egypt was the rival power to which Zedekiah turned for help, breaking his oath to Babylon and, ultimately, to God.

Places in this passage

Ezekiel 17:13-19 mentions Babylon, Canaan, Egypt, Jerusalem and Lebanon.

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