Ezekiel 19

Ezekiel 19 is the nineteenth chapter of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet/priest Ezekiel, and is one of the Books of the Prophets. This chapter contains a kinah or lamentation for the rulers of Israel. Two princes are lamented, one captured and carried to Egypt, i.e. Jehoahaz, son and successor of Josiah (verses 1Ã¢ÂÂ4), and another carried to Babylon, who must be Jehoiachin (verses 5Ã¢ÂÂ9).

Text

The original text was written in the Hebrew language. This chapter is divided into 14 verses.

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text tradition, which includes the Codex Cairensis (895), the Petersburg Codex of the Prophets (916), Aleppo Codex (10th century), Codex Leningradensis (1008).

There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B; B; 4th century), Codex Alexandrinus (A; A; 5th century) and Codex Marchalianus (Q; Q; 6th century).

Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel (KJV)

"Lamentation" (Hebrew: <big>ÃÂ§ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ</big> ; plural: <big>ÃÂ§ÃÂ´ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ´ÃÂÃÂ</big> in or <big>ÃÂ§ÃÂ´ÃÂ¼ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ½ÃÂÃÂ¹ÃÂª</big> in ): the Hebrew word has a meaning of "elegy, dirge", "a mournful song".

The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit,

: and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.

"With chains unto the land of Egypt": This is the fate of Jehoahaz (also called "Shallum") who succeeded his father, Josiah, as king in Jerusalem for 3 months in 609 BC, before being deposed by Pharaoh Necho II and taken as prisoner to Egypt until his death (Ã¢ÂÂ; -; Jeremiah 22:10-12).

Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost,

: then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.

"She took another of her whelps": Two of the last four kings of Judah, Jehoahaz and Zedekiah, was born of the same mother, Hamutal, and the same father, king Josiah, although the "lioness" in generally refers to "Judah".

And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon:

: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

"Brought him to the king of Babylon": This is the fate of Zedekiah (also called "Mattaniah"), the last king of Judah, who was appointed as king in Jerusalem in 597 BC by Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon to replace Jehoiachin, but later rebelled, was captured and brought before Nebuchadnezzar in Riblah, where his families were killed, he himself was made blind, then taken as prisoner to Babylon until his death.