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Easy-to-Read Version

Ezekiel 15:2

"Son of man, are the pieces of wood from a grapevine any better than the little branches cut from trees in the forest?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Symbols and Similitudes;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Trees;   Vine, the;  

Dictionaries:

- Fausset Bible Dictionary - Vine;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Branch;   Ezekiel;   Vine;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ezekiel;   Vine, Vineyard;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Vine;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Branch and Bough;   Vine;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Wine;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Son of man, how does the wood of the vine, that branch among the trees of the forest, compare to any other wood?
Hebrew Names Version
Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, the vine-branch which is among the trees of the forest?
King James Version
Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?
English Standard Version
"Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest?
New American Standard Bible
"Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest?
New Century Version
"Human, is the wood of the vine better than the wood of any tree in the forest?
Amplified Bible
"Son of man, how is the wood of the grapevine (Israel) better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest?
World English Bible
Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, the vine-branch which is among the trees of the forest?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Sonne of man, what commeth of the vine tree aboue all other trees? and of the vine braunch, which is among the trees of ye forest?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest?
Legacy Standard Bible
"Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest?
Berean Standard Bible
"Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any other branch among the trees in the forest?
Contemporary English Version
Ezekiel, son of man, what happens to the wood of a grapevine after the grapes have been picked? It isn't like other trees in the forest,
Complete Jewish Bible
"Human being, why should wood from a grapevine be better than some other kind of wood, than some branch that one might find among the trees of the forest?
Darby Translation
Son of man, what is the wood of the vine more than any wood, the vine-branch, which is among the trees of the forest?
George Lamsa Translation
Son of man, What shall happen to the wood of the vine more than to any wood, or to any branch of the trees which are among the trees of the forest?
Good News Translation
"Mortal man," he said, "how does a vine compare with a tree? What good is a branch of a grapevine compared with the trees of the forest?
Lexham English Bible
"Son of man, how will the wood of the vine be better than any of the wood of the branch which is among the trees of the forest?
Literal Translation
Son of man, how is the vine tree more than any other tree, or than a branch that is among the trees of the forest?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou sonne of man: What commeth of the vyne amonge all other trees? and of the wyne stocke, amoge all other tymbre of the groaue?
American Standard Version
Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any tree, the vine-branch which is among the trees of the forest?
Bible in Basic English
Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any branching tree which is among the trees of the woods?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
'Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any tree, the vine branch which grew up among the trees of the forest?
King James Version (1611)
Sonne of man, What is the Uine tree more then any tree, or then a branch which is among the trees of the forrest?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Thou sonne of man, what commeth of the vine tree, more then of euery other tree, & of the wylde vine stocke among other trees of the forest?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou, son of man—of all the wood, of the branches that are among the trees of the forest, what shall be made of the wood of the vine?
English Revised Version
Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he seide, Sone of man, what schal be don to the tre of a vyne, of alle the trees of woodis, that ben among the trees of woodis?
Update Bible Version
Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any tree, the vine-branch which is among the trees of the forest?
Webster's Bible Translation
Son of man, What is the vine-tree more than any tree, [or than] a branch which is among the trees of the forest?
New English Translation
"Son of man, of all the woody branches among the trees of the forest, what happens to the wood of the vine?
New King James Version
"Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any other wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?
New Living Translation
"Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine's wood as useful as the wood of a tree?
New Life Bible
"Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any wood of a branch among the trees?
New Revised Standard
O mortal, how does the wood of the vine surpass all other wood— the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Son of man, What can the vine-tree be more than any other tree, - any branch which hath been found among the trees of the forest?
Douay-Rheims Bible
Son of man, what shall be made of the wood of the vine, out of all the trees of the woods that are among the trees of the forests?
Revised Standard Version
"Son of man, how does the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?
Young's Literal Translation
`Son of man, What is the vine-tree more than any tree? The vine-branch that hath been, Among trees of the forest?

Contextual Overview

1 Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, 2 "Son of man, are the pieces of wood from a grapevine any better than the little branches cut from trees in the forest? 3 Can you use that wood from a grapevine to make anything? Can you use that wood to make pegs to hang dishes on? 4 People throw that wood into the fire. The ends burn, and the middle is scorched. 5 If you cannot make anything from that wood before it is burned, you surely cannot make anything from that wood after it is burned! 6 So people throw the pieces of wood from a grapevine into the fire. It is just like wood from any other tree in the forest. In the same way I will throw the people living in Jerusalem into the fire!" This is what the Lord God said. 7 "I will punish those people. But some of them will be like the sticks that don't burn completely. They will be punished, but they will not be destroyed completely. You will see that I punished them, and you will know that I am the Lord ! 8 I will destroy that country because the people left me to worship false gods ." This is what the Lord God said.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

What: The vine is only noble and useful while producing fruit: for, when cut down, its wood is fit only for fuel. So Israel, having ceased to be fruitful, they are good for nothing, but, like a withered branch of a vine, to be burnt. Deuteronomy 32:32, Deuteronomy 32:33, Psalms 80:8-16, Song of Solomon 2:13, Song of Solomon 2:15, Song of Solomon 6:11, Song of Solomon 7:12, Song of Solomon 8:11, Song of Solomon 8:12, Isaiah 5:1-7, Jeremiah 2:21, Hosea 10:1, Matthew 21:33-41, Mark 12:1-9, Luke 20:9-16, John 15:1-6

among: Isaiah 44:23, Micah 3:12, Zechariah 11:2

Reciprocal: Isaiah 27:11 - the boughs Jeremiah 24:2 - naughty Ezekiel 2:1 - Son Ezekiel 15:6 - General Ezekiel 19:10 - like Hosea 11:6 - consume Matthew 3:10 - is hewn Matthew 7:19 - bringeth Matthew 25:30 - cast Luke 3:9 - General Luke 23:31 - General John 15:4 - As Hebrews 6:8 - whose

Cross-References

Genesis 15:1
After all these things happened, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. God said, "Abram, don't be afraid. I will defend you and give you a great reward."
Genesis 15:2
But Abram said, "Lord God , there is nothing you can give me that will make me happy, because I have no son. My slave Eliezer from Damascus will get everything I own after I die."
Genesis 15:3
Abram said, "You have given me no son, so a slave born in my house will get everything I have."
Genesis 15:4
Then the Lord spoke to Abram and said, "That slave will not be the one to get what you have. You will have a son who will get everything you own."
Genesis 15:6
Abram believed the Lord , and because of this faith the Lord accepted him as one who has done what is right.
Genesis 24:2
Abraham's oldest servant was in charge of everything he owned. Abraham called that servant to him and said, "Put your hand under my leg.
Genesis 24:10
The servant took ten of Abraham's camels and left that place. The servant carried with him many different kinds of beautiful gifts. He went to Mesopotamia, to Nahor's city.
Genesis 25:21
Isaac's wife could not have children. So Isaac prayed to the Lord for her. The Lord heard Isaac's prayer, and he allowed Rebekah to become pregnant.
Genesis 39:9
My master has made me almost equal to him in his house. I cannot sleep with his wife! That is wrong! It is a sin against God."
Genesis 43:19
So the brothers went to the servant in charge of Joseph's house.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree,.... Or, "the wood of the vine than any wood" b; it is not better than other wood; it is not so good as any other wood; nay, it is good for nothing. The fruit of the vine tree is good, but its wood is of no use: a vine tree, if it bears fruit, is valuable; but if it does not, it is of no account. The people of the Jews are often compared to a vine, who, while they brought forth good fruit, were in esteem; but, when they became like an empty and fruitless vine, were rejected as good for nothing, Psalms 80:8; they were originally no better than others; what they had were owing to the grace and goodness of God; and when they degenerated, they were the worst of all people:

[or than] a branch which is among the trees of the forest? a vine tree that bears fruit is better than a tree of the forest, or than a branch of one that is unfruitful; but a vine tree that does not bear fruit is not so good; because the wood of the one may be useful when the other is not; though the words may be better rendered, even "the branch [of a wild vine] which is among the trees of the forest" c; and so it explains what vine tree is spoken of; not a fruitful one in the vineyards, but a wild and barren one in the forest. So Jarchi paraphrases the words,

"not of the vine in the vineyards, which bears fruit, speak I unto thee; but of the branch of the vine which grows in the forests;''

and so Kimchi,

"I do not ask thee of the vine tree which beareth fruit, for that is valuable; but of the branch (of the wild vine) which is among the trees of the forest, and is as they that do not bear fruit, concerning that I ask thee; for even it is not as the trees of the forest; for the trees of the forest, though they do not bear fruit, they are fit to do work of them, to make vessels of them, and to floor houses with them; but the wood of this vine is not so.''

b עץ הגפן מכל עץ "lignum vitis prae omni ligno", Montanus, Junius Tremellius, Polanus, Starckius. c הזמורה "surculus", Cocceius "surculus vitis", Starckius; "vitis sylvestris", Munster. So Ben Melech interprets the branch, of a vine.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The vine ... - The image is grounded on a well-known figure Psalms 80:8; Isaiah 5:0. The comparison is not between the vine and other trees, but between the wood of the vine and the wood of other trees.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 15:2. What is the vine tree more than any tree — It is certain that the vine is esteemed only on account of its fruit. In some countries, it is true, it grows to a considerable size and thickness: but, even then, it is not of a sufficient density to work into furniture. But whatever may be said of the stock of the vine, it is the branch that the prophet speaks of here; and I scarcely know the branch of any tree in the forest more useless than is the branch of the vine. Out of it who can even make a pin to drive into a mud wall, or hang any vessel on? A vine would never be cultivated for the sake of its wood; it is really worthless but as it bears fruit. What is Israel? Good for nothing, but as God influenced them to bring forth fruit to his glory. But now that they have ceased to be fruitful, they are good for nothing, but, like a withered branch of the vine, to be burnt.


 
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