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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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New Living Translation

Ezekiel 17:5

He also took a seedling from the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside a broad river, where it could grow like a willow tree.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Ezekiel;   Parables;   Willow;   Scofield Reference Index - Parables;   Thompson Chain Reference - Trees;   Willows;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Babylon;   Cedar, the;   Prophets;   Trees;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ezekiel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Allegory;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Riddle;   Willows;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Eagle;   Fable;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Exile;   Ezekiel;   Plants in the Bible;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ezekiel;   Fable;   Vine, Vineyard;   Willow;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Willow,;   Zedekiah ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Field;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Proverb;   Willow Tree;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Allegory in the Old Testament;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then he took some of the land’s seed and put it in a fertile field; he set it like a willow, a plant by abundant water.
Hebrew Names Version
He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters; he set it as a willow tree.
King James Version
He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.
English Standard Version
Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig,
New American Standard Bible
"He also took from the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil, a meadow beside abundant waters; he set it like a willow.
New Century Version
"‘The eagle took some seed from the land and planted it in a good field near plenty of water. He planted it to grow like a willow tree.
Amplified Bible
"He also took some of the seed of the land (Zedekiah, of the royal family) and planted it in fertile soil and a fruitful field; he placed it beside abundant waters and set it like a willow tree.
World English Bible
He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters; he set it as a willow tree.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Hee tooke also of the seede of the lande, and planted it in a fruitfull ground: hee placed it by great waters, and set it as a willowe tree.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside abundant waters; he set it like a willow.
Legacy Standard Bible
He also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in a field fit for seed. He placed it beside abundant waters; he set it like a willow.
Berean Standard Bible
He took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it by abundant waters; he set it out like a willow.
Contemporary English Version
The eagle also took seed from Israel and planted it in a fertile field with plenty of water, like a willow tree beside a stream.
Complete Jewish Bible
He also took some of the seed in the land and planted it in fertile soil, placing it where there was abundant water, as one would a willow.
Darby Translation
And he took of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, he set it as a willow tree.
Easy-to-Read Version
Then the eagle took some of the seeds from Canaan. He planted them in good soil by a good river.
George Lamsa Translation
He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in uncultivated land; he placed it by many waters, and then set a watchman over it.
Good News Translation
Then he took a young plant from the land of Israel and planted it in a fertile field, where there was always water to make it grow.
Lexham English Bible
and he took from the seed of the land and placed it in fertile soil on many waters; like a willow he planted it.
Literal Translation
He also took of the seed of the land and planted it in a field of seed. He took it by great waters; he set it as a willow.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He toke also a braunch of the londe, and planted it in a frutefull grounde, he brought it vnto greate waters, & set it as a willye tre therby.
American Standard Version
He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters; he set it as a willow-tree.
Bible in Basic English
And he took some of the seed of the land, planting it in fertile earth, placing it by great waters; he put it in like a willow-tree.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters, he set it as a slip.
King James Version (1611)
Hee tooke also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitfull field, he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He toke also of the seede of the land, and planted it in a fruiteful grounde, he brought it vnto great waters, and set it in an open trenche.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he took of the seed of the land, and sowed it in a field planted by much water; he set it in a conspicuous place.
English Revised Version
He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters; he set it as a willow tree.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he took of the seed of the lond, and settide it in the lond for seed, that it schulde make stidfast roote on many watris; he settide it in the hiyere part.
Update Bible Version
He also took of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters; he set it as a willow-tree.
Webster's Bible Translation
He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed [it] by great waters, [and] set it [as] a willow tree.
New English Translation
He took one of the seedlings of the land, placed it in a cultivated plot; a shoot by abundant water, like a willow he planted it.
New King James Version
Then he took some of the seed of the land And planted it in a fertile field; He placed it by abundant waters And set it like a willow tree.
New Life Bible
Then he took some of the seed of the land and planted it in good ground for growing. He planted it like a willow tree where there was much water to make it grow.
New Revised Standard
Then he took a seed from the land, placed it in fertile soil; a plant by abundant waters, he set it like a willow twig.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So he took of the seed of the land, and planted it in a field for seed,- He took it near mighty waters, Like a willow-tree, he set it.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he took of the seed of the land, and put it in the ground for seed, that it might take a firm root over many waters: he planted it on the surface of the earth.
Revised Standard Version
Then he took of the seed of the land and planted it in fertile soil; he placed it beside abundant waters. He set it like a willow twig,
Young's Literal Translation
And it taketh of the seed of the land, And doth put it in a field of seed, To take by many waters, In a conspicuous place it hath set it.

Contextual Overview

1 Then this message came to me from the Lord : 2 "Son of man, give this riddle, and tell this story to the people of Israel. 3 Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord : "A great eagle with broad wings and long feathers, covered with many-colored plumage, came to Lebanon. He seized the top of a cedar tree 4 and plucked off its highest branch. He carried it away to a city filled with merchants. He planted it in a city of traders. 5 He also took a seedling from the land and planted it in fertile soil. He placed it beside a broad river, where it could grow like a willow tree. 6 It took root there and grew into a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned up toward the eagle, and its roots grew down into the ground. It produced strong branches and put out shoots. 7 But then another great eagle came with broad wings and full plumage. So the vine now sent its roots and branches toward him for water, 8 even though it was already planted in good soil and had plenty of water so it could grow into a splendid vine and produce rich leaves and luscious fruit. 9 "So now the Sovereign Lord asks: Will this vine grow and prosper? No! I will pull it up, roots and all! I will cut off its fruit and let its leaves wither and die. I will pull it up easily without a strong arm or a large army. 10 But when the vine is transplanted, will it thrive? No, it will wither away when the east wind blows against it. It will die in the same good soil where it had grown so well."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the seed: Zedekiah, brother to Jeconiah. Ezekiel 17:13, 2 Kings 24:17, Jeremiah 37:1

planted it in a fruitful field: Heb. put it in a field of seed, Made him king of Judea. Deuteronomy 8:7-9

he placed: Made him dependent on Babylon, the city of great waters, as the willow is on humidity. Ezekiel 19:11, Ezekiel 19:12, Isaiah 15:7, Isaiah 44:4

Reciprocal: Job 40:22 - the willows Jeremiah 11:17 - that Jeremiah 12:2 - hast Ezekiel 17:8 - soil Ezekiel 31:4 - waters Hosea 14:6 - branches

Cross-References

Genesis 17:2
I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants."
Genesis 17:4
"This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations!
Genesis 17:15
Then God said to Abraham, "Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah.
Genesis 17:21
But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year."
Genesis 17:23
On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him.
Genesis 32:28
"Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him. "From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won."
Numbers 13:16
These are the names of the men Moses sent out to explore the land. (Moses called Hoshea son of Nun by the name Joshua.)
2 Samuel 12:25
and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means "beloved of the Lord "), as the Lord had commanded.
Nehemiah 9:7
"You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and renamed him Abraham.
Isaiah 65:15
Your name will be a curse word among my people, for the Sovereign Lord will destroy you and will call his true servants by another name.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He took also of the seed of the land,.... Of the land of Judea, a native of it, not a stranger; not one of another country, a Babylonian; not one of his own nobles or princes, did Nebuchadnezzar, the eagle, take and set upon the throne of Judea, but one of their own, even one of the king's seed, of the blood royal, as it is explained,

Ezekiel 17:13, Mattaniah, the uncle of Jeconiah, whom the king of Babylon called Zedekiah, and made him king in his room:

and planted it in a fruitful field; in the land of Judea, and in Jerusalem the royal city:

he placed [it] by great waters; many people, Revelation 17:15; over whom he ruled, and by whom he was supported in his royal dignity:

[and] set it [as] a willow tree; which loves moist places, and grows up thick: unless it should be rendered, "he set it with great circumspection" s; took a great deal of care and caution in placing him upon the throne; he made a covenant with him, took an oath of him, and hostages for the performance of it, Ezekiel 17:13. The Targum is,

"a planted vine he set it,''

to make it agree with what follows; but the word in the Chaldee and Arabic languages signifies a kind of willow, as we render it, as Ben Melech observes t.

s צפצפה שמו "circumspectissime posuit illud, Junins Tremellius, Polanus "cum magna circumspectione", Piscator; "circumspecte, Cocceius, Starckius. t And so it does; see Castel, col. 3220, 3221. and in this way Jarchi and Kimchi interpret the word, in which they are followed by many; so R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 73. 1. nevertheless, the sense of it here is disapproved of by Castel, who observes, what has a willow to do with a vine? col. 3222. and commends the Greek version, which renders it, επιβλεπομενον, "conspicuous", to be seen; and so others translate it, "in superficie", V. L. Grotius; yet the "safsaf" of the Arabs is a tree by which they understood the "abeile" or poplar tree; see Shaw's Travels, p. 432. Ed. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He took also of the seed of the land - Zedekiah the king’s uncle, not a Babylonian satrap, was made king.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ezekiel 17:5. The seed of the land — Zedekiah, brother of Jehoiachin.

Planted it in a fruitful field — Made him king of Judea in place of his brother.

Placed it by great waters — Put him under the protection of Babylon, situated on the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates.

And set it as a willow tree — Made him dependent on this city of great waters, as the willow is on humidity.


 
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