---
title: "Clarke"
description: "Verse Ezekiel 19:1. Moreover take thou up a lamentation — Declare what is the great subject of sorrow in Israel. Compose a funeral dirge. Show the melanch"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ezekiel/19"
---

Verse [Ezekiel 19:1](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/1). ***Moreover take thou up a lamentation*** — Declare what is the great subject of sorrow in Israel. Compose a funeral dirge. Show the melancholy fate of the kings who proceeded from Josiah. The prophet deplores the misfortune of *Jehoahaz* and *Jehoiakim*, under the figure of *two lion whelps*, which were *taken by hunters*, and *confined in cages*. Next he shows the *desolation of Jerusalem* under *Zedekiah*, which he compares to a *beautiful vine* pulled up by the roots, withered, and at last burned. *Calmet* justly observes, that the style of this song is beautiful, and the allegory well supported throughout.

Verse [Ezekiel 19:2](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/2). ***What*****is*****thy mother? A lioness*** — *Judea* may here be the *mother*; the *lioness*, Jerusalem. *Her lying down among lions*, her having confederacy with the neighbouring *kings*; for *lion* here means *king*.

Verse [Ezekiel 19:3](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/3). ***She brought up one of her whelps*** — *Jehoahaz*, son of Josiah, whose father was conquered and slain by Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt.
***It learned to catch the prey*** — His reign was a reign of oppression and cruelty. He made his *subjects* his *prey*, and devoured their *substance*.

Verse [Ezekiel 19:4](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/4). ***The nations also heard of him*** — The king of Egypt, whose subjects were of divers nations, marched against Jerusalem, took *Jehoahaz* prisoner, and brought him to Egypt. Thus -
***He was taken in their pit*** — Here is an allusion to those *trap-pits* digged in forests, into which the wild beasts fall, when the huntsmen, surrounding a given portion of the forest, drive the beasts in; by degrees narrowing the inclosure, till the animals come to the place where the pits are, which, being lightly covered over with *branches* and *turf*, are not perceived, and the beasts tread on them and fall in. Jehoahaz reigned only *three* months before he was dethroned by the king of Egypt, against whom it is apparent some craft was used, here signified by the *pit*, into which he fell.

Verse [Ezekiel 19:5](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/5). ***When she saw that she had waited*** — Being very weak, the Jews found that they could not resist with any *hope* of success; so the king of Egypt was permitted to do as he pleased.
***She took another of her whelps*** — Jehoiakim.
***And made him a young lion.*** — King of Judea.

Verse [Ezekiel 19:6](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/6). ***And he went up and down among the lions*** — He became a perfect heathen, and made Judea as idolatrous as any of the surrounding nations. He reigned *eleven* years, a monster of iniquity, [2 Kings 23:30](../../../kjv/2-kings/23/30), &c.

Verse [Ezekiel 19:8](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/8). ***The nations set against him*** — The Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites, and the king of Babylon - king of many nations.
***He was taken*** — The city was taken by Nebuchadnezzar; and Jehoiakim was taken prisoner, and sent in *chains* to *Babylon*.

Verse [Ezekiel 19:9](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/9). ***That his voice should no more be heard*** — He continued in prison many years, till the reign of Evil-merodach, who set him at liberty, but never suffered him to return to the *mountains of* *Israel*. "The unhappy fate of these princes, mentioned [Ezekiel 19:4](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/4); [Ezekiel 19:8-9](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/8-9) [Ezekiel 19:8-9](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/8-9), is a just subject of lamentation." - *Newcome*.

Verse [Ezekiel 19:10](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/10). ***Thy mother*** (Jerusalem)**is*****like a vine in thy blood*** — Of this expression I know not what to make. Some think the meaning is "A vine planted by the waters to produce the *blood of the grape*." See [Deuteronomy 32:14](../../../kjv/deuteronomy/32/14). Others, for בדמך *bedamecha, in thy blood*, would read ברמון *berimmon, in* or *at a* *pomegranate*; like a vine planted by or beside a pomegranate-tree, by which it was to be supported. And so the *Septuagint* and *Arabic* appear to have read. *Calmet* reads כרמך *carmecha, thy vineyard*, instead of בדמך *bedamecha, in thy blood*. Here is no change but a *resh* for a *daleth*. This reading is supported by one of *Kennicott's* and one of *De Rossi's* MSS.: "Thy mother is like a vine in thy vineyard, planted by the waters." Though this is rather an unusual construction yet it seems the best *emendation*. Of the textual reading no sense can be made. There is a corruption somewhere.
***Full on branches*** — Many *princes*. See next verse.

Verse [Ezekiel 19:11](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/11). ***She had strong rods*** — *Zedekiah*, and his many *sons*.
***Her stature was exalted*** — Zedekiah grew *proud* of his numerous offspring and prosperity; and although he copied the example of *Jehoiakim*, yet he thought he might safely rebel against the king of Babylon.

Verse [Ezekiel 19:12](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/12). ***But she was plucked up in fury*** — Jerusalem; taken after a violent and most destructive siege; Nebuchadnezzar being violently *enraged* against Zedekiah for breaking his oath to him.
***She was cast down to the ground*** — Jerusalem was totally ruined, by being burned to the ground.
***Her strong rods were broken*** — The *children* of Zedekiah were slain before his eyes, and after that his *own eyes pulled out*; and he was laden with chains, and carried into Babylon.

Verse [Ezekiel 19:13](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/13). ***And now she*****is*****planted in the wilderness*** — In the land of *Chaldea*, whither the people have been carried captives; and which, compared with their own land, was to them a *dreary* *wilderness*.

Verse [Ezekiel 19:14](../../../kjv/ezekiel/19/14). ***Fire is gone out*** — A vindictive and murderous disposition has taken hold-
***Of a rod of her branches*** — Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, who was of the blood-royal of Judah-
***Hath devoured her fruit*** — Hath assassinated *Gedaliah*, slain many people, and carried off others into the country of the Ammonites. But he was pursued by Jonathan, the son of Kareah, who slew many of his adherents, and delivered much of the people.
***She hath no strong rod*** — None of the blood-royal of Judah left. And from that time not one of her own royal race ever sat upon the throne of Israel.
***This*****is*****a lamentation*** — This is a most lamentable business.
***And shall be for a lamentation.*** — These predictions shall be so punctually fulfilled, and the catastrophe shall be so complete, that it shall ever remain as a lamentation; as this state of Jerusalem shall never be restored. Even to the present day this, to a Jew, is a subject of mourning.

```json
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ezekiel/19#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/images/missing.jpg","width":640,"height":370,"caption":"Clarke's Commentary -  Ezekiel 19"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ezekiel/19#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ezekiel/19","name":"Clarke's Commentary -  Ezekiel 19","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ezekiel/19#primaryimage"},"datePublished":null,"dateModified":null,"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"Verse Ezekiel 19:1. Moreover take thou up a lamentation — Declare what is the great subject of sorrow in Israel. Compose a funeral dirge. Show the melanch","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ezekiel/19#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ezekiel/19"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ezekiel/19#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries","name":"Commentaries"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary","name":"Clarke's Commentary"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ezekiel","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ezekiel","name":"Ezekiel"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ezekiel/19","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/ezekiel/19","name":"19"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]}
```