Глава 17

Ezek.17:1–3. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, speak a story, and speak a parable against the house of Israel, and say: This saith Adonai the Lord He is commanded to present the prophecy mysteriously, so that those listening, not knowing what is being said, become more diligent in researching it, and by asking the Prophet questions, they receive an explanation from him. great eagle, great-winged, long in length, full of nails, By the eagle the Prophet meant Nebuchadnezzar, calling him “great” because he became notorious, and, moreover, “great-winged”, as having extended his dominion over very many countries, and also “for a long time”, as highly intelligent and arrogant, but called him “full of nails”, as having a large army, horse and foot, light and heavy armed, because warriors are the nails of the king, as subordinates to the military leaders, they form the outermost part of the body, and they have sharpness and strength so that, like a beast, they can strike and torment those who try to contradict. those who were commanded to go into Lebanon and take the chosen cedars. Here the Prophet clearly showed that Nebuchadnezzar did not come to Jerusalem of his own accord, but God invisibly moved everyone and brought him. For he called Jerusalem Lebanon, as a city not only glorious, but also proud at that time of the multitude of inhabitants, priests under the law and prophets who foretold the divine. And he went up, it is said, and “took the chosen cedars.” Ezek.17:4. and the heights of the softness of the prison, By this the Prophet meant Jehoiachin, and called him “the chosen of the cedar” according to his royal rank, and “the heights of softness” not only according to the height of his rank, but also because of his youth, for in his youth he accepted royal power and suffered captivity. By the way, the Prophet used the word “fortress” because he said about the eagle that it had many claws with which it acted. and I brought it to the land of Canaanite, in a fenced city I laid it. Shem meant Babylon, and called it the Canaanite city due to the similarity of morals. Ezek.17:5. And he took from the seed of the earth, and gave it to the fruit of the field, so that he might establish roots over many waters, the act was seen. This depicted Zedekiah, because Nebuchadnezzar, having installed him as king instead of Jehoiachin, left Jerusalem, but the Prophet no longer calls Jerusalem “Lebanon,” but “a fruitful field,” because the kingdom has become more humiliated. And this “above many waters an act of destruction was seen” means subordination and the tribute imposed on it. Ezek.17:6. It grew cold, and became a weak grape, and small in majesty, which appeared to its grapes on it: and its rooting was under it: and it became a great grape, and made rods, and spread out its branches. The kingdom of Judah has become extremely weak in recent years, because it has already endured siege and captivity three times, reached poverty and lost many. Therefore, the Prophet says that “the grapes were weak, and small in majesty, the grapes thereof” no longer extended, according to David’s prophecy, “to the sea and even to the rivers; And this “space of its own” does not mean greatness, but friendship with Egypt. Therefore the Prophet added: Ezek.17:7–8. And there was another great eagle, great-crested, with many nails: and behold, these grapes entwined around him, and rooted them towards him, and sent out his vines for him to solder to himself from the trunk of his garden. On the good soil, on the water, it feeds on many things, which create vegetation, and bear fruit, which becomes great grapes. The Prophet calls kings eagles because of their dominion, because the eagle is a royal animal that has received as its inheritance power over the birds. In these words, the Prophet meant the king of Egypt, and this was Wathriy, the Prophet Jeremiah also mentions him. Zedekiah entered into an agreement with him, violating the oaths and conditions made by Nebuchadnezzar. And this “send out your vine to him” means the money sent by Zedekiah to the king of Egypt; and sent, “to get drunk on your chest,” that is, to stand for the king and for his subjects. For the Prophet called the people “breasts”, keeping the same image of speech, as he called the king grapes. Grapes, being planted on the ground, take root in it and draw moisture from it. Therefore, Zedekiah sent money to the Egyptian king so that he himself and the people could benefit from his help and care, “to create vegetation and bear fruit.” The remaining 15 grapes mean that they have not lost the dignity they received. Ezek.17:9. For this reason, the Lord says: will the food be corrected? Is it not the softness that rots, and its fruit rots? and all its branches will dry up, That is, he will be deceived in his hope and will not receive what he expects, because Egyptian irrigation will not only bring him no benefit, but will also produce rottenness in the roots and dry up the branches that have receded from it. And this actually came true. Zedekiah, relying on the help of the king of Egypt, violated the agreement with Nebuchadnezzar, and he, taking up arms, took him captive, took the people into slavery, and burned the city. and was it not with a great arm, or with many men, that he was plucked out of his root? That is, the king of Egypt will not send him a large army, and his army will not only not help him, but will uproot him. Ezek.17:10. And he says: will there be time for the food? That is, he hopes for help for now, but will not take full advantage of it. Is it not that when a sultry wind touches it, it will dry out with dryness? with the breast of his vegetation he will dry up. Immediately upon the coming of the king of Babylon, both the king and all his subjects will be led into slavery. “Breast” and here again the Prophet called the people, “the sultry wind” - the army of the king of Babylon. For just as he calls the king grapes, and the people breasts, because they are planted in them, so he allegorically calls the help of the king of Egypt irrigation, and the invasion of the king of Babylon - a sultry wind. Ezek.17:11. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Ezek.17:12. O son of man, who turn to the house that angers Me, do you not know what this is? Tell them: Behold, the king of Babylon is coming to Jerusalem, and he will take away his king and his princes, and he will take him to Babylon. It is said: “he is coming” instead of: “he has come,” for the Prophet is describing for now what has already happened, but he said this about Jeconiah and calls the past not yet accomplished, according to his characteristic manner of speech. And what he said about Jehoiachin, who had already been in captivity for the sixth year, this, according to the instructions of the Prophet, is shown by the following words. Ezek.17:13–14. And he will understand from the king’s tribe, and will make a covenant with him, and will bring him into an oath, and will take the elders of the land, even though he is weak as a king, he will not be very proud, but keep his covenant, and stand in it. The Prophet said this about Zedekiah, but it happened six years before. Therefore: “will understand”, “bequeath”, “will introduce” is said instead of: “took”, “bequeathed”, “introduced”, for Nebuchadnezzar, concluding an agreement with Zedekiah, demanded from him the most terrible oaths that he would not violate the conditions, but he soon trampled on these oaths. By installing him as king, the Prophet says, he will “take” into captivity all those who are proud of their wealth. And the fourth book of Kings and the second Chronicles, as well as the blessed Prophet Jeremiah, inform us about this. Nevertheless, says the Prophet, the king of Babylon is trying to make the kingdom weak, to keep it in constant obedience and not to give it any reason for rebellion. Ezek.17:15. And he will turn away from him, sending his people to Egypt, and give him horses and many people. What I said above in secret and in detail, I expressed clearly here. Then you continue your speech in the form of a question. Will food fix it? will the one who resists be saved? and if he breaks the covenant, will he escape? I submit to your judgment whether it is fair for someone who has become a violator of oaths and contracts to escape punishment and receive salvation? since you do not answer, I will pronounce judgment. Ezek.17:16. As I live, says the Lord Adonai, if not in the place where the king made him king, whoever blasphemed My oath, and whoever transgressed My covenant, will die with him in the midst of Babylon. Ezek.17:17. And not in great strength, lower among the people Not leading Me, the Babylonian king, at My behest, says God, demanded oaths from him, and he, governed by My laws, became a breaker of oaths; Therefore, he will be betrayed to the one who made him king, and he will end his life in Babylon. Pharaoh will make war in the fort, and in the fence of the archers, and take away many souls. And this is also announced to us by the blessed Prophet Jeremiah. For when the Chaldeans were besieging Jerusalem, the king of Egypt came to the aid of the Jews, and the Chaldeans, fearing this invasion, retreated. But the God of all, through the Prophet Jeremiah, advises Zedekiah not to rely on the help of the king of Egypt, because, as the Prophet says, the king of Babylon will come soon and take the city (Jer. 37.8). God says the same thing here through the mouth of Ezekiel. Ezek.17:18. And they blasphemed the oath of breaking the covenant: and behold, he gave his hand, and did all this to him, he will not be saved, that is, no one will benefit from the help of the king of Egypt, but will be punished for perjury. Ezek.17:19. For this reason, the Lord Adonai says: “You have blasphemed My oath, and transgressed My covenant, and I will give it upon his head.” Ezek.17:20–21. And I will cut off My nan, and I will take possession of her, and I will bring him to Babylon, and I will argue with him there about his iniquity, which is untruthful to Me in all his flights: and all his chosen ones with all his armies will fall by the sword, and all that is left of them will I scatter to all the wind, and they will know that I am the Lord. Relying on the help of the Egyptians, he trampled on My oaths, but as if instead of some kind of death, using the Chaldean army, I will catch him and move him to Babylon, and I will put his chosen warriors, valiant in the war, to death, and those who escape death in the war, I will deliver them into slavery, and you will know from experience that My words are not false. He made this clear by saying: “And you will know that I am the Lord in words.” Ezek.17:22–23. This says Adonai the Lord: And I will take from the chosen the high cedar from the top, and I will give from the head of its branches, from the heart I will trim its tops, and I will plant it on the highest mountain of Israel, and I will plant it, and the branch will grow, and it will produce fruit, and it will be great in the cedar: and every feathered thing will rest under it, and every bird will rest under its canopy, and its vines will rest. getting settled. Truly, Israel “is a bitter house, and they have eyes and do not see, and they have ears and do not hear” (Ezek. 12:2). And if this is not so, then let them show us who this is, taken from the “chosen of the high cedar from the top,” from the heart of the top, and planted first “on the high mountain,” then hanged “in the high mountain of Israel,” and after being hanged, who sprouted a “branch,” and created a “fruit,” and became a “great cedar,” so that all feathered and flying, not four-legged, not reptiles, but everything feathered and flying will rest under his canopy? If they say that this was said about Zerubbabel, then let them point out on what mountain Zerubbabel was hanged, or that all the feathered and flying things rested under his shadow. Zerubbabel was the ruler only of the people who returned with him from captivity, but other nations not only were not submissive to him, but also constantly waged war with him, which is why the construction of the church of God was not completed soon. If what was said does not in the least befit Zerubbabel, then it can hardly befit anyone else. And if someone tries to apply the prophecy to the Maccabees, then their lies will be easily exposed, because they were not from the royal, but from the priestly tribe; here the Prophet refers to the royal family as a cedar, for he also said this about Jeconiah: “the great eagle, the great-winged softness” of the cedar, that is, the royal family, “fortress,” and took it to Babylon. Therefore, if what was said does not befit either Zerubbabel or the Maccabees, then it is clear that this is predicted about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who from David led His family according to the flesh, having forefathers descended not from any similar royal branches, but from the line of succession of taken kings. And this is precisely what Blessed Matthew teaches us: for having spoken of Solomon, the son of David, and of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, and then, in order, outlining the entire genealogy before the Babylonian exile, he adds: “After the emigration of Babylon, Jehoiachin begat Shealtiel” (he himself was a captive), “Shealtiel ruled Zerubbabel” (he ruled after his return). people) (Matthew 1:12). From them the Lord Christ leads His race according to the flesh; Therefore it is said: “I will take from the elect the high cedar from the top,” that is, from the very royal root. And in the same meaning it is said: “I will give from the head of his branches,” from the heart I will “sharpen” the top. The captives were scourged by the king of Babylon, and the flesh that the Lord took on, as we said above, was scourged by He Himself, for He Himself created a human church for Himself. And “I will plant Az on the high mountain,” and not the king of Babylon. He calls the glory of the Church a high mountain, for so prophesied both Isaiah and Micah. “And it will be,” it is said, “in the last days the mountain of the Lord will be revealed, and the house of God on the top of the mountains” (Is. 2:2; Mic. 4:1) and so on. Thus, having shown the glory of Christ, due to miracles and preaching, the Prophet also predicts suffering: “I will hang him in the mountain of Israel.” For by God’s permission the suffering also took place; The Lord Himself made this clear when speaking to Pilate, for when Pilate boasted that he had the power to both punish and liberate, the Lord said to him: “Have no power over Me, except it be given from above” (John 19:11). Therefore, the Prophet calls permission an action: “and I will hang you on the highest mountain of Israel”; high is Golgotha, where the saving cross is erected. Then, after suffering, he foretells the resurrection and the spread of the sermon. “And I will plant and sprout a branch, and bring forth fruit,” which, by gathering and feeding on, the universe hopes for eternal life. “And every feathered thing will rest under it,” and then more clearly: “and every bird will rest under its canopy,” nothing beastly, nothing reptiles, nothing crawling on the ground, but only winged ones, soaring through the air, with aspirations for the heavenly. Such are the children of faith, raising thoughts to grief, representing heavenly things, sitting under the shadow of the greatest cedar. The Prophet called Christ cedar according to humanity, because he also called the kingdom of David cedar. Cedar is not characterized by rotting, just as the Lord, even according to humanity, was sinless. “And his loziya,” it is said, “will be settled again.” The Prophet added this because of the desolation of Jerusalem at that time, as if saying: do not look at the desolation of the city that will be after the captivity, for behold, coming from it, the eternal King will reign, and from him he will receive the “Lozie”, which means the apostolic face. Therefore, it is said, the kingdom will again be established in the tribe of David, according to the covenant of God with David. Then added by the Prophet: Ezek.17:24. And let every tree of the field know that the Lord humbles the high tree, and lifts up the lowly tree, and withers the green tree, and causes the dry tree to sprout; I, the Lord, have spoken and will create. Let all people know that it is not difficult for Me to humble the high, and to exalt the humble, and to dry up the wet, and to make the dry bloom. For when, after the desolation of the city, they see that a branch has grown out of it, according to the prophecy of Isaiah, as it is said: “And a rod shall come out of the root of Jesse, and a flower shall spring up from its root” (Isa. 11:1), and He will appear as the king of the whole universe: then everyone will know that I am the Lord, and I predict, and I add the deed to the word. Maybe instead of μεινασα (remaining) it should be read here, as it is said in the text μεγ ἁ λη, i.e. great