Ezekiel 19:4

When the nations heard of him, he was trapped in their pit. With hooks they led him away to the land of Egypt.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Ezekiel addresses the house of Israel, delivering a lament for the kings of Judah. The prophet speaks this allegory immediately after describing a young lion cub who learned to tear prey and devoured men.

The words — The Hebrew verb נִתְפָּשׂ (nit.Pas) literally means "it was caught" or "trapped," describing the king's capture. The noun חַחִים (cha.Chim) translates to "hooks," denoting the iron restraints used to drag the captive away.

The thread — The text states that nations heard of the king's actions, he was caught in a pit, and was led with hooks to Egypt. This mirrors the historical imprisonment of Jehoahaz by Pharaoh Neco in 2 Kings 23:33 and the binding of Jehoiakim with bronze shackles in 2 Chronicles 36:6.

Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to acknowledge that violent political ambition directly provokes imperial capture and foreign subjugation. It demands a sober assessment of how human rebellion against established order results in the loss of sovereignty.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיִּשְׁמְע֥וּva/i.yish.me.'Uand/ they heard אֵלָ֛יו'e.La/vconcerning/ it גּוֹיִ֖םgo.Yimnations בְּשַׁחְתָּ֣םbe./shach.Ta/min/ pit/ their נִתְפָּ֑שׂnit.Pasit was caught וַיְבִאֻ֥הוּva/y.vi.'U./huand/ they brought/ it בַֽחַחִ֖יםva./cha.Chimwith <the>/ hooks אֶל־'el-to אֶ֥רֶץ'E.retz[the] land of מִצְרָֽיִם׃mitz.Ra.yimEgypt

King James Version

The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.

Cross-references

2 Kings 23:33 And Pharaoh Neco imprisoned Jehoahaz at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he could not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
2 Chronicles 36:4 Then Neco king of Egypt made Eliakim brother of Jehoahaz king over Judah and Jerusalem, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But Neco took Eliakim’s brother Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt.
2 Chronicles 36:6 Then Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jehoiakim and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.
Jeremiah 22:11 For this is what the LORD says concerning Shallum son of Josiah, king of Judah, who succeeded his father Josiah but has gone forth from this place: “He will never return,
2 Kings 23:31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah.
Jeremiah 22:18 Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: “They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!’