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Ezekiel 17:2

Old Testament Major Prophet ASV (1901)

What does Ezekiel 17:2 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;
Ezekiel 17:2 — American Standard Version

Context — Ezekiel 17

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
1And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
2Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;
3and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers, which had divers colors, came unto Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar:
4he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs thereof, and carried it unto a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants.
5He 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.
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Son of man, put forth a riddle, &c.] A dark saying, but a smart one: “whet a whetting”f246, as in the Hebrew; something at first sight difficult to be understood, yet amusing and entertaining; and, when solved, very useful and instructive: and speak a parable unto the house of Israel; or, “concerning the house of Israel”f247; as the Targum and Syriac version; something relating to them, and what would aptly describe and represent their case; for the prophet was bid to take such a method, not to hide things from them, but rather the more strongly to represent them to them; seeing hereby their attention would be excited, and things would be more fixed in their memories, and they would be put…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“A riddle - A dark saying. The house of Israel - The remainders of the house of Israel, whether of the ten, or of the two tribes. Ezekiel 17:3”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Eze 20:49; Jdg 9:8-15, Jdg 14:12-19; Sa2 12:1-4; Hos 12:10; Mat 13:13, Mat 13:14, Mat 13:35; Mar 4:33, Mar 4:34; Co1 13:12 Ezekiel 17:3”
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Related study paths

Read Ezekiel 17 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification