11 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying , 12 "Say now to the rebellious house , 'Do you not know what these things mean?' Say , 'Behold , the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem , took its king and princes and brought them to him in Babylon . 13 'He took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath . He also took away the mighty of the land , 14 that the kingdom might be in subjection , not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant that it might continue . 15 'But he rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many troops . Will he succeed ? Will he who does such things escape ? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape ? 16 'As I live ,' declares the Lord GOD , 'Surely e in the country of the king who put him on the throne , whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke , in Babylon he shall die . 17 ' Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company will not help him in the war , when they cast up ramps and build siege walls to cut off many lives . 18 'Now he despised the oath by breaking the covenant , and behold , he pledged his allegiance , yet did all these things ; he shall not escape .' " 19 Therefore , thus says the Lord GOD , "As I live , surely e My oath which he despised and My covenant which he broke , I will inflict on his head . 20 "I will spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare . Then I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there regarding the unfaithful act which he has committed against Me. 21 "All the choice men in all his troops will fall by the sword , and the survivors will be scattered to every wind ; and you will know that I, the Lord , have spoken ."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ezekiel 17:11-21
Commentary on Ezekiel 17:11-21
(Read Ezekiel 17:11-21)
The parable is explained, and the particulars of the history of the Jewish nation at that time may be traced. Zedekiah had been ungrateful to his benefactor, which is a sin against God. In every solemn oath, God is appealed to as a witness of the sincerity of him that swears. Truth is a debt owing to all men. If the professors of the true religion deal treacherously with those of a false religion, their profession makes their sin the worse; and God will the more surely and severely punish it. The Lord will not hold those guiltless who take his name in vain; and no man shall escape the righteous judgment of God who dies under unrepented guilt.