A Lament for Israel’s Princes

19 “As for you, take up a lament for the princes of Israel,(A) and say:

What was your mother? A lioness!
She lay down among the lions;
she reared her cubs among the young lions.
She brought up one of her cubs,
and he became a young lion.(B)
After he learned to tear prey,
he devoured people.
When the nations heard about him,
he was caught in their pit.
Then they led him away with hooks
to the land of Egypt.(C)

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Lament for the Princes of Israel

19 “And you, sing[a] a lament for the princes of Israel, and say:

“‘What a lioness was your mother among the lions!
She lay among young lions;[b] she reared her cubs.
She reared one of her cubs; he became a young lion.
He learned to tear prey; he devoured people.[c]
The nations heard about him; he was trapped in their pit.
They brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 19:1 tn Heb “lift up.”
  2. Ezekiel 19:2 sn Lions probably refer to Judahite royalty and/or nobility. The lioness appears to symbolize the Davidic dynasty, though some see the referent as Hamutal, the wife of Josiah and mother of Jehoahaz and Zedekiah. The background for Judah being compared to lions seems to be Gen 49:9.
  3. Ezekiel 19:3 tn Heb “a man.”
  4. Ezekiel 19:4 sn The description applies to King Jehoahaz (2 Kgs 23:31-34; Jer 22:10-12).