He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.
Lebanon here means that part of Judea where the finest cedars grew, not Jerusalem itself; the Prophet needed a mountain, not a city, to complete his allegory. The topmost bough is King Jeconiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar seized, a blow that seemed impossible to the Jews, who trusted in God's protection and the city's strength. The tender shoots torn away with him signify the elders led into exile.
AI summary
God uses riddles and parables not to obscure His mind but to command attention and stay in memory; what He hides in a familiar dress insinuates itself deeper into careless minds. Ministers must study acceptable words and find varied methods, lest the pulpit and life speak two different languages.
AI summary
Commenting on Ezekiel 17:1-21
Nebuchadnezzar the eagle took not a foreigner but one of Judea's own seed, Mattaniah, the king's uncle, whom he renamed Zedekiah and set upon the throne. He planted him in Jerusalem, the royal city, by great waters and many peoples, taking every circumspection in the covenant he made, with oaths and hostages binding him fast.
AI summary