Chapter 19 in Yechezkel is a lamentation over the princes of Israel - over the royal house of Yehudah in the final generations before the Destruction. The Malbim divides the chapter into two parts: from verse 1 to verse 9, the prophet speaks about the sons of Yoshiyahu - Yehoachaz, Yehoyakim, and Yehoyachin; and from verse 10 onward (according to the Malbim's approach), he speaks about Tzidkiyahu. The Jewish people are compared in the words of the prophets to two allegories: a lion and a grapevine. A lion - in terms of might, especially the tribe of Yehudah and the Davidic monarchy, who are powerful: "Yehudah is a lion's whelp"; and a grapevine - in that the Holy One, blessed be He, planted them in His land, as it is written, "My beloved had a vineyard on a fruitful hill," and He hoped for it to produce grapes - justice and righteousness - but it yielded wild grapes. Here, the prophet employs both allegories: first in their aspect of being a lion, and subsequently in their aspect of being a grapevine.
The Command to Take Up a Lamentation
וְאַתָּה שָׂא קִינָה אֶל נְשִׂיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - And you, take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel.
The prophet is commanded to lament over the kings of Yehudah. The lamentation opens with the allegory of the lion.
"Your Mother Was a Lioness" - The Allegory of the Lions
וְאָמַרְתָּ מָה אִמְּךָ לְבִיָּא בֵּין אֲרָיוֹת רָבָצָה בְּתוֹךְ כְּפִרִים רִבְּתָה גוּרֶיהָ׃ - And you shall say: What was your mother? A lioness! Among lions she crouched; in the midst of young lions she reared her cubs.
The allegory of the lion comes to express might and dread. Although the description of a lion striking terror into its surroundings seems more fitting for Nevuchadnetzar and those who ravage nations rather than for Israel, here the allegory refers to the power that the monarchy possessed. "Lavi" - this is what a lion is called when it has cubs (which is also the root for our modern usage of leviah for a female lioness). "Ribetah gureha" - she reared her cubs, from the same root as "those whom I have dandled and raised (ve-ribiti), my enemy has consumed."
The Malbim distinguishes between three terms: a "gur" is the small, nursing cub that does not yet tear prey. A "kefir" is a young lion, and its way - as the Malbim notes in several places - is that it does not go out to hunt in the open, but rather lies in wait in its lair and waits for prey to pass nearby, pounces on it, and drags it inside; it does not yet have the boldness to venture far out to hunt. An "aryeh" is a full-grown lion, which ranges far afield and hunts wherever prey may be found.
The nimshal (meaning): Yoshiyahu was a king as mighty as a lion, couched among the other kings, and his young sons grew up among powerful monarchs - "among lions she crouched; in the midst of young lions she reared her cubs." Thus, we are speaking of a powerful king who was held in high esteem among the great and prominent kings of the world.
Yehoachaz - "He Became a Young Lion"
וַתַּעַל אֶחָד מִגֻּרֶיהָ כְּפִיר הָיָה וַיִּלְמַד לִטְרָף טֶרֶף אָדָם אָכָל׃ - And she brought up one of her cubs; he became a young lion, and he learned to tear prey, he devoured men.
According to the Malbim, as well as Rashi ("this lamentation was said over the sons of Yoshiyahu, of whom the first is Yehoachaz"), the first cub is Yehoachaz, whom they crowned in place of his father Yoshiyahu. At first he was merely "one of her cubs," and in the next stage "he became a young lion" - he grew up and learned to tear prey. The Malbim notes the precise wording of "vata'al" (she brought up): this is the causative form (hif'il) - the people of the land were the ones who elevated and crowned him.
"He devoured men" - naturally, it is not the way of a lion to devour human beings, for the Holy One, Blessed be He, placed the fear of man upon all the beasts of the earth: "And the fear of you and the dread of you [shall be upon every beast of the earth]." The Gemara states that an animal does not attack a person unless he appears to it like an animal, for had it perceived the Divine image of man within him, the fear of him would be upon it. If a beast preys upon a man, it is a sign that he appeared to it like an animal. There are many examples of the great luminaries of Israel who stood before lions and wild beasts - not only in the days of Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah, or Daniel, but also in later generations. Such was the case with the Pnei Yehoshua: when a lion escaped from a zoo and everyone was terrified to leave their homes, he went out, grabbed it by its collar, and led it back to its place. When dealing with truly great people, they have no fear, for the dread of them is upon the beasts of the field.
And who is the "man" that he devoured? Am Yisrael. "And you, My flock, the flock of My pasture, you are men (adam)" - as Chazal expounded: "You are called adam." The reason for this is that the Hebrew word adam has no plural form - one never says adamim - and it therefore expresses unity. Klal Yisrael is a single, unified entity, whereas the forces of impurity (kelipot) are always characterized by multiplicity: the seventy nations of the world, Eisav and his legion - four hundred forces of impurity and four hundred legions of the sitra achra. Holiness is the realm of unity. Therefore, "he devoured men" means that he went and harmed the Jewish people: a king who arose from our very midst, the son of Yoshiyahu, and through his corrupted deeds corrupted and destroyed his own people.
Caught in Their Pit - The Exile of Yehoachaz to Egypt
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֵלָיו גּוֹיִם בְּשַׁחְתָּם נִתְפָּשׂ וַיְבִאֻהוּ בַחַחִים אֶל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃ - "And nations heard of him; he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with nose-hooks to the land of Egypt."
"And nations heard of him" - this refers to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who ultimately captured him. "He was caught in their pit" - Rashi explains that a shachat is a pit used to capture wild animals, as in "he who digs a pit (shachat)" and "He dug a pit and hollowed it out, and fell into the ditch (shachat) he made." Their method was to dig a deep trench and cover it with thin branches; when a lion or elephant passed by, it would step on it, fall in, and be unable to get out. Pharaoh, who was in the land of Chamat, heard of him and seized him, imprisoned him at Rivlah in the land of Chamat, and brought him with nose-hooks to the land of Egypt. Chachim (hooks) are iron chains and rings that were placed in the nose or jaw of an animal in order to pull it, as in "And I will put My hook in your nose," "hooks in your jaws," and "pierce his jaw with a hook." They would pierce the jaw and pull, and the beast would walk along due to the pain.
Her Hope Was Lost - The Coronation of Yehoyakim
וַתֵּרֶא כִּי נוֹחֲלָה אָבְדָה תִּקְוָתָהּ וַתִּקַּח אֶחָד מִגֻּרֶיהָ כְּפִיר שָׂמָתְהוּ׃ - "And when she saw that she had waited and her hope was lost, she took one of her cubs and made him a young lion."
The Malbim notes a precise distinction between tochelet (confident expectation) and tikvah (hope): one who has tochelet anticipates something that was promised and is guaranteed to arrive, possessing total confidence that it will happen; whereas one who has tikvah hopes for something that is uncertain. Here, she was confident that she had a clear expectation, but in the end it turned out that even hope was gone - "her hope was lost." Not only was there no certainty, but there was not even any point in hoping.
Once the king was captured and brought with hooks to Egypt, they crowned another king - Yehoyakim, whom Pharaoh Necho made king with the people's consent. The Malbim observes with precision: "she made him a young lion" - the nation appointed him to be a young lion, but on his own he was not a young lion; rather, he was naturally weak. By contrast, regarding Yehoachaz the verse says, "he became a young lion" - he possessed inherent strength and majesty on his own. Here, he was still merely a cub, but they appointed him to the role of a young lion. Furthermore, when Pharaoh crowned Yehoyakim, Yehoyachin, who was eight years old, reigned alongside him, and both of them reigned together; therefore, explains the Malbim, there is no separate treatment of Yehoyachin in this chapter, as his reign is subsumed under the reign of Yehoyakim.
He Prowled Among Lions
וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ בְּתוֹךְ אֲרָיוֹת כְּפִיר הָיָה וַיִּלְמַד לִטְרָף טֶרֶף אָדָם אָכָל׃ - "And he prowled among lions; he became a young lion, and learned to tear prey; he devoured men."
Because he walked among the kings, he actually became a young lion. It was no longer merely that "she made him a young lion" as at first, but he became a true young lion, even though at the start of his reign he was weak. Initially, they had crowned Yehoachaz specifically because he was naturally a young lion, whereas Yehoyakim was still only a cub. Yet by entering into an alliance with Pharaoh and later with Nevuchadnezzar, Yehoyakim gained power and attained the status of a young lion. Not only that, but he too "learned to tear prey; he devoured men" - he too consumed from Israel, as Scripture states of him, "and also the innocent blood that he shed," adding wickedness upon the wickedness of Yehoachaz.
"And He Knew His Widows" - Three Explanations
וַיֵּדַע אַלְמְנוֹתָיו וְעָרֵיהֶם הֶחֱרִיב וַתֵּשַׁם אֶרֶץ וּמְלֹאָהּ מִקּוֹל שַׁאֲגָתוֹ׃ - "And he ravaged his palaces [or: knew his widows], and devastated their cities; and the land and everything in it was desolated by the sound of his roar."
The first explanation: Vayeda ("and he knew") is used in the sense of "And the man knew Eve his wife", an expression of marital intimacy - he would execute the men and violate their widows. This was part of his widespread wickedness in Eretz Yisrael, striking down Israel and preying upon "men". Thus Yirmeyahu testified about him: "For your eyes and your heart are set on nothing but your dishonest gain, shedding innocent blood" - spoken regarding Yehoyakim.
Radak brings a second explanation in the name of Targum Yonatan: "And he desolated its palaces" - vayeda is an expression of breaking and striking, like "and he taught [beat] with them the men of Succoth", where he struck and broke them with thorns; and almenotav is like armonotav (his palaces) - meaning that he destroyed and ruined the palaces (biranita means palaces). Proof of this comes from the continuation of the verse: "and devastated their cities" - he was not satisfied with destroying their palaces, but also laid waste their cities. Radak adds that although he did not destroy them with his own hands, he caused the destruction that ultimately came, as we find "this city shall be burned with fire" in the days of Tzidkiyahu - and the root of this lay in the actions of Yehoyakim. "And the land and everything in it was desolated by the sound of his roar" - the land of Yehudah was desolated by the sound of his roar, for he cast terror upon people and wreaked havoc in Israel; and since he was compared to a young lion, the verse describes his misdeeds in terms of a roaring voice.
The third explanation, offered by the Malbim: Almenotav is related to olamotav (his vestibules or porticos) - the ulam is the anteroom before the house or courtyard. A young lion, as noted, does not leave its den, but waits there for prey. Here, "and he knew his vestibules" - he knew how to venture out to the porticos of his gates, to the outer chambers; that is, he went beyond his own borders and seized prey outside Eretz Yisrael as well. Not only did he "devour men" - harming the inhabitants of Zion - but he also went out and devastated the cities of Eretz Yisrael's neighbors. As related in Yirmeyahu chapter 27, emissaries came to him from Edom, Ammon, Tzor, and Moav, because he waged war against them. Thus, he went out into the vestibule, to the outside, and struck the surrounding enemies as well, not content with merely striking within the Land.
The Spreading of the Net and the Capture of Yehoyakim
וַיִּתְּנוּ עָלָיו גּוֹיִם סָבִיב מִמְּדִינוֹת וַיִּפְרְשׂוּ עָלָיו רִשְׁתָּם בְּשַׁחְתָּם נִתְפָּשׂ׃ - "Then nations set against him from the provinces all around, and spread their net over him; he was caught in their pit."
"Then nations set against him from the provinces all around" - as it is written: "And Hashem sent against him bands of Kasdim and bands of Aram." There is a distinction here: Yehoachaz was caught in a pit without a net, because he did not fight with the king of Egypt - he fell into the pit without a net being spread for him. Yehoyakim, however, rebelled and fought, so they had to spread a net and hunting snares over him until he was captured. The phrase of spreading a net and snares always indicates great effort and the investment of immense force in order to hunt. With Yehoachaz it was simple - he fell into the pit, and that was it; but here, to overcome Yehoyakim, it required that "nations set against him from the provinces all around, and spread their net over him", and only then "he was caught in their pit."
וַיִּתְּנֻהוּ בַסּוּגַר בַּחַחִים וַיְבִאֻהוּ אֶל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל יְבִאֻהוּ בַּמְּצֹדוֹת לְמַעַן לֹא יִשָּׁמַע קוֹלוֹ עוֹד אֶל הָרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - "And they put him in a cage with hooks and brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him into strongholds, so that his voice should no longer be heard upon the mountains of Israel."
Yehoachaz was placed merely in hooks, by which an animal is dragged. But Yehoyakim was placed "in a cage" - an extra level of confinement beyond the hooks; they literally locked him up, and not only that, but they brought him to the king of Babylon. The duplicate wording - "in a cage" and later "they brought him into strongholds" - teaches that the king of Babylon conquered him twice: the first time he made him a vassal and then let him go free, and the second time "they brought him into strongholds." Another possibility suggested by the Malbim: "and they put him in a cage" refers to Yehoyakim, while "they brought him into strongholds" refers to Yehoyachin, following his view that both reigned together and the prophet treats them as one. And all this was "so that his voice should no longer be heard upon the mountains of Israel" - that he should not continue to roar and bring harm upon the mountains of Israel.
Where Are Yehoyachin and Tzidkiyahu?
Radak asks: Where are Yehoyachin and Tzidkiyahu mentioned in this chapter? According to the Malbim, as noted, Yehoyachin is subsumed under Yehoyakim. Radak explains that Yehoyachin reigned for only three months, and such a short reign is not mentioned in Yechezkel's prophecy about the future. As for Tzidkiyahu - since the reigns of Yehoyakim and Tzidkiyahu were linked, and both were delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon and died in his custody, they are considered as one, and therefore Tzidkiyahu is absorbed into Yehoyakim. Thus, according to the Malbim, Yehoyachin is subsumed under Yehoyakim, and according to Radak, Tzidkiyahu is subsumed under Yehoyakim. In any case, the primary destruction began with Yehoyakim, whom the king of Babylon led into exile in Babylon along with some of the vessels of the House of God; therefore, the prophet refers primarily to him, and the others are merely secondary.
"Your Mother Was Like a Vine" - Transition to the Parable of the Vine and the Reign of Tzidkiyahu
אִמְּךָ כַגֶּפֶן בְּדָמְךָ עַל מַיִם שְׁתוּלָה פֹּרִיָּה וַעֲנֵפָה הָיְתָה מִמַּיִם רַבִּים׃ - "Your mother was like a vine in your likeness, planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches from abundant water."
Rashi explains that this is a continuation of the lamentation, and bedamecha is related to dimyon (likeness, resemblance): you resemble one whose mother was like a vine planted by water. A vine planted by water is of superior quality, like a tree with a spring at its foot; and because of this, it was "fruitful and full of branches" - its branches grew and its fruits multiplied, all by virtue of the abundant water beneath it. The Malbim likewise explains bedamecha as denoting resemblance and allegory, as if to say: in your likeness, planted by water.
From here onward, the Malbim notes, the prophet shifts from the parable of the lion to the parable of the vine, speaking of the reign of Tzidkiyahu. Tzidkiyahu, unlike his predecessors, was righteous, and he could not be compared to a predatory lion that tore prey and harmed the inhabitants of Zion. Rather, he was like a vine planted in the land - and not merely an ordinary vine, but a vine transplanted beside water.
Here lies a major rule that the Malbim maintains throughout Tanach: the word shatul (transplanted) does not mean what planting means in modern usage, where an initial planting is called shetilah. Rather, natu'a refers to something planted initially in its original place, whereas shatul refers to something uprooted from its original location and transplanted elsewhere. This fits Tzidkiyahu perfectly, for he rebelled against Nevuchadnezzar and took Pharaoh king of Egypt as his patron. His intention was to be "fruitful and full of branches from abundant water": under Nevuchadnezzar my wings are clipped, but if I turn to Pharaoh, he will back me up, and I will be able to rebel and break free from his hand. The prophet already spoke of this in chapter 17: "It was transplanted into a good field by abundant waters" - meaning he transplanted himself toward Pharaoh, who possesses the Nile, which is why the metaphor of abundant waters is so apt: a place where he would enjoy abundance and no longer suffer under the yoke of Nevuchadnezzar.
"And Its Stature Was Exalted"
וַיִּהְיוּ לָהּ מַטּוֹת עֹז אֶל שִׁבְטֵי מֹשְׁלִים וַתִּגְבַּהּ קוֹמָתוֹ עַל בֵּין עֲבֹתִים וַיֵּרָא בְגָבְהוֹ בְּרֹב דָּלִיֹּתָיו׃ - "And it had strong branches for rulers' scepters; its stature was exalted among the thick boughs, and it was conspicuous in its height with its many branches."
"Strong branches" - it possessed great strength; "for rulers' scepters" - he allied himself with the rulers of the nations surrounding Jerusalem and forged a covenant with them. Through this, "its stature was exalted among the thick boughs" - it grew adjacent to thick, leafy trees, trees whose trunks are stout and whose branches are interwoven; that is, it rose so high that it reached the tops of the thick trees and became great. "And it was conspicuous in its height with its many branches" - daliyotav are the trained, climbing branches of the vine, and it became visible to all in its lofty height.
This was in direct defiance of the will of Nevuchadnezzar, who, as we saw in chapter 17, compared him to a spreading, trailing vine and wanted it to remain a low, humble vine. Suddenly, he sees that Tzidkiyahu has developed strong branches, turns to other rulers, and rises high among the thick boughs. Hence his fierce anger: "I placed you there to be subservient to me, yet you grew great, took other allies and rulers to yourself, and turned to Pharaoh king of Egypt."
"Uprooted in Fury" - The Fall
וַתֻּתַּשׁ בְּחֵמָה לָאָרֶץ הֻשְׁלָכָה וְרוּחַ הַקָּדִים הוֹבִישׁ פִּרְיָהּ הִתְפָּרְקוּ וְיָבֵשׁוּ מַטֵּה עֻזָּהּ אֵשׁ אֲכָלָתְהוּ׃ - "But it was uprooted in fury, cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up its fruit; its strong branches were broken off and withered, a fire consumed it."
"It was uprooted in fury" - it was torn from its place and its greatness, with great fury and wrath. "And the east wind dried up its fruit" - the vine that had been transplanted by abundant waters and had produced fine fruit was struck by the east wind, which withered its fruit. The east wind blows from the east, and Nevuchadnezzar invaded from the north and east of Eretz Yisrael; therefore, his forces are compared to an east wind. "Were broken off and withered" - once broken off from their source, they dried up on their own. This serves as a parable, the Malbim explains, for the captives who perished and died along the way: just as fruit torn from the vine lies exposed and withers, so too the captives uprooted from Eretz Yisrael perished on the road.
"Its strong rod was consumed by fire" - this refers to Tzidkiyahu, who was blinded; and fire also denotes wrath. He thought he possessed strength, that he was a "strong rod" - the strength and authority of the staff and government, as the rod symbolizes the scepter of rulers. But come and see that not only did he fail in his alliances against Nevuchadnetzar, but the prophet had also warned him not to rebel against Nevuchadnetzar and he did not listen; he rebelled and accepted upon himself the yoke of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and nothing came of it but ruin. This is the meaning of "she was uprooted in fury", parallel to the phrasing of the Torah: "And Hashem uprooted them from their land in anger, in fury, and in great wrath, and cast them into another land, as it is this day" - a reality that Moshe Rabbeinu had already foreseen in his prophecy.
The Radak adds: After stating "and its stature towered among the thick boughs, and it appeared conspicuous in its height with its many branches", Scripture comes to describe the magnitude of the fall - the greater the rise, the greater the fall. After being so prominent in his alliance with Pharaoh, now "she was cast down to the ground", and afterward they seized him and brought him to Rivlah, where the king of Babylon blinded the eyes of Tzidkiyahu.
Planted in the Wilderness
וְעַתָּה שְׁתוּלָה בַמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ צִיָּה וְצָמָא׃ - "And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land."
Now she is planted in the wilderness: Nevuzaradan left behind some of the poorest of the land, and the land remained desolate like a desert, and those poorest of the people remained as if planted in the desert, in a dry and thirsty land.
Fire Came Out from a Rod of Its Branches
וַתֵּצֵא אֵשׁ מִמַּטֵּה בַדֶּיהָ פִּרְיָהּ אָכָלָה וְלֹא הָיָה בָהּ מַטֵּה עֹז שֵׁבֶט לִמְשׁוֹל קִינָה הִיא וַתְּהִי לְקִינָה׃ - "And fire went out from a rod of its branches and consumed its fruit, so that there was no strong rod in it to be a scepter to rule. It is a lamentation, and it has become a lamentation."
Rashi explains "a rod of its branches" - from the sin of its kings and princes, and from there evil befell her. This aligns with what was stated earlier, that the rod symbolizes the scepter of rulers: fire emerges from the seat of the rulers, and through this "consumed its fruit". The Radak explains that "a rod of its branches" refers to Tzidkiyahu, who was previously called "its strong rod", and he was the one who brought about the destruction. Afterward, "there was no strong rod in it" - no ruler could be found who could wield the scepter with strength and lead the people.
The Malbim explains that the fire that went out was the fire of Yishmael ben Netanyah. According to his approach, "and now she is planted in the wilderness" refers to the poorest of the people left behind by Nevuzaradan, over whom Gedalyah ben Achikam was appointed. Yishmael ben Netanyah conspired against him and assassinated him, thereby completely uprooting the Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel - this was the final blow that ended everything. For this reason, we fast on Tzom Gedalyah, as his death delivered the final cut to the Jewish settlement in the Land at that time. This is the meaning of "and fire went out from a rod of its branches" - from the branches themselves, for Yishmael ben Netanyah was of Israel and of royal descent, and from within ourselves the fire burst forth. "Consumed its fruit" - he murdered the remnant; "so that there was no strong rod in it to be a scepter to rule" - once Gedalyahu was killed, whatever remaining governance here ceased, and the Jewish people no longer possessed any governing authority in their Land.
It Is a Lamentation, and It Has Become a Lamentation
The prophet concludes: "It is a lamentation, and it has become a lamentation." The prophecy itself, what I am prophesying before you now, is a lamentation - I am lamenting the ruin of Israel and the calamity that is to come. And know that this lamentation will indeed be realized in actuality - "and it has become a lamentation": when the prophecy is fulfilled, people will lament the terrible state, the awful devastation, and the destruction.
In Summary:
Chapter 19 is a double lamentation over the royal house of Judah, expressed in two parables. In the parable of the lion (verses 1-9), the sons of Josiah are depicted: Jehoahaz, who was a young lion by nature and learned to catch prey and 'devoured men' - harming the people of Israel - and was trapped in a pit and brought with hooks to Egypt; and Jehoiakim, regarding whom it is said, 'she made him a young lion' - he was not inherently powerful, but gained strength through his alliances with Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar, acted wickedly within the Land, and even went out to 'the vestibules of his gates' to fight against the surrounding nations, until the nations spread a net and strongholds over him, placing him in a cage with hooks into the hand of the king of Babylon. In the parable of the vine (verses 10-14), Zedekiah is depicted, who was not a predatory lion but a vine planted by abundant waters - meaning he relied on Pharaoh - and grew tall against the will of Nebuchadnezzar, until it was plucked up in fury, the east wind dried up its fruit, the captives withered on the way, and the eyes of its strong rod were put out. Finally, it was 'planted in the wilderness,' and the fire of Ishmael ben Nethaniah that emerged from its own branches consumed the remnant, so that no strong rod remained to rule. A prophecy that is a lamentation, and was destined to become an actual lamentation.