Ezekiel 17:9-10

17:9 “‘Say to them: This is what the sovereign Lord says:

“‘Will it prosper?

Will he not rip out its roots

and cause its fruit to rot ¹  and wither?

All its foliage ²  will wither.

No strong arm or large army

will be needed to pull it out by its roots. ³ 

17:10 Consider! It is planted, but will it prosper?

Will it not wither completely when the east wind blows on it?

Will it not wither in the soil where it sprouted?’”

Ezekiel 17:15

17:15 But this one from Israel’s royal family ⁴  rebelled against the king of Babylon ⁵  by sending his emissaries to Egypt to obtain horses and a large army. Will he prosper? Will the one doing these things escape? Can he break the covenant and escape?

¹ tn The Hebrew root occurs only here in the OT and appears to have the meaning of “strip off.” In application to fruit the meaning may be “cause to rot.”

² tn Heb “all the טַרְפֵּי (tarpey) of branches.” The word טַרְפֵּי occurs only here in the Bible; its precise meaning is uncertain.

³ tn Or “there will be no strong arm or large army when it is pulled up by the roots.”

⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the member of the royal family, v. 13) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁵ tn Heb “him”; the referent (the king of Babylon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.