Ezekiel 19:12

19:12 But it was plucked up in anger; it was thrown down to the ground.

The east wind ¹  dried up its fruit;

its strong branches broke off and withered –

a fire consumed them.

Ezekiel 21:21

21:21 For the king of Babylon stands at the fork ²  in the road at the head of the two routes. He looks for omens: ³  He shakes arrows, he consults idols, ⁴  he examines ⁵  animal livers. ⁶ 

[19:12]  ¹ sn The east wind symbolizes the Babylonians.

[21:21]  ² tn Heb “mother.”

[21:21]  ³ sn Mesopotamian kings believed that the gods revealed the future through omens. They employed various divination techniques, some of which are included in the list that follows. A particularly popular technique was the examination and interpretation of the livers of animals. See R. R. Wilson, Prophecy and Society in Ancient Israel, 90-110.

[21:21]  ⁴ tn This word refers to personal idols that were apparently used for divination purposes (Gen 31:19; 1 Sam 19:13, 16).

[21:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “sees.”

[21:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “the liver.”