Ezekiel 15:1-8 King James Version (KJV)

¹ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

² Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

³ Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

⁴ Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?

⁵ Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less shall it be meet yet for any work, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned?

⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

⁷ And I will set my face against them; they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.

⁸ And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 15:1-8 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

¹ And the word ^H1697 of the LORD ^H3068 came unto me, saying, ^H559

² Son ^H1121 of man, ^H120 What is the vine ^H1612 tree ^H6086 more than any tree, ^H6086 or than a branch ^H2156 which is among the trees ^H6086 of the forest? ^H3293

³ Shall wood ^H6086 be taken ^H3947 thereof to do ^H6213 any work? ^H4399 or will men take ^H3947 a pin ^H3489 of it to hang ^H8518 any vessel ^H3627 thereon?

⁴ Behold, it is cast ^H5414 into the fire ^H784 for fuel; ^H402 the fire ^H784 devoureth ^H398 both ^H8147 the ends ^H7098 of it, and the midst ^H8432 of it is burned. ^H2787 Is it meet ^H6743 for any work? ^H4399

⁵ Behold, when it was whole, ^H8549 it was meet ^H6213 for no work: ^H4399 how much less shall it be meet ^H6213 yet for any work, ^H4399 when the fire ^H784 hath devoured ^H398 it, and it is burned? ^H2787

⁶ Therefore thus saith ^H559 the Lord ^H136 GOD; ^H3069 As the vine ^H1612 tree ^H6086 among the trees ^H6086 of the forest, ^H3293 which I have given ^H5414 to the fire ^H784 for fuel, ^H402 so will I give ^H5414 the inhabitants ^H3427 of Jerusalem. ^H3389

⁷ And I will set ^H5414 my face ^H6440 against them; they shall go out ^H3318 from one fire, ^H784 and another fire ^H784 shall devour ^H398 them; and ye shall know ^H3045 that I am the LORD, ^H3068 when I set ^H7760 my face ^H6440 against them.

⁸ And I will make ^H5414 the land ^H776 desolate, ^H8077 because they have committed ^H4603 a trespass, ^H4604 saith ^H5002 the Lord ^H136 GOD. ^H3069

Ezekiel 15:1-8 American Standard (ASV)

¹ And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

² Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any tree, the vine-branch which is among the trees of the forest?

³ Shall wood be taken thereof to make any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

⁴ Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire hath devoured both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned: is it profitable for any work?

⁵ Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less, when the fire hath devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be meet for any work!

⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As the vine-tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

⁷ And I will set my face against them; they shall go forth from the fire, but the fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah, when I set my face against them.

⁸ And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord Jehovah.

Ezekiel 15:1-8 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

¹ And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying:

² `Son of man, What is the vine-tree more than any tree? The vine-branch that hath been, Among trees of the forest?

³ Is wood taken from it to use for work? Do they take of it a pin to hang any vessel on it?

⁴ Lo, to the fire it hath been given for fuel, Its two ends hath the fire eaten, And its midst hath been scorched! Is it profitable for work?

⁵ Lo, in its being perfect it is not used for work, How much less, when fire hath eaten of it, And it is scorched, Hath it been used yet for work?

⁶ Therefore, thus said the Lord Jehovah: As the vine-tree among trees of the forest, That I have given to the fire for fuel, So I have given the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

⁷ And I have set My face against them, From the fire they have gone forth, And the fire doth consume them, And ye have known that I `am' Jehovah, In My setting My face against them.

⁸ And I have made the land a desolation, Because they have committed a trespass, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah!'

Ezekiel 15:1-8 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

¹ And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

² Son of man, what is the wood of the vine more than any wood, the vine-branch, which is among the trees of the forest?

³ Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? or will [men] take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

⁴ Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel: the fire consumeth both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned; is it fit for [any] work?

⁵ Behold, when it was whole, it was used for no work; how much less when the fire hath consumed it, and it is burned, should it yet be used for any work?

⁶ Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

⁷ And I will set my face against them: they shall go forth from [one] fire, and [another] fire shall devour them; and ye shall know that I [am] Jehovah when I set my face against them.

⁸ And I will make the land a desolation, because they have wrought unfaithfulness, saith the Lord Jehovah.

Ezekiel 15:1-8 World English Bible (WEB)

¹ The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

² Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, the vine-branch which is among the trees of the forest?

³ Shall wood be taken of it to make any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?

⁴ Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire has devoured both the ends of it, and the midst of it is burned: is it profitable for any work?

⁵ Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work: how much less, when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be meet for any work!

⁶ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

⁷ I will set my face against them; they shall go forth from the fire, but the fire shall devour them; and you shall know that I am Yahweh, when I set my face against them.

⁸ I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, says the Lord Yahweh.

Ezekiel 15:1-8 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

¹ And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

² Son of man, what is the vine-tree more than any branching tree which is among the trees of the woods?

³ Will its wood be used for any work? do men make of it a pin for hanging any vessel on?

⁴ See, it is put into the fire for burning: the fire has made a meal of its two ends and the middle part of it is burned; is it good for any work?

⁵ Truly, before it was cut down, it was not used for any purpose: how much less, when the fire has made a meal of it and it is burned, will it be made into anything?

⁶ For this cause the Lord has said: Like the vine-tree among the trees of the woods which I have given to the fire for burning, so will I give the people of Jerusalem.

⁷ And my face will be turned against them; and though they have come out of the fire they will be burned up by it; and it will be clear to you that I am the Lord when my face is turned against them.

⁸ And I will make the land a waste because they have done evil, says the Lord.

Commentary on Ezekiel 15 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill Keil & Delitzsch Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Chapter 15

Ezekiel has again and again, in God's name, foretold the utter ruin of Jerusalem; but, it should seem, he finds it hard to reconcile himself to it, and to acquiesce in the will of God in this severe dispensation; and therefore God takes various methods to satisfy him not only that it shall be so, but that there is no remedy: it must be so; it is fit that it should be so. Here, in this short chapter, he shows him (probably with design that he should tell the people) that it was as requisite Jerusalem should be destroyed as that the dead and withered branches of a vine should be cut off and thrown into the fire.

I. The similitude is very elegant (v. 1-5), but,
II. The explanation of the similitude is very dreadful (v. 6-8).

Eze 15:1-8

The prophet, we may suppose, was thinking what a glorious city Jerusalem was, above any city in the world; it was the crown and joy of the whole earth; and therefore what a pity it was that it should be destroyed; it was a noble structure, the city of God, and the city of Israel's solemnities. But, if these were the thoughts of his heart, God here returns an answer to them by comparing Jerusalem to a vine.

1. It is true, if a vine be fruitful, it is a most valuable tree, none more so; it was one of those that were courted to have dominion over the trees, and the fruit of it is such as cheers God and man (Jdg. 9:12, 13); it makes glad the heart, Ps. 104:15. So Jerusalem was planted a choice and noble vine, wholly a right seed (Jer. 2:21); and, if it had brought forth fruit suitable to its character as a holy city, it would have been the glory both of God and Israel. It was a vine which God's right hand had planted, a branch out of a dry ground, which, though its original was mean and despicable, God had made strong for himself (Ps. 80:15), to be to him for a name and for a praise.
2. But, if it be not fruitful, it is good for nothing, it is as worthless and useless a production of the earth as even thorns and briers are: What is the vine-tree, if you take the tree by itself, without consideration of the fruit? What is it more than any tree, that it should have so much care taken of it and so much cost laid out upon it? What is a branch of the vine, though it spread more than a branch which is among the trees of the forest, where it grows neglected and exposed? Or, as some read it, What is the vine more than any tree if the branch of it be as the trees of the forest; that is, if it bear no fruit, as forest-trees seldom do, being designed for timber-trees, not fruit-trees? Now there are some fruit-trees which, if they do not bear, are nevertheless of good use, as the wood of them may be made to turn to a good account; but the vine is not of this sort: if that do not answer its end as a fruit-tree, it is worth nothing as a timber-tree. Observe,
- I. How this similitude is expressed here. The wild vine, that is among the trees of the forest, or the empty vine (which Israel is compared to, Hos. 10:1), that bears no more fruit than a forest-tree, is good for nothing; it is as useless as a brier, and more so, for that will add some sharpness to the thorny hedge, which the vine-branch will not do. He shows,
  - 1. That it is fit for no use. The wood of it is not taken to do any work; one cannot so much as make a pin of it to hand a vessel upon, v. 3. See how variously the gifts of nature are dispensed for the service of man. Among the plants, the roots of some, the seeds or fruits of others, the leaves of others, and of some the stalks, are most serviceable to us; so, among trees, some are strong and not fruitful, as the oaks and cedars; others are weak but very fruitful, as the vine, which is unsightly, low, and depending, yet of great use. Rachel is comely but barren, Leah homely but fruitful.
  - 2. That therefore it is made use of for fuel; it will serve to heat the oven with. Because it is not meet for any work, it is cast into the fire, v. 4. When it is good for nothing else it is useful this way, and answers a very needful intention, for fuel is a thing we must have, and to burn any thing for fuel which is good for other work is bad husbandry. To what purpose is this waste? The unfruitful vine is disposed of in the same way with the briers and thorns, which are rejected, and whose end is to be burnt, Heb. 6:8. And what care is taken of it then? If a piece of solid timber be kindled, somebody perhaps may snatch it as a brand out of the burning, and say, "It is a pity to burn it, for it may be put to some better use;' but if the branch of a vine be on fire, and, as usual, both the ends of it and the middle be kindled together, nobody goes about to save it. When it was whole it was meet for no work, much less when the fire has devoured it (v. 5); even the ashes of it are not worth saving.
- II. How this similitude is applied to Jerusalem.
  - 1. That holy city had become unprofitable and good for nothing. It had been as the vine-tree among the trees of the vineyard, abounding in the fruits of righteousness to the glory of God. When religion flourished there, and the pure worship of God was kept up, many a joyful vintage was then gathered in from it; and, while it continued so, God made a hedge about it; it was his pleasant plant (Isa. 5:7); he watered it every moment and kept it night and day (Isa. 27:3); but it had now become the degenerate plant of a strange vine, of a wild vine (such as we read of 2 Ki. 4:39), a vine-tree among the trees of the wild grapes (Isa. 5:4), which are not only of no use, but are nauseous and noxious (Deu. 32:32), their grapes are grapes of gall, and their clusters are bitter. It is explained (v. 8): "They have trespassed a trespass, that is, they have treacherously prevaricated with God and perfidiously apostatized from him;' for so the word signifies. Note, Professors of religion, if they do not live up to their profession, but contradict it, if they degenerate and depart from it, are the most unprofitable creatures in the world, like the salt that has lost its savour and is thenceforth good for nothing, Mk. 9:50. Other nations were famed for valour or politics, some for war, others for trade, and retained their credit; but the Jewish nation, being famous as a holy people, when they lost their holiness, and became wicked, were thenceforth good for nothing; with that they lost all their credit and usefulness, and became the most base and despicable people under the sun, trodden under foot of the Gentiles. Daniel, and other pious Jews, were of great use in their generation; but the idolatrous Jews then, and the unbelieving Jews now since the preaching of the gospel, have been, and are, of no common service, not fit for any work.
  - 2. Being so, it is given to the fire for fuel, v. 6. Note, Those who are not fruitful to the glory of God's grace will be fuel to the fire of his wrath; and thus, if they give not honour to him, he will get himself honour upon them, honour that will shine brightly in that flaming fire by which impenitent sinners will be for ever consumed. He will not be a loser at last by any of his creatures. The Lord has made all things for himself, yea, even the wicked, that would not otherwise be for him, for the day of evil (Prov. 16:4); and in those who would not glorify him as the God to whom duty belongs he will be glorified as the God to whom vengeance belongs. The fire of God's wrath had before devoured both the ends of the Jewish nation (v. 4), Samaria and the cities of Judah; and now Jerusalem, that was the midst of it, was thrown into the fire, to be burnt too, for it is meet for no work; it will not be wrought upon, by any of the methods God has taken, to be serviceable to him. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were like a vine-branch, rotten and awkward; and therefore (v. 7), "I will set my face against them, to thwart all their counsels,' as they set their faces against God, to contradict his word and defeat all his designs. It is decreed; the consumption is determined: I will make the land quite desolate, and therefore, when they go out from one fire, another fire shall devour them (v. 7); the end of one judgment shall be the beginning of another, and their escape from one only a reprieve till another comes; they shall go from misery in their own country to misery in Babylon. Those who kept out of the way of the sword perished by famine or pestilence. When one descent of the Chaldean forces upon them was over, and they thought, Surely the bitterness of death is past, yet soon after they returned again with double violence, till they had made a full end. Thus they shall know that I am the Lord, a God of almighty power, when I set my face against them. Note, God shows himself to be the Lord, by perfecting the destruction of his implacable enemies as well as the deliverances of his obedient people. Those whom God sets his face, though they may come out of one trouble little hurt, will fall into another; though they come out of the pit, they will be taken in the snare (Isa. 24:18); though they escape the sword of Hazael, they will fall by that of Jehu (1 Ki. 19:17); for evil pursues sinners. Nay, though they go out from the fire of temporal judgments, and seem to die in peace, yet there is an everlasting fire that will devour them; for, when God judges, first or last he will overcome, and he will be known by the judgments which he executes. See Mt. 3:10; Jn. 15:6.

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