Ezekiel 19:2

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And say, What [is] thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.

Complete Jewish Bible:

say: 'What a mother you had a lioness among lions! She lay down among young lions and reared her cubs.

Berean Standard Bible:

and say: ‘What was your mother? A lioness among the lions! She lay down among the young lions; she reared her cubs.

American Standard Version:

and say, What was thy mother? A lioness: she couched among lions, in the midst of the young lions she nourished her whelps.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And say^{H559}, What is thy mother^{H517}? A lioness^{H3833}: she lay down^{H7257} among lions^{H738}, she nourished^{H7235} her whelps^{H1482} among^{H8432} young lions^{H3715}.

Cross-References (KJV):

Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:

BibleHub.com BibleRef.com

Commentary for Ezekiel 19:2

Ezekiel 19:2 is part of a lamentation in the form of a parable found in the Book of Ezekiel, which is a prophetic book in the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. This verse is situated within a larger poetic passage (Ezekiel 19:1-9) that uses the metaphor of a lioness to represent the nation of Judah or its leadership, specifically the Davidic dynasty. The historical context of this verse is set during the Babylonian Exile, a period when the people of Judah were taken into captivity by the Babylonians, and the city of Jerusalem, along with its Temple, was destroyed in 586 BCE.

In Ezekiel 19:2, the lioness symbolizes the once powerful and noble motherland, Judah, which had been accustomed to nurturing and raising its "whelps," or princes, in an environment of strength and royalty ("among lions"). This imagery reflects the former glory of Judah, a kingdom that had been led by the line of David, known for his strength and prowess as depicted in the biblical narrative of his defeat of Goliath.

The themes of this verse include the loss of national sovereignty, the fall from power and grace, and the sense of desolation that came with the loss of the monarchy and the Temple. It speaks to the despair of the exiled Judeans who remembered their homeland as a place of courage and nobility, now reduced to a conquered and scattered nation. The lioness metaphor also hints at the nurturing and protective nature of the Judean state, which had once safeguarded its people and leaders but could no longer do so in the face of foreign domination. This verse is part of a larger prophetic message that often combined judgment with hope, as Ezekiel's prophecies also included promises of future restoration and renewal for Israel.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
2. Strong's Number: H517
   There are 387 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֵם
   Transliteration: ʼêm
   Pronunciation: ame
   Description: a primitive word; a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like father)); dam, mother, [idiom] parting.
   
3. Strong's Number: H3833
   There are 14 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: לָבִיא
   Transliteration: lâbîyʼ
   Pronunciation: law-bee'
   Description: or (Ezekiel 19:2) לְבִיָּא; irregular masculine plural לְבָאִים; irregular feminine plural לְבָאוֹת; from an unused root meaning; compare אֲרִי; to roar; a lion (properly, a lioness as the fiercer (although not a roarer;)); (great, old, stout) lion, lioness, young (lion).
   
4. Strong's Number: H7257
   There are 30 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רָבַץ
   Transliteration: râbats
   Pronunciation: raw-bats'
   Description: a primitive root; to crouch (on all four legs folded, like a recumbent animal); be implication, to recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbed; crouch (down), fall down, make a fold, lay, (cause to, make to) lie (down), make to rest, sit.
   
5. Strong's Number: H738
   There are 184 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֲרִי
   Transliteration: ʼărîy
   Pronunciation: ar-ee'
   Description: or (prolonged) [ar-yay']; from אָרָה (in the sense of violence); a lion; (young) lion, [phrase] pierce (from the margin).
   
6. Strong's Number: H7235
   There are 211 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רָבָה
   Transliteration: râbâh
   Pronunciation: raw-baw'
   Description: a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect); (bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for רָבַב), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have, make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more (in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much (greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), [idiom] process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very.
   
7. Strong's Number: H1482
   There are 7 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: גּוּר
   Transliteration: gûwr
   Pronunciation: goor
   Description: or (shortened) גֻּר; perhaps from גּוּר; a cub (as still abiding in the lair), especially of the lion; whelp, young one.
   
8. Strong's Number: H8432
   There are 390 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: תָּוֶךְ
   Transliteration: tâvek
   Pronunciation: taw'-vek
   Description: from an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centre; among(-st), [idiom] between, half, [idiom] (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), [idiom] out (of), [idiom] through, [idiom] with(-in).
   
9. Strong's Number: H3715
   There are 32 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: כְּפִיר
   Transliteration: kᵉphîyr
   Pronunciation: kef-eer'
   Description: from כָּפַר; a village (as covered in by walls); also a young lion (perhaps as covered with a mane); (young) lion, village. Compare כָּפָר.