{"id":73997,"date":"2020-05-02T22:54:47","date_gmt":"2020-05-02T19:54:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=73997"},"modified":"2020-05-02T22:54:47","modified_gmt":"2020-05-02T19:54:47","slug":"who-was-the-lioness-and-who-were-her-cubs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/who-was-the-lioness-and-who-were-her-cubs\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Was The Lioness And Who Were Her Cubs?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ezekiel first recited to \u201cthe princes of Israel\u201d a parable of a lioness and her two cubs. One is caught and brought to Egypt (4), while the other is caught and brought to Babylon (9). Just which historical figures do these creatures represent?<\/span><\/p>\n

Eliezer of Beaugency adds little to our understanding by saying that the lioness mother is \u201cIsrael\u201d (apparently, following the Aramaic Targum), but he did identify the company of lions (2) as, specifically, Judah. Rashi, however, identified it with Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, and Radak, somewhat more generally, with the Judean royal family. However, Radak identified the company of lions with gentile kings. Rashi, Eliezer, and Radak concur in identifying the first cub with Jehoahaz son of Josiah, in conformity with 2 Kings 23:34: \u201cThen Pharaoh Neco\u2026 took Jehoahaz and brought him to Egypt, where he died.\u201d Likewise, Rashi also identified the second cub with Jehoahaz\u2019s brother and successor, Jehoiakim (aka Eliakim), who Pharaoh appointed king in his stead (ibid.), and who was taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Chronicles 36:6).<\/span><\/p>\n

Next (10 ff.), Ezekiel recited a parable about a vine that was uprooted and its fruits dried up (12), and ended up consumed by fire (14 – see <\/span>our comments to Chapter 15<\/span><\/a>). While Eliezer of Beaugency simply stated \u201cthe kingdom of Judah was made humble, as a vine,\u201d Radak provided greater specificity:<\/span><\/p>\n

He added another parable, comparing the Congregation of Israel to something else, to a fruitful vine. Such was its condition initially, during the times of the early kings: David, Solomon, and the proper kings who succeeded them\u2026 The \u201cfire that issued from its twig-laden branch\u201d was Zedekiah, who caused the destruction and after whom [Israel, the vine] \u201cwas left without a mighty rod, a scepter to rule\u201d (14).<\/span><\/p>\n

These two parables, dissimilar as they appear, share a common designation as dirges. In what amounts to a literary \u201cenvelope,\u201d the chapter opens with God\u2019s instruction \u201cto intone a dirge\u201d (1) and closes with: \u201cThis is a dirge, and it has become a familiar dirge\u201d (14).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":73998,"id":73998,"title":"ez19-lioness","filename":"ez19-lioness.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/ez19-lioness.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/who-was-the-lioness-and-who-were-her-cubs\/ez19-lioness\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ez19-lioness","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":73997,"date":"2020-05-02 19:54:35","modified":"2020-05-02 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