Ezechiel 17:3
And say: Thus saith the Lord God: A large eagle with great wings, long-limbed, full of feathers, and of variety, came to Libanus, and took away the marrow of the cedar.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- et dices : Hæc dicit Dominus Deus : Aquila grandis magnarum alarum, longo membrorum ductu, plena plumis et varietate, venit ad Libanum, et tulit medullam cedri.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἐρεῖς Τάδε λέγει Κύριος Ἀετὸς ὁ μέγας ὁ μεγαλοπτέρυγος, ὁ μακρὸς τῇ ἐκτάσει, πλήρης ὀνύχων, ὃς ἔχει τὸ ἥγημα εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν Λίβανον, καὶ ἔλαβε τὰ ἐπίλεκτα τῆς κέδρου,
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ כֹּה אָמַ֣ר אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הַנֶּ֤שֶׁר הַגָּדוֹל֙ גְּד֤וֹל הַכְּנָפַ֨יִם֙ אֶ֣רֶךְ הָאֵ֔בֶר מָלֵא֙ הַנּוֹצָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר ל֖וֹ הָֽרִקְמָ֑ה בָּ֚א אֶל הַלְּבָנ֔וֹן וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת צַמֶּ֥רֶת הָאָֽרֶז
Haydock's commentary
A large eagle. Nabuchodonosor, king of Babylon. (Challoner)
The multitude of his subjects, and his rapid and cruel conquests, are designated. (Calmet)
He spoils the vineyard of Jerusalem, notwithstanding the Jews had applied to another eagle, the king of Egypt, ver. 12. (Worthington)
Libanus. That is, Jerusalem; (Challoner) or invaded the country, (Calmet) entering by Libanus. (Haydock)
Cedar. King Jechonias (Challoner) and his nobles, (4 Kings xxiv. 11.) with the most precious effects.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Methodius The Banquet of the Ten Virgins; or Concerning Chastity, Chapter XII
The Church, then, coming hither into this wilderness, a place unproductive of evils, is nourished, flying on the heavenward wings of virginity, which the Word called the “wings of great eagle,” having conquered the serpent, and driven away from her full moon the wintry clouds. It is for the sake of these things, meanwhile, that all these discourses are held, teaching us, O fair virgins, to imitate according to our strength our mother, and not to be troubled by the pains and changes and afflictions of life, that you may enter in exulting with her into the bride-chamber, showing your lamps. Do not, therefore, lose courage on account of the schemes and slanders of the beast, but bravely prepare for the battle, armed with the helmet of salvation, and the breastplate, and the greaves. …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies on the Statues to the People of Antioch, Homily XIX
9. One of their kings was Zedekiah. This Zedekiah took an oath to Nebuchadnezzar, king of the barbarians, that he would remain in alliance with him. Afterwards he revolted, and went over to the king of Egypt, disdaining the obligation of his oath, and suffered the things of which ye shall hear presently. But first, it is necessary to mention the parable of the prophet, in which he enigmatically represented all these matters: “The word of the Lord,” saith he, “came to me, saying, Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable, and say, Thus saith the Lord God: A great eagle, with great wings, and long extended, full of claws.” Here he calls the king of the Babylonians an eagle, and speaks of him as being “great, and long-winged;” and he calls him long-extended and “full of claws,” on account of the multitude of his army, and the greatness of his power, and the swiftness of his invasi …