He plucked off its topmost shoot, carried it to the land of merchants, and planted it in a city of traders.
Parallel translations
- WEB He cropped off the topmost of its young twigs, and carried it to a land of traffic. He planted it in a city of merchants.
- KJV He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.
- NKJV He cropped off its topmost young twig And carried it to a land of trade; He set it in a city of merchants.
- NASB He broke off the topmost of its young twigs and brought it to a land of merchants; he set it in a city of traders.
- NLT and plucked off its highest branch. He carried it away to a city filled with merchants. He planted it in a city of traders.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The eagle crops the topmost twig and plants it in a city of merchants, picturing the exile of Judah's king to Babylon. God's people are uprooted for their unfaithfulness.
Overview
The 'topmost twig' is the royal house carried to Babylon, the 'land of traffic' and 'city of merchants.' The imagery captures both the humiliation of exile and Babylon's commercial dominance. Behind the historical event stands God's discipline of a covenant-breaking nation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Rev 18:3All the nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her immorality. The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown wealthy from the extravagance of her luxury.”
- Jer 51:13You who dwell by many waters, rich in treasures, your end has come; the thread of your life is cut.
- Rev 18:11–19And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, because there is no one left to buy their cargo—
- Isa 43:14Thus says the LORD your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake, I will send to Babylon and bring them all as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
- Isa 47:15This is what they are to you—those with whom you have labored and traded from youth—each one strays in his own direction; not one of them can save you.
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Original language
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