Limitless Word
and plucked off its highest branch. He carried it away to a city filled with merchants. He planted it in a city of traders.
Ezekiel 17:4 · New Living Translation
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.
  • BSB He plucked off its topmost shoot, carried it to the land of merchants, and planted it in a city of traders.
  • 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.

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 18:3For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of her luxury.”
  • Jer 51:13You who dwell on many waters, abundant in treasures, your end has come, the measure of your covetousness.
  • Rev 18:11–19The merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise any more;
  • Isa 43:14Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: “For your sake, I have sent to Babylon, and I will bring all of them down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships of their rejoicing.
  • Isa 47:15The things that you labored in will be like this: those who have trafficked with you from your youth will each wander in his own way. There will be no one to save you.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Ezekiel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Ezekiel 17:4YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on EzekielMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.

How Ezekiel 17:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.