19:1 “And you, sing a lament for the princes of Israel, 

A lamentation was a funeral song. Ezekiel sang a funeral song for the kings of Judah. At this time (592 B.C.), Zedekiah was the king of Judah. Ezekiel was writing to the captives in Babylon between the second and third deportations. The royal family was taken in the first deportation. The skilled workers were taken in the second deportation. The poor and wicked people would be taken in the third deportation.

19:2 and say: “ ‘What a lioness was your mother among the lions! She lay among young lions; she reared her cubs. 

The mother lioness was the nation of Judah. She gave birth to the kings of Judah. The Messiah would come as the final King from the line of Judah.

19:3 She reared one of her cubs; he became a young lion. He learned to tear prey; he devoured people. 19:4 The nations heard about him; he was trapped in their pit. They brought him with hooks to the land of Egypt. 

Israel reared up a young lion cub named King Jehoahaz. He came to the throne after the untimely death of King Josiah. He only reigned for three months. Pharaoh Necho of Egypt led him out of Judah with hooks in his nose.

19:5 “ ‘When she realized that she waited in vain, her hope was lost. She took another of her cubs and made him a young lion. 19:6 He walked about among the lions; he became a young lion. He learned to tear prey; he devoured people. 19:7 He broke down their strongholds and devastated their cities. The land and everything in it was frightened at the sound of his roaring. 19:8 The nations—the surrounding regions—attacked him. They threw their net over him; he was caught in their pit. 19:9 They put him in a collar with hooks; they brought him to the king of Babylon; they brought him to prison so that his voice would not be heard any longer on the mountains of Israel. 

Israel the lioness reared another lion cub named King Jehoiakin. He only reigned for three months. He created havoc by attacking many of Nebuchadnezzar’s strongholds. After three months, Nebuchadnezzar dethroned him, put hooks in his nose, dragged him to Babylon, and placed him in a cage. He remained imprisoned in Babylon for 37 years. He never returned back to Israel.

19:10 “ ‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by water. It was fruitful and full of branches because it was well-watered. 19:11 Its boughs were strong, fit for rulers’ scepters; it reached up into the clouds. It stood out because of its height and its many branches. 

Ezekiel addressed King Zedekiah. His Mother was also the nation of Judah. She was like a well-watered vine that was planted by Jehovah. Judah was fruitful and full of branches. The boughs of her trees were strong and fit for ruler’s scepters.

19:12 But it was plucked up in anger; it was thrown down to the ground. The east wind dried up its fruit; its strong branches broke off and withered— a fire consumed them. 19:13 Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.

Judah was the vine who was to bring in King Messiah. The vine was uprooted in anger and thrown to the ground. The west winds from the Mediterranean Sea brought refreshing air with moisture. The east winds from the deserts brought severe problems to the agricultural of Israel. These winds withered vegetation, destroyed houses, and caused distress. Babylon was the wind from the east. She blew all three of these problems upon Israel.

19:14 A fire has gone out from its branch; it has consumed its shoot and its fruit. No strong branch was left in it, nor a scepter to rule.’ This is a lament song, and has become a lament song.” 

A fire burned down Jerusalem. Notice that the fire came from its own branch. The fire that burned down Jerusalem was an internal fire. This internal fire would destroy Judah. The internal fire which destroyed Judah were these three kings of Judah. It was not Babylon who brought down Judah. It was the leadership of Judah who started an internal fire which consumed them. During the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, He also commented that the Jewish leadership caused Israel to reject her own Messiah. Jehovah sang a funeral song to these three evil kings who brought down Judah.