John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 17:23

"in the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all birds of every wing; in the shade of the branches thereof shall they dwell." — Ezekiel 17:23 (ASV)

When God announces that the twig which He will plant shall become a lofty cedar, He shows by lofty words that the increase of Christ’s kingdom will be so wonderful that it will surpass the common rule of nature. This indeed was foreshadowed in the person of Zerubbabel, who was chosen to bring back the people from their sad and disgraceful captivity (Ezra 2:2; Haggai 1:14).

For it does not naturally happen that a twig grows in a short time into a lofty cedar; we know how slowly cedars grow, and thus we see the Spirit’s intention in saying that a tree should spring from a very small twig.

This prophecy corresponds to one of Isaiah’s, where he says, A branch shall spring from the root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1). For the house of Jesse was cut off, and he names the house of an obscure and private man, as if the remembrance of David were utterly lost. The house of Jesse, then, was cut off like a tree: that twig, he says, will spring from its root. Now the Prophet indicates the same thing, and in almost the same likeness. I will leave the rest for the next lecture.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, since You have seen fit to enter into a perpetual and inviolable covenant with us, which You have sanctioned by the blood of Your only-begotten Son, that we may faithfully remain true to it. May we be so obedient to You until the end that we may experience You as a gracious Father to us, until we enjoy that eternal inheritance which You have prepared for us in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

In the last lecture, we began to explain that passage of the Prophet in which God promises that He would take from the boughs of the lofty cedar a tender branch, which would soon grow into a tall tree. We said that the restoration of the people was the foretaste of this grace, since God already showed that He cared for His people whom He seemed utterly to reject when He allowed them to be dragged into exile.

We also said that although Zerubbabel was a captive and an exile, yet he was the twig plucked from the tall tree, as he was of the royal stock from which Christ would eventually spring forth. But at the same time, we added that this prophecy was not complete until the kingdom of Christ (of which it was the beginning) when He was manifest in the flesh; and from that time, it made daily progress until the end of the world.

Thus, we see that the twig was plucked from the cedar, and from a tall or lofty one, and it was planted upon a mountain. The mountain on which the branch was to be planted was called sublime and lofty, and there is no doubt that God meant Mount Zion. It is indeed a small hill, but Isaiah shows us the reason why it was called lofty: because it excelled in dignity and eminence all the heights of the world (Isaiah 2:2–3).

It is said there, I will make Mount Zion conspicuous above all lofty mountains: that eminence indeed was not perceptible by the eye, but the Prophet at the same time declares what he means, since a law shall go forth from Zion and God’s word from Jerusalem.

We see, therefore, that Mount Zion, although low among hills, was eminent and conspicuous among the highest mountains, since God’s glory shone forth from it, and it was rendered conspicuous to the very ends of the earth.

Thus the Prophet repeats, On a lofty mountain of Israel will I plant it, namely, the twig; and it shall raise or bear a bough, and produce fruit, and it shall be a magnificent or elegant cedar, as we said, and every bird, that is, all birds, shall dwell under it; every winged thing, or flying thing, shall dwell under the shadow of its branches or boughs.

The repetition shows that something rare is indicated here, something that would hardly be understood in an ordinary sense, when God speaks of a high and elevated mountain. This confirms what we said: that this passage is to be understood of Mount Zion, which was supernaturally elevated when Christ’s scepter went forth from it, by which He brought the whole world under His yoke.

He now adds: that it should be a magnificent cedar, so that the birds of the air should nestle in it and rest under its shadow. This simile is used by Daniel when discussing the rule of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:8, 9, 17-19). It is common to all kingdoms to protect people under their shadow, as birds find their dwelling-place only in trees, and gather and settle there.

Meanwhile, the Prophet briefly states that the kingdom he describes would be for the common safety and benefit of all the people.

For as kings usually think the human race was created for their sakes, they are preoccupied with their own private interests and do not consult the welfare of the wretched people whom they are divinely appointed to cherish under their wings.

The Prophet therefore shows that the kingdom which God had determined to establish in His chosen people would be useful to all, when he says that under its shadow there would be safety for all birds.