Ezekiel 17:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Thus declares the Lord, Zedekiah, who has disregarded My oath and violated My covenant, shall meet his end in Babylon; for having abandoned the Babylonians and surrendered to the Egyptians, he shall perish in that place. In another perspective, the heart and pinnacle of the sown tree is Emmanuel, who is taken from among the Jews and planted upon the spiritual heights of Israel, destined to yield not ephemeral riches, but salvific doctrines and life-restoring remedies. This tree does not produce mere sustenance for the earthly body, but rather the abundant hope and the fruit of eternal life. Furthermore, it is not a cedar akin to those that flourish on the mountains at the border of the Promised Land, but rather one whose magnificence offers shelter to all who possess reason.

I will live, declares the Sovereign Lord; if the one who reigns over him, having spoken against my promise and violated my covenant, does not remain in the place where he is, he will perish alongside him in Babylon. And it is not through great power but rather through sheer numbers. The king of Babylon, who does not follow Me as per My directive, states the Lord, has exacted oaths from him; yet, in breaking My commandments, he has become a breaker of oaths. Therefore, he shall be delivered to the one who elevated him to kingship and will meet his end in Babylon. Additionally, Pharaoh will wage war against the camp, and among the troops, he will claim many lives. This message is also reiterated by the blessed Prophet Jeremiah.