THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Thus declares the Sovereign Lord: As surely as I live, I will bring the very curse that he has disregarded and the covenant he has broken back upon him. I will ensnare him in My net, and he will be trapped therein; I will lead him to Babylon and will bring judgment upon him for his betrayal against Me. All his refugees and his entire army shall perish by the sword, and those who survive will be scattered in every direction; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken.
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In the eyes of the nations, one might ask whether to employ trickery or to be truthful against one's adversary. Some argue that it is necessary to deceive one's enemies. However, Zedekiah committed the greater sin, for he misled not an enemy but a companion bound to him by a sacred oath. Before one commits to an oath and a covenant in the name of the Lord, it may be prudent to use cunning against an adversary. Yet when one has vowed themselves in an oath, it transforms the matter; it is no longer an enemy one deceives, but rather a friend who has trusted you, and he is betrayed under the guise of a promise made in God's name.
Thus the Scripture states: The oath which he has despised and the covenant that he has broken will return upon him. To clarify, these commitments were not merely directed at the king of Babylon or Zedekiah in his wrongdoing, but rather because he acted treacherously and showed contempt for Me. Therefore, to scorn an oath is to scorn the one by whom one swore, causing offense to the name in which the opponent placed their faith. Hence, the Lord declares that He will cast His net over him, and he will be ensnared, leading him to Babylon for judgment. What Nebuchadnezzar did to Zedekiah was not merely a consequence of his own strength but a result of God’s wrath for the broken vow.
Regarding allegorical interpretations, while some may find them challenging, it is necessary to recognize that creatures like the eagle and the lion can symbolize both good and evil. For instance, it is said positively of the lion: Judah is a lion’s whelp (Gen. 49:9), but conversely, our adversary the devil prowls like a roaring lion (1 Pet. 5:8), as noted in the Psalm where it describes how he stealthily captures the vulnerable like a lion among its prey (Ps. 9:30). The eagle, on the other hand, is depicted positively as the righteous soaring on eagle’s wings, returning to their forerunner. Isaiah proclaims that the righteous will soar like eagles; they will not become weary, they will run and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).
The one who confidently declares that they will build with strength and wisdom, capturing the power of nations and shaking the cities like fragilized eggs (Isaiah 10:13-14), is now described through the imagery of an eagle, as they seek not the lowly shrubs but the lofty cedars of Lebanon, symbolizing purity and relating to offerings made to God, much like the saying from Habakkuk that speaks of chosen sustenance (Habakkuk 1:16). He established a covenant with those taken captive, commanding them to submit to the king of Babylon, aligning with the words of the apostle that speaks of those delivered to Satan for discipline to prevent blasphemy (1 Tim. 1:20).
In another context, he mentions that he has entrusted individuals to Satan for the mortification of the flesh so that their spirits may be saved (1 Cor. 5:5). Thus, we ought not to rebel if we face exclusion from the fellowship of believers or from the house of God due to sin; instead, we should accept the correction with patience and echo the prophet’s words: I will bear the indignation of the Lord, for I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my cause (Micah 7:9). It is also common for us, after complying with one authority, to seek another who promises aid, dragging us back into the same circumstances. Such behavior must be avoided to prevent our growth from dwindling and withering and to ensure we do not act against God's covenant.