Ezekiel 19:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Jehoiakim, however, was not taken into exile but met his end in Jerusalem, enduring all the previous suffering mentioned. Therefore, it is understandable that the Prophet referred to the assault of the army against him as if it were an attack on a lion, and the chains that bound him as a bridle and a cage. Just as he metaphorically likened himself to a lion, so too does he illustrate his experience in a symbolic manner, for bridles and cages are fitting for a lion. After presenting these observations, he transitions into a different type of parable and states: