This chapter of Ezekiel is dedicated to lamenting the princes of Israel. They were called princes, not kings, to diminish their rule and detail their lack of leadership. This is the first out of five laments in the book of Ezekiel. God through Ezekiel is expressing great sorrow, or grief, over the sins of the leaders of Israel. This chapter is essentially an allegory for what went wrong with the tribe of Judah. In verses 1-9, Ezekiel uses the image of a lion and her cubs to depict the Davidic line, and in verses 10-14, Ezekiel uses the image of a vine to depict Israel’s final strong branch or kings. The illustration of a lion and her cubs show what has happened to Judah. The lioness is Judah, and the cubs are Judah’s kings. A lot of the context for this passage comes from 2 Kings, and the wicked kings who lead the nation into exile. Israel was a mighty and powerful nation under King David but a majority of the kings following him had become idolatrous and corrupt in their ruling. 

Describing Israel’s king, verse 4 says, “The nations heard about him, and he was trapped in their pit. They led him with hooks to the land of Egypt.” This is referring to King Jehoahaz who ruled in 609 BC for three months before he was exiled to Egypt (2 Kings 23). There is another depiction of a king in verse 9 which says, “With hooks they pulled him into a cage and brought him to the king of Babylon. They put him in prison, so his roar was heard no longer on the mountains of Israel.” This is in reference to King Jehoiachin who was carried off into Babylon in 597 BC (2 Kings 24). 

There is a second imagery Ezekiel uses of a vine which was once healthy but now has been burned in a fire. The vine is Judah, and the fire is symbolic of God’s wrath and judgment. The stems are no longer, and its strong branches were torn off and dried up (v. 13). The chapter ends saying, “fire has gone out from the stem of its shoots, has consumed its fruit, so that there remains in it no strong stem, no scepter for ruling” (v. 14). The Davidic line was cut off with Zedekiah being Israel’s last king. This verse references a promise made to Judah at the end of Genesis. 

In Genesis 49, Jacob blesses his sons and gives a noteworthy blessing over Judah. Jacob refers to Judah as a lion saying that Judah will be victorious over its enemies. It says,  “You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son.” (v. 9). Jacob also says, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his” (v. 10). A scepter was a staff that symbolized absolute authority over a nation or tribe. When Jacob says that the scepter will not depart from Judah, he is referencing one descendant that would come from the line of Judah, whose throne will be established forever: Jesus Christ. 

Before Jesus was crucified, Roman soldiers mocked Him, placed a crown of thorns on His head and gave Him a staff as a royal scepter. They beat Him with the scepter chanting “Hail, king of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29). The scepter, a symbol of worldly authority, was used to beat the One who holds all authority in Heaven and on Earth. The scepter in the hands of earthly kings will perish, but the scepter the Messiah holds will remain forever. The scepter will not ever depart from the lion of Judah, Jesus Christ. This ancient prophecy will be fulfilled when Jesus Christ, in all His glory, returns with all the angels and the saints. Revelation 19:15 says “He will rule [the nations] with an iron scepter” as a righteous judge. The King of Kings from the line of Judah will one day come, and every nation will bow down and worship Him.