I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treachery he has committed against me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While the verse depicts a king's capture and judgment, the phrase "plead with him there" reveals God's purpose wasn't just punishment, but to make the king understand his profound betrayal. By bringing him to Babylon for judgment, God ensures the king confronts the full weight of his treachery, not just against a human king, but against the God of faithfulness himself. This act of "pleading" underscores that even in judgment, God desires his people to recognize their sin and its source.
I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treachery he has committed against me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is revealing God's judgment on Zedekiah, the king of Judah, who broke his oath of allegiance to Babylon and sought help from Egypt instead. This verse describes God's decisive action: He will ensnare Zedekiah, bring him to Babylon, and hold him accountable for his disloyalty, emphasizing that breaking oaths made in God's name is a betrayal against God Himself. The surrounding verses continue to explain the consequences of this treachery, reiterating the fate of the king and the people of Judah as a direct result of their unfaithfulness.
Imagine being caught, helpless, in a trap you never saw coming. God uses powerful imagery to describe how He deals with betrayal.
Ezekiel uses the metaphor of a hunter's net and snare to describe God's judgment. This isn't just a physical capture, but a divine plan that ensnares the unfaithful.
The Hunter and the Hunted
God declares, 'I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare.' This vivid image shows that the king's downfall isn't random chance. It's a deliberate act by God, who is orchestrating events to bring about justice.
The Ultimate Source of Capture
Even though Nebuchadnezzar is the one who will physically capture the king, Ezekiel makes it clear that God is the one spreading the net. The Babylonian king acts as an instrument in God's hand. This highlights that no one can escape God's ultimate authority and judgment.
Why Babylon? Why would God bring the king to the very place he sought refuge, only to face judgment?
The verse states God will bring the king to Babylon to 'enter into judgment with him there.' This points to a significant theological truth: judgment is not always immediate or localized. Sometimes, it takes place in the very place where the wrong was committed or where deceptive alliances were formed.
Judgment in the Enemy's Camp
Ask a follow-up
Bringing the king to Babylon, the capital of the empire he betrayed, serves multiple purposes:
Treachery Against God
The king broke his oath with another nation, but Ezekiel emphasizes a deeper betrayal. What does this mean for us today?
The core of the king's sin, as highlighted in the verse, is 'the treachery he has committed against me.' Though his actions involved breaking a treaty with a human king (Nebuchadnezzar), Ezekiel frames it as a primary offense against God.
Oaths Invoking God's Name
When oaths and covenants are made, especially those invoking God's name (as was common), they aren't just agreements between people. They are sacred vows witnessed and guaranteed by God Himself. Breaking such a promise is a direct affront to God's holiness, truthfulness, and authority.
The Deeper Treachery
This teaches us a crucial lesson: Our commitments to others, whether personal, professional, or even political, have a spiritual dimension. Dishonesty, betrayal, and unfaithfulness in our dealings with fellow humans are ultimately trespasses against the God who commands faithfulness and who is the God of truth.
Understand the original words
mishpat · Hebrew Noun
The act of being brought into a formal court or divine presence to answer for one's actions; a legal process resulting in a verdict of guilt or innocence and the subsequent imposition of consequences.
ma'al · Hebrew Noun
Unfaithfulness, breach of trust, or violation of a duty, particularly in relation to a covenant or relationship with God; acting covertly or faithlessly.
This prophecy addresses King Zedekiah's treachery in breaking his solemn oath to Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king. The 'net' and 'snare' signify God's judgment, bringing Zedekiah to Babylon not just as a captive, but to face divine reckoning for his deceit, which was ultimately a betrayal of God's trust.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, conquers Judah and begins deporting the Judean elite, including royalty and skilled workers, to Babylon. This marks the beginning of Babylonian dominion over Judah.
c. 597 BC
Second Deportation and Appointment of Zedekiah
Following a rebellion, Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans and installs Zedekiah, a young prince, as king of Judah, making him swear an oath of allegiance to Babylon.
c. 592 BC— this verse
Ezekiel's Prophecy of the Great Eagle
Ezekiel delivers his allegory of the two eagles and the vine, symbolizing the broken covenant of Judah's leaders and their doomed reliance on Egypt. This prophecy directly sets the stage for the judgment pronounced in chapter 17.
c. 588 BC
Zedekiah's Rebellion and Siege of Jerusalem
King Zedekiah breaks his oath to Nebuchadnezzar and allies with Egypt, prompting Babylon to lay siege to Jerusalem. This act of treachery fulfills the prophecy of judgment.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Third Deportation
After a brutal siege, Babylonian forces breach Jerusalem's walls, destroy the Temple, and carry the remaining population, including King Zedekiah, into exile in Babylon. Zedekiah's eyes are put out before his deportation.
This passage uses almost identical language about God spreading a net and bringing a leader to Babylon to face judgment, emphasizing the recurring theme of divine justice for treachery.
Jeremiah 2:35This verse speaks directly to the idea that those who claim God, yet sin, will be held accountable, reinforcing Ezekiel's message that treachery against a human ruler is also a trespass against God.
Psalm 7:15This psalm describes wicked deeds that ensnare the perpetrator, mirroring the imagery of God's 'net' and 'snare' in Ezekiel, highlighting how the unrighteous often become trapped by their own actions.
Ezekiel 20:36This verse further explains God's intent to 'plead' with His people through judgment in the wilderness, expanding on the concept of God bringing His people to account for their unfaithfulness.
cambridgeEzekiel 17:20: "And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me."
20 . spread my net ] Cf. ch. Ezekiel 12:13 ; Hosea 7:12 . plead with him ] i.e. there subject him to the consequences of his treachery, bringing it thereby to his knowledge that he is suffering the penalty of it, cf. Ezekiel 20:35-36 , Ezekiel 38:22 ; Jeremiah 2:35 .
pulpitEzekiel 17:20: "And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against me."
Verse 20. - The words receive a special significance as being identical with those which Ezekiel had uttered in Ezekiel 12:13, with the addition that the sin against Nebuchadnezzar as the vicegerent of Jehovah, was a sin against Jehovah himself as the God of faithfulness and truth. There, in Bab…
While the verse depicts a king's capture and judgment, the phrase "plead with him there" reveals God's purpose wasn't just punishment, but to make the king understand his profound betrayal. By bringing him to Babylon for judgment, God ensures the king confronts the full weight of his treachery, not just against a human king, but against the God of faithfulness himself. This act of "pleading" underscores that even in judgment, God desires his people to recognize their sin and its source.
Ezekiel is revealing God's judgment on Zedekiah, the king of Judah, who broke his oath of allegiance to Babylon and sought help from Egypt instead. This verse describes God's decisive action: He will ensnare Zedekiah, bring him to Babylon, and hold him accountable for his disloyalty, emphasizing that breaking oaths made in God's name is a betrayal against God Himself. The surrounding verses continue to explain the consequences of this treachery, reiterating the fate of the king and the people of Judah as a direct result of their unfaithfulness.
Ezekiel is revealing God's judgment on Zedekiah, the king of Judah, who broke his oath of allegiance to Babylon and sought help from Egypt instead. This verse describes God's decisive action: He will ensnare Zedekiah, bring him to Babylon, and hold him accountable for his disloyalty, emphasizing that breaking oaths made in God's name is a betrayal against God Himself. The surrounding verses continue to explain the consequences of this treachery, reiterating the fate of the king and the people of Judah as a direct result of their unfaithfulness.
"I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and enter into judgment with him there for the treachery he has committed against me." — While the verse depicts a king's capture and judgment, the phrase "plead with him there" reveals God's purpose wasn't just punishment, but to make the king understand his profound betrayal. By brin…
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Last reviewed October 2026