Ezekiel 19:5-7
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The verse highlights a mother lioness's desperate, almost instinctual reaction to prolonged disappointment: when her hope for one cub proves fruitless, she immediately "makes" another into a fierce protector. This shows how quickly hope can turn into a new, perhaps equally doomed, endeavor, driven by the urgent need for a source of strength and security.
When she saw that she waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion. He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey; he devoured men, and seized their widows. He laid waste their cities, and the land was appalled and all who were in it at the sound of his roaring.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After the first prince, Jehoahaz, was taken captive by Egypt, the people of Judah hoped for his return, but their hope was lost when it became clear he wouldn't be restored. This led them to install his brother, Jehoiakim, as king, presenting him as a powerful "young lion" to lead them.
Judah felt let down, their expectations dashed. What does it mean to wait for hope that never arrives, and how does that disappointment shape our actions?
The verse paints a picture of dashed hopes. Judah, symbolized by the mother lioness, had been 'waiting'. This waiting was for the return of their king, Jehoahaz, who had been taken captive to Egypt. But time passed, and their hope grew increasingly slim. 'Her hope was lost' signifies the complete collapse of this expectation. This isn't just passive waiting; it's an active, agonizing realization that their chance for restoration was gone.
This loss of hope is crucial because it sets the stage for the next action. When our most cherished hopes are extinguished, we often seek alternative paths, sometimes desperate ones. This verse shows that when one strategy (waiting for Jehoahaz's return) failed, Judah didn't turn to God or true repentance. Instead, they turned to a new, ultimately destructive, path.
Judah didn't learn from their loss. Instead of seeking a leader who would guide them justly, they chose another predator. What's the difference between a 'young lion' and a true shepherd king?
The phrase 'she took another of her whelps and made him a young lion' is loaded with meaning. The 'whelp' represents a potential ruler, a prince of the royal line. But instead of nurturing him to be a shepherd who cares for his flock, the lioness (Judah) 'made him a young lion.' This imagery points to kings who were not concerned with justice or the welfare of their people, but with power, predation, and self-interest.
This choice reflects a deep-seated problem within Judah itself. Rather than seeking a leader aligned with God's ways, they chose one who embodied the destructive traits of a lion – seizing prey, acting aggressively, and leading their nation into further ruin. The commentaries highlight that figures like Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin, who followed this path, were characterized by their cruelty and tyranny, not by righteous leadership.
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Understand the original words
yāḥal · Hebrew Verb
Refers to the act of waiting, expecting, or trusting in someone or something to act. When directed toward God, it implies confident expectation, but when directed toward political alliances or human strength, it is often characterized as futile or misplaced.
tôḥeleṯ · Hebrew Noun
The confident expectation or desire for a favorable outcome. When rooted in human strength or political alliances rather than God, it is described as something that can be lost or proven empty.
kephir · Hebrew Noun
A large, powerful feline predator frequently used in Scripture as a metaphor for strength, fierceness, predatory behavior, or, in the case of the 'Lion of the Tribe of Judah,' kingly authority and messianic triumph. In judgment contexts, it often represents oppressive rulers or nations.
akal · Hebrew Verb
To consume or eat greedily; in a biblical context, often used metaphorically for the destruction, exploitation, or total ruin inflicted by wicked leaders upon their own people or enemies.
shamad/charab (contextual) · Hebrew Verb phrase
To make desolate, ruin, or destroy completely; frequently used in the prophets to describe the result of divine judgment upon disobedient nations or cities.
shamem · Hebrew Verb
To be struck with shock, terror, or horror; often used to describe the reaction of people or the land when witnessing the manifest judgment of God or the extreme wickedness of humanity.
This lament uses the imagery of a lioness and her cubs to describe the tragic reigns of King Jehoahaz and his brother Jehoiakim. Their reigns were marked by foreign domination and ultimately led to exile, highlighting the consequences of Judah's political choices and spiritual unfaithfulness.
609 BC
Pharaoh Necho deposes Jehoahaz
After King Josiah's death, his son Jehoahaz was made king but was quickly deposed by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt. Necho took Jehoahaz captive to Egypt, a great disappointment for Judah.
609 BC— this verse
Jehoiakim appointed king of Judah
Pharaoh Necho then appointed Eliakim, Jehoahaz's brother, as king, changing his name to Jehoiakim. This placed a king on the throne who was subservient to Egypt.
c. 605 BC
Nebuchadnezzar's First Deportation
Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated the Egyptians and began his series of deportations, taking some of the Jewish nobility and treasures to Babylon. This marked the rise of Babylonian power over Judah.
598-597 BC
Jehoiakim dies or is deposed
Jehoiakim rebelled against Babylon. He died or was deposed during Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem, and his son Jehoiachin was made king.
597 BC
Jehoiachin exiled to Babylon
After a short reign of only three months, Jehoiachin was captured by Nebuchadnezzar and exiled to Babylon along with thousands of other Judeans. This was a significant blow to the Davidic dynasty.
This passage speaks of the king of Judah, Jehoahaz, being taken captive, and it explicitly states he will not return, directly relating to the 'hope lost' mentioned in Ezekiel 19:5.
2 Kings 23:34This verse describes how Pharaoh Necho appointed Eliakim (Jehoiakim) king after capturing Jehoahaz, aligning with Ezekiel's account of the mother lioness choosing another cub when her hope was gone.
Lamentations 4:17This verse laments the futile waiting for deliverance from foreign powers, mirroring the 'waited in vain' and 'hope was lost' sentiment of Ezekiel 19:5, highlighting the nation's desperate and failed attempts to find security.
Ezekiel 19:1-4This immediately preceding section sets up the analogy of the lioness and her cubs, explaining that the 'young lions' represent the princes of Judah who were previously captured, providing context for the mother's actions in verse 5.
Ezekiel 19:6-7These verses describe the actions of the 'young lion' chosen in verse 5, showing how he behaved like a predator and brought destruction, illustrating what it meant for the mother lioness to 'make him a young lion' in terms of his destructive nature.
ellicottEzekiel 19:5: "Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion."
(5) Another of her whelps.— After the three months’ reign of Jehoahaz, his brother Jehoiakim was appointed king by Pharaoh ( 2Kings 23:34 ). He was conquered and “bound in fetters” by Nebuchadnezzar, with the intention of carrying him to Babylon ( 2Chronicles 36:7 ): he died, however, in disgrace in Jerusalem ( 2Kings 24:6 ; comp. Jeremiah 22:18-19 ), and…
clarkeEzekiel 19:5: "Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion."
When she saw that she had waited - Being very weak, the Jews found that they could not resist with any hope of success; so the king of Egypt was permitted to do as he pleased. She took another of her whelps - Jehoiakim. And made him a young lion - King of Judea.
The verse highlights a mother lioness's desperate, almost instinctual reaction to prolonged disappointment: when her hope for one cub proves fruitless, she immediately "makes" another into a fierce protector. This shows how quickly hope can turn into a new, perhaps equally doomed, endeavor, driven by the urgent need for a source of strength and security.
After the first prince, Jehoahaz, was taken captive by Egypt, the people of Judah hoped for his return, but their hope was lost when it became clear he wouldn't be restored. This led them to install his brother, Jehoiakim, as king, presenting him as a powerful "young lion" to lead them.
After the first prince, Jehoahaz, was taken captive by Egypt, the people of Judah hoped for his return, but their hope was lost when it became clear he wouldn't be restored. This led them to install his brother, Jehoiakim, as king, presenting him as a powerful "young lion" to lead them.
"When she saw that she waited in vain, that her hope was lost, she took another of her cubs and made him a young lion. He prowled among the lions; he became a young lion, and he learned to catch prey;…" — The verse highlights a mother lioness's desperate, almost instinctual reaction to prolonged disappointment: when her hope for one cub proves fruitless, she immediately "makes" another into a fierce p…
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Last reviewed October 2026
