The Meaning of Ezekiel 17:3 Explained

Ezekiel 17:3

KJV: And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:

YLT: and thou hast said: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: The great eagle, great-winged, long-pinioned, Full of feathers, that hath diverse colours, Hath come in unto Lebanon, And it taketh the foliage of the cedar,

Darby: and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A great eagle with great wings, long-pinioned, full of feathers, which was of divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar.

ASV: and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers, which had divers colors, came unto Lebanon, and took the top of the cedar:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And say,  Thus saith  the Lord  GOD;  A great  eagle  with great  wings,  longwinged,  full  of feathers,  which had divers colours,  came  unto Lebanon,  and took  the highest branch  of the cedar: 

What does Ezekiel 17:3 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Ezekiel 17

1  Under the parable of two eagles and a vine
11  is shown God's judgment upon Jerusalem for revolting from Babylon to Egypt
22  God promises to plant the cedar of the Gospel

What do the individual words in Ezekiel 17:3 mean?

and say thus says the Lord GOD eagle a great with large wings and long pinions Full of feathers of to various colors Came to Lebanon and took - the highest branch the from cedar
וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ כֹּה־ אָמַ֣ר ׀ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִ֗ה הַנֶּ֤שֶׁר הַגָּדוֹל֙ גְּד֤וֹל הַכְּנָפַ֙יִם֙ אֶ֣רֶךְ הָאֵ֔בֶר מָלֵא֙ הַנּוֹצָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־ ל֖וֹ הָֽרִקְמָ֑ה בָּ֚א אֶל־ הַלְּבָנ֔וֹן וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־ צַמֶּ֥רֶת הָאָֽרֶז

וְאָמַרְתָּ֞  and  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כֹּה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֣ר ׀  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֲדֹנָ֣י  the  Lord 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲדֹנָי  
Sense: my lord, lord.
יְהוִ֗ה  GOD 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
הַנֶּ֤שֶׁר  eagle 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נֶשֶׁר  
Sense: eagle, vulture, griffon-vulture.
הַגָּדוֹל֙  a  great 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
גְּד֤וֹל  with  large 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
הַכְּנָפַ֙יִם֙  wings 
Parse: Article, Noun, fd
Root: כָּנָף  
Sense: wing, extremity, edge, winged, border, corner, shirt.
אֶ֣רֶךְ  and  long 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: אָרֵךְ 
Sense: long (pinions).
הָאֵ֔בֶר  pinions 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֵבֶר  
Sense: pinion, wing.
מָלֵא֙  Full 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: מָלֵא  
Sense: full, fullness, that which fills.
הַנּוֹצָ֔ה  of  feathers 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נׄוצָה 
Sense: plumage, feathers.
הָֽרִקְמָ֑ה  various  colors 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: רִקְמָה  
Sense: variegated stuff, embroidered.
בָּ֚א  Came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַלְּבָנ֔וֹן  Lebanon 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: לְבָנׄון  
Sense: a wooded mountain range on the northern border of Israel.
וַיִּקַּ֖ח  and  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
צַמֶּ֥רֶת  the  highest  branch 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: צַמֶּרֶת  
Sense: treetop.
הָאָֽרֶז  the  from  cedar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶרֶז  
Sense: cedar.