7. There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.

7. Et fuit aquila una [166] magna, magnis alis, et copiosa plumis: et ecce vitis ista collegit radices suas ad eam, [167] et palmites suos emisit ad eam, ut irrigaret ipsam alveis [168] plantationis suae. [169]

He now detects, under a figure, the perfidy of Zedekiah, since he very soon applied himself to the king of Egypt, and bent his roots and branches towards him, that they might be irrigated. I do not disagree with the opinion of those who think that the Prophet alludes to an Egyptian custom; for we know that they dug furrows through which water flowed through the whole region: hence the fruitfulness of the soil; and thus Egypt is elsewhere compared to a garden. (Deuteronomy 11:10.) Whatever the meaning is, the Prophet shows that Zedekiah was deceived by a foolish confidence when he thought himself safe under the protection of the king of Egypt; for he had said that the seed was so planted that the vine did not rise to a great height, but spread itself under the wings of the eagle. But Zedekiah despised the king of Babylon, thinking that he should improve his condition by entering into a treaty with the king of Egypt. It now follows --

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Footnotes:

[166] That is, "another eagle." -- Calvin.

[167] That is, "applied." -- Calvin.

[168] Or, "beds, or rows or furrows," rgvt, gnergoth, signifies properly "furrows." -- Calvin.

[169] Or, "in its plantation," to make the sense clearer. -- Calvin.