“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.”
My Notes
What Does Ezekiel 17:20 Mean?
God describes His judgment on Zedekiah using hunting imagery: "I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare." The king who tried to escape Babylon by breaking his oath and allying with Egypt will be caught—not by Babylon but by God. The net and snare are divine, not human. Babylon's army is the visible mechanism, but God's trap is the invisible one.
The destination—Babylon—fulfills Jeremiah's prophecy that Zedekiah would be brought there, while simultaneously fulfilling Ezekiel's prophecy that Zedekiah would not see Babylon (he was blinded before arrival). Both seemingly contradictory prophecies came true with terrible precision.
God will "plead with him there for his trespass"—literally enter into judgment, present the case, and confront Zedekiah with his sin. The trespass is specific: the oath he broke. Zedekiah swore loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar in God's name and then broke that oath. God treats the broken oath as a personal offense—"trespassed against me"—because it was sworn in His name.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you made promises in God's name that you haven't kept? How seriously do you take vows and commitments?
- 2.God treated Zedekiah's broken oath as a personal offense. How does knowing that God's name is at stake change how you handle promises?
- 3.When you try to escape consequences through maneuvering, have you felt God's 'net' catching up with you anyway?
- 4.What's the difference between a promise made casually and a vow made in God's name? How should the weight differ?
Devotional
God sets a net for the fleeing king. A snare that can't be avoided. Zedekiah tried to escape—broke his oath, allied with Egypt, maneuvered politically—and God says: I will catch you. My net. My snare. You're not escaping Me by running from Babylon.
The detail about pleading with Zedekiah for his trespass is important: God didn't just punish. He prosecuted. He presented the case. The trespass was an oath broken in God's name—Zedekiah swore loyalty to Babylon invoking the LORD, and then violated that oath. God took the broken oath personally because His name was on it.
This has direct implications for how you handle promises made in God's name. When you swear by God—when you make a commitment, take a vow, or make a promise invoking His authority—God holds you to it. Not because He's legalistic, but because His name is at stake. An oath sworn in God's name and then broken damages God's reputation, not just the relationship between the parties.
If you've made promises in God's name—marriage vows, ministry commitments, solemn pledges of any kind—this verse says God treats those with deadly seriousness. The net isn't reserved for ancient kings. It's spread for anyone who uses God's name to guarantee what they don't intend to keep.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Thus saith the Lord God,.... Lest it should be thought, by the above prophecies, that the tribe of Judah should be…
I will spread my net upon him - See the note on Eze 12:13.
We must take all these verses together, that we may have the parable and the explanation of it at one view before us,…
spread my net Cf. ch. Eze 12:13; Hos 7:12.
plead with him i.e. there subject him to the consequences of his treachery,…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture