King James Version

What Does Ezekiel 19:5 Mean?

Ezekiel 19:5 in the King James Version says “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 l...” — study this verse from Ezekiel chapter 19 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“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.”

Ezekiel 19:5 · KJV

Hope

Context

3

And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.

4

The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.

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.

6

And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men.

7

And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring. their desolate: or, their widows the fulness: or, all it containeth

Read Ezekiel 19 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
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. This verse continues Ezekiel's prophetic lament over Israel's kings, where the mother lioness represents Judah and her whelps symbolize the successive kings. The phrase "when she saw that she had waited" (ra'ah yachal) indicates a period of expectation that ended in disappointment—likely referring to the failed reign of one king.

"Her hope was lost" uses the Hebrew tikvah abad (תִּקְוָה אָבַד), literally "hope perished," conveying utter despair and the collapse of national expectations. The taking of "another of her whelps" shows the nation's attempt to find deliverance through human leadership rather than repentance before God. "Made him a young lion" (kephir, כְּפִיר) depicts training in royal power and ferocity.

This tragic cycle reveals Israel's persistent reliance on earthly kings despite repeated failures. Each successive monarch was hoped to be the deliverer, yet each ultimately failed because they led in pride and wickedness rather than humble dependence on Yahweh. The passage anticipates the need for the true Lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5), Jesus Christ, who alone fulfills the hope that earthly kings could never achieve. Where human kingdoms fail, Christ's kingdom endures forever.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Ezekiel prophesied during the Babylonian exile (593-571 BC), and chapter 19 is a lament over Judah's final kings. The "whelps" likely refer to Jehoahaz and Jehoiachin (or Zedekiah), who were successively placed on the throne only to be captured and exiled. Jehoahaz reigned only three months before Pharaoh Necho deposed him (2 Kings 23:31-34).

The "mother lioness" represents Jerusalem or the Davidic dynasty. Ancient Near Eastern iconography often depicted royalty as lions, symbols of strength and sovereignty. Judah's tribal emblem was indeed a lion (Genesis 49:9), making this metaphor particularly pointed.

The historical context reveals the desperation of Judah's final decades. After Josiah's death (609 BC), the nation lurched from one failed king to another, each raising hopes of deliverance that ended in exile. The Babylonian conquest of 597 BC took Jehoiachin captive, and Zedekiah's rebellion led to Jerusalem's destruction in 586 BC. Ezekiel's exilic audience would have felt the weight of this lament—their hope in human leadership had indeed perished.

Reflection Questions

  1. Where do you place your hope—in human leaders and institutions or in God alone?
  2. How does this passage warn against the cycle of looking for deliverance in the wrong places?
  3. What does this verse teach about the insufficiency of earthly power without divine blessing?
  4. How does recognizing Christ as the true Lion of Judah reshape your political and social expectations?
  5. What contemporary parallels do you see to Israel's pattern of failed human hopes?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 10 words
וַתֵּ֙רֶא֙1 of 10

“Now when she saw”

H7200

to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)

כִּ֣י2 of 10
H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

נֽוֹחֲלָ֔ה3 of 10

“that she had waited”

H3176

to wait; by implication, to be patient, hope

אָבְדָ֖ה4 of 10

“was lost”

H6

properly, to wander away, i.e., lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy)

תִּקְוָתָ֑הּ5 of 10

“and her hope”

H8615

literally a cord (as an attachment); figuratively, expectancy

וַתִּקַּ֛ח6 of 10

“then she took”

H3947

to take (in the widest variety of applications)

אֶחָ֥ד7 of 10

“another”

H259

properly, united, i.e., one; or (as an ordinal) first

מִגֻּרֶ֖יהָ8 of 10

“of her whelps”

H1482

a cub (as still abiding in the lair), especially of the lion

כְּפִ֥יר9 of 10

“him a young lion”

H3715

a village (as covered in by walls); also a young lion (perhaps as covered with a mane)

שָׂמָֽתְהוּ׃10 of 10

“and made”

H7760

to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Ezekiel. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Ezekiel 19:5 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Ezekiel 19:5 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

2 Kings 23:34-37Ezekiel 19:3

Test Your Knowledge

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