1883 Haydock Douay Rheims Bible

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Ezekiel 19:1	Moreover *take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,	Year of the World 3411. Princes: sons of Josias, who were so wretched. The latter part of this beautiful canticle, or allegory, (ver. 10.) regards Sedecias. (Calmet)
Ezekiel 19:2	And say: Why did thy mother, the lioness, lie down among the lions, and bring up her whelps in the midst of young lions?	Lioness; Jerusalem (Challoner) which made alliances with the lions, or nations. (Calmet)
Ezekiel 19:3	And she brought out one of her whelps, and he became a lion: and he learned to catch the prey, and to devour men.	Whelps; Joachaz, or Sellum, (Challoner) who reigned only three months, like his brother Jechonias. (Haydock) --- The four last kings were all cruel. (Worthington)
Ezekiel 19:4	And the nations heard of him, and took him, but not without receiving wounds: and they brought him in chains into the land of Egypt.	But. Hebrew, "he was taken in their pit," (Protestants; Haydock) as also [in] ver. 8. Septuagint, "in his or their corruption." We do not read that Joachaz fought, (Calmet) though this passage insinuates as much. (Sanctius) (4 Kings 23:30., etc.)
Ezekiel 19:5	But she seeing herself weakened, and that her hope was lost, took one of her young lions, and set him up for a lion.	Lions: Joakim. (Challoner) --- He reigned eleven years; but was such a monster, that the prophet does not speak of him or bewail his fate, 4 Kings 23:34., and Jeremias 22:19. His words are applicable to Jechonias alone; who was cruel, and banished to Babylon, ver. 8. (Calmet)
Ezekiel 19:6	And he went up and down among the lions, and became a lion: and he learned to catch the prey, and to devour men.
Ezekiel 19:7	He learned to make widows, and to lay waste their cities: and the land became desolate, and the fulness thereof, by the noise of his roaring.
Ezekiel 19:8	And the nations came together against him on every side out of the provinces, and they spread their net over him, in their wounds he was taken.	Nations: rovers of Chaldea, Syria, etc., 4 Kings 24:2. (Worthington) --- Wounds. Hebrew, "pit." He was besieged, (4 Kings 24:11.; Calmet) and gave himself up. (Haydock)
Ezekiel 19:9	And they put him into a cage, they brought him in chains to the king of Babylon: and they cast him into prison, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.
Ezekiel 19:10	Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the water: her fruit and her branches have grown out of many waters.	Blood. She has given birth to many kings. (Menochius) --- The original may be inaccurate, and perhaps should be, "a vine-tree or branch:" (Calmet) cormoc instead of bedammecha. Septuagint read kerimmon, "like a rose-flower," planted, etc. (Haydock) --- He speaks of Sedecias more obscurely. (Calmet) --- The kingdom had flourished under David and Solomon. It afterwards lost its splendour under wicked kings, and all the tribes were removed. (Worthington)
Ezekiel 19:11	And she hath strong rods, to make sceptres for them that bear rule, and her stature was exalted among the branches: and she saw her height in the multitude of her branches.	Rods. The king had many children, and confided in them, but they were slain.
Ezekiel 19:12	But she was plucked up in wrath, and cast on the ground, *and the burning wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods are withered, and dried up: the fire hath devoured her. Osee 13:15.
Ezekiel 19:13	And now she is transplanted into the desert, in a land not passable, and dry.	Dry; unfit for vine-trees. He speaks of the prison of Babylon. (Calmet) --- The country was naturally wet. (Haydock)
Ezekiel 19:14	And a fire is gone out from a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit: so that she now hath no strong rod, to be a sceptre of rulers. This is a lamentation, and it shall be for a lamentation.	Fire. Ismael, who slew Godolias, was of the royal family, Jeremias xli., etc. (Calmet)