Ezekiel 19:12

Hebrew Bible

10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted by water. It was fruitful and full of branches because it was well-watered. 11 Its boughs were strong, fit for rulers’ scepters; it reached up into the clouds. It stood out because of its height and its many branches. 12 But it was plucked up in anger; it was thrown down to the ground. The east wind dried up its fruit; its strong branches broke off and withered—a fire consumed them. 13 Now it is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land. 14 A fire has gone out from its branch; it has consumed its shoot and its fruit. No strong branch was left in it, nor a scepter to rule.’ “This is a lament song, and has become a lament song.”

John 15:6

New Testament

4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire and are burned up. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is honored by this, that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples.

 Notes and References

"... John 15 describes judgment on the branches in terms similar to all three of Ezekiel’s vine metaphors. In John 15:6, the disconnected branches wither and are burned in the fire. In Ezekiel 15:4, the pruned branches serve only as fuel for the fire; in Ezekiel 17:9-10, the vine’s shoots wither and in Ezekiel 19:12-14 the branches and the “strong branch” wither and fire consumes the vine Why does John draw so heavily on Ezekiel’s vine metaphors? One possibility is that Ezekiel 17 so closely matches what John wishes to say about Jesus. Ezekiel 17 describes the royal house as a cedar cutting (17:3) that is planted in a good place so that it will become a great vine growing branches and bearing fruit ..."

Manning, Gary T. Shepherd, Vine, and Bones: The Use of Ezekiel in the Gospel of John (pp. 1-31) T&T Clark, 2010

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