Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

EZEKIEL 15:2KJV
Know the Bible

Ezekiel 15:2 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 15:2 mean?

Ezekiel 15:2 asks what makes a vine tree different or more valuable than any other tree or branch in the forest. The question highlights that, unlike other trees, a vine does not have the same usefulness or strength when it comes to wood.

In this verse, God is speaking to Ezekiel, calling him "son of man" and asking him to consider the nature of a vine compared to other trees. The setting is during the Babylonian exile, and the question sets up a comparison that will be used to make a point about the people of Jerusalem. The verse invites the reader to think about the practical value of a vine’s wood, which is not strong or useful for building, hinting at a deeper message about purpose and usefulness.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 15:2

  • וָגֶפֶן (gefen, "vine"): This word refers specifically to a grapevine, which is known for its fruit but not for its wood. The contrast here is about usefulness beyond fruit-bearing.
  • עֵץ (etz, "tree"): Used several times in this verse, this word means a regular tree, which is valued for its wood and strength. The repetition draws attention to the comparison between the vine and sturdier trees.
  • כָּנָף (kanaph, "branch"): This word can mean a branch or a shoot, emphasizing the part of the tree that might be used for something practical. The comparison suggests that even a branch from another tree is more useful than the vine’s wood.

Why Ezekiel 15:2 matters

  • Ezekiel 15:2 sets up a metaphor that will be explained in the following verses, where the people of Jerusalem are compared to the vine—useful only when they fulfill their true purpose.
  • The verse clears up any idea that all trees (or people) have the same role or value in every context; it emphasizes that the vine’s worth is not in its wood, but in its fruit.
  • This question prepares the reader for a message about judgment and purpose, connecting the physical image of the vine to the spiritual state of the nation.

Where else these words appear

“branch” Hebrew H2156 · used in 5 verses

  • Numbers 13:23 And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.
  • Isaiah 17:10 Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips:
  • Ezekiel 8:17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.

“vine” Hebrew H1612 · used in 53 verses

  • Genesis 40:9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me;
  • Psalms 105:33 He smote their vines also and their fig trees; and brake the trees of their coasts.
  • Jeremiah 48:32 O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer: thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer: the spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage.

“forest” Hebrew H3293 · used in 58 verses

  • Deuteronomy 19:5 As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:
  • Psalms 83:14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;
  • Isaiah 44:23 Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.