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.

EZEKIEL 17:20KJV
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Ezekiel 17:20 (KJV)

What does Ezekiel 17:20 mean?

Ezekiel 17:20 describes God declaring that He will capture the king of Judah, bring him to Babylon, and judge him there for breaking faith with God. The verse uses the image of a net and a snare to show that the king cannot escape God’s judgment for his unfaithfulness.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Ezekiel to the people of Judah, warning them about the consequences of their king’s betrayal. The historical setting is the time when Judah’s king broke his oath to Babylon’s king, which was seen as breaking faith with God as well. The verse emphasizes that God Himself is behind these events and will hold the king accountable.

The Hebrew behind Ezekiel 17:20

  • "spread" (פָּרַשׂ, pāras): This word means to stretch out or spread, here referring to God spreading a net. It gives a picture of deliberate action, not chance.
  • "net" (רֶשֶׁת, reshet): This word is often used for a literal net used to catch animals. Here, it is a metaphor for God’s inescapable judgment.
  • "plead" (שָׁפַט, shāfat): This word means to judge or bring to trial. It shows that God’s actions are not random punishment but a formal reckoning for wrongdoing.
  • "trespass" (מַעַל, ma‘al) and "trespassed" (מַעַל, ma‘al): Both forms come from a word meaning to act unfaithfully or betray trust, highlighting that the king’s crime was not just political but spiritual.

Why Ezekiel 17:20 matters

  • This verse makes clear that God is in control of the fate of nations and kings, not just human rulers or armies.
  • The use of net and snare imagery stresses that no one can escape God’s justice, no matter their status or plans.
  • By linking the king’s political betrayal to spiritual unfaithfulness, the verse connects national events to the people’s relationship with God, a key theme in Ezekiel’s message.

Where else these words appear

“net” Hebrew H7568 · used in 21 verses

  • Exodus 27:4 And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof.
  • Psalms 25:15 Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
  • Proverbs 29:5 A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.

“snare” Hebrew H4686 · used in 22 verses

  • 1 Samuel 22:4 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.
  • 2 Samuel 23:14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
  • Psalms 31:3 For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name's sake lead me, and guide me.

“trespassed” Hebrew H4604 · used in 29 verses

  • Leviticus 5:15 If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
  • Joshua 22:20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.
  • Ezra 9:2 For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.

“trespass” Hebrew H4603 · used in 35 verses

  • Leviticus 5:15 If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering:
  • 1 Chronicles 2:7 And the sons of Carmi; Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed.
  • Ezra 10:2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.