In the ancient Near East, a funeral song had a special rhythm and style. It usually praised the good qualities of the person who had died. It also compared past glory with the present loss.
In this chapter, however, the people being mourned were not yet dead. The song does not praise them. Instead, it lists their sins and failures. This funeral song clearly shows that their judgment was certain and explains why it would happen.
The lion (Ezekiel 19:2–9) and the vine (19:10–14) were common pictures for Israel’s princes and for the royal family of Judah. These images would have been familiar to the people who first heard this message.