thy mother - the mother of Jehoiachin, the representative of David’s line in exile with Ezekiel. The “mother” is Judea: “a lioness,” as being fierce in catching prey (Eze 19:3), referring to her heathenish practices. Jerusalem was called Ariel (the lion of God) in a good sense (Isa 29:1); and Judah “a lion’s whelp ... a lion ... an old lion” (Gen 49:9), to which, as also to Num 23:24; Num 24:9, this passage alludes.
nourished ... among young lions - She herself had “lain” among lions, that is, had intercourse with the corruptions of the surrounding heathen and had brought up the royal young ones similarly: utterly degenerate from the stock of Abraham.
Lay down - or “couched,” is appropriate to the lion, the Arab name of which means “the coucher.”